Day 5

What a difference a week makes....

Last Saturday I spent most of the day sitting on the computer and consuming almost illegal amounts of chocolate. Oh I justified it for many reasons, but bottom line was my will was not there and I was feeling sorry for myself for a variety of reasons. I was having a rough day and figured it didn't matter anyway.

Now fast forward to this Saturday. Megan and I got up early and was at the gym by 8am. We did our hour of Aqua Zumba (which I really enjoyed by the way) and then came home. By 11:30 we were back at the gym. I did my hour of cardio while the kids swam and did the water slides (hey, guess what, each time you went down the slide it meant you had to climb 3 flights of stairs!). They were exercising and didn't know it! Zachary enjoyed the pool as well after my workout was over.

Tomorrow is Sunday and I'm going to force myself to have a day of rest. We all deserve it!

But still.. it's only been 5 days...why the change? Well once you get going you don't want to stop. Starting is the hard part. It's like going down a hill though. The momentum gets you and you just keep going.

Today I tackled the Crosstrainer. It's kind of like an eliptical of sorts. After 5 minutes, okay, actually after about 2 minutes, I was ready to call it quits. My hip and knees hurt and I figured it just wasn't for me. Then I thought about next week when it's not going to be an option to not do it...so I stuck to it, pressed through and made it 30 minutes! Woo Hoo Me!!

My goal, as simple as it may sound, is to be able to run 1 mile...that's it...just one (more would be nice but I'm making a small goal).

Now this sounds like it's a lot about me obessessing over food and exercise. I'm not...I'm focused...focus and obsession are two different things. I'm using this as an opportunity to really do something that's not only good for myself but for my family. To make a life change. It's not about the contest...okay, maybe a little part of me would love to win...but it's about doing something about how I feel, and making sure I will be around for my kids for the next 30 or more years. It's also about helping my kids not be in this same position 20 years from now. It's about breaking the cycle.

Maybe you were part of the clean-your-plate club like I was when you were growing up. After all, there were starving children in Africa that would love to have those Brussel Sprouts and liver that were on your plate. I offered to send them, but like most moms she just made me sit there and eat them. Now I have kids, and to prevent that scenario I have offered them all kid-friendly foods...mac and cheese, tater tots, hot dogs, hamburgers, sugary cereal, syrup-like syrup for their French toast sticks, etc. When we were growing up these were a treat...now it's common. You don't even want to get me going on what they serve kids in school!

Anyway, my kids are addicted to this stuff...even after spending an hour in the gym just driving by those Golden Arches evokes instantaneous drool from my kids and yowling about how hungry they are and how they can't wait the 5 minutes it takes to get home. I try to tell them that once they stop eating it their bodies will stop craving it...they don't believe me.

I do have concerns that my denial of these foods will lead to other behaviors that may be less than desireable, such as sneaking food, lying about what they've eaten, or becoming obsessed about calories. After all, they are kids, and the last thing I want them to have is the baggage I grew up with and carried throughout my 20's. I swung the pendulum...being the fat kid to struggling with eating anything because of the calorie count. Oh, I can lose weight....but this time it's different. It has to be. I have to show my kids that it is NOT ABOUT LOSING WEIGHT!!! It is about being healthy, fit, active, making good choices, and treating their bodies the way they should be treated. It's also about teamwork, faith, perseverance, and family....

I will say this again and again and again...IT'S NOT ABOUT LOSING WEIGHT!!!

I don't care if my kids don't lose (or gain in Ben's case) a single pound. I just want them to be healthy!!!!

Monday is our first training session with Amazing Nicole. I'm looking forward to it but realize that this past 5 days is NOTHING compared to what she's going to expect of me. But here's to moving forward...moving up....and not looking back.