Getting Fit, Slowly, but Surely...

It's been a while since I've blogged and have completed two 5K's in that time frame and then went quite sedentary - which happens from time to time.  I had a wake up call the other day or a motivational call as I got on the scale and it registered at a weight I have seen four times in my life.  Twice moving up the ladder of maternity weight and twice moving down the ladder of maternity weight.  It depressed me, as weight gain often does and I thought, 'hmm...really need to do something about that...' and as usual...did nothing.

As many of you know I love to bake and I'm quite good at it, not to sound boastful, but I am.  I've won ribbons and awards for casseroles, cakes, pies, cookies, and candies.  The problem is when you have a hobby like that it leads to weight gain if you continue to 'eat' your end product.  So, I also needed to find a new hobby.  We'll talk about that later.

Last week while at the library I found some fitness books, it is a real insult that they put the fitness section right next to the baking section.  Seriously library people?  Really?  You don't find that mean on a lot of levels?  But I bypassed the bakery books (pause to twitch) and headed for the fitness books. 

I found a boot camp book, that looked promising.  A Jillian Michaels' book, she's so mean she scares you to get into shape - I'm okay with that - I'm afraid of her and willing to work hard for her.  Must be an amazing feeling to have that power over people who you don't even know.  A book all about women over 40 running and walking - that seems right up my alley - sigh.  A food book that has all kinds of suggestions for good foods to eat - why is that you have to find that book in the fitness section rather than the cooking section?  And lastly, a Leslie Sansone Walking book.

I brought my treasures home and they sat in a pile for several days as books should. They would call to me every now and then when I would walk by, but I could never hear it over the crunching of chips.  On Sunday, the house was quiet and I could hear them calling me or mocking me, not quite sure which.  I started leafing through the books and I found the Leslie Sansone - Walk Away the Pounds: The Breakthrough 6-Week Program That Helps You Burn Fat, Tone to be the easiest to read and understand and quite honestly, the most doable.

It's interesting and I digress...several of my life long friends have had weight battles over the years.  Not anything really drastic, but weight battles.  One of my friends just made the decision he didn't want to live that lifestyle anymore and started working out.  He toned up and got into shape and looks fabulous.  While he says he falls off the wagon every now and then, he's still in great shape and overall good fitness.

Another friend was diagnosed with diabetes and it was a wake up call for her.  She realized she needed to make some changes in her diet and fitness levels.  She started really watching what she ate, following a diabetic diet, and started an exercise routine.  In what seemed to be no time at all, she was dropping the weight and was so excited to move down pant sizes.  She emails me..."I have to go shopping because my clothes are too big".  Atta girl!

My childhood friend has battled with weight for a long time.  Recently, she started a weight loss plan through the local hospital and has had a huge success.  She is almost down 60lbs.  She looks absolutely fabulous and feels great.  She's started exercising and thinking healthy thoughts.

These three people in my life have given me motivation in recent months to really make a change in my life.  After reading Leslie's book, she gave me motivation too because as she says...I deserve to be healthy.  And I do.  As a mother I feel the need to take care of everyone and everything, to finish uneaten food on children's plates, to give up doing something for me so I can help someone else, and I've come to realize that I am important too.  And let's face it, without me...who would take care of them, so I might as well take care of myself so I can take care of everyone else - right!?

So...here we are day two of the 6 week program.  The goal is to walk 100 miles, but there is a plan.  For the first week, it's 1 mile each day and a multivitamin - seems easy enough.  Week two we increase the distance and add in 8 glasses of water.  That's it.  For now, it's all about exercising.

Give it a try.  What do you have to lose?  In the words of my friend, Doc Adolph Brown..."Whether you think you can or think you can't...you're right!"  So know what...I think I CAN!