I really LOVE fitness. It's NOT that I LOVE working out so much as I love the feeling of accomplishment upon completing a good, sweaty workout. And I really LOVE results... feeling good, inches lost, clothes fitting better, definition in the muscles, compliments from the hubby... all good.
The best part... knowing that today in my 40's, I am in better shape and can do more than in my 20's or even as a teenager. That really gets me fired up! I hope to be an unstoppable force in my 50's, 60's, & 70's. Maybe even my 80's. :)
So I keep working out... MOST of the time.
Don't misunderstand: I am no fitness mag cover model (at least not yet), & I fall off the good nutrition wagon pretty much daily. Truth be told: I realllllly like to eat, & I know that exercise allows me a little more room to munch.
Let's face it. Nutrition & fitness can be like an amusement park.
There's the merry-go-round of eating right where sometimes you get so bored you just want to jump off & go eat some fries and ice cream. I get off my carousel horse way too often. It's so hard to keep in mind that if you stay on, that slow horse is really going to get you somewhere.
Then, there's the roller coaster ride of working out. Sometimes you're up & excited, moving & motivated. Then you're in the lows, just trying, trying, trying to get yourself going again. Once in awhile you get thrown for a loop with an injury or illness. My coaster car stalls or sometimes even derails.
Even though in my heart I know that consistency is key, persistence can be so tough because my "BUT" gets in the way.
*BUT I have so much to do...
*BUT I'll have to change clothes...
*BUT my feet hurt...
*BUT I'm tired...
*BUT I can't find a workout I like...
*BUT I just don't want to...
I've found that the hardest part is sometimes just getting started. Here are a few things that help me get going...
* Telling myself that once I get going, I'll be done in a bit
* Being accountable to someone (My Texas Fit Chicks will ask where I am and where I've been.)
* Reminding myself how far I've come & how old me is not welcome here anymore
* Remembering how much hurt and sickness I avoid by just getting up and moving
* Thinking how proud my people will be when I am looking like a wonder woman at 50
* Knowing that the workout will give me energy and motivation to do all those things I have to do, even if I'm tired
* Thinking how fast my daughter and nephews are if I need to catch them
* My favorite get done phrase: "I can do 2 of anything."
* Repeating Philippians 4:13
Working out may be fun sometimes and so rewarding but it's not all about me. If I can be there for my family a little longer and a lot better... If I can help someone else... If someone can be encouraged by me, then it's totally worth the sweat, the burn, and the time it takes. Everything else is just gravy.
Stay tuned for posts about my workout schedule, at home ideas, and maybe some healthy meal options I've tried.
In the meantime, get moving. One step at a time, maybe 2. It's good for you and your whole family. Grace & Motivation from our Red Dirt.
