Confession. I hate to exercise. I know I’m supposed to like it, but I don’t. I like the results that come from exercise, but the whole sweating, heart racing, muscles aching thing is lost on me.
Years ago I was really out of shape. It was so bad in fact, that my doctor warned me that my life would be shortened if I didn’t make a change. At the time I had just lost my daughter, so that didn’t really phase me much. I think I was passively letting myself go so that nature would take its course and claim me.
I know that’s depressing, but I have to be honest with you. It’s where I was at the time.
And I stayed that way for awhile. Out of shape. Out of hope. Disgusted with myself over who I had become.
But one day something grabbed my core and shook the hell out of it. Woke me up from some deep slumber. A health coma, really. I can’t for the life of me tell you what triggered it.
Honestly? I think it was God saying it wasn’t my time to die yet. I wasn’t particularly willing to do anything about it, but I think he wasn’t particularly willing for me to leave two kids and a husband behind. So he intervened.
Of course this is just my opinion and based on my beliefs system. And I believe he saved me.
In six months time I lost 35% of my body weight. I did it through diet and exercise. 1,250 calories per day and daily workouts at the gym six days a week.
When I say workouts, I mean walking on the treadmill. Nothing glamorous. Just me, my cd player (it was eleven years ago, after all), and the treadmill. Three miles per hour, six days per week. Without fail.
As I walked those miles day in and day out, I watched skinny women prance around the gym in their little workout thongs, their racer back tanks, and their skin tight gym shorts. I have to tell you, that sucked.
But six months later I hit my goal weight and I moved my walking routine to the great outdoors. Never a workout thong to be seen again. Thank God.
I wish I was brave enough to share with you the before and after pictures, but I’m just not there yet. Maybe someday…
And here I am eleven years later and I’ve kept the weight off for the most part. Sure, I’ve crept up a bit over the years, but only by a few pounds which I try very hard to correct as soon as I see the scale going upwards.
People often times ask me how I kept the weight off. The answer is exercise.
The plain truth is that I exercise to eat. Some people eat to live, but that’s not my truth. I love to eat. And if I want to enjoy the yummier things in life, then I have to pay the piper by moving my body enough to burn those extra calories. I’m willing to do that.
I figure I eat about 2,200 calories a day. If I did that daily and didn’t move my butt, I’d be in big trouble. But because I walk five miles a day, my weight is stable.
It takes me one and a half hours a day to walk those five miles. That is a huge chunk of my time. A selfish endeavor really considering that I’m a mom of four. But I’ve learned that I have to be selfish that way if I’m to stay healthy. And if I want those extra calories to enjoy. Trust me. I do.
A positive result of my selfishness is that I’ve inspired my sons to get moving themselves. Both of my boys walk those five miles with me. Not all of the time, but frequently. This makes me happy because they are willing to move. And that is half of the battle.
If you need to lose weight, the first thing I’d suggest you do is visit the doctor. Make a plan of action and start moving your body if your doctor says you are able.
I know exercise isn’t fun. Well, it isn’t for me anyway. However, it is key to weight loss. And if I can lose 35% of my body weight, you can lose weight too. There is nothing special about me. It all boils down to calories consumed, calories burned and creating a calorie deficit.
And moving your tushie. Yeah, that.
How about you? Do you like to exercise? Are you working on losing weight? How’s it going for you? Let’s chat about it.
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