I’m not a spring chicken, but I’m also not old. I will never consider myself to be, but what I am is a woman/mom/wife who has let all the other things and people in my life take priority. My husband loves me the way I am, but I have been really unhappy and unsettled with myself. I have two young children who are watching EVERYTHING I do. Especially my little girl. So things needed to change. But first it needed to change in my head.
That was the hardest part.
I know that God wants me to treat myself better. The Bible even states that our body is a temple of God and we are to treat it as such. To be honest, I haven’t been doing that at all. I was raised on soda and really yummy foods that weren’t necessarily the best for me. At one point I was at my “ideal” weight, the weight that I now strive to return to. And you know what? I thought I was fat. Can you relate? Of course, that was 20 years ago and I didn’t have 2 beautiful children who were created and birthed from this body. I know there are some women who love their curves and all that comes with it and I sometimes wish I was like that, but I will never be that person. I know myself well enough to know that I am not healthy or content. It’s not that I want to look like anyone else right now, but…
I want to be the best me I possibly can be.
Now if you told me I would end up looking like beach volleyball pro Gabrielle Reece, I would not mind that at all, but I just want to be healthy and strong. Not only for me, but for my husband and for my children. I deserve to live life being the best me I can be and then as a result, be the best for my family.
The truth.
My husband is a certified personal trainer and believe me, he has tried to help me. He has tried to support me. He has made plans for me. But until now, it didn’t help. Why? Because this journey had to begin in my brain. I had to finally come to a place where I finally got it. Where I finally realized that there was no time left for excuses. No time for nonsense. I could no longer say, “I can’t do this without a trainer next to me, pushing me.”. If this was going to happen, I had to do it on my own.
The truth.
I am scared. I am afraid to fail. I am afraid of all the things that stopped me before. But I also know that if 5-10 years go by and I have done nothing, then I have truly failed because I chose to live in fear and not take hold of this precious life. God gave me this one body and it’s time to start treating it like the blessing that it is. This body I frequently despise is the same one that survived e-coli, numerous pneumonias, a bout with salmonella that almost killed me, and numerous other medical issues. Most importantly, this body allowed me to have the two biggest blessings in my life and if only for that reason, I need to thank God for this body I have been given.
I told my husband that while I appreciate his support and help, that this is MY journey. It has to be on my terms, done the way I feel is best for me, because ultimately, the one who is responsible for it, is me. So, for me, that means doing something that I have passion for, something I love to do. SPIN!
I started going back to spin class about three weeks ago and combine that with strength training. To me, there is no better feeling than conquering that spin bike-and if you have ever taken a spin class, you know EXACTLY what I am talking about. There is no other workout like it. I feel strong. I feel powerful. It makes me love working out, which for me is nothing short of a miracle! The other day, I decided to add in kickboxing. Wow! I have a new respect for boxers. I sweated just as much as I do on the bike and I left feeling strong.
I will be blogging occassionally on my progress, but this will not be a before and after picture blog. As I told my husband, this is MY journey and however I end up looking, is how I will look. I think as men and women, we need to concentrate on becoming the best we can be and not look to someone else’s before and after picture. No matter how healthy I get, I will never have a ballerina’s body. I am not built that way. God made me the way I was supposed to be. I’m not supposed to look like anyone else and neither are you.
So now my question for you is, where are you in your journey towards a healthier you?
Are you looking to make changes? Do they seem insurmountable? I believe you can do this. I had to make it a priority and explain to my two small children that mommy needed to be healthier and that going to the gym is a MUST. Just like brushing their teeth, I MUST go to the gym. Involve your kids. Let them see what you are doing and explain why. And if you need emotional support, please keep in touch with me on Facebook or here, because I would love to know how you are doing. And if you are interested in a free workout just for women, click here. The link will take you to my husband’s blog that will soon be updated!
Come join me on the journey! I can’t promise you that you will lose all the weight or get your “ideal” body, but I can tell you that it will be worth it!
Will you join me?
Hannah says
Love this! I always tell people I love spinning because you get what you put into it. It is totally up to you as the rider to up that resistance or pedal a little faster. The instructor acts as a guide and motivation but it is your workout and you make it what you want.
guardthedoor says
Thank you Hannah! I just signed up to become certified in spinning. I cannot wait! Have an awesome day!
Jean says
Hi, nice blog post. The most important thing to change is the action. I also was trying to make my body in order to be healthy and ideal with cycling.