Sunday, December 15, 2013

Finding My Exercise Motivation

So, I wrote this blog post on 09/04/13, but am just posting it now.  When I look back on it, I can't believe how much has changed in a mere 3.5 months!  Since then, I have actually found something that I love and have made some great lifestyle changes.  More about that later though.  Stay tuned...

This is actually going to be part #1 of a series about my post-baby journey back to health.  The reason that I say health is that I am trying to focus my attention on creating a fitness and diet routine that will not only allow me to look better, but more importantly, to allow me to be a healthier person for my daughter.  

So, let me be clear, this is not about a number on a scale.  This is about waking up every single day and feeling good about myself.

All of that being said, please read on and stay tuned!

From 09/04/13:

I want to lose a few pounds and firm up.  Who doesn't?  Every single day, I wake up, look in the mirror, and feel that same, familiar dissatisfaction with how I look.  Yet I refuse to change it.  How stupid it that?

Let's face it, losing weight is a choice.  It should be a very easy choice, right?  If you want it, go ahead and do it.  Yet it seems like I just keep coming up with excuse after excuse.  What makes it hard is that my excuses are actually valid, which keeps me from coming up with a solution.  I somehow just cannot get motivated to actually make the lasting changes.

I have thought a lot about it and have come to two realizations about exercise and lifestyle change.

1. You have to find something that you love.  If you don't love it, you won't stick with me.  Trust me on this one.  For some people it is running, while for others it is Zumba.  Some prefer the gym, while some prefer workout videos.  The bottom line is that if you don't like it, you won't continue it.

Prior to having the Moose, I worked out with a personal trainer twice a week and LOVED it.  Sadly that is no longer in the budget and I have yet to find something that I like as much.

For my husband, that thing was Crossfit.  He started going there 3 years ago and it really changed his life.  It not only helped him to get into amazing shape, but, more importantly, it helped change his entire attitude towards fitness.

Summer 2009.  Josh (pre-Crossfit) was the heaviest he has ever been.  I, 
on the other hand, looked pretty good, but thought that I really needed to lose weight.  
Ha!  If I only I knew then what I know now!

2. You have to have that "aha moment!" where you really, truly get fed up and make a commitment to changing.  Every single person I know who has been effective in making lifestyle changes can pinpoint the moment that they decided to make the change.

I have yet to get to that point.  I feel like if I woke up one day and my pants didn't fit, that would kick my into high gear because I refuse to buy new clothes.  If someone would call me fat, that would also kick start me.  Who knows though?  Maybe not.

My mom has been incredibly successful with weight loss, having lost over 70 pounds in the last year.  Amazing, right?!  Her "aha moment" was when she went to her cardiologist and he told her that if she continued to carry that extra weight she ran the risk of dropping dead at any time.  That kick started her into a low carb diet and exercise routine (treadmill and weight circuit at the gym) that she loves.

A friend of mine, who looked fabulous even before her weight loss/toning, had her "aha moment" when she was done with breastfeeding and realized that she needed to make her own body a priority after being pregnant for 9 months and nursing for another year.  She has found a workout routine and new diet that she likes and has been super successful.

Another friend of mine has also lost over 70 pounds (don't I have amazing people in my life?!) because she realized one day that she wasn't doing activities like swimming with her daughter because she didn't like how she looked.  From that point on, she has been Ms. Active and has already run 3 5Ks!


Summer 2013.  What a difference 4 years makes!  Josh now looks
great and I cringe looking at myself in bathing suit photos.  Ugh.
At least the little one is adorable in her stylish suit and bow.  :)

So, what do you guys think?  Do you agree that those are the two things needed for success?  Have you found what you love?


16 comments:

  1. I do agree that those two things are things that are necessary. I also feel that a person will be most successful if the concentration is on becoming the best 'them' and not comparing themselves to other people, those stupid weight charts in the doctors' offices or BMI charts. Sometimes just thinking of 'exercise' in a different way is enough to give people a push-if you call it 'play' it sounds like a lot more fun!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Loved this! Thanks for sharing.


    xo & now following
    mariahlauren.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. I loved bootcamp but after having my son & barely getting in enough calories to sustain breadtfeeding (he was a crazy eater!) I found that I just didn't have the energy. Hope to get back there someday! And I hope my husband finds his ah ha moment too!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I definitely have to agree on those two! If there is no motivation then how can we expect ourselves to perform and make achievements for ourselves. I just had a second baby over one week ago. We are not planning to have anymore children at the moment. Although I did not overly gain weight in either pregnancy I would still like to be more fit.
    Thank you for sharing :)
    Bismah @
    http://simplemamaathome.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. Agree! My activity that I love is walking/hiking, but I don't love winter. Living in upstate NY, this can be a problem. I had an aha moment last spring when I could no longer fit into most of my pants. I was horribly uncomfortable, so I made a few changes and I'm back in my pants again. LOL. Fingers crossed that I don't get totally derailed by this winter.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Yes, I completely agree. The 'aha' moment - where the motivation/reason for doing something outweighs any and all excuses for NOT doing it - is absolutely key and I've definitely had them, but then seem to forget them too quickly and don't stick with my new routine. I find that having some sort of accountability is crucial to maintaining your motivation...often it's easy(ish) to start something, but much harder to keep it up. Thanks for this inspiring post! :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I completely agree! I get so discouraged if I weigh myself, so I just choose not to do it at all. I figure that if I am exercising, I am getting healthier and what the scale says doesn't matter. I also feel better mentally when I exercise and that is also more important than a stupid number. My husband is in great shape, but his BMI measures obese because he is so muscular. He actually had a better BMI in the first pic, where he is clearly much heavier.


    Thanks for you response! :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thank you!! heading to your blog right now. :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I have a friend who did Bootcamp and loved it! That is crazy about the breastfeeding thing. That must have been really tough on you.


    I hope that you guys find your aha moment and find what works for you at this point in your lives. Since writing this post in September, I have found mine and am so excited to share it in a post tomorrow!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh that BMI and I don't get along at all. Lol

    ReplyDelete
  11. I had a friend who did bootcamp and loved it! That breastfeeding thing is crazy and must have been so tough on you. Wow!


    i hope that you and your husband both find what works for you at this point in your lives. Since writing this post in September, I have found an awesome fitness program and couldn't be happier. I am going to write about it tomorrow!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Congrats on your new baby! I hope that you and the baby are both doing well.


    I agree about being more fit. I obviously want to look good, but being fit is much more important. Working out once you have kids is so hard, but I have finally found the program that works for me and I am so excited about it! I will be writing more about it tomorrow.


    Thanks for commenting and congrats again! :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Good for you!! it must have been such motivation when your pants starting fitting again.


    I also love walking and hiking and have struggled in the past during the winter. Since writing this post though, I have found an awesome new fitness program that I love though. I can honestly say that it is the first time I have ever been excited about working out inside! I am going to write more about it tomorrow.


    Thanks for commenting! :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thank you for your comment! I LOVE how you put it (where the motivation / reason for doing something outweighs any and all excuses for NOT doing it). Can I steal that for my facebook page?!


    It is actually such a fitting comment because I have recently found an amazing new fitness program (I am on week 5) and one of the things that I like the most is the accountability aspect. I, like you, easily lose motivation once time passes. Sadly, I am so bad that I sometimes wake up with motivation and lose it by bedtime. :)


    This new program has totally changed me though. I am going to write more about it tomorrow!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I absolutely agree that you need to find something you love. If it wasn't for hula hooping, I'd be a chubbers still. I used to weigh 240, now I weigh 145. c:


    <3
    Harlynn
    www.mindyourmadness.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  16. Yes, totally. Steal away. I probably shouldn't take credit for saying it - I'm sure I probably heard it somewhere and just can't remember where! :)

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for stopping by! I would love to hear from you, so please take a minute to leave me any comments, suggestions, funny stories, or advice about this journey called Mommyhood.

Becky :)