I am 47-years-old and have given birth to 6 children. Two very good reasons for feeling like there is no point in trying to lose weight. A doctor even told me once that after being pregnant so many times that I might as well get used to being heavy because no amount of exercise was going to undo the damage done. It wasn’t until a 50 +-year-old woman won the Biggest Loser that I thought the more years that passed the least likely it would be for me to fit in my Daisy Dukes again (I actually still own them, they fit Sierra). I used every excuse in the book but like with every life-changing stage, one moment changed all of that.
I was sitting in my Jeep this past April watching River’s baseball practice. His practice field is on Caesar Chavez right on Lady Bird Lake. For those of you unfamiliar with Austin, Lady Bird Lake (previously known as and sometimes still referred to as Town Lake) is a mecca for fitness buffs. Thousands of people every day run/walk/jog/bike along the 5 or so mile trail that runs along side its shore. If you are on or near the trail and not exercising in some form shape or fashion you feel like a complete loser. That’s what I was doing, I was watching all the fit and beautiful people in Austin run right past me while I snacked on a P. Terry’s cheeseburger.
I do a lot of waiting on kids in my car. I take advantage of the precious down time by catching up with all my big kids on the phone. That particular day I called Jesse, my second oldest and most actively involved in a fitness program which for the most part consists of yoga and running a lot. I told him how tired I had been and dizzy which had consistently been my physical state for a few years. He asked me what I was doing and I told him where I was. He had been encouraging me to begin an exercise regime for a long time. But, there was something different about that day and his voice. It was a combination of desperation for me to finally do something about my health and a concern that I had never detected before. It was something about how he said,
"Mom, just get out of the car right now and walk around the lake. You might be tired but I guarantee that you will feel energized if you just get out and walk, hang up right now and walk”.
Noting the sense of urgency in his tone, I did just that. I got out and walked. It was a cool Texas Spring evening, the most amazingly beautiful day and I wasn’t looking at it from the inside of my car anymore. I was in it, breathing it in, passing joggers by instead of watching them jog by. I wasn’t the lazy by-stander anymore I was part of the mix. The journey of a thousand miles begins with one single step. That was my first step.
Now, I don’t want to mislead anybody. It’s not like I walked the lake that day and never looked back. Being a full time mom and working a full time job makes it difficult to fit in routine of any kind if it doesn’t have to do with kids. MANY of you out there know what I’m talking about. Every time I’d begin a routine something would throw a wrench in it like an injury or one of my kids schedules would change or it was too hot or too cold or the pool closed or my shoes hurt my feet. That has been my downfall in the past, I let change throw me off. I let my busy life be my excuse. I decided that day as I was walking around the lake that this time it would be different. There has to be a way and I would find it. It wasn't just about me, it was about my family.
As all of you working parents know, work gets in the way of life. I decided that I would incorporate fitness into the daily grind somehow. Conference/workshop season was winding down which meant that I had a more flexible schedule and luckily, I have a flexible boss as well. There are a handful of smokers at my work and I would say they are outside at the smoking area about an hour total a day. I presented to my boss the idea of fitness breaks that would equal the time the smokers spent on theirs. She was 100% on board. I figured yoga would be the best form of exercise at work as opposed to a strenuous and sweaty aerobic workout. So, I started offering yoga breaks with Rodney Yee. I collected all of my unused DVDs and put them to use. Others donated some and now we have a respectable collection. Boy, was I wrong when I assumed you don't break much of a sweat with yoga. It is a heck of a work out but if I go more than two or three days without it, I crave it like chocolate.
I spoke to a friend of mine yesterday at a happy hour about yoga. She had the same concerns I did, how can you do the yoga moves like cobra when you have a bit fat belly blocking your every stretch? The answer, just adapt to what your body is capable of doing. When I began I could barely stretch or grab my feet in child's pose but with every practice I can stretch further and my belly is melting slowly away so I am capable of doing more. My core is stronger and I can put myself in positions that I haven't been in for a long time. Just within yoga itself you can make small goals that are very reachable. I have found that reaching those small goals makes the idea of realizing the ultimate one that much more attainable.
Other folks in my office caught the health kick bug and asked me join them in their favorite exercises. I walk in the mornings around the campus with one co-worker and swam at our campus pool with another. The pool closed after students went home for the summer 3 weeks after I got into the routine. In the past I would have used it as an excuse but luckily a public pool close to work opened a week after that, my daughter is on the swim team so it was easy to change my routine and begin swimming there. Now, when I say swim I don't mean like those die-hard swimmers that swim lap after lap after lap in the lanes. When I'm in the pool I tread water or bicycle engaging my abs or I do the breast stroke engaging my gluts or do the back strock to tone my arms and abs. Whatever the stroke or motion I do, I work my abs. That is my least favorite part of my body and the reason I can't wear what I want. I don't have big thighs or butt, actually, those are my favorite physical traits. Whatever you do, work on the part of your body that you want to change the most. Between yoga and swimming you elongate your muscles which makes for a stronger and leaner frame.
My point is find what works for you and what your community offers. If it's not there, create it. I am fortunate to live in Austin because there are dozens of free pools in our city and lots of great places to walk/run/jog/bike. If your city isn't fitness friendly take some dumb bells to work or do ab exercises at your desk chair. Instead of eating on your lunch break, walk or climb stairs and eat at your desk. I think the key for me is that I do 2 20-30 minute exercises a day if not more. It keeps my metabolism working for me.
I was sticking to my routine for about 3 weeks before I began to see results. I lost about 1 1/2 lbs the first week I started to lose weight. I was happy about that because I was steadily at 222 lbs without budging 1 way or the other so that was a huge deal for me. The last two weeks of school were crazy busy so I was a bit off, i didn't want to weigh myself because I was afraid the scale would climb back up when I stepped on it. I put on a skirt I hadn't worn in a while and it seemed loser on me so I thought I would weigh myself anyway. I didn't have my glasses on when I moved the weight across the bar (old school medical scale) but I was pretty sure I saw 214 lbs. Excited, I jumped off the scale and ran to my cubicle to get my glasses, passing my walking partner along the way. I told her what I thought I saw and she high-fived me. Glasses secured on my face I went back to the little storage room with the scale and there it was.... 113 1/2 lbs. My efforts were paying off. I had lost 9 1/2 lbs, 8 of those in 2 weeks. One reason why it seemed so unbelievable to me was because I didn't feel deprived or over worked to earn it. I enjoyed my routine and now, finally, I was seeing results. I want everybody who is tired of looking in the mirror or struggling to buckle their shoes or bend down to pick up a dropped pen or dig under the sink to look for that last trash bag to feel the exhileration I felt. It doesn't take much, just take the first step and as Sadie's t-shirt says "You must stay determined"
To sum it up:
I was sticking to my routine for about 3 weeks before I began to see results. I lost about 1 1/2 lbs the first week I started to lose weight. I was happy about that because I was steadily at 222 lbs without budging 1 way or the other so that was a huge deal for me. The last two weeks of school were crazy busy so I was a bit off, i didn't want to weigh myself because I was afraid the scale would climb back up when I stepped on it. I put on a skirt I hadn't worn in a while and it seemed loser on me so I thought I would weigh myself anyway. I didn't have my glasses on when I moved the weight across the bar (old school medical scale) but I was pretty sure I saw 214 lbs. Excited, I jumped off the scale and ran to my cubicle to get my glasses, passing my walking partner along the way. I told her what I thought I saw and she high-fived me. Glasses secured on my face I went back to the little storage room with the scale and there it was.... 113 1/2 lbs. My efforts were paying off. I had lost 9 1/2 lbs, 8 of those in 2 weeks. One reason why it seemed so unbelievable to me was because I didn't feel deprived or over worked to earn it. I enjoyed my routine and now, finally, I was seeing results. I want everybody who is tired of looking in the mirror or struggling to buckle their shoes or bend down to pick up a dropped pen or dig under the sink to look for that last trash bag to feel the exhileration I felt. It doesn't take much, just take the first step and as Sadie's t-shirt says "You must stay determined"
To sum it up:
- Find a partner
- Fit fitness into your day, even on a small scale. After a while you will see results.
- Set small attainable goals for instance with yoga, set a goal to reach you ankle when all you can reach is your calf. Swim half a lap further than you have in the past. Just step outside and start walking. Your body doesn't want those extra pounds to carry around, it will let the lbs go if you give it a chance.
- Create a fit community if that's what it takes.
- Believe in yourself, you will lose weight.
- Write about it, blog about it, talk about it. Hold yourself accountable.
No comments:
Post a Comment