It’s just about DAD.GUM time. I mean, really?? How far am I going to let myself get before I decide to do something about it? And why wait until then – why not do something now.
My husband approached me before the holidays with this challenge, “I want you to challenge yourself to start exercising in the new year, and I want you to commit to 30 days, and I want you to blog about it, every day.” Of course the conversation was full of “Sure – why don’t YOU exercise with me?” and “Gee THANKS hun,” and “did you just say you want me to blog every day??” Now don’t get me wrong, he was actually being very loving about it, he’s getting concerned about what I have been ignoring for the last year — how dangerously close I’ve been creeping up to a certain number that I even dread to type here. A number that for some reason sounds a LOT worse than ten less that I weigh now, because it marks a “turning point.” It’s definitely the “YOU HAVE GONE TOO FAR” sign. His thinking is that if I commit to it for 30 days, by the end of the 30 days I’ll be in better shape and better able to keep exercising… if I can just make it to that point and not quit before then.
It makes sense.
But still I hemmed and hawed about this and that. I tried to challenge him to exercise with me and see who could lose the most weight at the end of the month, for motivation to keep me going. But he got frustrated with me because I was missing the point. When I brought it back up a few days later, while traveling in the car where neither one of could run away… he got frustrated with me again. Finally he said the wisest thing. (SEE – it’s true! God uses our husbands to get things through to us.) He said:
“It’s like quitting smoking or anything other habit. You have to do it for you, because YOU want to. Not because I asked you to. You can’t do it with a group or a partner because if they quit then you’ll want to quit too. You need to do this for yourself. I want you to blog about it every day to keep you accountable. If you inspire others to exercise, too, that’s fine, but don’t do it for them, don’t do it for the blogging, do it for you.”
Wise, wise man that hubby of mine.
I spent allllll of 2009 knowing that it was time to get off my kiester and starting exercising. I’d say, “well I know that I need to, I haven’t found the want to.” There was a moment, a brief, brief moment in July when I did want to. I bought The 30 Day Shred and did a few days of that, missed a couple days, did one more day to get back on that horse.. and then I broke my big toe and I spent the next three months recovering. The first few weeks I spent very little time on my feet and of course I gained weight – ten pounds! Once I was able to get around again, I got on the gazelle glider a few times, but it didn’t stick. The “want to” had disappeared again and I had to spend a few more months finding it.
I finally found the “want to” last month, when I misplaced my only pair of long jeans that fit. I was convinced that this other pair of jeans in the closet was the right pair except they wouldn’t button! Not even close! Not even close by three inches! I didn’t see how in the world a pair of jeans that I’d worn three weeks earlier could suddenly not fit by that much. With the onset of cold weather and without any long jeans to speak of (capris only) I had to make an “emergency” trip to Walmart the next day to buy jeans that fit. I was relieved to pick out a pair of jeans in the same size as before and hold them up to me and see that they’d fit. But I really didn’t like holding the jeans up and looking at them, really looking at them, and seeing how wide and big they were.
I knew the time had come.
I also knew it was going to have to wait until after the holidays. Between all the many things going on, the traveling, the trying to not slack off on school, the need to declutter and reorganize, etc. I just need to get some things done first. For example, if I want to do The 30 Day Shred
I talked about doing this last week on Twitter and there were several of you who said that you needed to do the same thing. By all means! Join in with me. Challenge yourself to get up and take care of yourself. Take the first step towards a healthier you. And the next, and the next. Even if you don’t have a lot of weight to lose, or if you’ve been exercising and just need some help getting back in the habit, let this challenge inspire you to take charge of your health. Nobody is going to do it for you. Let’s do this together, but not for each other, not for the sake of blogging or traffic or visits. Not because everybody else is doing it or because it’s the new year and the time for working off all the holiday goodies. We need to do it because it’s the right thing to do.
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16 Comments
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Clarica
Oh yeah… I got some new pants from Santa self… Didn’t like holding them up out of the box at all… considering I should wear a size about half of the size I wear now… I am working on the organized now so that when we get to the new year in a week I’ll be ready and certainly motivated to GO!
Laura
I am so with you on this. I am at a weight I have never been at before and it’s ridiculous. It’s time to do something.
Michelle Pendergrass
I was doing Zumba 4 days a week from June until around October when I got sick and then the holidays came and swept me up in busyness so here I am and here I have been for the last few months not having done a thing.
Since I’m having issues with my thyroid, I can’t be on board with the weight loss challenge, because frankly, I may not lose weight. However, I must get back to my workouts. I really enjoyed my life when I was going 4 times a week.
.-= Michelle Pendergrass´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday–4 Birds =-.
Amber
Michelle –
Hey – good enough! Lose weight/no lose weight.. if you’re exercising and taking care of yourself then that is what you need to be doing, right? That’s what this is all about. I need to start taking care of myself. For realz. I have to accept and embrace the fact that it’s going to take some work and it’s not going to be easy but that’s what needs to be done and do it.
Amber
Let’s DO this! ; D
Amber
I know what you mean, Laura. Me too. For a long time I’ve been hovering at my post 3rd pregnancy weight (which was the same as my 9mo pregnant during 3rd pregnancy weight) but now I’ve gone above and beyond. I’m NOT okay with this!!
Peggy Leland
wow I thought you were writing about me. We just got a Wii Fit so I’m hoping that helps me start out, but my big thing is the eating. Oh and I should probably give up soda.
)
Amber
Oh yes, the eating is a big deal, too. I like my food! And sodas. And bacon. OH, yum, bacon.
There will definitely be some healthier eating in order to go along with the exercising. Bah humbug. =P
Kelly @ Wisdom Begun
I am IN! I will be doing the 30 Day Shred right along side you. Well, in the computer beside you, haha!
I will be having issues on what time of the day to do it (I really DON’T like having my 15 month old daughter plop onto my stomach when I am on the floor trying to work on abs) so will probably have to do it during naptime. Or before everyone else wakes up. I probably won’t be able to blog about it every day, but I may do a weekly checkup post or something.
For me it is not that I have a lot of weight to lose but more that my problem zones are more noticeable than they used to be before I had 4 kids. LOL Also, my eating is. . . well, lame. Too much junk. So I’ll have to work on that as well.
I’m excited!
Amber
Ok, y’all! I found this application on Facebook and I’m going to be using it to help me track my efforts. It has a food journal, an activity journal a “progress ticker” and a few other handy things. The nutritional information is already in there, you just select the foods you eat and it’s pretty easy. Same with the activities.
If you’re my friend on Facebook, you can add me to your support group and we can encourage each other. If you’re not, it’s public and I think you may be able to add me by email address. It’s not the one I use for the blog though, but let me know if you want it. Regardless, if you’re on Facebook you can check it out and see if you can use it to help you stay on track, too.
The app is called “My Diet,” but it’s a whole lot more than that! http://www.facebook.com/fatsecret?ref=mf
Rachel
I’m in! And just so you know, I’m not doing it for you. I’ve actually been a little better about exercising this past couple of months – once a week, instead of once in 2 months. It’s still ridiculous how lazy I can be and how I can always justify it. No more!!!
Of course, the past two weeks have been a no-man’s land so far as health goes. Then again, I’ve had 14 people in my house and haven’t had time to do much of anything. (see, excuses again!)
I’m looking forward to this challenge – the only time I’ve ever looked forward to exercise. That’s why I think this just may work. =)
.-= Rachel´s last blog ..Skunked! =-.
Amber
Yay! I’m not sure what time of day I’ll be doing it, either. I’ll probably be doing it at the end of the day, and then blogging about it the next day, that I got it done, how hard it was or whether it was easier, etc. You don’t have to blog about it every day, it’s just what my husband challenged me to do, to keep me accountable for the “every single day” part.
And I know what you mean about the eating, I’ve slacked off in recent months and indulged in junk food way too much.
SO. Tomorrow is the first. Yikes!
I’ll be putting up a post later today that tells more about how I’m going to be doing my challenge, and with a linky if you want to link up a post of your own about yours.
Amber
Yes, don’t do it for me, do it for you! =)
Hey – I hear you on the lazy part. L.A.Z.Y. And I don’t normally look forward to exercising either! I guess my hubs knew what he was doing when he combined the challenge to exercise every day with the challenge to blog it every day – I don’t enjoy exercising but I do enjoy blogging! Plus, I know I’ll have to tell you if I DON’T exercise. Great accountability!
Keep your eye open for the post later today with more deets. Or maybe I’ll send out an email. I can believe tomorrow’s the first! Ahhh!! =P
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