When the word fat defined me, or did it?

Since, having my third child I have really struggled to get back to my pre-pregnancy body.  I have done extreme workout programs and followed strict diet plans and still have been unable to reach my goals.  I often joke that the scale must have broke when we made the long move from Washington to Utah.  Or that it must be the change in altitudes.  Anyways, the whole thing left me very frustrated and discouraged. So, a few months ago I rebelled.  In my head I decided that eating right and exercise must not really matter, I struggled with whether it was really worth all of the hard work and dedication.  So, I began eating the stuff I wanted and I ate whenever I craved something.  Let's just say I ate a lot of sweets! I was also not dedicated in my exercising it was more of a miss then a hit. I noticed I became more of an emotional eater and I started to loose some of my energy.  I also began to get a little bit more flabbiness. Especially, in all of my trouble areas.   I knew that I needed to get back to exercising, but I had excuses of being too tired or that I didn't have the time.  I also, knew that I needed to start eating better, but I  battled with the craving for that something sweet.

Then, one day someone mentioned the word FAT to me.  I immediately was hurt.  As soon as the word was said it was like a disease that spread throughout my mind and I started to let it define me.  I remember that same day trying to get a glimpse of myself in reflections of windows as we walked through the mall to see what my body had become.  To see what that person must see. Now let me clarify, I am not over weight,  but because of the choices I had made in regards to nutrition and exercise my body has gained around 8 pounds in three months and I am 16 lbs heavier then my pre-pregnancy weight. I am writing this because, I want to share that it does not matter whether you are 100 lbs or 16 lbs away from your ideal body weight, it is still hard mentally, emotionally and physically. I believe that most women struggle with their body image.

Even though we shouldn't, we compare ourselves with others and we do care about what other people think. It can cause a lot of emotional pain and stress. Personally, I became upset with myself.  Why had I let myself stop working hard.  All of the progress I had made was now gone.  Now, I was going to have to start all over.  I had to make a decision.  The decision I had to make was whether it was worth all of the hard work or not.  The answer is and always should be, YES!!! The answer is yes, not because I care about what someone has said or thinks about me, it is yes, because I am worth it.  My health, my energy, my happiness is all worth it.  I have wrote this before that the motivation needs to be more about health than physical results, the physical results are the bonus.

About a year ago, some of my friends had talked about getting together and exercising together, but nothing really came from it.  Recently, the ball has been set in motion to make it all happen.  I am really excited, I think when you exercise with friends it is a little bit funner and you definitely work harder.  Let's face it, no matter what size you are, exercise is difficult.  As your body gets stronger you can push yourself a little more, but it is still difficult.  What works with me is I first have to make the choice that I am going to set aside a time each day to exercise and I am going to get that exercise in. Then, I have to commit that I am going to go all out that I am going to do my best during the exercise.  Enduring the exercise is a must.  There are times during my workout that it gets really difficult, I feel as though I can not go any longer.  But if I endure until the end, then I feel the overwhelming feeling of accomplishment.  I am proud of myself and happy that I was strong enough to make it through and that I didn't give up.  So, did I let that ugly word FAT define me?  No, because fat is something that can be removed.  It defines the tissue that gives us rolls and dimples, it does not define the person. To remove the fat, it starts with making the right choice, committing to it, and enduring. So here is the plan for me and my friends:

We are going to get together twice a week and our focus is going to be cardio, abs and leg/buns. On the days we are not together we are going to workout on our own.  Here is a sample of a workout program with a spot to record progress and take any notes.  I love taking notes so I can look back and see what worked or didn't.  Also, I think it is great to make realistic goals. Set a day that you would like to accomplish your goal by and work towards it.  I find for me that short term, smaller goals work better. So, I would set a realistic goal to be accomplished in 30 days.

No matter where you live, I invite you to join our group of friends and to choose to make your life healthy, you are worth it.  You can follow along with our schedule either on your own or get a group of friends in your area and motivate and encourage each other!  Good luck and let me know how it goes.

***Disclaimer: I am not a licensed nutritionist or personal trainer.  The above methods are what I have found works best for me. We are all different, so what works for me might not work for you.  Always consult a physician before beginning any workout program.***