June 25, 2010
Posted by: Krista826
After several attempts at changing my ways, maintaining a healthy is not as easy as it sounds. You would think I would make it a priority, yet I don't. I work hard at it for awhile, then life just gets in the way.
I have stuck with exercise in the past for months and years. I ran several miles a week after work when I lived in TX. I loved running. For me, it was the ideal way to wind-down after work. I started running when I was about ten. My dad was a marathoner and triathaloner, so I guess running is in my blood. I was in cross-country and track in high school. I was actually pretty good until a social life because more of a priority than my running.
I have belonged to a gym twice in my life. The first time was not successful. I am not a person who can do a monotonous routine on a treadmill and reap results. I don't enjoy lifting weights or doing machines. The only part of that gym I liked was the weekly yoga class I took. The second gym I belonged to, I joined specifically because I liked the classes they offered. I met up with a co-worker after work to do pilates and yoga classes. I saw results quickly with pilates, which I really loved. Then I got pregnant shortly after joinging that gym, and ended up moving away. Now I live in a remote area where none of the gyms around interest me enough to spend the money to join. There are lots of independent excercise places, but they are quite pricely for only one class a week! Not enough to create real results, in my opinion.
Maybe I should just stop complaining about my body, and be grateful for what it has gotten me thus far. My husband constantly tells me I am beautiful, and I did carry my son for 41 weeks! I really don't have much to complain about in all honesty. I am not overweight and never have been. The most I have ever weighed was when I was pregnant. I am 5'2 and right now weight 118 lbs. However, I was looking at pictures of myself from five years, and my thought right away was, "I was so skinny!" At that time, I was probably around 112 lbs. and running regularily. At that time, I was probably not happy either. I have always been very self-contious about my stomach. It has never been "flat." I have a boyish figure and virtually no indentation of a waist. So why at nearly 33 years of age, am I longing to look like I did when I was in my twenties? Would I really be as happy as I am now if I lost another 5 lbs.? My prepregnancy weight was 116 lbs. and really I am only 2 lbs. off that. Is that really a big deal? Well, to me YES! I don't want two pounds to turn into ten pounds!
My eating habits are not the greatest. It is not what I chose to eat, as I love healthy foods and I love to cook. My problem is not eating enough or as frequently as I should. I rarely eat breakfast anymore, blaming motherhood on that one. Truthfully, I have never been a big breakfast eater. When I worked, I usually had a coffee with skim milk, a yogurt, and a slim-fast shake. I wake up at night starving and in the morning feeling so famished! I should really drink more water as well. I like water, so that is not the problem.
After having my son, as soon as the nurses let me out of bed, I snuck out in the hallway to weigh myself! I had lost about 15 lbs. having my 8 lb. baby boy. I was obsessed weighing myself everyday. As soon as I got the go ahead from my dr. I was doing pilates again. I did lose the weight through pilates and snowshoeing as it was the winter time. When my son was one year old, I had lost everything but a few pounds. Now that he is nearly 18 months old, and is completely weaned, I lost another two. Shouldn't I be happy now?
It was easier to fit in exercise when he was a baby as he just laid there. He could lay next to me while I popped in a work out DVD. I also fit in exercise while he was napping. So he is still napping now, and what is my excuse now? I guess I don't have one. It is a choice I make everyday. I say I am going to put in a DVD or go for a run, and life takes over.
Back in March, I joined a running club to get back into the swing of running. I hadn't run in nearly 6 1/2 years after injuring my ankle. It took so many months to heal and is still not the same. Over that time, I tried to start up again with my running routine, only to have my ankle swell. I have resprained a few times since then too. Well, when I joined the running club this time, to my surprise, my ankle was fine! And is still not giving me any problems! I am thrilled with that. I must say I don't think I enjoy running now as much as I used to. I don't feel as strong as I used to. I get tired more easily. At the end of the 9 week running club, I ran a 10km race. I had to walk a bit at the end, but still did quite well. I ran it in 1 hour 6 min. I was pretty proud of myself!
So now a week ago, two of my good friends, who also have small children, have decided to encourage each other to work out. Their goals are different than mine and probably different from each other's. We decided on Sat. mornings to meet up for a long walk where we can discuss our progress for the week. Tomorrow morning, I will have to tell them my progress was not there, and I went for one run. Pathetic? I think so. Am I too hard on myself? Probably.
