To those of you who are riddled with excuses as to why you can’t become healthier, lose weight, live longer, I say — reevaluate! Are you using lack of money as an excuse? Lack of time as an excuse? Force of habit as an excuse? Lack of access to a fancy fitness trainer as an excuse? Excuses are just that….excuses. Roadblocks to your success. Chains that are holding you back. I know…I was the Queen of Excuses for a REALLY long time! I used all of the aforementioned excuses and more. I used my kids and my marriage as an excuse. I used work as an excuse. It was totally bogus and I was only hurting myself (and my marriage…and my kids) in the process.
After hitting our bloated, uncomfortable, large-and-in-charge rock bottom, my husband and I took the bull by the horns in July. We found a structured program that we could both follow and we decided to partner up and do this together. The program was short-term but drastic; a way to get us back on track, a way to re-educate ourselves about portion sizes and better food choices. Like a nutritional Boot Camp. But, we took it a step further and committed to radically changing our eating habits. We committed to a healthier lifestyle — not just for a few days or a few weeks, but for a lifetime. We’re doing great!! The rewards of eating healthier far outweigh the occasional “sacrifices” we make.
We did this without going to a gym once (thereby negating the excuse that you need a gym membership, a fancy trainer, or lots of $$ to be healthy). I started walking a LOT during the summer when the weather was nicer. Then, I got bored, so I pulled an Emeril and kicked it up a notch by incorporating “intervals” or “stations” into my walk. I know I look a bit like a crazy person on the streets of Franklin, but I honestly don’t care! I bring a fitness band with me and use telephone poles to do chest presses, rows, resistance exercises for my legs, and ab work. Then, I switched up my route and found this AWESOME wall where I also do push-ups, tricep dips, and the occasional hamstring stretch. I actually look forward to seeing this wall on my walk. Number one, it is in a beautiful neighborhood. Number two, it is the halfway point on my walk, so I know I am about to hit the homestretch. And number three, just like the cement used to hold all those big rocks in place — it has made me much, much stronger.
My plea for all of you: if you are going to “hit a wall” in 2012 — hit that sucker HARD and at least make it one that is making you stronger and improving your life in some way. If you need help along the way, feel free to ring me up…
And should you happen to see me, exercise band in hand or face down at that wall, honk and give me a big thumbs up. I’d love the encouragement. 🙂
To your health!
Jenn