If this doesn't motivate you to get out and go jogging, I'm not sure ANYthing will (especially with 3 kids in tow)! lol
Welcome to another winter in Utah. I live just west of Salt Lake City, and in January we have what is called an "inversion" - what it boils down to is that cold air gets trapped under warm air, so the cold stays and the smog builds (because neither the air nor pollution can escape), and it's best to stay indoors. So this health challenge came at the perfect time!
A little about me...I have been happily married for 8 1/2 years, have a 4 1/2 year old girl, 2 1/2 year old boy and a 3 month old boy - each wonderful event adding a few pounds. I am now about 30 lbs more than I was when I got married. When I stood on the scale the other day I was shocked at how much I weighed (even realizing that some of it is baby weight). I started to realize that the weight isn't coming off as easily as it did when I was younger (I'll be 38 this year...and, yes, I realize that's close to 40! Ack!).
I have always been thin. But it's genetic, and I have mostly taken it for granted. Because of this, I have never really established an exercise routine for myself because in my mind I thought that people exercised to become thin. I have since come to realize that exercising is also about keeping your heart and lungs healthy (among MANY other benefits). I am usually really good at being consistent with a workout for about 3 weeks or so, then something gets off schedule and I completely forget - it just doesn't occur to me to exercise. So, after a few weeks, when I start to feel really sluggish, I realize that I stopped exercising and I try again. I am hoping that this keeps me going for the full 5 weeks, and then some! That said, I need to do several of these challenges in a row to keep me going for this first little bit. Bad habits are hard to change, and I'm hoping to be an example to my kids in keeping my body healthy, so that they can start with good habits.
My personal challenge, getting to bed by 10:30, is more for my sanity. My 2-year old has not slept past 6:30 in his life (except maybe twice?), so no matter when I get to sleep I know I will have a little voice by my bed, sometime between 5:30 and 6:30, saying "get up mama!". It's times like these that I'm grateful I am a morning person.
Best of luck to everyone!!
I love your personal goal of getting to bed at 10:30, because that's mine too! My children are always (except on rare blessed occasion) up early, so sleep is pertinent! Here's to more sleep!
ReplyDeleteAmen to sleep! I have realized these past 2 days that I've been pushing it a little: 10:22 and 10:28 (I go by the clock by my bed). I've decided that I need to mentally make my goal to be in bed by 9:30 to shift my way of thinking a bit. I think I try to push the limit a little too much sometimes. :) Best of luck to you!
DeleteMy mom says frequently "I worship sleep" and nowadays sleeps in until 9, just because she can. I think I'll be the same. We have 6am-ers here too. Sorry and hope you slept well last night!
ReplyDeleteHi Traci...Welcome! Have you had a chance to do 30 day shred yet? (I think you mentioned that you were going to be doing that sometimes too, although, not your main challenge). I'm so sore after 2 days, but it has some really weird addictive thing to it that I'm excited to do it again tonight! Although, I look really weird and am really slow going up and down the stairs - ouch!
ReplyDeleteI have been doing the 30 day shred, and I love it! It's one of those videos that after doing it I say, "Ahhh! Finally a workout that FEELS like a good workout." I actually started it about 3 weeks ago, before even knowing about this challenge, so I'm not as sore today, although I am very aware of my muscles when I move. :) I had to start out with no weights, and now I"m using 3 lb weights. I'm hoping by the end of this challenge I can get up to 5 lb weights, but man! my muscles usually get SO exhausted that I can barely finish sometimes. I have found that #s 2 and 3 aren't too much harder, they just give you different exercises. Some of them ARE harder, but I've found that if I mix it up a bit it keeps me from getting bored with the repetition. Hang in there!!! and take a long hot bath. :)
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