I’m starting with fitness not only because of all the inspiring episodes of EM: Weightloss Edition (as mentioned in my previous post), but because it’s just plain important. I don’t think most people are going to disagree with the idea of being fit as being good for you. And it is sooo easy to look at someone else and think they need to be more fit, and it’s just as easy to look at those who are fit and wish to be more like them. Well, remember, it’s time to stop talking and start doing.
So I did. The biggest hurdle for adding exercise to one’s daily routine is not finding the time, or finding the right workout, or having the money for it—it’s finding the motivation. I don’t know if any of you have ever struggled with potty-training (I’ll get to that later!), but usually the key is finding out what motivates the child. So, what motivates me? I spent the last year telling myself, “It’s ok, you just had another baby. You have three kids now; exercise can wait.” But along with the excuses and excess ice cream I fed myself, I continued to compare myself to extremely fit women, bemoaning the fact that I don’t look like them. News flash, lady: they didn’t get that way sitting on the couch!
But simply hating my body didn’t change it; in fact, it probably made it worse, as the more I disliked what I saw, the more I ate to console myself. Now, I don’t want to get lost down a rabbit hole of poor self-image, so let’s skip ahead to the part where I actually succeeded! I called up one of my best friends (who does not live in the same city as I do), and I challenged her with a wager. We agreed on a DVD I knew we both owned, and I said I wanted us both to do it for the next 6 weeks. The deal was that we had to work out 5 days a week, and any day you didn’t complete, you would owe the other person $5. This hits my two main motivators: friends and money.
And guess what? I hit all 30 days. Anyone who knows me knows I hate wasting money, so every day I reminded myself that I didn’t want to waste my money on laziness. And more than accountability, I liked having someone to share it with; I knew she was doing the same workout, and I daily told myself that if she could do it, so could I. So my next challenge is to continue on my own (unless anyone would like a friendly wager?), because I still haven’t reached my fitness goals. Like most women, I long to shed some pounds or some inches, and I have yet to see a change in the scale, which has been more than frustrating. If you’re on a similar journey, I encourage not to give up, and I’m not going to either. Fitness is about more than the numbers. It’s about a lifestyle; it’s about being healthy and active with our children; it’s about making good choices. Yes, this includes the choices about what we put into our bodies . . . which I suppose is my next step on my fitness journey.
Here’s to another 30 days, and a little less ice cream! 
The Daring Kitchen
