Welcome to My Fitness Journey Journal!
I've gone back and forth over writing this post but since I have already written it a dozen times in my mind, I figure - WHY NOT! I never imagined this blog becoming a journey of health/fitness and transformation but what better place to share my commitment! Hopefully, by sharing the ups and downs, being vulnerable and honest with myself and readers, I can inspire, motivate, and meet others in the same situation or on the other side (share tips!). I plan to have regular posts with updates about my progress along with good information to help you along your journey to a healthy lifestyle. (ie. apps I'm using, gear I love, yummy recipes, music, ways to care for yourself, deep breaths, etc.)
My Background:
I
will be turning 35 this month and have decided enough is enough. I
want to become the person I know is inside me. I can see her, I can
feel how comfortable she is in her own skin, how confident she is, how
she stands just a little taller than I am now ...I just need to get her
out here! Healthy, active, in shape, strong, fit. I didn't grow up in
an active, responsibility healthy household. It wasn't a priority. I
ran cross country in high school but only to be with my friends. I have
never been an athletic person. I don't have a competitive bone in my
body unless it's against myself. I've always loved to hike, swim,
anything outdoors but nothing on a regular basis. I certainly have
never been a lazy person, either. I move non-stop yet exercise with
purpose has never come easy to me. I've come to learn it doesn't come
easily to anyone who doesn't work for it.
Once
you've reached a point of desperation, you'll try just about anything.
Since my 20's, I've done most of the yo-yo diets. Atkins, South Beach,
6 Week Body Makeover, Bow Flex, Vegetarian, restricted calorie, low
fat, etc. all with great success. Alas, once you stop said diet and go
back to your unhealthy habits, your body goes back to unwanted
poundage. I always wanted quick results but it just comes back quick.
No one can possibly NEVER eat another piece of whole wheat bread
again...ever. There has to be a better way and there is... to eat the
right amount of whole foods to nourish our bodies as they are designed
to be nourished. Eat to live, Don't live to eat!
How I Got Here:
Wow,
where to start with this! I was a happy weight but not in shape for my
body type when we got married (@ size 6). Fast forward 10 years + 20
incredible sneaky, irritating pounds. Then we were met with difficulty
starting a family. More on this later but 3 surgeries, 2 IUI's and 1
round of IVF = twins pregnancy (yay!) + 20 pounds leftover baby weight.
No big deal, run it off! And I did, 10 pounds of it. Just over
halfway through my running program we found out we are 6 weeks pregnant
with another little girl which they said we would never have (miracles
happen everyday!). Shocks and thrills everyone, mostly us. The doctors
suggested taking it as easy as possible, which I did without contest.
Well, two open heart surgeries later (more on this later), baby Juliet
is now a healthy 10 month old baby girl crawling everywhere, getting
into everything, and babbling up a storm. I know everyone's story is
different but we have similarities. LIFE. It happens, we let it, and
then we take steps to improve it. I got myself here and I wouldn't
change a thing along the way. But it's time to take back the person
I've covered up in LIFE.My Reasons:
First
and foremost, with all the garbage in our pop culture sex driven world,
I want to be a role model for my three daughters. I want them to know
being a woman isn't about your dress size or what lipstick you wear but
how brilliant you are, how strong you feel, inside and out, how you
carry yourself, how you feel about yourself. I want my daughters to see
their mother as a healthy, powerful, intelligent woman capable of
anything.
Equally as important, our youngest daughter, Juliet, was born with a rare heart defect (TGA).
Her heart is strong and healthy but it has been operated on twice.
First, for correction, second for a rare complication. Her heart is
healthy but we need to keep it that way. Being a family who values
heart health, physical activity, and overall balance will help us all in
more ways than one.
Last
but not least, there are all the things I want for myself. Strength
inside and out. To feel strong and proud and beautiful and feminine and
to live a long healthy life with my beautiful family.
My Goals:
To be the best me I can be. In order to achieve this, I've chosen to run. I've tried to do the Copper River Bridge Run in
Charleston, SC two years in a row and have been intervened by huge life
events. First year, 8 weeks pregnant. Second year, Juliet needed her
second open heart surgery. So, I'm trying again....you can find me at
the 10K on April 5, 2014.
A few other goals I have set for myself are:
- To get my mile under 9 minutes (best so far of 10:35)
- To wear my engagement/wedding ring again.
-
To wear the "when I get back to" clothes I've saved including a halter
dress I adore. I wore it to met my husband at the submarine dock after a
long deployment. Could be silly but I've loved that dress for so many
reasons. (Goal Dress - pick one out, buy one!)
- To complete a Warrior Dash for charity in 2014.
I've
also written out a list of goal rewards for every 5 pounds lost and you
should too! There are biggies, like lasik eye surgery and laser hair
removal but there are smaller ones like new running pants and a
manicure. A reward to look forward to for all your hard work. It's so
important to pat yourself on the back. Each reward I have set is a step
toward to person I want to be. I'll be sure to share my list in a
future blog post!
My Plan:
 |
| The BEFORE Pic |
Work
Out Plan: Since I'm running, which I love/hate... I'm using a Couch to
5K app and then plan to graduate to a 5k to 10k app. Along the way, I
want to add 30 day challenges, yoga, and some other fun activites. I'll
go over all the apps and plans I use in a future post. I've worked on
the Couch to 5K program a couple times, loved it but I've yet to
complete it. First, due to pregnancy. Second, due to injury. I
started too soon after Juliet was born and injured my knee. Check with
your doctor before starting any new fitness program. I made it three
weeks before I hurt my knee and was unable to be on floor to enjoy
Christmas with my children ... horrible ... check with your physician,
really.
Nourishment: I posted a review for eMeals.com
and since then, our family has changed to the Clean Eating Meal Plan. I
truly believe eating as the earth intended us to eat is the best for
our bodies. Everything coincides and works together. Try it! And, of
course, portion control. Measure it out! Plus, water, water, water. A hydrated body works and feels so much better and a shriveled up, dry one. Aim for 100 oz. a day!
Bottom Line:
I
know this has been a long post but it took me a long time to get here.
I'll trim the fat on future posts, literally and figuratively, YES!!! I
just wanted you to know where I'm starting from, how I feel about it,
and what I plan to do about it.
Join
me! Follow me as I change into the woman I want to be! I see before
and after pictures all time and think....I can do that and it must feel so good! Well, I'm doing
it! JUMP aboard and we'll keep each other company and motivated!
xoxo Kelly
