Getting back to me.

Wow, picking a title for a blog is like picking a name for your first born child!

I'm starting this particular blog so that people can virtually accompany me on my journey to better health. To put it bluntly, I'm trying to get back to my pre-baby weight and then some. I know myself well enough to know that if people are encouraging me and checking in on my progress that it will help me stay motivated towards my goal. Any tips, words of encouragement, good work out songs or "how is it going" messages are very much welcomed.

There are so many reasons I want to work out. To say it's for optimal health, for me, would be only half the story. I want to look good in those jeans! The ones I have stored in the back of my closest out of sight so they don't nag me with with their taunts "why don't you try us on? Oh...because you know we don't fit...that's right, you gave up on us...might as well give us away at the next clothing swap to someone who cares..." Well enough is enough! I love those jeans, I might have been 21 when I bought them...but continuing to tell myself I will never again have the body of a 21 year old, can die with the rest of my lame excuses. I can get rid of this mom-bum, anything is possible!

So amongst those excuses (and we'll just get them out in the open) are - 1) I had twins, huge twins...my body just won't ever look fit again, no matter what I do 2) I have a career and no time between being a mom and running a business to exercise 3) I'd rather use my spare time to nap, or go on facebook (wow, I know) 4) It gets dark early now, I missed my chance to get out and run or walk...the list goes on.

I know that I can MAKE time to take care of my body, I have to, because if I don't I get sad and tired for no apparent reason and then the things I love, like work and my family become a great difficulty in less than optimal situations. I'm tired of staring at my closet likes it's an opponent rather than a friend. I can do this, because as much as I love sweaters, I don't want to have to put one on over EVERY outfit just to hide my back fat because my bra is too tight. I can do this, because I love myself enough to feel good in my own body. I can do this because I like sexy underwear and when I eat that bag of chips, my bum starts swallowing my panties whole. No one likes that feeling - "hey these use to actually cover my a**, now I can't even find a pinch of fabric to de-wedgie." Thongs have become a thing of the past, and I mean, you at least want the option don't you? I do. I want to be able to chose my outfits again, not the other way around.

So this is the week, the week that I stop making excuses. The week that I put a long term goal over the short term gratifications, because none of them make me feel good. I've realized (with the help of my clients) how unbelievable it feels to set out on a path to achievement and continue climbing that mountain to greater heights. Baby steps, but steps none the less and moving forward feels damn good. You know what I'm talking about...

Most importantly, I am realizing that as a mother I don't often put myself first, sometimes I don't even get in the rankings. I feel obligated to feel guilty or selfish if I do think about my needs, but upon further investigation I don't think that has to be the case. I think the complete opposite must be true. In order to be happy (as a person, a mother, a partner, a friend, a business owner) we need to feel good about who we are. That we value ourselves by taking the time to take care of ourselves. Time to de-stress. Because that really is what working out is, time to clear your mind, sweat it out and start fresh.