Are you overwhelmed with getting back into shape? Are you busy, stressed and just have no idea which way to turn or what “method” works? I was exactly where you are only 2 short years ago. I felt like I had the perfect life on the outside, but I was suffering big time on the inside. A mother of 5, a wife of 15yrs to a loving husband, a roof over our heads and yet I had no idea who I was. I know many can relate! After my last child at the age of 38 and hitting my all time high of 200lbs I wanted “it” but I had no idea what to do. To sit here and say that is crazy, as I had taught aerobics and been a trainer in my early twenties. I had watched Dara Torres kick butt in the Olympics after the age of 40 and I had every magazine there is that is fitness related and I just still sat here miserable. I even made a call to a friend who I had taught how to workout back in High school and she said, “You know what you are doing, you taught me all that I know!” I literally felt as lost as many of you who are reading this wondering and hoping for some miracle.
I have never looked back and have kept going. I get asked often, how I have done this with 5 children. It has taken lots of organizing and preparation to stay on track along with not letting “life take over!” I decided that meds were not my answer and shots were not happening so I got back into the gym after many years out of it.
This took some work as I had 5 children with schedules and a husband who worked many hours to support the large family that we wanted. I had a choice to make and I chose ME for once, in over 15yrs. I told all of my kids and my husband that our gym had no childcare and the only time for me to workout was after school. Many might say that I was selfish that year but none of my kids were going to be able to do sports so that they could have the best mother and have all of me and not just a small portion of me.
Was this easy, no! Did I have lots of guilt when they wanted to go play after school and I was walking out the door to go workout, yes! What moms need to understand is that until you make yourself first on your priority list and allow yourself 60-90 minutes a day, you are robbing the ones that you love. They are not getting all of you but only a portion of you.
Has the physical journey been easy, no! Has it been worth it, yes! This is no easy road and there will be those days when you feel like you can’t workout another minute or can’t eat another piece of chicken but you must make goals. You must have that BIG goal but you can’t focus on that one and must focus on the little ones that will get you to the big one! Even if you just focus on what seems like tiny goals, that is what will get you there. For me it was just gaining mobility and losing that dreaded “muffin!” That drove me to eat clean. Eating clean allowed the inflammation in my back to subside just enough to help me lift heavier at the gym. As I was able to lift heavier weights, my body began to change and if you think that weights make you look like I man an, look at what I have done. They will change your life and without the combination of weights and a clean diet, I would not be sitting here writing this to all of you.
You will have days that you want to give up but what is that going to do? That’s right, take you right back where you started and who suffers the most when you do this? Not you, but your family! Feeling like you give to everyone and never give to you is no way to live. This just allows you to beat yourself up over things that only YOU can control!!!
Start with your diet and convert the entire family. Who wants kids to grow up feeling like you do about yourself or did feel about yourself? None of us does. Add weights once you gain some energy from the clean diet and then make small goals that are “gym” related and not body related. What I mean is challenge yourself to lift one more rep or last 5 more minutes on the bike. All of this will add up to meeting your physical goals. Forget the scale and the tape measure. Focus on those things and you will never be free of stress and stress causes weight gain and retention of fat. Challenge your body and your mind each day and you will slowly become that “physical” body that you want. It might be tough but it is the most rewarding thing you will ever do for yourself. Gain your life back and your gain more than you can ever imagine! It comes down to choices and when you choose you, everyone wins!
Nancy Reinhardt
Online Lifestyle/Fitness Coach
www.nancyreinhardt.com