I am a 40 year old mom of 3 brilliantly typical children. I am the wife of a college football coach which makes me a single parent from Aug-Dec. Yes, my husband is gone at 5:00am and work until 12:00am or later. Some nights, he sleeps in his office. Yes, this is true! Yes, for football! Until this past March, I have been a SAHM for 12 years! My kids are 12, 9, and almost 6 and this fall, they will all be in school FULL TIME! I have imagined the day for years...
A crisp fall morning, lunches made, bags packed with brand new notebooks, sharpened pencils, color crayons and markers, and kids in their brand new school clothes. Me, waving from the front porch, coffee in hand, as all 3 make their way up the road to the school...until 2:45pm!
Don't get me wrong, I love my kids and I love being their mom. But, I do LOVE my time to myself. Whether it's in my office where I work 2 hours a day, taking a walk, or in my family room working out with Autumn Calabrese. I know I am a better mom and wife when I have some time to decompress, get organized, and of course workout. I am more energized and certainly more equipped to handling the everyday challenges and chaos that come my way.
It wasn't that long ago where I didn't prioritize my day to allow for time to myself. And if I did, exercise and nutrition were certainly not at the top of my list. Over time, what I found was even when I did get some time to myself, my energy level was so low, that I couldn't bring myself to do things that had to get done, like housework, paying bills, job searching, errands, etc. Soon, these things were piling up and I would be overwhelmed, anxious and generally unhappy with myself. My family suffered the brunt of my frustration. I had no patience. Reacted to any little mishap like it was the end of the world. I would put on a happy face for friends and strangers, but my family would get the real me. A person who was not satisfied with herself. A person who for years used the fear of failure as her number one excuse for not trying anything. A person who waited for someone else or some thing to make her life easier. A person who was always too tired. A person who was always envious of the success of others and thought "how did they get so lucky?" A person who wasn't willing to do the work. A person who quit.
Fast forward to last winter. I made a choice one day to join an accountability group and start a new fitness and nutrition program. My friend and coach, introduced it to me and I thought it sounded like something I could do and most importantly, sustain. This wouldn't be the first program I ordered, so why did I think this one would work?
This time I wouldn't quit.
I was turning 40 in April and I was in the worst shape of my life. No, I wasn't 200+ pounds, but I was about 35lbs too heavy for my 5'3" frame. I hadn't lifted a weight in years and I couldn't even remember the last time I broke a sweat due to exercise. I was tired all the time. I didn't feel good in my clothes and I wouldn't be caught dead in a two piece swim suit.
So here I was, starting the 21 Day Fix and vowing to say committed for 21 Days. I could do that. I could have my Shakeology everyday for 21 days too. I would set some goals.
And I did.
I lost 9lbs after the first 21 days and 14 + total inches. I did another round and I lost another 5 lbs. I did a 3rd and 4th round and lost even more weight. I was seeing changes on the outside but it was the changes on the inside that were the most profound.
I was experiencing success. For the first time in years, I finally finished something I had started. I was making the changes in my life that I never thought I could. I stopped comparing myself to others. The fear of failure doesn't keep me from trying anymore. I am doing the work, seeing results, and wanting more. I have energy to play with my kids and they now want to workout with me. My husband and I have a new found love of working out together and hold each other accountable to our goals.
So here I am, 6 months from when I made the choice. The choice to change my habit and ultimately change my life. My husband and I recently completed T25 and he has been doing P90X3. (The couple that works out together, stays together!) I am starting Les Mils Pump and doing some PiYo and cardio from 21 Day Fix. I have continued with the 21 Day Fix nutrition plan since my first round. I have lost a total of 23 pounds and am now focusing on toning and shaping my body.
This is only the beginning of my journey. Stay tuned.
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