Tuesday, April 10, 2012

This morning, my kids and husband slept in....this is a VERY rare occurrence....We let the kids stay up till 9 so that they could play in their tent after dark with a "Light It Up Blue (Autism Awareness) Lantern"....Even though they were all sleeping, I got up at 7:30am and got my breakfast "shake" and went to the gym to work out.....I did 2 hours of water aerobics and I felt great.....this is a great example of conquering your excuses one-by-one.....I told myself last night that IF I woke up in time to go, that I would go....well, I did wake up in time, so I had to stick to what I said......I have really surprised myself at keeping up with this cleanse, and actively pursuing a healthy life, but I don't think anyone is more surprised than my husband.....he told me today, that if he had been asked, he would not have thought I would have had such a great amount of will power, and truly until this month, I really didn't.....I have had many things happen over the course of my life that I might not have thought I could make it through, but this year I was just hit with one thing after another that in my mind I didn't think I could make it, but here I stand.....still going strong, but only by the Grace of God, He not only lifts me up everyday, and holds me and gives me the strength and comfort that I need, but He has also put me in the life I have, surrounded by a loving husband  and the support of friends and family that only want what is best for me.....I would like you to ask yourself, "If I think it is hard to get up and go to the gym, or eat right....how much harder would it be to do those things with a serious health condition that was brought on by an unhealthy lifestyle?"  I have seen many examples of people making excuses for what they CAN'T do, only to have a trial come, and they look back and see that what they thought was impossible, wasn't as impossible as they thought.....If you want to stick to your goals, you need to ask a few questions, and you need to give the RIGHT answers.....FIRST: Who am I doing this for?.......I have heard for years that if you want to make a healthy change you have to do it for YOURSELF....but for me that is not the RIGHT answer.....for me, I have to do it for others, I hate feeling selfish, and often times I even feel selfish for crying, that is just part of who I am, and I had to get to the place where I knew myself well enough to know what the motivation needed to be.....I need to do this for my family, and for each person who is inspired to get healthier for their families.....I don't want to miss my kid's childhood because I was too tired to live it with them.....think about the important people in your life, or maybe things that you want to accomplish in life, and see for yourself that a healthier life is the only way you can be THAT person....the person that lives their dreams, and is there to help others realize their dreams also.....SECOND: You need to have a plan.....life doesn't always happen the way you would like it to, so you need to plan for the unexpected.....like church potlucks, or dinner at the in-laws.....you need to make sure the the people surrounding you, know how serious you are, but you also don't want them to feel awkward....so, how do you accomplish this?.....I had a church dinner, that I needed to attend, and I signed up to bring veggies....I brought more than I knew would be required, and they were prepared in a way that I could eat them, so I just loaded up on my own veggies.....You need to make a list, either mental or physical that helps you decide what you will do in each situation to still accomplish your goals....I mentioned earlier the comparison between choosing to eat right or eating right because you have an allergy.....no one is ever offended or tries to push dairy on a person who is lactose intolerant, or gluten filled food onto someone who has a gluten sensitivity, however people who have a weight problem, or a problem eating healthy will often push their convictions to the side in order to make everyone comfortable.....which honestly, if you can just push it to the side, then it isn't a conviction, it is an impulse or a whim....if your serious about making changes, you need to make sure that you are capable and proud to make that stand regardless of who is around.....we missed Easter dinner with all our family, because I just didn't want to go through the hassle of bringing food and eating different than everyone else, I didn't want to be around the temptation.....that is a choice I made, and not one single family member made me feel bad, or like I was abandoning them, they have shown full support, that is proof that you can make the call and do what is best for your success, and the people that love you will support you, and those who don't support you, it may not be because they don't love you, they may be dealing with their own personal convictions, and feel that if they can help you slide, then they are justified in not making positive changes in their own lives.....in summary, you need to have a who and how to be a success in your new lifestyle, and you need to be strong, and stick to your decision, don't let anyone be the reason you stray....the strength it takes you to stand with be the motivation and inspiration that others need to see so that they too can stand :) Sorry I am so wordy tonight, I think I get more wordy as it gets later in the day....have a good night, or morning if your reading my blog tomorrow morning :)

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