So I began my work at a New Me. I currently do cardio exercises, target exercises for problem areas, drink 2.5L of water a day, drink no more than 20 oz of pop a week, generally go to bed and wake up at the same times, and, of course, I am a mother. And I am somewhat careful of my eating habits, but this part is a slow and generally painful process.
So, at first, I was constantly on the scale; it was all about numbers. I wanted to lose about 20ish pounds. And it was a bit frustrating. After doing a couple tests, I learned that I have a very normal and healthy body fat percentage, and do not technically need to lose any weight (of course, the tape measure doesn't care about the doughnut around my middle like I do). For this reason, it is going to be a very gradual process for me to lose the weight I'd like to (btw, I used these tests to determine how much weight I should lose to be in tip-top shape; I did not determine this based on what type of clothes I want to wear in the summer or what my body looked like before I had kids...okay, well, maybe a little. LOL).
Well, I'd love to talk more about the numbers, and how much I've lost, but I am not going to do that. I am on the scale less and less as the days go by. Here's why. Over the last few weeks, I have been reflecting on what is different about me. Here's what's different:
1. My skin is so much better. (This was, in fact, a goal: to have better skin.) My skin is no longer blotchy and saggy. I'm really proud about this. It is a nice change to be able to smile at myself in the mirror.
2. I have so much more energy. I still feel tired all the time, because I am a parent. Nothing will change this. But when I look back on the day and see all that I accomplished, it is very obvious that I have more strength and energy in me to get a lot of things done than before.
3. I can MOVE on the playground. When Dustin and I recently took the girls to the park to play, I noticed that I wasn't popping, creaking, and grunting to climb up, around, and over all the play sets. I am much more flexible and agile (I do pilates).
With these things in mind (and, let's admit it: the fact that I can also fit into my jeans without doing a little booty dance), I'm realizing how great it is to be able to make that list. If I could say that I lost 15 pounds, but couldn't say anything else...I wouldn't want that. I've learned how great it is to focus on being healthy, and not be too concerned about numbers. I've also learned that numbers are NOT indicative of a healthy lifestyle.
I want to BE healthy, and LOOK healthy. And I am really proud to say that I am really, really getting there-and I'm only 4 months in. Feeling this way makes me just care more about myself also-taking better care of my teeth, nails, etc.
I went a very long time thinking it would be too hard for me to get to the place I am now. Back when I was surviving on no more than 2 hours of straight sleep a night, nursing 5 times a day, and trying to keep up with a three year old, I think that was a somewhat logical assumption. Life is much more simpler now, and I am not struggling in the least to do what I need to do to take care of myself; I could probably step it up a notch.
Now, it's time to get in gear to do better with Lara's exercises. I've mentioned before that the therapist has taught us how to do yoga exercises, and she made us a long list of specific yoga exercises to do with Lara at home. Yoga is hard, but much more so when you are trying to get a 4 year old with CP to do it. I searched online and found a yoga DVD for kids, ages 3-6. We've started using this as a guide, and I hope eventually to be able to turn it on and have Lara do yoga by herself some days. It seems that Lara will enjoy this more because it is a movie with music, animals, singing, and other children.
Lara in snake/cobra pose.
Lara and Daddy in om namaste...corpse pose.Namaste!
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