Choose to get moving

I was sitting on the side lines....of my life.
I was sitting on the side lines .....
-watching others do fun things I wish I could do.
-watching others play with their kids.
-feeling sorry for myself.
-hating what I had become.

And nothing changed, until I chose to get up and move.  I decided that I was done watching my life pass me by.  I was done being a spectator and chose to become a participant.  I wasn't sure how to start, I just know I HAD to.  Although I had never run before, I decided I wanted to run the Dirty Dash.  I had to get ready and that meant I needed to get moving.  Little by little, I choose to move, day after day.  I was slow, but I WAS moving and I was making choices about what I ate, and slowly the weight began to drop off.

Here are a couple of thinking points on exercise...

-Do you make excuses about not having enough time to exercise?

This is a valid issue that most of us have to deal with.  We all live busy lives and wear many hats.  I found myself in the same situation, but I felt it was a priority to make time every day to exercise.  More than once, I found myself out running at 11pm, because I didn't want to end my day without exercising.  Once I even went out about 11:30pm, in the dark and rain.  It was one of the most memorable runs.  Are you serious about losing weight?  Then you must find the time and must make yourself a priority.

-Do you feel like your weight keeps you from joining a gym?

 I did.  There was no way that a year ago I would have stepped foot the gym.  Even today after loosing 74 pounds, I am very self conscious when ever I am at the gym.  The good news is that you don't have to be a gym member to lose weight.  There are so many ways that you can get moving without requiring you to step in a gym.  I had lost over 40 pounds on my own before I joined a gym.  So what can you do?  I ran, walked, lifted weights with a neighbor, followed workout videos, played the Wii.  Other options include riding a bike, jump rope, skip, dance, or run stairs at a local high school.  It doesn't matter what it is, just start moving.

-Do you wonder where to begin?

I wasn't sure where to start either.  Look for someone who is close to you and ask to workout with them.  Luckily, I had a friend who loved to run and she was willing to work with me.  It was painfully slow in the beginning, but she stuck with me.  We live in a world full of workout resources.  Find a video and get started.  For sure, the weight won't come off if you don't move your body.

I used to drive around and around until I could get the closest parking spot at the store.  At one store in particular, I had a favorite parking spot right up front.  Now, I park as far out as I can. As often as I can, I leave my cart in the store when I am done shopping and carry the bags out to the car.  It may not be a huge workout, but is defiantly a starting place. This is an easy way to get moving.  Remember, it is about making choices to move every chance you get.

You can do it!  Make a promise to yourself that even if it is something small, you will make the choice to move your body a little more.

Lori