Ok, maybe not. I apologize for that open.
This post is not about American Idol - a show that I was formerly addicted to, but with the addition of Glee, Parenthood, and NCIS to my TV repertoire, something had to give, and Idol got the boot.
This post is about my constant struggle to exercise (perhaps all the TV shows listed above have somthing to do with it??). I am a Yo-yo exerciser. Ever since I left home for college a decade (ahem) a few years ago, I have struggled to maintain motivation to exercise. I love to work out once I'm out there actually doing it, but all too often I get lost somewhere between putting on my sports bra and tying my sneakers. I actually get up some mornings, put on my exercise garb, and proceed to wear it all day without breaking a sweat. (That is unless I go shopping... I can work up a good sweat in the aisles of Target). I'll go for a week, sometimes two, of really doing well, and then I get lazy again. It's a vicious cycle.
Let me give you a little background on my history with exercise. While growing up, I was pretty athletic. My parents encouraged all four of us kids to try different sports. In high school, I played soccer and basketball, eventually giving up basketball to play soccer year round. And I was pretty good. Good enough to be chosen for the "All-State" team in my senior year. I was proud of that. And I practiced everyday with few exceptions. Year-round. Lots of running. Lots of activity. I was buff!
Me on the field, many moons ago.
I went on to college and was "recruited" by my school to play at the collegiate level. I was heading to Saint Mary's College - across the street from Notre Dame (I have often been described as having blue and gold in my veins... I was raised on ND Football). For various reasons - from extreme homesickness in my first month at school, to the fact that being a part of the team meant that I could only attend 1 (ONE!) football game per season - soccer in college did not work out. I lasted 1 week and that was all she wrote.
Kim and I - GO IRISH!
Quitting this team was the beginning of my fall from fitness. Over the next four years, I would make my way to the gym occasionally (moreso in the summers when I was at home and bored during the day), but I never really got back to that place where exercising and staying in shape was a priority. There were so many other things to do (and boys to meet, and beers to drink)... that exercise became something that I would fit in "when I had time".
Fast-forward to present. I am now married and have had a baby (that is to say I got married in August 2008 and within 3 weeks of the wedding I found out I was pregnant!). My body has been stretched, swollen, stitched and strained. I now have an extra 35 lbs (it hurts to even write that) that I can't seem to shake (I gained nearly 65 lbs while pregnant). I have good intentions each day to at least do some crunches, some push-ups, try to jog... but so often life gives me convenient excuses. "It's cold out" "There is SO much laundry to do" "the bathroom needs to be cleaned"... and the list goes on.
The morning of my induction - those Cheerios didn't last long...
But lately I have really begun to see exercise as more of a preventative medicine than a way to look better. Don't get me wrong - looking at myself in the mirror right now is down-right DE-PRESSING and I'd give just about anything to get my former 6-pack abs back ... but I have decided that it can't be about how I look. It has to be about how I feel. Because nowadays, there is another life depending on me and I want to be strong and healthy for her.
Me and the kiddo - she's 2 days old here
And if my jean size gets smaller along the way, I'll probably throw a party in my own honor I'll be that much more happy!
So here's to hoping that I can train my brain to stay motivated. I'll let you know how it goes...
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