Say It Like You Mean It Thursday

The weather has been so nice & I love getting out and walking when it's this pretty outside.  I am on week 1 of my 2 hour exercise marathon from now until the end of the meltdown.  I have decided it's easier to break it down into 3 sessions.  I do a quick warm up in the early morning then walk for 45 minutes, I walk during my break or lunch or before work for another 15 to 30 minutes (or a combination), then 45 minutes in the evening and I either do a core strenthening exercise DVD like Jillian Michaels, Turbo Jam, or Zumba.

My entire focus has been on completing the 120 minutes of daily exercise & how I can be the most successful with my goal.  I sat down with my family last week to let them know what my goal is, that I would be unavailable at times because this was a commitment to myself & to my health, and that they would sometimes get a leftover or two for supper.  They are always supportive and we are a very goal driven family but I think the hardest part was getting into my thick Italian head that it was perfectly acceptable to put me first! 

Last night I delivered the evening meal to the farm boys who have been very busy harvesting wheat and planting soy beans.  I arrived at the shop to find 4 very hungry guys.  Our little cowboy was amongst the crowd at the shop and he declared that he was starving as usual. I handed him a bottled water, opened the lid on his "to go" plate and gave him a kiss goodbye telling him I was going back to the house to exercise.  I must have said it in a somewhat worn out voice with little enthusiasm because this is what he said to me.

With a twinkle in his adorable little eye, he said, "Say it like you mean it Mom!"

Sometimes we have to fake it until we make it!  I know I haven't felt like I wanted to get in the exercise minutes each night and I can tell you that at the start of the workout DVD tape or the start of my walk I haven't felt like I wanted to do it.  Once I begin to sweat and I feel my heart pumping there's something inside of me that feels like I could keep going for hours!  As you are striving to get your exercise minutes in and you hear that little voice in your head that says, "I'm too tired tonight" or "If I miss one night it won't matter" just tell yourself, "I matter & my health matters and I'm going to exercise".  In other words . . . .

SAY IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT!