She likes to Move it!

This week's MTC Action Plan photo blog is "get moving" which is a subject near and dear to my heart. Although I exercised in my 20's once I had kids, worked full time and was a busy wife and mother I quit regularly exercising. When I started back to exercise in 2005 I thought that I "hated" it. I knew that I had to do something so I decided that although I wasn't changing what I ate I would walk.
 I would at least be "a fat woman with a healthier heart". So I dragged myself out the door. I was right. I hated it. After a few starts and stops eventually I began to walk a 500 step loop outside just 3 days a week. Over a period of months I learned that I actually enjoyed walking outside. We lived in a beautiful remote area. The day that my boys and I walked up a dirt two track road, over a hill and around to another road and home ranked high on my list of "best days of my life"!
                                                               
                                                

At that time I had lost 70 lbs which all started from that 500 steps... I had added in Leslie Sansone walking DVD's for indoor walking. With access to the BLM firefighter gym I was also using the elliptical and stationary bike. I no longer had to carefully tread over the cattle guards in the area but could literally hop over them!
                                                                          

Due to a combination of things I ended up damaging my knee and tearing my leg muscle. That took me on a spiral downward of hopelessness and "giving up". I could not longer walk. I couldn't even bear weight on my leg for a period of years! My recovery was slow, painful and filled with despair. My entire life I have fought weight and only maintained by exercise. At that time I wasn't truly willing to change what I was eating and without exercise I gained back 40 lbs of the lost weight.

Although I had given up on myself, God hadn't ever given up on me though! Through a series of things he kept gradually drawing me back to a desire to have a healthier body. After a move for my husband's job I was able to find help for my knee and 5 years later I am pain free most days! I can walk on it. I can bicycle on it. I can do yoga and stability ball and Leslie Sansone indoor walks and walk up and down stairs!

So, here we are, back to MTC Action Plan and "Get Moving!". I have to admit that my friends that don't want to exercise will sort of avoid me because I can be a bit of a nag in my enthusiasm for them to "Get Moving"! I thought that I would post what has worked for me. I recently hit my 50 lbs loss from my highest weight ever. I'm definitely NOT a small size and I still have weight to lose but God has changed my heart so that I no longer lust after food. Living within His will tastes sweeter than anything else. What I know is that although there are still days that I don't "feel" like exercising I don't ever get done with a workout and say "boy, do I regret working out".

How I motivate myself
I write a plan for the week, looking at my "busy" days and my "free" days and schedule accordingly.
I record my exercise after I've done it so I can look back at where I've come from. I love to write it on the calendar and I also use an app called "Walk Journal"
                                                                         

I know that I do better with variety, AND it's better for me so I schedule in a variety of things such as yoga, walking in varying distances and intensities, weight training and biking when the weather permits.

What I love to do
Use my feet.. I still have to be careful outside, especially on pavement and elevation changes.
                                                             
                                                             

        

Use my feet with Leslie Sansone Walk at Home exercise DVD's....

                                                             

Ride my very sweet Cruiser Bike! (which I won't take down our lane until the mud dries)
                                                                 
                                                                     

Stretchy band and hand weights (used with Leslie DVD's)

                                                                       

...........................................You Can Do Yoga ... yes, It's Leslie Sansone again!

"You Can Do Abs with the stability ball"... you guessed it, Leslie Sansone!
... and "You Can Do Piilates"...

Garden!!

Exercise isn't just going to a gym. An active life can take you far!

My mind will still lie to me and say "You can't possible walk a 5K" but I have!
My mind will lie to me and say "that's too far" or "You're too tired"  but it's not true!
My mind will especially lie to me and say "you don't have time to exercise. You are too big to exercise. This is too hard!" but then the voice of God's truth speaks louder and I am reminded that I am beautiful to Him. My body is His temple. God is with me.

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Isaish 43:18-19

... now.. quit reading blogs and GET MOVING! Just start. You can do it my friend!
God is with you on this journey of seeking His best for your life and health.