Lessons Learned from Exercise

Since having Carter and knowing he was our last birth child, I have been on a mission to get my body back.  Although I've been pregnant since I was 21, I am STILL in my 20's and would like to at least look close ;)  So after Carter began sleeping through the night around 5-6 months, I have been doing my best to wake up at 4:30 and make it to the gym by 5 a.m., then come home by 6:30 so Sean can leave for work. I haven't been consistent until the last few months, but I have lost weight, gained energy, and picked up a few lessons along the way...

1.  Getting up at 4:30 a.m. sucks

2.  Once I get out of bed, the rest is a piece of cake.

3.  You really DO have more energy if you exercise.  Though my day starts early, I'm not rolling out of bed when my 3 kids are in my face whining, "I'm hungry, I want milk, Can I watch a movie?" and the baby's crying.  An hour of peace and no demands is vital to my soul....and sanity. 

4.  It works.  As a senior in high school I was a size 2, and that's AFTER I got hips.  My husband and I both agree looking back that size 2 was way too small, sickening almost.  After Carter, I was a size 11.  Kid. You. Not.  I only tell you the sizes so that you can see how much I gained.  Size 11 on a frame that can be size 2 (although not pretty) is craziness. But after 9 months of eating like a mad-man, walking as little as possible and wearing those glorious, stretchy maternity clothes multiplied by 3, it happened.  The size I am now doesn't matter. It's a number, but it's not 2 and it's not 11. I'm comfortable, confident and almost secure ;) 

5.  My determination has increased in health and in habit.  I'm motivated to go work-out because I can see those abs coming to the surface and I WILL see them again, even if it kills me.
    I use to leave the dishes in the sink, laundry unfolded on the table and floors unswept.  I still do...a lot...but I have moments where I push myself a little harder, a little longer, and finish those dishes, sweep the floor, and at least put the clothes in a basket so it doesn't look so overwhelming.  I said my determination has increased, not reached it's peak.

6.  My kids are picking up on it.  When they wake up they see me in my exercise clothes, they ask me if I had a good work-out (because they hear Daddy ask) and eventually they "wake up" and want to do the same.  They're seeing their mom make health a priority and they're following by lead. This makes the early alarm, sleepy drive, and burning thighs worth it.

7.  I'm happier, more focused and less stressed.  It doesn't happen every day, but it's becoming more and more common, and I'm loving the results.

Now off to bed, 4:30 a.m. comes pretty early!