Gateway to Change

Releasing fears...the gateway to change. I have avoided blogging about my determination to continue getting back into shape over the past few months. Back in April, I signed up to do a 90 day BeachBody fitness challenge at the prodding of a friend who had recently become a BeachBody coach. I wasn't thinking of it being a transforming process at the time, but surprise, surprise that's what it has turned out to be. 

I wasn't compensated to try this 90 day challenge. I shelled out some hard earned cash & ordered Brett Hoebel's Rev Abs program. He's easy on the eyes & figured that counts if I'm going to be working out with this dude 6x a week - right!

Most of us don't believe in overnight miracles when it comes to achieving fitness goals. There is no such thing. Sweat, consistency, persistence, pain, they all need to be in the equation to see any progress. But it is totally worth experiencing all of those things. Maintaining a higher level of fitness is something we all struggle with. As we age, it becomes an even larger challenge. 

From the Arnold Sports Festival Facebook page

One of my biggest fears throughout this challenge has been the scale. It was one of the requirements to participate to get on the scale & weigh-in, plus take measurements every Monday. Not only did we have to chart the progress, but we needed to post in a private Facebook group, sharing with people we didn't know, but who all shared this goal of conquering this challenge together. We signed up to be open honest & to offer each other encouragement along the way. It worked for me.

The gateway to change - an important place to pass through if what you crave is uncover the you that used to be. So just because the 90 days is up today, it's not the end. 12 lbs & 18" gone from my body in the process - a great result. I'm satisfied. It's so incredibly motivating and pressure-filled at the same time. The workouts must continue at the same intensity & probably more so than before. Once you move forward it becomes that much more difficult to take steps back because you know what you can achieve. You remember what you are capable of, plus you can't bear to lose the "me time."

If you enjoyed this post, you might also like: Life's Lessons or Stream of Consciousness Sunday: 90 Days to Success

Reinvention and the final Stream of Consciousness Sunday

Say it isn't so!

I've totally been delinquent, preoccupied, whatever you'd like to call it & haven't done many of these lately but it certainly won't be the last post of this nature - I'll just be providing my own inspiration vs. relying on Miss Fadra, who has told us she is moving on from hosting this weekly forum. 

While it's nostalgic & a bit sad, I imagine it's incredibly freeing for Fadra to let go of this weekly obligation & I support her wholeheartedly. I get it. I feel the pressure too, so it totally makes sense to move on, but before we do, here's one last linked post.

Today’s (Optional) Writing Prompt: What does it mean to reinvent yourself?

Today my son asked me "what I'd like to do for a living." A few days ago, I was joking around with him in the car and he told me: "Mom, you are going to be out of control when you grow up!" The thought of being a 40 something mom of a soon to be school-age child begs for a constant state of reinvention in my life.

if you read my last post, you would see how overwhelming my life has become lately. I'm fighting to keep up, yet I know my season of change is never-ending or at least it will feel that way for the distant future. I'm at a stage in my career where I know I need to be doing something else & I've taken steps to get where I think I need to be, but the path has not taken me where I expected it to go. I'm re-evaluating what I really want to be when I grow up, literally.

It's like my kid has ESP & knows what I've been preoccupied about lately even though I don't say a word about it to him. He's sensitive, loving & caring. I'm certain he knows when I'm stressed & when I don't want him to know I'm stressed.

The major victory this year has been getting back to the business of being in shape. I had put that on the back burner, but now I'm cooking with gas...down a clothing size & on the way to dropping one more. Feeling more like my old self, but in a different way - not my old competitive self, but comfortable in my own skin. I've learned it's not ok to put myself last ALL the time. I'm a better person for it - both inside & out. 

I know that it will take some time to put all the pieces in place so that my future will be more clear, but I am moving forward nonetheless. I'll know it when I get there, but for now I am trusting that this path to reinvention will end in a happier place.

If you liked this post, you might also enjoy: Stream of Consciousness Sunday: 90 Days to Success or Stream of Consciousness Sunday: Caught Up In A Twist Of Fate