Friday, August 24, 2012

42 Days to Fit

It is almost 7 weeks since Reed was born and Brandy is starting a challenge over on The Marathon Mom and I am trying to join in. I did the fitness test and the first circuit today. Sadly, my heart rate was up just from the fitness test. I nearly cried during the core strength part of the test and the workout. Let's just say that there is A LOT of room for improvement!!!


Before 42 Days to Fit

What I ate: 
  • granola w/almond milk, rip's big bowl, muffins or pancakes, eggs
  • small snack and some sort of chocolate
  • peanut butter and jelly or honey for lunch with fruit 
  • a couple of pieces of chocolate or a small handful of m&ms
  • meat and some sort of veggies but a lot more carbs
  • chocolate
How I exercised:
  • carrying baby and toddler around
  • going up and down the stairs in our house doing chores
  • chores
  • minimal walking since Reed was born
  • basic household movement (cooking, cleaning, caring for children)
How I felt:
  • sad 
  • shaky from major blood sugar drops
  • I'd rather just sit
  • weak abs
  • out of breath easily
  • low energy towards the end of the day
  • floppy, not in control of my muscles
How I looked:
  • poor posture from poor muscle tone in back and stomach
  • big hips, legs, and tummy
  • flabby
What I weighed:
  • 15 to 20 pounds over my ideal weight
How I measured:
  • shockingly
  • waist and thighs were a big wake-up call
  • most of my shirts are more snug than I am comfortable with
  • can only wear a couple of pairs of maternity shorts and my "big girl" pants fit in the morning and are terribly uncomfortable by the afternoon

How do I know I will succeed?

To be honest, I don't. I am tired of looking this way and wishing I were strong again. It is time to work on making my body strong for the tasks at hand.

The Bottom Line

My boys need me to be strong and energized to keep up with them. My little lady needs an example of a woman who fears the Lord that she will want to be like. My husband works hard to look good for me and I want to look good for him!

You can join in too! So far I have not had chocolate since Sunday night. This is the longest stretch ever!! I have gone back and forth over doing the workouts now or waiting until nursing is a bit more established. The truth is, if I don't start now, I may never start. So, now is the perfect time. I did the fitness test and week 1 workout today. I plan to do the week 1 workout again on Sunday and go for a good walk, possibly a jog, this afternoon. I did go for a good walk one other day this week. I have never been more out of shape than now, and I am concerned about how long it could take me to be strong again. Do my muscles remember what it is like to be strong or is it just an image in my brain? We will see!