Welcome to my blog! My goal is to try to encourage regular people, like you and me, to lead active, healthy lives! Maybe if I share my “get fit” story it will encourage you to make the choice, like I did, that could improve your life!
It was in August of 2012. My youngest daughter had just turned two. My oldest daughter had just turned five the month before. I was looking at a photo of a group of us that had been taken in June of that year. I couldn’t believe how big I’d gotten. I felt tired all the time. I didn’t feel well. I couldn’t keep up with my children. I was lazy. I realized that this is NOT the role model I wanted to be for my girls. I made a decision to get healthier. I didn’t decide to be skinny. I wanted to BE HEALTHY.
I started by downloading the Couch to 5k app. I started on a Friday evening and hopped on that treadmill. After that there was no turning back. Don’t get me wrong, it was very HARD work. I hadn’t exercised like that in years. But, the feeling I had after accomplishing that workout was amazing. After a couple of weeks I started noticing progress. I felt better. I was sleeping better. I had more energy. I started getting compliments from people that were noticing the changes.
After about a month I decided my diet needed to change to match my new active lifestyle. I’m not a fan of fad diets or diets that restrict certain classes of foods. Everything in moderation. I just started making healthier food choices. I made decisions on how the food would make me feel and how much energy it would give me. Now, I don’t want you to think I eat perfect all the time. I eat fast food sometimes. I eat candy and chocolate sometimes. I’ve even been known to frequent a local ice cream shop during the summer a few times. You need to treat yourself every once in a while, right? You just can’t make it a habit. And after I had that “treat” I’d get right back to making those healthy food choices.
After finishing the Couch to 5k app I went ahead and started using the Couch to 10k app. Might as well keep going, right? I ran a couple 5k’s. I wanted to start building muscle as well as losing the excess weight so I started using my hand weights. I tried Yoga and Pilates. I also started using some in-home walking videos. (I love Leslie Sansone!) Now, not only was I losing weight but I was gaining muscle strength. How awesome! After about a year I’ve added kettlebells (which I LOVE), doing TaeBo videos (Billy Blanks is awesome!), and I’ve even been taking a boxing class at my local YMCA.
I’m just about a year and a half in to this awesome journey and I am so glad I made that choice to be a healthier mom and wife. My family has been eating better because I’m eating better. We’re all very active with exercise and sports. I am now that positive role model for my girls.
As a bonus I have been told I’m inspiring others to start to get healthy too! How Awesome! That certainly wasn’t my intention but it is an incredible added bonus. I love that part the most, I think. To have someone tell you that because of you they’ve decided to start exercising and getting fit is amazing.
My goal, with this little blog of mine, is to continue to inspire people to make healthier choices and be active! Do it for your family, your friends, and for YOU! Thank you for joining me on this journey to a healthier life. Buckle up, it’s going to be an AWESOME ride!
JoAnn
Adirondack Fit Mom
