The past 12 weeks have been such an amazing learning experience to say the least! I’ve met many motivating people, learned proper eating, completed exercises I never thought I could do and last but not least learned so much about myself!
I came into this experience just hoping to lose a few pounds, but walked away with so much more!
I have also been a competitive athlete. I ate what I wanted and really didn’t think twice about it. I started traveling the country at the age of 10 playing softball. I learned discipline and dedication at a very early age.
Weight and confidence was never really an issue. I practiced hard to win big and if I didn’t win, I practiced harder to be better. During my senior year, I tore my ACL in the first round of the state playoffs. I was devastated; I never encountered something that I couldn’t just work through. I wasn’t going to let this be an exception to the rule. I was fitted with a brace 48 hours later and continued to play. And yes we did win the state championship! But my surgery was scheduled for the summer leading up to my freshman year of college.
After I had my ACL surgery my recovery wasn’t so easy. It was almost like I had to learn to walk all over again. I had trouble bending my knee and the recovery took time. During this time I had a hard time accepting that I needed help to do things, that I couldn’t do it all myself, that I couldn’t just “fix it”. Once I recovered I worked out but never went back to playing the sport I was known for. At the time I felt free….softball had consumed my life for so long, but looking back I was lost. I never really did anything else and trying to find the new me was harder than I thought. People would always ask, “Do you miss playing?” and I would always say no. I didn’t want them to know how I really felt.
In October 2004, I married my High School sweet heart! It was the best time of my life. In September of 2006 I became pregnant with our first child! We were both so excited! And although I knew being pregnant meant gaining weight was going to happen, I wasn’t prepared for how much weight I would gain. I gained 50lbs!! I never had weight issues before and I had a very difficult time accepting this. Once again I was always used to just working hard to get what I wanted but this wasn’t something that I could just fix. Although I was extremely happy to become a mom and I would make jokes to everyone else about how much weight I had gained, inside I was beyond mortified.
When May 22, 2007 came and my beautiful, perfect little girl was born all that concern about weight was gone….for a little while anyway. The weight kind of just went away, I didn’t really work out I guess I just got “lucky”. And when I finally thought about working out to tone up I was pregnant again. This time I gained 40lbs!
On March 2009 my second daughter was born. And I realized my body was just “different”. I hated hearing people tell me “well it happens when you have kids.” I loved my new family but I wanted to feel like me again and I didn’t. I wanted to work out and do something for me, but I always felt guilt ridden.
I had to take care of the kids, take care of the house, cook dinner, etc. By the time I got those things done I was just exhausted. As time passed I went back to work which only placed another thing I had to do and less time for me to fit in “me” time. If I went for a run I would make it as quick as possible because now I felt guilty leaving my kids since I worked all day. I just couldn’t find a way to make me as important as everyone else was in my life. And because of this I just wasn’t happy with myself.
Who was I looking at when I woke up and got ready every morning??? I was a wife, a mom, a sister, a daughter, a teacher…..but I still wasn’t satisfied. I strove to be the best mom, wife, teacher but I always forgot about myself. I needed something that motivated me, something that brought out that competitive instinct I always had! I knew I needed “me” time but I had to get over the guilt of allowing myself to have it!
My husband’s cousin completed this challenge and while she was doing it she talked to me about it, telling me how good it was and life changing. I thought about it over and over again and finally said, “If I don’t do it now I never will” so I joined.
I really didn’t know what I was getting into. I mean I knew I had to eat better. And I figured I’d learn some new exercises. But what I actually got out of this challenge was amazing! I found myself again! I found my inner happiness.
I realized that being happy with yourself only makes you a better person, a better mom, wife, sister daughter and yes, teacher! I found that competitive instinct I always wanted back. Not to be better than others but to be the best that I can be. I’ve realized getting “me” time might not be easy but I can fit it in. I get up every day at 4:30 in the morning and do my workouts before work and I love it! I start my day off better than I ever had before.
I started this challenge constantly watching the scale and wanting immediate results. I realized its not the number that matters its how you feel. And once I realized that the number on the scale seems to go down too! I eat better, I workout consistently, and I’m happy! My kids know I work out all the time so they even ask if I got my workout in for the day. I know now that it doesn’t really take hours at the gym to make you feel great, but maybe only 30 minutes a day and good eating decisions!
I’ve learned that I am important and I deserve “me” time because I’m worth it! This journey has been amazing and I am so appreciative for all those that I have met throughout the process. It has truly changed my life!
Thanks SKFIT Challenge!!
