The Big 5-0 Part 4

Ok. So I've given up Diet Coke and sweets. Isn't that enough?? Well. No. It isn't. What is the other thing that those smart folks that know about this stuff say? It's the 'E' word that everyone so hates.  Yes friends. Exercise. I know it's a dirty word. But bein' honest here. If you want to lose weight you are going to have to use up more calories than you take in. Pretty simple idea really. Not that giving up my favorite beverage AND WalMart cupcakes with all that yummy icing wasn't hard enough...but man! Exercising was tough! It was hard because I was SO tired all the time. And I hurt. Everything hurt. And I was exhausted constantly. But...I repeated my mantra to myself and set my alarm for 5:00AM. When it went off, I groaned, but stumbled out of bed and down the stairs, and onto the treadmill.  I tried to do this every morning. I wish I could say that it got easier and within a few days I was bouncing out of bed with a smile on my face and a spring in my step. But I can't say that. I have always HATED getting up early. I am NOT a morning person by ANY stretch of the imagination. What I did find, though, was that my stamina was increasing. Every few days I could bump up the speed just a little bit. And that was encouraging. I could see progress.
Another thing I started doing religiously was stretches and crunches. I started doing these while laying on my bed. That didn't hurt my back as much. I did these EVERY night. Then, I started doing the same exercises in the morning before I got on the treadmill.
What I have found is that you can exercise pretty much anywhere! Use the time sitting at a red light to do  abdominal squeezes. Sit up straight, slowly squeeze your abs in, hold for a couple of seconds, then release. Repeat as long as you are sitting at the red light. Another one I do a lot is for my calf muscles. When washing dishes or cooking dinner just raise up on your toes, hold a second, then lower. Repeat ten times or so. Works those leg muscles! I do some kind of ab squeezes or leg lifts whenever I'm standing somewhere for a period of time. Brushing my teeth, ironing, looking for something to fix for dinner. You will be amazed at how even those few little movements will help you.
The key? Start small, but START.

So there you have it folks. That's my story. Recapping the steps:
1. Got my motivation
2. Identified and eliminated my problem causing agents: Diet Coke and sweets
3. Started exercising

I know you hear people say it all the time..."If I can do it, so can you". Well that is the absolute truth!! If THIS girl can give up two things that I practically lived on for years, YOU can too! I have to tell ya, I am LOVIN' this new body. Again, I'm not at my goal yet. I still have a ways to go. But I FEEL so much better. It is AMAZING! And I am very proud to say that
"I'M NOT GOING TO BE A HEIFER AT MY DAUGHTER'S WEDDING!!"