Perks to Getting Fit and Healthy by Cindy Rushton

Some of you have been following my journey this year toward getting fit and healthy. I am proud to report that as of today, I am down 66lbs, 4 sizes, AND even 20 points on top and bottom for my blood pressure! Hoot!

If you are just coming into this journey with me, it all began with the same old, same old New Year’s resolution that I have had E-V-E-R-Y year for as far back as I can remember:

To get fit and healthy

I went year-after-year-after-year either holding on to the weight as the New Year began again OR slipping up a few more pounds and a few more sizes.

This year, I decided that I would continue to reach for my big goals in all of the other areas of life (those that I seemed to reach just by putting them down on paper). However, THIS YEAR would be the year that I would REACH for this resolution as well. I did not want to end this year feeling defeated, overwhelmed, and wanting to skip past the line this one was written on. So, this year, this resolution was moved to the top of the list, the top of my schedule, and is now on TOP of my successes for the year already. Yes! AND, it is ONLY September! I AM JAZZED!

I was thinking this past week about how different everything is. I made a list of the perks that I am beginning to SEE and EXPERIENCE. These are perks that I never thought would really be reality again for me. Funny how easy it is to forget that just little changes can make a big difference and really change our reality. So, let me share them with you today. They JUST MIGHT encourage those of you who are working hard to reach for your goals and dreams!

MY PERKS TO GETTING FIT AND HEALTHY:

1. I feel soooo much better! From the aches and pains that used to plague me daily to the sickness that seemed a part of every week to my energy levels, all of those are all gone! There is no comparison! Truly, God is our mighty healer. As I have obeyed Him by getting up and getting going, He has moved in to bring healing and restoration to my body. What a mighty God we serve!

2. I can go shopping and NOT get depressed buying clothes! THEY FIT! Actually, last week, I HAD to go shopping, my “new” clothes that I bought just two months ago were swallowing me. ((GOOD PROBLEM!))  I was really excited to go shopping–a big change from January!  But, I wish you could have been there in the dressing room with me as I tried on the next size down and found that THAT size was too big. Really! TOO BIG! I had to size down TWO SIZES! Yep! No depression there! ((LOL)) Instead, I was excited, elated, totally jazzed! I may have missed the projection for my “new” size while shopping like all of the other times I had picked clothes and headed to the dressing rooms, but this time it was refreshingly two sizes smaller. NICE! I suspect that I will enjoy shopping much more now that I can actually find clothes that fit AND get this type of surprise! Worth all of the hard, hard work!

3. I can be active! For far too long, my weight has limited my calendar. It has limited my hobbies. There WERE NO sports! Two weeks ago, Harold and I went out for a getaway. We LOVE to drive into South Tennessee. It doesn’t matter what season it is, it is always stunning! Well, we got on the Harley, took off for a gorgeous ride. We ended up at one of our favorite spots–Davy Crockett State Park (Lawrenceburg, TN). It was amazing! But, that is not all! Harold asked me if I would be interested in going out on a peddle-boat. For the first time in a long, long time, I didn’t have to think about an excuse, I could just  DO IT! Yep! I could jump on and handle it PHYSICALLY! It was so delightful! We had such a sweet, sweet time. Want to see it on video? Here it is:

I did it! AND, I wasn’t even sore!  I can be active and enjoy things I never dreamed that I could do before. Woohoooo!

4. Sex! Yep! Enough said! Woooohoooo! BIG PERK!

5. I can cross my legs! Ok! This may be more information than you want to know. However, I found myself very frustrated that I could not comfortably cross my legs. I was even MORE frustrated at the thought how it would LOOK if I did! Now, I can cross my legs and sit with them crossed during the whole church service. It is a little thing. But, oh so nice!

6. I can SEE my body change. For so long, I saw NO CHANGE. Even if I “began” a diet, I couldn’t really see any definite change in my body. I quickly got discouraged until I saw the next batch of pictures that disgusted me at the changes I COULD see–not the changes I wanted to see. Just this week, I was creating a video with pics of Matthew and Whitney throughout their courtship. As I was looking through the pictures and months, I really COULD see my body change. Funny that I noticed the changes this week, but while I was working out Wednesday, I looked up in the mirrors and noticed that there WERE changes all over.Talk about exciting! Scripture says that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Boy, that is SO true! It is amazing that when we “strengthen our arms” like the Proverbs 31 woman, God is unleashed to bring healing and restoration. He can change us and bless the work of our hands. What an awesome perk!

7. Food is AMAZING! I have been keeping a food and workout diary–a little black journal in my purse. I jot down what I eat for each meal/snack, along with its calories and fat grams. I also keep a log on my daily workouts and my weight. This past week, I found an old journal from the first few weeks of working with my trainer. I remember how tough it was to “change” my foods. First, I did not want to THINK about food “all of the time” so it really made me MAD to think about having to write down all I eat. I honestly thought it was unnecessary–of course, we don’t get ideas from someone who is 100lbs overweight! HA! I also struggled with making time for meals and snacks throughout the day–I was infamous for not eating at all until dinner so many days. My choices just never seemed to satisfy me. Well, the ones that did, left me stuffed and totally unable to workout. Now, I have a regular schedule for my meals that includes breakfast. I was talking with my trainer this morning and told her that I was stunned at how MUCH I eat now. I eat all throughout the day on a regular schedule and I am LOSING weight! Even better, what I eat is truly yummy! I am eating a nice variety of real food that really satisfies me. It really tastes good. It leaves me refreshed and full of energy. We eat out (in fact, I think I may have to write the book entitled, EAT OUT AND LOSE 100 POUNDS! ha!), but we are finding some amazing dishes that we never knew about. We are finding some meals that are 100 times better than the meals that were just weighing us down, packing on the pounds, and holding us back from the health and fitness that we really needed. Talk about a perk!

8. I don’t leave every meal and every day feeling bad, guilty, overwhelmed, disappointed, and defeated! This may surprise you. I am a very upbeat person. I love life. However, I was really battling with the weight-thing. Everything is different now! Actually, I am truly excited, passionate, and overflowing! I LOVE finding neat new foods that are low-fat or even better, FAT FREE! We still giggle over the day we were in the grocery store and I found rice cakes that were Caramel Rice Cakes. They were FAT FREE! AND, amazing! Talk about fun! Really there is not a day that goes by that I don’t end the day in victory! Nice, huh? Not just in food choices. For the first time in my life, I am really enjoying the challenge of working out. I LOVE doing something hard in a work-out. It is AWESOME to finish it and look back on that success. I can push more each workout–whether in reps or time or intensity and have immediate success of “conquering” that one goal. I remember when staying on the treadmill for 30 minutes was really, really tough–in JANUARY! I remember crying and getting very, very upset about my trainer keeping me on the Elliptical for 5 minutes (3 past when I thought I would surely die–FOR REAL! Yes, I faced that fact that day that my weak-mind needed strengthening as bad as my body!) Imagine my delight the other night when I stayed on the Elliptical for 40 minutes and completed my goal of 3 miles/40 minutes! HOOT! Instead of feeling bad, guilty, overwhelmed, disappointed, and defeated, I can set little goals and meet them DAILY! What a nice change!

9. When I trip, strain, or twist something, I don’t get hurt and back-track! Wooohooo! Not so long ago, I was so overweight that a simple trip or twist set me back days. The weight was so hard on my body. Move my body wrong and it was not happy with the weight on a new part of it! Now, I am healing up faster. I don’t get hurt as easily. In fact, the other day I noticed that my body is now more “spry” and I have better balance. I love it!

10. My hubby and kids are proud of me! Through the years, I have tried diets and exercising for a million reasons. Probably the most silent were concerning my family. I really did want to look good for my husband. I want him allured by me! (Being honest and open here!) I wanted to be active so I could do things with the kids. But, somewhere along the way, I got so discouraged that I let it all go. Now, they loved me like crazy. They were proud of me, but usually for other things and in other areas where I was great. Nice, but silently disappointing. It wasn’t their fault. What was the option? The past two years, I have really evaluated life. I now have an empty nest. After over half my life spent mothering and homeschooling, my eagles have flown the nest. As I look back over my life, I see things very clear now. I see the things that I would not change at all and I can honestly admit the things that I regret and wish I could change. The number one thing on my list of things that I just wish I could change is the moment that I stopped trying to fight the good fight with my health and fitness. I didn’t seem to have room in my life for one more thing. I let the very thing go that soooo much of my life really depends upon–taking care of myself! Many of you have seen the shift in my life as I realized how important this one thing is. Neglecting myself was almost devastating! It led down some paths that I wish I had not carried my family down–through depression and through sickness. Having a teenage daughter really hit me deep. I had to face that as much as I loved her and wanted for her to take good care of herself (I would give up ANYTHING to take good care of her–I want for her to have EVERYTHING that God has planned for her!), she was learning from ME. I was her primary mentor. I was the “picture” she had of a mother…of a godly woman. OUCH! I could teach her the Bible every day, but the “visual” that she was getting was what she saw IN ME! I remember one day, working out with my trainer and just getting teary. I was doing a really tough set and it hit me that I was doing it. I would never have “gotten there” without my trainer teaching me how to do it properly, expecting me to do it, and holding me accountable. I was stunned that I was DOING IT! I just stopped and thanked her for training me. She said something that I will never forget! She said that when she sees someone come in at the “place” that I was at, it is always because they are pouring out and taking care of everyone but themselves. That was me! Well, the NEW ME realizes that we never truly take care of others until we dare to take good, really good, care of ourselves. We cannot truly love others until we learn how to love ourselves fully–spirit, soul, AND BODY. I am working hard to get fit and healthy FOR ME first and foremost. As I do, it just overflows into all of those I love. Now, THEY can be truly proud of me. I can be all that God designed for me to be. What a nice, nice change! Oh! We are planning to run in a marathon AS A FAMILY this Spring! I am soooo excited! Who would have figured?!

Well, 66lbs down.

I am coming around the bend. I can actually see the “Finish Line” before me. Things have changed tremendously. Tremendously for the better!

Want to join in with someone who is crazy about you and wants to see YOU succeed too? Let’s do it together! Just log in and let me know below if you are going to join me for this resolution. Each week, I will keep you posted and share some ideas that are working for me.

This is THE YEAR!

Did you hear Cindy’s recent show on Mom-to-Mom Radio Show? Her topic was Get Fit and Healthy. Don’t miss that one! You can tune in here: CLICK HERE