As a first time mom of a toddler, I was beginning to see that I had no energy at the end of the day. I would be up at 5am to get ready for work and after working an eight-hour day, taking care of my daughter, cooking, and keeping the house clean, I was drained. I made a decision to start working out because I knew it would be the best way to help me feel better and keep up with my everyday challenges. I started going to the gym, cutting things like oil from my cooking, and drinking water instead of soda. I now work out around 60-90 minutes in the gym about four times a week. Working out and eating healthy has made me more active, happy and fit. I even have energy after working all day, going to the gym, cleaning and cook, to take my daughter to the park so she can be active and play too!
There are several things that motivate me. My first motivation was that after starting to workout, I felt more energetic and less frustrated and blue. Just knowing that working out helped me to feel more upbeat kept me motivated to keep going. Another motivation is my daughter. I want to be able to keep up with her and instill values in her that exercise should be an important part of your life, not just to look good, but also to be able to better function everyday. I learned that exercising and eating right should be just as important as breathing and brushing your teeth in the morning. Another motivator was that after six weeks of working out, I started getting complimented. People starting telling me that they wanted to work out with me; this really challenged me to keep going. I give myself one free day a week to do or eat whatever I want and I try not to be so hard on myself. If I mess up, I just try to get back on track the next day, instead of waiting until Monday again (because that use to be my biggest mistake).
Thanks, Terri for reminding us not to wait until Monday, next month, or even tomorrow! Take after Terri and start exercising today! It WILL give you more energy, make you feel good both physically and emotionally, and keep you around longer for your kiddos!
