My own reality

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Walking has always been a joy, especially now as a new mom. There is still stress in life but different. Try not to sleep a whole night for months and lead a normal life! Exercising gives me energy and it helps my mood as well. Believe it or not, sweets don’t do it and chocolate don’t even come close to the benefits I get from exercising regularly. If it was a challenge before I had my son, now it’s even more. The last thing I think about when I get up is exercising because I get up tired and I go to bed tired. Somehow it’s important to make the time for this especially because my whole family benefits from it. I used my jogger stroller for the first time this week and it was awesome. I didn’t jog with it of course, but it was so easy to walk with it! I have also used a front carrier with baby boy, which is a greater challenge. He adds 10 lbs to my frame and if it’s hot outside I get home especially wet. 
It’s taking a lot of effort and prayer not to focus on where I am right now. It’s true that I haven’t finished healing (my stomach looks like a birthday balloon which has been slowly getting the air out) from the c-section. It’s true that it took 9 months to put it on and it takes 9 to take the weight off but I wanted to be like those people who lose it all in a week. I wanted so many other things that didn’t happen for me so the thing is to find joy where I am. 
I find joy in having a healthy son I got to bring home with me as soon as we left the hospital. I find joy in the 2 a.m. feedings when we’re both so sleepy we just want to get back to bed. I find joy in my mornings where I have the option to have joyful day, exercise and be the best wife and mother I can be. I find joy in knowing that God trusted me with a young son and a wonderful husband. Mothers eventually get to sleep a whole night without interruptions. What I’m going through is a season and it shall pass – til the next baby of course (LOL). 
I am taking steps to going virtual with all my exercise and food logging. I found a great podcast out there called Fat 2 Fit. You can actually listen to it online. Their shows are very enlightening and inspirational. They take my kind of approach to weight management. I actually subscribed to it! 
I’m not 100% where I want to be. I think I’m doing okay to be a mom of a 6-week-old with no chef, maid, nanny, personal trainer and personal assistant. I had to remind myself of that today. Change is coming slowly but surely. Each week I add something to my pot. I went from not exercising at all to walking 10 miles a week. I went to eating if and anything to eating a more plant based diet. This is not magic, it’s my life. 
I’m gonna close with a quote I saw on a bumper sticker: TURN OFF THE TV AND CREATE YOUR OWN REALITY. I loved that! I appreciate the biggest loser and other reality shows but it comes a time when we should spend those 30 minutes creating a better reality for ourselves. Enjoy your reality today!