On 31 December 2012, I set my New Year's Resolution: To lose 40 kg's in 12 months. Today, 4 months after I started, I'm happy to report that I'm 17 kg's lighter already. In this, the 4th month just gone, I'm back on track with my diet (last month I lost only my way, no weight at all) and I've lost a further 3 kg's. I'm also painfully aware that at this rate, I will not make the target of 40 kg's in 12 months if I don't make a change...
Progress Update: 17 kilos down, 23 kilos to go.
I know this change HAS TO BE the exercise, but sadly for me, I'm also The Unenthusiatic Exerciser and for me, there has always been plenty of reasons (excuses!) NOT to exercise... except that this month I ran out of excuses!
I am perfectly well, my kids are at school so I can even find time for exercise during the week, I have an amazing exercise machine at home so I don't need to leave the house, I'm on top of my work (which I do from home - while sitting down - and which can be done at any time during the day), my house is clean and tidy (well, my mother would disagree but it's as clean and tidy as it'll ever be). In short: I have had plenty of time to exercise... and I just haven't done it!
Why? Because I HATE exercising! I absolutely HATE it. Yes, 'hate' is a strong word, but it's how I feel. I can think of so, SO many things I'd rather do than exercise, so those are what I've done! And not just this month or this year, no, no, it's what I've ALWAYS done!
When I was younger it was never a problem. I didn't have a car so I walked everywhere, I went out dancing on weekends and I was, well, young! Now... now I sit on my (well insulated) behind when I work, when I drive my kids to and from school, play dates and activities, when I have tea with my friends, when I eat, when I watch TV, even when I dry my hair because the mirror is so low I have to sit down. And that is the main reason I'm fat... that's all there really is to it!
All the contributing factors like years of sedentary work, a year of IVF, twin pregnancy, not being able to leave the house to go exercise when my husband was working and I was on my own with the kids and yada-yada-yada... they've all just been really great excuses for a person who would rather do ANYTHING other than get off her behind to exercise.
So now... in a way I feel a weird sense of relief running out of excuses like that. Because now I HAVE to do something about it. I know that dieting alone will not get me there and I know that exercise is the thing I have to add in order to succeed. And I WILL succeed!
An old friend of mine, Dani, is on her own diet journey and she is doing SO well with the exercise (just ran a 5K in Seattle - WELL DONE, DANI). She wrote on her Facebook this week "I want to inspire people. I want someone to look at me and say 'Because of you, I didn't give up'". Thank You, Dani, for being a daily inspiration for me on Facebook... you're part of the reason I know I will definitely be able to do this.
And thank you to all the others who encourage me and cheer for me to do well at this... we all need encouragement and inspiration to do well, especially when what we're trying to achieve is hard and seems impossible at times.