So I finished up that last post and it has been on my mind for hours....... and I suddenly realized I left out so much from that post.
I have learned so much about myself in the past year. I learned that I like to push myself to the breaking point. From recovering from a stress fracture and still completing a half marathon with a new personal best, shaving off 6 minutes from time to juggling working, moving and training for a marathon. Yes we all know I'm nuts, but I feel better when I know I am challenging myself. Clearly if I didn't like a challenge I wouldn't have finished that crazy PhD journey with my family in tow and then moved them halfway across the country!
So, what did I leave out of that last post? WHY do I want to inspire people to be healthy? Well as you may or may not know I grew up in a household with an exercise physiologist and a nurse. It was a healthy household, but I can say I watched my father struggle with his weight, even though he is probably one of THE most educated people I know about fitness and exercise science. I followed in his footsteps early into my marriage, both hubby and I worked out, but we let our nutrition slide. Then I had some moments of clarity and got myself back in shape, and well then came the pregnancies and school and I LET IT ALL SLIDE.
I have worked so hard these past 4 years since B was born to get healthy for me, for hubby and for them. God gave me this amazing body that can do amazing things, and it is MY responsibility to take care of it. I don't want my children to struggle with their weight or being healthy. I want it to be natural. We have a strong family history of obesity and diabetes and I want them to have every advantage to be strong and healthy. I have changed my wording in the past 2 years to make it clear that I exercise to be healthy and strong (and I don't say to lose weight, even if I am trying). This is another of my "whys"
Hubby is another. I'm not going to air all of his dirty laundry here, but he has struggled with his weight and now diabetes. I have been hoping, wishing and praying that he would be motivated to work out and be "inspired" by all that I have done. Clearly I went about it the wrong way and I think that maybe it was just too much, and there was not a balance. Pushing him into this program probably wasn't the best idea either, but you know.... sometimes you need a shove to get off that cliff! He's another "why" I want (and need) him to be healthy. We're a team and I'm not going to lose him to something as simple health consequences from being out of shape.
So maybe part of this coaching journey is selfish reasons for the health of myself and my family, but really? I'm ok with that!
Monday, February 2, 2015
Why become that?
So I was asked to complete an assignment for a new phase of my life and I decided that I would make this public, even though it doesn't have to be. I can't hide myself, nor do I want to. So let me take you on a little journey.
As many of you know 2014 had some challenging moments for my family and I:
In the midst of that training, and moving, and searching for a nanny I made an incredible bond with this Facebook friend of mine. She was my outlet when the running got the best of me, my trainer to keep me motivated and just an all around great friend. And this is NOT said to discount my hubby, whom I love and adore, but sometimes you need someone who has been through something similar. And hubby, well, he's been through some rough stuff himself (hello! becoming a Marine isn't easy!), but he's not a runner and never trained for a marathon. This friend of mine on Facebook is someone I have yet to meet in real life, but she serves as an inspiration to me. Do I want to be just like her?
Nope! I LOVE being me. I'm crazy, fun, passionate, and temperamental (hey I'm just being honest). My friend is a BeachBody coach, and we used a BeachBody program as my cross training for my marathon. Thus became my love affair with BeachBody programs. I was invited a number of times through a few different people to consider being a BeachBody coach, but I always turned it down. I was too busy, too something..... every time I was asked. Then December rolled around and I found myself done with my marathon (YEAH!), grieving our Aunt, preparing for Christmas (and my girls' January birthdays) and realized that I was missing something from my life. I can't tell you what was missing or how exactly I knew something wasn't there, when honestly I'm not sure I was all there, but something was missing. It wasn't work or family or friends or anything truly tangible, but I needed something. And it wasn't my faith, because that carried me through the year.
I started thinking that maybe it was my job. My job keeps me on my feet in helping children with special needs and their families. AND I LOVE IT! I truly do. For those of you with kids, remember when they took their first steps? I get to do that for a living. I get the privilege of helping children and parents, and being a witness to milestones and I get paid to do it. It's an amazing feeling. It was actually my job and completeing my marathon training that made me come to figure out what was missing. I was impacting children's lives (and their parents), but I wanted to inspire EVERYONE to be healthy, not just my patients (and coworkers- who think I'm crazy). Thus prompted my decision to become a BeachBody coach.
I spent ages thinking about it. How would it conflict with work, family, being a physical therapist? Would it take away my already limited family time? How would hubby feel about it? And on and on it went, but as usual I did what always do and dove right into it. I ordered a new program and committed myself, and hubby (without his knowledge). I figured if I could inspire hubby to get moving and healthy I had a shot at inspiring others.
I don't know if I succeeded in the ways I had originally intended, but hubby and I stuck through the program for the month. Sure we didn't always work out together, nor did we eat the same, but do I think I made a difference..... yes I do.
As many of you know 2014 had some challenging moments for my family and I:
- We thought for a long period of time we were going to be homeless, or forced to live in a home that we no longer felt safe in. And every temporary solution we seemed to come across fell through
- We lost our beloved nanny (we moved and she had a baby), and then another nanny (she took a new position).
- I had 2 nasty staph infections. One of which kept me out of work for a week.
- We lost hubby's oldest Aunt to cancer on Thanksgiving. She wasn't just an aunt, but really his third Mom.
- and on it goes
In the midst of that training, and moving, and searching for a nanny I made an incredible bond with this Facebook friend of mine. She was my outlet when the running got the best of me, my trainer to keep me motivated and just an all around great friend. And this is NOT said to discount my hubby, whom I love and adore, but sometimes you need someone who has been through something similar. And hubby, well, he's been through some rough stuff himself (hello! becoming a Marine isn't easy!), but he's not a runner and never trained for a marathon. This friend of mine on Facebook is someone I have yet to meet in real life, but she serves as an inspiration to me. Do I want to be just like her?
Nope! I LOVE being me. I'm crazy, fun, passionate, and temperamental (hey I'm just being honest). My friend is a BeachBody coach, and we used a BeachBody program as my cross training for my marathon. Thus became my love affair with BeachBody programs. I was invited a number of times through a few different people to consider being a BeachBody coach, but I always turned it down. I was too busy, too something..... every time I was asked. Then December rolled around and I found myself done with my marathon (YEAH!), grieving our Aunt, preparing for Christmas (and my girls' January birthdays) and realized that I was missing something from my life. I can't tell you what was missing or how exactly I knew something wasn't there, when honestly I'm not sure I was all there, but something was missing. It wasn't work or family or friends or anything truly tangible, but I needed something. And it wasn't my faith, because that carried me through the year.
I started thinking that maybe it was my job. My job keeps me on my feet in helping children with special needs and their families. AND I LOVE IT! I truly do. For those of you with kids, remember when they took their first steps? I get to do that for a living. I get the privilege of helping children and parents, and being a witness to milestones and I get paid to do it. It's an amazing feeling. It was actually my job and completeing my marathon training that made me come to figure out what was missing. I was impacting children's lives (and their parents), but I wanted to inspire EVERYONE to be healthy, not just my patients (and coworkers- who think I'm crazy). Thus prompted my decision to become a BeachBody coach.
I spent ages thinking about it. How would it conflict with work, family, being a physical therapist? Would it take away my already limited family time? How would hubby feel about it? And on and on it went, but as usual I did what always do and dove right into it. I ordered a new program and committed myself, and hubby (without his knowledge). I figured if I could inspire hubby to get moving and healthy I had a shot at inspiring others.
I don't know if I succeeded in the ways I had originally intended, but hubby and I stuck through the program for the month. Sure we didn't always work out together, nor did we eat the same, but do I think I made a difference..... yes I do.
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