Friday, September 9, 2011

Excuses

(that WAS me back in the day...cheering at the BYU/Notre Dame game in 1994. I'm really showing my age by the old Cosmo costume and the Smurf, blueberry uniforms. This was also the last year that we had to have those awful alien cap sleeves on our uniforms. You can thank Elder Bruce Hafen for letting us remove them, but that is a post for another day)

Back in the day....I was in shape. Very in shape. It was the nature of my life. I danced, cheered, rehearsed, and taught aerobics upwards of 12 hours a day. I ate as I pleased and was burning it off quickly. I didn't appreciate it then....I was so sure that I was overweight and sloshy. Spending your days with dancers and cheerleaders, my version of a healthy body image was a bit skewed.

But, since Macy's arrival almost 2 years ago, I've been soft. I work out, but not consistently enough for good results. It's been a great source of annoyance and frustration to me.

I feel like I have a lot of barriers to total fitness. I know. I usually hate excuses. So I'm going to throw them out there and find ways to get around them. Not a pity party, just the reality of why I can't get it together at this season of life.

My excuses:

1- Pain. I have crazy bad back pain ever since college. It's in my center back and it's because I have two muscles that are "dying". It stops me from doing a lot. Have done acupuncture, chiropractors, massage, PT, you name it. It doesn't help.

2- Time. I have 4 young kids (1 with time-consuming special needs like homework), run a business by myself, house maintenance, and a husband. Bill has been training for LoToJa and I'm so proud of him. It's taking an immense amount of time to train and with him also gone so much for bishopric things, there is nothing left for me. He is also aware of this and promises to help me get back on track when it's over. I used to have a gym membership with daycare, which I put on hold because I literally cannot get there with my kids crazy schedule.

3-Guilt. The daycare thing is also hard because I already have sitters during the week while I work. Makes me feel like a bad mommy.

4-Motivation. I do get in really good workout habits. I will get in patterns where I run a lot, or do p90x at home, but I haven't seen results. This makes me throw in the towel because my time is so short as it is that I feel like I'm wasting it.

5-I dance....a lot. Exercise, yes. But not a ton of cardio involved when I start and stop so much while teaching. Plus, it leaves me tired and I'm so not in the mood to workout at night after teaching 4 classes.

6- Four pregnancies has changed my body. I will never be skinny again. Things just expand, like my ribcage (?!) and hips. You are never the same. Good thing I love my kids.

7- Kid food. My kids are pretty darn healthy, but there are still cookies and such lying around. And I'm the first to admit that I have NO will power. I have to eat better than I do. This also goes back to the lack of time issue. I grab quick, often-unhealthy things.

There they are....my excuses for not being perfectly in-shape right now. I had to get them out there. Maybe seeing them in print will help me find a way around these barriers so that I can reactivate the "old Liz". Wish me luck and PLEASE tell me what you all do to find time to fit it all in. I'm desperate!



7 comments:

Karen said...

I totally hear you with nearly all of these roadblocks.

Getting a workout in before Bill goes to work and kids need to be up for school would help with the guilt factor, and if you do something low impact like walking, that takes care of pain.

I'm trying to take care of my own list of excuses, so I'll be curious to hear other suggestions that you get.

Above all though, be kind to yourself. I'm coming to the realization that exercising because I love myself is much easier than exercising because I hate my body.

youreprettytoo said...

I hear ya, sister! I wish I could give you some life changing advice but i don't really have any. But I'm sure glad i get to catch up with you soon and hear about things like why Elder Hafen let you take your cap sleeves off your cheerleading uniform!

Emily K. said...

Can I just say, holy smokes! You look exactly the same as you did in college.

I know we have these crazy mom bodies, but you still look great.

Rebekah said...

I think you are gorgeous and you know what you are amamzing too!

pan x 8 said...

NOT excuses ~ reasons! And ALL good ones!

Plus, you look great for out of shape (your definition).. imagine you in shape!! wooohoooo!!

brooke said...

I remember watching you cheer at the Y and thinking how great your body was. You were a hottie!

I still think you look great. I was so impressed to see you dance and leap in the recital. I could NEVER do that now. Don't forget how awesome your body still is and all it can do.

I think you look great and as long as Bill does too (which I know he does!) then who cares!!

Ashley said...

I too remember going to the games to watch you cheer--you were an icon of my teenage years! And I think you need to do a post on the Bruce Hafen thing.

I agree with everyone that you look great, but I also relate to knowing that I could do better even when everyone else says I look fine. It's so dang hard because at this point in life, adding in serious exercise really does have to push something else out. Work, kids, sleep, housework, scriptures . . . something has to go! The thing that has helped me this time around is a gym with daycare. I too feel guilty (just a bit) and actually the kids really love it there so that helps me not feel so guilty. That sucks about your dying muscles! What a curse!