Day 2: Plyometric *%$&#%* Cardio Circut

SWEAT ISN'T PRETTY! (on me anyway)

Today was definitely the first day that I couldn't tell if it was sweat I was tasting or tears. For those of you that know me, I promise I'm not being dramatic here. For those of you who have done Insanity, you KNOW what I'm talking about.

I ate a healthy breakfast consisting of an egg white, mushroom scramble, an english muffin and a small glass of orange juice.  I've got to be honest, I did not want to work out today.   Well, I did, but I wanted to do it from the couch. BUT since I've got all of you guys breathing down my back I had to try, right? Fine. I put on my work-out clothes, sans shirt because it just gets in the way. I closed the curtains because the apocalypse does NOT need to be started by neighbors seeing me shirtless, and loaded 'er up. I was lucky today because Joseph went down for a nap without much fussing! Lucy just ran around jumping around "working out" with me. I have to admit I got a little sick of trying to heisman over her sippy cup. But the second circut I was SO ready to give up. Sweat was dripping off of my body and I'm sure my downstairs neighbors thought I was being attacked from the noises I was making. My body is not strong. I am thinner, yes, but not strong. I'm strong in the sense that I can carrying 50 pounds worth of kids around and up and down the stairs and run for a small distance, but when it comes to throwing around my body weight...yikes.

I am not here to put myself down and talk about how much I hate my body. Because I don't. For the first time in my life I LOVE MYSELF. I love myself enough to care about my body. I love myself enough to set an amazing example for my family! I can already see the changes. Kara wants to go out and play more instead of watch tv. Lucy runs around and says, "Yay Mama!" everytime she sees me exercising. Ryan mentioned nonchalantly that maybe he'd go for a bike ride tonight (which he hasn't done in a long time.)

I love that I care! I love that I have support! I LOVE not feeling sad or totally self-conscious about the way I look. And I've gotta say it, I LOVE the compliments I get:)

My goal weight is only 8-9 pounds away.  That's AMAZING to me! (Listen to me! This working out crap and that endorphin mumbo-jumbo must be a little legit!)

To all of my friends that are struggling or feeling down about this kind of thing. I'm not here to preach to you about what you should and shouldn't do. I would like it if this motivated you and made you feel better, but only because I'm going through it with you. I'm no better or worse than the next chick trying to get healthy. I'm walking/running/spinning/dancing/yoga-ing/barfing RIGHT BESIDE YOU! I will hold your hand every step of the way.

I started out loving that I was losing weight so fast after Joseph. He was/is breastfeeding and the weight just melted off. Then I started to think, "What's going to happen when he stops?" Then it hit me. I haven't earned any of it. Sure, I lost weight with Lucy, but by the time I got pregnant with Joe it had all come right back. Because I never tried.  So with Joseph, I started trying. I started eating better, I starting exercising just doing "Just Dance" on my Wii for 1/2 a day until my dr said I could start exercising regularly. Then I tried running. First time I ran, it was brutal. My lungs were burning and the next day my shins hurt so bad that I had trouble walking for a week. Then I ran a mile...then 2 miles...then I ran my first 5K in March. Holy COW did that feel amazing! I finally felt was it was like to EARN something that I had worked for.

So friends, that is my message today. EARN IT.