Diet and exercise have never been my forte. I have had a handful of times in my life when I have been consistent: my senior year of high school, my second year of marriage (for about 3 months), and my pregnancy with Austin. That is it. I have tried to eat better and exercise WAY more times than that but I usually only last a week or two, maybe a month at most.
One of my negative thought patters has been/is that if I mess up for the day or the week all is lost and I think to myself "Self, let's just call this week a wash and start over again on Sunday." Not a great thought pattern if you are trying to change your habits. For some reason I have always had it in my mind that in order to start anything it has to be at the beginning of the year/week/month: In order to start a diet it needs to be in on Sunday. In order to start a good exercise program it needs to be Monday. In order to start a weight loss goal it needs to be at the beginning of the month etc...
Well in the July 2012 Ensign Elder Uchtdorf's talk was about living in and celebrating the middle. I thought it was nice and didn't think too much about it but for some reason it did stick with me.
We just got back from a fabulous trip to AZ. I WAY overate. We're talking probably 1000 to 1500 calories more each day than I should have been eating. It was a blast but I had in my mind the entire time "Self, you're not taking care of your body very well..." and I felt a little guilty. After the reunion was over and nearly everyone except for Mark and I had left for home I decided there was no time like the present to start dieting. It was Thursday. I thought to myself that I could either wait until Monday when I got home, or I could just start now. I decided that I was tired of putting things off until the "beginning" and Elder Uchtdorf's talk came back into my mind. So I tried starting on Thursday. And I was successful. Until dinner... Friday, Saturday, and Sunday were okay. Not the best. Not as bad as it had been.
But I am home now. I haven't been tracking my calories or exercise but once again I decided there is no time like the present! So I tracked my calories yesterday. Even though it was Tuesday. Even though it was the middle of the week. I did it. I tracked my calories. And I didn't stay in them. But at least I tracked it. And TODAY I exercised AND I have been tracking my calories.
So even though it is the middle of the week I will say again: There is no time like the present to start anything that is good for you. And if it is a bad day, start again tomorrow, tonight, right now. Whenever.
God said to Moses, "All things are present with me, for I know them all." Now is the time for me to begin making positive changes in my life. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Not next month. Not next year. Now. Because all things are present before God. And he is always ready for me to start being a better person. And now so am I.
3 comments:
Amanda, this is fabulous. I have NEVER been a calorie counter OR an exerciser until I started last September. I thought it didn't make much of a difference--I still don't look like Heidi Klum does after her pregnancies--but then I looked at the before picture I took in September. I am going to send it to you! Even inconsistant work will make a difference, so just keep swimming. :)
You are inspirational. I love that idea--starting goals whenever because we're always in the middle. Thanks, Amanda!
Great post! I really enjoyed this one.
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