Transformation

"Transformation is not a future event. It is a present activity."

Wise words from Jillian Michaels.

I am currently dealing with the reality that I may have eaten a few too many snacks and evening munchies during my pregnancy. Working in the kitchen 10-12 hours every day with lots of yummy food always available wasn't really in my favor thistime around. I had kinda imagined that all my pregnancy weight would just magically melt away. Hmm.....still waiting....

Well, truthfully, in some ways it did. The 30 lbs of normal pregnancy weight did seem to vanish quickly and magically. It's the, uh, over-and-beyond pounds that want to stay. So. Now I have an 11 week old baby, and unless I want to wear my maternity pants forever (which are getting baggy), or buy a whole new wardrobe (which we really can't afford), I need to get serious about kicking this body into action.

I starting a few weeks ago with some not-too-intense workouts, and they were good. I wanted to get moving but not wear myself out for the day. But now, I mean business. That means it's time to bust out the Jillian Michaels DVDs!

This woman is intense, and I love it! My best-ever workout buddy Laura and I spent many hours in the last 2 years sweating to the sound of her and Bob Harper's voices. (Bob also does excellent, intense workout - they are all at least an hour long, so be prepared.) Last night I was home alone as Andrew was at the Center's annual men's retreat, Isaiah was asleep, and there weren't many excuses left. I put in Jillian's "Ripped in 30" DVD, which I got last April right before I found out I was pregnant.

It was both exhilarating and a bit depressing. Great because I love to get intense with exercise. I mean, if you're going to exercise, you may as well give it 110%, right?! Depressing because in May, at 10 weeks pregnant, I could do the Week 4 workout, which is pretty wild. Now, 10 months later, Week 1 was tough. *sigh* After about 15 minutes last night I reluctantly unscrewed a few pounds off my dumbbells--it's good to sweat, but I knew it'd be smarter to ease into things a wee bit more, so I could still move today. :) Still, it also felt great because it was a side of me that I hadn't got to see in a while, and I realized that I don't need to lose it to motherhood. Fitness has always been important to me and I'll be happier and healthier if I keep it a priority.

Anyway, I am sore today, and it's such a good feeling to feel those muscles again that I haven't noticed in a while. (Seriously though, like where on earth did my abdominal muscles disappear too!??!) Jillian usually has some bit of self-help advice at the end of her workouts in the cool-down ("Be better, be more, do more in every area of your life"...Thank Jesus that I can depend on HIM for strength in each day!)), but I appreciated her comment on getting fit and losing weight. "Transformation is not a future event." It's so true. Transformation happens in the little choices throughout the day. The decisions to get moving and exercise each day, the decision to put down the 2nd cookie and pick up an apple instead.... :) You get the idea.

So here's to the transformation. It may be a long road, but I'll get there. Just you wait. Want to join me? :)