What's your excuse?

Here's a summary of my day yesterday:
6:00am: Get up, get dressed,
6:15am: Take son to school
6:40am: Back home, girls fed, make up on, school supplies ready.
7:45am: Take daughter to school, Pickup mom at car place. Take Mom home. Take other daughter to school. Go to Target for errands. Chugging water.
9:00am: Arrive at work.
9:05am: Working
11:30am: Change for TKD. Drive to class while chugging water
12:00pm: In class
1:05pm: In car on way home to change, chugging more water
2:00pm: In car after shower and change and quick lunch. Chugging yet MORE water
2:15pm: At work. Working.
5:00pm: Done w/ patients doing paper work.
5:30pm: In car on way BACK to TKD . Yes chugging water. And snack-almonds 100cals
6:00pm At TKD, change clothes. YEAH my extra uniform came in. Now I have 2 and don't have to wear smelly one.
6:30pm: In class. Asking myself why I'm doing this as I am tired. And hungry.
7:00pm: Kicking and drills completed. Sweating my brains out. So tired. Can't stop. Won't stop.
7:20pm: Class over. Happy smile. Tired. Sore. Dragging Ass.
7:30pm: Back in car. You know what I'm chugging.

I did two, THAT'S RIGHT two TKD classes yesterday. That means I did a total of:
180 crunches, 30 push ups, lots of stretches. 40 jumping jacks. 20 minutes of kicking. 20-30 min of being thrown on the ground and throwing people on the ground. A bunch of practice on my forms. Lots of punching.

It was awesome. I got home at nearly 8pm. I walked in to kids needing baths, homework. Lunches to pack, trash to take out. I had to shower and eat. Get kids to bed, read, including hugs and kisses, of course. AFTER THAT, I spent at least 1.5 hours doing paperwork so I wouldn't start today behind.  All this after the emotional hell of last week, which frankly isn't over. Won't ever be over, but I am managing.

And so I ask you:  What's your excuse?  

If you are one of those people who just "hasn't had time" to exercise, why not?
If you are one of those people that just "doesn't like exercise", so what?
If you are one of those people that "used to be an athlete", why aren't you now?
If you are watching your diet, but just haven't gotten "motivated" to add exercise, WHY not?


I had at LEAST 10 patients tell me that they just didn't have time to exercise this week already. They were just "too tired" when they got home from work. They get up too early. They are so busy all day. They are always running they're kids around. Or they are "really active" at work so they don't have to exercise.
Or exercise is just "really hard for me".

Really? REALLY?

I am soooooo tired of the excuses. Do you think I WANTED to go to  one class, let alone ANOTHER class last night? NO. Why did I? Because I need to exercise. I'm trying to lose weight. I HAVE A GOAL. I'm going to test this weekend and I needed the practice.  AND finally...........FINALLY....I like it. I do. I love it. I never dreamed it. I've never ever been one to work out. (DUH.  See starting weight.)

Do you think when I started all this a year ago that I enjoyed working out? That I looked forward to going to the gym? That walking was a breeze even? NO!

Do you think I LOVED exercise at first? That it was easy for me? That I knew what I was doing? NO!

Do you think it's a breeze now? That I sail through these workouts? That I don't sweat and groan and moan? That I don't wake up sore and stiff and wondering what the HELL I'm thinking as a 40 something mother of 3 trying to do these things MUCH younger and MUCH thinner people have trouble with?

The first time I went to the gym by myself I had a panic attack. No joke. I was sweaty, heart racing, chest thumping and this was BEFORE I walked in the door.  I'd never used an elliptical. NEVER used a weight machine. NEVER even SEEN half of them. NEVER BEEN IN A GYM other than once or twice in college.

So I ask you again: WHAT'S YOUR EXCUSE?

What's stopping you? Why aren't you doing what you KNOW your body needs? What you know will help you feel better, lose weight, be toned? What are you waiting for?

Do your muscles ache? Do your joints ache? Do you have trouble getting short of breath when you move? Exercise will help you. I promise. (see your doctor of course before you start exercise).

Do you take a handful of pills in the morning? Are you tired of dreading seeing your doctor?  Exercise will help you.

What can it hurt?   Your body is meant to move. We're built that way. We are not built to sit and watch TV and play computer and type on our blogs. If you are spending more time on your blogging than you are exercising, YOU NEED TO RETHINK.

I don't care what you pick. Walk, run, bike, jog, zumba, aeorbics, elliptical, treadmill, skating, swimming, water walking, water aerobics, martial arts, DVDs at home, Wii Fit,  or dance naked in your living room for all I care, but you have GOT to move.  You do not need fancy equipment. You do not have to join a gym. You don't need a trainer. You don't have to take a class. You do not have to know how to swim. You don't need a bike or weights or stairmaster or ab-machine. Just MOVE.


I know ALL the excuses. I've used them all. Part of me still tries sometimes. But, that person is almost gone from me now. The new me is different. And I'm so glad.


At first this was me in my head: I'm tired. I can't. I don't want to. I don't like it. I'm too busy. I'm too stressed.
With only a little of this: Yes you can.  You aren't that tired. You'll learn to like it somehow. You'd be a lot less busy if you die. Death is a GREAT stress reliever.


Now, I'm generally excited to get time to workout and pissed when I don't. That's my time. That's me getting healthier, thinner, faster, stronger time. And no one is standing in my way of that. ESPECIALLY not me.


News flash: NO ONE CAN DO THIS FOR YOU. You are on your own. It's your choice. You alone control your fate. You can either move or not move. You can chose to pretend everything is OK. You can lose weight without exercise, well for a while at least. You can keep dishing out these excuses to yourself.  But to be healthy and active and LIVE you have to move.

So for the last time: What's your excuse?

Are you accomplishing your exercise goals? Have you set some? How often are you exercising? What's your favorite excuse for not exercising?  How do you get yourself to exercise even when you don't feel like it?