Fitness and a Daring Goal

George Tiedemann/Time Life Pictures, Getty Images

I'm just going to say it like it is today.

I dread working out. 

I'm the type of person you might overhear saying at play group:

"When my body feels the urge to work out and be active, I just go lay down until the feeling goes away."

I will admit, embarrassingly as it is, that I have adopted this ideal into my life for the last few years. Ahem... more like 10 YEARS. Yeah, that's right. I haven't done hardly ANYTHING active for the last DECADE. As I sit here and type that out, I honestly can't believe it either.

I suppose there are two pretty legit things I can blame my lack of physical activity on:

1) A bum knee that hurts on a daily basis (5 surgeries later- 1 of them pretty major)  

2) Not enough time in the day

While both reasons seem understandable... they really aren't what's keeping me from being active.
I mean, my knee is what it is... and the more I just sit around, the weaker my leg gets. No good will be done waiting for it to feel better one morning. I need to start strengthening it again. Period. And the latter issue is just plain bogus. There IS enough time in a day, I've just never made physical activity a priority in my life. All I need to do is rearrange, re-prioritize and make a life-style change. Easy as that.

SO! On a whim last weekend, I went into the gym (a gym I haven't walked through the doors in MONTHS) and decided it was time to do something challenging and intense and totally different than anything I've ever done before.

I hired a personal weight trainer for the next 3 months.

Yes, me... little ol' weakling Jacy... a soon-to-be gym rat. Sweet. But I figure now is as good a time as any and I've been saying "TOMORROW" since I can remember.


Here's what I'm planning to do:

I'm planning to work out 5-6 days per week. Whether that be weight training, cardio, or a few mile walk on a treadmill, I am going to get myself moving and start making some changes.

I'm planning to take a picture of my bod this weekend and then post a before and after picture (on this blog) in December once I've finished my last session. And while this may seem like nothing big, this is HUGE for me... because I've never felt good in even a one piece bathing suit. I know most of you are thinking but she's petite already, why does she feel that way?

Look, we ALL have insecurities... some are different than others. For me, my body has been one of mine. I know I am petite... I know I don't have weight to lose... but I have never been toned... ever... and it's something that I've always wanted to be.

So, this is not about a specific number, nor is it about trying to prove anything to anyone.

Instead, this is about setting a goal (a goal that will be extremely difficult for me- both physically and emotionally) and actually DOING IT!

And even though I don't love the gym... and I usually feel stupid there... and can't help but laugh at all the meat-head-die-hards staring at themselves in the mirror... I am going to power through it and FINISH because I said I would. And then I'm going to implement the routine in my daily life even when it's over.

And with that, I am going to set my mind and accomplish something I've never done before... I am going to tackle a task that I've never really liked doing... I am going to make an activity that I'd rather not be doing a priority... and I am going to be accountable to myself, to my trainer {Mr. Buff} and to all of YOU!

AH! I can't believe I'm actually doing it and I can't believe I wrote in on here! There is officially no turning back now :)

It's been one week since starting and I'm finally getting past the brutal pain my body initially went through. It's been really tough but, I can't wait to keep going. I'm eager to see the progress- even if it's just a little bit at a time. Woo-hoo!

** Does physical activity play a role in your routine? What do you do to stay active?