When I was approached about the Body Wise Fitness challenge my pride was the first thing that responded. Our Creative Services Director prefaced that conversation with these words, "After 29 years of marriage, I think my wife is more beautiful today then when we first met."
The more I thought about participating and learned what it entailed, the more those words echoed in my head. My body is amazing. It's strong and it's healthy. I've had 4 babies in 8 years (all by cesarian section) and endured the loss of 4 others. My body has fed those 4 babies for a total of 5 1/2 years and I'm still nursing my son. I've recovered quickly from each delivery and worked full time for the majority of my pregnancies.
Once I thought about all that my body had done and all that it continues to do, I realized I needed to start treating it better. My busy life as a wife and full time working mother had become a very convenient excuse for my poor nutrition and lack of exercise. I was consuming far too much caffeine and sugar to compensate for sleeping far too little. I'd put all of my focus on packing healthy lunches for my kids and none into planning my own.
So my weight and my measurements will be out there for the world to see and while I may wince a bit on the inside when I think about that, I also recognize this as an opportunity. It's an opportunity to focus a bit more on my health and my choices. It's an opportunity to slow down a little and plan a lot more.
For me, this challenge will be a chance to really reflect and make some changes that I hope will sustain me long after the 8 weeks are done.
