Move

I like to move. I can't even sit still for Sunday school...glad I wasn't ever important enough to go to meetings when I worked at the office - sheesh - that might have killed me. I haven't watched a movie all the way through in quite some time - and the 45 minutes it takes to sit down and watch the newest SG-U is about all I can take.

Guess I get bored. Always feel like I should be doing something. Not chores, necessarily, but ya know - something. Granted, the house is ALWAYS a mess SOMEWHERE, but I just feel like I should be writing somebody a letter, planning meals, balancing the finances, or devising a way to take over the world.

I got to thinking about this more and more as it applies to the Unhealthy Lifestyle epidemic in our country. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that we are unhealthy and unwilling to do anything about it. It's largely because the bulk of our day doesn't require us to MOVE. Even in just the last 5 years, things have just become to darn easy. I correspond with my family via the computer, I choose TV and movies with the click of a button.

Now, I'm going to try to be as delicate as possible here and not step on anyones toes. But I got to thinking about how we all talk about "getting in shape," we read about it, we do research, we buy a self help book, join a class (who's bringing snacks?), anything to inform our brains about how to "get healthy."

But we don't want to move.

We all want to get together and study where we screwed up. We want to write it all down, categorize it, name it and claim it. We want to have a syndrome, a malady, take a pill, say "I can't." We are willing to pay someone to maim us and tell us it's good for us, but we won't take a freaking walk.

Being a former fat girl with fat genes (and jeans) and fat tendencies, me and my newly forged and God-given inner athlete gets a little irked about all this. You see, I had to learn that I wasn't overcoming food. I KNOW people who have food addictions. Those of us with 50-60lbs to loose normally aren't them. We have what is known in the Sarcastic Medical Community as "Lazy Butt Syndrome." And it all starts with a well cultivated excuse.

I'm to tired.

It's to far away.

Too expensive.

I have kids.

My back hurts.

I have a bad knee.

It's too cold.

It's too hot.

I'm to fat.

I just ate.

My show is on. **this one is my personal favorite** GRRR.

I have a husband.

I have a dog.

I don't like to:

walk

run

ride a bike

step

spin

ski

be in a group

go anywhere

So now I'm just being mean. Right? Actually - I have used all of these excuses. Then I got real. There is a solution for each and every one of them. The real reason I didn't exercise?

Me. I didn't want to be healthy. I didn't care how long I lived. I was content with pain and suffering. I was pretty sure that even if I did spend a half hour a day taking a walk, I wouldn't look like a super model anyway.

And I don't. I still look like a house wife with a belly pouch. I lost a fair amount of weight in the beginning, but I crawl along at about 2lbs a month now. *shrug* So what!? Here's what has happened:

My kids exercise

My 12yo son wants to take a class to be able to use the cardio stuff at the Y

My kids read food lables

My family loves all vegetables

That would be enough if that was it. But exercise has done far more. Going from obese and unable to walk for 20 minutes, to contemplating a triathlon is a long, hard road. But the confidence built along the way couldn't have been done any other way.

Choosing not to eat fast food doesn't do that. Counting calories doesn't do that. Getting my daily RDI of fiber doesn't do that.

Exercise does.

Now, move.