150 Gel Pens

AKA: My Fitness Journey

I really only had a vague plan when I started. After three kids, I was ready to lose all the baby weight. I had kept about an extra 5 pounds with each kid. I had never cared too much before because I knew I would just get pregnant again. So, why waste my time? (Not the right attitude, I know, but that's how I felt honestly). When we decided Elliot was our last, I thought, 'Alright. Time to get to work.'

But if you had asked me a year ago if I thought I'd be here now: Not. A. Chance.

See, I'm not new to the fitness world. I've tried it all. All the fads. Joining gyms. Taking classes. But I never stuck with anything longer than a month or so. Nothing seemed to fit.

And I don't know why God, all of the sudden, blessed me with self-discipline of steel after struggling with it for 31 years. But it started with reading my Bible. I got a set of 150 gel pens in the mail from my sister for my birthday last year. I had no idea what to do with them. What can you possibly do with 150 gel pens???

So I decided to try reading my Bible and doodling verses each day. And after a month, I will still doing it. Every day! (I know, I was shocked!).

So I thought -- if I can read my Bible every day, surely I can do a workout every day. A friend had been telling me about Tone It Up, and she invited me to do a workout challenge. So I did it. And I loved it!

So what does my fitness life look like? It's honestly probably the laziest fitness life you can imagine. Don't picture me hitting the gym every morning at 5am. That's not me. It works for other people, but not me.

I try to work out once a day. Sometimes it's 10 minutes. Sometimes it's 45. I watch TIU videos on YouTube (I am hoping to get their new App for my birthday! ... Subtle Message ... ahem ... Brent ... Mom ... Anyone?). I may do an arm video, legs, abs, HIIT, or booty. I may combine a couple. I may get an hour on an elliptical at the gym. I may get a class at the Y with friends (hooray for BodyPump girls and Plank Challenges!). I may swim a couple laps with the kids at the pool.

Every.Day.Is.Different.

So I have changed. A lot. And I don't know why God gave me this push or these desires ... but He did. And I feel good. And I feel strong. But I also feel balanced -- and when I don't feel balanced, I feel that too and I course-correct. There are definitely things I need to be careful of. I need to maintain my sense of modesty. I need to flee the temptation to become prideful or vain. I have a history of disordered eating, so I need to watch my diet and not try to take advantage of the weight loss and try to crash diet or make unhealthy choices. And I need to make sure my health stays in its place among my priorities. It should never be more important than my time with God, my family, or my calling. It's important, for sure, but not that important.

So I have a support system. I have key people in place that will tell me if I begin to slide into one of those temptations. And I humble myself to their wisdom, and I adjust. It's not easy, and sometimes it doesn't feel good to hear, but it keeps me safe and keeps my focus on what it should be on. I know they love me. And I know they just want what is best for me. Accountability is important.

Why share all this? It's not to promote myself or my TIU "program" because you don't have to do what I did. There's nothing special about my journey that can't be replicated by anyone else. It's going to look different, but that's the point. It should look different. It should suit you and be best for you. Maybe it's taking a walk everyday or doing 20 push-ups every morning or jumping on the trampoline with your kids instead of just watching from the sidelines. All it takes is little changes and time. That's what I did, and that's what I do. And you can definitely do it too. And I would love to chat about it if you have any questions!