Thursday, April 21, 2011

30 days to a new you

This is the next post, in what I hope to be many as part of a blog project I am doing with three other ladies. At the end of my post I will give you the links so that you can check out what they have to say on our topic. Who knows, maybe you will find something else you like.

This week's question is about giving something up for 30 days.  I am not a big into self deprication.  I just do not have the willpower, or maybe the desire.  I never gave things up for lent, and now that my family is Jewish, well, that isn't happening.  But, I don't even fast for Yom Kippur.  Denial just isn't my thing.

But, as I think about it, the only really bad habits I have are eating too much sugar and drinking 2 diet sodas a day.  Sometimes more soda if we are out.  I know that cutting back on the sugar would be a good thing, and the soda's aren't helping me much.  But, in the whole scheme of things, I don't think that is such a bad thing.  Everyone needs a vice.

I have taken the attitude of trying new things for 30 days.  That is more positive anyway, so more appealing to my basic nature.  When I was pregnant with Sam, many moons ago, I decided that I would take a pre-natal excercise class.  I paid for 30 days, even though I would have saved more money if I paid for 6 months up-front.  My feeling about that was I would try it for 30 days.   That way if I didn't like it, I would be done with it and not out a bunch of money.

This was a pretty big commitment for a letharic, over-weight, pregnant lady.  It was not like I entered this class having been working out for years.  I had worked out a bit in college, but had not been to the gym since then.  So, it had been awhile since I was active in any sort of meaningful way.

That class was the beginning of me going to the gym and excercising on a fairly regular basis.  Do I go as much as I would like?  No, but I do go 3 to 4 times a week.  I think that while cutting back on sugar would be a good thing too, doing this one thing every week has and will continue to help me stay on track.  Sure, there have been bumps on the road.  When we moved it took me awhile to find a new gym.  Sure there have been months when I have fallen off the wagon, but the facts are, I always get back on the horse.  By doing this one thing for 30 days I have created a habit, that will most likely stay with me for the rest of my life.

I would like to brag about the fact that I went to this class every single time it was held until the week before I delivered Sam.  There were days when I didn't feel like hauling my fat, pregnant self to this class, but I always did.  When I was pregnant with Hannah, I just stuck with my regular routine, no special class for her.

While I was in the class I made a few friends.  One of the friends that I made is still one of my best friends today.  Her family is part of my choosen family.  She is not the coupon friend from last week's post.

Doing something for 30 days, it did change my life.  I wish I could figure out how to frame not eating sugar in a way that would work as well as going to the gym did.  But, until then...

If you want to see what the other ladies have to say about this, then check them out, Momarock, Froggie and Merrylandgirl.

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