Friday, July 10, 2009

Thanks for the push...

I've been thinking about my Who wants to be like wolverine anyway post and hoping that I didn't offend anyone with my desire to strut bikini clad on my birthday. I want to make sure that y'all understand that my working out everyday honestly has nothing to do with wanting to be a hoochie mama, "look at me everybody" crazy lady. It's really about setting and achieving a goal.

I've never been that great at accomplishing goals (never got my young women medallion) and to prove that life doesn't end at forty (in a lot of ways it's just beginning) I figure now is as good a time as any to push myself for success. I want to work on my body because it's difficult and so important. It's showing me that I can push beyond my comfort zone to become the best me possible (I'm working to become the best me possible in other areas too).

I want to thank Jessica for telling me that I already look good. Blogging friends are the nicest people. I know that I'm already at a healthy weight and as not to scare anyone into thinking that I want to be "skinny" (that word still makes me cringe) I will share a story with you.

Once upon a time there lived a very SKINNY young girl...

Just look at those legs, those arms, THAT HAIR (oh wait, the hair has nothing to do with the story) she looks like she's from a third world country the poor dear.
This girl hated being skinny and would try to stuff herself each time the scale read under 100 pounds. It never worked. The weight gain shakes never worked either (yes we had a large can of weight gain powder at our house and my sibs and I would drink it regularly). She hated her body and was quite pleased when finally, as she got older, she was able to hold on to an extra ten to twenty pounds. It was a happy day when people started referring to her as "nice and thin" instead of "SKINNY" (said in a shrill, "oh my gosh you look like you're about to die" tone).

Because of this, "skinny" is not my goal. I never want to be "skinny" again. What I do want is to be toned and shapely, healthy and strong.
Much like this body here...

I look at this magazine cover for motivation. I want these shapely arms, flat stomach and toned thighs (the boobs would be nice too, but I'd have to buy those). This is my goal. I probably won't reach it until my forty first birthday but that's okay. The fact that I'm trying is good enough for me.

And I blog about it for accountability. Heaven knows I need accountability because I want to QUIT everyday. I HATE working out. But because I've announced to the whole world (or at least to the five people that read this thing) that I'm going to do it, I have to do it. The same can be said for cleaning out my closets. I could easily skip that horrible task and pretend that I had never said I would do it at all if I hadn't publicly said I would do it. Now I'm stuck dang it, and I only have a month to get it done (guess what I'll be doing August tenth).

So there you have it. Me in a nutshell (well not really, there's so much more to me that I won't share because then you'd think that I belong in a nutshell).

Thanks for being such good friends even to a nut like me.




4 comments:

Rachel said...

wish we lived closer so we could do it together....I need a partner or I can never stay with it. I am bigger than I have ever been and HATE it. With my health issues it is hard...but good for you on completing your goal!

Marcie Ashton said...

I think all of your goals are wonderful. (OK, maybe not the bull riding one-hee hee). Seriously though, I am going to copy your "Fabulous by forty" plan. I'm just going to have to start soon cause I've got a long way to go on the bikini plan. Thanks for being so inspiring.

Lene said...

I think it is awesome that you have made a goal and are sticking with it...bikini or not. Ü

Jessica B Photography said...

Niiiiiiiiiccce hair!!!! It's amazing that teenagers can remain so stick-ly skinny when most eat a lot of junk (or even weight-gain shakes!).

I am in the process of creating a 30 by 30 list, since that's my next milestone birthday, inspired by you of course! I am not a good goal-follow-through-er. But if I right them down - and maybe even post them for all the internet world to see! - then I will try my best to accomplish all of them. I have thoughts of putting "working out" on the list..... but it's such an awful thought (like you say, you hate it!) since I am out of any sort of exercising habit. My desired results for my exercising goal are have a healthy, physically fit family, AND be physically fit when I get old. As in 60, and 70, and 80. I love older people who are still out hiking and running and skiing and whatever! I don't want to be an old slow hunchback. Oh, that would be so sad.