Day One

Just being honest, I have not taken very good care of my body these past few years. I have not exercised.  I have eaten too much of the wrong foods and not nearly enough fruits and vegetables.  I have not made my health a priority. Ten years ago I lost 30 pounds. I have gained it all back.  I’ve tried everything in the book. Weight Watchers. Atkins. Starvation. Beach Body.  Low fat. No fat. High fat no carb. I have literally tried it all. And it all works ... for a short time. Then the diet stops and the weight comes back on. A vicious cycle. So today I find myself overweight and out of shape AGAIN. It’s so frustrating. Maybe you’ve been there. Maybe you’re there now.

I have found a young lady who has inspired me to quit dieting and get healthy the old fashioned way. Moving more and eating healthier. Her name is Marga Banaga and she lives in the Philippines. You can find her on YouTube and other social media.  She has a 20 minute video on her initial 100 day journey to eat clean and work out daily. She lost 30 pounds. She looks so healthy !!  So strong!! So amazing !!! So I’ve decided if she can do it, so can I.  Now her clean eating looks different from mine. She eats shrimp and salmon. No other meat. Hello, I live on a cattle farm in Missouri so my clean eating definitely includes meat. But she eats lots of fruits and vegetables and healthy carbs. She drinks a ton of water. And she works out every single day. Nothing fancy. Just moving her body in good old fashioned exercise.

So today is my Day One. I’ve done a 30 minute workout on my own this morning. In my living room. I tried to remember some basics from every exercise class I’ve taken. I have a mat and a set of 5 pound weights and my floor. That’s it. No gym membership. My muscles are sore already. But I’m committed. Today starts my journey toward eating clean and working out. A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE. Nothing extreme. Nothing difficult. Just CONSISTENCY!!!  I can do this. And by making this public I’m holding myself accountable.

I promise to be brutally honest. I’ll share my successes and my failures. What worked. What didn’t. What I’m eating. What my workout consists of. Some meal preparing. And I’ll share my progress. This morning was hard. I’m out of shape. But I did it. And you can too.

ONE DAY AT A TIME.