GET A PARTNER AND GO TO IT!

Howdy,

Just got back from my 2nd formal exercise walk since going back to raw almost 3 weeks ago. Actually, it is so divine outside today that the walk was mostly pleasurable!

Sure, the knees, ankles and feet had some kvetches, but all in all, i overcame them, they felt better within a few minutes, and I ended my walk feeling strong, able, confident, and proud~!

I went about 2.3 miles today, and i think it was about an hour's walk. For a big lady in the 340's, that's a real accomplishment, especially considering that just 3 weeks ago, i could barely walk to the car. It's true.

During that time, I felt HOPELESS and deep in the muck. If you feel that way, too, i feel for you, but know it is just a feeling. You are NOT hopeless.

#1 you gotta change your diet. #2 you gotta start to move again.

I finally came to a place of complete surrender, went back to raw, dropped 30 lbs, and now i'm ready to start exercising, almost 3 weeks later. An amazing turn around.

I am amazed by how QUICKLY the body recovers and is rejuvenated from magical raw fruits and veggies! Here i am walking again! I never thought i'd get back here!

It will happen for you, too!

My fiance' Cliff and I have a good thing going. We have come up with something brilliant that really works for us. He gets out early morning (7:30ish) for his bicycle ride, and i get out 9:30ish for my walk. We coincide him coming back and me going out perfectly and we meet up for an iced herbal tea at Starbucks or Saxby's. It's a nice start to my walk. By then, i've only walked about 10 minutes. Then, we enjoy our tea, he rides home on his bike, and I continue to walk alllll the way down Main Street. Today i went to the movie theater, circled it, and came 1/4 of the way back up Main Street. It was at least an hour and over 2 miles. Yay! By then, he'd arrived home, taken a shower, and picked me up in the car. Magic! This way, I'm walking all flat, and i don't have to stress my knees walking uphill home. And though i don't get to walk "with" anybody, i feel supported the entire way!

If you want to exercise, but haven't been able to get yourself going, you can find or create some kind of partnership like this. Arrange to exercise with someone, or arrange to call them during or before or after exercise. You need to get some support. You can make this happen. I believe in you!

Exercise is one of those things that nobody really "feels" like doing, until you do it. When you think about it, you're like, "Ugh, i don't feel like it." But, close your eyes and think of the amazing feelings you've had in the past during really positive movement sessions - walking, swimming, dancing, aerobics, weight lifting... Remember how great you felt? Focus on those positive feelings, how good you felt, how great you looked then, how free and mobile you felt, how refreshing the wind or the water was, how strong you felt, how powerful.... Think, visualize and relive these awesome times exercising in your mind. This will be the fuel to get you back going again.

You might at first feel emotional resistance when you start to move. "It's hard, it's boring, it's too cold, it's too hot, i'm lonely, i'm tired." TRUST that....when you allow yourself to keep going PAST the resistance, you will start to ENJOY it! And believe me, you WILL!

Once you get on a roll, there will be NO stopping you!

It feels so good to be FREE and MOBILE again. Remember what it feels like to be stuck, stuffed, stiff, achy, weak. Remember not liking that.

After moving, I feel accomplished, stronger, able, good!

And of i can do it, you CAN DO it!

Exercise is a lesson for how we should approach each day, and how we should approach our life! We need to constantly keep in a flow of positive movement forward, otherwise we get stuck, we fall into a rut, and we can't find it within us to move forward. Get the energy going again. And, with anything that you face, do it because it's GOOD for you, even if you don't feel like it, and allow yourself to push past the resistance, huff and puff and complain, but do it anyway, and don't stop until you're done, because you will be better off afterwards. Apply this to everything in life!

Yes, I am healthy and fit enough that i can walk outdoors. Alot of people aren't. Alot of people who are morbidly obese aren't mobile enough or healthy enough to leave the house. If you want to start exercising again, find something you CAN do, indoors.

I have been there and I know that when we are in pain, emotional or physical, it's VERY tempting to just throw in the towel and to feel sorry for ourselves and give into, 'I can't exercise, because....'

Push yourself to really see the truth. Ask yourself, "Is that REALLY true that I CAN'T exercise?"

You're probably just limiting yourself. You're probably shielding yourself from really facing your pain. It's easy to obsess about everything that's wrong with our health so we don't have to face our painful feelings or painful physical ailments.

Take the bull by the horns. Approach yourself where you are right now. What can you do?

Are you getting any better just SITTING or just LAYING there?

You will feel SO good about yourself because you accomplished a goal if you find something you can do. Walk around the house 10x. Tomorrow do it 11x. Water walk at the gym. If you can't walk, swing your arms 20x and do 30 waist twists. Do a little more each day. Do 10 leg lifts before you get out of bed!

We got ourselves into the messes we are in now. And we are the ONLY ones that can dig ourselves out.

Even an 800 lb woman, who can't get out of bed, can do calesthenics in BED...... I know this because I watched her do it on TV!!!

There IS SOMETHING you can do. Get the support you need to make it happen!

Cry if you need to. Mourn the loss of your former state of mobility.

But, now work to get it back!

Lamenting about what you CAN'T do anymore, what you USED TO BE ABLE TO DO, how FIT you used to be, making lists of everything wrong with you and blaming old age or obesity all make "sense" but they won't return you to health.

Wake up and work on finding the gratitude in your heart. "I'm so happy that i CAN...." Accept where you are today. FORGIVE YOURSELF for all of the failures of the past, and start something TODAY. Do it very imperfectly. Just do it!

Okay, i'm gonna be your cheerleader! Stop pretending to be such a lazy wimp, 'cause i know you're not!....Wake up that warrior princess in you who can do ANYTHING! You're aLOT stronger than you think you are!!!

By moving again, you'll not only be helping yourself, you'll be helping other struggling women. You'll be giving them the inspiration to know that THEY CAN DO IT, too!

Together, we can DO this. So, get a partner...and go to it!

xoxo michelle joy