Today is a great day! There are two quotes I would like to share, one is borrowed and one is an original…

“Nothing great is created suddenly, anymore than a bunch of grapes or a fig. If you tell me you desire a fig, I answer you that there must be time. Let it first blossom, then bear fruit, then ripen”.

~~ Epictetus


“A body still, is void of energy, but a body in motion creates energy”.

~~ Cindy P. (a.k.a. TheFatChick)

I’m 43 and roughly 65 lbs overweight; two weeks ago I started going back to the gym, last week I picked up a trainer twice a week…we’ll call her Elle. Saturday it was confirmed the cramps I’ve been having in my left buttock is sciatica. I need to be careful not to overdo it at the gym and learn to listen to my body and slow down…but I don’t want to! I want to do everything I can with diet and exercise to shed this weight once and for all.

Last night I was tired and stayed home from the gym, I started feeling a little down, like I was hindering my progress, so I got up, strapped on my heart monitor (so mentally I felt like I was doing something) and cleaned out my food pantry; donating any foods that did not fit my new healthy lifestyle and discarding the few expired cans of veggies I found.

I was surprised how much energy I had at the end, so I kept going, prepping a few simple meals for the next two days and was surprised to find I had burned 479 calories. Not bad for a night in. Had I not got up and moved, even though it was at a casual pace, I would have been plopped on the couch and most likely would have felt guilty and quite possible self sabotaged.

I went to bed last night feeling accomplished and woke up this morning in such a positive mood and full of energy, which is fantastic because I will need that for tonight when my trainer Elle gets a hold of me.

I must learn have patience with myself, my journey and to listen to my body for it knows what my mind does not. My journey to health is a marathon, not a sprint.