So you know how I hate exercising...?

I just want to put this out there. Maybe someone will read this and get inspired.

I've heard a lot of people lately say that they "need" to lose weight. I've heard a lot of people say that they've "tried everything to lose weight" and nothing works. Here's what I have to say.

Eat right. Work out. Keep doing it. Every single day for the rest of your life. I promise you, you will see a difference. Take a break and rest every five days to keep yourself from losing your mind. If you don't eat right today, start eating right again tomorrow. Just CHANGE. Just focus on changing. Quit making excuses.

For some reason, working out is terrifying. After spending almost every morning for the last five months working out (plus walking, plus riding my bicycle-sometimes all three in one day) I have learned that the "fear" never goes away. Every morning when I'm right on the cusp of working out, I am filled with fear. Two minutes into my workout, I'm filled with relief. Two minutes before my workout ends, I'm filled with pride. Then when it's over and I've taken my shower and gotten ready for the day, I'm NOT filled with guilt because I didn't do it. What I'm trying to say is that you need to force yourself to do it every day. You need to take the plunge every day. Push yourself. Exercising and eating right isn't just a temporary change. It is a LIFESTYLE CHANGE. I know you've heard all of these things before.

I used to be that person who always had an excuse to avoid working out. But I was also pretty thin with little effort. Then I had a baby and my metabolism plummetted and I felt terrible and icky. So I did something I had rarely done in the past. I started exercising. I know I sound like a broken record, but how else am I supposed to convey the message that the only key to losing weight and looking awesome is working out and eating right?

So if you want to know what I did, I will tell you. I went to Target, I bought a dumb Dancercize video, I started with that five mornings a week for a couple weeks. I didn't do a lot, but it got me into a routine and it limbered me up. Then I went back to Target and got the Jillian Michaels DVD, 30 Day Shred. It kicked. My. Butt. I found a website that worked for me that had a meal plan and ideas for healthy meals and snacks. I followed it most days. The days I didn't, I stopped stressing out over and ate well the next day. For a couple of months, I didn't lose a single pound, but I stuck with it. I'd always heard that muscle weighs more than fat, so I reminded myself of that every day when I stepped on the scale.

I've lost 13 pounds in the last two months. I'm eight pounds away from my first "goal weight". When I acheive that, it's onto a new goal weight. Oh. And in eight pounds, I will weigh less than before I was pregnant.

So there. I know you've all heard this before, but it is HARD WORK. And it is PAINFUL. But it is so worth hearing, "Have you lost weight?!" and looking at the new you in the mirror. So quit buying diet pills and going on fad diets. Quit working out for a week and expecting to see a major difference. Decide that once you take that first step to a healthier life, there is no turning back. And after a month, when you start to get used to this new lifestyle you've adopted, spend a moment every day right after you work out revelling in how good you feel in that moment.

I promise. It is worth it. I promise also that if I can do this, anyone can.

Signed,
Lazy Chelsea