How i learned exercise can be unlame.

i have always hated exercise for the sake of exercise.
i grew up on an acreage where our family heated with two wood stoves. i was constantly hauling firewood, cutting firewood, mowing (with a non-propelled push mower), and doing other odd active jobs. i LOVEd that kind of exercise because it had a purpose.
i don't have as many outlets for purposeful-getting-things-done exercise here. i do bits of yard work but we don't have a huge yard. kansas city is quite spread out so I can't walk to do my errands very well.

sometime after i started adelaide's, i got to a place where i HATED my body. i was mostly in front of  a computer all day, and i also thought it was appropriate to eat a butterfinger every time i went to walgreens to buy shipping envelopes.
I tried a lot of things to try to get back in shape: running, going to the gym (blech) hula hooping, yoga, pilates, i even bought a dancing with the stars video (seriously). But i always felt frustrated when i was working out and all i could think about was stopping, so i usually did.

At the encouragement of my new friend becky, i started this "slim in 6" series. the goal is to do it 6 times a week, but becky told me to start at 4 to five times a week.
at day 3, i called steve and said,
"i think i must have the flu, i feel awful, every muscle in my body hurts, even muscles i didn't know i had. i can't move."
he said, "no love, i think you've just learned how to exercise."
he talked about training for football in high school. how the first week of practice, you really thought you might die. that you could barely walk to class the next day.
i had never in my LIFE pushed my body like this. but i've kept going and i've gotten better at it.
after the flu day, i came to really like this video. and i'm REALLY doing it. hard core. like an hour a day almost every day. if you knew me in real life, you would say "WHAT????!, NO WAY!, you maria?" yes way, dudes. i'm exercising.

i do NOT say all this to brag. at all.  on the contrary, i want to say that if you hate exercise too, i promise it can change for you and you can find something you like. if i can do it, i KNOW you can. and then you'll feel like you can conquer the world.

my dad died from heart problems (let me clarify that he had a heart disease, not a weak heart from lack of exercise). but here i have been making my heart weak, just from sheer laziness. EVERY year when i get my check up at the doctor it goes like this,
"so, have you been exercising?"
"no, not really"
"maria! you have to exercise, your heart is a muscle, you've got to take care of it."
"i know, i've been trying, but blah blah blah excuse excuse."
 its so important. of all the things we can't control in life, eating healthy and exercise is one thing we CAN control and make time for. and don't worry about the SCALE. my mom was very obsessed with weight and from her i learned that i should focus on a certain number. but i haven't lost any weight since i've started exercising regularly, but my body is still changing in little ways here and there. toning up. and i know i'm eating healthy and exercising, so the scale can go jump off a cliff.

i'm showing these pics from 3 weeks ago, because i took them after a crazy workout where i pushed myself to the max (you know, where your heart is pumping so hard in your ears). then i felt so empowered (i'm telling you these exercise endorphins are pretty rockin!). i slicked back my hair, put my most graphic shirt on and my most bad ass grey suede boots and my most dark skinny jeans and i felt like an 80's rock star for some reaon (which seemed like a good thing on this particular day, though its not a look i often strive for). And i went and scaled the tallest building in Kansas City....or i went out for some really yummy salad with my hubby.
        either way, i. felt. awesome. and not because i thought i looked awesome. i realize my body is still a million miles from being perfectly toned. no, i felt awesome because i was doing good things to take care of this body that God has given me. And that also means that ill be able to play with my future kids without getting tired after five seconds, which is a really lovely thought to me.









will you keep your heart healthy with me? please, its super serious.
thanks for reading,

m