I do it for my family

My family is my everything. They always have been my everything and always will be my everything. It’s interesting though, as I look back on my life over the last 12 years, how I had things so backwards when it came to loving my family. Let me explain….

I have always put my family first. I’ve felt guilty about being a working mom and being away from my kids, so when it came time to exercise I could never find time to do it because I didn’t want to be away from my kids any more than I had to. Same thing with my husband; He would come home from work and I would want to spend time with him, so I wouldn’t want to leave to go workout, or even do a workout video from home because it would cut into the time we had together. So, my family came first and my health quickly went out the window.

The problem with this mindset is that it is totally backwards. Yes, I need to find time to spend with my kids and my husband.. that is so very very important, but what I didn’t realize is that my being unhealthy was actually hindering my relationship with my kids and my husband. When your not in shape it’s really hard to keep up with your kids; you also don’t have a lot of energy by the end of the day and are too exhausted to do anything. When it came to my husband I hated the way I looked and my confidence in being a
wife and a partner was at a super low. I never had energy to have “alone” time with my husband and when we did get intimate I didn’t like what I looked like and he could tell that I wasn’t enjoying anything.. it was more of a chore. (Maybe that’s TMI, but ladies… it’s true right?)

It took me too long to realize that I needed to put myself first in my health because by doing so it would
benefit all those around me. I would have more energy and have more confidence.

I write all of this because I know that so many of us women deal with this. It’s in our DNA to be there for our kids and we feel so guilty when we aren’t there, but your health is all that really matters because you want to be around for  your kids and yes, you want your marriage to be amazing.

So it’s time that we started thinking about ourselves and our own health to save our families.

I’m so thankful things changed because now I do have energy to run around and chase my kids and my husband thinks i’m sexy… it builds confidence when he comments on how toned my body is looking.

I build my “me” time in each day to workout. I make sure I eat healthy and my family eats healthy. By giving me that “me” time i’m a happier person all the way around.

I challenge you to do the same. Find time for yourself… find time to love your family by being healthy yourself. You can do it!

Teaching by example

My daughter loves to be active. She does triathlons, plays soccer, and loves to ride her bike. However, if we let her, she would sit at home every day and all day and just watch movies. She’s a movie buff and loves netflix. I’ve realized that I have to teach her to love being outside and love working out. While she still complains that she HATES running, she does love hanging out with me when I run. She is my running buddy and will go in the jogging stroller with me, ride her bike next to me, or head to the track with me while I run. She will also hang out at Orange Theory with me if she doesn’t have school and I have to get to the gym. Many times she’s got her iPad and is watching a movie or playing a game, but the point is she’s seeing me be active and it’s being engraved into her head that being active is good.

We have conversations all the time about nutrition and fitness and I’m trying to teach her early the importance of being healthy.

It’s not easy at all, but it’s worth it.

So lead by example. Take your kids with you on your run, let them watch you do your beachbody workout, let them be a part of your fitness journey. Soon one day they will be asking to join you and participate. Start early so they don’t have to deal with what we have to deal with. Leave a legacy.