Day 1 of Week 3, Why You Should Work Out

Weight today: same
total lost: 4 1/2 pounds in 14 days

1/2 cup of oatmeal:150
2 tsp of sugar: 30
1/3 cup of skim milk:30
total: 210

1/4 graham cracker:15
Special K cereal bites:25
5oz banana:75
protein shake:120
total:235
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running total:445

2 large eggs:140
2 lefse:60
1/2 cup of low fat cottage cheese:80
1/4 cup of canned pineapple:35
2 tbl of shredded cheese on eggs: 35
total:350
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running total:795

coffee with 1/4 cup of whole milk: 35
and sweet-n-low:0
5oz banana:75
vanilla protein shake powder: 120
total: 230
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running total:1025

turkey cheddar brat:130
1 tsp of bacon ranch dressing: 23
Natural Ovens Bakery oatmeal bread 1 slice:110
1 tsp of Smart Balance light butter: 15
1 cup of plain spinach:10
coffee with 1/4 cup of whole milk: 35
with sweet-n-low: 0
total:323
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running total:1348

pretzel pieces: 40
sugar free jello cup: 10
low fat whipped cream: 15
total: 65
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total: 1413

fitness: 1 hour of weight lifting workout on biceps and back
abdominals
2 mile run

Today's challenge: Getting through being totally annoyed about no weight loss. I'm telling you... war has been declared on this extra weight!

Note on picture: This is last night's dinner. 1/2 cup of fresh cooked green beans-40, 5 oz of boiled, cut potatoes-110, 1/2 cup of cantaloupe-40, 1 turkey cheddar brat-130, 1 1/2 tsp of Smart Balance light butter-23, 1 tsp of bacon ranch dressing-23 total:366

Note on second picture: These cheddar turkey brats have all that greasy flavor as the regular brats, but with half the calories. The only problem is that you don't have my handy husband to grill these to perfection for you. :)

Why You Should Work Out

I had been contemplating how to go about presenting to you a workout program, when it occurred to me that I should address this issue first.

I won't assume that everyone knows the importance of physical fitness. Instead, I will explain to you why a mother of five children, a mother of two children, or a mother of no children should strive for physical fitness.

I'll start with the story of when I was pregnant with my fourth child. It was around October/November and I still had four months to go before he would be born. I was already 40 pounds over my normal weight, not exercising and feeling very overwhelmed.

I had just spent a week crying over nothing. I felt miserable and when I went to my mid-wife I told her how I felt. We decided to implement a plan to get me feeling better.

Besides starting an exercise program, I also made efforts to become more involved with programs that allowed me to talk to other people, which also reduced my stress.

But one of the reasons for exercise is to boost your mental well-being. You can think better and have happier thoughts after and during, say for example, a walk.

This is such a huge intangible benefit from exercise that we often discount this benefit when we don't see or feel results the way we'd like to see them. But you will feel better from just a 15 minute walk outside. The results are immediate.

If I was pregnant and out of shape and still able to start and benefit from a workout program, I know you can too.

Besides feeling better and boosting your mood, another very practical reason for working out is to increase your physical strength at handling your life.

For mothers, think of how much nicer it will be to be able lift your child, easily, because you have the arm strength...or the groceries. Or, heck, my arms used to get tired washing my hair sometimes because they were so weak. The stronger you are, the easier and more enjoyable it will be to live your life.

A third reason, and one that most people will understand is for the benefits to your health. Your heart, your lungs, your back, your cholesterol. Physical fitness will reduce your risks for a whole hosts of diseases and afflictions.

The fourth reason for physical fitness is making your body be the best it can be. God gave us a precious gift, our bodies. Many people are unhappy in their bodies. I believe that it is possible to make your body beautiful with the right combination of exercises and nutrition. I've been a beginner at exercise more times than not in the last eight years.

My next articles will focus on exercise: what I do to get myself started, to keep going, what my strategy is...and well, everything I do, I'll share with you.