There is no such thing as the “perfect” body. As much as people say there is, there isn’t. Some people are naturally thin. Some are curvy and voluptuous. Some are more stocky. Some are muscular. And we all wear our weight differently. I’ve always lived by those words. So much so that I refused to buy a scale, or even look at one. I’d always said weight doesn’t matter; it’s how you wear it.
I think there’s so much truth in that. And until recently, I thought I wore my 1_ _ lbs. well. But having to plan a wedding and look great in my idea of the perfect wedding dress made me realize that wasn’t quite the case anymore. I had to face the facts. The hard muscle that I’d developed in my cheerleading and hardcore dance days was starting to turn into fat. Not to mention, I’d picked up a habit of eating for convenience and become a fan of every dollar menu my favorite fast food restaurants had to offer. The evidence was showing, and it was all right there in my tummy. I vowed something would change.
In search of tips for a quick fix, I went to the grocery store. I lingered on the magazine aisle, looking for a bold headline saying “Shed 10 Pounds in a Week” or “Lose 2 Dress Sizes With This 5 Minute Workout.” I never found it. Instead, I found some inspiration to do the work and get back in shape again. It was a picture of Francisca Dennis on the cover of Oxygen Magazine’s Fat Loss collector’s issue.
Magazine staffers interviewed Francisca about how she continuously returned to her pre-baby weight after having six children. She talked about how she put on an average of 30lbs. with each pregnancy and how she had to workout a lot and change her diet to get the weight off. And each time, she had to do it while facing more sleepless nights and dealing with the needs of more children.
In the article, Francisca says, “Setting goals is a practice that everyone should adopt…When you have a goal and reflect on it daily, it will eventually come into fruition.”
Now that her kids are between the ages of six and 21, she is making a career out of helping others with their fitness goals. She is also a successful fitness model.
Clearly, I am not a mother trying to unload any baby weight, but this made me realize that I can be at my ideal fit level again. It’s not too late. So after putting off those gym workouts for about a year, I’ve got my mojo back…so to speak. I’m officially motivated and I’ve got a trainer who will make sure I stay that way.
2 comments
Good luck to you! I’m in the same boat. I haven’t worked out seriously in over a month but I too have a vision of what I want my body to look like. I’ve started back by taking small steps, like taking the dogs for longer walks. Soon, I’ll be back in the gym! I wish us both good luck and great bodies!:)