My Time

I want to make one thing clear. I do not like getting out of bed. I'm one of those people that knows exactly how late I can sleep in and still get to school on time. A few weeks ago when I decided to get serious about getting in shape I decided the best way for me to do it was to split my workouts into two sessions each day. So I started setting my alarm for 5:20. That would give me just enough time to get in 20 to 25 minutes on the elliptical before school.
The first week was simply awful, but when I was finished I really felt like I had earned my shower. The second week was easier. Now here I am in the third week and I actually look forward to my morning workouts. In fact, I get up at 5:00 instead of 5:20! Contrary to what I believed for years---exercising early in the morning will NOT kill me! I cherish this hour or so. It is my alone time that I value so much. I usually watch 1/3 of an episode of Extreme Weight Loss. I have found it incredibly motivating to hear the stories about people who have lost about half of their body weight in a year. I figured if someone can lose 200+ pounds in a year then I should be able to lose 80 in 10 months. I also take this time to remind myself that the changes I have made are "forever" changes and that it will take time to see the results.

If you are in the same boat as me and you are trying to get in shape, but you find that there are always other things to do, I strongly encourage you to get your butt out of bed and do it first thing in the day. In the afternoon and evening I always had other things to do----fix dinner, help with homework, clean the house, go grocery shopping, plan lessons, grade papers, bathe the dog, get my car detailed---you get the picture. Nothing stands in my way at 5am. (Nothing that some ibuprofen can't handle anyway!)