Exercising for a Good Mood

I’d heard that exercising gave you energy and even helped put you in a good mood . Now, let me be the first to tell you, I was a skeptic. I could not in a million years image how something that was so dreadful and loathsome could make you feel good. Yes, that is how I honestly felt about working out and don’t even get me started on what I thought about the gym!

So, is it true? Does working out give you energy & put you in a good mood? Well, duh! I mean, the scientific facts do not lie. However, I don’t think it really gives the full picture. You see, just because I popped in a cardio DVD every once in awhile did not put me in a good mood. As a matter of fact, if I’m going to be really honest about it, it sometimes (read: usually) it put me in a bad mood. Why? Because it reminded me that I was out of shape, having to use my rescue inhaler 10 minutes into the DVD. Because I worked out from home and ended up being tripped, stepped on, or interrupted by my kiddos. Because if I waited until they napped, they would inevitably wake up early or would refuse to nap all together. And,let’s face it, nobody can properly workout with a crying toddler in the next room.

Ok so are wondering when the motivational part is coming? Here it is. I gave up. Yup, I gave up trying to workout at home and joined a gym. I joined the Las Vegas Athletic Club out of desperation and it was one of the best decisions I have made! You see, it turns out that I needed “my time” more than I care to admit! Although terrified to walk into the big intimidating building, here are a few things that helped me get started. 1) I worked out with a friend or my husband until I got brave enough to go on my own. 2) I tried lots of different classes until I found a few I really liked and Zumba was not it! 3) I put it on my schedule. In time working out became part of the routine. It did take a good amount of time, maybe 4 months or more for me to figure all this out, but once it became a habit, a regular part of my day, I started to see results. Not only in weight loss, but in my energy levels and mood. I noticed that I was able to wake up earlier and tackle some work before the rest of my family woke up. I also realized that on the times I couldn’t make it to the gym, I was cranky by the end of the day. I had less patience and really needed a drink (yikes! Did I just admit that to everyone?!?)

Of course, I’m not saying that everyone needs to go join the gym right now. I’m just sharing my story and what worked for me personally. The point is that you can’t give up. Exercise and a proper diet will give you the results you want. You just have to be willing to make some adjustments, commit to it, and find something you enjoy. It will take time to find what works for you, but once you find it, you’ll know. I’d love to hear what you’re doing to get regular exercise into your routine? Don’t be shy 🙂

xo,

Jessie

Excuses…we all got ’em

So, last week I was so excited about starting Whole 30 and really stepping up my clean eating and Paleo lifestyle. Jason even said he’d do it along with me, so that was a major plus. I planned on doing some meal prep on Monday morning to help make things easier and get Jason some good lunches set up. And then, I got sick. And then, my 4 year old got sick. And then, my 8 year old got sick. Yup, last week at the Emeric household was kinda nightmarish. Needless to say, I didn’t make it to the gym all week. Did I get started on Whole 30? I tried. But honestly, with all of us sick with the stomach bug at some point last week, it just was not something I could handle. Meal prep went out the window and Jason wasn’t ready to do it on his own, having not done Paleo consistently before. When I managed to eat something, I did eat healthy Paleo foods most of the week, but then I broke down. I asked Jason for some “comfort food” aka red wine, carne asada nachos from Roberto’s & Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia ice cream. Talk about being an enabler, Jason! Oh wait, that’s another excuse, isn’t it? Wow, my food list seems even worse now, seeing it all typed out! My main excuse? I was exhausted from taking care of sick kiddos and I though the food would make me feel better. Did it? Not really. I was still exhausted, stressed, and now I was feeling guilty for having eaten all that junk. Did it taste good, though? You bet!

So, those were my excuses for not keeping my promise of starting Whole 30 and falling hard off the “healthy” bandwagon! I’m really disappointed in myself for making such a bad choice but I feel really determined now to get back on track. I know, I know, I said that in my last post, but there’s something about today that has me feeling super pumped. Maybe it’s the coffee. Either way, here’s to starting this week off with a bang! xo

Let’s Get Started….

I do not claim to know it all, because well, I know I don’t know it all. I’m no fitness guru and definitely not the perfect mom, hence the title to this shiny new blog, “I’t’s a Messy Life”. Yes, my life is messy and I’m pretty sure yours is too. And if it’s not, why haven’t you shared your secrets with the rest of us?

I started to make some life changes in February 2012 and you can read more about my story HERE. It was a rough start, with no direction, no clue what I was doing, and definitely no plan. I tried every class at the gym, I thought if I worked out I could eat more because I was burning more calories (ha, reality check, that is not the case!). Slowly but surely I found a routine, I started changing my eating habits, and the weight started to come off. But the best thing was that I started to FEEL better! I actually enjoyed working out because it put me in a better mood and gave more energy. You working moms know how much energy is needed to get through the day, right?!?

There has been no magic pill, no easy way out, just lots of sweat (literally) and determination. It didn’t hurt that I’d signed up for Tough Mudder and was scared to death about….well, dying. Thankfully, I didn’t die. I got my orange headband and free XX beer and found a new me in the process.

This new girl takes pictures of her Paleo (and sometimes not Paleo) food on Instagram, checks in every time at the gym, and even poses flexing her biceps. Who am I? Yup, my old friends don’t recognize me and my husband says he has a new wife (I don’t think he’s complaining, though).

This journey is just beginning. I am just now starting to see and feel the benefits of healthy eating and exercising. I’m not perfect. My life is messy. There are days I’ll eat those nachos, I’ll work too much, stress out, and feel like a horrible parent. That’s where this blog comes in. I’m hoping this will be the place I can share my stories, ideas, challenges, failures, and dreams! I’ve got big plans for this little blog and I hope you’ll stick around and join me in the ups and downs of life, fitness, Paleo eating, and parenting.

xo,

Jessie

And because I'm just putting it all out there today, here's a comparison of where I was and where I am now. Yikes! — And because I’m just putting it all out there today, here’s a comparison of where I was and where I am now. Yikes!