Out with the Old

I've come to the realization that I'm not happy with the way I am. At least not outside of being a Mother. I've spent so much time trying to be the best Mum that I can be that I've forgotten to take care of myself, & it's resulted in low self esteem & bad habits such as eating too little or too much, not enough sleep, too little exercise & chain smoking. About three days ago I woke up & decided that things needed to change. That I must be the best person I can be in order to be the best Mother I can be, because lets face it, if you don't take care of yourself, how are you supposed to have the strength & energy to take care of somebody else? Especially when that somebody requires so much love & attention.

I started on the fifteenth. I went out & bought fruit, vegetables, chicken & salmon & haven't touched (nor do I intend to touch), any junk food or sugary snacks. On the twentieth I will begin working out every day. It'll be a combination of kickboxing, hooping, yoga, & a LOT of walking, which will help me tone up & shed those extra pounds left over from Ivy. It'll be rough, but I'm determined to do whatever it takes to reach my full potential physically as well as mentally & emotionally, which is why I will also be meditating twice a day. I know I'll get discouraged, but the results in the end will be worth it & THAT will push me to accomplish my goals, which are;

1. Tone up legs, butt, abs, arms, back & chest
2. Lose 30 lbs by the end of August
3. Build up some muscle in my arms, legs & abs
4. Continue to eat only healthy foods (with one cheat day a month)
5. Get at least eight hours of sleep a night 

Some have accused me of aiming too high, or suggested that I take it slow, but I'm done creeping through each day with nothing to show for it. I want results! I am determined, I am dedicated, & I am disciplined, & if anybody has the nerve to suggest otherwise, they can eat my sweaty gym shorts when I prove them wrong. I've been too lazy for too long, & it's about time that I show myself & everybody else what I'm made of.

I'll still be working on getting my diploma, as well as learning to drive & looking for work, but I KNOW that I can accomplish anything I set out to do. There will always be somebody busier than me that still finds the time to exercise & eat right, so there are no excuses. I WILL lose weight, I WILL tone up, & I WILL strengthen my mental, emotional, & physical health this summer. I'm making these changes now so that Ivy doesn't have the same struggles with her weight & self confidence in the future as I do. I'm going to make myself proud, & I'm going to show Ivy what us Taylor girls are made of. 

Wish me luck!