Holy cow!!! Where'd the time go????

This is exactly the reason I started this blog. Because as moms, we get so busy, it's hard to do everything. I have been extremely busy lately - like we all are. So I think I'll post a blog that I wrote for Charlie Mike as a guest blogger. I wrote it to be published in December, but I'm not guest blogging for Charlie Mike until February, so I figured I'd write another blog post for Charlie Mike and post this on my own blog.

What Charlie Mike Means to This Stay-At-Home Mom….

My workout plan was great. I had a schedule. I had a routine. And then….. the holidays happened. To all of us. But I’ll start with what happened to me. And it wasn’t just the holidays. It was EXCUSES. My daughter got sick, then I got a sinus infection, then I was out of town, then the dog got sick, then we had family visiting, then it was Thanksgiving, and then the kids were back in school and my schedule was crazy again. Sound familiar? And before I knew it, it had been A MONTH…..yes, you heard me right……a MONTH before I hit the gym again. I only gained two pounds, but I’m pretty sure if my clothes were fitting right, I’ve gained a pant size.

The hardest part about having a health and fitness plan in your life when you’re a stay-at-home mom is coordinating time for yourself when your whole life is your family. Kids keep us so incredibly busy.

When I hit the gym for the first time after such a long break, I was sweating away on the elliptical when good ole Alden Mills walked across the TV screen, talking about his PerfectPushup. And I thought of his blog, Charlie Mike. And then, as often happens when I’m working out, I wrote the PERFECT blog in my mind. It’s easy to do. And when some brilliant scientist comes up with a mechanism that can record our thoughts, I’m SOOOOO making millions!!!!! (Yeah, this post isn’t it. The one in my head was MUCH BETTER!)

So, what does Charlie Mike mean to this stay-at-home mom? As you know, Charlie Mike means CONTINUE MISSION. And that’s exactly what was going through my head. We do it all the time as moms. Our kids are puking – we “CONTINUE MISSION” and take care of them and their mess. The house is a COMPLETE wreck – we “CONTINUE MISSION” and get it all cleaned up. Everyone is grouchy and the music in our home is just a harmony of whines and complaints – we “CONTINUE MISSION” and try to solve problems and comfort hurt feelings.

CONTINUE MISSION – it’s WHAT WE DO. So why aren’t we doing it when it comes to taking care of ourselves? Why did I listen to a WHOLE MONTH of excuses?

Well, the first part of Charlie Mike is not dwelling on the excuses or our failings, but changing things and moving forward. The VERY FIRST thing we need to do when we start slipping up on our fitness plan is to just get back in the saddle. I was really worried that I would have trouble with my workout since I’d taken such a long break. And that worry held me back a little. But once I was moving, it really wasn’t bad at all. I’ve found that about 20 minutes into a workout is when my body loosens up and I get into my groove. I knew I had to get past the first 20 minutes. And it worked like a charm. It was comfortable once I passed that point. Then I felt foolish for letting all those excuses keep me away from my health and fitness plan. But thanks to Alden Mills walking across my TV screen, I didn’t dwell on that and instead my thoughts led to Charlie Mike: “CONTINUE MISSION”.

So, as you gear up for the New Year, or if you already let the holidays get in YOUR way, remember to CONTINUE MISSION. Set a few new goals or modify your old ones. Get yourself to the gym. Get out and walk. If you really need to get some after-Christmas shopping done, put on your running shoes and take a brisk walk around the mall before you start your shopping. (Don’t run. They might think you’ve just stolen something.)

Re-engage and remember that without “MOM”, your family isn’t going to function as well. So take the time to take care of yourself. It helps with stress, too. And as moms, we’re very familiar with stress. So get in those workouts!!!