My daughter turned 12 this weekend. It is hard to believe that she can be that old but the calendar doesn't lie. It was fun to watch her plan her party and celebrate with her friends. They are an incredible group of young women and I am so happy for her and where she is in her life.
We received a letter in the mail from the health club, informing us of the need to upgrade her membership to a Junior Member when she turns 12. She was so excited - even asking if we could go on her birthday to workout. She can now join me in the lap pool and on the fitness floor with all the machines. She can also take classes with me - she is excited to try Yoga. Her excitement at the prospect of working out made me so proud. There was a time, not so long ago, where a focus on fitness did not exist in our house.
As I have experienced my NEW journey I have told myself many times that I am not doing this just for me. I don't want my children to go down the same path that I did. I hit puberty, we got cable - and I sat and watched TV. Of course that led to many additional pounds finding their way onto my body - and they are very reluctant to leave. I know that there are many things that I feel I missed out on because of my weight. Not to mention self esteem issues, social awkwardness, shyness - opportunities to participate in things but I was just too big. I have made it my mission to help my children avoid this experience.
My daughter has been one of my biggest cheerleaders as I push myself to workout each day. I don't keep my challenges a secret with the hope that they will see me set a challenge, work towards it and hopefully succeed. There are times where I don't accomplish what I set out to - and I want my children to see that too. It is okay to fail at times. But DON'T GIVE UP! And more importantly - BELIEVE IN YOURSELF! I never thought I could run a mile. Or ride a bike around the block. But here I am - up to 2 miles (if I really push) jogging on the treadmill and able to bike 100 miles in 8 hours. Yes there are still times where I have to pinch myself to believe it is really me doing what I do in my workouts. I look back at when I couldn't ride my bike around the block without stopping to catch my breath. Now there are times where I have to bump up the resistance some more because it feels too easy.
I am also honest with my daughter about my struggles with my weight - and the dreaded scale. She has been in with me when I am weighing myself and I still grumble about the fact that the scale doesn't move as much as I think it should. She is the first one to remind me that muscle weighs more than fat and to look at how many inches I have lost and how my body has changed. I have a picture on the fridge from July 2010 to help remind me of the changes I have made in my physical appearance. It is scary to look at sometimes and realize that I had gotten to that point.
My daughter has also been near as I have talked about the mental struggles. Weight loss or lack thereof, challenges, self doubt, stress - all the things that go along not only with exercise and weight loss but life in general - all of these things contribute to the mental games I play with myself. I hope that she sees that it is okay to struggle but it is also okay to find someone to talk to. Even if they aren't experiencing what you are, sometimes you just need to say it out loud to someone and get their perspective on your issue.
One thing about my daughter that really, really makes me proud is the way she lives her Faith life. She is not afraid to share with everyone and anyone about her devotion to God. She has demonstrated many times her love of God in her acts of service to others. I accepted Christ in 2nd grade but it wasn't until my NEW journey began 2 1/2 years ago that I really saw my Faith grow. I feel that I understand more how God uses me and I am so much more open to listening to Him. My daughter has seen this and even commented on it to me. She is following in my footsteps but also foraging her own path with God.
12 years old and she already seems light years ahead of me at that age. I hope that my lifestyle change and dedication to becoming a better me continue to provide a positive role model for her. It is hard to look back at how I lived my life at that age - and realize all the things I did wrong and that I have to work so hard to fix now. I believe that she is off to a great start to avoid those same pitfalls. I am continually amazed at how my NEW journey has affected so many people in my life - it is after all MY journey - but God is using my experiences in so many ways - and I am so thankful that He is.
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