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The Challange: Day 1

Today is the start of the ABC (Adventure Boot Camp) 40 days, an annual challenge where brave ladies commit to 40 days of exercise. (That’s every weekday for 8 weeks!) Despite the rain, cold, dark, flu, children, work and strew of other things women concur on a daily basis!

I must admit I have FOMO (Fear of Missing out.) Serious FOMO, (although not FOMO of getting up at the crack of dawn, in the cold and the dark!) I fear the missing out of seeing the same faces for the next two months. The comradery that comes with a shared goal. I fear missing the smiles and friendship that inevitably blooms as a result of 40 days! I know that 40 days is hard, I know that it takes commitment and dedication and I, for a few reasons, am not partaking this year but I am kinda sad that I’m missing this year. (I completed the last 2 years.)

So instead of wallowing in my FOMO, I have decided to do my own 40 days. It has been a crazy year, filled with some awesome adventures, including getting my first tattoo (ouch!), doing a life coaching course (it’s been great thus far) and trying the mooncup (this warrants an explanation, but in a different post!) As I have been so busy living these adventures, I have not been very good at sharing, said adventures. So, my 40 days is going to be to post something, every day. Hopefully having typed this and set out my intentions I will be able to follow through! Hopefully, I can keep myself motivated and perhaps some of you too and your comments and support keep me motivated!

We often leave new goals and adventures for a specific time. (New Years, Monday, the beginning of the month, next week, next month, when this work project is finished, after this weekend, basically any time other than right now!) But I’m changing that and so can you. Sometimes it just needs to be a random day in the middle of May that you commit to your goal. So today is that day. My suggestion is that you pick something and join the 40-day challenge. Something. Anything. Been meaning to cut out sugar? Go for a walk? Meditate? Be nicer to yourself? Stop smoking? Read more? Watch less tv? Learn a new skill? Whatever your personal ‘thing’ is, today is the day. This is the sign.

All my love

A 30 Something Chubby Girl

#40daychallange #motivation #goal #thisisasign #now

Day 9

Another day, another push up (or 100!). Thursday came around like most Thursdays - randomly and unexpectedly. Thursdays are always weird for me. Not the beginning of the week - not quite the weekend. Whole body work out, so you don’t really know what to expect. This particular Thursday turned out to be quite a fun work out though - buddy work always helps to keep one motivated. It also turned out to be rather introspective.

Turns out my mom has been reading my blog. (Hi mom! - at least my mom thinks I’m cool ;) ) We had a conversation about why I’m doing this and how she can be supportive. Which got me to thinking.... Why am I doing this? To loose weight? Look better? Be healthier? To enable me to write a hilarious, awarding winning blog? (Wishful thinking!) I realised my ultimate goal is to learn to love and respect my body.

Love and respect my body enough to take care of it. To listen to it. To allow my body to be the best it can be. We as women tend to be extremely critical of our bodies. I will be happier if: I have less tummy flab. If my butt is smaller, my thighs don’t jiggle, my arms didn’t flap in the wind, my hair isn’t so frizzy etc, etc. The list goes on and on. Ask any woman what she’s loves about herself and it will take a few minutes to get a response, (if you get one at all!) Ask any woman what she hates/dislikes about herself and you will get an instant response. And this is a fundamental problem. We tend to punish ourselves if our bodies don’t live up to some perceived expectation. Often we think we are not worthy if our bodies aren’t ‘perfect’. Aren’t worthy of love, aren’t worthy of happiness, aren’t worthy of kindness. Mostly these are self-imposed restrictions. Mostly it’s us who don’t love ourselves, who aren’t kind to our bodies. I truly believe if we learn to love and appreciate our bodies everything else will fall into place.

I want to learn to love my body, pale flabbiness and all. Love my body enough to want it to be healthy, (I need it to be healthy because hopefully we still have a loooooooong time together!) Love my body enough to do some exercise. To get the blood pumping and get my body stronger and fitter. (Thinner and more toned are by-products of that - not the aim! Because what is thinner anyway? How is thinness a measure of success?) Love my body enough not to put too much junk into it. (I’m looking at you sugar!) Love my body enough to care about it.

Too many people punish themselves and their bodies for imperfections. I want to learn to embrace my body, embrace my imperfections and learn to love them. It’s not easy. It’s not easy to wash away years of negative self talk but think about it like this. Would you say the things you say to yourself and about yourself, to and about other people. Chances are not. Chances are you look at your friends and family and find beautiful, positive things to say. So it’s time to say those things about yourself.

So here is my challenge: Every morning wake up and look in the mirror. Really look. And find something you love. The ways your toes wiggle in your slippers. The freckles on your cheeks. The way your arms are able to lift those weights. The way that your body carried and nourished a child. Something. Anything. Start small and try to push those negative thoughts away. If we can all do this, everyday, we will soon start to love our bodies. Really truly love them. And with this, we are capable of anything.

I’m not saying the measuring your weight or having a goal is a bad thing.It can be really helpful in learning to love your body. I’m just saying be kind and less critical. Be kind to yourself. Be kind about yourself.

With Love

A 30 something chubby girl

#exercise #chubbygirl #40daychallange #adventurebootcamp #motivation #selflove