Aug06

Dedication, August 2014

From the Publisher - August 2014

Publisher-0814“Most people have no idea how good
their body is designed to feel.”  
- Kevin Trudeau

If you follow me on Facebook, you probably know I workout because of the daily photo that I post of Dr. Tracy Blusewicz, my workout partner, and me. Sometimes I think it’s a bit much, but we both have people tell us regularly that we are an inspiration to them. For that alone, it is worth continuing to post.

Tracy and I are former weight loss and exercise flunkies. We both weighed over 200 pounds, led sedentary lifestyles when we weren’t working and ate terribly—huge portion sizes. I started my weight loss journey a year before Tracy. I have lost 60 pounds and she has lost 80. We didn’t come together on this until the end of April (2014). Our paths crossed when I invited her to come workout with me to see if she liked a new trainer I was working with. After one time, we decided we would do it together.

About three weeks ago, Tracy, who is often overzealous, decided we need to do a mini-triathlon.  My response was a quick, “No.” And then I added, “I don’t swim. I mean I can swim, but my idea of swimming is to get in the pool to cool off, do a couple handstands, wade around the shallow end and get out.” What Tracy heard in all of that was, “OK. Let’s do it!”

Two days later, I found myself at the pool in a swim cap, goggles and fins. This is the first time I have ever had fins on—very awkward. Our trainer sends us down the lane for a lap to analyze where we need to begin. I go down and back and realize this is a whole new ballgame. It was hard. I couldn’t swim in a straight line. I was swallowing pool water by the quart and Tracy had enough time to have a picnic waiting on me to finish my down and back. What a mistake. I was not enjoying this.

So, it’s been three weeks now and we have swum two to three times a week. My last swim was yesterday. I swam 20 laps (that’s 40 down and backs), which is equivalent to 1,000 meters. As I swam the length of the pool back and forth, I was inspired to write this article.

I have grown to love swimming. It is the most peaceful exercise I’ve ever done. When I am in the water facedown and weightless, and all I hear is the bubbles of my breath and all I see is the blue water surrounding me, it is absolute tranquility. The motions of my arms and legs become rhythmic, as if on autopilot, and my brain is free to float. Yesterday it floated to this fact: Our bodies are true miracles.

Again, it was only 21 days ago that my brain told me I wasn’t a good swimmer. But my body blew that theory right out of the water, literally. My mind drifted to the workouts that I have accomplished since the end of April. I realized my body has not let me down once. No matter how hard I push, it always rises to meet me. When I feel like I can’t give one more, it will give one more. I never realized what a treasure the human body is—a true gift.

When I look back and think how I treated my body for almost 19 years of being obese and unhealthy, I wonder why my body even trusts me now. Why does it not revolt in anger and resentment? Believe me, in the beginning it did! Thankfully, it decided to play along. Now, more than ever, I am a firm believer that my body is my temple. I have the utmost respect for its abilities and willingness to perform. It has been willing all along. And, actually it performed when I was much heavier, too. It had to carry around all that extra weight and still attempt to function properly and get me through the day.

I had a Facebook friend ask me the other day to help her start exercising.
Here is my advice:
1. Love, cherish and respect your body and it will do amazing things for you. We only have one—don’t forget that.
2. Find something you love to do and go do it. I started by walking the beach at sunrise. I enjoyed it so much I didn’t want to miss one.  I found myself jumping out of bed before dawn every morning and heading to the beach without any hesitation.
3. Don’t continue exercise you don’t enjoy. If you dread something, it won’t serve you in the long run.
4. Stop the excuses…now! Don’t let your tomorrow or next Monday turn into years. Get up and get going. I promise your body will meet you there!

Taking care of my body is the wisest thing I’ve ever done for myself. Not only have I lost weight, I have reversed Type 2 diabetes and been able to discontinue medications. There’s not one negative thing about getting your body moving. When you finally decide to start, it won’t be long before you feel you’ve got the tiger by the tail. Roar!

Think Pink,
Elizabeth Skenes Millen

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