To Get Started, You Have to Take the First Step

Over the course of the past few years, I have written down what I eat and what activity I do each day.  I don’t record the serving size or the time that I eat.  I could (and maybe should sometimes :)) but ultimately, a quick reminder I already had a snack today or ran three times already this week is good enough to help me keep on track with diet and exercise.  This is a far cry from how I used keep myself accountable (which let’s be clear was not at all).  

I spent years eating whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted.  No, I wasn’t one of those “lucky” people who didn’t gain an ounce; I gained pounds on top of pounds.  Exercise was a funny phrase reserved for someone who was actually an athlete.  The closest thing I ever got to exercise was walking around the mall while shopping.  (It’s funny to me today now that I often walk at the mall, but now it’s purposeful and I spend time committed to walking first and then shopping!)

Prior to my lowest point (which was at my highest weight and most uncontrolled eating), I had spent some time running and actually enjoyed it.  I think I had gotten up to six miles a few times.  Slowly though I let running go by the wayside and replaced it with eating.  I’m not even sure why.

This car is pretty efficient and gets 71.1 mpg.  I'd
say I'm a pretty efficient runner and in January,
I got 71.1 mpm (miles per month!).

When I finally decided to take responsibility for myself and change my diet and exercise (and my health!), I had to start by taking the first step.  Literally.  I had to start by walking and slowly pick up my pace to a jog and then a run.  Now running is a part of my weekly routine.  No one, including myself, would have ever called me a runner or guessed I could ever become a runner before.  Now, I can proudly call myself one.  All it took was the first step.

Even though I’ve been recording my exercise activities for quite a while, I rarely look at the collective data.  If you asked me how often I run, I would say a few times a week.  If you asked me how many miles I run, I would have no idea.  I’d guess anywhere from a few miles to a few hundred miles?!?!  So I documented all of my January runs and added them up – 71.1 miles!  Woo!  For me, and me only, I’m excited and proud of that number!  That seems like a decent amount of running.

Now, I know some people who run that mileage in a week (that’s crazy…and impressive!) and I know some people who may not run that mileage in a lifetime.  It doesn’t matter what your current mileage is running, biking, walking, swimming, etc.  And it doesn’t matter if it’s zero (or your favorite activity is not calculated in miles).  The question is, what would you like it to be?  What would you like to be doing for good health and fitness?  To get started, you have to take the first step.  Make a plan, set goals and get moving.  If you’re already active, keep track of your mileage over the course of a week or a month.  Celebrate the distance you cover on land or in the water!  Be proud of that number!

Miss FitGab