Mount Washington

Weekly Update:  This week so many amazing things happen. I went into my 'weekly update' with a positive outlook that no matter what, I feel GOOD about my week and what I did for my body this week.  I am down 4.8lbs for a new total of 76lbs!!!

What an amazing weekend it was - I was able to lead a group of 10 women to the summit of Mount Washington, the highest peak in Northeastern United States at 6,288 feet high and with some of the most unpredictable weather there is.

I remember quite vividly the first time I hiked this mountain.  I was 13, close to 200 pounds, and had never hiked a day in my life. I had actually never done any fitness past huffing through the mile at school, walking most of it.

I thought I was going to die.  

I cried most of the time.

I swore I'd never do it again.

Then an amazing thing happened. I didn't die, and I DID make it to the top.  Even those days, I had some optimism in my head. I remember reciting two things as I hiked Mount Washington.  "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can" and "Hold on, hold on to yourself, this is going to hurt like Hell" (lyrics from a Sarah Mclachlan song).  The thing is, despite the never ending hill (pictured below), I DID IT.  

I think this experience was the first of many, that made me realize how much I am capable of.   

It was years before I had a similar experience, my first half marathon.  True to me, I said yes to something I had never done before because I got excited.  I was 22 years old, and had only started running less than a year before, I had never run a race in my life.   But I recited those same words from The Little Engine That Could "I think I can, I think I can" and I added "I KNOW I Can".  I cried a lot of the way, but I never doubted myself.

I wanted to be able to give THAT opportunity to others.  That is why I decided to lead this group.  All of the women made it to the top, and I couldn't be prouder of them.   We each took different paths, we each had different obstacles, but we all made it and got a little closer to realizing how very strong we can be.

One of the key reasons I decided to do this hike, was for a friend of mine who I met less than a year ago.    When I met her, she was the woman on the left.  She loved to hike, but it was hurting her knees.  She had always dreamed of hiking Mount Washington, but thought it would never happen.

In the last 7 months, she has made changes, small changes on a daily basis to get to a healthier her.  Changes she didn't think she was capable of when we first met.    I am so proud of this woman, words can't express it.   She has lost 50 pounds, and gained the strength to hike up Mount Washington as a result.  More importantly, every day I see her self confidence get a little bit bigger.

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I've included the next few photos to really share my passion for helping others - in whatever capacity I can.  Helping other women realize just how STRONG they are and how much they CAN do.   

This one is taken from a local Boot Camp class I teach. I created a format where parents can take their little ones to class - originally I wanted to provide an opportunity for moms to be able to add fitness back into their lives (or start for the first time), but it's become so much more than that.

This photo shows exactly what I mean. This was taken in my Pilates class last week - a three year old mimicking her mom, wanting to be just like mom, learning how to love fitness and health, just like mom.

I love watching the kids engage with the moms during class.  A few days after this photo was taken, I was also sent a video from one of the four year olds that comes to class with her mom.   It was a 'fitness' video she wanted to record for her mom.  She was giving cues and doing movements just like we do in class - a true reminder, they are always watching, always listening, always learning from us.

I strive on a daily basis to give my son something positive to watch and experience, because every action I take, every word I speak is helping to form his perception of life and himself.

This is an amazing group of moms from my Pilates class - I am grateful on a daily basis to be able to spend time with them each week, watching them get stronger, build relationships and engage positively with their little ones.

I'm going to close this week's post with a little about weight and goals.   I often talk weight, because when I started at close to 240 pounds, weight was a big indicator of my health. I was sedentary, and I ate very poorly.    But as I get closer to my goals (which are mostly non scale related, if not completely non scale related), I am focusing so much more on what my body CAN DO.    Looks aren't even a goal of  mine, but I share photos because they are a great way to show others in a visual way how I've changed.

This photo is a great reminder of many things.  First, how far I have come since last summer.   The second, and perhaps most important take away for me as someone who has always struggled with 'numbers', is that a number does not always tell the full picture.  

I've been hovering around the same weight all summer, but I continue to push forward and I continue to improve my fitness.   The photos on the right are a month a part, and actually a slight weight gain, but what I see is huge improvements in my muscle tone - which proves all my strength training is in fact changing my body.   I feel so STRONG these days both mentally and physically.   I am a good 30 pounds above my college 'low' (one I achieved doing very unhealthy things, and one I was never really proud of at the time), and couldn't be more proud of my size, weight, shape and more importantly ability to DO things.

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Mommy & Me Website: http://www.fitandbalancedmom.com/

Contact: fitandbalancedmom@gmail.com