Challenges CAN be overcome....

With one of this week's questions in mind, I sought out to analyze the challenges I face in maintaining a healthy diet and regular exercise. It made me think alot about how I grew up, what subconsious messages I might still be retaining, and where personal responsibility needs to take over. Growing up poor with four younger siblings, you learn pretty quickly what it means to sacrifice your own wants and needs for others. My parents, who at the time had no education beyond high school, regularly worked more than one job leaving us as "latch-key kids" because they could not afford childcare. That meant once we were home from school, we had to stay in the safest place possible, the house. Needless to say we had little access to exercise. I don't think I ever saw my parents doing regular exercise either. The only exceptions to this were summers when we were able to play softball/T-ball, and swim. I think that really impacted my ideas of what "regular exercise" was and why it is important. Having never learned, I had no idea where to start, and have struggled to make it a habit. For me now, the biggest challenge to exercise is fitting it into my 15 month old's life schedule! On the four days a week that I am home with her, I would love to be more consistent about getting us both out of the house and to the gym. Armed with the best intentions each morning, I am frequently swayed by her wish to play, nap, eat, etc. at unpredictable times. This, coupled with the responsibility for getting all of the housework and two classes worth of coursework done on these days, keeps me so busy that the first thing to go is always the effort and time required to get out of the house. It is a cycle I can't seem to break. At the advice of a friend, I investigated a place where I could take Ava to some parent/child exercise classes. We tried it today and had a great time! I'm hoping this will be a way to jumpstart our mommy/daughter fitness!
I think my parents did the best they could with diet, given the financial restrictions. They exposed us to many different foods, consistent fruits and vegetables, and adequate protein sources. But like the video in this week's supplemental readings, the healthiest, freshest, and most nutritious foods were often out of the reach of our budget. As I think back about this, I realize how up until the last few years, alot of my dietary choices reflected the habits I acquired so long ago. Even though I can now afford to make better choices, it is a challenge to go the grocery store and come out with a cart full of things I can feel good about and know how to turn it into a daily menu that tastes good. The videos from Prevention Magazine that I found this week gave me some great tips on accomplishing that task. Over the last year I have been successful at replacing many of the "standard foods" in our house with better choices, by doing simple things like making fruit and vegetables more accessible in the fridge, packaging them in easy take away containers, and replacing all "grains" in the house with whole grains.
We all have challenges to our health. Maintaining a healthy diet and regular exercise without a little education and alot of effort doesn't happen. And most importantly, lasting change doesn't happen overnight. Getting the facts on healthy food, trying new approaches to exercise, and being consistent about my commitment are the best things I can do now. Any step in the right direction is important! If you string enough of them together, your challenges(and mine) CAN be overcome!