A few weeks ago I signed up for the “Ten in ‘10 Healthy Challenge” – a ten week commitment to making a healthy change in my life. Participants are challenging themselves to everything from eating healthier to gaining weight (don’t laugh – for some that IS a healthy change). My personal goal is to incorporate exercise back into my regular routine.

After giving birth to my second baby last April, I managed to lose the weight and get my body back into pretty decent shape relatively quickly. Over the summer months I got into a fantastic exercise “groove” which was in large part facilitated by the fact that my husband is a teacher and was off work. HOWEVER... last October I was feeling particularly unmotivated and decided to take a week OFF. Big mistake. A week easily turned into two... and then three... and then...

Well... here I find myself, making a resolution to get back into it. And why not invite you along for the ride by blogging about it? Maybe some of you will even join me by making the commitment to make a healthy change in your life over the next ten weeks. Will you start exercising? Try to eat healthier? Take more time to relax or unwind? Whatever it is, I’d love to know. I may dislike you a little if the change you need to make involves gaining weight instead of losing it... but I promise that is just my superficial self talking(!)

Since we're already 3 days into the new year and I haven't even looked at my running shoes or work out clothes yet - this whole ten in '10 thing may turn out to be a real challenge for me. Aside from having purchased a new and improved set of resistance bands I don't really have much of plan but I am determined that tomorrow will be day 1. My goal for this week (week 1 of 10) is to get in at least 4 20-minute work outs before next Saturday. I may end up doing 3 in a row next Saturday (oh gosh I hope not!) but I will get in at least 80 minutes of exercise this week.

I have this image of myself as an active woman, a fit role model for my children and an example of a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately my reality doesn't really reflect that image (that dream!). I don't know why working out is such a chore for me, but it is. So any words of encouragement would much appreciated... and potentially needed if I'm going to stick to it this time around.

Expect an update about this time next week... with any luck I'll be ranting and complaining about my extremely sore legs and ass --- from all the lunges and squats I'll be doing of course!

Here goes...

A.