I think I've complained about it enough, but I have plantar fasciitis in my right foot. That means I can't run or walk for a while so it can rest and heal. It's actually gotten so much better over the last week, once I stopped running on it. Looking back, I thought I just had a sore foot for a few weeks (I constantly have aches and pains from working out, so I didn't think anything of it) until it got so bad that I couldn't bear any weight on it and was hopping around the house on my left. Boy was that painful!
Since I can't run, I have been riding my bike and doing some weight training instead, and it's been a good lesson on exercise in moderation. Phil reminded me how insane I used to be about workouts back before I was pregnant with Alexander (the 5th baby). I used to freak.the.freak.out if I had to miss a workout and got mad at myself if I didn't get to the gym at least 6 times a week for a minimum of an hour of a hard workout. A good day would mean I had enough time to run 4 miles and then take a cardio-kickboxing class for an hour. I was obsessed with exercise, and it made me fit but probably not healthy.
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| Physically fit but completely drained. |
When I became pregnant with Alexander, it was like my body pushed a reset button, and I had to slow down and regroup. For the first 3 months, I had no energy to workout at all. Once morning sickness cleared, I went for walks instead of runs and gradually after he was born, I rebuilt my strength but my workouts never got back up to that intense level again. Another baby and a few years later, and I'm even less intense in my workouts. Sure, I love to take long runs whenever I can (especially with Phil) but they are slow and steady and I'm not worried about the results. Some days I just plop the baby in the stroller and take a 2 mile walk because that's all I have time for that night. I may do a 20 minute workout video or at-home circuit with the kids and call it enough. I would love to say that I still look like that above photo...but I don't. The lack of workouts and addition of kids and years have made me a softer mom, both physically and emotionally. While being healthy is still a priority, my children and husband and faith and work are filling up my cup more now than ever.
Last night as I reached for my vitamins, I realized that even taking those has changed through the years. I went from not taking anything because my diet was on point, to needing some help through pregnancies, to religiously having a vitamin routine, and now I think before I swallow. I take Vitamin D only if I haven't been outside much that day. I take my amazing iron if I haven't eaten red meat. I take magnesium everyday (sore muscle reliever), I take calcium unless I've indulged in dairy, I chew vitamin C gummys because I don't love orange juice. All things in moderation is becoming the story of my life. Why take an iron and vitamin D supplement if you've spent the day at the beach followed by a steak on the grill? It would be over the top.
For dinner on the feast day of Christ the King, Phil suggested I make Chicken a la (Christ the) King. It was a great idea, and delicious, and we talked about trying to work in liturgical living into our daily lives. I'm not going to obsess over making the perfect craft for every feast day in the Church, but I can consider the days when meal planning and see what I can work into the weekly menu. We have to eat dinner no matter what (I should probably get this cookbook), so why not try to plan according to the church calendar? I gave Phil a book for his birthday called Drinking with the Saints (spoiler alert, I bought them for the men in my life for Christmas) and the author celebrates saints feast days with drink recipes and stories about their lives. It's a beautiful book, and although we won't be mixing cocktails very regularly, it is nice to make the day somewhat special, somewhat set apart, by focusing on an aspect of our faith. We can indulge during feast days and cut back during times of penance.
Living moderately, living liturgically, living seasonally, it just makes sense. Just as NFP works with the natural cycles of a woman's body, living according to the weather/saint day/sports schedules/seasonal foods works with the natural cycles of life. This is the way of life that I aspire to, so that I can live more in the moment, take things as they come, go with the flow, and become a human BEing, enjoying the natural flow of life, rather than a human DOing, forcing things to happen artificially.
So, I have been trying to figure out Aaron and John Paul's godfather gifts... ;)
ReplyDeleteThank you!
Drinking with the Saints? Now that's my kind of book!
ReplyDeleteYes, yes, YES!! I have been tossing all of this around in my head during this postpartum time. My pregnancy was one of the healthiest eating times and I'm trying to keep up with that, but realizing I like yummy "normal" food too. Moderation is the key for sure. I also know what's realistic as far as workout time and while I'd love to have 45 minute workouts six days a week, it's just not realistic. I'm learning that keeping moving most days of the week and getting in at least a good 30 minute walk along with some strength work is still good. As I've gone through with hubby in so many conversations, I want to be fit and feel good, but I also want to be happy. I want to enjoy life, enjoy some celebrating, be able to relax and stop being so stressed .I know what minimal exercise I need each week for me to physically and mentally feel well and I'm going to keep working on finding peace with food in moderation.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post. It's good to know that my fit mom role model mama has even had to tweak things and that's ok. I feel encouraged to do the same just by reading this post. You still are my rockstar mama idol! ;) {hugs}