The moment 2018 arrived, everything fell into place! Prior to the Suwanee Get Fit challenge I just couldn’t find the time to workout…or so I thought. All of my energy was exhausted playing super Mom to my two kids (ages 2 years old and 8 months), being a wife and managing my household. I could find any and every excuse why I “couldn’t” workout. Im sure many moms can agree that you’re sleep deprived for about the first year of your child’s life so sleep was a rare opportunity. If there were any moments of downtime, I’d either choose to take a nap, catch up on a Netflix show or, admittedly, scroll my social media accounts — there I said it. 🙂 But the minute 2018 arrived, a lightbulb went off that I absolutely needed a change! Starting with my hours at work. I attempted to change my hours when I returned from maternity leave (8 weeks after giving birth) but that was a failure because I was extremely exhausted and sleep deprived. But this time around, it only made sense! If I push myself to get into work early, I can leave early, take a 5 p.m. class and get home in time for dinner and shuffle kids off to bed. Luckily, I have a super supportive husband and mother who sees me juggling and trying to figure out this mommy-life of two now plus finding “me” time, so they certainly are a part of this challenge as well. Having a support system is key and I am so thankful for them.
It has been two weeks of this challenge and I have to say, it has been life-changing…already! Between the support system from the Suwanee Magazine staff, fellow contestants, Crux Fitness members, my family and friends, this has been so inspiring for me. I think I have found my groove! I try not to look back and dwell on the times I could have been more productive and just try to focus on moving forward and achieving my goal.
So the Get Fit Challenge calls us “contestants” but I really feel like competitor is a better fit. The hard work and grind we put in on a daily basis is like no other. Being in competition with your old self and your old habits vs the new you you are striving to achieve is the most challenging part of this competition. The mental stability you need to stay focused is where your true strength comes into play. The physical strength is also important but when you have someone telling you what exercises to do and for how long, that’s a walk in the park (pure sarcasm) but you’re on your own once you leave the gym. Thats where the real work begins.
Planning my meals ahead of time allowed me to stay focused and eat clean. I realized my weaknesses and made solutions for them. I knew that I liked to grab n go so I had to keep food on hand already in separated containers in order to consistently eat clean. On Sundays I sit at my kitchen table and plan out the family meals ahead of time. It also makes grocery shopping very easy knowing exactly what you need. I’ll be honest, I still have to periodically remind myself to “stick to the list Shonika, stick to the list”!
As for the actual workout, it’s a full body workout and I’m slowly becoming addicted (in a good way)! The first week was very challenging having not worked out in over a year, yet by day 2 we were flipping tires! I thought, “what have I gotten myself into?” but my energy levels have increased even with the 8 month old still waking up every few hours at night. It’s so much more manageable having this newfound energy to keep up.
I look forward to what the next few weeks will bring.
