BodyBuilderMom
POWERED BY EXTOL SPORTS, LAC & WHAS 11
By Angie Fenton
Excuses
Are Like...
I recently saw before
and after photos of
a 40-something-year-old woman who had
gained more than 60 pounds while pregnant
and, a year later, was fitter than she’d ever
been. You go girl, I thought, feeling inspired by
her success.
And then I saw she was a mother of five, worked
full-time, active in her church, a member of
several charity boards and cared for her home
in a way that would make Martha Stewart proud.
Su d d e n l y , my i n sp i rat i o n tu r n e d t o
embarrassment. If she could juggle all of that
and get into the best shape of her life, what
was wrong with me? That’s when the excuses
started flowing.
There’s no excuse: I CAN do this and I want to.
I have to take care of the dogs and cats. I can’t fit in anything else in my day.
I’ll get back to it just as soon as __________
is over. I need a day off.
If I work out in the morning/night, that’s
not fair to my husband. How is he supposed
to get ready for work with a toddler and six
animals who need us both?
There aren’t enough hours in the day. I’ll start my workout and diet regimen again
as soon as I get rid of these allergies.
I’ve got to do the laundry and vacuum the
house. I’ll work out tomorrow. My daughter needs my time.
I have to work late. I just can’t right now. But I will soon.
Seriously. I mean it. I will be back at it soon.
I have to get to work super early.
My family/colleagues/pets need me and
THAT is my priority.
But here’s the thing: Excuses are like opinions
— everybody has them. The aforementioned
ones? They’re all mine. I have made every excuse
in the book and then some to stop me from my
goal of getting fit so I can live a longer life with
my child, husband and those I love.
“I may not be ready to compete in a
bodybuilding contest in October like I’d hoped,
I am SO exhausted. I need to sleep. I committed to getting fit. I started getting
fit. I lost weight. I began to get healthier. And
then I didn’t, and I started to make excuses
and accepted where I was. I’ll start next week. I’d done enough. I’d lost weight. heart and soul and health need this.”
I am overwhelmed. I’m fine where I am, with who I am.
I have an online video meeting.
SPORTS
38 EXTOL SPORTS / JUNE 2017
but I am ready to start anew,” I text my trainer
Ryan Schrink. “It’s time to go hard and heavy. My
No excuses this time.