Is exercise the bane of your existence?

I was fairly athletic as a youth. Not a star athlete, but in shape. I enjoyed participating in Softball, Volleyball, Basketball and track over the years and I also enjoyed outdoor activities such as hiking. I went running after school on a regular basis, and enjoyed pushing myself to do better.
Then I grew up, and got married. Up until marriage I still played sports occasionally. I even played in a basketball game for my singles ward at church...during my honeymoon (our honeymoon was spent in our hometown area because we were moving away from family and friends the next week. It was more of a saying goodbye to friends and family although we did go on some day trips by ourselves that week. I still regret not going away for our honeymoon. Someday when all the kids are older I will make up for it and D and I will take off on our own someplace.) I loved basketball, but I think that was the last game I ever played.
Shortly after getting married, I got pregnant with our first child. 9 months after he was born, I got pregnant with our second child, and so on until I had five. By this time I was rarely exercising, and the pounds piled on. I kept saying I was going to get into shape after each baby, and I fully intended to, but life has a way of overwhelming people sometimes, and exercise took a backseat to everything else that was going on.
D being the sensitive man that he is gained weight right along with me. I think he blames my good cooking for that, but I like to think he didn't want me to get fat alone.
So for the last several years I have been thinking about exercising. Thinking and doing are two very different things. I won't tell you how many pounds I have gained since marriage, but I will tell you that I have a long way to go to be even close to getting in shape.
I recently got a treadmill. This treadmill isn't my first piece of exercise equipment. At one time we had an exercise bike we had bought at a garage sale, but the seat post was bent, and it could not be adjusted and it was VERY uncomfortable. We also had a mini trampoline that the kids got more use out of than I ever did. I have been wanting a treadmill for a while, because my youngest kids are too big for a stroller, and too small to keep up with me walking, and I wanted to start walking. We could not afford a treadmill so I picked one up at a second hand store. (It might have worked better if it came out of a dumpster.) Then my big opportunity came. A friend asked me to do a slide show for her son's Eagle court of honor and she wanted to pay me for my time. I asked her if I could borrow her treadmill (one with an actual motor!) for a couple of months, and instead, she gave it to me because she didn't like it.
We got it set up, and I tried it. I thought I was going to DIE. I was seriously out of shape (still am as a matter of fact). I barely made it for ten minutes. I tried one other time and then the treadmill sat for a few weeks.
I have recently been reading a blogger's story of her own weight loss here. Reading Calamity Jane's blog got me to thinking about my own weight loss struggles. I have also noticed that I am not that fun of a Mom right now, because I can't keep up with my children. So Wednesday of this week I put on the sneakers I had gotten for walking in...I got on the treadmill...and I walked. I put on my headphones, pressed play on the MP3 player and walked. The second song that came on had these lyrics...(Its by the Wilkinsons)

I've been lyin' in the shadows

In the corner of my room

Turned off the lights Gave up the fight

There was nothing I could do

Then I just woke up one morning

And I put on my walkin' shoes,

and I'm back on my feet again

Had all the heartache one woman can stand

Got through the night Took back my life

I'm back on my feet again

I wasn't sure if I could make it

Had to crawl across the floor

Through the broken glass Of my shattered past

Pushed myself on through the door

I took a step out of the darkness

I don't need it anymore,

no I just woke up one morning

And I put on my walkin' shoes,

now I'm back on my feet again
Had all the heartache one woman can stand
Got through the night Took back my life
I'm back on my feet again

Of course this is a country song and I doubt it was meant to be about my struggle with getting in shape, but it made me smile. In fact, it made me feel great, and I walked right along. A couple songs later Josh Groban came along to tell me...

Don't give up

It's just the weight of the world

When your heart's heavy

I...I will lift it for you

Did you know that Josh Groban cares that I am trying to get in shape and lose weight? (At least the Josh Groban in my MP3 player does) and he also told me that I am loved! It felt great, so great in fact that after I walked my mile and a half (I know its not much, but better than I thought I could do) on Wednesday, I decided to walk another mile and a half on Thursday, and Friday I did two miles...plus a walk to the school to play with the boys.

Tomorrow I will tell you about my great idea to keep track of my miles.