I remember when I was a teenager that being uncomfortable physically or emotionally was at the very bottom of my list. In fact, it was on the list of things to avoid at all costs.

Today, I am discovering that a little bit of discomfort will lead to keeping me out of real pain. I feel my body changing. I am becoming stronger physically and mentally. I ran on the treadmill tonight and thought about the discomfort of my lungs and my feet and my legs and began to see those as an indicator that I am increasing my fitness level every time I feel those things. This is new territory for me.

Spark Coach asked me today to consider what is really motivating me to do this at all. I have decided it all boils down to how I want my golden years to look. I have a client who is 95 years old and she still does her own laundry and cleans her own house. I have another client who is in her 60's and she has myriad health problems due to sedentary lifestyle and poor diet. I have the opportunity to choose which side of the arena of life I want to be on.

I am beginning to discover that looking the way the world says a woman is supposed to look is a bunch of malarkey. That no matter what I look like, (and I am coming to believe I am beautiful), that I want my insides to be strong and fit. I want my heart and all it's vessels to be pliable and strong. I want my lungs to be able to deliver the oxygen my blood needs to answer my muscles' exertions. I want my digestive system to be able to draw the nutrients out of the food I eat and feed my cells when they need fuel. I want my entire body to function in the manner for which it was created. When I call upon my body to move, I want it to be able to answer that call!

To do that, I need to answer my body's call for nutrient rich foods that provide everything it needs to act and repair itself. I need to move my body so it can stay strong. I have been working in opposition to my body's needs for a long time. I will change that here, at Sparkpeople. I am changing that here at Sparkpeople. I have changed here at Sparkpeople. Praise be to God!