Diet & Wisdom Appetizers

“This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 (NIV)

As a rule, I’m not a super early riser but the last few months some lifestyle changes have forced me to become a before the crack of dawn morning person. Although, in my opinion, 4:30 a.m. shouldn’t even qualify as morning, but falls into the category of are you freaking kidding me … it’s the middle of the night! Which is exactly the direction my thoughts take when my alarm blasts me awake every Monday through Friday at such an unholy hour.

Once I’ve slapped the snooze alarm (none-too-nicely, I might add), my next conscious thoughts can’t even be shared without censorship, but typically my post-slumber opinions jump on the Holy Cow, this sucks train, always followed by … oh man, I miss my old life! After nearly three months of “working outside the home” my new BTCOD (before the crack of dawn) wake up call actually has me longing for days that were once filled with mounds of laundry, scrubbing toilets and carpools. Who would’ve thunk it?

Being a “working girl” has required some fine-tuning of my schedule. I’ve got a few “free-time” priorities I’m trying to juggle, but some very necessary “mom jobs” still demand my attention. One of my priorities remains exercise. (I know it would be easier to skip exercising altogether, but the hardcore gym junkie in me still requires a daily fix.) Four-thirty a.m. is the only “free time” I have for my workout obsession. My gym doesn’t open for business until 6:00 a.m. and I need to be at my job at 7:30 a.m., so for now, this Gym Junkie has jumped ship and bid good-bye to corporate exercise and the likes of Jumbo McStinky and Cowboy Bob. (See previous post: Gym Dandy Gym Junkie)

Afternoon workouts would be nice, but not only am I physically and mentally exhausted when I get off work, my post-work hours are reserved for such other fun stuff like grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, laundry, blah, blah, blah, not to mention some meaningful writing time. What’s a girl to do except haul her buffalo bottom from the comfort of her Posturpedic pillow top for an at-home workout on the treadmill before the crack of dawn!

If I were being honest, I’d confess that my BTCOD workout leaves a little something to be desired when it comes to overall maximum health benefits. Truth be told, I tend to nod off a bit during the first half of my cardio workout. Were it not for the head banging tunes rocking through my iPod, I’d probably snore through most of my 2.5-mile walk. I’d love to be able to wax poetic about the stillness of the early morning hour and being a solitary sojourner communing one-on-one with God, basking in the peaceful solitude of a sleeping household, soaking up wisdom from my Creator – but heck, I’m too busy trying not to trip over my own feet in my semi-comatose sleepy state to commune with anybody!

All I can say is thank goodness for snooze alarms and rock and roll. Snooze alarms, because that extra nine-minute gift of time allows me one more dance with Mr. Sandman before I absolutely must get out of bed. And, rock-n-roll because my propensity for slothfulness would make it too easy to stumble and bumble through a workout at so early an hour. If not for the B52s Love Shack or Michael Jackson’s Thriller, my “cardio” workout might actually qualify me for the sleepwalking Hall of Fame. Those rock and roll classics make it physically impossible to keep my feet from moving at a frenetic pace. The music gives me happy feet and they simply must move to the beat.

My daughter has loaded my iPod with what she calls, “Lindsay’s Picks,” which are all fast-paced songs hand-picked by her to maximize my workout time. God bless her. So for now, I’ll try to be happy about my early morning wake-up call … for however long this season in my life must last. But it may take a lot more smacks to the snooze alarm and maybe a trip in the “Way-back machine” where I’ll need to rely on a rousing rendition of Heartbreaker by Pat Benatar to keep me motivated for a few more workouts.

Life’s too short to be sluggish, slothful or lethargic. My advice is: eat dessert first and make up for it by walking an extra mile today! Or better yet, Shake your Booty or do something that Makes You Feel Like Dancing, or Dancing in the Streets. As long as you’re doing something that keeps you Stayin’ Alive, that’s what counts … even if you have to do it before the crack of dawn!

Thank you Lord that I’m still physically able to exercise and thank you for small comforts like music and treadmills that make it even a bit easier. Help me not to complain, even if it means getting up at the crack of dawn each day. Help me to remember each day is a gift. Amen