I assure you this is not my best look but it’s for dang sure the face I make when I have to do something narley! This is a defiled story. One of scum, muck and DIY clean up.
Last Friday I tore it up on the cleaning front. My training studio needed a little wax on wax off, if you know what I mean! I do my best to keep my boutique fitness place tidy but with an average of 40-45 women a week tracking in and out it, the space gets dirty.
Just like any gym, there is must, dust and grime. Every few months it requires a deep deep cleaning and yall I do it up right! Mirrors, suction, dusting, and wiping until it shines like top of the Chrysler building.
My last and final step is the sweeper. Dare I say that I was super gung ho when I plugged the vac in because I could see the finish line. All of the rainbows, faries and unicorns dancing in my head came to a screeching halt when I began to smell a strong stinch. It was a gastly odor of dirty shoe/ sock smell. It was nasty and it was muddying up my fresh spring breeze vibe.
Rats.
I hung my head because I knew it was time. It was long overdue. Nothing better on a beautiful Friday afternoon?!?
Urghhh!
It had to be done. A border line obsessive compulsive clean freak person like myself could not go on! I couldn’t possibly continue to use the vacuum due to the wretched fowl odor.
I got all up in the machine. I had to clean the filters and the inside of the carriage basket thingy where all of the lent and dirt crap lands.
Pee u!
I was disgusted. It was so gross! Why me? Why now?
The filter was brown and cough cough filthy. I rinsed it under scalding hot soapy water until it was clean like new. I wiped the inside of the area down until there wasn’t a sign of a dust particle. I had my vac looking spick and span.
I dried the filters in the Texas sunshine and dabbed it with Glade air freshener oil before assembly. Now when I vacuum, it smells like beautiful aloha fresh.
As I was in the thralls of disinfecting my sweeper I realized something. The truth is the smell had been building. I knew it was just matter of time before I would have to take matters into my own hands.
Isn’t this an authentic parallel to our health?!?
We reach a point, call it a breaking point, and we can’t continue on until something changes. All the while we knew we were slip sliding into an abyss of muck. We did all we could to cover it up. We mask the extra weight with bigger clothes. We avoid friends or mirrors because we don’t want to face the fat!
The clothes barley button up and or fit. Bending over is uncomfortable. Only blousy big elasticized clothes are comfortable. It’s time to shut down, shut it off and take some things apart! Have a look inside and spot clean. Your body and your mind need to have a come to Jesus meeting. Deep clean time.
Grease the wheels and get the parts back in working order.
I know it’s a project. I know you dread suiting out for workout. I know that your legs haven’t felt a lunge or a squat in a long time. It’s dark and dingy in there but honey it’s time to clean house.
Give yourself a chance. It’s going to require patience and dedicated time but the end result is a sparkling crisp new you. A FIT healthy vibe is more your speed.
First…
Dump the dirt. Get rid of the toxic habits that have been ransacking your time. Happy Hours? The wrong friends? Fast food drive thru windows? Mindless couch eating? Late night web browsing? Lack of sleep? Throw all of that crap in the garbage. These habits stink and haven’t done you any favors.
Take an inventory of the residue. It might look awful and too difficult to conquer but we both know that’s not true. Check your schedule. Find or make an appointment for FITness. Look for a 30 minute or hour window to workout at minimum twice a week. Keep this appointment like your life depends on it. Try something new such as a beginner spin or yoga class. Most places offer a free first time class. Options vary but some fun classes I have tried is, barre 3, Soul Cycle, Zyn 22, Pure Bar, yoga, and Orange Theory.
Sanitize the metabolism. This is the messy part. Tinker around and crank that baby up by plugging in to some healthy cook books or health conscious FITness bloggers. Shop and stock up on healthy foods that you will actually eat. If you detest kale don’t buy it. Find foods that taste good and promote a healthy lifestyle. Meal prep is a big help. It does take time to wash, chop and prepare foods but the end result is a weeks worth of meals and snacking. No thinking…just healthy eating. A hungry body is a healthy body!
I also think it’s valuable to look in the mirror. Look at yourself. Take a picture in your skivvies. What do you want? 10 pounds? 25 pounds? One size down? More defined arms? A tighter mid-section? Whatever it is that you desire just know that it’s possible. It’s doable. But you have to disinfect and work the steps.
FILTER what goes in and what you put out. Diet journaling isn’t for everyone but it does tell the tale. Write down every stinking morsel of food that goes into your body. Do it for three days and evaluate the outcome. Do you see grains and vegtables? Was your intake loaded with antioxidants and nutrients? Was what you put in your body processed sugar and high alcohol content? The filter I had to clean was thick like a sponge. It has absorbed a lot of tainted crap. The body is like a sponge absorbing vital nutrients to run like a machine.
Y’all, I literally had dust in my eyes and in my nose! My hands were covered in black filth. I had to clean and disinfect my sink and take out the trash. Then I had to patiently wait for the filter to dry before I could assemble the parts go vacuum the gym. It was a tedious process.
This too will be a long process. But it doesn’t have to be yucky. If you aren’t a cuckoo cukoo DIY clean freak like me….don’t fret. Invite friends or coworkers on the journey. You can make the sweat sessions fun by getting your friends and family on board with the whole cooking and preparing healthy meals part. Invite a neighbor to chit-chat while you do a 35 minute power walk. Hire an encouraging trainer that pours in positive energy. I happen to know a great virtual trainer with a program that gurantees results. Just because you can’t get to me, doesn’t mean you can get lean!
Be patient. Don’t lose hope.
Love, live clean so you can slide into your jeans!
Angi xo
