sweat = love.

Yes, you read that right.

I love sweat.
Well, actually, maybe that should be I love to sweat.

You see, two years ago when I embarked on my fitness revolution, I had to take all of the mind games out of exercise and just start off really simply without over-thinking it all. I had to quit the "You must push yourself to the breaking point!" thoughts and just start moving my body for extended periods of time. Once I got that bit down, I found myself gradually rewiring my thinking and wanting to see what my body was capable. There was a subtle shift from exercise being a punishment for eating too much/being lazy/just feeling bad about myself to exercise becoming about rewarding my body for being awesome.

I ran my first 5k, then I ran another one, and then another one a year later and it was amazing. I discovered this new love for pushing myself mentally and physically and discovering what I was capable of. Then I gave birth au natural and took myself to whole new heights...

The point being, I've come to a place on my fitness/exercise/self-image journey where I've realized that sweating is a good thing--if I'm not sweating, I'm not working hard enough. And I don't mean that in a failure sort of way, I mean it in a "I know my limits and I am pushing them back" sort of way.

So talk to me here: where are you at with exercise and living a healthy lifestyle? Do you find it hard to even get started? Or have you come to a place where it's something you genuinely enjoy (in a strange, stress-relieving sort of way)?