Someone once asked me "Meredith you have to work out and watch what you eat, right?" in regards to how I look physically. No one had ever asked me a question like this before (but I was living in Vegas. I should've expected it) and I remember being slightly offended. I didn't know how to answer the question.

At another time someone said to me "Meredith, you are skinny. You're lucky" and I remember replying (in my head), "No, it's not luck. It's work."

So, yes, working out is definitely a part of my daily life, and yes, I eat healthily because I want to. And I've realized that I'm glad I have to "work" at my physical appearance. I wouldn't want to just have good genes so I maybe looked good, but didn't have to eat healthily or work out. People that don't work out don't have the muscles surrounding their bones to protect them throughout their lives, and if you don't eat a variety of foods and think about what you are putting into your body, you'll regret it one day.

I was at the gym the other day and someone started up a conversation with me asking me if I was a dancer and how I stayed in shape. It's nice when people give you compliments like that because it keeps you going. I was considering taking the day off today because I had worked out hard yesterday, but I decided against it and did yoga (which is actually a HARD workout - I do the Denise Austin cardio yoga) because I remembered it just doesn't make sense to not workout if you have the time to.

I was just reading a talk in the Ensign and President Eyre made this comment "It [increasing in spiritual strength through pushing ourselves to serve others to our limits] is like building muscle strength. You must break down your muscles to build them up. You push muscles to the point of exhaustion. Then they repair themselves, and they develop greater strength." October 2008 O Ye That Embark

I'm so grateful for my health and realize that everyday it takes motivation to exercise my body and to also serve others, but the rewards in the end are invaluable. I'm not sure I have the serving others thing down yet, but I know how to work out.