Archive for the ‘Fitness’ Category

Many years ago, a good friend of mine said that the secret to his success was that he checked in with himself regularly. No matter what leg he was on in his journey, he would take a moment or two to make sure that he was still on track. Did anything need to be changed in his routine? Did he have the right attitude for the task at hand? Was he still excited about the path he was on? If not, then what needed to change? Believe it or not, this did not have to do with weight loss but rather it had to do with business. He was a stock broker at the time.

This friend and I had lost contact many years ago. Still, I never forgot the lesson he taught me. I figured it was an important one. So I have kept it in my back pocket until this very moment. Because I think it’s important to check in with yourself on this journey. Make sure that you are still happy and excited. Make sure that you are persevering and motivating yourself. Make sure that you are creating an environment that spells WIN. And if you aren’t, then figure out what you need to do to get back on track and go for it!

This week has proven to be a difficult week for me to get my fitness in. My baby has pink eye, my oldest son has strep throat and my husband has been working way later due to server outages with certain clients. I haven’t seen the inside of the gym since Monday.

At first, I felt like my train had been driven off of my path. It felt like one of those moments where you throw your hands up and say… “what the F?!” Obviously, there is nothing I can do to change the kids being sick or my husband having to work late. Those are some of the facts of life my friend. Shit happens and sometimes you step in it. Know what I mean? And really in the grand scheme of things, this is only one off-week.

Instead of lolling around the house moping about it, I utilized the extra energy to keep moving. I cleaned and organized things I never thought to clean or organize. Sometimes, I found myself jumping around in the kitchen just for fun. Or if a good song came on the radio, I would dance to it with my daughter. 4 weeks of working out has me craving movement. Any kind of movement. My body wants to move. From couch potato to mover and shaker in 4 weeks… that’s me! I have also been extra careful to watch what I eat. Just because I am unable to get to the gym, doesn’t mean I should throw all of my progress to the wind.

Today, I was pacing around the house wondering what else to clean (I think I have the cleanest home in America now). Then I remembered my old exercise bike in the garage. I found it buried under a whole bunch of stuff. So I moved the stuff and moved the bike back into the house. This was no small feat and took a lot of extra effort but it was totally worth it. I moved it into my living room and got 45 minutes of straight cardio on it! And after I was done I felt this calming sensation flow over my body and soul. That is what exercise does for me. It chills me out and sends me to my happy place.

So this week, when I check in with myself, i’m going to note that I overcame an obstacle and am still managing to keep on track with my goals all while smiling.

Yesterday marked my first day in the gym. I got the oldest off to school, packed the two younger ones in the van and off we went to the gym. I had a few reservations. I wanted to make sure that everything went according to plan. Things going according to plan is important to me… because I have kids and things always seem to go smoother if you at least have a plan (or at least, this was my hope). I dropped the kids off at the daycare and went on my way. Thankfully, I had no guilt doing this. I am not going to deny myself some much-needed *me* time. Plus, they need time to interact with other kids. And all of this worked out fabulously. All eyes were dry and they were eager to start discovering the undiscovered.

I walked slowly to the fitness center. I took it all in. I hadn’t been to a gym in at least 2 years. And back then, I was much smaller than I am now. What if there were whispers or looks? What if I *couldn’t do it*? Walking everyday is a far cry from this… because I don’t walk super fast. My plan was to do 45 minutes of cardio. And I mean real cardio. The kind where my target heart rate reaches at least 124 for 45 minutes and I sweat like a pig. Not attractive, but effective. I walked into the fitness room and gingerly chose a treadmill. And you know what happened?

Not a darn thing. No one looked at me weird or whispered or even gave knowledge that I was in the room. Because everyone there was in a zone. Their own private zone where they shut the world out and let the music move their feet.

To my surprise and triumph I lasted for more than 45 minutes! I did 35 minutes on the treadmill and 15 on the elliptical (15 minutes sounds small… but have you tried an elliptical machine? It’s crazy! It’s like running but without the pressure on your joints).

While I was on the treadmill, I started to think about switching up my workout. Maybe I would do some water aerobics. Maybe I would try a dance class. The possibilities seemed endless at that point and I was in my zone y’all.

And I came to this conclusion: from that point forward, the sky is the limit. No matter what anyone else thinks. I would no longer deny myself. This sort of denial goes way above food. And I realize that even though I had not denied myself food, I had denied myself other things… better things. For the last 5 years I have denied myself validity in my feelings because I *do* matter darn it. And through those years I have denied myself the simple enjoyment of living. It’s like I punished myself every day for being fat. I was always afraid of going to the beach or to the park because in my mind I felt like a square peg trying to fit through a round hole. In my mind, *I* as an obese individual did not belong at the park or at the beach. I don’t exercise, so why go? My husband and I didn’t go to movies often because I was worried that I might not fit properly in the seats. Everything we did as a family all hindered on whether or not I was going to be “comfortable” with it either emotionally or physically.

And now…. now…. I recognize that I deserve all of the good stuff life has to offer and more. I’m lifting myself out of the rut I was in. I have found a tremendous support system at home and online. I feel liberated. And more importantly, I feel worth it.

On a VERY cool side note: I lost three pounds this week! WOOT! Thanks to the extra motivation from  Seth Simonds’ 1st challenge!

These are (in my humble opinion), the best toe-tapping, blood pumping, work out tunes ever!  If you aren’t feeling like a workout, just plug in one of these hot songs!

1.  Crazy in Love – Beyonce

2.  Break my Stride – Matthew Wilder

3.  Lose my Breath – Destiny’s Child

4.  Yeah! – Usher

5.  Lose Yourself – Eminem

6.  You Shook Me All Night Long – ACDC

7.  What’s My Age Again? – Blink 182

8.  Fighter – Christina Aguilera

9.  Holla Back Girl – Gwen Stefani

10. Breaking the Habit – Linkin Park

11. Dirty Pop – N’Sync

12. 4 Minutes – Madonna / Justin Timberlake

13. Say it Right – Nelly Furtado

14.  Inside Out -  Eve 6

15.  Mystical – Shake Ya Ass

16.  What a Feeling (aka Flashdance) – Irene Cara

17.  Youth of the Nation – P.O.D.

18. Buttons – Pussycat Dolls

19. Click Click Boom – Saliva

20. Higher Ground – Red Hot Chili Peppers

21.  Smooth Criminal – Alien Ant Farm

22. Candy – Mandy Moore

23.  Baby Got Back – Sir-Mix-Alot

24. Wannabe – Spice Girls

25. All For You – Janet Jackson