Alrighty. Fitness has been on my mind a lot since the beginning of the year. This is my year to be healthy. Most days that means going to the gym. Some days, however, it means staying home and eating popsicles with the kiddos.
For me, both are healthy. I love to workout. I love intense and challenging workouts, but if my afternoon and evening are going to be crazy or stressful it is totally alright with me to miss a morning at the gym. For some people, that doesn't work...for me it is perfect. Most weeks I am at the gym 5-6 days a week for about an hour. There have been a couple weeks where one or both kids weren't feeling well, and rather than going to the gym every night after their bedtime I just took one for the team and only got in 2-3 days. Not a big deal. Healthy.
My results aren't as accelerated as they could be if I was super strict with my exercise or if I put myself on a strict eating plan, but I have no deadlines. I want to be healthy. Everything I am doing is perfectly maintainable...like forever maintainable. I eat well in general, but take most Sundays, holidays, date nights, and family parties off. I don't believe in counting calories, but rather filling my body with whole foods that will fuel muscle growth. Long story short, this isn't a diet to get me somewhere looking like something specific. This is a way of life that I want as my own. It feels good.
I usually do grit classes, spin classes, butts and guts classes, as well as group interval training, and Zumba every week in addition to weights. I am learning so many things and have met some pretty incredible people.
For example, in my Zumba class there are more than 5 people who have lost over 60lbs each doing Zumba. An older woman in my class lost 26lbs and 27 inches in 6 weeks. She is in her 60's and is killing it! The class has developed into this incredible support system for moms! Another woman gave up soda and started 2 classes a week at the gym (Zumba and butts and guts) and 7 months later she is down 50lbs!
Small changes are a big deal!
We were talking about results before butts and guts today and I was getting caught up in everyone's weight loss and was feeling silly that mine wasn't more. Silly me. Weight loss isn't even on my list of goals. The trainer asked me what my results had been like. I told her 2lbs. 2. Not so awesome right? She asked my inches since she has seen a difference in the way I look. -22 since the beginning of December. Not bad. Truthfully that is pretty good! That is down a pants size and a shirt size. I don't have too far to go before I am as fit as I have ever been so of course progress is not going to be super fast anymore.
To add additional challenges, I have PCOS and I don't loose weight easily, but it does happen. It just takes more effort and time than it does for most people since my hormones are synthetic and don't fluctuate naturally, resulting in a slower metabolism. I do, however, exchange fat for muscle pretty easily. Thank you high testosterone?
We all have our challenges. We could use them as excuses, or we could make the most of them and be our very best regardless of the problems we face. I will likely never be a really thin person.70+ percent of women with PCOS end up obese so I feel pretty good to be in a healthy weight range. I WILL, however, be strong. I can develop a muscular build without much difficulty and I enjoy the way that looks on me. I can be happy with that. Super happy in fact.
Over the past two years I have made changes in our family lifestyle to promote my children's health. I didn't do it all at once, but month by month we've gotten closer to the lifestyle that I know will keep us healthy.
I guess what I am saying is that there is no reason to put off getting healthy just because you don't want to overhaul your life right now. Start small. Pick one thing and do it. Go for a walk every evening. Give up sodas on weekdays. Take a weekly fitness class. Eat a handful of fresh veggies before you eat anything else at lunch. Drink a protein shake instead of chocolate milk. Drink skim milk instead of juice. Tell your kids yes next time they ask to go to the park.
If you want to get strong, but don't want to go to a gym, start it at home! Try this if you usually aren't physically active: 10 push-ups x3, and 30 crunches. Tweak numbers so you are genuinely fatigued at the end. Every 3 days add 5 of each. You can do puppy push-ups, girl (knee) pushups, or regular. Once you get good at those, try putting your feet on a ball (basketball, soccer, yoga ball...whatever you have) for extra work. Hate cardio? You can do anything for a minute at a time. Try adding a minute of jumping jacks or burpees before each set of push-ups just to get your body going. Every little bit helps! It will take you 5 minutes, but you will totally see improvement through consistency.
We can totally do this!
For me, both are healthy. I love to workout. I love intense and challenging workouts, but if my afternoon and evening are going to be crazy or stressful it is totally alright with me to miss a morning at the gym. For some people, that doesn't work...for me it is perfect. Most weeks I am at the gym 5-6 days a week for about an hour. There have been a couple weeks where one or both kids weren't feeling well, and rather than going to the gym every night after their bedtime I just took one for the team and only got in 2-3 days. Not a big deal. Healthy.
My results aren't as accelerated as they could be if I was super strict with my exercise or if I put myself on a strict eating plan, but I have no deadlines. I want to be healthy. Everything I am doing is perfectly maintainable...like forever maintainable. I eat well in general, but take most Sundays, holidays, date nights, and family parties off. I don't believe in counting calories, but rather filling my body with whole foods that will fuel muscle growth. Long story short, this isn't a diet to get me somewhere looking like something specific. This is a way of life that I want as my own. It feels good.
I usually do grit classes, spin classes, butts and guts classes, as well as group interval training, and Zumba every week in addition to weights. I am learning so many things and have met some pretty incredible people.
For example, in my Zumba class there are more than 5 people who have lost over 60lbs each doing Zumba. An older woman in my class lost 26lbs and 27 inches in 6 weeks. She is in her 60's and is killing it! The class has developed into this incredible support system for moms! Another woman gave up soda and started 2 classes a week at the gym (Zumba and butts and guts) and 7 months later she is down 50lbs!
Small changes are a big deal!
We were talking about results before butts and guts today and I was getting caught up in everyone's weight loss and was feeling silly that mine wasn't more. Silly me. Weight loss isn't even on my list of goals. The trainer asked me what my results had been like. I told her 2lbs. 2. Not so awesome right? She asked my inches since she has seen a difference in the way I look. -22 since the beginning of December. Not bad. Truthfully that is pretty good! That is down a pants size and a shirt size. I don't have too far to go before I am as fit as I have ever been so of course progress is not going to be super fast anymore.
To add additional challenges, I have PCOS and I don't loose weight easily, but it does happen. It just takes more effort and time than it does for most people since my hormones are synthetic and don't fluctuate naturally, resulting in a slower metabolism. I do, however, exchange fat for muscle pretty easily. Thank you high testosterone?
We all have our challenges. We could use them as excuses, or we could make the most of them and be our very best regardless of the problems we face. I will likely never be a really thin person.70+ percent of women with PCOS end up obese so I feel pretty good to be in a healthy weight range. I WILL, however, be strong. I can develop a muscular build without much difficulty and I enjoy the way that looks on me. I can be happy with that. Super happy in fact.
Over the past two years I have made changes in our family lifestyle to promote my children's health. I didn't do it all at once, but month by month we've gotten closer to the lifestyle that I know will keep us healthy.
I guess what I am saying is that there is no reason to put off getting healthy just because you don't want to overhaul your life right now. Start small. Pick one thing and do it. Go for a walk every evening. Give up sodas on weekdays. Take a weekly fitness class. Eat a handful of fresh veggies before you eat anything else at lunch. Drink a protein shake instead of chocolate milk. Drink skim milk instead of juice. Tell your kids yes next time they ask to go to the park.
If you want to get strong, but don't want to go to a gym, start it at home! Try this if you usually aren't physically active: 10 push-ups x3, and 30 crunches. Tweak numbers so you are genuinely fatigued at the end. Every 3 days add 5 of each. You can do puppy push-ups, girl (knee) pushups, or regular. Once you get good at those, try putting your feet on a ball (basketball, soccer, yoga ball...whatever you have) for extra work. Hate cardio? You can do anything for a minute at a time. Try adding a minute of jumping jacks or burpees before each set of push-ups just to get your body going. Every little bit helps! It will take you 5 minutes, but you will totally see improvement through consistency.
We can totally do this!
