Over the past month and a half, I decided to recommit myself to being healthy. The pivotal moment - stepping on the scale at the doctor's office and realizing that I have gained over 20 pounds in the last two years. Yikes! Also, it was getting expensive buying a new wardrobe each year so that I had clothes to fit over my expanding waistline and thighs. So I decided to stop making excuses and start making changes!
The exercise part of the healthy lifestyle equation is not all that new for me. My biggest issue in the past has been boredom with my current exercise routine, so I am trying variety this time. My main program right now is Insanity by Beachbody - by far the most difficult exercise program I have ever done! I am also mixing in a day or two of running each week, a P90x DVD now and then, and using the Nike Training Club app on my iPod. By not being tied to a specific workout each day, I have found it easier to motivate myself because I can choose the workout that I feel like doing that day. It also makes it easier when I am traveling because I have so many options to choose from that I have been able to stick with the workouts even when I am not home.
So I had the exercise part down, but the diet issue has always been a struggle. I have never been a fan of short term diets because I don't see how they can have successful long term outcomes. Instead, I believe in making small lifestyle changes to turn an unhealthy diet into regular good food choices. In using the p90x and Insanity programs in the past, I never followed the eating plans. Over the last few years, I began to notice that even when I was following my exercise plans, I was having a harder time slimming down, so I finally realized that I needed to start keeping track of what I am eating. All I can say is WOW! I downloaded the My Fitness Pal app to help track calories, and have been using it for about a month now. I never realized how much I was eating on a daily basis, especially when eating out (which I was doing way too often!) For me, just being aware of the amount that I am eating is helping me make better choices on a daily basis. And so far the results are speaking for themselves. I am down over 5 pounds and no longer need the size 10 pants that I bought back in January!
One last thing that I am doing to help stay on track is using social media to share my progress. I have been tweeting my daily workouts for the past couple weeks. I don't know why, but simply putting it out there for others to see makes me feel slightly more motivated to continue. If you have gotten this far, you can see I have also decided to start blogging about my journey. My hope is that I can motivate others to take a few steps on their own journeys. But if nothing else, it will help me stay accountable to myself.
Here's hoping I can keep it up!
My progress so far: (since 3/15/11)
Weight loss - 6.5 lbs
