Rewarding Wednesdays :: Part II

We ended last week with what motivated me to begin modifying my lifestyle to be healthier. This week we’ll cover what immediately became my most pressing change.

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Obviously, with my vocation, I sit a lot throughout the day. My biggest hindrance for the past decade has been my occupation: sitting at the sewing machines for up to 18hrs a day. Not good. The sedentary aspect of my job was unfortunately coupled with my never being active growing up. I didn’t play sports, take dance, or maintain an active hobby as a child.. and those habits followed me straight into adulthood. I didn’t know what it meant to have a truly active lifestyle. I already felt “behind”.

Enter EXERCISE. This has, undoubtedly, been my biggest change.

When I began working out, I started with P90X. You may know this program to be extreme but really, it’s just old-school moves with lots of repetitions. It’s totally worked for me. During my first round of P90X, I got the itch to try something else. I began a c25k (couch to 5k- Google it) and at the urging of a dear friend, went to a specialized running store to be fitted for my first pair of true running shoes- NOT those generic Nike’s that you think fit your foot nicely at Dicks.


I highly recommend going to a running store: they’ll analyze your gait, measure both your feet, consider any past injuries, fit you for custom arch supports, and recommend shoes just for your feet. (I endured a week-long trip to Disney with plantar fasciitis several years ago that would have been bearable with shoes tailored to my needs). They have totally been worth the investment because I’m not frustrated nearly as much as I was with my previous generic Nikes. Less frustration = more success. When my feet would tire with those old tennies, I always thought it was simply because I was out of shape. Not true! Those generic shoes were just not helping my foot issues, so my feet tired pretty fast. Shoes can make all the difference. And if your feet are feeling good, your legs generally will as well. Please note: I’m not bashing Nike- they have great products. I’m just suggesting that a custom-fit shoe is best:) There are several brands to choose from and you’ll likely become brand-loyal once you try them all on your feet.

 

You don’t have to be into running to buy shoes from a running store, either. If you’re out of shape, go walk a couple miles around your local running track and see how sore your feet are afterward. Specialized tennies won’t prevent foot aches and pains, but they’ll definitely keep your tootsies way more comfortable for longer periods of time. It really makes sense.. we do everything with our feet; they’re the core of our mobility. I’m totally sold out for having the most comfortable anything, haha! When I began exercising, I was so uncomfortable and had such little endurance that, anything that improved my success – anything that helped me get “where” I was headed – was worth it to me.

 

Because I have led a pretty sedentary lifestyle up til now, I was most interested in strengthening my core. Your core is the center of your body- where the bulk of your strength should be. The stomach, abs, thighs, glutes and back. There are tons of exercises you can do at home- you don’t absolutely have to have a gym or special equipment. If you’d like ideas, shoot me an email. You can also look online for core exercises. Some of my favorite workouts are 20-minute cardio videos on YouTube.

 

When you’re overweight and are first starting out with an exercise plan, nothing feels right. Everything tires you and it can be so darn frustrating. I get that. My hubbie has always been a runner and encouraged me to try running in a cemetery: no traffic, occasional hills, but mainly no traffic. On one particular day, our 13yo daughter joined me (she’s always been hugely into fitness and exercise) and she was so excited about being my encouragement. I had installed a C25K app on my phone that gave voice prompts for when to walk, when to run. Since I had just begun learning to run (isn’t it crazy that we have to teach our bodies to run?), I was walking way more than running. I could barely run for 30 seconds straight. I remember Anna Kate saying, “Come on, Mom, you can do this, just 10 more seconds!” or “Mom, you’re almost there, push through, you’ve got this!”. What she couldn’t feel was the crazy I-can’t-move-another-inch-burning in my calves, and she didn’t know what it was like to experience the I’ve-had-two-babies-and-my-bladder’s-not-what-it-used-to-be trickle… if you get my drift. I was extremely frustrated with my body’s inability to do what I wanted to do. I was DONE. TOAST. OVER it all!! I pitched a fit in the middle of the cemetery and literally plopped into my car, headed home, and cried the rest of the night. I had a homegrown pity party that night and felt so sorry for my ridiculous fat self. The next day, I thanked Anna Kate profusely for believing in me (when I didn’t believe in myself) and hugged her for as long as she’d let me.

 

We laugh hysterically about it now, but I never want to go back to that day. It sucked eggs. However, I now use that day as a reference for how far I’ve come. My running is still not all that great- I struggle with stamina and strength but here’s the deal: I’m trying. I get out there and move. I still have another 20-30 pounds until I hit “maintenance mode” and while I won’t have to work out like a beast every.single.day, I’ll still have to move. Every day. It can be walking, hiking at your local park, whatever.

 

I was so excited on Black Friday last year. As far as women go, I’m not a big shopper (the hubs would say I can still spend money with the best of ‘em lol). But my teenagers and their friends wanted to go immerse themselves in the midnight craziness. I should also tell you that our kids are the bomb-diggity. They’re 13 and 16, and have the best sense of humor. Absolutely hilarious and we actually like spending time with them. Andrew, especially, keeps us in stitches for the better part of his waking hours. He’s so dry and subtle, if you blink, you could miss it. Sorry, had to say all that!! Back to Black Friday. So, we all ventured out to the big box chains and mostly people-watched. But.. on the back aisle at Target – on clearance – I found a weighted jump rope. Who knew this little sucker could bring me so much instant gratification?! The jump rope was my big Black Friday purchase and she’s been so good to us:) We had lots of fun that night, too!! On days that it’s rainy outside and I don’t feel like suiting up in plastic/vinyl rainproof whatever, I’ll jump for a bit in the garage. Super easy and it’s great cardio.

 

When I started working out I used P90X, which is a video series that I could do at home. I liked the idea of having privacy while I was still uncomfortable in my own skin. The only drawback was not having a friend to work out with. Most of our friends work out at the local YMCA and I would highly recommend that regardless of where you work out, that you find someone else to be accountable. It really helps to have a friend (or spouse) who will call you out and be real with you when you miss a day. Or two or three. Don’t get upset with that friend when she reminds you of what you should be doing- and if she’s not holding you accountable, replace her. This is your life, your health. Anyone can stay fat.. If getting fit were easy, everyone would be doing it:)

 

Here are some important points about exercise and losing weight:

* Be consistent. If you plan to work out 3x/wk, then work out 3x/wk. Whatever your plan, stick to it.

* Find an accountability partner

* If you’re exercising to lose weight, you need both cardio and strength-training workouts. Get that heart rate  UP!

 

Most of us are encouraged when we see results, so I’ll share a little of mine with you. I changed my life (I say this in all seriousness) on August 25th, 2011 and now have six months under my belt. In the grand scheme of things, that’s not a lot of time. But I’ve seen HUGE results since then. I’ve dropped 6 clothing sizes and 45 pounds so far. I took “before” photos and it makes me sad to look back at them and know that I lived like that:(  Be sure you take waist/chest/hip measurements; I think those are even more telling than what the scale says.. One of the most exciting things is that when I dropped 3 pant sizes, I had to get a new pair of jeans. I’ve dropped another 3 sizes since, and those jeans literally fall off my hips now. LOVE that. You can find a little motivational inspiration on my Healthier Living board on Pinterest.

 

Next week, I’ll chat about food. Be forewarned, you will NOT like the next post because it’s gonna step ALL over your toes. Just sayin’. It will even hurt my feelings to write it!! I appreciate everyone’s comments, texts, emails, etc so much. I take the good with the bad and we’re all a work in progress. Hope this helps you in some small way:)

 

Love you guys,