Fitness Followup - One Month in to 2014!

As I sat down to write this blog today, I came to terms with myself that there are probably thousands of blogs geared toward weight loss, working out, and keeping inspiration going. It is now February 1st - a whole month has passed since about 90% of the population makes resolutions to eat right, work out, and stay on track. My question to you is, are you still sticking to your resolution? As stated, a month has progressed.... 4 weeks.... Take a second to think about what you told yourself at the turn of the new year.

That brings me to my next point -

"Dedication is doing what you said you would do long after the mood you said it in has passed."

This means that you have to stick with working out like you told yourself on December 31st. The "I'm too tired" excuses need to be kicked out of the window. Some people choose to workout early before they go to work, others do it in the evenings and on weekends. I personally do it after work and hit it hard on the weekends.... Am I tired after I get home from work? YOU BET.

Personally, I don't ever set a New Year's Resolution. May 10, 2014 will be my year anniversary of working out regularly, and by regularly I mean 4-5 days a week for 30+ minutes. Of course I had a few off weeks in the mix, but I didn't let those set me back for my over all work out plan. Why do you need January 1st to make a lifestyle change? Hell, if we're going to get down to it, why even wait for a Monday? I hear so many people say "My diet starts Monday..." Why? Why not today? Why not now? There's no rule saying you have to start on a certain day.

There is an office competition going on at work that started after the new year. It is a "Biggest Loser" contest where participants weigh in every Thursday and the nutritionist in our office takes a percentage of total body weight loss. She tallies it up by that, and the top three will win a cash prize. I'm not taking part in the contest. Many have asked me why, seeing as I've developed an excellent workout routine I've been on since May. My answer is simply this - I do NOT believe in stepping on the scale. Before I get too far into why, let me just clarify a myth that I hear so many people saying.... Muscle does NOT weight more than fat - a pound is a pound whether it's feathers or bricks.... It is just a lot more dense and does not take up near as much space.... Which in turn means if you're working out, you're toning muscle and replacing fat cells. Some people's weight does not change, and in some cases, even goes up, yet it is quite obvious that they are not as "big" as they used to be. Don't even get me started on how much I disagree with the BMI chart.... that's a blog for another day! Long story short, it makes athletes look obese when it is quite obvious they're not even close to it!

Here is a good picture of the comparison, so I'll let you come to your own conclusions. Anyway, going back to the contest at work... I hear so many grumblings and disappointment on Thursday mornings after people weigh in. Some are discouraged by the fact that their weight hasn't changed or gone up. I ask them if they've been working out - most say yes. Hmm... call me crazy, but I think my hatred of the scale is justified - these people who haven't changed in weight (but have obviously lost some inches) claim they just want to give up. Why? We are 4 weeks into the contest.... It didn't take 4 weeks (in most cases) to gain the weight... why the heck would it only take 4 weeks to start losing inches?? If it were that easy, I wouldn't be sitting here today typing about people bailing on their weight loss and workout resolutions.... everyone would do it without breaking a sweat!

If you want a great way to track your progress, measure yourself. Do NOT get on the scale. Another good judge is how your clothes are fitting. Go by that. The scale does NOT define you or your progress.

Why go on this rant of the horrible scale you might have tucked somewhere in your bathroom? It stems back to new years resolutions and how people are so quick to give up. A lot of it can be blamed on people getting on that scale and not liking the number that pops up. Throw the damn thing away! I dread Thursday mornings when so many people get down on themselves. We are only 4 weeks in. I think maybe they should go by inches lost and not even worry about the scale.

I've made great progress on my workout journey. I'd state how many pounds are gone, but like I said, I won't step on the scale. It'll totally make the sky fall on me and I'm not going to do that to myself. All I know is this - when I first started, I couldn't run a complete mile. I would tell myself 30 minutes or 2 miles (with walking added in), whichever comes first.... Now I look down at my watch and am well over 2 miles when I hit the thirty minute mark.... and I don't stop there. I consider 2 miles a very short distance and most days, use it as a warm up before I pick the intensity up. If I could do it.... you can too!

One last thing before I go... and keep this in mind on days where you feel like a busted tube of biscuits -

Give it more than 12 weeks. A year from now you'll wish you started today! Back to the first sentence of this blog - I'm totally aware of how many blogs are out there pertaining to this - Do I care? Not that there's already a ton - I'll care more if this could reach at least one person and give them that boost.

Do What You Do

 

I’ve learned that a lot of people don’t know this general fact about me – I’m a runner. Just to be clear… I’m not a major track star and have never claimed to be, but I love how it makes me feel! Back in my high school days I ran cross country and man, I’d kill to be able to run how I did back then. Regardless, I’ve been on a good routine since the beginning of May – I invested in a heart rate monitor and watch that allows me to keep track of my runs as well as how many calories I’m burning and my target heart rate zones.

I know many work out professionals say not to harp on the numbers. Don’t weigh yourself, don’t look at the calories…. Blah blah blah. But then you have some individuals who tell you to look at that stuff, so it’s a constant circle of do’s and don’ts that the runner gets so confused by. Personally, I just do what I do and stick to what I have planned for myself. I like to track calories just to gauge how much effort I’m putting into the work. I do NOT look at the scale, seeing as muscle weighs more than fat and people who are exercising get so discouraged when they hop on and see the number climbing, rather than getting smaller. To those who have done this, remember that your fat is being replaced by muscle, and muscle means you are toning up. Always go by inches lost, not weight lost. This is another reason I cannot stand the BMI scale, because athletes always fall into the ‘overweight’ or ‘obese’ category, and that is definitely NOT true!

To get to my point – You just have to do what makes you happy. Hop on that scale, count the calories, whatever floats your boat. Just don’t get discouraged a few weeks in when things aren’t going the way you had hoped. You have to be realistic about your goals. You aren’t going to lose two pants sizes in a week.  I’ve seen this inspirational picture flying all over Facebook lately that says:

It takes four weeks for you to notice a change,

8 weeks for your friends and family,

And 12 for the rest of the world.

KEEP GOING

I know this can be easier said than done, and I’ve had moments where I have to ask questions. I am definitely seeing a more fit person in the mirror, and people are even asking me what I’m doing. And it’s the end of July, so yes, it does take time.

On a side note, back to when I was talking about doing what makes you happy, I have to mention people in this town and their reaction to seeing someone running on the side of the road. They act like I’m some alien. Rather than slow down for the pedestrian, they speed up. Today I was jogging on a country road (I have my phone and pepper spray with me for security), some dude in a white car drives by and honks. I just have to tell myself that I’m out there, capable of doing what I do. If people want to frown down on my hobby, let ‘em! I do this for me. My confidence has been up and I’m wearing amazing clothing and feeling amazing in them! As for the guy who honked… should I be flattered? I –am- that hot chick out there keeping her figure a 10! Hah, just kidding… I’m not NEAR that arrogant!

Whoever stumbles across this blog, I hope you find success in whatever it is you choose to do, whether it be working out, writing, or whatever your hobby may be. Stick with whatever it is. Just like everything in life, it takes time!