Procrastination

I just read this somewhere else.  I think it had to do with budgeting or something, but as the author stated, it’s certainly a multipurpose issue.

When you commit to something — exercising more, eating better, saving money — it is challenging to stick with it.  Whole forests have been felled in the name of books meant to help us stick to self-improvement promises.

Every time I want to procrastinate about something, I shall now say to myself, “You’re killing a tree.”

I’m not necessarily the biggest tree-hugger that ever lived, but guilt?  Guilt, I can do.

Taking note

Okay, so I’ve not been the most dedicated of people to my fitness regimen in the last … well okay – ever.

I have been keeping with some regular attempts in the last couple of weeks though, so go me.  I haven’t gone nuts, hasn’t been daily or even every other day.  I have, though, tried for a solid 80% of the time to pay better attention to the food and drink that I’ve been putting in my body, drinking more water, not eating as late (well, maybe I should say “as close to when I go to sleep”) – along those lines.

It also has to be noted though that I’ve also taken to sucking down nigh a bottle of wine per week for each of those weeks.  Granted, it’s some great wine, but still – a bit out of my norm for alcohol consumption since, uh, freshman year of college?

So imagine my giggle today to see that I’d dropped 8 pounds in the last 2 weeks between doctor’s visits?

Apparently I need more wine, more chair dancing, less stress, good food, and more FUN in my life.  Who knew?  🙂  It’s a small victory, but today, it felt bloody fantastic.  Not only was a due a little victory, but it was an affirmation of just trying to be better to myself, to actually care for myself, and seeing that pay off.

Go me.  🙂

 

Wake up!

As I sat here finding myself sliding down in my chair (again), my eyelids gaining weight faster than the rest of me (oh, har!), I thought for some reason about one of my favorite movies, “Over the Hedge.”  I’m on a ‘fun’ kick recently, so I’m not all that surprised that this one popped up from the memory banks.

A few clicks later and then repeated clicks to keep going, I was chair dancing – of a variety that absolutely qualifies for aerobic activity; I will be sore later, lol.  Those in cubicle-ville probably can’t do what I just did, but if not, maybe it would be a fun one for some of you (*cough* ladies) to add to your playlists or just to dance around the house to when you feel the need.

In my case, let’s hear it for working at home, and finally, my vastly uneven basement floor finds some usefulness!

Happy Tuesday to You!

(Not for nothing here, but do y’all realize that I just added “Fun” as a category here?  Hmm.  Maybe we need a collective mental adjustment…?)

You Gotta Have Goals

So, what are your workout goals?

1. Not being embarrassed to work out in my actual workout clothes.
2. Not being out of breath by the time I get in place/set up/ready to work out.
3. To actually work out?
4. Not requiring 12 days of rest in between workouts.
5. Not requiring a doctor’s visit, ice, heat, bandage, splint, ultrasound, or physical therapy after a workout.
6. To whine a collective total of not more than 1 hour per workout.
7. To actually work out more than once?
8. To stop swearing at the television screen.
9. To really consider the value of a swear jar before I truly commit to #8.
10. To make this list sound at least slightly more funny than true.

I know:  It’s scary how high I’m aiming here.  I know they all warn against being unrealistic, but I wasn’t sure how to go lower and still have them count as goals!

 

I Feel Bad About My Body

I’ll bet that’s not a title that inspires confidence about this being a cheerful, upbeat post. Well, it ain’t.

I guess, more accurately, that I feel dubious about my body. The thing is, if I hadn’t gotten into such good shape last fall, I wouldn’t be so upset about the way things are now. When I got back from teacher training in October, I was shaved of most fat, and I’d picked up a huge amount of muscle tone in my legs, my arms, my butt, and my abs. (Climbing up a steep trail on the edge of a canyon twice a day, along with hours of yoga every morning and afternoon, will do that to you.) All my clothes were loose. I felt light and quick and strong, and I was over the moon with how I looked and felt.

But of course I couldn’t maintain that. I had other things to do than keeping up my body and doing yoga. I had to work, I had to commute, I had to cook, I had to deal with life. Quickly I got soggy, and even as I fought back feebly with halfhearted aerobics and tough yoga that I really didn’t want to do, I found myself caving more and more to the siren songs of California Tortilla and Chili’s instead of the good food I’d gotten in the habit of making for myself at home. I started buying chips at the grocery store again.

Clowning

One of my favorite bloggers, Linda of From the Back Nine, wrote a post recently about weight and dieting. She closed by saying that she was choosing to go back on the diet wagon again.

Nonetheless, I’m going to put on my flappy feet and strap on my honky horn and clown around once again. Here goes nothing.

This was pretty much exactly how I felt yesterday afternoon, when I jumped around to Kathy Smith for the first time in a couple of months. That time a couple of months ago was the first time probably in almost a year. I’d been keeping fit enough with yoga, but since my life accelerated back in the winter, I haven’t been doing as much or as vigorous yoga. Gradually my hips and waist and bust have expanded, and now what I see in the mirror depresses me. Flab. Here, there, and everywhere.

20 minutes of aerobics and 120 crunches later, I felt better about myself (even though I felt like toxic waste was coming out of my pores, and I thought I was going to throw up the dinner I’d eaten upon coming home from work), but I know that I have a ways to go before I look as slim as I want to look in my wedding dress. “A ways” meaning in this case that I have to eat out even less than I already do, do aerobics at least three or four times a week and possibly every day, and, seriously, get back to the yoga. When I look close to how I looked at the time I came back from teacher training – I don’t expect that I’ll be carved out of wood the way I was then, but I want my pants to be loose, y’all – I will let up, with the understanding that I must maintain that appearance until June 13, 2011.

Wish me luck. Honk honk.

No Equipment Needed

Speaking of discipline…

I am a total exercise (and apparently blogging) slacker, as my lack of posting here will attest.  I tripped over this one today though, and I like it.  Part of why I like it is that there is no equipment required and it could basically be done with the television on in the background, some music, whatever.  My kid can interrupt me (or do it with me), my dog will be thrilled that I’m down on the floor, which will hopefully be more of a pro than a con.

The biggest reason I like these though is that a lot of lower body work tends to put tremendous pressure on the knees, and my knees are shot:  genetics, cheerleading, years of jobs where I stood for 14 hours a day, and, frankly, obesity have all taken a major toll.  Those noises that you hear people’s joints making sometimes?  The crunchy noises?  Those are called crepitations or “joint mice.”  My knees don’t have mice; there’s a 3-ring circus of Rodents Of Unusual Size in there.  So, it’s a very important thing to me to avoid all those damn lunges that are apparently required in virtually every lower body/butt workout ever made.  But not this one!

Find a good wall and check this one out:  No Equipment Needed

20 Minutes with Jillian

So after spending a good amount of time choosing my new scale (who knew how many different styles and price points there were to choose from!), I was all excited to get home and try it out. Until that is, I actually stepped on it. Um. Apparently when I reported weighing 153 the other day, I was rounding down. WAY down. And while this is a place for honesty and venting and all that, I don’t feel comfortable with sharing yet. Maybe after a few weeks when I’ve made some progress, yes. Right now – no. Hell no.

However. If there was ever motivation to start the 30-Day Shred, I can truthfully say that was it. You know how they say you don’t start to get better until you’ve hit rock bottom? Yeah, well I’ve hit rock top. After I saw what the scale said, I immediately put my hair into a ponytail, slapped the reliable old sneakers on and told Jillian to bring it on, baby.

Of course that’s the last memory I have before waking up on the floor out of a complete blackout. Kidding. But not by much. I’m very glad Brian wasn’t home to witness this spectacle; it was bad enough the dog watched the entire time, because it wasn’t pretty. I now know what everyone meant when they described it as a religious or near death experience. Holy shit. I’m sitting here red-faced, sweaty and trembling, wondering if I’m going to have any motor function tomorrow.

I can see where after doing this for a month you see results. In fact, I’m counting on it. In the meantime – Jillian you dirty whore, I will see you again tomorrow. I can hardly wait.