Today seems as good as any day to begin by telling you what my average week is like, fitness wise.
I will preface this with stating I am not a professional, I don't have any professional knowledge that you should take from this and hold up as the be-all-end-all fitness wisdom, but I do what works for me, and sometimes it's nice to have someone who you can relate to about fitness, as I am very much so your average, every day woman.
(on a side note, calling myself a woman is the weirdest thing ever. I'm still just a little girl....)
OKAY, go.
So, typically, I try and "exercise" 5 days a week. I say "exercise" because my weekends consist of physical activity, but I look at it completely different. Hiking, for example, is something I do for fun, that also happens to be getting my body moving. That being said however, when working out, try and find things that you enjoy doing, even for those "exercise" days. Doing a workout that is totally mind numbing may be doing great things for your body, but your mind will be screaming at you.
I wake every morning and do at least 30 minutes of the bike, usually while watching a show (cranked volume so I can hear it over my crazy peddling) or listening to music. I at least try and bike once every day. If I don't get up in the morning to do it, I know that I will have to do it when I get home from work, and I prefer to do it to start my day, get the energy that I know I will get after doing it, and then know that my evenings at home are going to be relatively (I do have 3 pets....haha) relaxing. They suggest doing 30-60 minutes of cardio 3-5 times a week. I do at least 30 minutes biking, and with the addition of having a fitbit now, I try and walk laps while at work. I have the benefit of working at a store that we've just opened, so customer traffic can be sparse at certain times of the day. If I notice my step count is low, I will walk around the store (counting my steps to keep my brain occupied and not bored!) until I feel like I've walked a decent amount of steps. That often times can add up to another 20 minutes of cardio right there. I'm not just strolling, I try and have a fairly decent pace going.
I also try and do at least 1 circuit training session every day. So on Mondays for example, I do this awesome circuit session I found on the Color Run or Happy 5k website. That's an awesome website withs LOADS of information on their blog about running (Which I don't do, I'll get to that later....) but also about other workouts that you can do alone, or use to supplement a work out. Today, for example, I did 3 sets of 10 chair dips, 3 sets of 10 pushups, 3 sets of 10 triangle push ups, 3 sets of 30 arm circles, 3 sets of 75 hip thrusts, 3 sets of 30 second planks (regular, and then side planks each side) and then 3 sets of 30 crunches.
I also change it up daily, so tomorrow will be focusing on my lower half, abs, glutes, and legs.
Sometimes, I will do my own circuit, or like today, I added in leg lifts, bicycle crunches, lifted leg crunches, and 90 degree crunches. It took me no more than 25 minutes to do the set, and I left sweaty and feeling great afterwards.
I haven't been doing these for that long, and it's a process that is still really in it's beginning phases. However, I noticed my strength and stamina changing within the first full week of dedicating myself to this workout schedule. Funny thing is, once you do it for at least 21 days, it starts to become a habit. It's now something I just know is part of my day, and if I don't do it, I don't guilt myself, but I actually feel like I'm missing out on something.
It's true what they say, there is a high that you get after working out, and it's totally addictive. At least it's the good kind of addiction, right? ;)
Another thing that has to be mentioned, is proper eating. I noticed almost immediately the change that happens when you start substituting the pop, and sugars from your day with the natural healthy sugars, and complex foods that I eat now.
To say I have an issue with diet soda's is a total understatement. It all started in high school when I decided any calorie was bad, and obviously that meant drinking empty calories was a no-no. I will still try not to drink my calories, because I LOVE food so much, but if you're going to drink pop....drink regular pop. Seriously. Aspartame is such an addictive chemical, and I still struggle with it. I have been aspartame free now for quite some time, but I know how easy it is for me to fall off the band wagon. One bad day, and I can go back to drinking one, if not more bottles of Diet Pepsi a day...So, If I can offer you anything, don't drink aspartame!
Also, healthy eating is not going to just happen overnight. Don't beat yourself up for enjoying a piece of pizza every once in a while, or a bag of popcorn. I believe in the 80/20 method of eating, where I eat my best 80 percent of the time, then 20 percent of the time (so if you eat 3 meals a day, that's 5 meals a week, not bad!) you can have a cheat meal. That usually happens on the weekends for me, as that's when I'm more prone to be with friends, out for drinks, etc. etc.
Make small changes, gradually. A wise woman once told my mother "Everything in moderation, even moderation." We can't expect to be good at gradually phasing things out if it's the first time we've started thinking about healthier options. We may still get caught by the cookie train, or the beer bus. (Lol) We started with switching our regular "brown" bread for multigrain, no added sugar, bread. It's delicious and fills you up for much longer. I now eat oatmeal and fruit for breakfast, instead of no breakfast at all (another one, don't skip meals...) and we always have a lean protein and veggies for our dinner.
If you like carbs, find a healthier way to eat them. If you like sugar, eat more fruits with naturally occurring sugars. If you really like meat, opt for lean proteins, such as lean beef, turkey, or chicken. OR even better, fish. But, I can't stand fish, so that's chicken for me ;)
I don't have a rippling 6-pack, but I have a tighter, more toned abdomen, a perkier butt, and super sexy legs. Its all a work in progress, and I try my damnedest not to get discouraged by all the other health blogs out there. You know the ones, where they tell you everything you NEED TO BE DOING RIGHT NOW, to lose that extra 10 lbs, or how what you're eating isn't helping your weight loss goals.
When I first started losing weight, it started with portion changes, and just being more mindful about the kind of food I was putting into my mouth. I wasn't eating quinoa with every meal, and substituting bread for cauliflower. That's all well and good, and maybe one day I will do that if I decide to. But, what I do works for me and my body. I feel healthier, I look better, and I have more energy.
I'd say that's pretty successful if you ask me :) It's all the journey, not just the destination, and I am enjoying every minute of it.
I will preface this with stating I am not a professional, I don't have any professional knowledge that you should take from this and hold up as the be-all-end-all fitness wisdom, but I do what works for me, and sometimes it's nice to have someone who you can relate to about fitness, as I am very much so your average, every day woman.
(on a side note, calling myself a woman is the weirdest thing ever. I'm still just a little girl....)
OKAY, go.
So, typically, I try and "exercise" 5 days a week. I say "exercise" because my weekends consist of physical activity, but I look at it completely different. Hiking, for example, is something I do for fun, that also happens to be getting my body moving. That being said however, when working out, try and find things that you enjoy doing, even for those "exercise" days. Doing a workout that is totally mind numbing may be doing great things for your body, but your mind will be screaming at you.
I wake every morning and do at least 30 minutes of the bike, usually while watching a show (cranked volume so I can hear it over my crazy peddling) or listening to music. I at least try and bike once every day. If I don't get up in the morning to do it, I know that I will have to do it when I get home from work, and I prefer to do it to start my day, get the energy that I know I will get after doing it, and then know that my evenings at home are going to be relatively (I do have 3 pets....haha) relaxing. They suggest doing 30-60 minutes of cardio 3-5 times a week. I do at least 30 minutes biking, and with the addition of having a fitbit now, I try and walk laps while at work. I have the benefit of working at a store that we've just opened, so customer traffic can be sparse at certain times of the day. If I notice my step count is low, I will walk around the store (counting my steps to keep my brain occupied and not bored!) until I feel like I've walked a decent amount of steps. That often times can add up to another 20 minutes of cardio right there. I'm not just strolling, I try and have a fairly decent pace going.
I also try and do at least 1 circuit training session every day. So on Mondays for example, I do this awesome circuit session I found on the Color Run or Happy 5k website. That's an awesome website withs LOADS of information on their blog about running (Which I don't do, I'll get to that later....) but also about other workouts that you can do alone, or use to supplement a work out. Today, for example, I did 3 sets of 10 chair dips, 3 sets of 10 pushups, 3 sets of 10 triangle push ups, 3 sets of 30 arm circles, 3 sets of 75 hip thrusts, 3 sets of 30 second planks (regular, and then side planks each side) and then 3 sets of 30 crunches.
I also change it up daily, so tomorrow will be focusing on my lower half, abs, glutes, and legs.
Sometimes, I will do my own circuit, or like today, I added in leg lifts, bicycle crunches, lifted leg crunches, and 90 degree crunches. It took me no more than 25 minutes to do the set, and I left sweaty and feeling great afterwards.
I haven't been doing these for that long, and it's a process that is still really in it's beginning phases. However, I noticed my strength and stamina changing within the first full week of dedicating myself to this workout schedule. Funny thing is, once you do it for at least 21 days, it starts to become a habit. It's now something I just know is part of my day, and if I don't do it, I don't guilt myself, but I actually feel like I'm missing out on something.
It's true what they say, there is a high that you get after working out, and it's totally addictive. At least it's the good kind of addiction, right? ;)
Another thing that has to be mentioned, is proper eating. I noticed almost immediately the change that happens when you start substituting the pop, and sugars from your day with the natural healthy sugars, and complex foods that I eat now.
To say I have an issue with diet soda's is a total understatement. It all started in high school when I decided any calorie was bad, and obviously that meant drinking empty calories was a no-no. I will still try not to drink my calories, because I LOVE food so much, but if you're going to drink pop....drink regular pop. Seriously. Aspartame is such an addictive chemical, and I still struggle with it. I have been aspartame free now for quite some time, but I know how easy it is for me to fall off the band wagon. One bad day, and I can go back to drinking one, if not more bottles of Diet Pepsi a day...So, If I can offer you anything, don't drink aspartame!
Also, healthy eating is not going to just happen overnight. Don't beat yourself up for enjoying a piece of pizza every once in a while, or a bag of popcorn. I believe in the 80/20 method of eating, where I eat my best 80 percent of the time, then 20 percent of the time (so if you eat 3 meals a day, that's 5 meals a week, not bad!) you can have a cheat meal. That usually happens on the weekends for me, as that's when I'm more prone to be with friends, out for drinks, etc. etc.
Make small changes, gradually. A wise woman once told my mother "Everything in moderation, even moderation." We can't expect to be good at gradually phasing things out if it's the first time we've started thinking about healthier options. We may still get caught by the cookie train, or the beer bus. (Lol) We started with switching our regular "brown" bread for multigrain, no added sugar, bread. It's delicious and fills you up for much longer. I now eat oatmeal and fruit for breakfast, instead of no breakfast at all (another one, don't skip meals...) and we always have a lean protein and veggies for our dinner.
If you like carbs, find a healthier way to eat them. If you like sugar, eat more fruits with naturally occurring sugars. If you really like meat, opt for lean proteins, such as lean beef, turkey, or chicken. OR even better, fish. But, I can't stand fish, so that's chicken for me ;)
I don't have a rippling 6-pack, but I have a tighter, more toned abdomen, a perkier butt, and super sexy legs. Its all a work in progress, and I try my damnedest not to get discouraged by all the other health blogs out there. You know the ones, where they tell you everything you NEED TO BE DOING RIGHT NOW, to lose that extra 10 lbs, or how what you're eating isn't helping your weight loss goals.
When I first started losing weight, it started with portion changes, and just being more mindful about the kind of food I was putting into my mouth. I wasn't eating quinoa with every meal, and substituting bread for cauliflower. That's all well and good, and maybe one day I will do that if I decide to. But, what I do works for me and my body. I feel healthier, I look better, and I have more energy.
I'd say that's pretty successful if you ask me :) It's all the journey, not just the destination, and I am enjoying every minute of it.
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