2 Activity Points is NOTHING. That is a 20 minute walk. I'm kidding myself that I don't have time. I'm not TAKING the time. I'm not making it a habit.
That's how I was successful on WW before and I forgot. It was being as diligent as I could with tracking and getting a little bit of activity when I could. I never went crazy -- I just walked on my breaks and lunches. Started getting a little bit of weight lifting in. I did it in my work clothes and yes, I got sweaty when I was at work.
So? I looked a lot better -- hell, I was pretty hot.
Here's where part of the motivation came in -- another textversation! Friend says that she wants to work out but can't afford the gym. I start sending suggestions. If it's too hot to walk outside (and it's no joke -- mad respect for those outdoor running nutjobs), then why not mall walk? Or rent DVDs to work out inside. Or Nike has a My Fitness App that is free. I got a blow off, basically.
And then later it hit me -- I'm not even taking my own advice. I'm kvetching because I haven't had time to go to the gym since Tuesday, but that's an excuse. Okay, I won't get 7 or 8 activity points without working hard at the gym - but does that mean that I should just not get anything? That doesn't compute. I can't believe I fell into my same old routine of "I want to go run around the block and lose 10 lbs" that contributed to my slow weight loss to begin with.
No more. I'm taking a page out of my inspiring WW friend's page and when I don't go to the gym, I'm going to exercise in other ways. I stole her idea to do a step routine in my living room tonight. I'm not as hard core as she is -- I just did 30 minutes. But still, that is 30 minutes of exercise that I wasn't going to get otherwise.
The bottom line is the balance -- it is my new mantra. I'm married to a Libra -- I'm not one!
I need to be as diligent as possible with tracking and I need to make sure I'm getting just a little bit of activity in every day. I think as long as I can stick to that I am going to see more consistent downward results.
I am going to try to stay accountable by reporting about it here. Keep me honest and poke me when I don't have something up!
Thanks again friends for inspiring me -- let's get going!
Heather
Yay, I'm so happy for you! Once you make a commitment to do something every day, no matter how small, you are finally experiencing a breakthrough. Being active becomes more like brushing your teeth or eating breakfast -- not so much an amazing feat, but an integral part of your life. It's actually so much easier to be active once you commit to it every day, because then you don't end up in these daily debates of "will I or won't I?". In essence you BECOME an active person, and then you find yourself making the time because "that's just what I do".
ReplyDeleteWhen I made the commitment to start working out every day, it was a relief in so many ways. Because you don't have a choice. I had backup plans for my backup plans. I had a plan for what to do when the gym was closed, what to do when it rained, what to do when I was injured, what to do when I forgot a crucial item of clothing. Once I even worked out with no bra, but a bathing suit underneath my shirt.
I'm not saying you have to work out every day, but you may surprise yourself. Once you commit to 2 activity points a day, and you see that it can be done, you may decide to make the leap. Or try the holiday challenge that got me started on everyday workouts to begin with: work out everyday from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day. In that timeframe it has already become a habit and it feels so good you don't want to stop.
Incidentally, I had a New Year's Resolution of working out every day for a year, and I wrote an X on a calendar every day. I think I missed about 2 or 3 days a month. Then I got pregnant and although I definitely don't work out every day, I am still in the habit of reviewing my day in my head and trying to see if I was at least active (doing housework, walking up a lot of stairs). So even if life happens, once you establish an every day habit, you will still have the mentality of an active person while you're waiting for your life to get back on track.
So proud of you!!
Good luck. I love WW, I have been on Weight Watchers since March and am down 35 pounds :) Its the only thing that ever works for me. I am in a size jeans right now that I haven't seen since...well, before I got married anyway :)
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