Exercise Update

This past week I've been trying out running. I never thought I'd like it...but I do! I should've listened to Emily all those months ago, but I guess I just had to find it in my own time.

This week has been a starter week, but I'm proud of where I am. I haven't run a mile since high school, where my times were anywhere between 9 and 11 minutes. This week I've been running two miles in thirty minutes and my average speed has been about a 4. All in all I'd say that's pretty good!

I figure I'll start off three days a week and start doing more days if I feel like it. I have a small inkling my legs will appreciate the days off I'm giving myself. :-).

Oh and P.S. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving with their loved ones! :-)

Starting Over

Earlier this year I tried out the P90 workout system.  My Near Years goal was to become more toned and to lose a little bit of weight.  I was doing really well with it and I was looking and feeling great, but then I came down with what I believe was the flu and never picked it up after that.  The workouts consisted of six days rotating cardio and weight training which I found to be boring after a while.  I pushed myself to workout, but I was not enjoying it at all.  Even though I was happy with the results I was tired of the same routine day after day.  I like changing it up and I just wasn't getting it with this program.

I've been saying for a while that I wanted to get back into an exercise routine.  I tried doing P90 again but it wasn't enjoyable.  You've got to have fun with what you're doing or you won't make it into a routine.  This time I started slowly.  I've been watching my serving sizes and making sure I'm substituting heavier ingredients with healthier ones.  I've been trying to eat five small meals a day instead of three big ones and drinking more water.  I've also found that I feel so much better and have so much more energy throughout the day!

The next step was to find an exercise program that I liked and could see myself doing for a while.  Thanks to Pinterest (I say that a lot!  haha!) I found a link to this site called Bodyrocks.tv.  You do different workouts every day that consists of cardio and weight training, and they take about 20 minutes to do.  I love them!  If you don't have the equipment they do in the videos they give you alternative workouts and you can be anywhere from beginner to advanced!  I started at the beginning of the week and I'm super excited to do a new routine every day!  Unfortunately, my legs are so sore today (I can barely walk!) that I think I should take a break.  I probably pushed myself way too hard but...that's okay though because I will just pick up where I left off tomorrow!  

What do I want as I go through this process?

• I want to lose weight and tone up.  Right after high school I was 103 pounds and now I weigh 126.  Can't believe I just told the world this but maybe this will push me to change it.  (and yes I know that everyone changes after high school...trust me!) My goal weight is going to be between 115 and 120.
• I want to take care of my body and make sure that I am doing everything I can to ensure that I am healthy in the future.
• I want to enjoy exercising and taking care of myself!  (that's the most important one...loosing weight is just icing on the cake!)
• I hope that I will be able to motivate others who are struggling with exercising and encourage them to find something they enjoy!  

What I don't want to happen:

• I don't want to give up sweets and other yummy foods that are bad for you (everything in moderation!).  
• I don't want to loose my motivation or get bored easily.
• I don't want to get discouraged if I hit a plateau during this process.
• I don't want to get discouraged if I gain a few pounds here and there.  That is all part of the process and I shouldn't starve or punish myself if that happens. 

So...I am asking everyone I know to push me towards my goal.  I'll need lots of support and encouragement throughout this journey.  I realize that if I do not enjoy what I'm doing then I won't be motivated to continue exercising so I am going to try to do everything I can to make sure I am enjoying myself!  I am going to write updates every week to keep track of how I'm doing, share my triumphs and hardships, and to encourage myself!  Even when I do not feel like I'm making any progress I can look back and say..."wow!  Look at all I've accomplished up to this point!"