I have alluded to my new exercise routine in the previous couple of posts, but never fully explained it. I think we last saw each other consistently in November, and a lot has changed since then. I have been trying to get into regular exercise since October. I didn't belong to the gym because I cancelled the membership after realizing I had been 3 times in 7 or 8 months. At $50 a month, that's a huge waste of money. I had gained 20 pounds (!!!!!) after the shooting at Target, and I desperately wanted, (want,) it gone. I decided I could work out at home with some DVDs and it would be the easiest thing ever. I went and bought 2 Jillian DVDs.. No More Trouble Zones and Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism.
I actually really enjoyed NMTZ. The moves were challenging and left me feeling sore, which meant it was doing something for me. However, this is mainly a weight lifting DVD. I wasn't really getting any cardio and we had a really cold winter for NC so I wasn't wanting to do much outside. I decided to buy BFBM. Let me just say, this DVD is not for me. I cried on two separate occasions because I never felt more out of shape in my entire life. I never made it through the entire DVD at one time. Because of the huge discouraging feeling I was getting from doing it, the workouts got less and less consistent and I eventually stopped. I was even bored with NMTZ because after a while, it gets to be like watching the same TV show over and over again. Some people can do really well with at-home workouts. I'm not one of them.
Christmas and New Years came and went with pictures that I would prefer to burn and never see again. There was not one single picture I saw of myself that I felt good about. Not to mention, my clothes no longer fit. I knew something needed to be done, and I wasn't motivating myself enough at home. After thinking and budgeting and thinking some more, I decided to re-join the gym and try to make the 6 am morning classes. Let me just say again.. I am NOT a morning person. I wasn't sure this would work at all, but I decided to give it a try and if it didn't work out, at least I hadn't signed a contract this time. My membership is now month to month. The location of my beloved gym had actually changed and it was now 1.6 miles from my apartment. This was important because since Jay and I still live together, and he still needs my car to get to his overnight shift at work, I don't have my car at 6am. This meant I would need to get up and walk. Insane right? But I was on a mission to do something about my weight, and I am never in the mood to work out after work, so I had to give mornings a try. I actually did it. I woke up at 5am every morning and bundled up in 17 layers because it was February, and walked to the gym 4 mornings a week. Jay would pick me up when I was done. I am thankful to say that now I have a ride to the gym in the mornings, and haven't walked in a few weeks. It's been great.
Anyway, here is a breakdown of my usual week:
Monday: Spin (45 minutes)
Tuesday: Bodypump (1 hour)
Wednesday: Either a rest day or 1 hour elliptical
Thursday: Bodypump (1 hour)
Friday: Spin (1 hour)
Saturday: Rest day or 1 hour elliptical
Sunday: Rest day or 1 hour elliptical
Let me clarify this: I have worked up to my goal of only taking 1 rest day per week. Depending on the week, that rest day will be either Wednesday, Saturday or Sunday. There are factors like Jay being home early on Wednesdays, migraines, being sore, etc that go into making this decision. And since I get exercise induced migraines, I usually actually make it about 5 days a week. That's fine with me though, I aim high and try to hit it or get as close as I can. I also walk Molly in the evenings, and a friend and I are going to start taking an ab sculpting class on Monday and Wednesday afternoons.
I have been doing this for a little over 2 months, and it's still a struggle almost every morning to get up so early and go. But thanks to Julie and a post she did a while back on exercise mantra's, I repeat my favorite's to myself each morning. "I will never regret a workout." "I am one workout away from being in a good mood." I also know that I will most likely be full of energy for the rest of the day, and the BEST PART is not thinking about my workout the rest of the day. The people that I work with are constantly all day being like, "I have to go to the gym later.... ugh... it's been such a long day, I just want to go home." And I get to just go home, because my workout is OVER. I love it. As hard as it is to get up, I am always so thankful when 4:30 comes around and I haven't been dreading the gym all day and I can just come home and chill with Molly.
Sorry this is so long, if you are still reading then you are awesome :) I just wanted to get it all out there so you can see what I'm doing and how far I've come with exercise. I'm not sure if I have actually lost weight yet as I haven't allowed myself to use the scale so far. But I will be weighing myself in May, and I will keep you updated with the results!
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