I've kind of felt hesitant about sharing my fitness journey. After all, I'm human and feeling judged makes me feel uneasy. But, you know.... part of the reason why I decided to share my story is to help others see that you can still be health and fitness conscious and make mistakes, have setbacks, and not be perfect. Who finds inspiration from perfection, anyway?
Besides, I want to be transparent with those who come across myself and my blog and never feel like they’re “alone” in their struggles of making lifestyle changes second nature. It’s all about positive progression, NOT perfection. It's been a rough few days and a borderline rude awakening. But, here we are!
As I mentioned at the beginning of my journey, these past few months have been pretty all over the place and extremely stressful. I've had some major adjustments to make and with that comes having a schedule that's not even a set schedule, but just making things work as I got things situated. It got extremely difficult to make it to the gym at 5am, I stopped prepping my meals ahead of time and I went from a super active lifestyle to sitting behind desk all the time. And while those excuses may have seemed valid, they weren't because I could’ve done better with showing myself tough love and getting it done no matter the hassle. I could’ve chosen better food choices or took the extra time to cook my meals or have my Shakeology or juicing supplies available, but I didn’t.
It happened fast. Seemingly overnight, I went from a size 4 to a size 8. The fat mainly concentrated around my stomach and my cheeks, making it easier to hide it from others. At some point, I found myself wearing most of my larger clothes and this time not because of a fashion statement, but because that's all I could wear. As an attractive woman in your late 20s, Seattle is a great place to be: People give you their seat on the bus, they pick up your bar tab, they smile at you. I didn’t realize how many men were checking me out until all of a sudden they weren’t. Now that I’m heavier, strangers physically bump into me more — it’s like they just don’t see me at all.
The past two weeks have been rough because I had to come to terms with weight problem. I refused to jump on the scale, but once I did... well, the numbers don't lie and were far from pretty. So, I now find myself more aware of my weight, I was very depressed for a few days and the stress coming in and out of my life definitely didn't help. It's been a while since I felt this way. That said, two weeks ago I took full responsibility of where I am now. I’m not going to continue allowing myself to use those excuses, because even now isn’t “perfect”, but it’s either continue with lame excuses or cut the crap and get back on track to results. Either or, never both, right?
Now that I’ve shown my excess baggage (LOL), here’s what I’ve set out to do about it!
Meditation
You're probably asking yourself, what does meditation have to do with weight loss? Well, remember I mentioned being depressed, as it turns out all I had to do was stop to try to find calm and clarity. It's helping me manage my stress better and I haven't indulge in emotional eating. Deepak Chopra keeps me going and Aris has an amazing spiritual playlist on Spotify that gives me strength.
Ride my bicycle to work and back.
We're talking 20 miles per day. My bike to work challenge kicks my ass! It started out because of car issues, but it's now part of my weekly schedule. Right now, I can only do it 3 per week. I'm not physically fit for more than that. Traffic in Seattle is a nightmare, so it's a win win situation.
Run at least 3 times per week.
I have a treadmill at home! I bought shortly after canceling my gym membership. You're probably thinking... well, that was your first mistake and probably the reason why you gained weight. False, I kept trying to make into the gym, but I lost all discipline and I just didn't want to keep wasting money. Trust me, money has been somewhat of an issue these past few months. So, I said goodbye to my gym membership and bought a treadmill on Craigslist. I already have free weights and other exercise equipment at home, so it made sense. The problem is that I wasn't using it as much as I should've, so I fixed that. I am forcing myself to run at least 3 times per week, no less than 2 miles. If I go over that, yay! If I do exactly two, well yay too! But I am not allowing myself to do less. Pretty pathetic for someone who just ran a half marathon and signed up to run a full one next year huh! Well, just a little bit. Remember, I fell in love with long distance running and it changed my life not because I was doing it to lose weight, but rather to get through my physical therapy. So, now that I am running to lose weight, it's simply different.
Walk. A LOT!
Should I say more!? I mean, we all know the benefits of walking. I stopped making excuses and got my butt moving. I take little breaks at least once an hour and go for a quick walk around the block. It gets me away from my desk and into the fresh air. I also try to meditate during my walks.
Should I say more!? I mean, we all know the benefits of walking. I stopped making excuses and got my butt moving. I take little breaks at least once an hour and go for a quick walk around the block. It gets me away from my desk and into the fresh air. I also try to meditate during my walks.
Started going to the gym
In one of my previous blog posts I talked about canceling my gym membership. It truly was a waste of money. However, my friends at Go Total Body Fitness in downtown Seattle have some great deals going on. You can even take advantage of their Free 3 Day Pass. Go ahead, check them out and let me know what you think.
Changes in the kitchen had to be made.
You know what they say, exercising is only a percentage of the battle. You have to pay attention to what you're putting in your body. So, I gave up over 90% sweets and "bad food". Hey, I know myself, so I wasn't going to quit cold turkey! I've been eating more greens and being mindful of my portions. I am doing a better job at taking my lunch to work and saying no to mindless snacking. It hasn't been easy. I love food, especially the one that's not good for me. But losing weight is not just about how I look, but also about my health. This change is a must.
Started Bikram yoga.
That's right! I had my first sweat session yesterday. I signed up for a great deal at Bikram Yoga West Seattle. They have a fantastic introductory special for first time members. 30 Days for $30 Dollars. I said, sign me up! Well, actually... Aris and I have been looking for an affordable hot yoga place in the area, so I came across this deal and we both signed up. He had his first class on Thursday and I went to mine yesterday. I was a little hesitant about signing up, but it's the perfect studio. I've done hot yoga before, I was also pretty hot looking at the time. Yesterday was different. I could barely do a lot of the poses I once mastered and my belly roll made it difficult to stretch. I plan on taking advantage of this deal and go everyday, but I won't be mad at myself if I miss a day a week. Especially if its on the days that I ride my bicycle to work. Remember, I'm going for slow progress and a lifestyle change. Not a quick weight loss diet.
And, there you have it!
So, my fitness journey continues and I’m looking forward to sharing my progress as it comes along. That’s all I’ve got to share at this point! Stay tuned for updates and progress pics. I’m letting it all hang out on my blog to hold myself accountable for my progress and hopefully be of encouragement to those of you who read it. I'm grateful to have amazing people who encourage me to keep going. It makes this journey easier to walk because I'm not alone. If you find yourself reading this and we don't know each other, remember that you're not alone either. You can always connect with me via email or twitter and I will be more than happy to hold your hand during your own journey. Together we can be there for each other and make the changes needed.
So, my fitness journey continues and I’m looking forward to sharing my progress as it comes along. That’s all I’ve got to share at this point! Stay tuned for updates and progress pics. I’m letting it all hang out on my blog to hold myself accountable for my progress and hopefully be of encouragement to those of you who read it. I'm grateful to have amazing people who encourage me to keep going. It makes this journey easier to walk because I'm not alone. If you find yourself reading this and we don't know each other, remember that you're not alone either. You can always connect with me via email or twitter and I will be more than happy to hold your hand during your own journey. Together we can be there for each other and make the changes needed.
Read more about the beginning of my fitness journey.
