Getting back on track...

New Year, new me! That’s what I said back on January 1^st 2014.  We are now end of February and I’m finally getting around to this goal.  I guess it’s better late than never!

I have been watching what I eat and getting a bit of exercise, but I lack motivation and I don’t like working out alone. 

During the past few weeks, I've been doing better.   I've been making use of our treadmill at home more often and going to the gym at work with a colleague.  I've even gone to the gym on my own, a big step for me! It was actually ok.  While at the gym, I do 30 minutes on the elliptical.  My first few times on this beast machine had me leaving the gym with my legs feeling rubbery, but this week, I actually felt good after my little workouts!  I might even try upping my time to 35 minutes next week.  Baby steps. 

On the days I don’t go to the gym at work, I go on the treadmill at home.  On the weekends, I exercise shortly after waking up and usually before having breakfast.  I feel so much better, knowing that I’ve already done my workout and I can get on with my day. My goal was…IS to run a 2K or maybe even 5K with the kids this fall.

My main goal is to be at a healthier weight.  I've been pretty good in the last few weeks, but there’s always room for improvement.  I've had the ‘My Fitness Pal’ app on my phone for the longest time and I wasn’t using it.  I logged in for the first time after almost 2 years, the good news is, I hadn't gained any weight since I last used it.  I really like this app and I have been entering my information daily for 7 days in a row.  It helps me keep track of my fitness activities along with the foods I eat.  You can even scan the UPC code of a product and it will add the nutritional information in your diary. You can add friends to your network.  To me, that’s a bonus as I need a good kick in the butt at times to get me going. You get to cheer and encourage each other.  I have uploaded the app on my iPhone (ios), on my Hobo Arc (android) and I am also able to log in via my computer.  So no more excuses!

Here are some little tricks I've been using.  Maybe they’ll motivate you as well.

No time to exercise?  Schedule it! Add it in your calendar.  This way you know you have the time to do it ;) In my house, we have a rule, no disturbing mommy when she’s doing her work outs.  It’s working well, so not only am I getting exercise, I’m getting some ‘me’ time!

Little things I do to make my time on the machines more enjoyable: 

• I listen to music - I created a workout playlist with my favorite upbeat songs
•  I read my book
• I bring my laptop and catch up on TV shows – episodes of Chicago Fire or The Following keep me busy, next thing I know, my work out is complete

I now have the motivation to exercise more, eat better and lose weight.  Wish me luck!

Christine

 **Please consult with your doctor or a health care professional before beginning any fitness program to avoid and reduce risk of injury. 

** Disclosure:  I was not financially compensated for this post.  The opinions are my own, based on my personal experience.

 Image courtesy of stockimages / FreeDigitalPhotos.net