Finding Time to Work Out & New Poll

One of the hardest things for me is finding time to work out.  I already HATE working out, even if I do feel good after I do it.  But during the workout, I hate every minute of it and therefore finding time to squeeze in a workout is not high on my list of things to do.....hence this blog!

I no longer seem to have the option to work out ever day and hate it at the most ideal time for ME (after work) because a 35", 28lb little guy of pure cuteness wants my undivided attention.....and I am most happy to oblige!  Plus, being home alone with him most evenings while Terry works means I am limited on what I can do.

My options are waking up at 5:45 am, working out at 9:30 pm after Henry goes to bed and the house is cleaned up, or working out over my lunch break......but I don’t think my co-workers would appreciate that last one.

Now that the weather is getting nicer, I am hoping to take a walk in the evening after work which is the ideal time.  Of course, that means Henry comes with me and keeping him in his stroller for the length of the walk is near impossible.  So the walk is not as intense as what it would be if I was by myself, but it is still something.

I am thinking that my only option if I really want to lose weight is that I am going to have to suck it up and wake up early....GAH!  I guess you always have to give up something (aka sleep in this case) to fit in everything you want need to do.

(....or am I?!?!)

So when do you work out?  What work outs do you do?

Feel free to leave comments and take part in the poll on the side!

Picture of The Week – Is This Good Motivation?

Our treadmill is in the basement which, among other things, is basically Terry’s mancave.  He “styled” the downstairs to his liking.  Well this Pink Floyd canvas that T. owns just happen to recently find its way to the wall where the treadmill is and is in direct eyesight of anyone who uses the treadmill. (I think he did it on purpose!)  Yep while I am sweating, gasping for air, and hating every moment of my workout….I get to stare at naked women and their perfect asses for an hour.  I have to tell you, besides annoying me that I have to stare at their butt cracks – it is also one HELL of a motivation to keep you on the treadmill just a few minutes longer in hopes your butt & waist will one day look that good!!

Which brings me to my question….what are your thoughts on posting pictures of girls in swimsuits you want to buy around your house as motivation to workout and stay away from treats?  I have often gone back and forth on this as part of me thinks it would be a good motivation because you are reminded of what you want to achieve and it may help you to stay focused; while other times I feel it is just an unrealistic and unhealthy expectation of beauty that will just guilt you into feeling more down on yourself.  Should I do this as a motivation or do you think it is more of a detriment to my weight loss and body image as I already have a very poor body image?

Here is why I have been thinking of it…. For the first time in over 6 years I am taking a vacation next summer and it is to a beach! AAAAHHHH!  I am SO excited to be going on vacation, but less excited at the fact that I am going to have to put on a bathing suit for the first time in over 7 years. Yep….it has been awhile and for good reasons.

I thought that maybe by posting pictures of swimsuits I want to buy it would be a great motivation to lose weight and then I can reward myself with new swimsuits for the vacation when I do lose weight. However, most pictures of swimsuits come attached with a totally fit and beautiful women. Boo.

These swimsuits are all pretty great (and only a fantasy of mine to wear), but I mean look at those freaks of nature women...I am not sure if this is motivation to be healthy and workout or to stop eating and lather myself up with self-tanning lotion and baby oil. sigh.

Come on seriously ladies?! EAT A DONUT, you are killing me and are NOT normal!!  

I know even if I lost a ton more weight and worked out I would never, ever look like that in a swimsuit.  

That is just not cool.

So, what are your thoughts on this type of motivation? Suggestions? What about the reward of picking out swimsuits?  (Maybe I can draw on the pictures and just give them all mustaches and big bellies?!)

And for the record, I think I am going to take the picture down the next time I workout.  It is motivating, but I don’t think I can workout one more time staring at naked girl’s behinds for that long!!

Rewarding Your Accomplishments

So lately I have been thinking about the difficulty in buying new clothes while losing weight. I always think this is hard, especially if you have a little more than just a size or so to lose. As I am 5’11”, I have to lose about 15-20 pounds to fully transition between sizes and I have a few sizes to lose. Ugh. Transitioning between sizes is always hard and at times very frustrating. As you start to lose weight your clothes start fitting better and it is inspiring, then they start getting baggy and hang on you which can be frustrating but unfortunately you still don’t quite fit into the next size down so you have to wear those clothes and watch them get baggier and baggier until the day you finally put on the pants that are a size down and they actually fit! Then you start the process over again. That stage right before you transition to a new size is always the hardest because you want clothes that fit so you can feel better and show off the weight lost, but you do not want to spend the money (if you are like me) because hopefully in a couple months or so that pair of pants will also be too big for you. So I wear clothes to the point of nearly falling off of me then look through my closet for another pair of pants that will sort-of fit while I lose weight and try to avoid spending any money what-so-ever on new clothes unless I just have no choice but to buy pants (since wearing sweatpants to work has not been approved).


However, a couple weeks ago I absolutely needed a couple new shirts so headed over to the clearance section of Kohl’s and found a couple things that were under $10 that fit perfectly! Because I am use to wearing baggy clothes I forgot how much I love the feeling you get when you find something that looks good on you and that makes you feel good about yourself! After going in-between different sizes the past few months and having feelings of both excitement and frustration I decided at that moment that it is very important to buy one thing that makes you feel better about yourself and is a reward for the weight loss accomplishments you have achieved. It does not have to be anything expensive; I personally prefer lower-priced items because there is no guilt at all and the items tend to be more versatile. It does not just have to be a pair of pants or a shirt either…maybe some new under garments, PJ’s, some tank tops, or even new work out pants will make you feel better. I have never been one who uses gifts for myself as a reward. However, I have a new outlook on what will keep me motivated and I think within limits it IS important to reward myself for the hard work I have done....and anyone who is working to lose weight knows it is not easy....so rewarding yourself is a great motivator!!

So I have something for everyone to think about. Think of some goals in regards to your weight/exercise/diet and then give yourself rewards when you accomplish those things. Make sure your goals are attainable while also being somewhat challenging. For instance you may have a main weight loss goal of XX amount in XX number of days. But set smaller goals along the way that will help you achieve that bigger goal. As for your rewards, they can be anything. As I said maybe a new outfit, new tank tops but if you don't want clothes also try a new DVD or music you wanted, going to a movie, doing something fun you have wanted to do - nothing too expensive just something that is a special treat.



My Goals and Rewards

As I achieve these goals, I will create a new set of goals. Currently my goals are focused on working out, specifically walking*, as that is the area I struggle with the most but will have the biggest impact on my weight loss. Plus the amount I spend has to be equal to the goal achieved. I have budgeted what we can afford based on not only the goal but how long it should take me to achieve that goal.


1. I will be keeping track of the miles I walk during the week and when I have reached a total of 20 miles walked I am getting a couple tank tops.

2. When I have reached a total of 50 miles walked new workout pants.

3. When I have reached a total of 100 miles walked I am getting new outfit. (a bigger reward for a bigger goal)


So if interested in doing this as well think about YOUR goals and a few rewards that will keep you motivated! As always, if you feel like sharing please do!!

*my new plan to come

30 Day Fitness Challenge – Completed!!!

So the first 30 day fitness challenge is officially over…..phew!


So did I workout everyday for 30 days straight? NOPE.

Am I ok with that? Absolutely.

Will I continue to exercise? Why yes, infact I have another fitness challenge I came up with that I will be participating in! (more information to come soon!)

I have to say going from no exercise to exercising nearly every day was not easy but I do feel SO MUCH BETTER! My main goal for this entire month was just getting into the habit of working out and realizing that finding even 30 minutes a day to workout is not as hard as what I have made it out to be. It is easy for me to make an excuse to not workout, but making time to do something for myself that truly benefits me should be a priority in my life and not an excuse. Though the actual weight loss may not be as much as I wanted I do feel better both mentally and physically, I have more energy, I feel stronger, I am noticing a difference in my body and I feel very motivated to keep going. Slow and steady, right?!

Remember, my whole blog is about a LIFESTYLE change. The point of this challenge was not to discourage anyone from working out but rather was more to kick-start working out regularly so that we can all continue finding time each week to get healthy. I actually really liked a comment my sister made in a previous post. She said “I believe weight loss is more than a change in your physical appearance. It's a change in your mindset. We have to believe, before we ever start a video or jump on an exercise bike or go for a jog that we can do whatever we put our minds to.” That is what this was for me, changing my mindset and now as I move on to continue losing more weight and working out regularly believing that I can, infact, do this.

I hope everyone is getting something out of this 30 Day Challenge, no matter what that may be. I can’t wait to hear how it is going for everyone!


So here are days 21-30. Yes, there were a few no workout days as I left town this weekend, but I was proud of myself for actually using the fitness room for 40 minutes Saturday so I could workout.

Day 21 – Walk on the treadmill & Yoga
Day 22 – Pilates
Day 23 –Walk on the treadmill
Day 24 – Pilates
Day 25 – No Workout
Day 26 – No workout
Day 27 – Bike at hotel fitness center
Day 28 – No workout
Day 29 – Pilates
Day 30 – Circuit Training & Yoga

Results for this month only:

Total Weight Lost: 5 pounds

Inches Lost:
Hips – 1”
Thighs – 2” off each
Calf – 1” off each
Waist – 2”
Chest – 1”
Arm – ½” off each
Total inches lost this month: 11" (Thank you pilates)

Totals since August 2009:

Weight lost – 33 pounds

Hips – 5”
Thighs – 4” off each
Calf – 2” off each
Waist – 6”
Chest – 4 ½”
Arm – 1 ½” off each
Total inches lost – 30 ½”

I still got a ways to go, but I am getting there slowly and in as healthy a way as I can!!

I Say To My Self; “Self, Why Am I Not Seeing Results Today?!”

So here I am, nearing the end of my second week of working out every day. As I said before I DO feel better and can tell a difference starting to manifest in my body (at least I hope that is what all those aches and pains are) however, lets be honest here for a minute shall we. As positive as I am and as excited as I am to be doing this process and for the first time in many many years feeling like I will actually accomplish my goal, it doesn’t come without my fair share of frustration and moments of lacking motivation. I remain positive because for so many years I was not. I would give up easily and be mad at myself and thus resorting to my old ways. I have NO choice in my mind to remain focused and confident that this time I will do this.

But I think when you start working out there can be this unrealistic expectation that just because you feel better that means the whole process is working instantly and you should lose large amounts of weight right away. That is obviously not so much the case. I didn’t gain this weight in two weeks, 1 month, or 2 months so I am very much aware that I will not be able to LOSE all this weight in that amount of time. It is this impatience that I have had all my life. I want to see results NOW, I don’t want to spend 2 hours working out, and I don’t want to wait for this gradual change that WILL come if I just stick with this. That impatience with my body is part of the reason I am here in the first place.

Plus I am trying to do this in a healthy way so it can be a more permanent weight loss, unlike the times before when losing a dramatic amount of weight in a completely unhealthy way just led to the weight coming back on. So because of that I know this is going to take awhile. I understand that the fact that I am even working out everyday and starting to feel a difference in my energy level and body is a HUGE step and though the weight and inches may not come off as fast as I want it IS something that I should be proud of. And honestly it IS something I am proud of.

I guess what I am putting out there is in this blog I am really going to try to remain positive and encourage not just myself but others to accomplish their goals. I like to see people happy and it makes me happy when I hear that people are getting the results and motivation that they need. But I also want to be honest with this blog and don’t want to overlook the fact that I know that ALL of us are going to have days, weeks, months where we just feel discouraged because we are either not seeing results fast enough or are not seeing the results we THINK we should have. I don’t want to send out this perception that this is easy and that I am not having my own frustrations and I am just positive all the time, because that is not the case at all. During the last 6 months that I have been working to lose weight and specifically during the last two months I have felt discouraged, frustrated, have cried many times, have felt like this is unfair, felt angry, but unlike so many times before I am NOT. Ready. To. Give. Up.

In the end, I believe what will make a difference is how we look at this whole process and recognizing that even adding 5 minutes to a workout, getting through a workout a little easier then the day before, working out regularly should be considered a success and that the changes in our body will come, we just need to focus on doing the best we can today to see those changes later on. Anything I have done in the past I have worked for and this should be NO exception. I know if I am willing to truly put in the hard work I WILL see results. I just need to remain focused and stop being so damn impatient.


So here is MY motivation for today – my dear friend April.

April has also had issues with weight over the years but over the last 7 months or so she has lost over 80 pounds!!! And how did she do it, she worked out and ate better. That simple. The first month or two wasn’t at all easy. She had her own ups and downs and frustrations with working out and still today, after losing an incredible 80 pounds on her own she still has days of frustration when it comes to working out. However, she knows that she can do it because she has already proven to herself that she can. And her spirit and dedication to making herself as healthy as possible is truly inspiring to me. The last few years have not been easy for her and yet, on her own, she has managed to do an amazing thing just because she decided one day she wanted to change and has been determined ever since to do so. I love her for that and over the years she has motivated me and this is no exception to that. Hopefully her story will be a motivation to others as well.

Talk To Me – Motivation

(I just liked this picture!)

So the hardest thing for me to get motivated doing is the thing that will make the biggest impact on my weight loss….working out. I have never enjoyed working out nor do I think I really feel better after, I am more just relieved when I am done! Ok, maybe I feel a little better.

I hate working out in the morning, because frankly I love my sleep. I have a hard enough time getting out of bed to go to work, let alone waking up an hour before to exercise. As if. I don’t mind working out when I get home and I typically have all intentions on doing so, but there is always an excuse. I have to go to the store. I have to cook dinner. I have to do the dishes. I have to sit on the couch and watch TV.

I do have a treadmill and don’t mind walking on that, but honestly I get really bored after about 15 minutes. I am just walking and not going anywhere, what the heck is up with that?! (Of course I don’t like walking outside because I feel like I am just walking but with no real place to go…go figure.) I have tried workout videos, but again I am bored and usually find whoever is leading the workout highly annoying and I just stop watching the video out of principle (no one should be forced to watch a peppy and annoying instructor) and blame my suspending of said exercise video on the lack of a proper instruction and an un-encouraging and very thin teacher. Yes, excuses…because I HATE working out. I really wish sleeping or lying completely still was working out.

So what do I need from you? Encouragement, tips, motivation, help on getting my ass to work out every day!!! When do you work out? What tips do you have for working out? What workouts do you do? What tips do you have for staying interested? What are the best workouts to do if you only want to workout for 30 minutes? Does anyone else hate working out as much as I do?!

I will pay someone $5 a day to wake my ass up every day and workout with me!