Saturday, July 30, 2011

Fitness @ Home: Week 1

It all started with a few extra pounds hanging out on my butt. I climbed onto a stationary bike that was wasting away in my mom's living room. I pedaled. I got bored, lost my breath, and felt uneasy about sweat dripping down my back. 

Maybe it's just me, but self induced sweating was definitely an acquired taste.

Anyway, I slept like a baby that night and decided to try a bit more the next day.
I quickly became hooked and decided I needed to upgrade my fitness status.
So I joined a gym. (Of course.)I was suddenly of the mindset that having a membership to a building that had a lot of fitness equipment validated my fitness level. Having to carve out time to get ready and drive to a place of exercise made me feel more serious about this sweaty business. (Come on. Anyone else?)

And then life took over, and I began to use the membership less and less. I began to make excuses about not having enough time to drive there, workout, and drive home. After all, it was about 25 minutes worth of driving to and from, and it just wasn't worth it to waste all that time and gas.

On some level, I knew that I COULD workout at home, I just liked saying that I didn't have time to use the gym. In some twisted way, by keeping the membership active (with my inactivity)  I felt fit.

Fast forward through another weight gain and loss. Add a dog, some fresh air, some PT study, some basic gym equipment (dumbbells, bands, homemade box for box jumps/step-ups/dips, a jump rope, and a stationary bike) and an increasing love for slow running....


You get this:

-Sunday: 30 min sloth run, stretch

-Monday:  30 min stationary bike with ten minutes of intervals at end

-Tuesday: Easy/light strength workout( circuit style w/ 3 cycles and  2 minutes of cardio between each) and yoga

-Wednesday: 30 min run

-Thursday: Repeat Tuesday

-Friday: 30 min run

-Saturday: Long dog walk (active rest)

I will try and post my weekly workout schedule each Saturday. I'd also LOVE to see what other people are doing, because I love to mix things up.

If you're interested in starting a running program, and you're a beginner or looking to improve, I HIGHLY recommend this book:
Runner's World Complete Book of Women's Running: The Best Advice to Get Started, Stay Motivated, Lose Weight, Run Injury-Free, Be Safe, and Train for Any Distance (Runner's World Complete Books)

I'm currently trying to lose ten pounds, and without turning this into a weight loss blog, I will list my weekly progress/stalls on Saturday. I'll just share +/- .5 lb, etc. It's more for me and accountability, so just ignore this blog on Saturdays if that isn't your thing.

*Food/diet is incredibly personal and unique to each person. While I no longer count calories as carefully as I used to, I do keep a rough idea going in my head/on a piece of scrap paper, and try to stick between 1300-2000 calories each day. I'm usually pretty content with ~1500 a day. I will post more about what my weight loss menu looks like next week!*

5 comments:

  1. I am right there with you on every part of this. I did finally start running and even after training and successfully finishing a half marathon, I still am the slowest runner I know. :/ Doesn't matter how slow you go, you still get the medal if you finish! So freakin rewarding though! I did The Disney Princess Half mainly because I'm in Orlando working for the mouse already so it was easy to commit to if I didn't have to travel. Anyway- I HIGHLY recommend it! Im doing p90x now trying to drop my 10 pounds... 2 months to go and i already wanna throw weights at my tv screen sometimes lol Good luck and keep it up! Im trying to keep myself motivated too! www.cupahotchocolate.blogspot.com

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  2. I love your idea of posting weekly workouts. I've thought about doing something similar but never really get around to it. Since 2007, my husband and I have been hooked on triathlons so our workouts (except during the off-season Nov. - Mar.) are always geared around the 3 disciplines. I try squeezing in some Pilates/Yoga in for good measure (and stretching, of course) but the day only has so many hours! Good luck with your weight loss goal - you will do awesome! :)

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  3. I hate the gym. With passion. I hate going to a place just to work out and run and run and run and never get anywhere. But the husband "tricked" me into it... I wish I had your determination to work out at home!

    PS: Send me that guest post the way it is, no more changes hahaha

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  4. @Urban Wife, I would love to see what you do on a weekly basis! My best friend did a mini tri a few years back, and I'm not sure if I could pull through. That is incredibly intense, but so awesome that you and your husband do them together!
    @Ana, hahahahaha, what a sneaky guy!
    ps: Someday, someday. I don't think I could send it as is. Give me a final deadline...and I'll get on that. : )

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  5. Ok, by the end of this month then!!!!!! :)

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