Along with the most of the rest of the world, I started this year with a major resolution: lose weight and become a lot more healthy. It wasn’t actually a New Year’s Resolution, because it’s on my 31 Before 31 list, so I really should have been working on it since November. Needless to say, I kept telling myself “I’ll start on Monday”, until it got to Christmas, and then I just decided to start in the new year.
For me, it’s become imperative that I lose weight. I’m bigger than I’ve ever been, and I’m not happy about it. I don’t want to be stick thin, I don’t think I could be if I tried, but I need to lose weight. I pride myself on not smoking, barely drinking, and never having taken an illicit substance in my life, but how can I be so proud of all those things if I am so blasé about eating and exercising?
So at the beginning of January, I half-heartedly tried to cut down on what I was eating. It didn’t really work, until the beginning of last week, when I gave myself a stern talking to. Although I don’t hold with being a slave to the scales, I weighed myself (and had a little cry), because I need a starting off point. I need to know that what I am doing is working, in the short term at least. As the weight (hopefully) starts to drop off, I am sure the need to weigh myself will also drop off, and I will just start to feel it in the fit of my clothes.
It’s been a slow start, but I feel that’s the only way that I am going to achieve anything. I have decided that the best way to start, for me, is to set myself weekly goals. Last week, I told myself to stay off crisps for the entire week. It didn’t quite work, I had a couple of bags, but formerly I was eating (at least) one bag a day. I’ve cut right down, and that’s a tick in the positive column.
I’m also remembering that eating habits are just that – habits. In cutting out a daily bag of crisps, I can already feel that habit dissipating. I haven’t felt the need to grab some for lunch, and I hope that can continue.
My goal for this week is to exercise for 20 minutes every day. I’m a lazy, sedentary person, so 20 minutes is a fairly big thing for me. I’ve got exercise DVDs, I’ve got Youtube, and I’ve got a pair of legs that I can get out and do a brisk walk on. So I’m hoping that I can stick to it – wish me luck!
Good luck! Grab yourself a tape measure as well, far more accurate than scales and much less painful!! :) xx
Ah yes, I did think that a tape measure would be a good idea! xx
Much more motivating, scales are just horrible all round! :) x
The 20 minutes a day is a good idea, once you get used to that then up it to 30 then 40 etc…
The two things that motivated me when i decided to kick start the fitness regime were 1. My best friend (for moral support) and 2. Quirky exercise classes… let me assure you first, that i HATE the gym, i hate trying to fit into cliques (think mum and toddler groups eeeeuurrghh) and i HATE HATE HATE sweating/sweaty people but armed with my best friend we decided we would be brave and try a few local exercise classes…
Before we did that though we made the most of the Xbox Kinect and Nintendo Wii – trying out all the fitness games (we developed a bit of a competitive streak with Just Dance!) and then thought it was time to get out in the real world…
We started with Zumba…
We joined two different Zumba classes, the first being aimed at ‘older people’ (as in NOT teenagers because we couldn’t face being shown up by little twiglets in lycra!) and the second was a ‘high impact’ class. We were convinced that we would love the older and more chilled out class but after a few weeks (along with a helathy eating plan) we found the class too easy so decided to take 2 classes a week of the high impact lessons. It was amazing, we went from being the two in the back of the class puffing and panting to actually ENJOYING it!
We then tried spinning…
One word.. HELL!
Next came Aqua running…
This is where you get shoe-horned into a wet suit filled with weights and have to RUN through the swimming pool (look it up!) and i can honestly say this is the hardest workout i have ever been subjected to! I am having a break from this due to recovering from an operation but hope to take it up again soon. If you don’t mind getting your hair wet – then GIVE IT A GO! Just ring your local sports centre/look on council sports website, i am sure they will have a class not too far away.
As i said above, i am currently out of action but once i am fit and well again our next venture is ‘Hot Yoga’… now i have already mentioned that i DO NOT LIKE SWEATING so goodness knows why we have signed up for this but i guess it is worth a try – Yoga in a sauna like environment eeurrgghh maybe i will sweat this excess weight off! haha
Good Luck Janey and let me know if you try any wacky classes out!
Laura xx
(@lkirkbright)
All of these classes sound amazing! Especially the aqua running – I think I’m going to look into it and see if I can find a class!
My exercise regime has gone badly – I haven’t done any since I wrote this post. I need some motivation from somewhere, I just don’t where to get it from! I think you have the right idea though – lots of strange and unusual classes is probably a good way to go.
Thanks for your comment, it has given me a lot to think about!
Pingback: January on Is That You Darling « Is That You Darling