Its all about the schedule
After a falling out with my personal trainer of 3 years, I realized that my cardio strength wasn’t actually in very good shape … so I convinced Steve that I was going to work out at home. Our plan is to finish the basement in the not-too-distant future so he made me a deal – if I work out everyday, I can have space alloted in the final plans. The only caveat was that I have to be consistent and really use it (not just say I want it, which is a terrible tendency I have).
I got a treadmill on supersale from Canadian Tire, which Steve’s friend Rene kindly picked up for me and carried downstairs, some free weight dumbbells and a yoga mat back in October. At first it was a real struggle but now I am in a routine and it’s starting to make a difference. I get home, jump into my comfy clothes and head down to the basement at least 5 days each week. I start with 30 min on one of the presets (rolling hills or interval) followed by 20 min of weights and then end with stretching. I broke up my body into 5 categories (biceps & shoulders, back & abs, legs, chest & tricepts, core/balance) that I rotate through each week. I’m now slowly building up mass to build my stamina. My goal is to run at 6.0 mph on an incline by December 09 and lift weights pain free without my shoulders, knees and elbows clicking.
Have I lost any weight yet? Yes, 6lbs over 4 months . However, my heart rate has dropped from 84 (my normal resting pulse for the past 15 or so years) to 72 bpm, my cholesterol dropped almost 2 points and my body is noticeably “redistributing” so my clothes fit more comfortably. I’ve also gone from struggling to walk on an incline in December to a full 17 min run at 5.0 mph.
The best part is that Steve asks how my workouts were and tells me that I look beautiful everyday – I am very lucky to be married to such a supportive man!!!
I am encouraged by these small improvements and am trying to keep my expectations in line with the amount of effort I put into this. It took two years of snacking habits to get me where I am, it’s not just going to go away in a few months, but it will go away eventually. I just need to be persistent (and stay away from Pauline’s table decorations filled with Cadbury Mini Eggs).
If you have any suggestions, motivation or a success story, I would be delighted to hear from you!!!
