At a recent doctors appointment, my doctor brought something to my attention.
“Nadine, you’ve gained 7 pounds since the last time I saw you, less than a year ago…” Like a punch in the gut.
“For someone of your stature, that’s a pretty significant weight gain….” Jab, jab, right hook.
“Have your eating or exercise habits changed?” Bam, uppercut.
Well Doc, if you count the fact that I had not been to the gym since before my trip to California last August then yeah, I guess they’ve changed. And um, maybe I got a little too friendly with the Dominos delivery guy. Also, somewhere around 26.5 years of age, I’m pretty sure my metabolism disowned me.
“You are in the healthy weight range now but if you gain 5 more pounds, you’ll be in the unhealthy range.” Boom, knockout.
So I decided that if A. I want any chance of being “young and hot” again, I needed to hit the gym and B. with my current habits I am never going to live to be 100, which we all know is my ultimate life goal.
I’m proud of myself. I’m actually sticking with it. And I’m doing it differently than I have in the past. Here’s what is actually working for me.
1. DON’T WAIT TO BUY THE GEAR
I’ve read articles that say that you should reward yourself with work out gear after you’ve made a habit of hitting the gym. Ignore that advice, it’s stupid.
I can’t be the only woman in the world who used the excuse “but I don’t have any clean sports bras” to pass on the gym. When I decided I really needed to get it in gear, I went straight to T.J. Maxx and bought 4 new sports bras, 1 new pair of capris, and 2 new pairs of athletic shorts. Having clean (don’t pretend like you haven’t re-worn a dirty sports bra) and cute work out gear every day has encouraged me to actually put it on and subsequently, work out.
2. SET SILLY GOALS
I try to do one Grey’s Anatomy episode worth of cardio every day. That is actually how I measure my time. I don’t go for any number of calories or miles, I just get on whatever machine I’m getting on, put Netflix on my phone, and let Seattle Grace Grey Sloan Memorial take me to another place.
Whenever Cristina references cardio, for a second I think she’s talking about working out.
3. WHEN SOMETHING ISN’T WORKING, GIVE UP
I’ve tried to become a runner so many times. I get a couple of days in and my hip flexors hurt so bad that I skip a day. And then I skip 6 months.
So I recently tried jogging on the treadmill and when I wound up hating it, I opted for the bike or elliptical instead. Just because it feels like everyone else is training for a half-marathon doesn’t mean you have to. Give it up and do what works for you.
4. IF YOU HAVE THE TIME TO BLOG (OR READ BLOGS, FOR THAT MATTER) YOU HAVE THE TIME TO WORKOUT
Just sayin’. These days I might only be posting 4 ish times a week but I’m healthier for it. When I don’t post for a day, I remind myself that the time I would have spent blogging, I was working out.
I also daydream about feeling good enough to take the occasional pinterest worthy outfit photo, come fall. We can be honest here, right? Good. #bloggerdaydreams
5. DON’T LEAVE YOUR HOUSE
On days that I just don’t want to do boring cardio, I do a fitness youtube video. Many videos don’t require any equipment (although Meighan once wrote that she used cans of squash to work out when she didn’t have hand weights so seriously, no excuses).
Here are some of my favorites:
- Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred Level 1 (requires hand weights – or canned vegetables)
- FitnessBlender 37 Minute Cardio Workout at Home
- FitnessBlender 45 Minute HIIT Cardio and Abs Workout
- FitnessBlender 10 Minute Abs
Okay, you get it, I really like FitnessBlender. Usually I put the video on my laptop in front of my TV and put (what else?) Netflix on my TV. It’s a fabulous combo.
6. GIVE YOURSELF A GOLD STAR
Or in my case, a big pink check. I searched for a while for an app to record my workouts in and never found one that felt really satisfying. Now I use a basic calendar to keep track of the days I work out. Something about adding that big pink check for the day just feels really really good.
What weird things have you found to motivate you? Any tips for us workout newbies?
HI, I’M NADINE.
I left California after college to start my life on the east coast. East & is what happened after that.
