I’m not going to set ridiculous goals off the bat but rather
set daily goals and then maybe shift to weekly goals, then monthly and so on and so
forth.
Here’s my goal for today:
Meander to my condo gym and check it out because, in the 4
years I’ve lived there, I’ve never set foot into that gym. Shameful, I know. I’m
allowed to bring a snack (this makes it more bearable and elicits dirty looks
from all the other females and somehow motivates me to work out harder) and I’m
allowed to feel unsure about this whole thing but the goal is to come back
again this week and actually work out again
for a bit. By work out, I mean ride the bike whilst getting some reading done
for school, because I HATE and I mean HATE running. I’ve never had much luck
biking and reading because I get motion-sick but let’s hope this works because
then it’s like killing two birds, ya know? Maybe I’ll lift a couple weights,
too. Do a few squats. Who knows.
What I’d eventually like
to see change in my body:
1 – I don’t need to lose weight; I need to seriously tone up. I’d
like to tone my ass, legs and arms a bit more. I’ll add abs to this list as
well. OK, I want to tone almost everything
2 – Strengthen my back and hopefully mitigate some chronic back
pain
3 – Diminish some of the cellulite which has taken up residency
on my ASS and upper thighs
4 – Build a lot more strength
5 – Build endurance so I can climb the Metro stairs every
day, since god knows the escalators never work, without feeling like I’m going
to die
6 – Increase flexibility
7 - Increase my serotonin levels. read: decrease grumpiness
When I first joined my, very nice, seriously over-priced gym, circa 2006 (membership currently suspended), I was seriously motivated to work out and I have to admit, I
looked good. I had muscle tone, I had endurance and then, somehow, my routine
was broken and it was a very slippery slope back to cadaverous activity on my
couch every day after work. I really liked how I felt like something was
missing from my day simply by not getting in a workout. I’d love to get back to
that place but not like obsess over it because I don’t have the time to work out
every day, unfortunately. And I don't have time to feel badly about that.
How the hell do you motivate yourself to go work out and not go home and lie
on the couch? That’s a really tough habit to break –
especially when you’re tired. Especially when you’re a student and working full
time. Especially when you’re a master at coming up with every excuse in the
book on why you can’t get your lazy ass to the gym.
After many years of deliberation, I've come to the conclusion that, I’m pretty sure, this
cellulite isn’t going to remove itself...
Good for you! The idea of doing this is the first step, and it sounds like you have some good goals. Even now when I'm struggling more with food, the working out remains in place, and I'm so grateful that that part feels like it's not even an option to me. It is part of my day 5-6 days a week.
ReplyDeleteRoutine is everything, as is having reasonable goals. I'm an evening gym person, which some people don't like to do. I come home, I chill for a bit, sometimes even eat dinner, then go to the gym. I'm a night person, so this makes sense for me, and I workout at night way better than in the morning!
You can totally do this!
Thanks, bluemoon. I'm a night person, too, and I think it's part of the problem because I'd rather wait to go to the gym once it's calmed down a bit but by the time I should be leaving, I can't get up off the couch.
DeleteAnd yeah, you've done amazing work! I hope I can find that same motivation :)
I feel your pain. My apartment doesn't have a guy because my building is ancient and I hate going to my gym because it's filled with obnoxious executives, floor to ceiling mirrors and pretty people who don't actually sweat. It makes me want to hide in a corner.
ReplyDeleteMy biggest problem is that I have to go home first and feed Jasper which in theory should work out because it would mean by the time I get to the gym it's quieted down a bit but once I get home I have no desire to ya know, put pants back on and actually go outside.
Yep. that's my problem, too. I get home and that's it.
DeleteMy kryptonite for post-work activities is the couch. Stay off the couch! Do not sit, otherwise the chance to do whatever you're supposed to do dies to about 5%. It's to the point of where I eat a snack standing up because I know if I sit down on the couch, or at the counter, I'll start reading something, and then it's all over. :)
ReplyDeleteI've gotten into walking when I need to work out -- since I hate hate hate running, it's a nice way to get outside. If you can get a solid hour in, that's about 4 miles (you have to hustle, though).
Yes very good advice! The problem is, (because I'll find many) how can I eat dinner before I go work out? Eat a snack before a work out and then come home and eat more, I guess? I've never been able to find a good balance for that. I don't want to be starving or so full that I feel like I'm going to vomit.
Delete