Category: Workout

In da Club

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I’m all for trying something new…

A sweet co-worker of mine has been raving about her newest workout and asking me to try it out. First of all let me say I have been to the gym with her in the past and she is a machine. A maniac really. Let me just say…when we went to the gym the first time together she told me that she doesn’t talk to people at the gym and doesn’t like to be interrupted. Yah, I know…maniac!

Soooo this new workout of hers…row class. Yup, that’s right, row class. Doesn’t sound to impressive. Doesn’t sound like anything really. But she swore to me that I would like it and that it would be fun. The plus side, good music. And since I will try something new, I gave it a whirl.

So what is row class? It’s pretty much exactly what it sounds like. A bunch of people get together and row it out. But here’s what I never understood about rowing before:

It’s more of a leg workout than an arm workout.

I was surprised by this.

So, after the first class I realized that I was pretty much doing it wrong because it wasn’t that challenging. I was super focused on not injuring my back that I didn’t focus on what I needed to do; push off with my legs.

So I had a short lesson on what to do after the class (oh yah, this also happened before the class, but I still didn’t get it).

Since they had a special offer if you bought 5 more classes, I signed up for those to. Might as well give it a good go.

Class 2 I was starting to understand the push off with the legs thing, but class 3 I was getting it a lot better.

Here’s what I didn’t expect:

ABS

Wait…I wanna be clear, I did not get abs…but I certainly felt them! This is an added bonus. My core is probably one of my weaker spots, definitely a soft spot! And with my back issues, I know I need to strengthen my core…so in that aspect this is a great opportunity for it.

So Club Row. Well, I figured the “club” part is because it’s in a dark room with loud music. It’s kinda cool actually. I didn’t get it when my friend was telling me but the dark room allows you to focus on your stride or row (or whatever it is rowers call it). And it allows you to “see” others in the room, without actually seeing them. What this does is allows for the room to move together, which keeps you doing the right thing. If you are off you will know it, cuz you will be the only one rowing out of sync with the rest of the room.

Now the music is all picked to have a certain beat that you can row to. There’s a lot of rap. Which if that isn’t your thing you may feel that it’s not going to be fun. But it works. Personally, I don’t often listen to rap, so it’s a nice change then all the other “gym” or “workout” music.

I’ve been to a few classes now, and have had 2 of the instructors. They were both really awesome. Upbeat, encouraging and loud enough to hear over the music. They are also super happy to help you figure it out and show you what you can do to improve.

Do I suggest you try it: Yup! Why not? You may really like it. Plus they offer a 5 class pass which is a good way to test the waters.

They offer gloves as a thing to rent for $2. Rent them (unless you have your own bike riding gloves). They will save you some blisters.

Oh and bring water. It gets hot in the dark room and you really work up a good sweat.

The 3rd class I did. (started at 5600)

Last class I attended

Finally, getting to Club Row is an interesting task because it’s in the basement! I was not expecting that, nor did I really notice the signs (besides the big one on the sideway at the front door). So if you go, remember to head down the stairs. Once you start heading down you will see it right away. But you gotta go down!**

Let us know if you are gunna try a class. We wanna know what you think! Hey you might even see the maniac there! Haha. Or me!

**UPDATE: ( or foot note) they are closed for 2 weeks as they are moving locations. Something about being too loud for their current neighbours. So I have no idea if you will go up or down or not in their new location. If you go to check it out please see their website.

Muscle Development Quarterly

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from glamour gals
to funny gals
In March, our lil friend and personal trainer Koach got both N & K into a muscle development regime.  This is a good way to transform your workout from mundane back to great. In honour of Koach’s birthday today, we are writing this post to update y’all on our progress! Continue reading →

Mind Games

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On Wednesday I posted a pic on our IG account with my photo journey of going to the gym (96 and Counting) but I thought maybe I should expand on it. Share a wee bit more on how its been going…

Soooo, after failing many many times with a workout routine I wanted to try something different. I needed to refocus but honestly, I had no idea how.

Continue reading →

The Last Tip(s)

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Nal’s brought you her last 2 tips…but here’s how I use them!
9) Plan  a    h   e  a d.

Nals talked about fueling your body and getting it moving.

Fuel your body.

For starters, I suck at meal planning. I don’t even plan what I’m eating for breakfast when I wake up. And I know I suck at it. I’ve tried, and failed, and tried again, and failed again. I’ve even tried to get my hubbers into it so I would have someone to do it for me. No go.

So I needed a better plan that wasn’t planning. A few years ago a friend of mine introduced me to her mom, who has a rocking bod and she shared with us her secret; Herbalife. After some humming and hawing, I gave it a go and loved it. I have been using some of their weight management products for a couple of years now. Here’s why it works for me:

  1. I don’t have to think about it, it’s there and ready to go.
  2. I live a busy work life, so I can bring my shake with me. This prevents me from eating on the go and buying food when I’m out and about. And my job has me out and about 95% of my day.
  3. Has everything I need in a meal, protein and nutrition.
  4. Costs the same as my regular grocery bill. So I wasn’t spending more.
  5. Got me making healthier choices for dinners and times that I do eat out.

For me, I like goodies and getting a snack with my coffee. I also found that at work if I didn’t have a lunch, or a lunch that I couldn’t take with me on outreach I was buying food. Having a protein shake handy took away all excuses to buy food out. Plus, it was the healthy option and gave me fuel for the rest of my day.

A side note, Herbalife isn’t for everyone. But it’s what worked for me and my lifestyle.

I like to move it, move it! 
  • Nals gave some great tips like park a few extra blocks away from work, take the stairs and try new things.
  • For me, I need to make sure my gym and workouts are in my face. I chose a gym that 1. I like, 2. is on my route to and from work, 3. close to home. I used to go a gym that took me 40 mins to get to some days, it started to be a barrier. Make the gym and your workouts handy.
  • Again, make sure you like what you are doing. If you hate it, you won’t do it. Try new things. I know this can be scary. I was just talking to my friend about trying new things yesterday. She told me that she started to join groups with like women. She shared with me how hard it was and she almost turned around 3 times, and then sat in her car for a few mins before she was able to get out and join the group. (FYI, I’m so proud of her for going and trying and guess what, she loved it). But her and I often talk about faking it till you make it. It sounds silly I know, but next time you are anxious or worried about something, fake it till you make it! Trust me, it works!
  • Don’t be afraid to share with the workers at the gym that you are scared, worried, anxious or need encouragement. First of all, it’s their job to help you. And sharing with them they will know to give you that extra encouragement and push.
  • And smile! Say hi to others, create an environment that you want to be apart of. It will changing the daunting gym workout into a comfortable friendly place that you want to go back to. And you might even make a new friend!
10) Me, myself and I

That’s right, don’t forget about you! Take time to care for yourself. I think it’s safe to say we have all heard that you can’t help others unless you help yourself first. That whole, put on your air mask first before you help others put theirs on. And it’s true. If you are tired and worn out, how are you going to help yourself (let alone others).

I touched on this briefly last week…but create a list of the things you like to do. From the smallest thing, like watching birds fly to big things like vacations to Mexico to the special things, like a date night with your partner. What do you like to do? What makes you feel good? What makes

you feel like you’ve fueled up?

Don’t forget…

Nals and I aren’t pros at these tips. Let me tell yah, we fail all the time, every week and some times every day. BUT, we keep truckin’! We choose to make good choices every day. We choose to change our lives. We choose to motivate ourselves. We choose. Just like we choose to eat junk food or skip a day at the gym. However, we choose to get healthy.

 

 

 

What did you think about the 90 Pound Tips?

Common sense?

Surprising?

Ludicrous?

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90 Pounds: Helpful Tips 9-10

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Whoop whoop! We are down to the last 2 Tips.

Here‘s how the series started, 90 pounds ago.  Read why I changed.  I tell you how I made my changes, using the ME method: Tips 1-4 (includes S.M.A.R.T.ening up your goals) & Tips 5-8.

Kells’s life situation was a bit  different. She is a lifelong athlete.  However, a back injury & years of schooling-and-sitting changed her body.  But, she used the Tips… and here’s how she uniquely applied Tips 1-4 & 5-8.

Let’s forge ahead with our last 2 Tips.
9) Plan  a    h   e  a d.

We all have busy lives with deadlines and schedules. But your body deserves better than junky ass food and a sedentary day.

Think about meal plans, groceries and your exercise regime a week in advance. That way when something unexpected slows you down, you are already prepared. Like a superhero. (But better cuz it’s real!)

Fuel your body.

  • Take advantage of slow cookers and insta-pots;
  • Make extra portions – to freeze or eat again the next day;
  • Remember you can utilize frozen veggies and pre-cut fruit trays.  Or, can it! But don’t forget to rinse off the salty liquid;
  • Have healthy snacks around like veg & fruit tray with homemade dips.  Pre-portion snacking bags of nuts and cheeses for your lunch bag or grab it when you’re running late.
  • Make a versatile dish that you can change up.  For example: veggie chili can be eaten several ways: the usual way in a bowl with toppings, or use it to fill quesadillas or serve with meat/rice;^
  • When making tonight’s meal, cut up extra veggies & onions for tomorrow’s meal. Or, freeze it with homemade herb/spice mixes for future slow cooker meals.
  • How about re-purposing those Mason jars with salads or yogurt parfaits?*;
  • Supermarkets often have healthy meal options like protein & veggie plates in their deli section.

Get (and then keep on)                    m o  v   i    n    g!

Yes absolutely do your dedicated workout.   But you can’t expect it to be as effective if you then just sit on your bum the rest of the day. Keep on moving!

  • Attempt chin-ups with your buddies (see video above for the N&K rendition);
  • Take the stairs instead of the elevator.  (Yes even if your destination is on the 10th floor.**);
  • Sprint up or take the stairs 2 at a time or do lunges in-between floors;
  • Park a few blocks away from your destination, so you are forced encouraged to walk a few extra blocks. (If taking the bus, get off a few stops early);
  • Lunching with colleagues is a great team builder.  Instead of the usual restaurant fare, have a work picnic!  Walk together to a nearby park (or greenspace) & chow down on homemade lunches.  You could have fun themes like having green and Irish foods for St. Patricks Day;
  • Take a romantic stroll after dinner;
  • Plank it! while you watch TV (let your food digest a bit first and warm up beforehand);

The options are endless, folks.

10) Don’t forget about your GD self care.

Kells and I will be posting a lot more on this so BOLO.

Remember I said that this is not a diet.  Diets are typically short periods of radical diet changes to lose weight.  These are not good for your psyche, metabolism, habit reversals or empowerment.

This is a changing-your-outlook on life endeavor.  And folks, life is totes more than just food and exercise!

It is important to do some self care every single day.

This can be as simple as:

  • Waking up early to enjoy your morning coffee in the peaceful silence of the sunrise;
  • Doing a bit of gardening! Spring Equinox was a few days ago. Though weatherwise the PNW is a bit wonky, the plants are sprouting up right on schedule;
  • Stopping to smell the roses or the fresh baked goods at your local bakery. (You can choose to just look and smell, and don’t have to necessarily eat it every time you walk by.);
  • Treating yo-self and yo pups to an unexpected long weekday walk in the park;
  • Paint, sketch, draw;
  • Knit, crochet;
  • Sing in the shower;
  • Sleep in on a day off;
  • Netflix (+/- the “and chill”);
  • Go to the spa;
  • Review that spa experience on your blog;
  • Catch up with an old friend;
  • Tinker with that old beater you’ve had sitting in the garage for years…

So today …

I feel pretty darn good. I have lost some weight and inches.  I have gained muscle, endurance & gumption.  I have found healthier ways to cope.  I have been pushing personal boundaries.  In fact, on March 17, I finished my first 5KM Run! I was 6 minutes faster than my practice runs (which must have been all that adrenalin).  I defo would not have considered doing that even 5 years ago. And we’re planning on doing another one in a month!

Kells and I are going to do a professional photoshoot tomorrow!  Even a year ago I would’ve said No way.

Sure, I still struggle with some stuff like eating too much junk during that monthly hormone change. Or if I’ve not prepared my meal plan a week ahead^^.

It’s been 15 years… and sometimes I get stuck on the thought that I should have lost all of the weight already.  But I know I’m moving forward and challenging myself in a lot of other ways.

I’m a sun-bunny.  I love warm bright days.  In the PNW, the weather may be mild but it’s damp which ≠ warm.  Some mornings I’d rather just stay snuggled in my down duvet. I don’t always feel like getting up at 5 am to exercise.

But at the end of the day I know I’ll feel less ache-y, more energized and closer to my goals if I just get my cantankerous arse out if bed.

And that’s it (for now) for the 90 Pounds and Counting series.  …. Stay tuned for how Kells broke down these Tips to suit her lifestyle.      And we still have reviews coming your way.

What did you think about my 90 Pound Tips?

Common sense?

Surprising?

Ludicrous?

Leave a Comment below!

Footloose footnotes

^ other versatile dishes: grill a whole buckload of chicken & veggie kebabs (protein can also be tofu or veggie ground round).  Use different marinades.  Or, keep the marinade simple but dress it differently at service with salad, in a wrap or other starch. Dressing=  tzatziki or raita style, cumin/oregano/lime, balsamic with fresh rosemary, Thai/Malaysian inspired coconut curry, Vietnamese bahn mi inspired sour-sweet-salty, French Provencal herbs with champagne vinegar or homemade Dijon.

* How to MJ salads: starting bottom up: salad dressing, hearty items (beans, peppers, fennel), leafy tenders then top with cheese/seeds/nuts.  Keep upright until you are ready to eat. Then shake it up & enjoy. Use a similar idea for MJ yogurt: plain yogurt, hearty fruit, tender fruit and top off with granola/nuts.

** In our previous job, Kells & I would see clients on the 7th & 8th floors in DTES SROs.  The stairs were old AF, rickety crickety, slanted, with short landings and usually covered in some UFOs (unidentified fluids or objects). And if that sounds treacherous, you don’t want to see the elevators.

^^IDK but it never ceases to amaze me that our pattern (including my spouse with a forever healthy BMI) is that when we don’t prep/plan our meals ahead of time, we scramble when our tums grumble. Which is usually for takeout ⇒ bigger portions, more salt and fat than home cooking. Plus it eats into your budget like a hungry hippo! Take a look at your own household’s patterns.  Meal planning is not hard. It is not a chore.  It is something that helps you to align with your life goals.

Rolling out 5-8

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Let’s keep on keeping on…

Just a quick reminder, tips 1 to 4 were using the ME Method:

So let’s continue with Nals’ helpful tips to a healthier life…

5) Reward yourself when you achieve your mini goals.

Nals talks about celebrating your accomplishments by focusing on the real treats of life. 

So what does that mean? That means give yourself praise. Even for the small things. If you worked out, even though you really didn’t want to…celebrate that! If you lost 4 lbs this month, but your goal was to lose 10, you still did something right… so celebrate that! You get back on the wagon, and even after a fall… you’re back up… celebrate that!

How, you ask? I like to make sure I am using my employer benefits by getting those massages in. When I need an extra special treat, I will use the RMTs at the Spa. Why? Cuz I need to celebrate my goals I’m achieving! 

Rewards don’t need to be time consuming. It could be a simple text to a friend, letting them know: Hey, guess what? I have been working really hard and I lost a few pounds and it makes me feel good about my goals. Your good friends and support team will be happy to cheer you on and celebrate with you.

Nals makes a good point when she mentions trying to stay away from food rewards. Cheat days don’t work (neither do crazy limiting diets), so try to reward yourself with something besides food.

6) Don’t beat yourself up if you didn’t achieve your goal that week.

As Nals says, this is a learning moment, not a failure. 

⇒ Check your SMART goals. Is it that your goals need to be adjusted? This doesn’t mean that they do, but it is a good way to reflect on them.

⇒ Do you need to plan for bumps in the road? We can’t always be focused on our goals. Many things get in the way, like work, kids, family emergencies. But how do we look ahead and see how we fit these bumps into our goals? 

Remember in the 1 to 4 tips when I said I was failing a lot and I needed to figure out what the heck was going on? First of all, I was totally beating myself up. And it got me nowhere except down. But I started to learn from it. (It took me way too long… but I finally got there!)  I realized looking too far down the road freaked me out. Overwhelmed me.

So now, I focus on 1 day at a time. I still can’t think long term (months down the road), but I can now start to see a week at a time.

7) Know when to push yourself and when not to.

Hello body, did you say something?  Are you listening to what your body is telling you? Nals and I have a good friend, who happens to be a personal trainer (good friend to have hey?).  She gave us the best advice once about listening to your body. She said that you want to feel your workout the next day but you don’t want to be so sore that you can’t move. A little soreness is a good thing, not being able to sit or stand is a bad thing.

A big part of listening to your body is also monitoring yourself when you are working out. As I said last time, I go to a kickboxing circuit and on each station I try to ask myself: can I push harder or is this pace good? I know when I’m flaking out or when I’m going over board, so I need to listen and adjust.

8) Don’t be ashamed to eat (when appropriately hungry) and to enjoy food.

Oh my gosh, I freaking love food, too. Especially good food. So I need to remember, not to overeat. For me, now I eat until I’m full… not stuffed. I’ll be honest, this takes some getting used to (and includes tip 7, listening to your body).  Here’s how I do this:

1. I don’t eat fast. This gives my body time to process the amount I have eaten already.

2. I don’t fill my plate. We have this tenancy to fill our plates to have every inch covered. But our North American plates can be huge.  You could even try using a smaller plate.

However, this is not the same restricting food.  You’re just changing your focus to a healthier portion.

3. I don’t have to eat all the food on my plate. I think this comes from our childhood: if you don’t eat everything that’s on your plate you won’t get dessert. Guess what? The sweet part about being an adult (!!), is that you still get dessert, even if you don’t finish your dinner. This drives my hubbers crazy! I always leave food on my plate and he always says: Kells it’s just one more bite, why can’t you finish it? And I always tell him: Cuz I’m full. That one last bite can be the difference between full and stuffed. And remember, we don’t want to be stuffed! (plus I like to save room for dessert!)

Again, I want to refer to tip #7, listening to your body. We all have different reasons we eat. I’m a boredom eater. If I’m lazying around the house, you better believe you will find me in the kitchen looking for food. But I have to ask myself: Are you hungry? And most of the time, no I’m not. I’m just bored and want to munch. A glass of water will do the trick and get me out of the pantry! I’m also a chocolateholic when it’s that time of the month. I feel that I just can’t get enough sweets. But again, I need to listen to my body. a little chocolate is fine…6 chocolate bars and a bag of chips is to much (even though I feel I deserve it cuz moon time sucks!).

Also make sure you are getting enough water! I try to make sure I have a cup of water handy. If it’s not handy then I’m not going to drink it. So I make sure I have a water bottle on my desk at work, or a glass next to me while I watch tv. It’s like the Field of Dreams, if you build it, they will come! Same goes for water, if you pour it, you will drink it. You get it, right?

Speaking of food…do you have a good healthy recipe you wanna share? Please email us so we can try it and share it with others… with a credit to you as our inspiration, of course!

 

Do you have any food for thought?
How do you feel about the ME Method?
Or the Tips? Or how I rolled them out to fit my life?
Please leave a comment below!

 

90 pounds: Helpful Tips 5-8

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Oh la la we are on to Helpful Tips  5-8!

So in previous posts, I describe my battles with poor health, the benefits I got when I improved my health and the first batch o’ tips.  You can read how Kells put them into action.

About 15 years ago, I was kinda miserable (more or less on the daily).  I was skimming the surface of life.  I wanted to look a certain way. But I had a devil of a time to changing my unhealthy ways.

I transformed by:

Changing my Motivation.

When my focus switched from I have to look a certain way to I want to live a life that’s healthy, then my behaviours changed accordingly.  What flipped that switch was getting a diagnosis of a chronic medical condition… one where most people don’t seek help til decades later when physical damage has been done. And it’s way harder to change behaviours.  My free get-out-of-jail card did wonders for my motivation.

Empowering myself.

As humans we have this amazing capacity to have awareness, to perceive and to change.  Take advantage of this, yo.

Educating myself.  

I observed my habits and responses, got info on my condition, spoke with licensed health professionals & hob-nobbed with like-minded folks.

Support is important. Though only you can change yourself, you will need help. Don’t be afraid to ask.

Exercising my goal.

I figured out my game plan by using S.M.A.R.T. goals. Then by golly I exercised that plan like there was no tomorrow! (Uh well in a manner of speaking. One of my motivators was to improve myself for those tomorrows.)

Continuing on with Les Tips …

5) Reward yourself when you achieve your mini goals.

Celebrate your accomplishments!  You worked hard to slay that goal.  Of course you should break out the proverbial champagne!

Try to steer away from food rewards. This is so that you keep healthy associations with food. (See point 8 so you know I’m not saying that food is bad.  For me, I needed to break maladaptive associations between food=reward and food=coping strategy.)

Rather, focus on the other treats in life: get a massage, buy some saucy lingerie, go on a vacation, get a makeover (MAC and Sephora give freebies!), putz around in the garden, go to the auto show, take funky photos in the park, sleep in (or take an afternoon snooze), take a tour of your city, read a chapter of the book you were saving up for your hols, start a blog, tinker around with that old jalopy you’ve been meaning to restore…

6) Don’t beat yourself up if you didn’t achieve your goal that week.

Instead, learn from it.

⇒ Maybe it was an unreasonable expectation.  For example, do you need to scale back your goal from losing 2 kg/week to 1 kg/week?

⇒ Maybe that week was particularly stressful.  Do you need to add a plan for when things get rough?* or maybe you can try again and see what this week will be like.

⇒ Maybe it wasn’t the right combo of behaviours.  Instead of exercising AND making dietary changes in the same week… you can start instead by incorporating exercise first. When you have a handle on that, add the food changes (or vice versa).

After your examination, re-do that SMART goal with your newly processed info.

This tip was a huge one for me. I reached that infuriating plateau after a year of steadily losing weight. And oh holy Murphy this plateau lasted for years.  Yes: y e  a   r    s.

I had to remind myself that weight was just one outcome measure.  What about other things I had accomplished? Firstly,  I wasn’t going backwards, which had been my previous pattern with yo-yo dieting.  I was losing inches.  I was gaining muscle.  I was gaining strength.  My 2 fab docs weren’t concerned as long as I was keeping up a healthy regime.  So I thought maybe this is just my body’s way of saying, “Change it up, missy!”^

7) Know when to push yourself and when not to.

Listen to your body.  Why do you need to do 30 biceps curls x3 sets? If you strain your muscles, what good is 90 curls? This step ties in with the base-steps 2 & 3: Empower & Educate.  You figure out what your body is about   ⇒the good, the bad⇐ and then support that hawt-to-trot body! Do things that make it better, not worse.

It’s ok to have limitations.  You can always work up to a goal.  But it’s ok if you try and can’t.  Well how about switching gears from bicep curls to taking the stairs instead of the elevator?

8) Don’t be ashamed to eat (when appropriately hungry) and to enjoy food.

Food is a HUGE issue consideration for me.  I blamed myself for eating like shit because I felt like shit.  These thought distortions are sooo NOT helpful.  I eventually said to myself: I like food and I’m going to learn to enjoy food without feeling guilty.  So I turned back to Tip 3 of Edumacating Myself.  I have happy memories and my family uses food for comforting.

Happy memories: My mom enjoyed cooking which is something we did together as I was growing up.  Food is also a big part of my family’s party scene (a la Big Fat Greek Wedding).  The hustle and bustle of a busy kitchen gives me the warm n fuzzies.  In the first year of dating, Mr. Nals and I cooked our first meal together. We had fun and it’s something we do to this day.

My family also used food to heal – for flu, tummy troubles or recovering from wisdom tooth-ectomies.

Cooking is also a weirdly-wonderful mixture of science (homeostatic v. hedonic hunger, kinky molecules in kitchen science, what grows together goes together) and art (gastroporn, complementary flavours).

 

Food is a way to our cultural history, family connections, memories, biology and soul.  Embrace it!

 

Focus on foods you can eat, rather than the ones you shouldn’t. As per my docs, I should avoid certain minerals… which means I shouldn’t really have my beloved citrus and Mehjool dates on the daily. But I can eat … a whole buck load of other stuff.

Fun food fact**: Chai conjures up images of hot cups of spiced milk black tea from India (often called chai tea, which means tea tea, btw). Cha also means tea in Japanese and Chinese languages.

That’s it for this post, N&Kers! Stay tuned next week: Kells will do up a post on how she broke these Tips down and applied them to her fabulous life.

Do you have any food for thought?
How do you feel about the ME Method?
Or the Tips?
Please leave a comment below!

Footnotes

*I get particularly crabby during those delightful monthly hormonal surges.  So I came up with specific how-tos for those sitches.

^ Oh gosh . The Plateau Years were uber annoying. I changed up all sorts – cut out refined sugars, upped protein intake, quit bootcamp to swim, ate smaller frequent meals, incorporated smoothies, did food detoxes, did Reiki, decreased stress… My weight stayed +/- 10 pounds for years. But I kept losing inches, gaining muscle and endurance. My docs weren’t concerned. What reignited my weight loss was working out daily. My beach-babe friend Coach, who is also a kick ass personal trainer, works out twice daily. So I thought wtf let’s give it a whirl. I’m not quite up to BID every single day but I’m workin on it! Remember that this is a good goal for me. I researched it then spoke with my healthcare team.  Before you make  dietary or exercise changes please consult with an experienced licensed clinician! 

** hmm maybe more like a language fact?

Putting 1 to 4 into Action

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Nals started with 4 of 10 tips.

Here’s how I (Kells) put those first 4 into motion…

1) True motivation = YOU.

Nals said she changed her motivation from improving her looks to choosing to live.

What is MY motivation?

First, Let me break it down…what is Motivation? I mean we all know the word and I don’t think we need to Wiki it…but when I look at the word, what am I seeing? What is motivation? For me I see 2 things; 1. Motive and 2. Action. I need a motive and I need to act.

H­onestly, I struggle every day. Unlike Nals, I don’t have a serious medical health condition to motivate me.

So what is my motive?

→At first, it really was to lose weight.

→Look better for others.

My whole life I have never really needed to work out.

  • I eat pretty well, even though I have tried a few fad diets.
  • I was sporty in school, did track and was always moving.

But getting older, doing a bachelors, then a masters, and a pretty serious car accident I realized, weight goes on easy.

Then I had back surgery. This slowed me right down and doctors told me that I would need to take care of my back.

Trust me, this was a slow process.

But it was my motive. I could see my future of being bed ridden and suffering if I didn’t start to exercise. Which pushed me to action.

2) Empower yourself through education & wise choices.
Nals talks about surrounding yourself with like minded people.
And she’s right!

I have a lower back injury. So I can’t just do any old exercise. I needed to find what was right for me. I like to do this kickboxing circuit but I wasn’t able to do some of the stations. It was frustrating because I was able to do them before and I thought I may have to give it up. But I spoke up, talked to the trainers, met with a personal trainer and was able to figure out modifications.

Yes there are days that still don’t work for me. And yes it is frustrating. BUT I keep telling myself my motive.

3) Aim for S.M.A.R.T. goals.

If you read Nals post she links to SMART goals. What’s interesting about this, as a social worker, I get to teach groups and two of the groups I have taught is motivational enhancement and SMART goal making.

Since Nals linked to the SMART goals template, I will give you my example. After years of off and on again gyming, fad diets and yo-yo weight I realized my goals we not working for me. As soon as I start to think long term goals; like I need to work out 5x this week or my brother’s wedding is in July, I need to get in better shape for that, I get overwhelmed and fall hard. I shut down and stop going.

In Sept 2017, I started a project, where I started to count the days I went to the gym consistently.

  • I stopped thinking about how much I needed to do, and
  • I started with one day at a time.

And this has been a huge difference!

I don’t know if you have seen our Instagram page, but I just posted 48 workouts.

(It’s more than 48 now…can you guess where I’m at?)

4) Implement exercise. Keep it enjoyable & doable.

Nals says it all: Enjoyable and doable.

My gym is literally on my route to work. I barely have to get off the road to go in. Completely taking away the excuse that it’s too far away.

I enjoy it. Kicking the stink and punching the fluff out of the bags is so satisfactory to me. I leave it all there. The bags at my gym have felt every negative day, every frustration and every bad thing that happens at my work and in my life.

And let me tell you, it makes me feel so much better. Not only am I getting fit, but I use that moment between me and the bag to focus, pray, and ground me.

That’s it for me. But here’s my encouragement for you:

Take 10 mins to sit down and write out your 1 through 4.

  1. What is your motivation?

When you think about motivation, what does the word mean to you?

2. What education do you need to empower yourself?

Do you need a personal trainer? To see a doctor? Maybe talk with a friend? How will you empower you?

3. SMART Goals

Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time frame. And don’t forget these may change…so it’s important to review them often.

4. What do you find enjoyable and doable?

Remember, keep it fun and doable. Working out shouldn’t be a chore.

 

Oh and PS. Nals is a huge inspiration and motivator for me. I have known her a few years now and watching her journey has been a blessing. I don’t think she realizes how much she motivates me! (THANKS NALS!)

What do you guys think of our first 4 tips?
Do-able?
Fabulous?
Inspiring?

What’s your guess for which number I’m at in my workout days?

Leave us a comment with your thoughts below!