On the wagon still!

Full steam ahead with my workout goals. A hangover can't even stop me now! On Saturday morning I went to the gym right away. I am  realizing that working out first thing in the day is the best choice for me. I have heard that people who work out in the morning are more likely to stick with their workouts. (They're also more likely to fall asleep in the parking lot when they get to work, but that's another issue.) The reason you stick with a.m. exercise is because nothing derails you: not the grocery store, not your dog's sad eyes that scream I've been alone all day, walk me now!, not the hundred other things that enter your brain as soon as you come home and drop your keys down. If you can get up with that alarm, that's 90 percent of the battle.

I'll be truthful here and admit that I hit snooze too long this morning. By the time I dragged my pillow-smushed face from my perfect cocoon, it was after 6:00. I only had time for a 30-minute Jillian Yoga Meltdown DVD but that's OK. I didn't chuck the whole plan since there wasn't time for an hour of exercise. I still got up. I did something. My body and my psyche were better for it.

It's true that morning workouts can energize you but they can also deplete you. I drove to work, parked in the lot, then promptly reclined my seat and took a quick snooze ... before I even went into the office! I really think I'm immune to coffee.  Oh well it was a party hardy weekend with lots of socializing and little sleep. The old me would have done nothing this morning. I would've figured that if I can't go whole hog, why bother? Not so anymore. I'm sticking with my plan!

2 Down, 5 Ahead

 I have now woke up with my alarm at 5:30 a.m. two days in a row.I finished a Jillian DVD and then took Quixote for a short walk that turned into a 45-minute walk. It was longer than I planned but Fridays are his long days at home, so it was worth it. He needs to get out and unleash his pee sprinkler everywhere and see how high he can lift his leg to do so. That's his morning exercise routine.

In keeping with my spirit of goal setting and recording progress, I wrote in my little journal last night. I talked about how proud of myself I was for getting up early and sticking to my plan. I said I felt great throughout the day having that energy carry me. Well I did fall asleep on my couch for about 20 minutes when I got home, but at least it wasn't at my desk at work! I even took the little squirt machine for another walk after dinner. Don't ever tell me he's not living the dream life! I wrote in my journal that I was going to stick to my plan and get up early once again. When my alarm went off this morning, as the sky was changing from the color of a bruise to the color or a robin's egg and the birds were chirping, my first instinct was to hit snooze. After I did, I laid awake, thinking about my journal and this blog and the need to follow through. That's all it took: a few gentle reminders about  life and healthy body that I want to have. My feet hit the floor before I even heard snooze start squawking once again.

Today I sweated huffed puffed flailed around did Jillian's Burn Fat Boost Metabolism DVD. I was a little sore this morning and thought that dynamic stretching through cardio was the best choice. The cardio in this video is not for wimps! I was flinging beads of sweat off my hair and around the room before the clock even said 6:00! The DVD included a warm-up and a 40-minute circuit of high intensity moves: mountain climbers, up-down planks, burpees, side kicks, butt kicks, back kicks, roundhouse kicks, kick kick kickin' my buns into high gear. Mama! I was feeling it in every muscle from my lower back to my big toe. So many of the moves are actually full-body moves, so even my obliques and washboard abs were feeling the burn.

Sure at times I half-assed a few moves. The climbing, standing mountain climbers were the worst. If someone peeped in my window and saw me they would've snickered at my lack of gusto. But then I would've nailed them right in the snot locker with one of my many side or back or butt kicks! Hiiii-yah!

I feel like a champ having kicked myself all the way through another workout. I will exercise again on Saturday even though it will be a busy day. I might walk up to the gym and then throw myself on a few machines and hope for the best. Then I'll be beating my chest Tarzan-style and saying HOOT HOOT THREE DAYS! SUCK ON THAT!

Unlimited

For the last two weeks, I have been listening to Jillian Michaels' Unlimited book-on-CD in my car. Jillian reads the book, which is probably most of the reason that I enjoy listening to it! She talks about finding your true potential and living your best life, in regards to your profession, your health and other aspects.

The last section I heard was about setting goals. She discussed longer term and immediate goals and how you break things down into sections that you can deal with. Maybe you want to lose 100 pounds in a year, so that's 12 pounds a month, or 3 pounds a week. You break it down into manageable segments.

She talked about the power of getting organized, looking at your time table, and then writing stuff down. I know this isn't rocket science here but gosh, I used to always write goals down and record my workout stats in a little notebook. I keep saying I can't find time to exercise, but clearly I'm simply not prioritizing it!

Last night  before I went to bed I found an old notebook and wrote down a very short entry. I reminded myself how I like to work out regularly and consistently. I want my original size jeans to fit, because I don't have enough money to fluctuate in weight and buy varying wardrobes. I need to prioritize my exercise as much as I do for Quixote. I know if I take him for a walk that that's great for him and decent for me. However, a walk isn't the satisfying, vigorous workout that going to the gym or doing a DVD can be for me. The solution seems to me that I simply have to force myself out of bed early in the morning. That is the one time of day where I can't get derailed. Quixote can still get his evening walk. I can still do house stuff after work. I just have to hear that alarm and follow through.

I know it's possible. Duh. It totally is. How many 5:30 a.m. bootcamps did I go to last summer? Do I have to pay money and be accountable or get a new outfit or buy a $150 DVD box set to get my ass in motion? The answer is NO. I don't! I am the key to my success or failure. I can hold myself accountable.

So I'm telling the Internet that I will fit in SEVEN hour-long workouts by next Friday. I accomplished the first one today. Only six more to go. Thank you, Jillian!

Three weeks in a row!

Last night marked the third Wednesday in as many weeks that I made it to the gym for a run. I wan on the treadmill for close to an hour, and spent 30 minutes running. I'm pretty proud of sticking to my goal to run once a week and hopefully I'll be upping the amount soon enough. But, hey, slow and steady is the name of my [running] game! Tonight, I'm also thrilled to have plans to go to a Body Pump class. It's been too long. I also want to stay on target with my new (more intense) workout goal which is to complete the IWTB dvd in its entirety by my birthday. That plan calls for some serious strength so I'll definitely benefit from the muscle-toning effects of an hour of lifting weights!

There are costs and risks to a program of action, but they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction. John F. Kennedy