Monday, May 21, 2012

Committing to Shaping up my Shape

Exercise has never been a huge part of my life. It’s something that I think about quite often and there have even been a few occasions when I have actually worked out, but my work out stints have always been a short lived.

Growing up, my mom wasn’t much of an example because the woman never worked out a day in her life and had the nerve to look like she did. I’ll never forget how she looked when she left the hospital after giving birth to my brother. She didn’t even look like she’d just had a baby! She is very active and she eats healthy, but she never committed to a workout regimen. Due to good genes, she never really had to think about it.

I’m thankful that I inherited healthy eating habits from my mom because that is one less thing that I need to change about my life to make my body better, but I’m not an active person at all.

The closest I have gotten to a continuous workout regimen was when I used to attend dance classes. Dance is a full body workout, but I never looked at it that way because I was having so much fun and the time when by so quickly.

There was also one summer when I went bike riding in Central Park every weekend. I didn’t consider this working out because I was only riding once a week. I looked great that summer, though; and my thigh muscles were strong like bull!

I’m very short so I need to keep my weight under 130lbs. The second the scale even nears 130 I begin to panic. I’ve weighed 137lbs before and I didn’t feel good about myself because, for a small person like me, it’s too much. I promised myself that it would never happen again and I have been able to deliver on that promise by changing my eating habits. Too many Restaurant Picks and not enough home cooked meals is no good for maintaining.

Because I love to walk, I try not to take the train when the weather is nice if my destination is in walking distance. So on one of those nice days last week, I decided to walk to one of my restaurant picks because I had an hour to kill.


It was a great 2.2 mile walk and I asked myself why I wasn’t doing this more often. Especially since I have no excuse.

A few years ago I got caught up in one of those Bowflex infomercials which influenced me to buy a treadmill. (The Booty Slide is another infomercial that almost got me). My intention for the treadmill was a 20-30 minute daily walk/run to burn some calories and help me to stay in shape. I’ve used the treadmill sporadically, but never on a consistent basis.

Although I don’t work out at all, I do fantasize about it just about everyday. Fantasizing will not help me get into shape, so I decided that in April I would begin working out… Psych! Yesterday was the first time I finally, FINALLY put on my workout gear, unfolded and dusted off the treadmill. There was A LOT of dust on it.

I’m embarrassed to say that it’s been so long since I’ve used the treadmill that I couldn’t remember where the on switch was and it took me 10 minutes to find it. So sad.

My treadmill is preprogrammed with six 30 minute workout sessions (another reason why I have no excuse not to be working out). I chose the easiest one which consisted of a five minute warm up at 2mph. The speed then increases to 3mph and then 3.5mph. The incline rises and falls at levels 3, 4 and 5 about every minute throughout the workout and then cools down.

During the first five minutes of the workout I asked myself why I wasn’t doing this every day, but with 13 minutes left on the clock, it got difficult and I wanted to call it quits. Walking the incline on level 5 at 3.5mph was tough for me, but Daisy and Melissa could probably do this workout in their sleep.

I had the nerve to have my cell phone on the dashboard of the treadmill thinking that I would actually have a conversation while I was on there. I wasn’t out of breath, but there was definitely no breath left for talking.

Although I really wanted to hit the stop button, I didn’t. I toughed it out and I plan on toughing at least three times a week. I want to say that this will be something I do everyday, but I just need to be real with myself. I’ll aim for everyday, but I plan on working out no fewer than three times a week. Three times a week is definitely something I can do.

My goal is to make exercise a part of my life so that it’s not just something I do to get in shape for the summer. Eventually, I want to be in shape everyday and all year. The only way that’s going to happen is if I make a real commitment to myself. My track record hasn’t been so good, but some of my pants are getting snug so not working out is not an option.

To shaping up my shape!

~Louise C.

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1 comment:

  1. Good luck with your shaping your shape and making yourself look even more fabulous

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