Taking It To The Streets

I'm on a roll.  For the past couple of weeks, I have been eating healthy and working out every day.  I feel so motivated to continue down this path right now.  My problem is figuring out what kind of workout I'm going to do every day.  I get bored really, really easy when it comes to working out.  I've done a few workout DVDs in the past, and I just can't stay motivated enough to stick with them.  I hate having to watch the same DVD over and over again.

This summer I've been trying to mix things up.  I've been taking my workouts outside, and I am loving it!  Maybe it's just the heat, but I feel like I'm really doing something when I work up a sweat outside.  I feel like I'm getting so much stronger day by day.

My brother came down to visit me last week, and we decided to spend the day at a state park near my house.  There's a swimming beach and a hiking trail, so I figured I could get a decent workout in.  I wore my heart rate monitor just to see how my calorie burn was.  I burned over 900 calories just by enjoying myself outside! 

We started out doing a 2-mile hike through the woods.  It was gorgeous.  I worked up a sweat and was definitely huffing and puffing through some of the climbs, but I barely noticed it because I was too busy admiring the beautiful flowers and taking in the jaw-dropping views from the top of the bluffs we were standing on.  Then we went swimming at the public beach to cool down.  It was a perfect day and a perfect way to work out.

I want to incorporate more real-world workouts into my routine.  This is the reason I want to get fit in the first place.  I am an outdoors girl at heart, but my weight has been keeping me from doing the things I love for so long.  I absolutely cannot wait until next summer when I'm closer to my goal!

What's your favorite outdoor activity?

Recommitted And It Feels So Good

Week 1 of my recommitment to myself is in full effect.  I bought an elliptical at the beginning of May and have been using it off and on, but I started using it consistently this week.  Wow is all I can say!  I am loving it! 

For the past few months I have been searching for a good workout that will get my heart rate up without killing the ankle I injured back in September (which just doesn't seem like it's EVER going to heal totally).  Even walking for more than a mile leaves my ankle swelled up and painful for days.  The elliptical is so low impact that my ankle doesn't hurt while I'm getting a great workout.  Another plus is I am using my ankle enough that I feel like I'm finally building some strength back.

I've also discovered an app that I am absolutely in love with.  Have you guys tried the Nike Training Club app?  Holy moly!  It will definitely kick your butt.  I know I am super out of shape, but I have to think that even people who are in great shape can get a fantastic workout from this app.

You can choose Get Lean, Get Toned, Get Strong or Get Focused.  The workouts range from 15 to 45 minutes, and they absolutely fly by because you only do each move for between 30 seconds and 2 minutes.  The best part is you don't have to have any extra equipment.  You just use your body.

Now, even the beginner workouts are too much for me right now.  I just do what I can and try to improve each time.  After my first Nike workout, I was super, super sore, but I felt so fantastic.  I am definitely adding the workouts to my rotation.  Oh, and did I mention the app is free?!!!

I am excited to continue working out and tracking my results.  It's crazy how much stronger I feel already after just a week of consistent exercise.

What are some of your favorite workouts?  How do you push yourself to keep improving? 

Weight Loss: Take 954

Fall seven times, stand up eight.

Japanese Proverb

So if you've followed my blog over the past year and a half, you will know that I am not a very good weight loss blogger considering I haven't lost any weight.  It seems like all I ever do is lose 20 pounds, gain 20 pounds, lose 20 pounds, gain 20 pounds.  I don't know why it's so hard for me to stay consistent and just finally lose this weight. 

I know I'm not the only person to feel hopeless about trying to lose weight.  It's not easy to just completely change your entire lifestyle and know you can never go back.  When food is your friend and what you use to comfort yourself when you're down, it's hard to get rid of that crutch and walk the road alone.

For me, I feel like this is a life or death situation.  I am literally killing myself living like this.  I feel terrible all of the time.  I turn down invitations to do things because I am embarrassed about how I look.  Whenever I'm out in public, I don't enjoy what I'm doing because I'm too busy being self-conscious.

I know I've said this before, but today is the day I am making a change.  I am going to do this.  I don't have a choice.  I want this more than I have ever wanted anything in my life.  I just have to remember how much I want this when the going gets rough and all I want to do is give up.

I've been overweight my whole life.  The crazy thing is I don't feel like I've ever truly been able to be my real self because of my weight.  I feel like I have the mind of an athlete in a fat person's body.  I absolutely love sports.  A sappy movie can't bring me to tears but a real-life story of an athlete who has overcome so much to live a dream will leave me a sobbing mess.  When I think about the life I want to be leading, I think of an active life.  I want to run, ride my bike, go camping, go kayaking, play tennis.  I want to really live life.

I know I've been missing from the blog world for the past couple of months.  I actually haven't been doing terrible.  I've pretty much maintained my 20-pound weight loss from the beginning of the year.  I just haven't made any new progress.

So here I am again, starting over.  Today I weighed in at 273.8.

Never give up on something that you can't go a day without thinking about.

- Winston Churchill