Work it Out 101

Work it Out 101

I was at the gym today, when a guy asked me something very striking. He said "you're in great shape, why do you still workout?" I explained to him that I work out to maintain general good health, physically and also mentally (exercise is a great stress-reducer!). Leaving the gym, I went on to thinking how this guy's mentality is the Exact reason people cannot keep the weight off. I know, I've been there yo-yoing up and down. Not so much fun. It wasn't until I changed my entire lifestyle and committed to Health, that I kept it off and continue to keep it off.

Here's a little background on my BIG Life Changer and then we can get to some tips for you :]
I have always loved to eat, from sucking on Chinese spare ribs at 6 months old to finishing all my peas and carrots at 6 years old. I ate everything too (except fish, until I was 25!!). And of course with my love for eating, my entire life I was a Curvy Fox with a juicy booty. Now let me say that I Nerver considered myself to be "fat" but in today's society, I always strived for skinny. I went on Atkins, Weight Watchers, Slim Fast, The 3-Day  Diet, The Milk Diet- you name it, I've tried it. I would always lose, no issue there- The problem was, I never kept it off. Fast forward to March 2007, when I started getting unbearable chest pains.

 After blood tests and heart scans and visiting Dr. to Dr., a Gastroenterologist sent me for an Endoscope (an outpatient test where they look down your throat into your stomach- all while sedated of course!). Well, that Blessed Doctor found I had a Hiatal Hernia (a hi-a-who?!). Basically a Hiatal Hernia an hernia (weakening/tear) in your hiatal muscle. This muscle is the one between your esophagus and stomach that helps push food down when we eat. Hernias can occur for many reasons and it's unlikely to be sure of the cause. The treatment options were as follows: A.Surgery, B. Prescription Medicine, or C.Bland diet. My doctor said and I can't disagree, that most people choose option B, medicine. You can eat what ever you want and just take some meds for the discomfort. For me, at twenty-three years old and on daily medication didn't sit right. Major surgery didn't logic well with me either. Did I really need to risk my life going under the knife to be able to eat  bad? No  way.

Now yes, I've already mentioned, I LOVE TO EAT, but I never really loved eating "bad." I wasn't a fastfoodie and always preferred a hearty meal over junkfood. Why not give this "bland" diet a try? It wasn't easy at first, but then became easier as I adjusted- but then it became hard again and massively boring! My journey was a lot of trial and error and being forced to learn/accept my weaknesses and focus my energy on on my strengths (resiliency & drive).

Low and behold, here I am 6 years later, a Healthy, Fit, Runway Model who eats anything but "bland." I taught myself to doctor up my Doctor's orders in a "Clean eating" fashion. Its amazing how with the healthy diet magnetically attracts a natural healthy lifestyle: regular workouts, taking vitamins, sleeping 8 hours a night, etc. When you're constantly focusing on being healthy, you learn and pick up even more habits. It was a domino effect and this digestive disorder (that I cursed) ended up a blessing in disguise. I am in the best shape of my life after a slow, steady one year process, which has now been maintained for several years. I never had a weight loss goal in mind, only getting healthy. This was the main ingredient that was different from all of my other diet flops. This time I wasn't trying to lose weight at all, this time I was trying to feel better, to feel good. The weight loss was an added bonus :]

Back to workouts
I have never been nor will I probably ever be a "Gym Rat," as people call it. I'm not excessive in my exercising, only consistent.* When I was losing, I would do thirty to forty minutes of cardio at the gym (now that I am maintaining, I do twenty). My cardio routine alternates between speed walking at a high incline on the Treadmill, the Stairmaster (Great for the booty!) and the Elliptical (skii) machine. On nicer days, I speed walk around the park, the neighborhood or the boardwalk for forty minutes. I did this four days a week (Now I usually only go three). That's not bad. A side note: Any time there is a holiday or an event where I'll be overindulging, I will make it my business to throw in an extra day and spend some more time on cardio. This gets your body ready to burn that extra delciousness you will be enjoying (minus the tight belt & guilt)!

In addition to cardio, I do about twenty minutes of light weights. And please don't worry about "bulking up" or getting big. We're  not power-lifting ladies, we're using light weights. Ask for a tour of your gym, which you are entitled to and they should initially offer. Let them show you how to work the machines and what weights are a good start. The people at your gym should be well trained. Don't hesitate with the questions, this is their job and hopefully they like it :]

Here's a bonus: When you weight lift (lightly) in combination to doing cardio, you will burn fat even when you're NOT working out. Yes, you read it right.  It's true. The more muscle you have on your body, the more calories your body burns at rest. Plus once all that fat melts away, you will ALREADY have some nice sexy, defined sculpting to show. And again, I alternate- if I do a few lower body machines one day, I do upper body my next visit and so on. The only thing I do every visit to the gym is some form of abs- and nothing crazy either- just one or two machines. If I go to the gym at 4:00, I'm out by 5:00.

Now I know that everyone's schedule is different, so lets think about what can work for you.

Exercising in the morning boosts your energy and sets a great tone for the day. If you're schedule permits or you're an early riser, do it then. It's out of the way and you won't have to worry about it for the rest of the day. If not, go later in the day straight from work if you're a 9-5er, like me. Or even better, if you can swing it- go on your lunch break! I bring my sneakers and gym gear with me to work. See, I know myself and I know if I go home, I will not back out (especially in the chilly weather). You know yourself, you love yourself and only you can plan it out to work for YOU!

In addition to basic machines, other exercise options include classes such a Pilates and Yoga (I love yoga), both which are great for toning and so relaxing and zen. Other choices are Cycling/Spin-classes, Aerobics, Step, Kick-boxing, Zumba- the list goes on! I've done Zumba (massive calorie blaster) and really liked it. The music was great, the energy was positive and it felt way too much fun to be a workout. *Keep in mind that on the days you take a class, it will be in place of the usual treadmill and weights. This is great because not only will you be working different muscles groups, but it switches things up. Cardio can get boring- trust me, I know. I try and gym it during my favorite show (Dr. Oz) and that really helps time fly. When I go on weekends (just Saturdays of course, Sunday is a day of rest :]), I'm in and out early and I exercise blasting Pandora Radio on my i phone (Good music=Major energy booster!).

Ok, now obviously joining a gym or taking classes requires not only time and effort but also $$. I know not everyone can afford these options, but there are still other ways! Invest in a really awesome workout DVD- I've heard great things about The Brazilian Buttlift Workout. Or there's always digging out the old Jane Fonda Aerobics or  Richard Simmons 'Sweating to the Oldies' routine- whatever works for you (I don't judge). You can walk (or run) around the block a few times, walk around the mall, the park or the beach. Do some crunches and squats in your living room while watching The Bachelor. Do some bicep curls with cans of tomatoes from your pantry- JUST DO SOMETHING!

Whatever you do, enjoy it. Don't be too hard on yourself but at the same time try your hardest. Be consistent. It will pay off and after about three months, it will be a habit and second nature (trust me on this one). Take your time, we're striving for progress, not perfection. It may take a while but the only way to get there is to Keep Going.

Good luck Foxes and any questions, please ask. I do this for YOU. xo