Moving More- My thoughts on Exercise

At the beginning of my competition I was pretty much anti exercise routines. My thoughts were that I did not want to start something that I did not feel I could or would keep up. Too many exercise programs start you out with an hour of making yourself look and feel foolish. I have watched others attempt them and they end up with a boat load of exercise videos and or exercise equipment that sits and gathers dust because they feel they do not have time to do what they think it will take to become fit again. I didn't have the money nor the space in my home to do that, although I have a couple of videos and a couple of pieces of equipment that I have tried.

I have come to realize that those people on the commercials did not get on the commercials by using the equipment, they got on the commercials because they looked good to start with. It is easy to get caught in the trap thinking if you buy what they are selling I will become like them. Well, we all know that is what they are trying to do, but we continue to fall for it, and if it helps us get started it is worth it...I guess. 

Anyways, my philosophy is Eat Less and Move More. Becoming Physically what you already are Mentally. As the competition heated up I realized that not only did Move More mean to get up off my butt and move, but it meant move in different ways. So I started out simply by parking further away when I stopped at the store. I started sitting on an exercise ball while watching the television. I found the Biggest Loser 10 minute workouts. I just decided that I had to do more than just walk if I was going to stay in this competition. So I just started moving more in as many different ways as I could think of. Exercise routines have become a filler for me. I have done Tai Chi, swimming, jogging, hiking, walking, basketball, Biggest Loser's 10 minute workouts, as well as their Yoga, and Cardio Max routines. I have decided that I will just keep trying different types of movements, including dance, possibly martial arts, and biking. As I earn more freedom I will take the opportunity to try new ways of moving. I have learned that to keep being effective you have to change things up. Your muscles seem to get used to certain movements, and when they do the exercise seems to be less effective. Sometimes you have to try something else and then come back to those exercises you like the most. Most important about thing about Moving More is that you just keep trying until you find those exercises you like the most then you find some more and change them up. 

When you first start trying different forms of movement you may find yourself feeling very awkward and uncoordinated. I felt like the ugly duckling swimming before swans, so do not feel like you have to look graceful, just understand that moving more is your goal and graceful comes somewhere down the road...at least I hope it does I certainly don't think it has reached me yet, but I look better than when I started. 

Just keep moving that is what it is all about. When it becomes too easy that is when you can try to analyze what you are doing wrong, until then move until you sweat then sweat some more. 

One thing that did help as well was that I used a sauna suit on my big push days usually that was Fridays and Saturdays. I did add Thursdays in towards the end. The sauna suit maximized the heat my body was producing. This was particularly helpful, when I did not have a lot of time to build up my internal heat. 

MAKE SURE YOU DRINK LOTS OF WATER when you sweat a lot you need to keep yourself hydrated or you may undo the good you are doing. 

Still dropping this makes 51 lbs since January

If you have access to a gym or to a trainer my hats go off to you. I would take advantage of it. My approach was born out of lack of resources and a determination that I wanted to do something to get myself feeling better. I was tired of killing myself from the inside out and making excuses for why I wasn't able to breath, sleep, or have energy to do anything. I was tired of being depressed and knowing that I could do something about it. I was tired of looking down the road and seeing myself in an early grave or worse having poor health and suffering old age without a good foundation of fitness. 

I have always said that the stress of worrying will kill you faster than the weight you carry, but at some point the weight you carry is going to stress you right out of the game. So don't worry about your weight, just get up as start doing something a little more each day. Stop making excuses for why you can't do it and look for reasons why you can and should do it. If you do not have a reason why then find one and hold on to it. 

The benefits from losing weight goes far beyond the lbs you lose. What you get is your life back! What you get is your own slice of Freedom. And that freedom is priceless.