Mood: Strong
Today is Thursday, September 29, 2010. For the ways-to-workout-for-free ideas, scroll down to the bottom. For progress update on my health commitments, continue reading...
It's 4:44 am, and I'm not sleeping because I'm too excited. Well, ok, if I'm being completely honest I'm pretty sleepy, but the past few nights I've had wicked insomnia. My sleep schedule, plus a day off for fun at a Giants game, has put me slightly past the point of mini meltdown. I'm not particularly stressed out, but I have hit a bump in the road.
The past month (or two), I've been slacking majorly on the exercise portion of my routine. Actually, I let "being busy" become an excuse for not even establishing a routine. The first 6 weeks of my journey was hard in one aspect -- getting up at 5:30 every morning, busting my butt at boot camp sessions, counting calories, prepping meals, spending a lot of time thinking about food & my body, but easy in another aspect -- slept better, didn't feel guilty or unsure about what I was eating, had more energy, didn't stress over small things as much.
The only thing that hasn't suffered from this gradual slide off the wagon is my work.
I've managed to be very productive at work, which feels good. But I've also forgotten to take care of myself... some days I'm even so focused on a particular task that I forget to take a lunch break, or am so involved in proving myself to my boss that I stay late even when I don't have to, leaving me feeling a little extra tired when I get home. That's not to say that it hasn't been nice just hanging out, relaxing with my BFF over a glass of wine, enjoying the nice summer weather.
I do, however, need to mix it up again.
Luckily, there's always reality TV. WTF? Did she just say reality TV motivated her to get out of a lazy funk & start exercising again?! Yes. She totally did. :)
I've been watching The Biggest Loser for years. I think since the third season. My mom and I have sobbed during several touching episodes. We've laughed at how ridiculous some of the strategy players have been. We've seen ourselves in the guilt-ridden, unhappy faces on the screen that talk about how they long to feel good about themselves as much on the outside as on the inside. Because the ugly truth is that for some people, losing some of life's little victories can get a person down. For some it's a loss of a loved one, for some it's the loss of willpower when driving by the tantalizing smell of McD's (c'mon, you cannot tell me those fries don't smell good sometimes), and for ones like me, it's the loss of self-esteem from finding out you're not quite the person you thought you would be at this point in your life.
My good friend played a song for me the other day that really struck a chord in me. It was something along the lines of how disappointing it can be to not be the person you imagined you would be when you were younger. I remember being a little girl & thinking I would be a news reporter, or a writer for a teen magazine, or even a teacher. I had so many options & dreams & goals. And I made none of them come true. On good days, I'm really proud of what I have accomplished so far. So, I didn't become a news reporter. I don't have a house and two kids. But I had a lot of fun learning about broadcasting. I met a lot of great people while working in radio. I even made some lifelong friends who have given me some really amazing memories. I'm very proud of that. And I'm proud I enjoyed those moments.
On not so good days, I look back at the past and wonder what I could have become had I studied a little harder, dug a little deeper, or taken more chances on opportunities that came my way. Looking back on the past is one thing, but beating myself up about it is another. I realize now that part of the reason I'm overweight is because instead of the voice that pushes me to study harder, give more, dig deeper, in its place is a voice telling me I can't, I'm not the smartest, the prettiest, or even the most charming. That voice has been telling me that I'm mediocre, when it should be telling me I'm bound for excellence.
The big turning point for me when I started this whole process is that finally, somewhere deep within me, that voice started speaking up. The little girl from my past kicked in again and said, "Hey! I'm gonna be healthy when I grow up! I'm gonna get my life together, I'm going to make better decisions, take bigger risks, and feel better about myself. And it totally worked. Only two months into it, I got a promotion at work. Nearly four months has passed now, and I've dropped 22 pounds.
It's time to listen to the big, enthusiastic, hopeful little girl voice again & treat it like the strong woman it's becoming.
I can make a difference, not only in my own health, but in passing on what I'm learning to my parents/family, in being a source of motivation for my friends on similar journeys of self-discovery (remember, my failures are just as important as my successes because they lead me closer to finding the way that works for me), and by putting myself in the best possible position to live a fulfilled, meaningful life.
Ramon, on The Biggest Loser, said it best on this week's episode:
"I don't need to do this to look good, or to be the guy that gets all the chicks... I need to do this to live." To really live. That's all I want too. To enjoy as many moments as possible for as many days & years as I possibly can.
So, now that my tear-jerker, self-motivational speech is out of the way, how's about I clue you in on the title of this post. In my attempts to pull an all-nighter (which are working, by the way) I fired up Hulu.com & watched the most recent episode of The Biggest Loser. It fired me up seeing those determined & hard-working people in the gym, giving everything they've got, to prove that they are committed to changing their unhealthy habits.
Coincidentally, on Sunday I just so happened to pick up a FREE copy of The Biggest Loser's Yoga for Weight Loss DVD at my local library. At the risk of sounding like a commercial, I will say it's one of the most awesome things I've discovered yet. Not the DVD itself (even though it was a great workout!), but the idea of renting workout videos from the library. Did I mention it's FREE? All you need is a (free) library card! No expensive boot camps. No stinky gym locker rooms. It's one more way I can add variety to all the different methods of staying active & still be mindful of my limited budget.
Other workouts that are free or super cheap:
- Bike rides. If you have a bike, it's free. If not, you can find a decent one at a garage sale for fairly cheap. You get the awesome feeling of wind on your skin, a great lower-body workout, and a lot of core strength training as well. You can go at any pace, over any terrain, & as far as you want. My favorite time of day to go bike riding is about an hour before sunset. Right after work, before dinner. After the game on Sunday morning, before the game on Sunday night (for all you football fans!). Fun alone or with friends, with your honey or even with the kids. It's not just a good workout, it can also be really fun. An instant mood-booster in my book.
- Dancing. These days, you don't have to spend mucho dinero on cocktails at a club to work up a sweat while getting your groove on. As long as you have a radio & some floor space, you can have a good old-fashioned dance party for zero dollars. There are tons of free services on the web that allow you to create playlists (the "mix CD" of the new generation). We (my boyfriendguy and I) like Spotify, but there's also iTunes, 8tracks, blip.fm, and a myriad others. It can be as low-key as swaying to some slow & steady reggae beats, or as invigorating as shaking around to some high-intensity salsa. Just fit the music to your mood & get moving! Also, if you look really hard, you can find some free Zumba classes in your city. If you want to skip the uncomfortable heels (ladies), crowded dance floors, expensive mixed drinks (not to mention the extra calories), & the trouble finding a parking spot in the big city, you can still be the star of your own dance floor, in your PJs even, right at home with your favorite vinyl/CD/playlist. Tell me if that doesn't help you sleep with a smile on your face!
- Doing chores. A good soundtrack helps on this one too. The free versions of Last.fm & Spotify are also great for streaming hours of music based on a tag/keyword, artist, or genre. My suggestion is to put on whatever music gives you the most energy. For me, it's oldies. Old rock & motown are my favorite genres for feeling energetic yet focused. I listen to it while I'm washing dishes, or folding laundry, or swiffering my tiny kitchen. Bonus points if you scrub your shower/tub. I live like a hippie half the time & put off housework for as long as I can, but eventually it's nice to see that gleaming area of cleanliness & know that for every sparkle on the bathroom sink, you shed a few calories while singing along to "Love Shack".
A few other free or low-cost workout ideas: walking the dog (dog needs it, you need it, end of story), swimming at a friend's pool (if you don't have one, get one now), doing the humpty dumpty (giggity), hiking up a hill (another one of my favorites & self-explanatory), taking the stairs, playing catch (tennis balls are fairly cheap, as are baseballs), yardwork, running (I sometimes do laps on the track at a local high school), cleaning out the garage, hand-washing your car, and much more!
If you can think of any ideas I didn't list, please share them below in the comments section!
It's almost 6:15. The gym opens in 30 minutes. I think I better sneak in a workout before work. Otherwise I might just fall asleep & not wake up until noon! I hope I can stay awake at work! :)
Thanks, as always, for your support & encouragement. <3
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