Find Your Niche

    The first time I lost weight I was really into Tracy Anderson's Metamorphosis routine. I bought the DVD bundle and was super excited to get started. I followed the diet plan and did the workouts religiously. After 90 days I looked amazing and I was a huge fan and supporter of the program. When it came time to get fit agin I turned to my trusty DVD set but for the life of me I could not get into it. I did it for 1 week then gave up. The moves were challenging again but I was bored.

   I wasn't sure what I was going to do, so I borrowed a friends fitness DVD set and that too seemed boring, although challenging. My husband indirectly called me lazy but I knew it wasn't that. Staring at a TV screen while working out did not interest me anymore. That's when I started running. I hadn't actually ran out in the open in nearly 10 years. I had hated running ever since I could remember but would do it when I had to. Never did I think I would run voluntarily. After about a week I was in love. The crisp air (it is winter) in my lungs, the cold breeze in my face, my heart racing, and my feet pounding the pavement... I love it all.

  Your niche will change as time passes. Don't stick with something that you are bored with or that you hate just because it worked in the past or someone told you it worked for them. Find what works for you, what excites you, what you love to do. You may not find it right away but keep on searching until you do.

Prepare for Take Off

  Preparing to lose weight takes more than signing up for the gym.  To be successful there is much more involved, and to keep it off there is even more. Below is a list of what to consider before attempting to loose a substantial amount of weight. 

1.   Set a realistic goal. If your goal is to lose 20 lbs in 1 month you may be discouraged if you don't hit that goal. Often when people get discouraged they quit, especially when they try something for the first time. Setting a goal to lose 10 lbs in the first month is more realistic.

2.   Map out a plan. What do you plan on doing to reach you goal? There are a handfuls of diet and excersie trends to choose from. Once you settle on a plan, write down your exercise  schedule on wall calendar, then go about cleaning out your fridge and pantry of stuff you can't eat.

3.   Spend some money. Let's face it, being healthy costs money. But it does not cost as much as you think, I promise! The basics of what you need to buy are: a good pair of running shoes, comfortable bottoms that are easy to move in, a pair or 2 of hand weights, an armband for your phone, and a wall calendar. You don't have to buy anything else until you are comfortable with exercising.

4. Invest in technology. There are apps that will help you calculate you calories, track your steps, map your run, and even provide you a routine for arms, legs, abs, and glutes. Create a playlist of motivational songs that get you pumped (eye of the tiger, we are the champions, don't stop believing etc.). Also take regular pictures of yourself and compare them to your "before" photo to see how you've changed. 

5.  Make it public. Telling people that you plan to lose weight holds you accountable to actually try. There is nothing more embarrassing than telling someone you gave up when you know you shouldn't have. You may even find someone willing to workout or diet with you.

6.   Do not compare yourself to others. Other people may be doing different things for their weight loss, or may have a faster metabolism than yours. So if someone tells you they lost ten more pounds than you in the same amount of time, do not get discouraged. Every pound down is a personal victory.

Okay so #6 isn't really a way to prepare, it's more of a mental note. I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any questions or whether or not his has helped kickstart your weight loss goals.

Love Your Body

   So I noticed lately that there is a lot of encouragement in the world to love your curves and embrace your size aimed at larger women. I understand this is a confidence booster for those who hate their bodies,  but I feel like this new movement is missing the point.

   I agree that all women of all the different shapes and sizes should love their bodies.  They should love their bodies so much that they should want to take care of it. It is the only body we ever get to have. Imagine if we were only allowed to purchase 1 car in our lifetime. I'm site everyone would keep up regular maintenance and would be more cautious not to wreck the car. the same thing kind of goes for our bodies.  They're are plenty of diseases and conditions that are a result v of being overweight that can drastically affect our lives or the quality of life.

   In our teens,  20's, and out 30's being overweight is not much a big deal. The majority of women don't have any problems Accept for maybe high blood pressure or high cholesterol. bit as we get older and stay to become Middle Aged, our bodies may not be able to take so much of the abuse. Hormone imbalances, heart disease, cancer... chances of those increase as we age and further increase for those who are overweight. Why make ourselves susceptible to that.

   On top of all of that,  how much fun ate you having being over weight?  No,  this is not sarcasm. Imagine your friends want to do something like go bike riding or go hiking. Would you join them knowing that it may be physically exhausting?  What about your kids? Whether you have them now or later,  would you play a game of tag with them, play soccer worry them,  or play basketball worth them know that it will toe you out? Some may say yes,  to those people I salute you. However I know there are some that would say no to at least 1 of these things because it sounds either too hard or they don't want to slow others down.

   I personally would not go swimming. Even when I did have the courage to put on a suit,  I would just sit in thend pool or walk along the shoe if the beach.  I wouldn't physically swim... even though my daughter wanted me to swim with her. And it's not because I don't have the skill (trust me I'm like a fish) but it's because I would start huffing and puffing after a short time.

  And don't even get me started on sex.  My husband would suggest a position that would require me to do all the work or some sort of flexibility and I would either disagree so that I wouldn't disappoint him or I would try it,  tire myself out,  then end up disappointing both of us.

 Anyhow, I want people to love their bodies,  even if that means watching their weight.  Not so they can look good,  but so they can feel good,  and not HAVE to limit themselves from life.