I found motivation!

Well - I found motivation.  I saw a recent picture of me and because of my belly bulge (and I was CLEARLY NOT sucking in) I looked pregnant!  This cannot be - must get back to working out!  Today is Halloween and we have plans with baby - but tomorrow I am back whether anyone is there with me or not!!

Happy Halloween!

The gym?? Not really!! I need motivation!

So - wanting to get back in shape, look better and the fact that I am spending $40 a month is not motivation enough.  What else can I use to motivate me.  It is now day 6 that I have not been to the gym.  Partly busy, partly lazy, partly another sore neck.  But still.  I need to get back!  I am thinking of going tonight but I am still sitting at work - yes I am actually working, not just avoiding the gym. But it is getting late!  I still have a couple of things to finish up and I have not seen my baby all day!  Maybe I can go tonight AFTER baby goes to sleep?  I need to go.  Maybe I should give myself some kind of reward when I do go?  Any thoughts?  HMMMMM - still thinking.  MOTIVATE ME!!

A pretty good week!

Well after my injury - I took 2 days off.  What amazed me is that I worked out on Saturday morning - 8:30 AM.  People who know me KNOW this is a miracle!  I am not a morning person.  I did another weight class.  And I was not as sore as the first time.  Monday, I did another Zumba class.  I did not turn as red and I also did not get injured. And I had a lot of fun!  :)  Wednesday, I did the elliptical, the incumbent bike and some ab exercises.  I did not work out Thursday and have not yet today.  They have both been very busy work days as well as other things baby-wise.  I may try to workout tonight but definitely tomorrow!  I will keep you updated. 

I am not sure but I may have noticed a slight decrease in inches (centimeters).  I may check my weight again and see if I have lost anything.  :)  Will let you know.

Injury already!??

So as much as I enjoyed Zumba yesterday - it seems my body was clearly not ready for all those new moves!  I believe I may have pinched a nerve in my back.  Getting older makes things harder.  But I will not give up.   Although I have canceled any plans to  work out today, I will be seeing a Chiropractor tomorrow and hope to get back at least on the elliptical tomorrow!  Wish me luck!

Excuse number 1: The gym costs too much!

One of my favorite excuses  I have always used in regards to the gym was that joining a gym cost too much and is a waste of money.  Now in all honesty - if you sign up for a membership and never use it, then yes, it is a waste of money.  The fact that you are spending that money should make you want to go so that you will not waste it.

The gym is not too expensive.  Let's just say you pay $40 a month.  Some people pay more and some less.  Here are examples of things we all do that cost the same OR more:

•  If you go out to eat for lunch one day a week in a sit down restaurant, you will spend at least $10 and often $15 to $20 depending on what you get.  In a month you will spend at least $40 on lunches.  And many of us eat out more than that.  Even if you go to a fast food restaurant once a week, you may be spending less, but you are still spending at least $20 a month.  
• If you have a night out with the guys or the girls and you have any alcohol, it is VERY  likely that this ONE night out will cost more than $40.  If youo did this twice a month,  that could be $80 - 100 in a month!  WAY more than the gym.
• A lot of ladies spend $200-400 on a pair of shoes.  This would cover a year at the gym
• You can join classes and groups outside the gym and many of these will cost you AT LEAST $10 a session.   If you went once a week, this would cost $40 in a month.  At the gym, you can take as many classes as you want a day or a week!  If you took three classes a week, and that is it, you are paying $3.33 for each class!  

There are so many other things we spend money on - some of which we need, some of which are bad for us, etc.  We have to stop making the excuse that we cannot afford it.   There is a plan and a gym that will work for all of us!  Just do some research and make the commitment!

Back to the gym...

So I grew up playing sports my entire life.  I love the competition of it!  I have never been a fan of the "working out" aspect of it.  Running on treadmills or the practices unless of course it was a scrimmage or something else competitive.  Since college, I have off and on played soccer but other than that have  done limited working out to stay in shape or be healthy. 

Last year I had a baby.  Of course I gained weight - LOL!  I gained 40 pounds.  Within 5 months of the birth, I had lost all but about 5-8 of the pounds I had gained.  I was pretty happy with that.  What I was NOT happy with was the new consistency of  my body!  I was very flabby, my butt had drooped and my tummy - DO NOT EVEN GET ME STARTED!  It is like this squishy, wrinkly, bagel attached to the front of  my regular belly!  I HATE IT! 

I have never been a fan of the gym and the last time I was a member was like 15 years ago - seriously!  And that time I only went for 3 weeks before I failed.  I also always felt like it was a waste of money - I can work out on my own!  So what I decided to before a family trip to the beach was start this VERY simple interval training program at home.  It started as 12 minutes and we worked out way up to 16 minutes.  My mom worked out with me.   It included squats, tricep dips, push-ups and sit-ups.  We impressively did this for the  three months before my trip.  It was a great workout in all honesty and did help with some toning, but the flabby abs were still present.  After my trip, I could not get back in the groove.

A friend of mine was a member of a local gym.  She talked me into trying  it out.  So here I am, back to being a member of a gym!  I initially tried a free pass but they were having a deal so I signed up two days in.  I am currently in my second week and have gone 6 times!  I am pretty proud of that.

I have done two classes - a weight class which ALMOST killed (sore arms and legs - shakiness) and a Zumba class.  This one was very fun - but I felt totally uncoordinated.   But I think it will get easier.  I have done a lot of elliptical work. 

I decided to write about my process.  Really this is for me.  But maybe if I decide to share it, it could "inspire" or "scare" someone else!