Fit: Finally, an Exercise Room

Photo Credit to www.123rf.com

As said yesterday, I am working away at making one room in the house my workout haven. I do not like (really do not like) working out in front of other people. Even when I was thin and belonged to a gym, I hated people watching me and would prefer to zone out and just get things done.

The thought/goal is that if I have my own space to do what I need to do, privately, I will have more incentive to work out with things that aren't on our Kinect. While my Your Shape Fitness and Zumba on the Kinect are awesome, I also know it does not replace weight lifting, biking, and other activities of the sort. Not only that, but it is a waste to own these things, and let them collect dust.

Since I December I have been telling people I was going to make an exercise room with our bike, weight bench, scale, and other workout equipment we have. I finally decided it was today, or never. I got into our guest room, vacuumed, steam cleaned, had the hubby haul the bike upstairs, threw away items we don't need, and below is the end result. It's not quite done yet, we still have the guest bed in there, but for now I can workout around it. I love that the bike is facing the window so that I have a view of outside (nothing worse than biking with the view of a white wall), or can prop up our Surface and watch a show whilst burning calories and shredding inches.

 

 I have not exercised yet today, but I vote cleaning up should count for something. I will bike a few minutes this evening, after the kids go to bed, and will adjust the weights to something I can use. Once the bed is out of the way, I am going to set up a mini stretching/yoga center. Yippy!

Fit: One Step at a Time

Me September 2001

Me January 2014

Anyone who reads this blog knows I've had a long term struggle with weight. Years long. And I have had many bouts of giving up and not trying, and am currently coming out of one of those ruts. I have decided to give it another go, but be more realistic. And much more honest with myself. Part of the honesty is in seeing how bad things have actually become. It is hard to see pictures of myself from before (when I thought I had a weight problem, and really didn't), and look in the mirror now. Part of being realistic is in me accepting that pounds lost is not what I should focus on. It's so hard for me to shed anything beyond six pounds, and I've been told by a doctor and trainer that I just may not lose as easily anymore, and to embrace it. So I'm going to. I'm going to embrace that pounds lost will probably not be coming. What I will focus on, though, are inches lost, more energy, agility, and feeling more confident. Will I weight myself? Of course, but I will not dwell on it. I plan on measuring my waist, hips, thighs, abs, and arms on Sunday and will probably post the results (if not, I will be tracking on My Fitness Pal). So, what I'm trying to say, is that instead of focusing on pounds lost I will be celebrating in anything being reduced on my tape measure. Weekly, I will update how I am doing, and what I have been doing, to get back to a better me.

First up, turning our guest room (that is never used) into a work out room. We already have a full weight bench, and exercise bike, so I just need them together in the room and arranged so that a show can be watched while biking or something to help pass the time. Also, I will be doing some form of working out every single day. Oh, and in addition to that, I will be greatly reducing the number of meals we eat out. I have yet to decide how I'll do this, but am looking into pre making, and freezing, lots of meals every weekend. More to come on that :)

 So far this last week I have gotten myself moving again. It's surprising to me that 16 minutes of working out has me so sore and winded, when last October I was Mrs. Workout and it took a lot to give me sore muscles (was up to 250 squats a day). A few months off has left me winded, sore, aching, and not wanting to do more, but I keep pushing along. I have started using my exercise bike a few minutes a day, have been using the boot camp in Your Shape Fitness, and have started walking a few miles a day several times a week.

The last thing I will say that I am going to do is limit tv time. I find even though I spend lots of time on the computer, and sitting at work, that I am able to find ways to sneak in activity doing that, whereas when I get sucked into the tv I just sit. For example, while writing this, I took a break and got up to do the dishes, plug my Kindle into the charger, and work on some laundry. Though I know there will be times I am just exhausted, and tv (or the Kindle) is my solution, I will greatly limit those moments and focus more on other things. So long, now, until next week!