Wednesday, August 25, 2010

My Journey to Fitness & Flyness

Woo. And saa.
 As I've mentioned in a previous post, this summer has refueled my desire to hit the gym and get my body right and tight. I'm tired of having jiggly body parts and fluctuating between fitting my clothes and them being too tight to be sexy. I want Michelle Obama arms, a tight tummy, legs to die for and a firm and round butt. So I teamed up with one of my closest homegirls (and classmates) in the Burgh to start a workout regimen of cardio and strength training at least 3x/week. For about 4 solid weeks we were going hard in the gym and the results were visible. And then the unthinkable happened.... Vacation.

While I burned a lot of calories by walking around Disney World parks for 5-7hrs and chasing after kids ages 6 to 11, I ate and ate. And ate some more. I mean, #fatgirlmoments were at an all time high. And they haven't decreased much since. That's what vacay does to you!! Not only do you break from your normal work routine, but all routines. So those 21 days I put in to build a habit of working out? Only took a day of relaxation and resorting to break it. Dammit! To make matters worse? All the school gyms were closed for the rest of the summer when I got back! FML! Universities hate grad students! So, I've been on a 3 week hiatus from any kind of workout. Nevermind that I could go for runs outside and do free weight exercises at home. It's just not the same!

But this brings me to admitting my biggest battle with staying fit and being healthy--I lack discipline and dedication. See how dependent I am on a gym being open to workout consistently? When I'm not working out I'm not eating healthy. Basically I need to stay in the gym in order to eat well (smaller portion sizes) and curb my appetite for nonsense food that are packed in bad calories (aka calories that don't help my body succeed at being great). Because the more idle I become, the more #fatgirlmoments I have. Furthermore, working out--and eating healthy--helps me sleep better and need less hours of sleep per night and generally makes me feel better throughout the day (more energy, less sluggishness). Yet, I still get knocked off my fitness and wellness game so easily and it's so difficult for me to get back on track. I could go into the neuobiological factors that work against us when we're trying to lose weight to further complicate things, but I'll save that dissertation for another post.

Bottom line is this: I need ACCOUNTABILITY!!! The only way I'm ever going to reach my health and fitness goals (short term--small waist, phat booty lose 20lbs; long term--never need to be on meds for preventable diseases) is if I have a team of people encouraging me and calling me out when I'm falling off. Because I damn sure haven't been doing it on my own lol. So I'm putting myself out there in the virtual world to let errybody know I'm in it to win it and to check up on me!! Oh wait, win what? Idk, maybe a free 50 Tyson mixtape? Anyway... In real life, I bought some EasyTones. Yes, EasyTones lol. Next purchase? A shake weight. And I'm so sinsurr LOL. I have my same workout partner (who is awesome and committed). And since many of my friends are interested in healthier lifestyles as well, I've asked them to "count calories" with me on MyFitnessPlan.com (I got the app on my Droid too). It's amazing to see just how much food I am putting into my body without restriction. And even though most of it's healthy, its too much!! Yikes! For the last 3 days I've really trying to stick to the 1200cal allotment, but it's so difficult! It's going to take some sheer will power to hang in there, but I can do it! I have to, my friends are watching... (O_O)

Speaking of being watched, I'm posting my weight loss progress scale below so that if you check back you can see if my lifestyle changes are working. It's currently at zero lbs lost. [Although admittedly, the weight loss is just a finite, tangible marker. I'm more concerned with getting in shape and eating healthier than I am about my mass.] Wish me luck! School gyms open back up next week and me and my girl are DETERMINED to get back in there and get back to our goals of being fit and fly.

Anyone else on a new kick to get fit? Any triumphant weight loss stories to help me with my inspiration? Are there any suggestions for websites or blogs on fitness/health that I should check out?

Thanks in advance for your support,
~The Gem-inator


 Created by MyFitnessPal - Free Calorie Counter

5 comments:

  1. me too Gemmie, well...sadly I have learnt that it must be a lifestyle change and not some diet bs, cause that ish don't work and when I put a whole mess of stuff on my "off limits" list then I just go crazy off the chain, so I have learned moderation ...and sometimes I hate the whole idea of it...but in the long run when I ain't taking meds for the shugah etc..... I will be glad I did...

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  2. if no gym, there is always Wii fit...

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  3. Yay, Gemmie! Yeah, I'm definitely working on getting some discipline. I'm very active, but I'm horrible at keeping a strict schedule. I'll do it for a while, but when I get off track...man I get off TRACK. So much so, that the track ceases to exist. You're very inspiring and I'm definitely supporting/rooting for ya!

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  4. @bajanflchick
    im not a fan of fad diets either. besides the fact that i LOVE food, so im gonna wanna eat whatever the hell i wanna eat. i just have no discipline when it comes to portions. which is why im calorie counting. so, i can choose to eat something unhealthy, but i gotta adjust the rest of my eating accordingly. but good luck with your missioN!

    @anonymous
    yes! there is always the wii fit!!! and its something my roommate and i (and anyone else who comes to the crib) can do together :)

    @cheeks
    THIS!! "but when I get off track...man I get off TRACK. So much so, that the track ceases to exist." lmao me too girl, me too!! its sad but im working on it. and with some accountability, ill keep it together. thanks for the support :)

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  5. deep sigh.
    TO, your posts are always on schedule and on time (to misquote Nas).

    I just had a meeting with a PT (personal trainer) on monday. My goal is to play mas in next year's Caribana parade, so figured a year to get right and tight...But at the cost $500/month??? No. Mas. I financially can't do it. And as much as its important to get healthy, gotta make sure I can still pay my bills.
    So Im currently researching bootcamps, socasize and pole fitness (so many longterm benefits with all 3..LOL!!).
    And it also doesn't help that I have chefs that cook me lunch everyday...
    And yes.. I WILL get a Wii for xmas this year.
    Im glad Im not the only one who lacks the discipline - and can admit it without guilt. Its not a shortcoming of me as a person, just in this arena.
    We should start a VSS support group!!

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