Working It Out

I didn't start seriously exercising until after I had already lost ninety pounds and only after some strong encouragement from my now husband.  Getting started on a program was hard - mentally, emotionally and physically.  My body, so used to being sedentary, was not happy with the sudden burst of activity.  My mind was very much screaming, "what the heck are you doing woman?? This is crazy. You can't do this!"  At that time, I was a fast talking career gal, working a solid nine to five and also dealing with a son who exhibited behavioral  problems at school.  Emotionally, I was drained by the end of the day- and the end of the day was the only time I had to spend on working out so it was a great challenge for me to get moving. 

Even after discovering the joys of endorphins and even after being delightfully surprised at what my body could do when pushed, I still did not jump into every workout with unbridled enthusiasm.  I'd often whine, "but I'm too tired" or "I have so much to do!" or pout as we made our way to the gym.  This went on, literally, for well over a year.  It took a long time for something inside of me to click to where I would actually be looking forward to working out. I don't know if it was just my stubborn nature that prevented me from allowing myself to enjoy a workout- as a form of stress relief, meditation, therapy and as a tool to improve my body and my overall outlook.  These days, I notice I will actually become grumpy if I have to workout later in the day than I normally do.  

As I was becoming more and more gung-ho about the working out, I began slacking off on my nutrition- figuring, hey I'm working out like a fiend, it's not important that I keep tabs on what I'm eating.  Yes, I was relatively maintaining my weight at the time, but I really wasn't making much physical improvement despite often spending over two hours a day working out.  I'd do a TurboFire workout, strength training every other day and also work in 3-4 runs a week.  Anytime I was out grocery shopping, I'd merrily make my way through free samples offered in stores (including the despicably delicious, fat and sugar laden Harris Teeter sugar cookies), mindlessly snack throughout the day and not even worry about portion control when it came to meal time.  

It wasn't until I became a Beachbody Coach and started the Insanity program  that I buckled down on both aspects- nutrition and exercise.  For the past seven years, it's always been either/or for me - I've either focused completely on one of the two- nutrition or exercise.  I focused on nutrition only while losing the weight and focused instead on exercise while maintaining.   When I started Insanity, I actually read the Nutrition Plan, got back on Sparkpeople to track my calories and the breakdown of them between carbohydrates, protein and fat and planned out my meals according to the terms of the Nutrition Plan.  I vowed to not let my busy days be an excuse for me to start slacking on either the nutrition or the exercise.  When I know I'm going to be out and about for over three hours, I pack a mini-meal with me so I'm well-fed and less likely to make bad food choices.  If I'm unable to get my workout done in the morning, I make sure to get it done later in the day no excuses. 

Now that I'm focusing on both aspects, I'm noticing a vast difference in my results.  I'm not only maintaining, I've actually managed to lose additional weight (getting to my lowest weight ever since childhood), gain noticeable muscle tone, definition in my abs and yes, dare I say it, looking better naked.  And no, I'm not going to post photographic evidence of that fact so don't ask for it.  

I feel so much better too now that I'm eating "clean" with a diet consisting mainly of whole foods.  I have so much more energy.   Having both elements click for me has led to a smaller waist size and a greater confidence level.  Working it out for me has not simply been a matter of learning to love working out- it has been discovering the power of eating right and keeping active.