[This was first published in April 2009 as a blog post about my own personal journey. We did finish the basement with a home gym, where I walk indoors.]
After working out for 3 years with a personal trainer who wasn’t a good fit with my goals, I realized that my cardio strength wasn’t actually in very good shape … so I convinced Steve that I was going to work out at home.
Our plan is to finish the basement in the not-too-distant future so he made me a deal – if I work out everyday, I can have space alloted in the final plans. The only caveat was that I have to be consistent and really use it (not just say I want it, which is a terrible tendency I have).
I got a treadmill on supersale from Canadian Tire, some free weight dumbbells and a yoga mat. At first it was a real struggle to go down into the basement but now I am in a routine and it’s starting to make a difference. I get home, jump into my comfy clothes and head downstairs at least 5 days each week.
What kind of workout I do
I start with 30 min on one of the treadmill presets (rolling hills or interval) followed by 20 min of weights and then end with stretching. I broke up my body into 5 categories (biceps & shoulders, back & abs, legs, chest & tricepts, core/balance) that I rotate through each week. I’m now slowly building up muscle mass to build my stamina. My goal is to run at 6.0 mph on an incline by December 2009 and lift weights pain free without my shoulders, knees and elbows clicking.
I discovered a great cardio warm up that’s ideal for my leg day on Sparkpeople.com. Coach Nicole also does some great whole body, guided stretching routines (this is my weakness. I have terribly tight leg muscles). Please excuse me, but I’m using this opportunity to bookmark these videos for myself. I hope you find them helpful as well.
Have I lost any weight yet?
Yes, 6lbs over 4 months. And my heart rate has dropped from 84 (my normal resting pulse for the past 15 or so years) to 72 bpm, my cholesterol dropped almost 2 points and my body is noticeably “redistributing” so my clothes fit more comfortably. I’ve also gone from struggling to walk on an incline to a full 17 min run at 5.0 mph.
I am encouraged by these small improvements and am trying to keep my expectations in line with the amount of effort I put into this. It took two years of mindless snacking habits to get me where I am. It’s not just going to go away in a few months, but it will change eventually. I just need to be persistent (and stay away from Pauline’s table decorations filled with Cadbury Mini Eggs).
The best part is that Steve asks how my workouts were and tells me that I look beautiful everyday – I am very lucky to be married a person who is supportive of my goals! In fact, accountability and emotional support from others is one of the key success factors to sustainable weight loss through lifestyle changes. Having an accountability partner is awesome – someone who doesn’t judge me but asks plainly whether I’ve worked out or not. Someone who asks about my eating habits, and provides suggestions based on other success strategies to manage stressful food situations, like buffets. It’s easy to hear their feedback as a judgement and be offended but being honest and talking about uncomfortable topics is a sign of caring and a gentle push to get back inline with your goals when you lose sight of them.
If you think having an accountability partner is something you might benefit from, I would be delighted to hear from you!!!
