So here is my goal - to get healthy. I don't want to look like a Hollywood starlet. I don't want to lose 50 pounds. I would like to fit into a size smaller (I'm only human!) But more importantly, I want to be healthy. My grandmother had diabetes, my father is pre-diabetic, and I have a serious sweet tooth. Seriously - I love to bake like none other. I even want to open up my own cupcake store, but that's another story...
Let me make something clear before I go on. I am NOT a doctor. I am NOT a dietitian. But I do like to read health magazines (Self is a personal favorite), and that's where I get a lot of ideas. But I'm not saying that what I do, or plan to do, will work for anyone but me. I just wanted to have a place where I could write about the challenges of getting healthy, get some feedback, and maybe even have an open forum where people can share ideas and their stories. But most of all, I wanted something that held me accountable, because if there's one thing I'm good at when it comes to working out, it's talking myself out of it.
So I'm not going to do it. I'm no longer going home after work before going to the gym. Why? Because somehow I manage in the 20 minutes it takes me to get home to talk myself out of doing anything productive. I'm not going to say "oh I had a rough day" or "I'm really tired" because if you try, you can find a reason to never do anything, and I don't want to live like that anymore.
So here is my quest. I am going to try to work out every day and I will write about my experiences as I progress through my first month, and all the months after that. And by saying to you all that I will do it - well I better not slack off. And if I do, I give you all permission to kick my lazy butt back into gear!
So let's do it. Let's get healthy. And not because some magazine says we have to lose weight, or because some guy you like was checking out the skinny chick at the bar, but because YOU want to. We all have our reasons to not work out, to not eat right, to not get healthy. But we also all have one big reason to get healthy - ourselves.
~Catie
I feel so motivated!! I have also been trying to get healthy (my school is doing a "Biggest Loser" type contest) and it's tough! I am so good at talking myself out of working out!!! I look forward to reading your posts because maybe it will make me be more accountable too. Good luck Cate!
ReplyDeleteThanks Rach! I don't think I've felt this motivated in a long time - I just hope to keep it up. What kind of stuff do you have to do in the Biggest Loser contest? Is there a meal plan? That's definitely going to be the most difficult part. I love food, and it's mostly the pasta and cheese variety I love most. But we can do it!!
ReplyDeleteSo, for the biggest loser at school all we do is weigh in every Monday morning and whoever has the biggest percentage of weight loss after 12 weeks wins $50. There isn't a specific program to follow, the idea was for everyone to chose their own healthy method of losing weight and share experiences. I think it helps when you are trying to do healthy things alongside others. I also signed up for weight watchers. The program really does work when you stick to it and I find if I have to weigh-in for a stranger once a week that I am more accountable. I like WW because it's not about depriving yourself of your favorite foods. It's more about portion control, eating when you are hungry, and eating more "filling" foods (veggies and whole grains) instead of "thrilling" foods (chocolate and cheese doodles). They give you enough points so you can still have treats, you just have to be careful not to over do it. I also LOVE the ice cream candy bars, but man they are expensive!! In my first 2 weeks I have lost about 7 pounds just following the food program. I do the WII fit a few times a week but no real workout routine yet. It's hard to motivate to go to the gym when you don't have someone to go with!! I love reading your blog! Keep up the good work!!
ReplyDeleteCatie, I've been on a raw food diet/trained/ran a half marathon in January. I figured, I can't train for a marathon & not be healthy. I started just vegan, and moved into raw when I read up more about it. I blog too! (Though I haven't been as good about it since I started school just because I'm taking 5 classes & working full time). good luck! this is a great way to connect! megrfj.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteRach - that's amazing! 7 pounds by just changing your diet - that's the area I really need to work on. I have trouble denying myself food, and it seems with the WW program you don't have to. You just have to moderate what you eat. I've tried the "no more fried food" thing, and that lasted about 5 minutes. I'm starting to log my food, which hopefully will help! You keep up the good work too!
ReplyDeleteMeg - I'm now following your blog. It's great!! Raw food - was it tough to have that diet while training?? What's involved with the raw food lifestyle? I'm really interested. And how was training for marathon?
ReplyDeleteCatie - I THINK I am following your blog?... I don't understand the following thing. haha. How do I do it?
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