To Those Starting Out

leslisa

I strongly believe if you don't really love the fitness lifestyle you chose for yourself it's almost impossible to maintain it.

I read so much about deleting this and that and the other from the diet or about how folks go from zero to P90x or Insanity and it changed their lives.

For the people this works out for - awesome!! For folks like me, I'd be done before I started.

So my advice is find what works for you. Be open to thoughts and ideas.

For me, it's about moderation.

I'm not going to stress over missing a meal here and there and I'm not going to stress over eating wings on Sunday. I cannot do the daily calorie count. It never works. So I do a weekly count. Much happier with that. 10500 a week. My run/walks are already figured in as is the size I want to be. I'm also not worrying about weight so much as size. Size 5 and small in running clothes are easier to maintain osing weight.

I am not deleting all flour, carbs, and everything else in my diet. Instead I take it in moderation. For folks who say artificial sweetners will kill me someday - Hey, that's probably true. It's also probably true my diabetes would be much worse if I used regular flavored creamer in my coffee and I'm not giving up my sugar free hazelnut creamer. I like it way too much. It's knowing coffee and creamer is waiting for me that makes that 10 - 15 minutes of abs easier every morning.

I am not going to do cross fit or circuits or heavy lifting. I'm going to run and walk because I've been doing it forever and I like it (and those abs ). That's it. I might jump rope with my niece or go biking with my kids or go dancing or even hiking but I'm not those other things for exercise. It's fun to do extra stuff when I want to - not fun when I feel like I have to. I'm also not going to count those calories from the extra stuff because for some reason, to me, when I do it makes it feel like I should have done it better or longer or more often.

I won't run as much when I'm coaching. Just don't have time. Maybe because of I spend two hours M - F at the track I don't usually change sizes or lose/add weight - even when I'm only running a couple of miles that day.

I won't worry if I decide I want to run 8 miles on a short day or 3 on a long day.

On really cold weekend mornings I'll chose to snuggle with hubby instead of doing abs. My abs don't seem to care and hubby does. .

I'm not going to be OCD at the holidays. I will eat when I'm hungry and abstain when I'm not. And if mango cream pie just happens to be around when I'm hungry, well then, I guess I'm having a piece.

Through it all I might gain 5 lbs OR I might lose 5 lbs. So long as the abs are flat and I'm still a size 5, don't care. Because *ahem* size does matter :laugh: .

Whatever you decide, however you decide to start being fit, chose what you will continue - what will make you most happy.

For everyone starting out I truly hope fitness makes you as happy as it makes me

Good luck!