Train like a beast, look like a beauty!

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kayla2315
kayla2315 Posts: 3
in Introduce Yourself
Hi,

My name's Kayla and I'm a 24 year old working professional and going to start grad school in January. I am restarting MFP because I really didn't use it when I initially joined. A little background...

I grew up as an athlete and love high intensity workouts (recently completed insanity and did a bootcamp this summer at Red Rocks for those familiar with this Colorado landmark). I got back into my athlete shape just to gain back my weight when we sold our condo and moved in with my boyfriends brother. My commute now is 1.5 hours each way (which will be good study time) but I feel limited on time and energy after those long days. Also, because of grad school and saving for our next down payment I'm trying to avoid a gym membership but I can't seem to find the motivation at home that I need to go from 5'3 140 lbs to 5'3 115-120 lbs. I am so not a morning person but I'd love to be able to wake up early and workout in the morning.

Surely there are people out there with less time in their day than my own and they make fitness a priority. Does anyone have tips or anything to get me going again? I saw "Train like a beast, look like a beauty" on a tshirt in Cali and I want that to describe my lifestyle! Help me break the exhaustion from long days!

PS - I'm the cook, grocery shopper, and general house cleaner also!

Replies

  • McSnoozle
    McSnoozle Posts: 24 Member
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    Hi, there,

    From experience I can tell you ... you simply have to force the discipline for the first few weeks. Wishing won't make it happen! :) Go to bed earlier, get up earlier and just do it. Even if, especially when, you don't feel like it! Just make doing this your priority until one day the new energy will finally kick in, and you will actually WANT to start your day this way. Experts say it takes 21 days to make or break a habit. :)

    Start small -- 15 minutes earlier every night/morning for a week .... then a half hour, etc. Take little steps toward change, including exercise and eating well. Congratulate yourself for every small victory. Eventually all this will be your new normal and you WILL have more energy to get through those long days. Your reward will not only be more energy, but a slimmer and happier you.

    When life seems spinning beyond your control with your many responsibilities, realize that taking care of yourself IS within your control ... and seize the opportunity every day.

    Finally ... ask for help from the other household members. Explain that you are going to be focusing on your health and fitness and simply can't do all the other stuff (cleaning, cooking, shopping) too. (Although you might want to hang on to the shopping part so your healthy eating is challenged or compromised!)

    Hope this helps!
  • k8n1
    k8n1 Posts: 26 Member
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    Watch exercise infomercials or weight loss shows for motivation. Don't sit in front of the TV. Some gyms aren't that expensive, find a gym that has a cardio theater to watch movies, if possible. You're in CO ? Hike! :smile:
  • DaveneGfit
    DaveneGfit Posts: 338 Member
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    Starting out is always the hardest, but after a while it will get easier I promise. Just the other night I worked out at 11:30pm after a long day and the only reason I did it is because I missed it. A year ago I would have never done something like that lol. It's a matter of making small changes everyday. Even if you start with 15-20 min a day at least it is a start. At the end of the day it's all about a journey and taking care of yourself. You can do it!
  • alisonlynn1976
    alisonlynn1976 Posts: 929 Member
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    The easiest way to make time is to quit watching TV and exercise instead (or find a way to combine the two, as someone else suggested).

    I've decided to make exercise a priority. What I do with my time is work and exercise, basically. My social life mostly takes place on weekends and holidays.
  • QuietDissidence
    QuietDissidence Posts: 32
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    I want that on a shirt =D
    I feel your pain, I'm not a morning person either and I used to have to commute 1.5 hrs to work ONE way. On more than one occasion on my drive home I had to pull over to take a short nap because I was simply too tired to even drive. By the time I got home made dinner, cleaned the house, and took our 2 dogs out it was time for bed. I made a few attempts to get up early and do a morning workout but it never happened. I eventually came to terms that it wasn't going to happen for me, at least not until I stopped having to leave the house by 4:30am (or even earlier in the winter). During those rough times the way I incorporated exercise was by: always parking at the far end of parking lots, taking the stairs instead of elevators, using my breaks to go for a walk, doing squats/walking lunges/calf raises/standing pushups on the landings between floors in the stair well (there was rarely anyone in the stair wells at my office), and going for a brisk walk after dinner.

    I'd like to clarify that I had zero TV time so I couldn't even replace that with exercise time. The only time I managed a high intensity workout was on the weekends (my days off). Luckily I am no longer burning the candle at both ends with that hectic schedule.

    Remember that everything you do burns calories and it all adds up! In order to be as accurate as possible I kept track of my movement and calorie burn with a pedometer and a HRM (chest strap and watch combo). You're probably burning more than you think.

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