Mixing It Up

Although I did lose a few pounds this week, it was tough. I worked out hard as usual, ate as well as I have been eating, but would step on the scale and did not get the results I felt I should get. I am still one pound short of my first short term goal, which I should have met this week. One pertinent element of my fitness routine that I did notice was that I am not doing a variety of activities to keep my interest in exercise. This is my typical routine at the gym: I get on the stair climber, then alternate running and walking on the treadmill, the elliptical, and then the weight machines. I try to time each workout so that it is a little over an hour, because I don't think I could stand much more than that.

Looking back, I remember being in grad school in Orlando and I would frequent a local park to try to teach myself how to rollerblade. Now, I could hardly skate on 4 wheels, and I was trying to skate on 3. It was quite hilarious! I would only skate during the non-populated hours and warn the people who were experts at rollerblading to quickly skate around me because I didn't know how to stop without veering into the grass. I even fell into the mud one time. As terrible as I was at rollerblading, I really enjoyed it. Now, I feel the need to be a bit more responsible because I have a family. I can't risk breaking a leg trying to be adventurous.

However, I  do feel the need to be a little more open to other methods of exercise. I really have not indulged in any exercise DVDs, I hear that P90X is great! Heck, I even thought about pole dancing (don't judge me! :P). I am open to Zumba and ballroom dancing, and it is a goal of mine to take swimming lessons. You see, I am in this thing for the long haul. I don't want to be bored trying to stay healthy. I would venture to say that monotony is one of the primary reasons people fall off the healthy train. My first step to changing up my routine is to buy some free weights. Yes, they have them at the gym, but I am a little too shy to sit in the middle of the gym doing odd exercises in front of everybody(it took me months to build up the courage to work out on the weight machines because I was so self-conscience).

I plan on adding something new to my regimen at least once a month. I welcome any other safe suggestions to modifying my daily workout routine. And please, continue to pray for me while I am on my journey.

WEIGHT LOSS AFTER 9 WEEKS: 25 pounds! 1 pound away from my first short term goal!