To Gym or not To Gym that is the question!

Well it's that time of year again! The time where the gyms are overly crowded because of everyone's new year resolution to lose weight. So right now, everyone is obsessed with the gym...the gym ...the gym. They must make it to the gym. The gym is cool...I can't knock it because I love going to the gym, not so much for the machines, but for the group classes.  So I can't say that the gym is bad.  What I will say is that I believe that sometimes the dependence on a particular gym keeps us in a box of confinement.  Like, what happens if you can't make it to the gym, or its not in the budget to actually join a gym?  What do you do then? Do you just not exercise? Does the transition to healthy living cease? What do you do?

Can you fathom a time when there were no gyms? Well, there were times.  Remember the good old fashioned gym routines ( jumping jacks)  in school or just running around playing kickball, lol.  All I'm saying is that there are other ways to burn some energy then being at the gym....yet our minds are stuck on using machines. 

Since transitioning over, I realize that although machines are good to use...I get tired of doing the same stuff some times. I also realize that I enjoy switching things up and just having a fun ole time. I remember one time during this past holiday, I was shopping for grocery items, using a can of food as a weight ...lifting it up and down....lol..my boyfriend was like, only you would make this into a work out lol.  I just like having fun and using my body and my own weight. I even run from putting money to the meter to a building to escape the cold and also get a quickie in:) (workout that is). Also, when I do praise and worship at church (you'll see me doing a light jog back and forth)...I'm excited to praise God...but I also make it a workout (singing and a light jog). Then one time I used a small child to use bicep reps (the kids love it).  Lol, I use anything I can just to burn some calories....and it doesn't take much. So I challenge and encourage you to think outside of the box. What is something that you do that you can turn to a mini work-out...and it doesn't take much:) It all adds up!! Post what you've done or even some ideas...I'm always looking to add to my catalog lol!

Inspirations!! ---Finding your Inspiration!

What do you see when you see this woman?
How old would you say that she is?

This picture communicates so much for me. I remember hearing about this woman some time ago....I think when I read about her,she was featured in a Jet magazine. Her name is Ernestine Shepherd and the last time I checked, she is 74 years old. That's right I said it!! 74 years old! She is soooo fly and she inspires me so much!! She speaks to my dreams and lets me now anything is possible in spite of age, gender, time, whatever!!

You see this month, I have have been studying in preparation for taking my upcoming test to be a certified group exercise instructor. In my preparation, I ran across information that is pretty common, the benefits of exercise and aerobic exercise.  Some of the benefits: longer life expectancy, better psychological functioning (did you know that working out can help you with PMS and moodiness...I should know lol), lower blood pressure, flexibility, less risk of disease, lean muscle, loss of weight, loss of fat, better bones (geez I forgot the term for that lol), etc.  Needless to say, exercise has a lot of benefits. So okay I got  that...but I thought how can I make the picture of the benefits of healthy living more vivid. You see, when I process information, I like to associate the context with things to help me recall the information. So my association with the benefits of healthy living is a 74 year old fly woman named Ernestine Shepherd.

She makes the information so real and attainable for me. Her motto is determined, dedicated, disciplined, to be fit. Wow!!

She lets me know that anything is possible, but it goes back to our decisions and the actions that accompany them.
I have a little picture of  Ms. Ernestine Shepherd, printed to keep me on task to let me know that this is what I am working towards. My decision is not temporary but a commitment to living a fulfilling a rewarding life. I encourage you to identify something to inspire you to stay on track as there will come days when our feelings will try to lead us astray. Lets face it, woman can be a bit more emotional then men. So what will you do! Get you a picture, a sticker, something, to encourage you, to motivate you.....remember those days will come. So find your inspiration:) And the funny thing is, that as you find yours, you will also become someone else's inspiration:)  Just think, someone just might have a picture of you:) tee hee!! Lets get it! Post your comments:)




 

Happy NEW Year---ThiS Year is gonna be different!

-Its a new year and a new day....at least that is the mantra and motto I've been hearing over and over gain since the beginning of 2011. This year,  I'mma lose weight, this year I'mma stay focused...etc. etc. ...then by the end of January beginning of February the newness of the year has worn off and we're back to doing the same ole same ole. Been there, done that. After years of repeating the same pattern, I finally learned something about myself. I can get easily overwhelmed with long term goals. Not only did I realize that about myself, but I also realized from working with  so many different people (I am a mental health therapist), that they do the same.

You see sometimes when the goal is for the year, when you get off track, some people just throw in the towel. They think, I did not keep my word for this year already, so its over, and they quit. I call it the all or nothing syndrome lol.  When I transitioned to healthy living, I started to set goals for the week and I found that worked better to break the goal down. As you accomplish that goal day to day, even week to week, in the process you are building your self-esteem (as you successfully complete tasks, your confidence builds). Also, breaking the goals into little pieces is a bit easier to obtain and easier to see the things that worked for you and the things that did not work (then you can modify for the next week).  You should try it:)

So that's one of the things that I learned about myself through my journey to healthy living. Now, that I've learned that, I'm actually applying the principle to my goal for this week, read the bible every day.....so far so good. I successfully completed last week:) and now I'm on for this week. let me do a brief break down of how I got there and then maybe you can take a goal break it down, re-evaluate, and then apply again until you get the proper fit that works for your life.

1st week of Jan
-1st couple of days, I found that reading when I get home doesn't work for me. I'm tired and I don't want too lol.
-3rd or 4th day of the week. I thought about reading in the morning before I leave the house. Good idea but doesn't work out when I'm rushing.....leads me right back to evening time reading the bible which I don't really like.
-5th or 6th day of week. Aha moment! Don't get out of the bed until I read the word and then go and do my workout. Working well thus far!

So what little goal will you set this week-remember consistently meeting your goal can create a habit:):
Here's a couple of simple ones to get the ball rolling...
Only Choose 1 for this week and let me know how it goes
 
This week
---I will take the stairs instead of the elevator
---I will eat 1 piece of fruit everyday
---I will walk for 30 mins 3x a week
---I will drink a bottle of water every day

you can add some suggestions too:)

MY DECISION THAT ROCKED 2010 & NOW 2011

Last year in 2010, I made a decision. I made a decision that I wanted to be consistent. I wanted to somehow build my character trait of being consistent.  So I decided to use exercise as a way to form that area.  I decided that no matter how I was feeling up or down that I was going to workout at least 3 times a week. I wanted to have rule over my emotions and that despite how I felt (positive/or negative) I would work out because I committed to being CONSISTENT.  I figured that if I could master this...then I could apply some of the same principles  and be consistent in other areas of my life.

I started with just a decision to be consistent, but I found that in order to be consistent that I also developed some other areas as well: committment, determination, flexibility, discipline, endurance, etc. All that from deciding one thing. So with one decision, I developed other areas and gained insight into things that I never would have even guessed about myself. I would have never imagined that my decision to be consistent would result in the before and after picture that you see now....but it did.

I feel that I have put in work to accomplish last years goal and now its time to apply pressure in other areas. I know now that after having accomplishing this that I have the ability to be consistent in every area of my life that I choose.

How about you for this new year?!! What decision will you stick to or commit to this year?!! Post your comments!