Of course! :)

I didn’t recieve you prior email. As long as you link back I have no problem with it.

Will you let me know when it’s up?

-Roni

I’m finding this year has been difficult for me to get to the gym and since I haven’t renewed my Bally’s membership… expired Nov 10.. I’m opting to buy an elliptical or arc trainer for home use.

Could I just be burnt out or am I becoming lazy?! Roni, you have my energy that I had for YEARS and want to get back — just unsure how?

So I started riding my bike more, roller skating more, going for walks outside with my mom.

I was always a pretty active kid. I always roller skated whenever the weather permitted. I ice skated on and off for several years (I’ve been at the “on” stage of ice skating for quite a few years now, thank goodness. It’s great!). I loved to dance around in the living room in the evenings after it got dark. I never missed an opportunity to play outside alone or with friends.

But I never ate well, until about a year ago…that’s another story.

Right now, I think I need more cardio and I KNOW I need more weight training. I joined a weight loss plan in July of ’07 and I lost 18 pounds by October ’07. I was two pounds under my goal weight. I looked great (still do) and felt even better. I was also working out regularly (cardio and weights) because I know how important it is.

In September, I started taking some college classes and I have 8 credits that I’m working on, plus work full-time, plus homework, plus husband and dogs and house….my schedule is full and oftentimes when I get home, I don’t want to workout…I have other things to do.

So I make it a point to get exercise in throughout the day. I think I do better at it, but I’m not doing horrible either. I walk outside (on lunch break at work) with my friend Andrea. We motivate each other well to get out and walk. We walk when weather permits and log about 2 miles in about a half-our…not bad! I have also been ice skating 1-2x a week and I get a fantastic workout in then…I jump, spin, skate fast, and work on edges…I can’t say enough how great a workout it is for me. Takes ALOT of effort, believe me. And practicing is fun.

The thing I need to work on is weight training. I can do this at home; I can’t do it at work obviously. There isn’t a gym nearby enough for me to go there during lunch. (But the skating rink is literally right up the street from work so that’s why that works) So that means doing weights after work.

I realize that working out only 10 minutes is better than no minutes. If I could just set aside 10 min at home to do weights…and then add another 10 or 20 later if I have time and energy. And I can work just one muscle group each time. Thing is, I LOVE total body workouts and that takes me a good 45 min to do. I am not happy unless I can do a total body workout and when I can’t, then I don’t do it…and I need to GET OUT OF THAT MINDSET. I need to put aside 10 minutes (or more) at home to workout with the weights. I know I’ll be glad I did.

Once classes are over, I get a break from school for about a month and then it’s back to 9 credits in the Spring! Ugh! But it’ll be worth it…just need to MAKE time for my workouts no matter what…even if it’s just a short amount of time.

Great post!

@Ellen: I first started looking for a work-out which was fun and not unhealthy for me (like e.g. jogging which would hurt my knees). I wanted something to be better than chocolate – well, at least partly. And something I really look forward to regularly and something that is so good for me that it makes me do it even if I feel down. And something that would make me forget I was red in the face and sweating like hell. That’s why I started to do bellydancing and tribal style bellydancing four years ago, and I only joined the gym at the beginning of this year to do a little extra.

And I also try to do as much daily activity as possible, like walking to work, etc. without constantly overstressing myself – you know, the gerbil wheel in your head that tells you you could save one calorie by using a spoon backwards or so. Sometimes I consciously treat myself by e.g. using the escalator in a shopping mall instead of the stairs. Just to remind me to relax from time to time as I am getting too ambitious and serious if I don’t watch it.

Hope I could help you a little.

Love,
Nina