This Is How A Perfectionist/Procrastinator Goes Back to Exercising

I probably had my mouth agape while sleeping last night. And I probably was snoring. And it seems like I was stuck in place like an immobile statue to the bed. And I am aching all over. It’s especially brutal when I go down the stairs.

Whatever!

I’ve put it off for long enough …

I am finally exercising again! (Squeal!)  🤗 🤗 🤗

I didn’t think it would be such a feat, but now that I think about it, my worrying about what to wear, where to exercise, how to exercise, how long to exercise, how often … that was just the perfectionist me procrastinating. I didn’t get it at first because I love to exercise. And I have no problem doing it at home. But I guess the body is a sneaky little thing, it likes to be lazy.

Well, lazy won’t get rid of my kangaroo pouch 😤 I’ve lost some post-baby weight already but, this pouch out front that’s just ruining my silhouette, it won’t go away without some deliberate physical activity.

First I had to get me a drill sergeant whose role was to tell me motivation started with getting off my fat ass 💥 (she actually said it like that!) and that, if it’s proving to be such a gargantuan effort to do something, that I should just start with blocking off the time. It didn’t matter if all I did was walk in place. Just honor that time as exercise time. Rinse and repeat until momentum builds up.

Well that’s what I did but the standing in place was a 5 min warm-up video by my favorite exercise team Daniel & Kelli, because as I stood there I thought “might as well”. And I followed that with a 5 minute cool down video because, having already warmed up I thought, “might as well”.

I allowed the first couple of days to not be perfect. To spend time tweaking stuff including creating a routine that would include feeding time for my baby. By Friday I had it down pat 👏 Which brings us to today’s glorious muscle soreness 🤩, proof that all I needed was to start where I was and improve from there.

So what’s the lesson here?

For fellow perfectionists/procrastinators it is this:

1. Get a coach/cheerleader/drill sergeant (whatever works) to motivate you because it really starts with your head. And if there’s nobody in your life that fits the bill (or you don’t want to spend the money) there are podcasts. I first had to sift through a few podcasts before I found Corinne, and her no-bs style of telling it like it is was just the kick in the arse I needed.
2. If necessary, start ridiculously small. So small that you tell yourself, “Oh what the heck, I can do more than that”.
3. Keep doing it and build on from there. You’re looking good, sexy thing! 🤩

Am I Shooting Myself In The Foot?

Hello sexy people! Happy Monday 🙂

Every Monday I talk about fitness matters here on OSB&V and today I’d like to confide something – I’ve been eating like a madwoman the whole of last week. Really!

The Bottomless Belly

It’s alarming because I can’t even feel myself get full anymore, something that I’ve been training myself to do when I started in November, back when I decided behavior modification was the way to go as far as weight loss/maintenance was concerned. What’s even crazier is that I need much more carbs than I used to, and like I haven’t eaten any in 2 days!

As I’ve told you 2 weeks ago I took on a Fitness Blender program which outlines 3 hard-hitting workouts per week. And because I ❤ Fitness Blender so much I also supplement on days off with more Fitness Blender vids.  (So no more dance fitness vids for me despite initial plans to the contrary).

Is HIIT To Blame?

Here comes last week and I find that my appetite is through the roof! Could it be the combination of HIIT and strength training?

I did some reading and found out that HIIT increases metabolism and could also increase appetite – which seems to be the case with me.

And let’s talk about strength training while we’re at this. I’ve also noticed that it renders me virtually useless the rest of the day. I am sluggish like a sloth, fuzzy-brained and craving sweets.

What a deadly combo 😮

Have you had a similar experience with your exercise routine?

Change of Plans

So back to the drawing board I go. As I’ve already decided that appetite control is at the bottom of my weight management pyramid, anything that disturbs that will be reviewed, including exercise.

The plan is to still  do FB videos (because I still think they are the best), but I’m going to lay off on the HIIT for now, especially when doing strength training. I’ll do low impact cardio toning exercises alternated with strength training and keep tabs on the overall duration of the exercise.  I do enjoy exercising very much, so my goal is to still challenge my body but keep my appetite on an even keel. I’ll see how this goes.

Wish me luck! 🙂

The Need To Change Things Up

Yesterday I realized I’m already feeling jaded about my fitness classes at the gym. I’m sorry but I’m just really easily bored like that 🙄

Diversity Kills The Flab

Especially if it’s the exact same thing week after week. And it has been the exact same thing week after week. No wonder the instructors can afford to stop and just look at us because ~ you know those ladies who are always up front? The ones who’ve been fitness class-ing for so many months now? Well, they can take over the instructor anytime she drops the ball. They’ve already memorized every step, move and sequence!

Both sides are apparently proud of it, and I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. That was just to illustrate my point – coz in my case, repetitiveness enhances the flab.

 

Going AWOL One Too Many Times

So lately I’ve gone absent a few times already, working out at home instead. And I do enjoy working out at home much more because I have control over certain things like, what type workout to do today, in what order and in what intensity. Like today I did Zumba for 40 minutes followed by a 16 minutes upper body strength training from Fitness Blender.

That, plus I could be doing the laundry at the same time! 🙂 (Did I ever tell you I’m such a stickler for efficiency?)

And I know exercising by your lonesome can be, well, lonely. But imagining myself to be a fitness class instructor seems to do the trick for me 😀

 

Coming Back To What’s L❤️‍ved

In any case, it does seem like I won’t be renewing my gym membership next month – maybe a break will be good. My already non-existent social life is gonna take a hit because this was my main means to socialize.

But I don’t feel too bad about it. On the one hand, I’ve really missed this blog as well as crocheting and, there are other avenues to keep in touch.

Now excuse me while I pretend I’m one of the Pussycat Dolls in this video – shhhh, it’s all about torching calories XD

Wonderful July Achievables

Pssst! Let me tell you something highly unpopular, I love Mondays! Especially 1st Mondays of the month, they always remind me to seize the month and make sure I’ve planned for ‘achievables’. Which is a wonderful way of being productive and having fun. The best part is that by December we have a slew of gold stars to review and inspire us for the next year…

Thank you for having allowed me to ramble! 😀 And now for my goals – for July I’ve chosen my goals to be portable/flexible since we might be doing some traveling. Here they are:

Creative:

Finish my work-in-progress crochet shrug. I already have the width down pat, I’m just now working on the length since I want it to drape luxuriously over me a bit like this.

Intellectual:

I also miss reading, which took a back seat to podcasts last month. So I want to read and review at least 2 books this month.

Physical:

My body is craving some strength building exercises, and browsing videos on YouTube I’ve noticed that I’m drawn to gentle body weight exercises that also enhance balance and flexibility. It could be yoga, it could also be some type of cardi-yoga fusion. I plan to do a particular video 3 times per week, and I’ll keep myself accountable by – how else? – posting weekly reports on this sexy blog 😉

Well that’s July! And I’m pretty stoked about it 🙂

So now back at you: what are you bringing into your life in July?

Mondays Are For Recommitting to Fitness & Vanities 😗

I am convinced that no matter how challenging things may get, there’s never an excuse good enough to not take care of yourself. For me, this is usually in the form of exercise and proper grooming, or what I fondly term ‘vanities’.

Admittedly I have allowed my fitness to fall by the wayside ever since arriving in Indonesia. Diet has especially taken a big hit, so as sleep and exercise. Nevertheless, whenever Monday comes around it always reminds me not to let myself go just because.

The last time I talked about exercise was when I found solace in a huge oval for runners/walkers. I had vowed to make good use of that oval, even buying myself some fancy neon colored Nikes for added fun. However, a consistent schedule has been difficult to lay down. There’s the irregular rains as well as my new responsibilities as a homemaker.

So what’s a domestic diva to do? Yep, purchase a structured exercise program by trusted fitness experts to do indoors at any time of the day 🙂

I’ve slid so much down the fitness ladder ever since my last program that I needed to start with something basic. I also do not have dumbbells yet. So I chose the 4-week Fitness Blender Reach program for flexibility and toning. The combination of pilates, yoga and stretching is perfect to serve as a warm up to a more strenuous program eventually. (I’m already excited about their 4-week bodyweight only program!).

source

The beginning is always the most difficult, it’s easy to postpone or skip an exercise, making sore muscles and/or a loose schedule an excuse. But therein lies the danger as we all know. I started the previous Monday and am happy to report that – with the help of my daughter whom I’ve designated as my coach – I haven’t missed a single day of the program yet 🙂 We’ve also started to add a 5-10 min Zumba routine for some cardio.

On the vanities side, I bought myself a new toy. Ta-daaaah!

I’ve never been particular about curling & straightening before but I figured there’s always space for something new in your life so, might as well 🙂 And it’s purple ❤ ❤ ❤

How about you, how are you taking care of yourself lately?

Hula Hooping Update

My daughter told me I needed to be more graceful – she who can do 100+ rotations with relative ease. Sigh! 😉 Well, between now and last Monday I did manage to do 40 rotations on good days.  My body is also less awkward (more graceful?) as I am slowly discovering the best way to plant my feet for best results. And then there have been days when my waist feels bruised or when I just can’t summon an iota of gracefulness no matter how hard I try 😥

Starting something new comes with so many questions. Thankfully, all of them are answered on YouTube, for instance:

Unfortunately, I have the wrong size hoop and apparently, that makes ALL the difference.  The one I bought only comes up to 3/4ths up my thighs, too small for me 😦

I do plan on buying the right size hoop, but this will have to wait until after the move and once we’re settled.  Meanwhile, I do what I can with the one I have since anything that gives me a good workout and simultaneously teaches me how to sway my hips is always a win in my book 😉

How about you – are you doing anything new in the area of fitness this month?

Hula the Hoop!

This month I’m trying on a fun twist to my fitness routine:  hula-hooping 🙂 According to this site hooping is not just a fun way to relieve stress, it also improves your balance and posture, increases coordination and improves flexibility.  But wait!  There’s more!  Hula-hooping also relieves back pain, tones your arms, waist, thighs and … dan,dan, daaaaaan – your derriere.

Oh my, please count me in! 🙂

I like that it’s an exercise that doesn’t require much space, is inexpensive and is something you can do while watching TV. (There are actually a lot of exercises that you can do while watching TV, but hooping is probably the most fun!)

Let’s see, right now I can only do 2-3 full rotations before the hoop is down by my feet! 😀 But this nice tutorial should help me along just fine.

Are there any of you out there who know how to hula-hoop?  How long did it take for you to become decent at it?