The Color Run

Yesterday, I signed up for the Color Run, and I am so excited! For those of you who don't know, this is an amazing themed 5K (3.1 miles), that is the "happiest race in the world." At least that's what the website says. This will be my first time to participate in one of these races, but I think it is a great way to get into 5K's! It's designed for walkers, runners, and anyone looking to have fun and get healthy. I could continue telling you about it, but I think the video says it all.

That looks amazing right??? Signing up for my half-marathon, and committing myself to a race was what kept me motivated on those days that I really felt like giving up. I promise this can help all of my beginning runners out there too! So find your city, click the sign up button, and start practicing! It's just that simple.

Just Do It

I would like to take today to share a few of my failed previous get in shape experiences. The most notable of which being when I tried Zumba.

I am well aware of how I look doing Zumba, so I opted to buy the DVD's and dance it out in the comfort of my own living room. That's right. I went for the ever popular workout video. I think we've all tried them at least once.

So I pop it in, and of course this stick thin woman with a killer six pack pops up on the screen. I've always hated that they never have average sized people in workout videos. I think they put people who look like superstar athletes in them to motivate you, but I'm pretty sure they just make most people insecure. At least that's how they make me feel. Not exactly a good way to feel trying to get into a workout routine.

I pushed my feelings of insecurity aside, and tried to get into the fun Latin rhythms. I don't think I was more than three or four dance moves in before I started sweating. Of course the girl on screen was still perfectly made up with every hair in place, so me sweating so soon just knocked my confidence down another level.

A few moves later I have reached the hip roles, that I cannot for the life of me get right. I for some reason hoped that years of dancing with my friends in clubs would make these easier, but I only came to the sad conclusion that I have spent years making a fool out of myself on the dance floor.

I've been working hard, but I've finally reached that point where I feel like any second I am going to die. I pause the DVD, and there are twenty minutes left. I hit play, and walk into my kitchen to get water. Even in the other room, I hear that now obnoxious voice telling me, "You're doing great!" Even in the privacy of my own home, I'm being mocked. My envy has left me feeling very hostile towards the tiny girl on the TV. I could never compete with a girl who looked like that. I hit rock bottom, and I was ready to quit...and I did for a very long time.

The key to sticking with a work out routine is climbing the first "wall". This is the mental wall we create that tells us it's too hard to get in shape or that we can't do it. When you start feeling this way, remind yourself that it can be done! You only have to resolve that you will not give up this time.

What I hope readers take away from today's blog is this: it's not a competition. You are a beginner, just like everyone is at one point or another. It will take hard work to get to where you want to be, and you have the strength to get there! Push through the weakness, and just do it!

Get Moving

The first few weeks of working out suck. I will not sugar coat that. It's hard to get motivated, and find time. Not to mention that since we've been happy little couch potatoes up to this point, our workouts seem next to impossible to complete! The key to the first few weeks, is finding workouts that you love. For me, this was running. I loved having that time to myself to clear my head. Running is not for everyone though! Some of you may prefer Zumba, cycling, swimming, weight lifting, basketball... Wherever your passions lie, follow them! You should branch out more after you are used to an exercise routine, but for now, just get moving!

If you hate running, but aren't sure what else to do, this article (Running For Haters) has great tips on how to push through those unpleasant runs. Most people recommend having an exercise partner, but I hated this. Running was my time, and I hated trying to stay evenly paced with another person. However, if you are like me and prefer to workout solo, I STRONGLY advise you to find someone to hold you accountable. For some people, this may be you and a friend calling each other to make sure you made your workouts, or in my case it was my loving and supportive roommate asking if I ran when she got home in the afternoons. Either way, knowing someone is expecting you to workout makes a huge difference!

Set goals. Not goals that you will work out 4 times a week every week for the rest of your life. That's a great goal, but you can never see results with that. Your goals should be small at first. It had been such a long time since I last worked out, that my first goal was to run one mile without stopping. This took two weeks, so I saw results soon that pushed me to keep going. My next goal was signing up for a half marathon. I gave myself 5 months to train, which ended up working for me, but I still would not recommend this for anyone else. I should have run a 5K or 10K first, so that I could get a better idea of how races work. I also did not leave myself room for missing training weeks. There will be days and entire weeks that you will miss your workouts. You HAVE to keep working after those weeks. Don't let them discourage you!

Whatever you choose, make sure you have the right shoes. That's right ladies! This is an excuse to go shopping! If you are going to start running, you have to have running shoes. You may not want to buy expensive running shoes if you aren't sure you're going to stick with it, but at least buy shoes specifically for running. You should also never use athletic shoes for more than 300-400 miles. I've posted a guide at the bottom for choosing the right running shoe, but if you live in the Bryan/College Station area go to Brazos Running Co. This is where I bought my first pair of running shoes once I got serious about my half marathon, and they are fantastic. If you ask, they will watch how you walk, bring a few pairs specific for how you distribute your weight, and help you choose the best style for you. It was the best investment I've ever made. You should also make sure you are using cross-fit shoes for most other kinds of exercise. Running shoes are designed to push your foot forward, and leave little room for sideways movements. You increase a risk of injury using running shoes for any other activities (walking included), and likewise should not run in anything other than running shoes.

Focus on the progress you make, and keep moving! I know you have it in you to change your life, and I'm here to help you through it! When you start feeling like you can't do it, just remember that you can always start fresh tomorrow!

Get Started

I want everyone reading this to know, that just seven months ago, I was a total couch potato.  I detested anything that made me break a sweat, and ate mostly fast food and baked goods.  I tried a million times to lose weight, but nothing ever stuck. I always thought that if I could lose 5, 10, 15 pounds, it would completely change my life, and I would somehow magically be happy with how I looked. I thought that I would look in the mirror, and start seeing something besides all of that excess fat. The only problem was that even when I did start losing weight, I still focused on the weight I wasn't losing. Once I quit focusing on my weight, I was able to accomplish more than I ever could have hoped. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would one day finish a half-marathon, but it was one of the greatest things I've done in my life! The best part is that you can too! My goal is to help people see that you can have your cake, and eat it too...literally. It didn't take living on salads and swearing off cupcakes to reach my goals. It's just about moderation. 

The first key to changing my lifestyle was realizing that I don't have to be a size 2. Having a little more to love on my body, doesn't make me any less beautiful. It was hard, but I had to convince myself that my body looked great, regardless of size. This got a lot easier once I was able to appreciate my body for what it could do instead of what it looked like. I have only lost 16 pounds since I started, but I have achieved so much with a little hard work. Today, I love my body. I admire the strength and endurance that I didn't know I could have. It just took realizing that I needed to change my lifestyle. 

The next thing I had to realize was that fad diets aren't effective in the long run, and eating healthier does NOT mean I have to give up cheesecake for the rest of my life. When I started  getting serious about getting in shape, I downloaded a great app on my iPhone called, "Lose It!" I love this app, because you enter your information, goal weight, and the app tells you how many calories you should eat each day to reach that goal. Then, you record what you eat and what exercises you are doing each day to make sure you are staying on track. The thing I love about this app, is that you can't set a plan to lose more than 2 pounds per week. As much as we all want the fat to melt away as soon as we start working out, you have to remember that as your body gains weight, it stretches out your skin. If you don't want loose flabby skin when you reach your goal size, remember to moderate your weight loss! Also, make sure you don't eat or drink anything in the three hours before you go to bed each night. This may not seem like a big deal, but your body stops using energy (burning calories) as you sleep, so meals too close to bed time can lead to storing more fat!

The final key to changing my life was setting reasonable goals. This was by far the hardest part for me. We all know what parts of our diet we need to change, but it's impossible to do all of them at once. I started by changing small things, like switching from whole milk to 2%, and buying healthy cereals like Cheerios instead of Cocoa Puffs and Lucky Charms. I had cut sodas out of my diet years ago, but if you haven't, this is a great things to start with! I know it's hard at first, but I promise if you can get through 2 or 3 months without them, they will taste terrible the next time you have one. The best thing to replace this staple drink with is water, but if you need some flavor, try Mio. This handy little additive has no calories or sugar, but is great at transforming your water into a whole new drink! If you still need something else, try juices made from REAL fruit. This is important, because fruit juice that has a lot of sugar added to it can be just as unhealthy as sodas. Also, even though Gatorade is advertised as a sports drink, you should only drink these during long, high intensity workouts. The sugars and electrolytes are great to help you get through long runs (at least 5 or 6 miles), but they aren't good for short workouts. 

Now that you have a start for getting energized, the next post will help you figure out what to do with all of your new energy!