Fitness Goals

*Disclaimer – I have absolutely no idea what I am doing, but I figured out what worked for me. I hope some of what worked for me will help you start or continue your path to your best self. 1/8/2021

I walked into the RecPlex at 4:50 a.m. this morning and I was not expecting to see 155 on the scale. Five minutes into my workout, I really thought about that number. When I reflected on the 40 pounds I had lost, I realized it had taken:

• 6 Months – with a 5-month break between month 1 and month 2 … because yano … COVID-19 • 375+ Miles walked/ran – good thing my dogs and my mom are good sports, that would have been a lot of miles by myself • 95+ RecPlex check-ins

• IDK 200+ times I hit snooze (Sorry Kaity Beaty, I will forever be 10 minutes late, thanks for being my account-a-billa-buddy, yes y’all … I know that is not a real word, but we will get back to how important that buddy is later) • + Countless other things I’m not thinking of

All of that made me think wow, I sure wish I knew where to start, when I started.

New Year, New Me

Month 1, January 2020

Quick rewind to December 2019. I didn’t have a primary care physician, so I hadn’t been to the doctor in a while, I stepped on the scale and I saw 195, my heart dropped. I have never been athletic, I played sports but was never better than “OK” at any of them, I had always been fairly active and was never much more than slightly overweight, until now. That day, I decided I needed a change. I started working out at planet fitness a few days a week. Shortly after, because I used to be skinny, it should all just fall off … right?! Right when I started to get in the groove of things, I had an injury. Then, after that, COVID-19. Things just kept happening, and you can fill in some blanks after that. New Year, New Me Revision 1

Month 2, August 2020

COVID-19 was still here and getting more annoying again. Work was CRAZY busy, and “adult-ish extra-curriculars” (boards, nonprofits, life in general) were in full swing. After taking full advantage of the ‘Rona, and eating what I wanted, and not moving, I was hating what I looked like more and more. I hated every picture I was in, and I did not even want to think about stepping on the scale. A few friends and I decided we wanted to make a change, we decided we were going to start going to RecPlex on Monday. Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Monday was here and before I knew it, the truth hurts, and I hadn’t done my work at home. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. Monday started with the treadmill, slow, like real slow …

But you have to start somewhere … right? I did not let myself step on the scale for the first 6 weeks. At first I was scared. Then I started to realize the number on the scale does not actually matter, it’s all about whatever “healthy” is for you. Here is what I wish I knew starting out: What does not work • Extreme crash diets

• Going to the gym 7 days a week • Eating clean 3 meals a day, 7 days a week • Doing what your significant other/family member/best friend/accounta-billa-buddy is doing in the gym for his/her diet What DOES work • Gradually get STRONGER • Gradually eat BETTER • Gradually walking/running FASTER

I highly recommend having an accounta-billabuddy to HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE. Someone is going to miss a day here and there, but having someone you know that will be there, makes it so much easier to finally get out of bed when that fourth snooze alarm goes off.

Every day is different. Some days you kill it all around. Other days, you are just there – do a lackluster job – and go home. But that’s OK! It is all about balance. Some days you eat better; some days you work out harder; and other days you do neither.

So, come up with a fitness goal, then crush that goal at your own pace. Some of my fitness goals for 2020 were: get to the gym consistently; add weights to my workouts 3 days a week; run a 5k; get stronger mentally and physically; and drink more water. Each time I met a fitness goal, I came up with a new one. The Workout

One of the most important things I did to help me lose weight – move 30 minutes every day (including weekends and on days I don’t feel great.) My goal was to close my exercise ring every, single day.

Closing your exercise ring doesn’t have to be some intense gym workout, it can be a leisurely walk, cleaning out your closet, walking your dog. My personal favorite, Nelli and Bullet (my dogs) and I walk EVERYDAY. The goal is to move – literally anything to get your heart rate going. Resources that helped step up my workout game

Pinterest (apeitz2101) I have a workout board that I use every day when I am at the gym; TikTok; Apple Fitness (my new fav, so many videos you can do at home, you can watch them on your iPhone, iPad or Apple TV); RecPlex Classes; Under Armour Walk; YouTube; friendly competition with friends; signing up for stuff outside of my comfort goal (Turkey Trot 2020 was my first 5K and WAY out of my comfort zone). Eating Healthy … What’s that?

This part is my least favorite, because I love food.

I like to pick proteins I can use to make multiple recipes. This week I am browning hamburger to use in Egg Roll Bowls (this recipe is on my Pinterest board!) and Parmesan crisps (recipe also from Pinterest). For the actual crisp recipe, I add hamburger, fresh veggies and sour cream on top (this is a copycat from Astoria Bistro & Blvd., they have some great low-carb options on their menu). I also choose a few different sides; one day I will have a fruit salad, another I will have veggies with hummus. I have a variety of healthy portions controlled (this part is hard, I slowly started reducing my meal size, as I learned more, I figured out what portion sizes worked for me). I also keep snacks in my desk so I don’t go to the vending machine (Farha likes to tease me and put all my favorite snacks in that sucker, so I avoid even walking by it).

I still eat what I want, but I chose a few times a week to do that instead of every meal. I would never have been able to lose weight if I would have completely cut out some of the things that I love the most – think carbs, alcohol, sweets, treats … all the good things. Need to eat on the run/out?

My favorite trick is ordering a kid’s meal! The portion size is perfect, and the price is half what you would normally pay. My go-to is the kid’s meal from Rib Crib, and you even get ice cream (which I eat every bite of). Don’t see anything you like on the kid’s menu? Modify anything to make it healthier. Order something without the bun, have a salad instead of French fries, drink water instead of a soda. Even just a few small changes can make your meal significantly better for you. Just one beer (or soda) or two won’t hurt … right? I think one of the biggest things that helped me to lose weight was cutting back on alcohol and soda. A few beers on a random night, a few nights a week or upsizing your drink to a large because you need a little extra caffeine adds up more than you realize. I still enjoy a beer now and then, but I try to limit it to only on the weekends. When I do that, I know that closing my exercise ring will be that much harder. I also used to drink a few sodas a day. I have never been a coffee drinker so I would start early. I still will indulge and have a can of coke every few days (I also like to buy the mini ones, then I can have one with lunch and not feel guilty about it) but again, it’s all about balance. If you only have one take away from my experience, remember that balance is the key! If you get off track, just realign and get back after it.

Make the eating part easy so you can stick to it

Meal prepping – this part takes work. Hours … lots of hours, prep, planning and organization. I also hate eating meals more than once which makes it even more annoying.