If your workout has become stagnant and uninspiring, if you feel like a hamster stuck inside a wheel, if you are just plain bored with your regular routine — switch it up! You’re as limited as your mind allows. It’s up to you to find something you like to do.

In continuing the 50 Million Pound Challenge, I’ve had my moments of struggle, reluctance, and frustration. The hardest thing to do is get back on that saddle. But I realized that switching up my workout routine, finding new motivation and inspiration is of paramount importance.

So I’m gonna start reviewing new exercise experiences and workout options here, to let you know what’s worked and hasn’t worked for me!

First up, Hoopnotica!

The hula hooping workout has gotten press EVERYWHERE. Vogue, Time, E!, MSNBC, US Weekly, People, In Style… you name it. It’s trendy, sexy and unique, so all the hottest celebrities have been jumping into the hoop craze.

That’s not why I wanted to try it.

From what I’ve read, you can actually lose weight while hooping. And also, more superficially, I love the hippie hoop girls that you see at big music festivals. These chicks are amazing. They hoop in time to the music and do all sorts of amazing tricks, and by nightfall, they use glow in the dark hoops. So. Cool.

They inspired me to learn how to hoop.

I’ve never exactly been what you’d call coordinated, and I definitely lack the skills to hoop. So I knew this would be a challenge. But armed with the Deluxe Hoopnotica Starter Kit, I was determined to learn.

The Hoopnotica starter kit comes with a travel hoop, which you click together. It is GINORMOUS. Way bigger than a regular hula hoop. And it’s super pretty too (I got the blue and silver hoop). The kit comes with two DVDs, beginning level 1 and 2. I desperately needed beginning level 1.

Here’s what I learned about Hoopnotica.

1. It’s got a very new agey zen vibe about it. I watched the DVD with my mom in law and she commented at one point, “this must be what yoga is like,” as the beautiful, lithe women of Hoopnotica slowly demonstrated their warm up (which involves holding the hoop above you, around you, and getting a feel for the hoop in general).

2. You need a mighty big living room to effectively get your Hoopnotica on. I noticed the women of the DVD doing it in open fields and enormous, empty spaces. GREAT idea. Doing Hoopnotica in a regular living room could well lead you to break a lamp, knock over picture frames, possibly break your computer screen, and unsnap your snappable hoop if you’re a clutz like I am. Note to self, clear living space completely clear living space before hooping.

Having said all that, this is super fun. The DVD is slow in pace so it’s ideal for people like me who are new to hooping in general. For my mom in law who’s been good at it since hula hoops became popular children’s toys, the DVD was a bit too slow but she still admired parts of it. Like halos, where the hoop is twirled above your head.

Either way, it looks cool and the DVD is slow and cautious enough that you can totally learn what you’re doing with time and practice. My goal is to master the fundamentals, then do my own hoopdance workout to dubstep, or Bob Marley, or whatever music I’m feeling at the moment!

Would I recommend Hoopnotica to you? If you don’t live in a teeny apartment, most definitely. This workout requires space and the ability to watch on DVD at the same time, and depending on the size of your place that may be a tall order. But once you’ve mastered the basics, this is the kind of thing you could do in your backyard with ease. And it only gets more fun with more effort — and it DOES require effort. It’s not a child’s game, you can break a good sweat hoopdancing. But I could totally see how you can lose weight and enjoy yourself while doing this. And if you’re well practiced it looks pretty sexy, too. Score!

How can you be down? Visit the website and get the Deluxe Hoopnotica Starter Kit. Hoopnotica recommends getting one of their large, weighted hoops…but if you already have a hoop, you can get the DVDs and try it with what you already have, to start out.

Have you tried Hoopnotica? Tell me what you think! Or do you have any workouts you’re intrigued by and you’d like me to review? Let me know!

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2. Go ‘Head Michelle!
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I’m getting closer to my dream. You see, when I moved to Chicago I started having pretty vivid dreams of what I wanted from the city. For the most part, they are snapshots. One of them that has lingered with me, and remained foremost in my mind as we looked for an apartment.

I see myself, on a retro bicycle with a basket on the front, riding around Lake Michigan.

There’s something really freeing and magical about riding a bike. And seeing the world from that eye-view is thrilling.

Besides the fun of the wind blowing through your hair and whizzing past slow-moving cars and people, there’s the exercise factor — a huge part of the 50 Million Pound Challenge involves just motivating yourself to get up, get out, and do something to get yourself moving. It helps to do something you like, and to make it a regular part of your daily routine.

So the action plan is, when I am established in the heart of the city, get a bike. It’s free, fun, easy transportation from point A to B, I can run errands when the weather isn’t too bad, and the whole time I’ll be getting in that precious exercise time I so often convince myself isn’t completely available.

But ay, here’s the rub. Nice bikes can be crazy expensive!

I fell head over heels for some of the models featured in this post on Re-Nest — slender, retro, highly functional, outfitted with chic baskets for the items you procure along the way. But for example, the Gary Fisher bike I admired enough to post a pic of at the top here, costs a cool $969.99.

Wow.

I’ve been trying to convince myself to settle for something more um, reasonable. Schwinn Bikes have a fine made in America, founded in Chicago tradition, and huzzah — the bikes I want are under $500. The 2009 Searcher looks good, right?

Although I would love a new bike, I’m probably going to go vintage. Emily Siegler, co-founder of the absolutely adorbs bike bag brand Po Campo, suggested simply — Craigslist. Duh! So I’m going to look there, as well as through local niche bike shops around town like Shining Bikes.

Are you a city girl bike rider? Have you lost weight because of it? Tell me about it!

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What does the 4th of July mean to you? Fireworks? Freedom? Fried food? All of the above? Most definitely! Moderation isn’t exactly a word that comes to mind during the 4th, or most holiday weekends. But I’m here to tell you, friends of the 50 Million Pound Challenge, you can enjoy the 4th to the max and still maintain your fitness momentum.

If you’re hosting a 4th of July jamboree, that puts you in the driver’s seat to provide a delicious, healthy spread. Nobody’s going to miss played out potato chips and greasy pre-packaged snacks if you provide a lush raw veggie tray for starters. Slice up red, yellow, and orange peppers, add some baby carrots, cucumber spears, and sugar snap peas — serve with low fat ranch, black bean dip, and hummus et voila! Easy, fresh, bright, delicious. And you can do the same with a fruit platter — apple slices drizzled with lemon and honey, fresh canteloupe, honeydew and watermelon, and lots and lots of berries. Skip the caramel dip, save the calories for more fun fare.

One of my favorite crowd pleasing recipes is a version of this vegetable pizza, made with Pillsbury crust, cream cheese, powdered ranch dressing, and lots and lots of fresh chopped veggies. I swear to you, people who don’t like veggies LOVE this pizza. And I don’t usually include the olives because I married someone who thinks they are gross.

I found healthy recipes galore at EatingWell.com — beer BBQ chicken FTW!

The recipe thread at Prevention.com has some delicious suggestions as well — grilled veggies are SO summertime perfect and are a great idea instead of just ripping open a bag of tater tots. Most outdoor cookfests involve lots of grilled meat, and Cooking Light’s corn and summer veggie saute makes a delicious side to go with BBQ steak, chicken, or fish.

For dessert, the Barefoot Contessa’s flag cake is an instant win, but the recipe can be made even lighter by using cool whip as frosting, and a low-calorie box cake instead of this butter and sugar heavy recipe.

Bon appetite, bellas! Have a fabulous fourth!

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I’ve been reading Michael Pollan’s book, In Defense of Food. The first sentence grabbed me right away.

Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

He makes it sound easy, right? But when you’re living in a city, or on a budget, if you work long hours or if you have kids who are picky eaters, eating according to Pollan’s plan can seem almost impossible. Unhealthy food is cheap and it’s EVERYWHERE. Eating healthy takes a bit more effort. But believe me, bellas — it’s worth it!

I have big, big admiration for First Lady Michelle Obama for getting her hands in the dirt and encouraging kids to plant a vegetable garden at the White House. 36 students from Washington DC’s Bancroft Elementary helped her, and just this week they harvested their veggies. 73 pounds of lettuce, to be exact. Then, together with White House chefs, the FLOTUS and her elementary school assistants dined on baked chicken with brown rice and peas, salad with carrots and honey dressing, and garden cupcakes with fruit topping.

Delicious! Michelle Obama explained her motivation in a speech following the harvest.

“I also thought that this would be a fun and interesting way to talk to kids about healthy eating and nutrition. The President and Congress are going to begin to address health care reform, and these issues of nutrition and wellness and preventative care is going to be the focus of a lot of conversation coming up in the weeks and months to come. And these are issues that I care deeply about, especially when they affect America’s children.

Obesity, diabetes, heart disease, high-blood pressure are all diet-related health issues that cost this country more than $120 billion each year. That’s a lot of money. While the dollar figure is shocking in and of itself, the effect on our children’s health is even more profound. Nearly a third of the children in this country are either overweight or obese, and a third will suffer from diabetes at some point in their lifetime. In Hispanic and African American communities, those numbers climb even higher so that nearly half of the children in those communities will suffer the same fate. Those numbers are unacceptable.”
They truly are, and all of us — old, young, busy, working, well to do, or struggling — can make an effort to eat healthy, local, and fresh. If you live in an apartment, or in a place where you can’t have a garden of your own, you might want to consider signing up for a Community Supported Agriculture organization, where local farmers provide shares of seasonal fruits and veggies. It’s a great way to support local growers.

If you’ve got a green thumb and it’s getting itchy because of a lack of growing space, you can consider Square Foot Gardening or check out CommunityGarden.org to learn more about starting your own community garden elsewhere.

And at the very least if you don’t want to get your hands dirty, you can still add to a healthier lifestyle by seeking out your local farmer’s markets, and adding more fresh, locally produced, pesticide free fruits and veggies to your diet.

Here’s some added incentive, if you’re struggling — Dr. Ian Smith and the 50 Million Pound Challenge will award a different lucky winner of $1,000 every day from June 22-26! All you have to do is update your profile to automatically have the chance to win. $1000 should go a long way towards getting a healthy lifestyle in place, right? I hope some of you bellas win!

Do you find Michelle Obama’s garden inspiring? What do you do to eat healthy?

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May was a bad month for me and discipline. Moving will do that to you. No food in the fridge, no pots left to cook in, working hard to pack all your stuff in boxes all day long… the next thing you know someone says “french fries?” and you respond like Pavlov’s dog.

Forgive me, Dr. Ian — I fell off the 50 Million Pound Challenge wagon again. Way, way off.

There was a week in May where I ate practically nothing but fast food. Arby’s and Subway. Five Guys Burgers and Fries. And most shamefully of all — Krystle Burger and *heavy sigh* White Castle. Which I regretted eating almost instantly. Someone explain to me — WHY did Harold and Kumar want to go to this place so bad?

I could blame my overindulgence on my friend in moving, Frank, who is practically obsessed with sliders. From the minute he saw Krystal’s big red sign, he was raring to go.

But I can’t blame someone else for my own weakness. I should have just said NO.

If you’ve been rumbling across country in a truck all day, you’ll notice a distinct lack of healthy food available for sale. Healthy food is not what a rest stop is about. Rest stops are about convenience, getting you in and out with an empty bladder and a full belly in ten minutes or less. Does that give you time for food prepared with love, or good nutritional value? Probably not. Does it mean you will most likely wind up eating something you’ll regret? I can almost guarantee it, unless you are armed with discipline.

So what should you do to avoid the on-the-road bad food blues? Like Dr. Ian says, pack a meal. Bring a cooler with baby carrots and grapes to stave off starvation. Costco sells amazing mixed nuts for way cheaper than Planters’ mixes at the regular grocery store. If you need additional suggestions for healthy snacks, check out the Healthy Meal Plan tab of the 50 Million Pound Challenge for a substantative list. Ranging from air popped popcorn and sunflower seeds for the salt-lovers to chocolate pudding or licorice for your sweet tooth, there’s something to satisfy your cravings without wrecking your plan altogether.

Now that I’m off the road, I’m back on my master plan. Eating healthy and exercising makes me feel so much better than White Castle ever, ever could.

How’s your diet treating you, bella? Is it a daily struggle or is it like second nature by now?

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My first yoga class was an unforgettable experience.

I’d been yoga-curious for a while, experimented with videos and online tutorials. But finally a friend I knew through my old job convinced me to join her at the local free yoga classes at Bayfront Park in Miami. It’s a stunning venue — the lapping water of Biscayne Bay to the front, the glittering buildings of Miami’s downtown to the back. I got down and tried to bend and stretch with the best of them. The instructor was a smokin’ hot dude with flowy white pants. When he moved into a headstand position I was sure nobody else could do, I was astounded to look around and see at least half of the class standing on their heads right around with him. Needless to say, I felt out of my league. And at the end of it, we discovered that my yoga friend had exacerbated a pre-existing injury. That class landed my friend in the hospital with back and neck problems, and made me steer clear of yoga classes completely.

So I kept trying, I gave it another whirl with videos. But it isn’t the same, doing yoga by yourself in your living room with no guidance. I grew to love the Wii Fit yoga — it’s super precise because of the Wii Fit platform, which can detect even the slightest tremor in your feet. But still, I wasn’t motivated enough to want to practice every day.

I wanted that passion the diehard yoga fanatics seemed to exude. I wanted the inner peace yoga seemed to almost-guarantee anyone who practiced it. I wanted to have a transformative yoga experience.

I got what I wanted, when I went to a Voluptuous Vinyasa class.

Billed as yoga for plus size women, it’s all about nurturing your soul, adapting your body, and freeing your mind. The class I attended was led by Yamilee Bastien, a Miami-based yoga instructor who is all about creating a haven for women who may be hesitant about contorting their bodies into pretzel shapes, or who know a headstand isn’t in their immediate future. Yamilee helped to shatter some of my preconceptions about yoga. Number one — it really CAN be for everybody!

Our class began with some sharing and writing, we sat in a circle and identified the things we appreciated about our bodies, our dreams for the future, the things we needed more and less of in our lives. We filled out a harmony wheel, ideitifying the areas in our lives where the wheel needed to be rounder and healthier. Then the session began. Yamilee’s class is intimate and she really takes the time to make sure every student feels loved, appreciated, positioned correctly, and comfortable — which isn’t easy when you’re in downward facing dog. But I’m happy to report, the poses became easier as the class continued. My first efforts at downward facing dog were tremulous and unsure – my hands were sweaty and slippery and I didn’t feel confident I could hold the pose. But by the end of the class, I did! And I finally felt that internal calm that I noticed in the eyes of my friends who regularly practice yoga. By the end of Yamilee’s class, I wanted to make yoga a regular part of my life. It’s a promise I’ve made to myself. Even though I’ve since moved from Miami and won’t be practicing with Yamilee anymore, I’m looking for somewhere in Chicago to pick up where I left off.

My friend in beauty blogging Julia of All About the Pretty rhapsodized about the benefits of yoga when we met in DC, then she sent me an awesome article from Natural Health Magazine about yoga and weight loss. Yoga might not be the only thing to do if you’re on a fitness quest, but practicing it regularly can lead to an increased awareness of your body’s needs, and from there comes a desire to improve your diet and overall way of living. I’m happy to say that now I get it. I understand. I’m a believer. And I plan to make yoga a regular part of my life as I continue on the 50 Million Pound Challenge.

Do you practice yoga, bellas? Share your yoga experience with me!

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I love those new Weight Watchers commercials featuring Hunger as an adorable orange monster. (And I’m not the only one!)

Not only does the furry little guy appeal to my ongoing Muppet obsession, and not only does he look exactly like Gossamer, the monster from the classic Looney Tunes cartoons… but he pretty accurately depicts how it can feel when you’re on a weight loss journey — temptation abounds, and for me it’s never ever for healthy snacks. I sit around fantasizing about awful-for-me white flour demon snacks, and it can be a challenge to resist their lure. Life isn’t like that equally funny 50 Million Pound Challenge commercial, where Dr. Ian is there to thwart a would-be dieter’s fast-food sabotage. When temptation comes a-calling, sometimes you have to find motivation from unlikely sources. That’s why I follow a variety of weight loss gurus, diet divas, and exercise experts on Twitter and Facebook. Every day they help me say GET BEHIND ME, hunger monster.

Daily reminders from them help to keep me on track, if I wind up skipping a workout day to camp out in front of the computer all day. Cause y’know, sometimes that happens. Allow me to introduce you to the wonderful and inspiring world of social media’s finest fitness motivators!

The remarkable thing about Twitter is, it’s becoming so enormous that literally anyone you dream up probably already has a profile on there. For example, the other day I wished aloud that Richard Simmons was on Twitter. And lo and behold — he already was! Richard Simmons, AKA The Weight Saint, posts daily affirmations and reminders. It’s a little scary that the man who works a pair of red-and-white-striped shorts like none other is possibly following what you eat, but I’ll admit – Richard Simmons’ tweets have made me think twice about what I was about to put into my mouth more than once before.

Livin The Fit Life, AKA DC’s Toughest Trainer has a rockin’ body and a great blog that covers all aspects of weight loss, diet, and fitness in a real and approachable way. Daily reminders like this help to keep you on your journey, regardless of where you’re at.

Gourmet on a Diet keeps me in the know with healthy recipes and snack suggestions. Her blog is brilliantly written, real, and very helpful.

Manifest Well Being — AKA Deborah Barnett, PHD, is a weight loss psychologist, Personal Trainer is straight outta Chicago and posts nothing but helpful fitness tips, Fitness Guy helps you keep your eyes on the prize, and you can find even more fitness gurus on WeFollow.

On Facebook I’m part of the Sati Life weight loss community, and Facebook gets even more effective on a local level. Through FB I discovered Free Yoga Miami, and I’m taking a class this Saturday! Thanks, Facebook!

Oh, and in case you didn’t know — The 50 Million Pound Challenge has a Facebook group! So you can join to meet others, share your stories, and get that motivation you need when you get sucked into social networking. All you need now is a fitness computer! What will they think of next?

Twitter and Facebook are what you make them. Online networking and socializing can definitely be a source of time suckage and a way for people to mind your bidness, sure. But they can also be an avenue for constant inspiration and motivation, or a way to
put public pressure on yourself to meet your fitness goals. Whatever works for you!

Do you have any favorite Twitter or Facebook fitness groups? Let me know – I’m always looking for more inspiration!

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…And I was doing SO WELL. My last post on The Journey was brimming with confidence — I’d managed to drop a couple of pounds in the New York/Washington DC leg of my road trip, thanks to a rigorous schedule of things-to-do and cities that required a certain level of physical activity. Then I got to the Southern leg of the trip and lost all self control. Soul food, y’all. It’s like crack. So I took two steps forward, then two steps back.

Between the fried chicken and biscuits in North Carolina, and the fried oysters, crawfish, and grits in Mobile Alabama, I gained back those three pounds and two extra for my trouble. And since returning home, I’ve been struggling to get back in the saddle in terms of healthy eating and daily exercise.

For those who wage war with weight loss, the struggle can make you feel like Sysiphus. Even a day can make a difference in your momentum. I can have a brilliant workout day Monday, and just not feel up to motivating myself Tuesday. And if I don’t work out Tuesday, I really don’t feel like it on Wednesday. It’s a labor of love, a dedication to my health, a ritual that needs to be way more regular… but man, it’s so easy to just shrug your shoulders and say tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow.

I’m hoping to interview Dr. Ian Smith soon enough, to ask him questions about staying motivated on the path to fitness. For now, I’m trying to remotivate myself by logging into the 50 Million Pound challenge page. When you log in, there’s a journal component that helps you keep track of what you’ve eaten, your activities for the day, and most importantly, your moods and daily thoughts. “Today I’m feeling… ” and there’s a drop down menu of emotions.

Today, I have to admit I felt defeated and discouraged.

But the most important thing is to remember that tomorrow’s another day. And it’s up to me how I approach it. I plan to approach it with determination. I’m gonna do what I keep writing about. I’m going to wake up, get in a good work out, drink lots of water, and give my body the good, healthy fuel it deserves. No More Excuses! I can do this! And I need to remind myself every day.

Speaking of excuses, just yesterday I saw a Fox News report about going natural, and how hair can affect how much we exercise in the African American community. Really want to know what y’all think about this one.

What do you think, bellas? Have you found yourself falling short of your personal goals? How do you get back in the saddle?

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In this last weekly installment of The Journey, I’ve taken things kind of literally. I’m actually on one — in the past almost-two-weeks, I’ve driven to and through nine states — Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and now I’m in Washington DC. On the trip it’s been nonstop fun, friends, and yup – food.

I’ve been eating my way around the world.

Vietnamese, Thai, pan-Asian at Cafetasia, German at Lederhosen, Mexican at Hop Devil Grill, fantastic Korean at Wonjo in Koreatown, AMAZING Trini cuisine at Sugarcane in Brooklyn (you gotta go, you just gotta), good ol’ soul food at The Pink Tea Cup and at Amy Ruth’s, and just last night, Ethiopian cuisine at Almaz on U Street in DC, right across the street from the famous Ben’s Chili Bowl.

I must say, I have enjoyed every last bite.

So how in the world did I also manage to lose three pounds during this culinary adventure? Quite simply, it’s been a matter of balance.

Since I was little, one of my dad’s favorite mantras has been “eat little, live long.” I’ve never really took it to heart, until recently when I was diagnosed with HBP. Now I ask myself — am I really hungry? Or just eating because I’m bored, sitting in one place for too long, and trying to fill a void of a different kind with food? Quite often, that’s been my downfall.

When I’m thirsty and my body’s crying out for water, in the past I’ve answered the call with something edible. Now I answer the call with what my body needs – pure H2O. I’m keeping an eye on my caloric intake, and this vacation has been anything but sedentary — between taking a day-long stroll through Central Park and tackling my friend Jenny’s six flights of stairs every day, I’ve gotten more exercise on the streets of NYC than I’ve been accustomed to getting in Miami any day of the week. Urban hiking rocks, but a pair of good walking shoes is essential.

I can’t even put into words how happy I am to have signed up for the 50 Million Pound Challenge — online accountability has been helping to keep me in check for sure, and when I find myself in doubt, I ask myself – what would Dr. Ian say about the condition my condition is in?

I think he’d say, live your life to the fullest, but enjoy things in moderation. I needed some guidelines on balancing what I wanted with what I needed. And what I truly needed most of all was a change of routine. I chose kind of a dramatic way to do it, but it’s proving to be well worth the experience so far.

If you’re like me, and your job/lifestyle/mentality leads you to be sedentary often, do yourself a favor. Find some time this weekend to peel yourself away from the computer screen. Go outside, take a long walk with your honey, or by yourself – put on some good music and get out there. Or find your own favorite way to get up, get out, and do something active. It’s way too easy to get stuck in a life rut, a food rut, an exercise rut. It’s up to you to take the reins of your life back again. And if I can do it – so can you!

Every week for the last 8 weeks, I’ve been blogging about the 50 Million Pound Challenge — but the journey doesn’t end here! Look out for regular weight loss posts, served up fresh on a fortnightly basis. And tell me bellas — are you in a rut? Do you know what you need to do to get out?

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My friend Jenny has an awesome apartment, and when we come to New York City, we stay with her. It’s cute, compact, comfortable, and smack in the middle of Greenwich Village. I love it. But here’s the rub — Jenny’s apartment is a steep 6th floor walkup. No elevator, not even a rinkydink service lift. And it sucks. Especially if you overpacked and have to drag a heavy suitcase with you.

Visiting Jenny is super fun, but simultaneously a reminder of how amazingly unfit I am. Walking up those 6 floors, suitcase in tow, is a reality check. I get winded and then some. OMG the first time I visited Jenny, I thought I was going to have a cardiac arrest right between the third and fourth floors.

I’ll be staying with Jenny this week, on my road trip to NYC. So by the time you read this, I will have already faced the first (and most daunting) climb. But this time around, I’m not afraid.

Facing Jenny’s stairs feels like a kind of challenge to myself — a barometer to gauge how far along I’ve come. And maybe you’ve got a physical challenge of your own in your everyday life — climbing the stairs to your office, carrying heavy bags of groceries, going swimming with your kids, or keeping up with them at the park — something that reminds you that you’ve got limitations to consider. Something that reminds you that you’ve got a physical challenge to overcome.

I’m here to tell you, if I can do it – so can you. But it’s gonna take consistent effort, determination, discipline, and sweat.

Last week, my 50 Million Pound Challenge post was all about finding ways to make exercise fun, and that’s definitely half the battle. Once you find an activity you enjoy enough to do (for at least an hour a day, don’t forget!), then a new mission begins, and it’s a mission I’ve failed in time and time again.

Sticking with it. Making a commitment to myself. Being consistent in my efforts. It is WAY too easy to find a distraction from my daily mission, and almost-forget what I’m doing.

The important thing is to regularly remind yourself — why are you trying to make healthy eating and regular exercise a part of your life?

I am of the opinion, that if your sole motivations are to fit into a special outfit, or lose weight for a specific date (y’know, your high school reunion, a family function, a wedding), that’s not necessarily a plan that you’ll stick to. At the very least, setting plans of that nature haven’t worked for me. Short term weight loss plans have actually burned me in the past. Freaking out about a date looming in the distance never worked — I was almost certainly near my heaviest weight at my wedding. And I’d been agonizing over fitting into my dress and all of the relatives I hadn’t yet met taking photos of me for months before. Mooning over dresses that fit years ago makes me feel too much like Ellen Burstyn in Requiem for a Dream. It’s a recipe for crashing and burning. What IS helping me, is setting smaller, more accessible goals. Taking a more practical approach to my health.

Why am I trying to make healthy eating and exercise a part of my life? Because I was putting the brightness of my future at risk with an imbalanced lifestyle. Because I know now that it’s just as important to nourish and exercise my mind as it is for the rest of me. Because I don’t need to be daunted by a flight of stairs, no matter how steep or how high. I can do it! And so can you!

What are your particular physical challenges? And how do you plan to overcome them?

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