You Gotta Have Faith

Day 26
My project is approximately 62% complete today and I'm feeling a little discouraged. I have made some good progress but those last 4 abs just do not want to show up!

Abs, if you're listening, now is your time to shine. Don't be shy! I thought estimating 2 hours of working out plus no junk food was a pretty safe plan. Turns out it takes more than that. I think maybe my mind and my body are not getting along. They are like siblings, one is saying, "Watch what I can do," and the other replies with, "We'll see about that!"

Of course, my brain wants a six pack, it just doesn't want to sacrifice it's pride and believe that it's possible. Brains don't like to be wrong. So my goal right now is to make sure my whole self is on board. You can't spell abs without team work. Okay fine, according to the english language you can, but not in my books.

So my mantra for the next weeks is: You can do it! You can do it! You can do it! I will also be using music from my well-developed playlists to drown out any negative thoughts.

Multi-tasking

Day 22

I am writing this post from class. Canadian Social History to be specific. Normally I don’t advocate multi-tasking but desperate times call for desperate measures.

School is starting to pick up: midterms, topic proposals and stories loom. And as I focus more on these assignments, I have begun to slack in other areas: namely laundry and keeping my room in a decent state.

You see, time management is really just math. Twenty four hours in a day divided by all the things that need to be done. So as school work begins to require more hours, there is less room for other tasks on the to-do list. But what if you could cheat? What if you could do two things at once, thereby theoretically increasing the number of hours in a day?

My sister passed on these wise words from a professor: “If you’re doing two things at once, you’re not doing one of them well enough.” And he was absolutely right. I have no idea what is happening in my lecture right now because I am writing this post.

Studies say it is impossible for the human brain to actually concentrate on more than one thing at once. Probably true, but I’m going to keep trying anyway.

As I attempt to manage my time more wisely, there are many decisions to be made. This class, for instance, lost out in the priorities battle because even when I do pay attention I don’t get much out of it.

One thing I won’t sacrifice: my work out. Everyday I see people pumping their legs on the elliptical while their eyes stare at a magazine, or notes from class. And I think ‘What’s the point?’

If I’m going to spend time working out, I am going to see results. And if I’m moving slow enough that I don’t have to wipe the sweat off my forehead before it drips into my eyes, those results are nothing but a faraway dream.

Milestone

Day 21
Here I am. Halfway through my challenge. I feel proud of what I have accomplished but also anxious about what is left to be done. I would call my abs right now a two pack. That's only one third of the six I am aiming for, meaning mathematically I am a bit behind. Physically, however, I don't think a three pack would be too attractive so I'm content.

I thought I would take this opportunity to provide some more details of my plan. A few people have asked me what kind of things I eat and what exercises I do so the answers are coming up.
I eat approximately five times per day (the schedule varies depending on my classes.) My favourite snacks are: peanut butter on whole grain toast; yogurt with Mini Wheats (crushed up), banana and walnuts; and oatmeal with various toppings. Smoothies are another favourtie.
My meals really depend on what I have in the house and how much time I want to spend cooking. Staple foods are: lean ground beef, chicken, eggs, whole wheat pasta and veggies.

As for working out, I have to admit I do not have an extremely solid plan because I don't want to get bored. I usually start with an hour on the track, sometimes intervals, sometimes steady jogging. I'm also a fan of the stair master. In the gym I basically use whatever machine is free.

My one constant is a video called "How To Get Six Pack Abs in Six Minutes On Your Couch" (I'll post the link at the bottom.) I do this routine at least once per day. There are some great moves, but mostly I think I like it because it makes me feel like my six week time frame is somewhat realistic.
Now that I am halfway through though I'm looking to kick it up a notch, Emeril style. Any tips?

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/925256/how_to_get_six_pack_abs_in_6_minutes_on_your_couch_this_works/

Time Flies When You're At The Gym?

Day 16
Something magical happened today. I had to convince myself to leave the gym. I had been running and working out for an hour and 40 minutes and I didn't want to stop! The time flew by and I felt like I could have stayed twice as long.

Unfortunately, fitness is not my full time job and I had to get some other things done so I forced myself to change out of my running shorts and go home.

Walking out of the gym I was on a natural high. I felt like nothing could get me down. And nothing tried. My bus came only 5 minutes after I got to the stop and I got a seat. To myself! A near miracle considering the bus I ride to and from school usually makes me jealous of the way animals are transported.

Yep, it was a very good day indeed. And while the convenience of the bus may have been luck, the amazing workout was all me. It was a new approach I decided to test out and the results are better than I predicted.

I have always been a skeptic of miracle solutions but my trick was free, quick and easy - and it worked! Here's how I did it: this morning when I woke up (very early I might add) instead of thinking "Oh man, I have to go to the gym today, there are so many other things I could do with that time!" I told myself, "Wow, today I am going to have 2 whole hours of me time, doing something I love!"

So there you have it folks, the secret is out. Now watch obesity vanish before your eyes.

Confessions

Day 14
My stomach is punishing me right now. My crime? Eating a piece of gingerbread. A tree top to be specific. And it may have had some icing on it. And perhaps a few pieces of candy. But who could make an entire gingerbread house without eating even a teensy bit?!

I can only see two reasons a little sweet treat would upset my stomach so much: either my body has gotten so used to me eating only fruit for dessert that it's in shock trying to process the sugar, or two-month-old gingerbread is not the best thing for the digestion system. I am really hoping it's the first one!

My boyfriend and I were supposed to make the gingerbread house before we went home for Christmas break. Unfortuantely we got too caught up in decorating our mini tree and sewing our stockings and forgot. Oh and of course all that time wisely spent studying for exams got in the way.

I figured I would lose Christmas spirit points if I didn't even have a bite so there was really no option. And while I'm making this confession I might as well admit I have cheated two other times.

In the name of journalistic integrity I will disclose my other indulgences below, each accompanied by a very good excuse:

* Tuesday, January 12 - One (maybe one and a half) handful(s) of chocolate chips on top of my yogourt. I was out of bananas and this seemed the only acceptable substitute.
* Saturday, January 16 - Half a bottle of red wine (it was a small bottle!) My boyfriend and I were celebrating 11 months together.

Now, before you go questioning my committment to the project, a little progress report. After two weeks of following my plan (for the most part)... I have lost approximately 6 pounds and tightened my belt two notches. Not bad, eh?

Late Night Workout

Day 11
I got home from the gym at 10PM tonight. I was planning on writing a post about the differences between working out in the afternoon compared to night but I could only find one: the gym smells way worse at 9PM than it does at 2PM. It smelled so bad, in fact, that I ended my workout early to avoid passing out.

I suppose it makes sense that after 15 hours of people working out, the collective body odour would begin to accumulate, but this was a late night gym hazard I was completely unprepared for. I stuck it out as long as I could. I really did. Eventually, though, the stench became so unbearable that I excused myself ten minutes early for safety reasons.

I did learn something tonight and I would like it to be a warning to all: if you are going to work out after dinner, bring Febreeze. Or a nose plug.

My Worst Enemy

Day 10
Grade 12 was probably my peak year for personal fitness. I was eating well, running 5k every week day with my school's cross country team, and rock climbing twice per week. Not to mention playing football on the beach or snowboarding with friends on weekends.

By the time I arrived at residence for my first day of university I had gained a few pounds from too much ice cream and more tanning than running, but I was still in very good shape. During the months that followed I continued to run and make relatively good choices when it came to food.

The only problem was that the cafeteria I ate in was all-you-can-eat style. Turns out I can eat alot. Enjoying my meals with guys twice my size probably didn't help. By Christmas some of my tighter jeans didn't fit and I started to notice the change in my body.

Second semester is where it all went downhill. I became bored with the flavorless food and tried to spice it up, mainly with ranch dressing and bacon. Before I knew it there were only a few pairs of pants in my closet I could still wear.

Don't get me wrong, I was still perfectly happy with the way I looked. Alot of people had teasd me for being too skinny in highschool. But I knew the way I was eating was not healthy for me, and it certainly was not a recipe for a six pack.

Since I started this project, I have been successful in avoiding junk food so I was a little nervous when I returned to the cafeteria yesterday to join my boyfriend for dinner. At first, I was tempted to give myself a free pass and indulge in all the pizza, fried food and ice cream the kitchen could offer. But once I thought about all my hours of hard work in the gym it was easy to resist.

I decided on a whole wheat wrap with tuna and lots of veggies and even had dessert: a piece of toast with honey and some cantaloupe. Take that big bad caf!

The S Word

Day 8
Yesterday was my first day off from working out since I started this project. No gym time. No homework yet. What was I going to do with an entire Sunday of free time? I was going to get all my laundry done, clean my room, get ahead on some reading... Unfortunately this did not pan out so well.

Here is how I actually spent my day: Went to church. Slept. Ate. Watched Gossip Girl. Slept. Watched Gossip Girl. Sneezed a few thousand times. Slept. Ate. Went to meet my boyfriend at the bus station. Watched the football game (Sorry about the Packers, Dad!) Went to bed at ten.

What happened to my plans of productivity? I hate to say this out loud (or in writing) but I think I am getting s-i-c-k.

It started Saturday and let's just say it's not getting better. Try as I might to destroy the lethargic feeling, sniffly nose and weird taste in my mouth, my powerful ammunition (Purell, water and sleep) seems to be failing me.

The question is, will this little cold foil my plans? Not if I can help it! It didn't stop me from going to the track today. Although it did slow me down significantly.

But not to worry, I am just going to have to make up for my less efficient than usual morning run with some extra crunches. Right now!

Motivation

Day 5
I once read an article about different ways to motivate yourself to get to the gym. One of the suggestions was to write down how great you feel after a workout. Then, next time you don't feel like exercising you are supposed to read those encouraging words and be inspired!

There's a reason I haven't tried this strategy and that is because if I did I don't think I would ever engage in physical activity again. How do I feel after a 2 hour workout? Let's see... hungry, overheated, exhausted, sore and sweaty.

And those are only the physical things. Emotionally, I'm a complete wreck. I can't understand why a long gym session puts me so on edge, but if one little thing goes wrong (my bus is a minute late, I push the door instead of pull) I will actually start to cry.

Every day I tell myself that when I get home and shower and have something to eat, my world will be right again. And it always is. But every day I still feel like nothing is okay when I walk out of the gym.

So instead of thinking of those feelings when I need a little push to get me going, I'm going to make an effort to remember how I feel during my workout: strong, empowered, confident.

My iPod's Stuck On Replay

Day Three

Okay, okay so I guess since it's after midnight this is technically day four but I started writing earlier today and I'm the boss of this blog so we're calling it day three!

Here goes:

Over the past two days I have been conducting some very scientific research at the gym. My methods include observation (watching people workout) and... well, that's it actually. What I've found is that music seems to play a very important role in people's workout attitudes.

Take Exhibit A: The girl to the left of me on the stairmaster. She had no headphones in and was therefore listening only to the radio they play at the gym. Music which is barely audible above the sounds of weights clanging and treadmills whirring. I've seen happier faces on people writing exams or working 12 hour shifts. Her expression was pained. It made me more tired just seeing her.

Now let's examine Exhibit B: Another girl working on the eliptical sporting a set of brightly colored headphones. I recognized her face as one similar to mine when I buy a really cute shirt at a good price. Pure and simple joy. She silently sang along as her legs pumped, bobbing her head and practically bouncing her way through the workout.

In conclusion, assuming Girl B was actually listening to music rather than wearing the headphones for style and assuming these two girls represent the entire population, music makes for a much more pleasant and therefore effective workout session!

What has this study taught me? That I need new and better workout music in order to achieve my goal! I mean I love my Tim McGraw but when I'm pushing myself to finish those last five minutes of cardio, Live Like You Were Dying doesn't really kick me into high gear.

The only problem is I'm not sure what will motivate me. I've only found a few songs that do so far and they are getting old really fast. Any suggestions?

Under Construction

Day One
One day in and I haven't given up yet. This is a good sign. I got up early today to spend my first two waking hours at the gym - a practice that will now be part of my daily routine. As usual, getting myself there was the hardest part. I almost convinced myself to stay home twice before breakfast.
It's not that I'm unmotivated, I've just become really good at making up excuses. A talent I could certainly do without. During the walk from my locker to my school's athletic center, I repeatedly told myself the track I like to run on would be reserved for a team and all the treadmills (my second choice) would be taken.
I'm not exactly sure why I talk myself down like this. I actually really enjoy running. Maybe if I had taken psychology I'd be able to figure it out. What I do know is that I was somehow able to shut that voice in my head up today.
As I rounded the corner to the gym's entrance I was stopped by yellow tape over the door that read "Under Construction." But instead of using this unexpected bump as a free escape (like the me who gained 20 pounds in her freshman year would have,) I kept walking, followed signs to an alternate entrance, and found that all workout facilities are open during renovation.
Normally, this would have secretly let me down a bit. Today though, I was glad. And after a successful workout session I've decided the gym and I could become close friends. After all, we have something in common. We're both "under construction."