This is me in 12th grade. This is the weight I wish to return to!!
As I said in my last entry, I am on a journey to lose some weight. I'm not going to say how much I weigh or how much I want to lose, but I want to do so in a healthy way. So here's a list of tips for getting started/staying on track, some workouts that I enjoy doing, and some useful apps!
I think one of the biggest things that has helped me keep fitness and weight loss in my mind no matter what state I'm in is tumblr. Tumblr has a huge community of bloggers called "fitblrs" who are kind, post resources, and encourage one another. I follow quite a few, so whenever I'm on tumblr, I always see motivational posts, healthy foods, and so on. But why stop there - make a fitblr of your own! I have one which can be found here. Like many others, I post my progress, whether it be my daily workouts, my intake, progress pictures, or sometimes I just reblog motivational content from others! It's also a great way to have others keep you in check.
Another great way to have others keep you in check is to tell people about your workout and weight loss plans. You're more likely to follow through with something if you tell others. It's also great to have a workout buddy! Someone who may be feeling the same things you feel, who you can motivate and can motivate you. While working out alone can be nice, it's always fun to have someone to talk to!
As for actually motivating yourself, it can be hard. Sometimes I want nothing more then to just skip the workout and lay in bed until noon…but that's not good for you, is it? Put on those workout clothes. Get yourself pumped up with your favorite high energy music. And just…do it! Trust me, the feeling you get afterwards is phenomenal. You'll have much more energy throughout the day as well!
They say that working out is only thirty percent of the weight loss equation - and the other seventy percent is your diet. Don't expect to just throw away all your junk food and sweets and you'll never eat unhealthy again. It's okay to have a treat every now in then, but like everything, moderation. And of course if you have a craving, go ahead and feed it. It is good, however, to really look at what you're eating and drinking, and cut out constant Starbucks trips, full-calorie soda, and boredom eating. I like to keep a food diary to really see what I'm eating and when. And of course - water!! Drinking loads of water every day can help you shed excess weight really quickly.
Counting calories is something that some people swear by, and others swear off. I think counting calories can be good in the beginning, when you're taking a hard look at how much or little you eat. But getting obsessive over it can be dangerous and make you miserable! I think once you know what your body needs and how to eat in a healthier way then you currently do, you can ease up or cut out the calorie counting.
Along with counting the calories I consume, I also count the calories I burn! Later on when I talk about apps I use, I'l talk about an app that can try and estimate how much you've burned doing what depending on what information you give it. But an estimate can be way off. The solution - a heart rate monitor! I have the Polar TF4 (in pink, of course) and I love it! It's important to know how many calories you burn so you can eat enough during the day!
I also want to talk about scales. Do not weight yourself every day. Do not weight yourself more then once a day. Got that? Only weigh yourself in the morning, once a week at most. Why? Your weight will fluctuate from day to day, from hour to hour, and it's really easy to get down on yourself if that number suddenly goes up. Your weight also doesn't determine your size, anyways, so if you want to keep a more accurate track of loss and gains, measure your neck, bust, waist, hips, etc. Also, that number on the scale? It's just a number. It does not define you. It doesn't measure your self worth, your awesomeness, or anything else. Please, please, please do not get obsessed with a worthless number and hurt your body by restricting your food.
Weight loss is a winding, twisty journey and you might not always see the results you want when you want. But keep going, maybe change a few things here and there, and eventually you'll see progress. But if at any time, your progress is making you feel depressed and worthless, or you find yourself doing harmful things such as skipping meals, restricting or purging, or even constantly binge eating, please get help. Eating disorders are serious.
I don't have a gym membership (yet!) nor does my apartment complex have a gym that I can use. So, I have to do workouts at home, which is perfectly fine! My workout buddy, however, has a gym at his apartment, so I'll talk about beginner gym experiences/exercises last in this section.
Firstly, I recommend the tumblr fitblr community again. They have many resource posts full of workouts to do at home for all skill levels, all focuses…and some even say you can find some posts floating around with links to watch or download popular workout DVDs, but you didn't hear that from me.
There are many YouTubers who have channels wholes devoted to fitness, whether it be showing you how to do the basics, full routines, or even dance exercises! I wholly recommend a website/YouTube channel called "Blogilates." Cassey Ho, creator of pop pilates, has hundreds of videos that are all upbeat and fun as well as good for any skill level. On her website, she has monthly workout calendars, a beginner calendar, recipes, and more! The calendars have different videos to do almost every day, which is perfect for people like me who get bored easily.
If you have a bit of money to spend on workout DVDs, I highly recommend Zumba! Zumba is great for people of all workout levels and all sizes. Zumba is, essentially, dancing. The dance moves are made to target specific areas of the body and burn calories, all while having fun! There are tons of Zumba videos so you can have a variety of dances to choose from. There are also Zumba games on Playstation, XBox, and Wii!
Now, if you do have access to a gym - great! Do not be intimidated of the gym. Everyone there is there (or they should be) because they want to lose weight, get fit, or maintain. Only jerks judge others at the gym, and jerks are no one to pay attention to. When you go to the gym for the first time, you're probably going to be a little confused by all the machinery! Don't ever be afraid to ask what something does or how to use it. It's always good to put cardio in your routine when you're going for weight loss, be it a walk (or run!) on the treadmill, using the elliptical, or even just using the stationary bike. But don't completely neglect strength training as well! While it shouldn't be your main focus until later in your weight loss journey, you should start building up a bit of strength and start toning and shaping.
Of course, this is all just what I like to do, or what I can do. I'd love to start running, but when I'm off from work it's starting to get dark, as well as the fact that I also have asthma so running is hard for me now (but I'll talk more about this in a moment). But if you can or like running? Do it! Like swimming? Do it! No two people lose weight the same, so why should they work out in exactly the same way either? Find what works for you and what makes you happy.
Finally, I'd like to talk about a few apps for smart phones that can be really useful (no, I won't mention tumblr again, haha).
Myfitnesspal (free on Apple and Android) is a very popular calorie and weight tracker, and has a community that can be very helpful and encouraging. You input your stats, your daily calorie input and output and weight, etc. There are a few problems with this application, however. As I said before, calorie counting can become addictive and dangerous and as such this app might not be for everyone. The app also has a tendency to tell people they need to eat fewer calories for their body type and lifestyle then the really do. But I love this app as a food diary on the go.
Carbodroid (free on android) is a very simple app that reminds you to drink enough water daily by filling a cute robot with every glass you drink! It also gives you reminders to drink water. This app is unfortunately not on Apple phones, but I've recently found an equally cute substitute. Plant Nanny (free on Apple) is essentially the same thing with a few tweaks. You choose a plant to grow, and with each glass of water, you water your plant. This app also gives you reminders.
C25K (free and paid on Apple and Android) or Couch to 5K is a great way for anyone, no matter their skill level to start running! Unfortunately I haven't been able to use this app yet, but I've heard great things about it, and I can't wait to be able to try it out.
Well, that was my workout post! I hope you enjoyed it and it was at least a little useful to someone!
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