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Don’t Be Scurrd

6 Jan
someecards.com - My workout consists of walking around the office lying to people about going to the gym.

Don’t be this person.

Like I said last week, going to the gym for a newbie can be like being the new kid at school. You don’t know anyone, you don’t know the social structure and what the hell is that machine by the door?

There’s a lot of trepidation about joining a new gym, but that can be overcome. The thing about being the newbie is that you’re free to mess up and blame it on ignorance. Trip over your shoelace? Eh, no biggie. Get behind in the steps at Zumba. You’re in the back, no one’s paying attention.

Newbies, like the rest of us, have freedom to define their workouts according to their needs. A story in the Daily Mail siting a story in Cosmopolitan Body gives the usual reasons people don’t want to go: too lazy or the gym is too busy. The responses that bothered me most were “think the regulars dominate it” ( 12% women, 10% men) and “think they’re not fit enough to join” (15% women, 4% men). Women are struggling with a the great #FOWO (fear of working out)

Women who feel embarrassed when exercising outnumber men by two to one, with other people noticing them and feeling unfit deemed the main reasons for feeling uncomfortable.
—Daily Mail article

I understand it. I was there in the beginning. The gym can be a daunting place and new things can be scary. But fear is a flimsy excuse for not doing the things you want, especially if those things are good for you. Who cares if some jacked-up shmoe looks at you sideways because you went for the 20-pound dumbbells when you should be picking of the 3-pounders? Screw that dink. You live and you learn. No one should be paying that much attention to you in the first place unless you know them.

Also, no one is ever “fit enough” for gym. That’s why we’re all there. Everyone is working on improvement. People are at the gym to get some type of result, be it to maintain, lose or even gain. As I’ve said before on this blog, we’re all works in progress. Think of it this way: the weight loss journey is a crowded highway full of single drivers. We’re all going to the same place, but you’re doing it as an individual. Because of that, most people at the gym are too focused on what they have to do to let your little slip ups get them down.

While on this individual journey, don’t forget to stop and ask for directions. Talk to the trainers. At commercial gyms like an Equinox or Bally’s, trainers can be like Tuesday afternoon salespeople at Macy’s. He’s bored or he’s talking to his co-workers because he has nothing to do. The next paid client doesn’t come in for another hour. That’s plenty of time to ask him about proper form for a lunge or three exercises to do to work on your upper back. Now look at you. You’ve made a new friend!

If all of the trainers are busy, you can ask one of the veteran gym rats. When you’re working out, you’re building endorphins and therefore super excited to help. You can also glance (don’t leer) around the gym at what others are doing. People watch.

The weight-loss process is trial and error. You will hit a couple bumps in the road on your way to your goal, but you’ll get there with dedication and effort. Do what works for you and you’ll be happier.

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Stepping Out of the Comfort Zone

3 Jan
This is only the beginning

This is only the beginning

Like most people, I love comfort. Fuzzy slippers, warm blankets, cushy sofas. There’s nothing like the feeling of satisfaction with your own surroundings.

There are other things that give comfort, but they could have unwanted effects on your health: too much alcohol to dull a pain, smoking to calm nerves, or even too many cookies to kill a craving.

Discomfort isn’t always a bad thing. It’s good to shake things up every once in a while. When you’ve gotten too used to a routine, do something else. When you’re tired of eating the same things over and over, try a new recipe.

Comfort is why my weight has gone up and down so much over the years. Right now, we are dealing with Winter Storm Hercules (thanks Weather Channel). This sucker is expected to drop a couple of feet of snow across the northeast. Adding that I’ve been on vacation since the Friday after Christmas, and you’ve got a recipe for “I ain’t doin’ nuthin’.”

I recognize that’s not the right attitude, but I know me. I don’t run outside in temps below 40 degrees. I’ve been to the gym a couple times this week, but my sofa is just so comfortable that I’m using it as my crutch to keep me from doing anything else.

One of the things I’ve learned on my weight-loss journey is that comfort is the path toward complacency.

Being uncomfortable only means you’re doing something different. Change is not the enemy. How you deal with that change is totally on you. You can either embrace it as part of your life or change the change.

I’m not saying be drastic, if that’s not for you. Sometimes you have to take baby steps into it. For some people, switching from yoga to CrossFit would seem like a nightmare. If that’s too drastic, take a Zumba or barre class.

For me, my struggle is the winter. I hate the cold. But despite the ridiculous amount of white stuff blanketing my neighborhood—which will not be shoveled or salted, Mayor De Blasio—I will get up in the morning and work out. My two options are to 1) lace up my snow boots, double up on pants and trek down to my spin class at 11:15 or 2) pop in an exercise DVD. Seeing as how this is the forecast for the day…

weather_crop

I think I’ll go with the latter option.

How are you keeping up with your work-out plans in this weather? Or, if you’ve got sunshine, can you send me a ticket to where you are :)?

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Beware the Resolution Crowd

30 Dec

new_yearsThe new year is only two days away, and we all know what happens at midnight: champagne, kisses and promises likely to be broken.

I’m not a huge fan of New Year’s resolutions. It’s just a vow to do something that you should have been doing in the first place. I stopped making them a long time ago. The few resolutions I’ve made in years past haven’t stuck (like to stop swearing, dammit).

Everyone has a list of goals that they want to achieve, and the new year brings about a fresh start. I get it. What better time than at midnight on the first day of new year than to wipe the slate clean?

The problem I have is with a certain sect of revelers who need a new beginning. I’m talking about the resolution fitness crowd. As a person who is supposed to support those going through their fitness journeys, I recognize my own hypocrisy in saying how much I dread the resolution crowd. They can be just…the worst.

Maybe it’s because every day until January 1, many washed down their slices of cake with bottles of beer. Maybe it’s because the first week of the new year offers all kinds of neat gym promotions. Or maybe it’s because they vowed to get out of the house more and why not let the gym be the new meeting ground.

If you’re part of the resolution crowd, let me first say congratulations! You’ve taken the first step toward achieving a goal you’ve set out for yourself. However, don’t become the person we gym rats love to hate.

Gym rats cannot stand the first few weeks of the year. Many in the resolution crowd have gotten gym memberships in their stockings. Many of them haven’t set foot in a gym since this thing was popular.

We’re all working toward the same goal, but there has got to be a way for the rookies and the pros to co-exist. I mean, they do it in the NBA every year, right?

My suggestion is for the vets to help the newbies out. If you see these people at your gym, kindly point out not what they’re doing wrong, but how they can maximize the amount of effort their putting forth (see what I did there?):

The Machine Newbie: This person hasn’t set foot in any type of gym since high school and definitely hasn’t taken two steps on a treadmill before. You will often see him poking at the buttons and wondering why it hasn’t started yet. Instead of giving your go-to exasperated sigh, help him out by hitting Quick Start and reminding him that there’s a 30-minute time limit for machines.

The Fashion Star: This person hasn’t been to the gym since she got right for her trip to Ibiza. The joys of fall food and Christmas cookies have taken their toll, but the real impetus to get back at it is the new workout gear hubby bought her for Christmas. She’s really there to catch up with the trainers and let them ooh and ahh about her new sports bra before hitting the shower. You’re not going to see her until her next beach trip, so you can just bypass her until you need a new vacation buddy.

The Training Groups: Gyms have this little habit of offering discounts for group sessions. That’s fab; I’m all about saving a buck. The problem starts when four or five friends—after three bottles each of New Year’s bubbly—decide it’s time to get back in shape. Never hold people to the promises they made while drunk. The person who thought of this grand idea will only show up to the first class. Two more will drop out and soon there’s there’s just one lonely person left. To my vets, I say go make friends with that person. They’re really trying to help themselves and could use a little extra encouragement. And maybe you can get in on that group discount.

Resolutions can be a good way to keep yourself in check. It’s always good give yourself an annual review (your job does it). For that reason, I can’t hate the resolution crowd too much. Just don’t hog my machine!

Anyway, what are some of the promises you’d like to keep to yourself? And Happy New Year!

photo credit: ViaMoi via photopin cc

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I Backslid, and So Will You

16 Dec
You will not defeat me!

You will not defeat me!

I haven’t been able to pinpoint when the problem began, but I know it’s happened. I set a limit for myself: I’d never go past 150 again. Then I hit 151. That’s no problem, I thought. I can lose that easily. Excuse after excuse and here I am pushing 160 and about to go for a run.

I know what has to be done; it’s just hard to stay on track. I’m not a fitness buff nor am I a health nut (as evidenced by my love of goldfish crackers). I don’t believe in being a slave to the number on the scale, either. But I like to look a certain way, and there’s a general weight range that I’m veering away from far too easily.

Here’s the thing: we’re all works in progress. Before, during and after the weight-loss journey is over, you will have to repeat the process.

You know why? Everybody backslides. Everybody.

Look at Oprah. No one is a a better example of the truth about yo-yo dieting. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just reality. People gain and lose weight depending on everything from their moods to the moon. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.

At my peak of weight loss, I lost over 60 pounds. But then began the process of lose, gain, repeat.

I’m not alone in this. Many, many moons ago, a woman from Tennessee trotted out on a TV stage with a wagon of fat. Remember this?

(wagon pulls in at about 1:50 mark)

I don’t do this to poke fun at the Mighty O, who even says in the video that she was starving herself at the time and has since come forward that her weight gain is the result of thyroid problems. I do this to say that no one is perfect. You will mess up. Just don’t let that be a deterrent to continuing on your way to your goals.

Here are a few tips to help you along the way:

1. Switch up your routine. Any physical trainer will tell you not to do the same routine over and over again. You don’t think to blink, walk or even flex your fingers. It’s a learned activity that the body does without much provocation. The way your body has learned these activities is similar to the way it will learn the same Zumba video you’ve been doing every day for three months. After the first month, the pounds wont drop anymore because your body knows what to do. You have to shock the system. So instead of Zumba, go swimming. Instead of running, do some resistance. Don’t let your body settle into one routine.

2. Don’t beat yourself up about it. This is just a thing that happens. You’ve done the work before, so you know what to do now. You are one of millions of people in the world who have probably fallen back into old habits. Just remember why you started in the first place and let that be the motivation to get you going again.

3. Remember your body is always changing. Maybe some of those pounds are just life catching up with you. Don’t let the number on the scale rule your life. It is solely there as a guide only. It’s about how you feel in your skin, and you have to adjust to life’s little changes…like Oprah.

What do you do when you feel you’re getting off track?

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The Types of Runners You’ll See on the Trail

2 Dec

friends_phoebe_runsThere’s an episode of Friends where Rachel takes Phoebe on a run with her. A little bonding between friends never hurt, unless you’re phoebe and you’re running like you’re escaping from an asylum.

Unfortunately, Phoebe’s exaggerated gate isn’t an uncommon site on the path. Hey, I’ve taken issue with my own running style, seeing as how I look like a velociraptor in Jurassic Park. But at least I’m not in danger of hurting anyone but myself.

Some runners you can learn from, but others are best to steer clear from. Here are a few types that you’ll see on the beaten path:

The pro: This creature has been doing cross-country since he was knee-high to a knee-hi. He looks like Matthew McConaughey—no shirt, glistening chest, tiny running shorts. This guy will make you run into a bush because you can’t take your eyes off him. But you’ve got to look away. You’re on a mission, and so is he. He’s only a third of the way through is 20-mile run today, and you’ve only allotted time for four miles. You’ll never catch him, and you’ll just be a sweaty mess as he laps you for the third time. See also: his Jessica Biel-like sister.

The couple: No matter their age, they’re going at the same speed. They’re also not paying attention to to their surroundings, including you. While they’re discussing dinner plans, they’re likely to run you over in the process. They’re not out for a long run, so you won’t have to hear them bicker over bullshit for long. But their constant picking at one another could be the motivation you need to pick up your pace and get away from them as fast as possible.

The stroller brigade: Aside from the pros, these are my fave people to watch. They’ve got their three-wheeler jogging strollers with adorable moppets inside. It gives me hope that if I ever had kids, this would be my life. The only downside is the shame you feel if they should pass you up. They’re pushing a good 20-30 pounds and still lapping you. But just remind yourself that at least you don’t have to clean that diapered mess when the run is over.

The puppy party: The people I’m most jealous of are the ones who run with their dogs. I have a 12-year-old chihuahua who just can’t hang on my eight-mile treks. After about the second mile, he’s ready to lay down. He pees every five feet but just for fun he needs to sniff a spot for a couple of minutes before dropping pheromones. Exercise isn’t one of his top priorities. He likes to stop and pee on the roses; I like to zoom past them. Dog runners have a good companion at their side, but occasionally, those companions do as dogs do and doo-doo all over the path. Watch out for brown mounds. You’re gonna smell bad enough when your run is over.

The group outing: As if the couple weren’t annoying enough, a group of four or more people come along to crowd the path. They’re there for the camaraderie but forget theirs aren’t the only feet pounding the pavement. No matter how much you say excuse me, they can’t seem to hear you over their own blathering. My only suggestion is to yell, “Left!” and barrel down the side. Like birds, all will move after the first clears out of the way.

Honorable mention goes to cyclists. I like to run with my headphones on. A little Biggie, T.I. or Ciara gets me going a long way. Because their beats are so strong, sometimes I can’t hear the tinkling of a bicycle bell coming behind me. And instead of just yelling, as anyone else will do, cyclists will just ride up on your side with no warning. Getting clipped from a cyclists is not my idea of an ideal run. And don’t let them go riding in groups. Cyclists+Groups=HULK SMASH

Who are the people you encounter that get on your nerves?

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