Getting Fit

It's been way too long since my last post!  Things have just been crazy busy at our house.  But, I'm really excited about a new habit (well, hopefully it will stay a habit) that I've been getting into.....wait for it....WORKING OUT!  I know, this shouldn't be a habit that I'm just now starting, and, quite frankly, I've started and stopped this habit many times in my lifetime.  This time, though, I'm really trying to stick with it.  I've been very consistent for the past 8 or so weeks, and I'm loving the results!

I should start out my saying, that I'm not working out to lose weight.  Fortunately, I've never really had to worry about my weight.  I've always had a fast metabolism and, other than the 10 pounds I put on in college, have pretty much been about the same size since high school.  I was concerned both times I got pregnant that I would put on a lot of weight and have trouble taking it off.  Thankfully though, both times, between breastfeeding and just having a good metabolism, the baby weight came off very quickly.  But...that, along with wanting to sleep in (I mean, I do have a baby that doesn't often sleep through the night) became a good excuse for me to be a bit lazy and definitely not be as healthy as I could be. I realized one day while looking in the mirror that, although I was not overweight, I had a lot of flabby areas that I wished were not that way, particularly my arms and my baby "pooch," and I always felt run down with little energy.  I knew I needed to do something.

I guess I can thank my husband for getting my butt in gear.  He just finished his second round of the P90X workout system, and faithfully gets up before 5:00 each morning to do his workout.  One day I said to him, "Why don't you just sleep in with me occasionally?"  His reply was, "Because if I don't get up and do my workout I won't have the energy to make it through the day." (So he apparently is also suffering from baby wakings at night).  I, too, realized that some days I have so little energy that I don't think I'll make it through the day. On top of that, Jeremy is also a runner and has completed 2 half marathons.  We have some good friends who are also runners, and as they often discuss their training, I have found myself thinking- Wow!  I sure am lazy!  I also remember watching a TV segment on one of the morning shows a while ago about being healthy.  It showed two women who were about the same size and both looked thin and "healthy."  The one woman worked out regularly and ate healthy.  The other woman they called "skinny fat."  In other words, due to good genes, she was not overweight, but neither was she very healthy.  She never exercised and didn't really pay attention to what she ate.  I realized that she could be me.  So, I have been on a quest to get fit and healthy. 

My goal has been to work out at least 4 days a week.  During the week I try to be up at 7 a.m. (half the time I am up by this time or earlier with Norah anyways), and I do a workout video.  I've been doing Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred.  It's been a perfect workout for me because it's only 20 minutes (I can't manage much more than that in my schedule), and as she describes it herself, it's "no joke."  It's pretty intense, and I'm definitely seeing the results.  I've worked my way up to Level 3 (of her 3 level system) and at one point she says, "If you've been sticking with the program, you should be seeing a 6 pack right about this time."  I thought- She's right!  I can see my abs for the first time maybe ever!  Along with these workouts during the week, I try to do a 2-mile run once or twice over the weekend.  I've never really enjoyed running (I'm never going to join my husband in a half-marathon), but I do love the way I feel after I finish. 

Now that I'm a couple of months into my new "routine," I can honestly say that I feel better, have more energy (I don't feel ready to crash at 2 p.m.), and am definitely healthier!  I look in the mirror and can actually see the muscles in my arms and legs and wonder why I haven't been doing this before!  Now my only dilemma is which workout to start next.  Jillian Michael's is getting a little boring after 8 weeks....so, that's my new quest!