I didn't do very much working out this weekend. As a matter of fact, I didn't do any working out. However, that's not what this post is about. I want to talk about something that's real. Yes, it may make many of you uncomfortable, but it must be said.
A few days ago, I was in the car listening to the radio. I think it may have been a Russ Parr segment, but I'm not certain. At any rate, they were talking about people motivating their friends to lose weight. That sounds simple enough, right? Well, that's wrong, and I want to take more of what they said and expand upon it to let you know just how important it is to get past that fluff and into the healthy lifestyle you deserve.
One of the reasons that there are so many obese people in this country is because everyone got lazy. Parents got lazy and stopped preparing meals at home for their children. Instead, they ran through the drive-thru at McDonald's and got them some Chicken McNuggets. Now, that's not to say that there'e anything wrong with food from Mickey D's (or any other fast food restaurant for that matter). The key here is moderation. Anything not done in moderation is BAD! To rephrase it...too much of anything is a bad thing. So when you're driving to McDonald's or Burger King 3x a week, please know that you are really doing your children a disservice.
I won't put all of the blame on parents, though. Because, when children grow into teens and adults, they are most likely able to make their own food choices. Instead of then learning to cook for themselves, they continue the same destructive lifestyle their parents put them on and eat fast food everyday.
***Before I go on, I want to let you all know that I am a LOVER of fast food. I could probably eat out every day of the week, and I have done it before, because I am lazy. So, I'm not just pointing the finger at you, I'm pointing that same finger at myself.***
The next problem is that society only presents you with one of two extremes -- either you're badmouthed by those around you and they further kick down your self esteem or you are surrounded by family/friends who don't want to hurt you and they use "fluff" words to make you feel like your situation is not as bad as it really is. For instance (and this was taken from that radio show I was watching), they may say things like:
"My friend is a little heavyset."
"My friend is plus-sized."
"My friend is thick." (my all time favorite)
Your friend/family member has good intentions. They don't want to see you hurt, so they offer you this "fluff" to try to make things appear more sunny. Well, you should ignore those words when you hear them. This will not help you reach the point where you need to be in order to get in shape and lose weight. See the truth for what it really is. You are overweight. You have to do something about it. If you don't do anything about it, you can/will DIE. It's serious business. Take your life into your own hands, and don't let other's continue to build you up (as strange as this sounds) because they are unconsciously doing you much more harm than good.
Write down your flaws, write down the excuses that held you back from losing weight, and counteract each of them with a statement of change. You will be surprised at how powerful you will be on this journey to lose weight.
Be Honest With Yourself About Your Weight Problem
She's Baaaaccckkkk!
Sorry it's been so long since my last update. Here's a video to hold you over. I will be putting up more very soon (see video to learn more).
Highlights from video:
- New 5K time accomplishment (44 mins)
- Will be trying 5K challenge again in a few weeks
- My current workout
- Walking in the park
- Job hunting
- Tips coming down to help you lose weight
- Look for another blog post by Monday at the latest
Beat My Time on the 5K
I'll keep this post short and sweet for the sake of both of our time...
Today I completed the 5K in 45 mins - which about halfway to my goal of shaving about 10 mins off the original time of 50 mins. I burned just over 500 calories, but I didn't get a picture because I accidentally pressed reset 2x on the machine. Needless to say, I was pretty frustrated about that.
I did feel good today, though, for the first time I actually broke a small sweat while working out, and I pushed myself. Tomorrow will be even better. My goal is 43 minutes or less. Granted, that's only 2 minutes off the time, but it's major progress for me, and is only a little way away from the 40 minute or less goal I have set for myself by the end of the week.
I will keep you posted. Keep reading, and tell all your friends. LOL
Losing It with Jillian Michaels
Today I watched a good portion of the new show "Losing It with Jillian Michaels". The show was actually very good. It involved her going to people's homes and "whipping them into shape". I'm a huge fan of Jillian's and have been watching "The Biggest Loser" since 2008 or so. So her method of working out was not shock to me. As a matter of fact, I felt she played it easier on the family she visited than those she trains on the ranch. She spends 5 days with the family and tries to help them get past their issues that may have kept them in the kitchen and out of the gym. Here's a brief clip:
In it, she has the family in the fitness center where they share their goals with each other. Each member of the family has their own struggles and Jillian helps them to get past those issues. The premiere will re-air on NBC tonight (check your local listings) or you can view it online here.
I should be making it to the gym tonight, so I will post again later. TTFN!
Video on Cutting Back
I felt like doing something a bit different today...so here's a video (side note: this is the first vid I've EVER uploaded to YouTube):
And no, I didn't make it to the gym today, but I'm going to kick butt tomorrow - for real! LOL
5K + New Calorie Burn Record!
Today, I did two things I had never done before.
(1) I completed a 5K (equal to 3.2 miles) in my workout on the treadclimber. Here's the proof:
(A) Part I (2.36 miles, 388 calories):
(B) Part II (0.93 miles, 148 calories):
(2) I burned 536 calories (see proof above)
This is probably one of the biggest milestones I've reached because it was me beating two records at once, and it has fueled me for my workouts for the rest of the week. So, all week the plan is to do the treadclimber and work out a 5K or better each time. Today it took me 50 minutes to do it (keep in mind this is the treadclimber - not the treadmill). I plan to do better on this time by the end of the week. My goal is to be able to do it in 40 minutes. I will keep you all posted on my progress toward that goal as each day goes on.
In other news, this was the holiday weekend - a scary time for any food addict. And in case you're wondering, yes I succumbed to the pressure to overeat. The food was too good to simply pass up. One day (not sure when) in the future, I plan to be strong enough to be able to fight those temptations, but for now, I can only take my food issues day by day. I refuse to let myself fail again by going cold turkey and cutting out all of the yummy foods I love so much. Hey -- I'm a work in progress here...