See, these health posts are working already. Bryan brought home pistachios and I haven’t eaten the entire bag yet :D
Obviously, since I’m eating so much food, I must be exercising a lot so I don’t become ginormous, but there’s a little more to it than that.
From 2nd grade to 12th, I was fat chubby. I was a size 12 among 2s. I didn’t like it, but I didn’t know I could change it. I would eat something from the vending machine for lunch and then like three bowls of pasta for dinner. The most exercise I got was running after the ball while playing tennis in gym class.
This all changed when I started college. Everyone warned me that I would gain even more weight, so I suddenly became very careful about what I put in my mouth. Cake? I can’t eat cake, I’m going to be fatter than I already am! Plus, almost everything in the dining hall made me sick. I drank slimfast for breakfast because I didn’t have time to have a proper meal in the morning. I walked EVERYWHERE. Probably about three hours every day. I lost weight really fast.
By the time winter break came around, none of my clothes fit me anymore. It was awesome. I thought, hey, I have the potential to look really good. Since I’m not walking around like I did at school, I should start exercising. And I did, a little bit. I started off with a couple of “yoga” DVDs. I say “yoga” because Denise Austin’s version wasn’t quite yoga. Between that and the walking, by summer, I was looking pretty good and I actually weighed under 100 pounds!
Then I went on the pill and started eating everything in sight. I immediately gained ten pounds and stayed there. I also became very hormonal and a little depressed.
When I started working, I knew I had to step up my exercise routine since I wasn’t walking anymore. I started with some more intense DVDs, then I got a treadmill and started dancing around every other day when the treadmill gave me blisters. I felt less hormonal and depressed. Yay exercise!
Then the snacks and the parties started. I kicked up my routine again and again and again. I added a lot of strength training to tone and build muscle to up my metabolism. I try to move around as much as possible too, jumping on the trampoline during Gossip Girl, walking with Maryam during lunch, dancing to warm up when I’m freezing, and of course, shopping.
I went from Denise Austin’s “yoga” to:
3 days a week, intervals on the elliptical or my parents’ treadmill
3 days a week, strength with weights or yoga
Now In find that I have to exercise, not only so i don’t gain an incredible amount of weight, but because I’m literally addicted. I become depressed and moody when I don’t exercise for about three days. Ask Bryan or Maryam. Besides keeping me sane and skinny, there’s about a billion and one other benefits to exercising. Since I’m healthy and I have the time, why shouldn’t I?
Once it became a habit, it was easy to maintain my routine. We also have the DVR in the exercise room, so I get to watch my shows while I exercise which makes it something I look forward to. It’s a lot harder to find time on the weekends since every weekend is different, but I know I’ll feel crappy if I don’t.
What’s your motivation for exercising?
Wow, I actually never knew that you were chubby back then. Looking at your pictures now, it’s kind of hard to believe. But that’s great that you were able to get to a healthy weight again! =) My motivation for exercising is to be healthy and so that I can live long(hopefully), and to look good. Haha.
most of the pictures I have online from HS are from the neck up, lol. I’ve never publicly posted this one before. I should look at that whenever I feel fat. Even then, I wasn’t THAT big and I’m a lot smaller now.
You look really nice in that picture still
I feel better, and partially for weight loss (although I’m not sure that’s working, but I guess I’d weigh even more without the exercise), but mostly what drives me at this point is trying to fend off all the negatives that come with aging. Lower metabolism, stiffness, weaker muscles – when I exercise, I feel that I hold myself differently and walk differently. In a good way.
Woah that’s a big difference!
Great job!
Wondering what you’re eating?
i’ll do some posts on that too, but mostly what was in the last post. a little bit of everything
I think it’s fantastic that you can be so motivated with exercise! I really admire you, especially from being a chubby kid to exercising and walking everywhere and losing all that weight. Congratulations! :D
My diet yoyos, but I’ve been skinny my whole life. The only problem I’ve had is high cholesterol. It’s horrible because I’m really quite stick-thin, but I always have to keep watching what I eat. A lot of people make the mistake of telling me to eat more ice cream and fast food when they don’t know that about me. But I’ve learned to steer clear of the chocolate and junk food; in fact most of it makes me ill now!
I love walking. I really love it. I also love dancing and from a young age I went to dancing classes. I believe you can have fun while exercising so I always put on some music or even take a friend with me. I am not keen on much of the stuff at the gym, but I have a thing for situps. :P
There are days where I really don’t feel like exercising at all, but after I’ve pushed myself to do something, I’m usually in a way better mood! Knowing that, I can usually motivate myself to go out and do something, even when I feel like hanging around the house and just watch tv.
Also, I found that running is a great way to clear my head when I had a stressful day, like you’re leaving all the bullsh*t behind.
I’m glad you’re doing good with exercising and are actually enjoying it! ^^
Whoa!!! That’s a big difference. I recently started exercising more. I don’t really like the gym or the outdoors, so I rely on the Wii. I do roughly 30 mins – 50 mins, 4 times per week of Just Dance on the Wii. Motivation: lose weight + feel much more energised. :)
Wow, that is amazing. You were under 100lbs at one point? Wow! I need to put in an exercise routine and I’m planning on doing that. I like to take walks and stuff outside, I feel less motivated exercising inside than I do if I actually leave the house. That’s why walking outside is so much easier for me than say walking on a treadmill or something because I’m more likely to hop off the treadmill than if I walked pretty far from the house outside since you can’t just hop off outside and teleport back to the house LOL. I guess everyone has their own methods and likes. I do always feel better when I’ve exercised though, you’re so right about that, it does help your attitude out a lot.
Hopefully one day I’ll feel as excited about exercising as you do!