Variety is the spice of life

What is one of the biggest reasons people stop going to the gym? They get bored – and I’m not surprised. How many days in a row can you hit the elipitcal, pedal the stationary bike or run on the treadmill?

With this in mind, I’m always open to trying new workouts and surprisingly one thing that I had never tried before was yoga. Luckily for me, my wonderful boyfriend decided to get me a package of yoga classes for Valentines day. This was the perfect opportunity to try out yoga without having to front the bill and since my boyfriend is a wonderful guy he was willing to try it with me.

So there I was, Saturday morning at Citizen Yoga in Royal Oak – ready to try yoga and pretty sure I was going to end up in over my head. Astutely my boyfriend signed us up for the beginner’s class but even that was intimidating, not to mention all girls/boys decked out in yoga gear looking like they were light years ahead of me.

In the past when I had considered trying yoga I had always skipped it because I had some assumptions about yoga. My adventure at Citizen Yoga proved almost all of them wrong:

Assumption 1: Yoga is a no sweat zone.

I’m someone who needs to sweat to know that I’m working out. My prior experience/perception of yoga was that it was all stretching and little to no sweating. And can you blame me, most of the people you see doing yoga in the movies and on tv never seem to be all that sweaty afterwards.

Boy was I wrong. During the nearly 45 minute class I sweat more then I do most days I go to the gym. And all I was doing was stretching. How you ask?

It’s one part heated room and one part stretching and holding.

No, I wasn’t doing “hot” or “birkram” yoga – the room was simply warm verging on hot. I sweat so much I had to wipe my hands, face and mat down several times because there were pools of sweat.

So if you’re looking to get your sweat on yoga is definitely a good option for you.

Assumption 2: Yoga is just stretching

While yoga does focus on lengthening your body and stretching, it’s not “just” stretching. No this was serious, difficult, butt kicking stretching. But don’t let that scare you off you don’t have to be as limber as a gymnast or dancer.

The teacher at my first class Kacee , who also happens to be the owner of Citizen Yoga, was awesome and really reinforced that you only need to do the best that you can.

So what if the person next to you can do a handstand or bend completely in half – focus on you and what you can do.

Assumption 3: There’s a specific type of person that does yoga.

Push aside any ideas you have about who the “yoga girl/guy” is because I guarantee that you’re wrong. You don’t have to be thin with long legs and decked out in Lulu Lemon to be a part of Yoga.

Especially at Citizen Yoga they accept you where you are. Sure you may judge based on your preconceived notions but in the end you’ll see that the yoga community is a welcoming one that will meet you where you are and accept you for you.

As someone that is on the journey to health and weight loss, I’m not exactly in love with my body right now and that gave me pause when it came to whether or not I wanted to go to yoga. I was presently surprised when I arrived and found myself surrounded by all types, people like me and others completely my opposite and it made me feel at ease.

The bottom line:

At the end of the class I realized that not only was I completely wrong about what I thought yoga was but I could see myself doing yoga on a regular basis.

During the class I found myself really enjoying the class and seriously considering incorporating it into my weekly routine.

So whether you’re considering yoga, zumba, water aeorbic or kick boxing – give it try because the worst that could happen is that you realize it’s not the right fit for you.

When doubt begins to creep in

Doubt, that creeping feeling and little voice in your head that is always there to tell you “this is totally not going to work”. It’s like the friend you wish you could ditch but for some reason no matter how hard you try they’re always there.

Now, in some cases doubt can be a good thing it can alert you to the fact that maybe you’re making the wrong choice or going down the wrong path. However when you’re trying to make a change in your lifestyle and eating habits there doubt is persona non grata.

I’ve been at this for about 6 weeks and while the first 4 went really well, my progress has slowed a bit. This could be the fact that the last two weekends I wasn’t home and in my normal schedule, or it could be that I’ve had a harder time the resisting temptations. Whatever the reason, my good buddy doubt seems to be knocking on the door, bags in hand, ready to settle in and push be off course.

So, what’s a girl to do?

While I might not know what to do, I know what not to do. I cannot let that voice in my head get to me. So what if it’s saying this is never going to work and that I might as well give up now – I need to rise above it and remind myself that it will work if I want it to and I’m dedicated.

For me it also helps to look in the past and remind myself of the times I was successful before. I know I can do this because I did it after college and again a few years later. I know I can do this because I really want it, more than I want ice cream or candy or pizza. I know I can do it because it’s not just about looking good in clothes it’s about being healthy.

When doubt comes knocking you need to introduce it to your friend confidence. Having confidence in yourself and your ability to succeed is the only thing that will help kick doubt to the curb. And sure it’s not always easy to be confident when you’re still 40+ pounds away from your goal but you have to remind your self that there are little wins you’ve experienced so far and that those should inspire confidence.

Another thing that helps with doubt is to talk about it. Find a friend or family member that you can talk to about your journey and tell them you’re in need of some extra encouragement – I bet they’ll be more then happy to send some your way.

And once you’ve built your confidence and gotten that extra encouragement, make a plan. Sit down and think through what might be causing your doubt, and for me why the progress may have slowed. When doing this it’s important to be honest with yourself, don’t sugar coat it. If you know you’re weight loss has slowed because you’ve been eating more cookies/candy they you did before, acknowledge it and figure out how to fix it.

You need to create a plan of attack not just to chase the doubt away but to use it as fuel to keep you going.

For me I’m going to channel my doubt into working harder at the gym and also trying new workouts. Tomorrow I’m going to my first yoga class to see if maybe adding that to the rotation could add some variety and get my progress back on track. I’m also going to channel it into cooking, because for me food is the toughest opponent in all of this.

I can make it to the gym and sweat my butt off, but it’s not going home and eating a bowl of pasta that is hard for me. So instead of sitting around and letting doubt tell me that I’ll never get back to my goal weight because I’ll never be able to stick to healthy eating – I go on Pinterest and find recipes that let me eat pasta in a healthy way.

Moral of the story – no matter what your goal is, when doubt comes a knocking don’t just welcome it with open arms. Remind yourself that you can meet that goal, and that all doubt is good for is fueling your determination and pushing you harder.

Travel lite

Traveling, whether you choose a plane, train or automobile traveling can be hard when you’re trying to make changes and healthy choices.

The average airport is full of temptations from the McDonald’s french fries to the news stand candy section and don’t forget about the Starbucks drinks. So how do you successfully navigate a trip without adding 10 pounds?

I’ll tell you one thing – it’s not easy and requires a significant amount of self control.

I’m the type of person that likes to plan ahead, whether that means packing a lunch in the morning, packing my gym bag or scheduling time with friends – I’m a planner. This extends to any time I’m traveling no matter the transportation method.

I plan out what to pack, make sure I know when I need to leave and the best way to get where I’m going and because I never want to be caught hungry I usually plan a snack….or two. And while this plan starts with the best of intentions it doesn’t always end up that way.

Think about it, what are the most convenient and easily packable snacks? They tend to be pre-packaged cookies, chips or crackers and unless you tightly monitor your intact can go from a good idea to a bad one very quickly.

Take for example the humble goldfish cracker. Compact, tastes and easy to travel with – but do you know what the suggested serving size is? I can tell you it’s not a whole page which is very easy to consume in one sitting. So if you love the “snack that smiles back” and want to take them as your travel companion I’d suggest consulting the trusty ziploc bag.

Maybe you’re the type that doesn’t plan ahead and will grab something at the airport or rest stop or if you’re riding the train in the diner car. There are several flaws to this logic the least of which is the fact that you’re going to pay out the nose for your snacks.

So now that I’ve identified that problem, you’re probably wondering what the solution is. Simple – pack your snacks and pack things that are healthy or healthy adjacent. Might I suggest any of the flowing:

• Bananas: compact, self contained and full of healthy nutrients. No only that but for most a banana can be pretty filling.
• Popcorn: Bare in mind that when I say popcorn I’m not referring to the “movie theatre butter” or “butter lovers” varieties. But if you make your own popcorn and lightly season it you’ll have a healthy and filling snack that can travel.
• Oranges: Personally this little ball of citrus is not my favorite but like its friend the banana it is self contained and compact enough to easily travel
• String cheese: This snack lends itself more to a car trip because you could pack a cooler but if eaten within a reasonable amount of time it could travel on a plan as well. String cheese offers not only the cheese we all love but a low fat source of protein.
• Nuts: Word to the wise the serving size of nuts is smaller than you think, but some almonds, peanuts or pistachios are always a good in flight snack.

Another important tip would be to pack a drink, now if you’re flying I would suggest bringing a water bottle and using one of the nifty filling stations most airports now offer. No matter where you are, if you find yourself hungry a good gulp of water can help fill you up.

In a bind you can stop at a gas station or one of the stores in the airport but try to stay away from overly sugar options and go for water or flavored water.

There is no big secret as to how to travel without busting your gut by indulging in the foods you normally wouldn’t eat but buy because you’re  “on vacation” – it takes planning and like all things self control.

If you’re wondering what you do when you reach your destination, well that’s another story for another time.

Celebrate your success

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned throughout all my weight loss journeys is the importance of celebrating your success. Whether you lose 10 pounds in a month of 2, success is success and should be celebrated.

That having been said, each month I’m going to use this blog to celebrate the success I had. January was full of success that I hope continue throughout the rest of the year.

Success #1: Rejoined Weight Watchers

Over the last couple of years I’ve tried to get back into the weight watcher groove and have not had much success but this past month I’m proud to say I rejoined and really stuck to the program. No only did I track everything I ate, I also started cooking weight watchers approved recipes in an effort to improve my eating habits.

This might seem like a small victory but changing your eating habits, especially in your late 20’s, isn’t as easy as it sounds.

I’m confident that I will continue to stick with weight watchers, especially because I have several people around me that are also doing the program and there is always strength in numbers.

Success #2: Lost 5 pounds

As a direct result of the first success, I achieved this second one. While my goal is to lose much more than 5 pounds, it is very encouraging to know that in just one month with the changes I’ve made I’m seeing results and progress.

Not only did I see success but I’ve gained insight into what I can do better in the month of February to hopefully have even more success on the scale.

Success #3: Got back to the gym

This last success is big for me in more ways then one. Not only did I finally get myself into a routine of actually going into the gym, this is also a success because I’m no longer wasting 40$ a month paying for a gym I’m not going to.

While I used to have an after work schedule that included going home, napping and then working out I’ve been able to change that. Every morning my gym bag gets packed and put in the car, this way there is no excuse not to stop at the gym on the way home.

I’ve also realized that I don’t always have to put myself through the workout of my life when I’m at the gym. Even walking through the doors and getting on any machine is a victory and it’s okay if some days I simply want to walk on the treadmill instead of an sweat drenched hour on the elliptical.

After the successes of January I’m excited to see what February will bring. I’m hoping it will bring continued weight loss, continued attendance at the gym and maybe the ability to fit into some of the clothes that have been pushed to the back of my closet. Stay tuned and feel free to share your own success – even if they seem small they deserve to be celebrated.