Exercise For You

As you can see from my previous article “My YMCA Experience”, I love racquetball. I have never been a great exerciser. I have tried many classes over the years in an attempt to try and be healthy and exercise. When I  started really playing racquetball at the ripe old age of 36, I knew I had finally found the answer to exercise for me.  I have been playing for 15 years now and still enjoying it as much as I can. It is a very addicting game once you have been bit by the bug, but it does take it’s toll on your body over the years. I have had many bumps, bruises, sprains, cuts, black eyes, etc. but I keep coming back for more. I have laid off playing for 6 months at a time in order to recover from injuries. When I started this journey to weightloss back in February I was doing the Activtrax workout as well as playing racquetball. Around the end of March, I tore my meniscus in my knee and had to stop playing.. I wasn’t quite sure what I would be able to do with this type of an injury but I was determined to continue exercising anyway I could. Walking was always an option, and I would continue that everyday. The weather was starting to get  nicer and I started playing golf again. I learned how to play golf last summer and I really love it. It is such a challenge learning all the different shots, and which club to use when.   As long as it was nice outside I could play 2-3 times a week. If I could walk 9 holes I would, but I did enjoy riding in the cart, especially after working all day. I played in a ladies league on Wednesday nights and looked forward to it every week. I was seeing an Orthopaedic doctor for my knee and started doing physical therapy twice a week. I did this for about 2 weeks at the hospital and decided that I could continue at the gym doing the same routine. I could ride the bike for 10 minutes and go 2 miles. I never realized that I could do this but my PT guy loved challenging me and I was always up for it since I was in major exercise mode. I decided to make this part of my weekly exercise routine, a couple of times a week. So now I had golf 2-3 times a week, walking the dog, and going to the gym a couple of times a week, and don’t forget my trusty ab workout every morning. It’s amazing how much exercise you can get in your normal daily routine.

The most important thing is finding activities that you enjoy.  If you don’t think of it as exercise, or a necessity, and just make it a fun, positive part of your life, you will look forward to it, and actually want to exercise.  Take a walk after dinner, or a big meal. Park further away from your destinations to get a few more steps in. Find that sport that you used to love and try it out again. You will be amazed how motivating it is, participating in something you look forward to, and seeing/feeling real benefits. It’s all a state of mind.

Living to Exercise

The Weight Loss Success

So I am really getting into this new exercising I am doing. Alot of it was not easy but very challenging. I got the rower that my ex husband had when we were married a hundred years ago.  I thought if I can row at home I won’t have to go to the Y every night. That was the plan, however I pushed my right knee too far and tore my meniscus. I found out quickly that I could not play racquetball. This put a wrench into my exercise plan. I had to figure out how to get the exercise in without playing racquetball. What else am I going to do. Thank god it was April and starting to get nice outside. I started playing golf about a  year and a half ago. I would play more golf instead. I needed to get better anyway. I would also walk as much as possible; on the course, with the dog, anywhere I could.

The food logging and learning is going good. I start to realize that I need a certain amount of fat and that it’s ok to eat the good fat from eggs, avocados, nuts & olive oil.  It also helps my digestion, if you know what I mean. I start to notice that my clothes are feeling a little big and this gives me incentive to continue, realizing that everything I am doing is making a difference. I bought a small scale to keep in the bathroom and I do weigh myself every morning. It keeps me on track. But don’t be alarmed if your weight fluctuates by as much as 3-5 pounds in a week. Just be alarmed if your weight keeps going up and not back down again.  This particular method that I have chosen to lose the weight is a slow process with me only losing about a pound a week. I noticed the inches coming off before much weight. I think that was from the exercise and my trusty ab workout in the morning. I also forgot to mention that I started drinking more water again as well. I have always read that you should drink at least 64 oz a day (8 8oz glasses). It’s not really that hard if you spread it over the day and night. It’s still a challenge for me to get it all in but I keep trying. Other drinks count as well. The point is just stay hydrated.

The next articles will go into much more details about eating and food, and the exercises which have made a difference for me. Please stay tuned!!

Happy, Healthy & Thinner