This is a pair of brand new, beautiful new trainers I bought a month ago on impulse, as I vowed to myself to get back into shape. Guess how much I’ve used them?
Yep – none. Zilch, nada. Not one tiny bit.
In fact, they’re still wrapped up all shiny and new in the box, with the price tag firmly attached. Oops.
The thing is, I really WANT to get fit again. I do. I look down at my rounding tummy and see extra wobbles where there weren’t before and it makes me feel, well, a bit flat. (Not flat in the flat stomach sense of the word, unfortunately.) But I just can’t seem to find the time, energy and motivation to do what it takes to get off my backside.
I blame work and the summer holidays. And then I blame moving house. And then I look at my husband and blame him, when I’ve run out of things to blame. But the truth is that, really, I can only blame myself. And that makes me cross.
During the school holidays I’ve really struggled to get any amount of work done during the day. Although, being a teacher, the (self-proclaimed) Northern Love Machine is off, he struggles to keep Frog occupied for a full day while I get work done. So we end up going out and doing things as a family, meaning I play catch-up in the evenings.
It’s great, but it does mean that I haven’t had a bedtime before 2am most nights, as I work between 7pm and 2am to meet my deadlines. That leaves me a tad frazzled, tired and craving carbs the next day. The last thing I want to do is jump out of bed and go for a five mile run.
Anyway, excuses aside, I’m determined to do something about it. My first step in the right direction has been to give up all alcohol on a school night. Time was, I would only have a drink on a Friday and Saturday night, but I have slipped and got used to having a glass or two of wine every night or so.
I love wine. It’s my tipple of choice and there’s nothing better than sitting in the garden on a balmy summer evening with a cold white in hand. For that reason I refuse to give it up completely, so I’m going to restrict it again to Friday and Saturday nights. I was recently sent a delicious case of wine from the lovely people at Bespoke Offers and, clearly, I had to wait until it was all gone before I embarked on my wine-free week nights.
The case came with twelve bottles, six red and six white – along with two fancy glasses to enjoy it with. I’m not so keen on red, so the NLM and my dad have made short work of it, leaving my mum and I to tackle the white. I’m no wine connoisseur but it tasted blooming lovely.
And that leads me back to the round tummy, getting healthy thing. Now the wine’s gone I have no excuse. I need to don my brand new trainers and shed some poundage.
Anyone with me?
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Disclosure: I was sent a case of wine by the lovely people at Bespoke Offers for the purpose of this post.
I will come down with bike, you run and in a Rocky style I will cycle behind shouting encouragement?
alternatively, find a local park race, get a sofa to 5K app and aim to run a park race after 8 weeks. GO!
You could have just given the wine to me. I would have sacrificed my fitness plans (they are, and will remain, only plans) for the sake of your health!
In other words, good luck.
TOTALLY with you…….am sat, currently, in Orlando airport waiting to come home from an amazing holiday full of far too many fries, burgers and delicious rubbish!!
We have vowed to be back on the healthy eating wagon from tomorrow & my shopping trolley (if I can keep my eyes open long enough to push it) WILL be laden with more veg and lean meat than you can shake a stick at!!
Heck, the Dog might even get an early morning walk each day if he’s REALLY lucky….
Have you tried zumba? Nothing gave me any motivation to get fit until I found zumba.
Molly! Bonjour. I’m always with you / behind efforts like this. I thought I’d share some suggested top tips (hopefully worthy of pinning on the fridge) to get you going.
1. Sleep, sleep, sleep! Make this as much of a priority as you can. Easier said than done I know but not only does lack of sleep make you inclined to eat more poor-quality, high-energy foods, new research shows lack of sleep can actually impede fat loss. Our bodies repair most between 10pm & 2am, so the longer you’ve got your eyes shut during this window, the better.
2. Think single ingredient, whole foods as much as possible. No junk ultimately. Tonnes of leafy greens, fish, meat. Check labels – if you don’t recognise an ingredient / wouldn’t eat a teaspoon of it, don’t eat it. Time I know will be a huge factor here but cook in bulk, freeze as much as you can and generally make like as easy for yourself as you possibly can
3. Make active choices over unrealistic commitments. You’re not going to be able to bash out 5k, three times a week for the long term, sorry. Life gets in the way so much. But you can park the car as far away from the supermarket as possible; always, always take the stairs and bust out 10 squats every time you go to the loo. I’m always amazed on days I can’t make it to the gym, but make a conscious effort to just move more, how much I notch up on my Nike Fuelband
4. Treat Yourself – repeat after me “It’s a lifestyle, not a diet”. No quick fixes, just a commitment to being healthier and happier with the added bonus of shifting a few pounds in the process. So, don’t deprive yourself of an occasional treat. I tend to schedule one ‘Treat Meal’ a week. Sometimes a slap up Sunday roast; a Friday night fish & chip fest; a rebellious mid week burger – all washed down with plenty of Pinot or Sauv, of course. But savour this treat, use it as a means to stop yourself thinking you’re going without the rest of the time. Also, a treat meal can often be a brilliant way of jump starting your metabolism & helping the body to burn more fat
5. Eyes on the prize – when you think about reaching for the biscuits, stop for a second. Remind yourself why you’re doing this, remind yourself how great eating well is making you feel. And perhaps have a little goal in mind. Is it running a certain distance in a certain time in those new kicks? Slipping back into a pair of jeans? Treating yourself to a killer outfit for a special occasion? Set some goals, keep referring back to them and track your progress along the way
You’ve totally got this girlfriend… Enjoy feeling awesome about yourself again!
Well you know I’m already out there
Getting into any exercise is hard work, but once you get into a routine you start to need it. You need to find a routine that works for you, I do mine at 6am because that fits best with my work and family life.
But my advice would be find a regular slot, otherwise you’ll always make an excuse about being too busy.
Oh and if I can be cheeky I may have launched a running blog today http://lycraandlunchboxes.co.uk/