Watch your step!!! Epiphanies everywhere!!!
Morning vs. Evening Workouts
I've been struggling with my workouts for awhile now. I like to workout in the mornings and I'm getting back into running/biking, etc but I found it almost impossible to do these things in the mornings. This is something I have struggled with for a long time. I like doing workout videos in the morning but really want to run. So it's been a conundrum and a constant battle for me.
Last night as I was cruising around reading blogs, I found one lamenting about how they can't do workout videos in the morning. How they need to quiet of strength training or running. BAM!!! It hit me. That's my problem. I like workout videos in the morning because I DON'T WANT TO THINK. Running or biking requires far too much thought and planning in the early am. On the days when I do run or bike in the am it's usually only after I have been up for at least an hour. I've had coffee, had a little something to eat, did some mindless surfing on the web...Things like that. I have been known to sit and stare at nothing for extended periods in the morning. On the other hand, I can jump right up and turn on a workout video because there is absolutely no thought involved. Someone tells me what to do when. By the time I'm done I'm awake enough to get on with my day.
On the other hand, at the end of the day there is so much on my mind the thought of working out to a video makes me cringe. The last thing I want after work is someone all happy and smiling telling me do this, do that, UGH!!! Makes we want to kill something. After work is when I need the time inside my head. Time to figure out what I need to do and when it needs to be done. Plan ahead for the next few days, or hours - whatever. Time to transition from work to home mentally
Once I had this epiphany I realized what I need to do. I need to workout with videos in the morning and run/bike at night. It's that simple. I want to strength train so I will do that video in the mornings. It's about 30 minutes - just enough time to wake me up and get me human. Then I will stop and run on the way home. I'll actually be running only 3 days a week, the other 2 I'll walk or come home and ellip. So simple yet it involved such a struggle to get here.
Lifestyle - Bullsh*t
For as long as I've been working out and losing weight I've heard people say, it can't be a diet it has to be a lifestyle change. Well I say bullsh*t. A lifestyle is something that changes. For 7 years I lived the lifestyle of a lab worker. I worked 9-5 Monday thru Friday and alternate weekends. That was my lifestyle. Then I was let go. My lifestyle changed. I was unemployed and had lots of free time on my hands. Then I became a teacher. Another lifestyle change. I now work 40 hours at work and many hours at home prepping. Another lifestyle change. As all these lifestyle changes have happened my diet and exercise routine were thrown into a tizzy. With every shift in lifestyle I had to reshift my diet/workout focus. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't.
As I was riding my bike today it hit me, this can't be a lifestyle - which is changeable like an outfit - but a routine. I have a couple of unbreakable routines. I get up and brush my teeth. Every morning, no matter what. I get up and brush my teeth. Doesn't matter if the world is coming to an end, I get up and brush my teeth. Completely unbreakable routine/habit/whatever but it is literally set in stone, a completely non-negotiable act. I would never get up and say I'll skip brushing my teeth today because I'm tired/late/hungry/whatever.
Another unbreakable routine I have is feeding the birds. Every morning after brushing my teeth I make coffee and feed the birds. Feeding the birds takes 20-30 minutes. I have to cut up fruits and veggies, clean bowls, put out fresh water, etc. It's time consuming, tedious, and not a way I like to spend my mornings. But it happens every single day no matter what. I would never tell the birds I'm too tired to feed you this morning I'll feed you later. That just won't happen.
There are other routines I have but you get the idea. These are not lifestyle changes because as my lifestyle continuously changes these routines/habits/chores remain the same. They are still done at the same time and in the same way they were when I worked in a lab. Or when I was unemployed. So why do I short change myself when I would never short change my birds. My birds are important enough for me to get up 30 minutes earlier and feed them. I'm not important enough to workout everyday?? I am. It's time for a paradigm shift. Time for a new way of thinking.
I think that's enough epiphanies for now. I have another unbreakable routine I have to do, shower and clean the house.
I've been struggling with my workouts for awhile now. I like to workout in the mornings and I'm getting back into running/biking, etc but I found it almost impossible to do these things in the mornings. This is something I have struggled with for a long time. I like doing workout videos in the morning but really want to run. So it's been a conundrum and a constant battle for me.
Last night as I was cruising around reading blogs, I found one lamenting about how they can't do workout videos in the morning. How they need to quiet of strength training or running. BAM!!! It hit me. That's my problem. I like workout videos in the morning because I DON'T WANT TO THINK. Running or biking requires far too much thought and planning in the early am. On the days when I do run or bike in the am it's usually only after I have been up for at least an hour. I've had coffee, had a little something to eat, did some mindless surfing on the web...Things like that. I have been known to sit and stare at nothing for extended periods in the morning. On the other hand, I can jump right up and turn on a workout video because there is absolutely no thought involved. Someone tells me what to do when. By the time I'm done I'm awake enough to get on with my day.
On the other hand, at the end of the day there is so much on my mind the thought of working out to a video makes me cringe. The last thing I want after work is someone all happy and smiling telling me do this, do that, UGH!!! Makes we want to kill something. After work is when I need the time inside my head. Time to figure out what I need to do and when it needs to be done. Plan ahead for the next few days, or hours - whatever. Time to transition from work to home mentally
Once I had this epiphany I realized what I need to do. I need to workout with videos in the morning and run/bike at night. It's that simple. I want to strength train so I will do that video in the mornings. It's about 30 minutes - just enough time to wake me up and get me human. Then I will stop and run on the way home. I'll actually be running only 3 days a week, the other 2 I'll walk or come home and ellip. So simple yet it involved such a struggle to get here.
Lifestyle - Bullsh*t
For as long as I've been working out and losing weight I've heard people say, it can't be a diet it has to be a lifestyle change. Well I say bullsh*t. A lifestyle is something that changes. For 7 years I lived the lifestyle of a lab worker. I worked 9-5 Monday thru Friday and alternate weekends. That was my lifestyle. Then I was let go. My lifestyle changed. I was unemployed and had lots of free time on my hands. Then I became a teacher. Another lifestyle change. I now work 40 hours at work and many hours at home prepping. Another lifestyle change. As all these lifestyle changes have happened my diet and exercise routine were thrown into a tizzy. With every shift in lifestyle I had to reshift my diet/workout focus. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't.
As I was riding my bike today it hit me, this can't be a lifestyle - which is changeable like an outfit - but a routine. I have a couple of unbreakable routines. I get up and brush my teeth. Every morning, no matter what. I get up and brush my teeth. Doesn't matter if the world is coming to an end, I get up and brush my teeth. Completely unbreakable routine/habit/whatever but it is literally set in stone, a completely non-negotiable act. I would never get up and say I'll skip brushing my teeth today because I'm tired/late/hungry/whatever.
Another unbreakable routine I have is feeding the birds. Every morning after brushing my teeth I make coffee and feed the birds. Feeding the birds takes 20-30 minutes. I have to cut up fruits and veggies, clean bowls, put out fresh water, etc. It's time consuming, tedious, and not a way I like to spend my mornings. But it happens every single day no matter what. I would never tell the birds I'm too tired to feed you this morning I'll feed you later. That just won't happen.
There are other routines I have but you get the idea. These are not lifestyle changes because as my lifestyle continuously changes these routines/habits/chores remain the same. They are still done at the same time and in the same way they were when I worked in a lab. Or when I was unemployed. So why do I short change myself when I would never short change my birds. My birds are important enough for me to get up 30 minutes earlier and feed them. I'm not important enough to workout everyday?? I am. It's time for a paradigm shift. Time for a new way of thinking.
I think that's enough epiphanies for now. I have another unbreakable routine I have to do, shower and clean the house.
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