Exercise - Too Much, Too Little or None At All

 

Now I try my best with exercise; I have wonderful ideas of how to keep on track, what exercise path I need to take, how it can fit into my life and the wonderful outcomes that it will bring. My problem is getting started and sticking to it! 

Many years ago now I joined a gym. Attending classes every week and went to the gym at least two or three times a week. I really enjoyed it and it made a huge difference in how I felt mentally and physically. I gave up going when I bought a cross trainer for home and I changed jobs, so the gym was no longer near where I worked and I was just so tired having finished work for the day that I never went and gave up my membership.

I did use the cross trainer a few times a week for a good few months but then slowly stopped using it and then not at all.

What happened is I went to the doctor (it may be coming up to a couple of years ago now) and had my general review. While they give you a full check up one of the things is, obviously, weighing you and I couldn't believe how much weight I had put on! It really put me about! I went and had a look at some pictures of me that had been taken recently and saw how much weight I had gained and was shocked and, truth be told, very sad. I didn't do anything for a while after that, maybe I was just in denial about it.

Last year though I decided to get myself a FitBit to monitor my exercise and see how much I was doing daily. Truth be told, I was shocked at how little I had been doing and also how much my calorie intake was. I am not a big eater but the food I was taking in was high in calories and sugars and I just wasn't exercising enough to burn any of it off.

I started to up my exercise by just walking more and getting up to do things instead of being lazy. I started to walk to work with a little higher pace and walk up the stairs instead of taking the lift. When it came to food I would try to have breakfast, lunch and dinner with fewer snacks in between the meals. If I was to have a snack it would be a grain bar or low calorie snacks or fruit.

The cross trainer had not been used that much at this point and I decided it was time to dig it out of it's hiding place. I started off using it, but just started being on it for 10 minutes and gradually worked it up each time. I find the best thing to do is to have some music on while you are using it. I can sing along (with a shortness of breath sometimes!!), but it just helps you to gain a momentum and push yourself along with it.

It has now been 8 months since I got the FitBit and started to really think about my lifestyle. I haven't gone all out with it and it has been a slow process. I have not stayed on track either, I have very little staying power if I get anxious or something plays on my mind, and that certainly has been the case over the last 12 months, but I have tried and I can honestly say that I have seen a difference. I have lost weight; not much but just over half a stone, my clothes already feel better when I wear them and I am not getting out of breath when walking distances or at a pace. I feel better physically and mentally.

Like I said at the beginning of this post; I have great ideas of what I want to achieve with exercise and the benefits that I want to see, but one thing that I have to come to terms with is the fact that the achievements and benefits will emerge, it is just that it will take time with me and things will progress, but not be achieved overnight, but I am certain that they will be achieved.

Picture: My own