Alternate Title- Itâs a Strange World or: How I Learned to Stop Griping and Love the Treadmill
Hey everyone, this is something really different from the usual today. Iâve thought about writing something like this for a little while but Iâve always put it off. Mainly because I didnât want to come off as some kind of expert who knows what the hell theyâre doing (I donât, really), like Iâm proselytizing (Iâm not), or that Iâm bragging (again, not). I just wanted to write the kind of advice that I myself couldâve used when I started this whole thing: something from a normal person whoâs just trying to get in better shape and is honest about the process. So bear with me as I try to muddle through.
Okay, quick background on the whole thing. Back in May of this year I was feeling like crap. I was tired, my feet and knees would ache after being at work (Iâm on my feet all day), and I wasnât sleeping well. I happened to put a new battery in our bathroom scale and stepped on it for the first time in a long time. It said 222 lbs (about 100 kg). I suppose thatâs not a huge number, and Iâd never been overly obsessed with my weight, but for some reason, it got to me and I told myself that between the number on the scale and how I felt, it was time to do something. For me, personally, it was time for a change. So I started walking. Just going out in the evening, first around the block and progressively further. By the time Iâd plateaued on the outside walking, I was doing almost 5kms (almost 3 miles) a day. I was literally doing a loop around the entire length of our town. It was around back to school and getting dark earlier so it was a great time to switch to the gym.
me and hubby last summer
This is what Iâve observed in the time between that day in May and today:
Itâs Really Freakinâ Hard
I suppose this should be a no-brainer, but it really is tough. I was not in good shape, and I can admit that. I can also admit the reasons why, some are my fault, some are out of my control. I canât stop the Hashimotoâs that completely effs up my thyroid function, but Iâve got a great doctor now that keeps a close eye on it and adjusts my meds accordingly. I have other meds that cause weigh gain as a side effect, but the alternative is not being functional, so thereâs only so much I can do on that aspect. I donât want to get super âtoo much informationâ on you all, but I feel like I have to explain where I started from. There were definite things I were absolutely my fault though, like diet things, but Iâll touch on that more later.
When I first started walking, I didnât have an overly long route. It was around the block. Granted, given the layout of the street behind us, thatâs longer than it sounds, but it wasnât a long way. And it wasnât a leisurely walk either (though it would be to me now, I think). And it was hard. I was like âIâm gonna die, right hereâ, griping to myself as I walked. And that first bit is the hardest, probably the first month to six weeks sucks until you really get into the routine. Honestly, I was a sweaty, wheezy mess at the start. But youâre doing it! You just have to get over that first hump of suckiness!
Take it Slow, But Donât Get Too Comfortable, Either
Like I said above, I started by simply going for a walk outside. Thatâs absolutely it. And thatâs fine, you donât have to rush into things. In fact, I highly recommend you donât. I did this when I started at the gym. Like I said above, Iâd plateaued on my outside walks and needs to up things. My first three times at the gym, I upped things alright. Way too much. Made myself actually sick (protip: at the gym, drink water in small amounts at a time. Chugging will make you feel sick) and managed to pull a muscle in my arm. Donât do that. I was dumb because I suddenly had all these fun machines and weights and stuff to play with, but you need to pace yourself.
By that same token, you shouldnât be too comfortable, either. You have to push yourself, just not overdo it, if that makes sense. When I was walking outside, one metric of how well things were going was how hot my feet would feel (summer on the prairies!) from how quickly I was walking. You should feel it, but not to the point you hurt yourself. If youâre not feeling it, you need to go up to the next level. Now I do a treadmill program where I alternate between very fast with a lower incline and a bit slower with a much higher incline. As I need to, I increase either speed or incline to make myself work harder. But if you feel like whatever youâre doing is too much, itâs fine to bring it down a little, even if just for that day! Donât pull a muscle or be doubled over with a cramp just to hit that level, even if you did the day before. Iâve done it, and it sucks, and Iâve cut short entire gym sessions for it. I donât recommend it.
You Wonât Get the Kind of Results Magazine Covers Like to Claim
You ever see those crappy magazines, mainly aimed at women, with âLose 14 pounds and 3 Dress Sizes in 7 Days!â splashed on the cover?
These. I hate these.
Yeah, in reality it doesnât really work like that. It depends on several factors, not the least of which is you and your own personal body makeup. I mean, your mileage may vary and maybe you will have lost 3 dress sizes by the time youâve lost 14 pounds, but I sure as hell hadnât. I have lost âdress sizesâ, but I donât know how many, mainly owing to womenâs clothing being really weird with sizing. But I do notice when I put something on and realize that itâs a lot looser-fitting than it used to be. For example, the jeans I bought for my X-23 costume that were almost too tight then are now almost too loose. Itâs not gonna be overnight, at least if you want it to last. Itâs like the adage âthereâs good, cheap, and fast. You can pick twoâ.
Get Yourself a Good Playlist and Good Shoes
This is something I cannot stress enough. I wore out a pair of shoes by wearing them both to work and to walk and ended up with the mother of all blisters for it. Get a pair of dedicated workout shoes, and make sure theyâre comfortable. As someone who spends all day on their feet, I appreciate comfortable shoes.
The second thing is have a good playlist to exercise to. Get whatever fires you up and blast that while you work out. Tastes vary, but mine is full of Sabaton, Judas Priest, Iced Earth, Rammstein, Disturbed, etc. (a lot of people at the gym I go to listen to a lot of rap). It makes such a difference when youâve got something to get your blood flowing, and helps with the lack of scenery if youâre at the gym staring at a wall or out a window. Some gyms have TVs and stuff, and if that works for you, then go for it, but I still strongly recommend a good set of music. Thereâs just something about it you canât get from watching TV.
You Donât Have to be Competitive With Anyone But Yourself
This was actually my husbandâs suggestion, and I like it for two reasons (one of which he probably wasnât thinking of, even).
First, if youâre like us and youâre un-athletic nerds who hated gym class, thereâs good news! You donât have to compete with, compare with, or even really talk to anyone else if you donât want to! Weights? Unless youâre doing something with a spotter, solo. Machines? Solo. Treadmill/elliptical? Super solo. It doesnât have to be sports, it just has to be physical activity. I hate running, which sounds silly considering how much cardio I do, so I donât.
The second side to competing is that you donât have to compete with anyone else as far as your progress goes. I had a least a month head start on the husband before he started working out as well, but we arenât competing. We compare notes and discuss how much/what we did that day, but itâs not to see who did âbetterâ. Iâve lost more weight, owing to my head-start, but he probably loses it easier than me who has to fight for every milestone. Itâs a mutual support, but not a contest. Your progress is yours, and donât worry about anyone else.
Diet, Man. Diet Is Important
I guess this kind of goes without saying, but this plays back into the things you can control. I was eating too much junk, to start with. Chips are my bane, and bread. But more importantly, I was eating too much. My portions were totally out of whack. I was still eating like I had when I was younger, when I was a farm kid who did lots of physical work, but now out of habit. I actually started reading the nutrition information to see how much a serving actually was. Iâm now one of those people that always checks when Iâm buying things. We were already trying to make sure we were eating more fruits and vegetables, and then I began to incorporate eating better portions. And let me tell you, going down to proper portions also sucks. For the first little while, I got quite hungry, as I was used to eating so much more at a time. But you adjust, and now I donât think I could actually eat that much in one go. But you do have to eat, just smartly.
The other thing with diet is a really important one. My philosophy is âmoderate, not eliminateâ. Because if I canât have a piece of my kidâs birthday cake, or a glass of wine, or whatever, then this is no kind of diet I want to be on. The idea is to be sensible. Also to stop snacking between meals, because that was something I was really bad for. Drink water, eat sensibly. Itâs as simple and as hard as that, and really the best way to do it.
Keep Your Eye on the Scale, But the Scale Isnât Everything
I weigh myself a lot. I do it to keep myself accountable. But it isnât everything. For that first really crappy month to six weeks, I lost approximately no weight, even though I was working my butt off. Why? Because I wasnât just burning fat, I was building muscle. If I get real hard into weights, the same thing might happen. And not only that, itâs not a nice smooth line from one end of a graph to the other. Itâs more like a seismograph. Things go up, they go down. What time of day, how much youâve eaten, even what youâre wearing (or not) while change the number on the scale. Donât sweat it if you go up a little after indulging a bit, just keep working toward your goal. You gotta live too, and thereâs no point in beating yourself up over it. Keep sticking to your routine, and itâll even out again. This is a marathon, not a sprint.
Itâs Gets Better, and You Can Do It!
It really does. You get to the point where you notice a change in yourself. I myself have more energy, I generally sleep better, and those sore knees are gone. And best of all, youâll get to the point where youâll feel really good after a workout. Your body will get all those happy chemicals going and youâll still be tired and sweaty, but youâll feel awesome. And youâll want to do it, to get that feeling and because youâve formed the habit of doing so.
I know how hard it is to start. If youâd told me on my birthday in January that Iâd be not only doing this, but writing about it, Iâd have laughed in your face. But here I am. Iâve lost about 30 pounds so far, which I once believed to be absolutely impossible. I havenât seen numbers like this on the scale since before I got pregnant (the first time). And Iâm not stopping just yet! I have a final goal in mind of where Iâd like to be ideally, but Iâm a ways away. So Iâll just keep on, ever onward!
Quick selfie I snapped just now. All my other most recent pics have my face covered in fake blood.
Well, I hoped you liked this rather long post. Iâve never written something like this, but like I said, I really wanted to write the kind of thing I couldâve used myself. No matter where you are on your journey through this whole exercise/healthiness business, I respect the hell out of you. Youâre doing great, and youâve got this!
