Thursday, June 24, 2010

Thoughts on my 30 Day Challenge

I went to sleep last night at 9:30 and slept right through until 4:00 this morning. Wide awake, I hopped out of bed and headed to the gym. Knocked out 90 mins on the bike (33 miles) and another 30 mins on the treadmill (1.75 miles). Now, I'm at the office and bouncing off the walls with energy and motivation. It's going to be a good day, indeed.

Things I've learned so far? The trick is to be prepared. As soon as I get home from work, I unpack and re-pack my gym bag. When the alarm goes off (if I ever slept that long, anyway), I'm ready to go without delay. After I work out, I hang my clothes and my towel in my car so they can dry and air out during the day. Then, right after work, I'm ready to go again. No delays and no excuses.

I have also learned that an iPad and a subscription to NetFlix are invaluable if you are going to spend any time on the bike at the gym. So far I have only watched old episodes of "Bones," but it makes the time fly by. It's about 42 minutes per episode, so I start my hour by watching that and then I switch to upbeat music videos for the last 20 mins.

Things I already know but haven't dealt with yet? My weight loss. I was 212 on Monday morning, 210 on Tuesday, 209 on Wednesday, and 208 this morning. Obviously, that can't continue. I won't drop a pound or two every single day. My body is going to react to the reduced calorie intake and the greatly increased physical activity and start to hang on to every bit of fat it can. I know this. I am prepared to work through it and not freak out. I might go days without losing a pound. Heck, I might even gain weight in the interim. I know it. It will bother me, but I will not let it derail me from my goals.

I also know that I will not be able to do 2-3 hours at the gym every single day. My goal is to work out at least one hour per day, so I am telling myself right now that I will NOT feel like a failure if I just go and ride the bike for an hour. My over-achiever nature cannot beat me up if I do just enough to meet the goal one day. It will happen, I know. I'll accept it as a natural part of making huge changes, ride it out, and get right back the next day for more.

And most importantly, I know that I am entirely too dependent on the affirmation and support of others. I accept this as part of who I am. And that's why I posted about my 30 Day Challenge on my blog yesterday. If you are reading this, thank you. I appreciate your interest and your support. And you are invited to cheer me on when I do well and push me should I falter.

I can do this. The 30 Day Challenge is going to be more than just a quick-start to my physical fitness. It is going to be my own proof to myself that I am capable of setting goals and working hard to reach them.

And onward I go!

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