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Cindy P-L has been training with me for a couple of years now. I’ve seen her get strong, go vegan, and lose weight. Her progress is worth mentioning, so here is her story, in her words.
I have been a serial regular exerciser all of my adult life. Unfortunately, this was interspersed with bouts (months to years) of time out of the workout routine also. Fortunately, almost 3 years ago, I started working out 5-6 days a week, and this time, it seems to be sticking.
I like the balance of cardio plus weight training because I absolutely know that my body needs both. I always strive for cardio daily to promote weight loss. However, I need to do weight or resistance training and most importantly core work at least 3-4 times per week. Having a strong core has made everything else easier, and the same goes for stronger arms and legs.
When I need to self-motivate, I remember my commitment to myself and my health and how great I feel since I’ve been serious about it. And I reestablish my health goals in my mind. Truthfully, I also have a strong fear of missing 1 day and that day turning into missing a week, and so on. It has happened so easily and quickly in my life in the past.
Down the line, I hope to lose 15-20 more pounds (that will be 85-90 total) and then slow down the workout routine just slightly. I’d like to reach a point where my long-term routine is 4 hard workouts a week, plus active family time.
I know that regular exercise will be a part of my routine for the rest of my life in order to remain healthy, stave off the diabetes that most of my family experiences, and remain comfortably active. My most important goal is to run around with my grandchildren one day!
My advice for someone who knows she needs to be exercising/eating a healthy diet but just can’t imagine how to begin: Start with small goals. When you’re 20 or even 100 pounds overweight and you’re not working out or eating well, it’s hard to get started because it all feels overwhelming. It’s important to know that every meal eaten more healthily and every minute working out is positive motion. You need to accept that it might take years to meet your goals. But, the good news is that during those years, you feel better and better every day, so it’s not lost time at all.
For me, the best advice is that there’s no quick fix, and that’s really OK!
