I'm Just Too Damn Busy!

I just don't have time to exercise.  I work so much, I'm just too tired to do anything else when I get home. I'm just too damn busy ...


Hey, I get it ... I am the QUEEN of busy, of multi-tasking, of taking on too much I can chew. Last December, my schedule went something like this .... woke up at 5:30am, went to work at 7:30, returned home around 5pm, began working on my website (beadifuldiscoveries.com) and worked it until around Midnight.  Every night. When could I possibly work out? I was exhausted.

Then, around Thanksgiving, I began having severe migraines and bloody noses.  When I got checked out by my Doctor, my blood pressure was 190/140.  He said I had been in "stroke zone" for two years.  It was a great, big slap in the face, a real wake up call for me.

So, on December 7, 2012, I measured my body and recorded my measurements in a spreadsheet.  I measured my neck, bicep, chest, upper stomach, waist, belly button, lower stomach (yeah, I'm a bit obsessed over the whole stomach area), hips, thigh and calf.  I decided I would take my measurements at the end of December.

I made one change to my routine because it's all I had time for ...

Now, don't laugh ... I know it's pathetic, but it's honestly, all I could do at that time ...

Every time I used the bathroom at work, I would do 30 seconds - 1 minute of an exercise when I was done.  These exercises included side bends, arm circles, pelvic thrusts, punching side to side (in an X pattern, targeting the oblique stomach muscles), push ups against the wall, "sitting" against the wall and chin lifts.  I have no idea what the technical term for chin lifts are ...

So, I did SOMETHING every time I used the bathroom.  And, since I take blood pressure medication, and drink a lot of water, I use the bathroom 4-5 times per day at work. So, I would do 25 repetitions of punching side to side (25 on each side), for example.  But, because I did it every time I went to the bathroom, I wound up doing 100 - 125 repetitions during the day.

Doesn't sound like much ...

It's not.  But, as I said in my previous post, doing SOMETHING rather than NOTHING is a start.

When I measured myself again 3 weeks later, I had lost 4.5" off my body.  I was amazed!  JUST from making that one change, I had lost almost 5" and 2" were in my stomach! And, when I weighed myself, I had lost a little over 3lbs.

Cool, huh?

So, what was the important part about this?

Well first off, I measured myself.  Sure, we all want that magic number on the scale to be smaller - I certainly do but I also like knowing WHERE I've lost the weight (or gained). So, the last day of every month now, I measure my body and track it in my spreadsheet.  I don't always lose inches.  But, it's honest and motivates me to keep going next month.

Secondly, I made a change to my routine.  Even though it was very small, it made a difference.  When January rolled around, my schedule had cleared up considerably, giving me extra time to work out in the evenings.  So, I made another change ... (but working out is another post) ...

You have to start somewhere, my fellow Fat Chicks ... and, don't be discouraged that you don't lose 30lbs in 30 days.  Progress is progress.  If I continued losing 4.5" a month, I'd be a heck of a lot smaller in a year.  Small steps ... progress ... change ...

Challenge of the Day
I would suggest you buy a measuring tape.  You'll find the right kind in the sewing section at Walmart or similar store. I know it's hard to face those measurements .... but it's cool to see them get smaller. Measure your body and write the measurements down either in a log, or on a spreadsheet.  Then, make a change.  You're welcome to borrow my bathroom work outs if you want, but do something.  And, measure your body again at the end of the month and see where you are.  Until next time, lovely ladies ...

Oh Yeah ...
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