In the past month, I have lost seven pounds and half an inch from my waist. I have met my goal of going to Jazzercise at least three times per week. Most other days, I try to fit a walk into my day. I have been keeping a food and activity journal. I have also been trying to make sure my “screen time” (time spent online and watching TV or movies) doesn’t exceed the amount of time spent exercising each day.
Several things have been motivating me this past month. Putting my specific weight loss and fitness goals before CS readers has been a big motivator. Many times I have been in the middle of my workout and wanted to slack off. Other times I have wanted to eat my weight’s worth of chocolate chip cookies. Then an imaginary CS reader pops into my head. Instantly, I want to do better and be stronger! If I don’t reach my goals, you will know.
Another motivator this month has been the actual exercise itself. Working out helps my mind as much as it helps my body. I process and think through problems while I exercise, and my mind feels more focused after I finish. When I re-enter my normal life, I feel better able to cope with stress and more positive when dealing with conflict. I also don’t want to sabotage my exercising by binging on treats. So, in a way, exercise also helps me to eat better. And I am starting to feel like Jazzercise is really a part of my routine. It is something I look forward to because I know how I feel when it is done.
The food and activity journal has helped, too. When days are really busy, it is hard to remember to write down what I eat, my weight that day, and the exercise I did. So, there are a few days missing. But I find it helpful to look at the journal and see patterns in my eating. The journaling helps deter me from snacking too. I don’t want to make the effort to write down a piece of candy or a cookie—so, laziness stops me, too.
Another motivating factor is Julie, my Jazzercise instructor, who has been doing Jazzercise for 10 years. When she started, she had been trying to lose weight and was walking regularly. A friend convinced her to come to a Jazzercise class, but Julie wasn’t interested. She was not a dancer and had no dance background. But she went reluctantly, and she loved her first class and started doing Jazzercise three days a week. Soon Julie had worked her way up to six classes a week as well as dieting. She lost 70 pounds in one year and has kept it off. I think of my remaining 11 pounds, and it seems so small compared to 70 pounds. I can do 11 pounds!
Even my goal of limiting my “screen time” to the amount of time I spend exercising each day is a motivator. If I skip exercising one day and still want to sit down and watch TV, I have to exercise while I am watching. Again, this also deters me. I don’t want to have to do more work, so I skip vegging out in front of a screen more than I normally would.
I must confess that this “screen time” goal has been the hardest to be strict about. It is unrealistic to track every minute I spend checking my e-mail, so I just try to limit myself. I also try to earn my screen time in advance—I don’t sit down at the computer until after I have worked out for the day.
The first seven pounds came off very quickly. I am now on a plateau. I feel happy that I am not gaining, but frustrated that I seem stuck. I am going to have to take it up a notch if I want to lose my last 11 pounds. Julie told me that weight loss is 20 percent exercise and 80 percent diet. looking at my food journal, I see room for improvement. I eat a lot of carbohydrates. I am going to start limiting the carbs and adding more protein and vegetables and see what happens this coming month.
How do I tie this all in to singing? I can tell that I am stronger and in better shape physically. It seems easier than before to sing long phrases. And I feel more aware of my body and more connection to my body when I sing.
