Exercise tips from a sad wife

1. Don't get married to a spouse that is a visual person. You will pay. Well, I pay.

2. Exercise at least 5 times a week, 30 minutes a day of cardio. Lift weights 2-3 times a week, doing either a full rotation, or work upper body, lower body, core. Do the last set in a way that it is impossible to get a good full rep. And don't forget to wait a full minute between reps...or it will be like one long rep.
3. Vary your exercise routine. The body loves to adapt to change. Once your body figures out the routine, it will level up to it.
4. Stay hydrated - drink before, during and after. If you are experiencing thirst...you are already experiencing a hydration deficiency.
5. Intervals can help you get in shape faster. Run as fast as you can for a few minutes, then walk, then run. It's the bursts that tell your body to dump the weight.
6. Plan your workouts. When you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
7. Be selfish. I tell you this so you allow yourself to put yourself first. You are not being selfish in getting healthier...it just FEELS that way.
8. Mix the drudgery in with fun things that you like to do...shoot hoops...do a dance class...take a Zumba class. Ride a bike or garden...hula hoop. The fun things are endless....find something to break the monotony.
9. Eat for fuel. Garbage in...lousy workout! Alcohol the night before does mess with your performance, especially if you are a runner. You will feel it!

10. Try to love your kids, even if they did wreck your body. This is of course if you have kids. Just Kidding!!! My kids were my choice...even though they were both happy surprises. I bounced back after my daughter when I was 24. I almost died when i had my son at 25 almost 26. I have a nice long scar from my belly button straight down. I am here, my belly will never be smooth and nice, but I'm alive. I celebrate that victory for sure.

The most difficult thing I struggle with is not motivation, but follow through. It is so easy for me to leave my hell job (a desk job managing four prima divas and two drama kings for bosses) and go home and eat and sit on the couch, rather than getting ready to exercise. Then going to exercise. Then doing a lot of exercise. I have to do it in hour increments, or I will not get it in. My husband told me to go in the sauna to "cut" weight. Well, this is only a temporary solution. I've been reading up on it. Exercise, not extreme heat helps you to lose.

I am in a sad place these days because I have gained 20 lbs. over the last few Christmases. 2 years ago I was 20 lbs. over my goal weight - so you guessed it, I am a whopping 40-50 lbs. over where I need to be.
All i hear from my husband is how happy we will all be when I lose weight.
Don't eat that because I will never lose weight.
Go to the Y more often because I am not losing weight.
We almost divorced in July because I have not lost weight.
I almost wish we would have.
I dream of a new job, and a single life.
I have a sneaking suspicion that if I had both, I would not eat for comfort.
Leave a comment if you feel the same way.

Thanks for reading....
Linda