So, as you can tell it’s been really hard for me to get back on the band wagon. Surgery is extremely hard on the human body. It’s been hard working my way back up to where I was before. My doctor told me the healing process may actually take up to six months. This week was the first week that I actually was able to burn over 300 calories on my cardio machine workout. (i.e. treadmill, elliptical)




I have been doing this since, March and even before I stop working out I realize it was taking longer to burn 400 -500 calories during my cardio machine workouts. So, I knew that my body was getting used to my workout routine and I was going to have to kick it up a notch. My thoughts were “What was I going have to do to kick it up a notch?”, workout longer, increase my intensity, try yoga, Pilates get a personal trainer . In the mix of deciding what new workout routine to come up with I found a book “Escape your Shape” that I had put away for three years. A colleague who had done personal training on the side had recommended it to me. The book emphasizes exercising base on your body shape. Body shapes are broken down into four categories: hourglass, cone, ruler, spoon. I am a hourglass shape what does mean? My weight is evenly distributed, I actually trend to look less that I really weigh, but most of my weight is in my hips, legs and arms. So, how does this apply to an hourglass shape like me that wants to lose weight? Since, I want to lost weight and tone I should not do workouts that involve high resistance, as it will bulk me up and make look bigger. Which is not what I want to do or see while trying to lose weight. By increasing intensity and using low resistance I will get the most from my workout base on my shape. After digesting this information in the book I saw of some of this may be true. For years I would say I can’t take too many step classes, whenever I take to many step classes I get curvy and don’t tend to look any smaller at all. Step workouts is one of the exercises that the book recommends that hourglass types should avoid.



My new workout includes ( you should change your workout routine every six weeks)

20 minutes bike 1 hour Zumba

15 bike 25 minutes treadmill and 10 Stairmaster or kickboxing 60 mins

15 bike 25 minutes treadmill and 10 Stairmaster

15 minutes bike 1 hour Zumba

20 bike 25 minutes treadmill.



Motivation:

I have my days where I feel like doing nothing, days I just want lay on the couch. But, most days I don’t, it’s not a option for me. I still struggle with motivation but, am always trying to do things to phys myself signs reminding me to journal , gym five days a week and weigh in day. What else motivates me? looking good in my jeans, looking good at the beach. Living a healthy lifestyle and escaping the risk of high blood pressure .



What has my first 20lbs of weight lost has done?



As any women that has lost weight this was my excuse to go shopping. Not over board I still have a ways to go, I remember walking into a store in the mall and looking at the tops I could fit, and saying “oh this is cute and that cute”, and then all of sudden I said “I don’t want to look cute anymore, I want to look sexy and grown in my clothes” and then I walk out the store. As I continue my shopping I decided to visit everyone’s favorite jeans store the Gap. Let me honest yes I wear Gap jeans but, most of my visit were on-line. Not only for convince but also because it was easier to find my size on-line. So, I walk in to the gap with my new found confidence. To my amazement I had a hard time finding my size a L in tops and a 16 jeans. It felt almost felt like a conspiracy. The Gap had XL, XXL tops, dresses and size 20 jeans. I said to myself when I wore these sizes I could barely find my size, now I am down a size it a rarity again. After a couple of chuckles and checking out the clearance I was able to find items in my size and on the clearance rack.



Losing 20 lbs pounds means that I have lost a total of 14 inches. And I with my tummy being a little flatter am still critical a of my body. Now I seem obese with my thighs thinking to myself how big they are and how much I want to lose them I guess I am never going to be satisfy its what keeps me going. Losing my first twenty has also made me feel like I never want to go back to gaining those 20lbs back.

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