Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Working out

There used to be nothing that I hated as much as working out. My brain would make up weird reasons to justify not going to the gym. I wont even bring them up to cite just now. But one thing is true above most things - I am not a quitter. I have tried so many different ways to keep me going back to the gym.
And now I think I am getting the hang of it. So here is a little write up for people like me - if there are any.
  • Plan to give yourself one day off from burning all those calories
    The easiest way I find I can do this is by trying to get to the gym continuous 6 days of the week and taking the 7th day off. I find that if I say, I'm skipping on Thursday, there is a good chance, something will turn up on Friday that will be unavoidable or a weekend plan that keeps you away. So take the first chance you can get and get to the gym
  • Find the right kind of cardio for you.
    I find that stepper gives me much better results than elliptical. I also tried group x classes like STEP. I also know that I hate running for cardio - I give up too fast. Swim works the best. Try a few out before you decide what works best for you.
  • Find a work out buddy
    This works best for cardio.
  • Get 2 days to do weights
    Figure out what weight pushes your limits for different muscle groups and work with it. Pick weights that barely let you complete your 3 sets , each with 20 reps?
  • Time, motivation and attitude
    The day you are supposed to go to the gym , set aside extra time.Mine is the hour after I wake up - the hour before I get to the gym. This time will be useful for the last minute slackers. :P During your extra time, use your motivational tools ( memory of a bad photo, all the food you ate, how good your friend looks, a dress you want to get into.. ) to push yourself into the gym.
    Deep breath and say I CAN DO THIS ..now say it again .. this time with conviction :P and now try I WANT TO DO THIS
  • And this is the most important one - watch what you eat.
    This is especially hard for Indians - we eat a lot of carbs and get too little protein in to us.Bay area engineers get the worst kind of deals. We eat out a lot and heavy.
  • Dont Give up
    Cardio - it is the hardest for the first 10 minutes
    And then it gets better. Do not give up for the first 10 minutes. By then body is warmed up.
    Distract yourself with a book, tv or music - or conversation with a friend. Try not to watch the clock.
And now slowly, I'm getting where I need to be.  Will keep you posted if I fall off the healthy train or stay on it.
Good luck to all of you out there!!

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