Let me start out with this. I typically HATE talking about weight and scales. It is definitely not the best or only measure of how healthy and fit you are. HOWEVER, I see a lot of weight yo-yoing with my students. I get lots of emails from my blog readers too, telling me that they are up 20 pounds, then down 15, then up 25, then down 5….in a matter of 2 years! I kind of take it for granted that my weight has stayed the same (plus or minus 2-3 pounds) for the past 6 years. (Not including pregnancy or the first 2 months post pregnancy). I’ve also worn the same size clothes and have had pretty much the same body-fat percentage as well. No major changes!
I’m not saying this to brag, but I thought that maybe what I’ve been doing for the past 6 years will serve as some encouragement to you if you find yourself on that yo-yo!
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1.) I’m consistently consistent!
This is the BIGGEST thing that has kept me where I am. Does this mean that I don’t have bad weeks? Heavens no. Christmas time is probably the worst time of the year for me. My gym is closed for 2 weeks, I have no where else to exercise, I’m wrapping gifts, sending out Christmas cards and planning for my son’s birthday. This is where I see my biggest gains—and generally it’s not on the scale. (I lose muscle mass, which actually causes me to weigh less but my clothing is a BIT SNUG at that time!)
I get back on the wagon as soon as I can. Same thing for when there is sickness in my house, or random things here and there. I am consistently consistent.
2.) I do things I love
I’ve talked about this before, but if you are exercising with something you don’t like doing, you won’t keep doing it! Who has time to fit something they loathe in a schedule that is already packed to the brim? I’ve told you before that I’m not much of a “true” distance runner. I’ve done 2 half-marathons and have no real desire to do distances much more than that, or race anymore than one half-marathon a year. There are a lot of my friends who do it and while I would love to have the chance to say that I’ve completed a full or multiple halves, it just isn’t for me (yet!). You have to be ok with saying something isn’t for you when a lot of folks around you are screaming it’s praises!
3.) I hang with people who enjoy exercising and living a ‘fit’ life.
Are all my friends into exercising? Heck no. My husband doesn’t really like it. My family isn’t really into it. And I have PLENTY of friends I hang with who do it minimally. On the flip side, I have a TON of friends who incorporate it into their busy lives and do it successfully! We encourage one another in our different styles of exercise. We also ENJOY life! If you saw who I hung out with (who also are workout CHAMPS!) you might be surprised at how many calories we can put DOWN on a girls night out! We live life to the fullest knowing that we are back on the wagon Monday morning!
(Between the three of us, we had run 51 miles that morning. We went out that night and probably consumed 2000 calories between us. Never looked back!)
4.) I keep myself educated.
This partly comes from being a fitness blogger, but the truth is, I love learning. There is always information changing and evolving out there in regards to exercise and eating. I love learning about it and then making the attempt at change.
5.) I’m flexible.
You might think that my workout schedule is very consistent. Um. Think again. EVERY SEASON (and by this, I mean school semester), it changes. The classes I teach change. The fitness goals I have change. The gym hours where I exercise change. My kid’s schedule change. It all changes! I have to literally re-vamp my workout schedule every few months. It’s a pain, but I do it because I have to. I make it work which means I have to get a little creative. If you have to “make your exercise schedule work”, it’s ok. You aren’t alone but it’s so worth it!
6.) I keep it all in perspective.
At the end of the day, my body ain’t going with me. This 5’4″ vessel of muscle (haha!) will be 6 feet underground. I will have a new body which will be worshipping my Savior all day long! Knowing this helps me to know that if I have a mess up day or week, or if I choose ice cream with friends over a run every once in a while, or if I skip a morning workout because I was up late crying with a friend….that it’s ok.
Maybe my goal should be to weigh less or fit into a smaller size clothing, but honestly, it isn’t. I’m (usually) happy with how I look and living my life this way helps me be involved in others areas of life, which then defines it as my IDEAL weight. My life is much more than fitness. I know I blog about it, but the truth is, it consumes just 60 minutes a day 4-5 days a week. That’s very small considering all the other things I do in the day!
What are your keys to weight management? I’d love to hear them!
Such a good post. Loved the last paragraph…that exercise is only…ONLY 60 min. a day…and there is so much more after that (or before if you exercise in the eve.)
I’ve been doing a run/walk in the morning and then if there is time I try to lift or bike in the evening…but there are many days when I only get my run/walk in…I’ve had to learn to just go with it because life happens and my family is more important than that second workout…(I really miss the first one and think it super important to start my day)…
Blessings to you…
Definitely into a.m. exercise and listening to the internal monitor that God gave each of us to dictate portions & foods 🙂
Question to Clare: Do you have any health/hereditary issues that squelch the exercise you would like to do? If so, any applicable ideas?
May God bless you for blessing us….
Hi MB!
Could you explain your question a little further? I’m not sure I quite understand!!
Thanks!
Clare
I like to run, but have had to cut way back due to hereditary joint problems. Have you had to adjust your workouts to any health limitations?
Oh..ok! Gotcha!
I have not had to adjust to any health limitations other than pregnancy. I have been very lucky. There are times when I’ve had knee problems but that’s generally been during my long distance training or when I’ve not stretched well. Who knows though, that could totally change in the future!!
Clare
So needed this today!! I have lost a total of 72 pounds since my son was born 7 years ago. I gained about18 pounds back in the course of a year between work, kids, hubby, and going back to school for my masters. My problem has been consistency, I was consistent going to the gym for awhile & now I’m consistently sitting my booty at home working on homework or cleaning. Thank you so much for this inspiration!
I really like this post. Unfortunately I don’t really have friends that are into fitness that live near me, so I find this through your blog/Facebook page, and also having an accountability partner even though she lives a few hours away. Surrounding myself however I can with that constant influence has made a huge difference for me! Thanks Clare!! 🙂
What a great post!!! I love knowing you IRL because I can totally see how true all of this is and see how you truly are balancing exercise with the rest of your life but also making it a priority by staying consistant. I wish your readers could really see all the real life energy too!!:) I am still trying to find what it is that I enjoy doing as far as exercise!lol I used to love running but it has lost its fun now that I have kids and have to schedule it around my husband and I have less time to myself..lol. I may be joining a new gym soon so maybe something there will strike my fancy;)
Thank you for the great info! I have been trying to get the baby weight off (and then some!) For over a year now, but have honestly lacked consistency in exercise. I wondered, do you stay pretty consistent in what or what types of foods you eat?
I am consistently MODERATE! LOL! I keep that as a guide in my life so yes, there are days that I eat not so hot. There are days when I do great. My main goal, though, is to eat protein, veggies, healthy fats, low glycemic fruits, and whole grains/carbs. I drink lots of water.
I don’t eat for weight loss, but for fat loss (will discuss this in a future post) so depending on how toned I want my body to look or how I want it to perform will depend on how lenient/moderate I am with my diet. There are some months/phases of life easier than others so I just go with it. Overall though, my diet has always been what one would consider “healthy” so yes, that has been consistent. Hope that made sense!
This is a PHENOMENAL post and highly encouraging, just what I need to get back on the wagon after a week off! I will be sharing this with my girlfriend (and I’d love to link it to my blog if it’s ok with you)…some great wisdom in this, especially #6!!
Oh my goodness! Thank you Tracy, and yes–you can link it!!
Blessings
Clare
Thank you for this post! I have recently become more serious about healthy eating/making exercise a regular (consistent) part of my life, but I am also wanting to lose weight…and I find that my focus can so quickly slip from what’s important to me – getting consistent with healthy eating and exercise, to what’s peripheral – weighing less on the scales. Loved your perspective and was really encouraged!
I’m also encouraged by the fact that you’re a Christian as well, because while being a good steward of our bodies is important, it shouldn’t become THE most important thing in our lives 🙂 so while I’m keen to be consistent I want to avoid being obsessive!
God bless you!