Part VI: The Challenge

Looking back on my high school career I notice that I never took on a hobby of any kind. Usually in high school there are the sports-related students, the book-smart students, the musical students and then the people who weren’t involved as much. I was very involved in extra-curricular activities. I was not involved in any sport, music, or book related category.

I have always had a fast pace when walking. When I am walking with friends at an amusement park I always have to remind myself to slow down so I don’t get too far ahead of everyone. If there were ever an apocalypse in my lifetime, I am positive I would survive just by walking faster than anything coming after me.

Running never crossed my mind as a hobby I could begin. I always thought it would be too much of a challenge and tiring; probably a good sign that I was out of shape. After I hit a plateau with my Biggest Loser workouts I knew I needed a new plan to continue my journey. I decided to give running a try because I knew it could help me lose calories fast. Burning a lot of calories fast means losing weight at a faster rate.

I loaded new and upbeat music on my iPod because I knew music would help me run at a good pace. I put a water bottle in my shorts pocket because there are no water fountains on the trails surrounding my house. After I was ready, I stretched and began my run.

One of the most challenging things about running is finding a pace that fits with your breathing. If your pace is too fast you will lose your breath and have to stop for a couple of minutes to recuperate. It took a couple trial runs until I found a correct pace that fit me.

Your breathing should be controllable and calm. Personally I run with my mouth open because breathing is easier to retain than breathing in and out from my nose only. There are some downsides to running with your mouth open. If you enjoy protein, you’re in luck because you will be eating plenty of miscellaneous insects throughout the run. I enjoy running at sunset but the bugs are so terrible at this time that it caused me to start running in the early afternoon instead.

The best way to gain more mileage is to stay motivated and stay hydrated. As long as you do those two things you could run for miles and miles. It may seem like a difficult task to do but it is actually easier than you may think.

Eventually when you feel up for a challenge go run a 5K, 8K, or any sort of competitive run. After finishing these races you will feel a great deal of accomplishment. These accomplishments will help keep you motivated. I have personally run a multitude of races, all of which have been fun and present different challenges. Whether that is running through rough terrain, mud, puddles, or running up steep hills and slopes, all races are ‘more than meets the eye’.

I have my first half-marathon coming up in mid-March. Training for the marathon has been difficult because of the long and treacherous winter. I am thrilled to be competing but am nervous because it is my first competitive race of this length. My main goal is to finish the race while having a good time running with some family and friends.

Dieting has become a popular form of regulated eating. There are many forms of diets; some work and some do not. Join me next week when I discuss how one diet aided in my weight loss. 

Part V: The Element of Life

Water is one of the most important elements on this Earth. For people who know me, they know I always have a water bottle at my side. Water is important to me. Before every workout I always make sure I drink a glass of water. It helps to replenish my body and prepare it for the workout ahead. In the beginning of my process I would always bring a water bottle to workout with. I realized that I needed more water when I felt dehydrated during my workout.

I eventually increased my water intake from one to three/four water bottles per workout. To be environmentally friendly, I bought large plastic cups that I could use instead of water bottles. Instead of using multiple water bottles per day I would just refill my cups when needed.

Having a five gallon water jug machine in your house will increase your families water intake. My family goes through about a jug every two days. When water is accessible in such a convenient way it is guaranteed to be used.

During the first couple weeks of working out, the human body can lose up to ten pounds of pure water weight. It is important to continuously drink water in order to stay hydrated. Other than keeping your body hydrated, water can keep you healthy from illness and diseases. Water keeps your intestines moving; it cleanses your body and keeps your skin smooth and hydrated. Most health professionals recommend eight to twelve glasses of water a day. If you workout rigorously, additional water will be needed. An additional eight to sixteen ounces of water will be needed for short exercises. Obviously more water will be needed for longer endurance events like running and biking. I lost a good five pounds of water weight 'right off the bat'.



Six health benefits of drinking water:
1. Drinking water helps maintain the balance of body fluids
2. Water can help control calories
3. Water helps energize muscles
4. Water helps keep skin looking good.
5. Water helps your kidneys
6. Water helps maintain normal bowel function.

It is unbelievable how 71% of the Earth is covered by water, yet we can only consume a percentage of that. The human body contains from 55% to 78% water, depending on body size. Drinking the right amount of water can keep your body energized and ready for a long workout.

Join me next week when I discuss some of my favorite endurance workouts to do- running and walking. Running is such a great exercise to do and amazingly it's quite simple.

Part IV: The Last Chance Workout

“Your body can stand almost anything. It’s your mind that you have to convince.” For years I was having trouble finding my comfort zone and motivation to start a workout regimen. I am a big fan of reality television especially “The Biggest Loser” on NBC. After I found out that the trainers on the show came out with a series of workout DVD’s, I knew I had to have them. This was going to be my motivational start.

 I bought two separate films each concentrating on different workout moves. One focused on cardio and the other film focused on the entire body. I started with the entire body DVD because it seemed like a better option to start off with than a maximum cardio routine. It is a five step, six-week program that alternates between upper body, lower body, and fat burning exercises. The longest segment of the DVD was a twenty-five minute ‘Last Chance Workout’ designed to burn fat quickly by using cardio and strength intervals. I sweated like no ones business the first week I used this workout program. I knew it was working because I felt so sore the rest of the day after the workout. I only did the workout five days a week; I would leave the other two days of the week to resting and stretching. There were some days when just sitting down hurt because some muscles were being used that weren’t ever used before. The first couple of weeks are very painful but it is essential to complete them or else you may not get the results you were hoping for.

Although I really enjoyed the workouts on the first DVD, I felt like it was time to step up my game and begin the cardio disc. The cardio workout was also set up into five segments but was much more intense and challenging. These workouts included kickboxing, yoga, and fast moving routines that each ranged from twenty to ten minutes. When you are working out with the DVD, time flies. Even though an hour may seem like an eternity, it really moves along fast. The trainers Bob, Jillian, Kim, and Dolvett each have a different style of working out. I prefer Jillian’s workouts because I always seemed to be sweating more afterwards.

After just a couple weeks of working out for one hour a day I was starting to see a change in my body. The first change you will notice is the slimming of your face. If you don’t notice the change in the mirror try putting two photos next to each other and compare. Everyone’s body is different so results will vary differently among each person.

The moment of truth had finally arrived when I would step on the scale and see how well I had done halfway through the program. I stepped onto the scale and to my surprise I had lost fifteen pounds. I was thrilled because I knew losing fifteen pounds was a great start. I was excited to see what new workouts I could try to change up my daily routine.

Staying hydrated is so important when working out. In my next post I will explain the many good effects water has on the body along with how much water you should drink a day.