The last few months have been a bit of a struggle for me (until the last 3 weeks, but more on that later). There have been several factors that have contributed to my mini bout of depression. Plus, I'm sure, some that I didn't even realize. I will lay them out over the next few posts.
Everything started to sink down for me in April. It began with a workout goal that I couldn't meet. I have a really cool heart monitor that I wear when I workout. It's a Polar FT60 I was so excited when I got it. I was sure this thing would really ramp up my fitness and keep me motivated. It did just the opposite.
The watch automatically sets the goal for you each week based on your resting heart rate, weight, amount of time you can workout, previous weeks achievements, etc. The tricky part is that the goals are in three different heart rate zones. Zone 1 being a slow walk, Zone 2 a fast walk, and Zone 3 is everything faster. I didn't like this from the start because I like to push myself really hard and the stupid watch wanted me to slow it down, big time. At the end of each week it will give me an evaluation and a reward (1-3 stars or a trophy) based on how well I achieved the goals. By the end of the third week I was so frustrated with getting negative comments, despite working out for 6 hours and burning 2,427 calories, that it made me want to give up. I never reached the goals set in Zone 1 or Zone 2. Plus it kept telling me to stop working so much in Zone 3. The place I really wanted to be.
I didn't stop working out but I definitely lost my fire. I know that sounds like a stupid reason. I knew it was stupid to be effected that way while I was feeling it, but it impacted me none the less. I still use my monitor with each workout, but I have learned not to pay attention to the "goals" or to care what it says. I just like knowing how many calories I burn and where my heart rate is at.
The Summer has only added to my workout blues. My kids made it extremely hard to be gym rat in May because they had a lot of field trips and end of school picnics that I wanted to be a part of. I was so sure that once June hit I would be back in there 3 times a week and my kids would just love going to play all the time. I was totally wrong. The gym location that I like the best and where all my classes are, is not the one my kids like. So every morning it would turn in to a whinny fest. I got really tired of having to fight them so I could go. I am sad to report that in the last two months I have probably been to the gym six times total. On the up side I have lost four pounds. I am sure that some of it was muscle, but some was also fat. I can now officially fit in to my size 4 dream jeans.
It's okay if you want to hate me a little.
Sell the heart monitor - bad idea to begin with. The body is excellent at telling its owner what it needs.
ReplyDeleteIs a size 4 good? I wouldn't know, but I do know different body types can look good in a variety of clothing styles if the woman really understands fashion. The worst thing a woman can do is stuff herself into a pair of jeans or a blouse to the point that the fabric is warped. I would only say that being a size 0 or 2 is better than a size 4 if size 4 is not a healthy weight for the natural proportions of your body.
A size 4 is good. For me it is as small as I would ever want to go. At size 0 or 2 I would look sickly. I prefer to have some meat on my bones. Physically I am in the best shape of my life. I have never worked out so much or enjoyed it so much. I am very picky about how I look in jeans and I don't believe in squeezing into them. They either fit right and flatter or they go back into the closet. I am about 5 lbs lighter than when you saw me at Christmas so not a major change. A small amount of weight can make a big difference in woman's jean size.
ReplyDeleteI've heard many overweight women talk about getting down to a size 4 as their weight loss goal, so that must be a good, healthy average. There are significant differences in women's hip girth. A size 0 or 2 is perfect for some girls [not many] while a size 6 looks great on a woman with some God-given booty.
ReplyDeleteAll I know is that "things" are just right. Firm where they should be - squishy where they should be too. But for the other 6.5 billion or so people that can't verify my claim, luckily it all looks very nice too!
ReplyDeleteAnd that's the whole point: the owner of the body is happy and the spouse is pleased with the results.
ReplyDelete