This month has been super busy! When I wasn’t working, interviewing, working on a cookbook submission, chasing kids, making lunches, or blogging, I was most definitely exercising!
I am very close to goal weight now and that makes it harder to achieve weight-loss goals. I just can’t make the scale budge a pound a week anymore. Part of the issue is that I am gaining muscle, while I am losing fat. I can see this on my body as I drop a pants size and can visibly see some muscles now, but the number on the scale is going down painfully slowly. This phenomenon is discussed in a Fit Villains post I like. I think the picture they use illustrates the topic very well and I hope this is what is happening to me!
The article definitely helped me stop beating myself up over slow weight loss and remember to focus on my fitness goals. I decided to make a very BIG fitness goal for March: 27 workouts in 31 days. Only 4 rest days for the month! This was a challenge for me with my busy schedule, but I made it a priority and saw it through to the end. Today is day 31, workout 27, and I am very proud of myself for sticking with it, even on days when I was exhausted and just didn’t think I could! Healthy eating is a lifestyle choice I try to model for the kids, but there are plenty of times when I give in to something and exercise really helps me feel like I can balance those kinds of issues out.
So, what did I do with my 27 workouts?
- I jogged during my lunchbreak. I covered a minimum of 5K during each session, 3 times a week, 14 workouts total. I did not keep track of total miles, but I’d guess I covered at least 55 miles for the month. I did track each individual outdoor run using MapMyRUN, an app I absolutely love for tracking distance, pace, and route details.
- I did some a weights routine workout using 10 pound dumbbells in my basement workout space every Wednesday (4 workouts for the month). It is actually an old upper body/core routine I clipped out of a bridal magazine 8+ years ago, but I love it, so I still use it.
- I worked out with a friend at the gym every Saturday AND every Sunday. I always did some cardio, but we mostly focused on weights. My friend is a great trainer and really kicked my butt week after week. Also, we have a goal of increasing the number of unassisted pullups by one a month, so we can hit 12 by the end of the year. We’re already ahead of schedule! I can do 4 and she can do 5! I love being able to see progress. So that’s another 9 workouts.
I spent a lot of this month exhausted and sore. However, I did find a lot of stress relief in the workouts and I really needed that this month! I think the exercise keeps my eating on track too.
Next month has potential to be even busier, especially with me starting a new job. I may need to reduce my exercise goal to 23 / 30. This will give me some extra days to take a pass if I need to. Then again, those are the days I probably need the endorphins most!
Do you have an April fitness goal? What is it? How do you stay accountable to it? Good luck!
Have a great weekend everyone!
