and this is it
our wall of good intentions
bill and i are very similar in our ebb and flow of on again- off again fitness and health levels
we both make it a priority to eat well and get regular exercise
but sometimes we have fat days
and sometimes those fat days turn into a fat week
and before i knew what happen
i was out of shape and we were eating a lot more "beige" foods than usual.
what typically happens is one of us will go on a "kick" and the other doesn't latch on, and thus the other's "kick" burns in a fiery hole.
but when bill mentioned crafting our chalk wall to be a workout/diet/inspiration wall
i latched right on
once we're both committed to something we're both pretty headstrong
but we also need a few nudges from the other every once in awhile.
we recently purchased an elliptical -
which we've both been using regularly - a great win for the both of us.
however, i wasn't as religious about using it as bill was
i have no motivation to workout after work and my commute home
bill typically wakes up while i'm showering in the morning, but has an easier morning since his day doesn't start until 1 pm
bill is able to leisurely find time in the morning for a run, weights, or elliptical work out
back in the day i worked out in the morning and loved having it done and over with
but now i just want a few more minutes of sleep or to lay in bed
bill understands this, and has agreed to wake up in the morning with me (so i'm not the only one suffering at 5:45 am)
so to break it down in three parts:
THE WORKOUT
this week we have 2 alternating workouts up on the wall
i thought it would be fun to throw in "just dance" on the wii as a workout - which could be considered "easier" days. trust me though - you work up quite a sweat! and it's a lot of fun to well, just dance and be silly
the other workout we have utilizes the elliptical and weights - 30 minutes of one of the TOUGH pre-programmed workouts on the machine + a workout i found via pinterest via fitness magazine via bob harper - it involves lots of squats and lunges (which after monday's workout i can tell you it was pretty hard and my thighs are still burning)
saturday we've designated as a rest day
and sundays, weather permitting, we have planned to ride 15+ miles on the bikes. i think we are both interested in riding further, so perhaps a progression schedule will be in the works.
the plan is to switch up the workouts a bit weekly - throw in a yoga dvd, throw in some body pump, do the elliptical with a new weights workout after - etc. (i also discovered Jillian Michaels workout dvds on amazon instant prime download last night and tried doing a few minutes of the 30 day shred (1.99 for 20 minute workout, not bad) - it burned so good and will definitely be in the rotation)
or...some prancercising
THE DIET
i don't think we need to do a complete overhaul in this area - for now we're writing up our daily meals on the wall
bill has decided to cut out the potato chips and cookies (i am proud to say there are zero potato chips in the house) - i would never eat the chips and somehow 2-3 bags a week would be consumed. ahem...
(i also just realized i have 2 potato dishes on this day i photographed - may be switching that up)
our biggest goal in this area is to make sure we have healthier snacking options
and bill has kindly offered to make my breakfast in the mornings while i shower after the workout. my breakfast of choice is usually yogurt and fruit or oatmeal and fruit+nut butter
for lunches/dinners my aim is to keep it vegetarian. many lunches will probably include a turkey sandwich, but on the nights i cook with leftovers to be had - i want to keep it vegetarian.
this used to be more of an issue, but over this past year bill has actually decided he likes pan fried tofu - which basically makes me jump for joy - because one of my most favorite vegan dishes is veggies +rice+ tofu dump. i also love a sweet potato with beans.
this not only frees up my guilt of "what is bill going to eat?" but means bill can help and learn to prepare these dishes on his own - and we can share them together.
THE GOALS
for now we have short (ish) goals (3weeks)
our immediate goals are pretty much to workout and follow our meal plan
and trust me, waking up for the workout is trying enough
if we stick with the plan for 3 weeks
bill gets to see the new superman movie
and i get frozen yogurt
if we miss a workout our "prizes" get set back 1 week per 1 missed workout.
i know.
harsh.
my mini side challenge is to not have any sweets at work (seriously, there is every kind of candy imaginable in the cubical next to me, and there are always birthdays being celebrated. birthdays=cake)
for every indulgence i make i have to do jump rope intervals at home.
i'm just going to avoid them all together.
we decided we would eventually create a long term goal (6 months +) but we haven't decided what it should be - a trip? a new camera? laptop? european bike tour? half marathon in a city we've never been to?
some of our "prizes" are pretty cash dependent so perhaps we need to create a way to save along with working out
i like the idea of setting "month-end" goals - it's just long enough without seeming too far away which helps me stay focused.
i'll try and do 1 post a week on our progress and the exercises we're doing that week (i'm all for some recommendations)
i also kind of want to picture what i'm eating daily to hold me accountable - i realize many of you could give a flying toothpick...
so i probably won't "advertise" when i post something like that - but feel free to check back to get some meal ideas
so that's our action plan and so far - 2.5 days in- bill and i are in the zone!
it's required coffee on my part (which i had quit for a few months)
but other than that it's been really fun to workout with bill - it's another excuse to spend time together and get something accomplished as well
did you read any of that or just scroll through for the gifs? i completely understand.
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