Motivation that keeps me going

As a child, a teenager and in my early twenties I would day dream a lot about losing weight, being normal and feeling pretty but even though I wanted it so much it took a good 24 years before I got serious about it and even after that it took some time for me to say confidently that going to the gym or working out had become a good part of my life.

A question I'm asked very often is what motivated me and what kept me going? For me both these were two different things. My motivation to start and my motivation to keep going were not the same. I started because I wanted to lose weight but this was never enough for me. If losing weight was all I needed to get motivated I would have never reached my heaviest point. I could never follow through any plan. Every plan worked for a week and then back to unhealthy routine. I think what's more important to me even more than motivation is how to keep getting back on track till I change my track permanently. Here is a list of things that helped me:

Start every day:  Like I said I have made plans and not followed through but now every time I messed up I immediately made a new plan starting the next day, I did not wait for the next Monday or the 1^st of the next month or a special occasion. My plan started from my next meal. So if I messed up my lunch my new plan started from eating right for dinner and working out in the evening and in my new plan I also had points of why I messed up the last plan this way every plan was an improved version of the previous plan also helped me figure out what works best for me.

Every mistake = new improved plan (includes points of why I messed up) = new way for me to get to my dream

Only 15 minutes: Sometimes even plan was not enough to get me moving to the gym:  I would promise myself only 15 minutes in the gym. Once I woulld get to the gym I never left without completing my workout.  So if I had a workout planned the deal I made with myself was 15 minutes not more,If I do 15 minutes I could tick it off my to-do list and trust me it works. 

15 minutes workout = completing my entire workout. 

Working out with healthier friends: I would try to make plans of going to the gym with friends healthier than me this always helped me because they are more serious so none of my excuses would work, either they would go leaving me behind or they would drag me along, how many times can you stay behind without feeling guilty?

Finding healthier fitness buddy = somebody who is already serious and won’t get pulled down with my excuses instead will help me stay on track

Making outdoor plans: Another thing that always pushed me to get healthier was plans with my friends that included outdoor fun, I did not always want to be the one who had an excuse to not go cycling or hiking. I remember one time I went with my office colleagues for a trek (I was terribly unhealthy and overweight) by the time I reached the top everybody was ready to trek back that was so embarrassing, they were sweet waited till I was ready to get back but I was embarrassed. I never again wanted to go through that experience.

Day out with friends = cycling/hiking = getting more stamina = working out and getting fit

Bad memories:  I have always had a strong family support and good friends but I do have a few bad memories where people have been very rude to me because I was overweight, I have had a friend tell me on my face she never ever wanted to become like me because that would ruin her life (now if I just go and stand next to her she would be beating herself up...karma!!!). I just smiled while other friends supported me but even now when I think about it I get angry and it makes me want to become healthier and stronger. I think this pushes me more than the motivation of losing weight to look pretty

Bad memories = stronger push in the right direction

Realising I could also be good: I was never into athletics or sports so when I started exercising I was not really good, but soon I realised I was good at certain things, I was very flexible for my size (people were actually surprised) and that made me happy. Slowly I became a part of my healthier friend circle, they would ask me if I was going to the gym, they would work out with me, I was not as good as them but just being included made me want to become better and it gave me confidence that I could become healthier.

Confidence in my ability = motivation to become better

Now a days my workouts and gym have become a part of my life and the reason I keep going back is just to become better, stronger and fitter. Everything I mentioned above helped me get to this point. Hope you find these useful, what helps you to keep going?

Keep Reading I will Keep Writing 

Tanvee

Burpees - complete body workout

I think I first heard about Burpees just a few months back and I love them, the exercise engages a lot of different muscle groups and just like the other at home exercises you have a number of variation to a burpee

(use the links if for images to each)

Normal Burpee

1. start in standing position 
2. squat and touch your hands to the floor in front
3. go into push up position
4. back to squat position
5. jump with your hands above your head

Easy Burpee -
To make your Burpee easier just avoid the last jump


Variations to the jump -
You can make you Burpees a bit more fun and difficult by changing your jumps
1. tuck jump Burpee
2. jump  over a step burpee
3. long jump burpee (jump in front instead of up)

Push up and Pull up
Want to make it more difficult? add both a push up and a pull up (combine this with your jump) to your Burpee.


Add weights -
No exercise can be complete without adding weights :)
1.Hold dumbells in you arms when your are doing your regular Burpee
2.You can also use the heavy medicinal balls



As usual before you start with your Burpees please warm up. Do you have a Burpee challenge in your workout plan?

I would  like to point out I'm no fitness expert these are things I learnt along the way of my weight loss journey by surfing the internet and going for fitness classes.

Keep Reading I will Keep Writing 

Tanvee

Reactions - Reply (Healthy Eating)

Recently I have come across a few people who have completely disagreed with calorie counting or some other eating strategies I mentioned in my previous posts (here & here). 

1.     Calorie counting :

Reaction: “This is too much hard work, feels likes you are obsessed!!!

My Reply: It’s not hard work, initially it might take time but soon you get used to it, you don’t always need an app to tell you because you know by experience the approximate calories. I’m not obsessed I just make sure I don’t overeat. If you call that obsession I’m fine with it to me it’s more about taking care of myself and reaching my goal of being fit.

2.      Filling up on healthy options before going out for a meal:

Reaction: I go out to eat what I like, what use of going out if I can’t eat?

My Reply: I go out to have fun with friends and family, sometime I also go out to eat my favourite meals. It’s ok to eat what you like but if it’s an unhealthy option for me it is always better to eat less of that and if I don’t fill up on healthy options before I go out I will just be hungry or end up eating too much of the unhealthy stuff.

3.      Portion Control:

Reaction: I eat till I’m full, so I don’t need portion control

My Reply: If you are used to eating bigger portions you get used to eating more to feel full. I’m surprised at how much my appetite has reduced since I started focusing on eating right. If you focus on proper serving size and calories you will slowly realise how much your body actually needs.

I have a few friends who are healthy and still will not agree to use any of the above techniques but I have also noticed these friends already have good eating habits, they eat the right amount of food. Like my mom she does not do any calorie counting but if you notice she always eats controlled portions, she will not overeat just because it’s her favourite nor will she overeat just because we are going out, she is always sharing her meals and she sticks to her portions which I used to find surprisingly small (now I know I was eating more) and that helps her keep calorie count in place.

I think some people can manage to stick to the right calories and portions without giving it a second thought and some people cannot so they need to put in the effort. I belong to the second group and I'm perfectly fine with it.

I found these 3 techniques very useful in my weight loss/fitness program if you have some other ideas we can always exchange ideas doesn’t mean I will give up on these

Keep Reading I will Keep Writing 

Tanvee

Fun Friday (India trip - part 1)

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Tanvee

Food and Vacation

In my previous post I discussed about how to exercise during your breaks and in this post we will be looking at what I did about my eating during my time away in India.

Going back home and sticking to my eating habits has always been a challenge for various reason, the first being I’m constantly catching up with friends and family most of which is either over coffee or dinner and sometimes even breakfast!! So I find it difficult to avoid eating outside. The other thing that messes up my entire eating plan is home food. I miss my mom's food especially because when I’m on my own I rarely cook and even if I do cook it's nothing like my mom's food so I'm always looking forward to my mom's food.
This time I knew I had to handle both of the above issues without missing out all the fun or my favourite food. My plan for the vacation was

Selecting only the favourites:

I would always decide the food I ate based on two things 1.) how much I really liked it and 2.) how much I really missed eating it, so if it was something I like but I would easily get in UK I would not even look at it, basically I used up my calories only on Indian food I really loved. I skipped the Indian bread, rice and desserts instead I chose daal and other Indian vegetable/ meat recipes my mom made (I’m going to share some of easier ones here)

Portion control:

Just because I liked something doesn’t mean I overate, 95% of the times I shared my food. I would share it either with my sister or T, sometimes I would eat half portion and keep the rest for a later meal. If I knew I was going out for dinner I would eat a light lunch basically I would keep within my calorie count

Food swapping:

I think I have shared this before with all of you here. I did this whenever I went out coffee or snacks with friends. I switched to small cappuccino no sugar, popcorn instead of chips, vegetarian warps instead of burgers and grilled instead of fried..

Saying No

One very important thing I did this time was I said ‘NO’ if I did not want to eat something I was firm and I did not let pressure get the better of me.

Two weeks on a vacation and I’m happy to say I'm still on track. What do you do when you go on vacations? I would love to know so that I could add it to my list for next time.

Keep Reading I will Keep Writing 

Tanvee

Working out when on Vacation.

How are you all? Hope you are all doing well. I have been gone for two weeks now, I was in India on a break, spending time with friends and family is always so much fun. Every time I go to India my workout and eating habits go back a step but this time I was determined not to let that happen. So from the time we planned our trip I was busy planning my workouts for the trip. When I’m on my own most of the things are in my control but when I go on a vacation I usually have very little control, especially when I go back home I have so many people to meet..so much to do

My plan was to workout at least 4 days a week without joining the gym so it had to be exercise that could be done at home or outside. I had planned to go jogging every morning and then do some home workouts.

Everything started as planned for the first 2-3 days I did go out jogging with my sister but my days would end very late at night by around 2:00 – 3.00 am so waking up at 6.00 was difficult and then as if on cue the monsoons set in...with the rains pouring it was not possible for me to go out jogging but I did not want to give up, all I had to do was improvise my plan. I had to add cardio to my home workouts

My 45 minutes home workout

Stretch

Interval 1 (repeat interval twice)

Squats – 10 * 3

Lunges – 10*2*3

Jumping jacks – 1 minute

Interval 2 (repeat interval twice)

Sumo Squats – 10* 3

Courtesy Lunge – 10*2*3

Burpee – 10*3

Interval 3 (repeat interval twice)

Single leg squats – 10*2*3

Goddess – 40 * 3

Jumping Lunges – 10 *2*3

Interval 4 (repeat interval twice)

Plank – 1 minute * 3

Pushups – 10* 3

Plank – push up position – 10*3

Mountain climbers – 1 minute

Interval 5 (repeat interval twice)

Donkey kick – 10* 3

Fire hydrant – 10* 3

Hip raise – 10* 3

Side plank – 30 sec *3

Stretch

Every interval had 1 minute of cardio, sometimes I did change the exercises a bit but I mostly tried to stick to similar intervals and repetitions. My sister joined me for my workouts so that made it more fun.

Even though this workout was less then my usual workout it helped me maintain my weight (that’s all I was hoping for)

On vacation always remember:

1. It is always possible to squeeze in 1 hour for exercise (could be some weird time of the day but you can still do it)

2. Improvizing your workout plan is important because not everything can always be controlled by you.

3. I prefer to focus on maintaining my weight rather than losing weight during my break.

Keep Reading I will Keep Writing 

Tanvee