What's your excuse?

Who has two thumbs and dislikes working out?

This girl. 

But I set a goal earlier this year to get into shape and I stuck to it.

The new year is fast approaching as well as everyone’s New Year’s resolutions – of which more than 98 percent of the population will be vowing to shed weight and get in shape. Almost more than half that number will start and give up and the rest will procrastinate until the following year, collecting extra pounds along the way to add to their resolutions. Then, before you know it, a few extra pounds have turned into more than seems possible to lose – which will depress and de-motivate even the best of us.

Well, I don’t believe in making empty promises to myself on a holiday. That’s like making a wish on your birthday candles and hoping it will come true. After so many of them, I still haven’t grown boobs, gotten taller or won the lottery. When I decided to finally work on my fitness, I just did it. It wasn’t easy, but wishing on birthdays, waiting for New Year’s to make a better me and praying everyone else fatter than me wasn’t working. So, I had to get to work.

Before I started, I had to realize a few things:

1. If I really wanted it, I would make time for it
2. Yes, I do have time in my day
3. There are no excuses
4. I wish people in workout videos looked like normal people I could identify with and not jacked superheroes (which has nothing to do with anything, just an observation)
5. I’m ready to start

Step one: Set your goal, be realistic

My goal was to look good for the boyfriend’s redeployment in a year. I wanted to have more defined arms, tone legs and butt; not necessarily lose weight. I also wanted to be able to take the stairs and not sound like I’m having an asthma attack when I get to the top.

Step two: Start small, be smart

I don’t like to work out because I get bored and with routine. I don’t have a lot of free time where I’m not sleeping or finding domestic chores to turn into procrastination techniques.  So, I started with Fit TV on demand, chose a series of three 10-minute workouts and did them in my living room. Abs, arms, legs, butt, and some type of cardio. Everyone has at least ten minutes a day - EVERYONE. No, I didn’t do all three everyday, those were the areas I wanted to work on, so I did one a day. It was a good start for me, but I knew I wasn’t going to see results at just ten minutes a day. I don’t care what workout program you use or what nifty fitness gadget you bought that says in just minutes a day, you can whittle your waistline and get rid of unwanted cellulite, it’s not going to happen. But you start small and work your way up. For me it was about getting used to allotting the time to work out.

Step three: “Next level” your workouts

It was time to challenge my body after a few weeks. I don’t like routine and neither will you – so add more minutes to your workout. After about a month of working up to 30 – 40 minute workouts in front of my television, I hit a plateau. I knew I was going to have to do something different to keep seeing results. So, I incorporated weight training and Crossfit into my daily workouts … and running. It’s hard work. That means more time allotted to working out per day. To be honest, most days I would rather slam both of my thumbs into a car door than workout; but once I started seeing my body transform, I was motivated to push myself harder and set new goals.

Step four: Re-evaluate your goals

When I started working out, it was so I would look awesome for the boyfriend’s return. But, a year is a long time for me to get up at 4am every morning to get to the gym - just for the man. Because, let’s face it, after the initial ‘wow,’ what else is there? So, I adopted a non-routine that motivates me to maintain the hard work I’ve put into my body and set new personal goals. What’s my goal now? To maintain a healthy and fit lifestyle. And look good in the clothes I own so I don’t have to spend money fitting a fluctuating ass size.

Step five: Don’t give up

The first few weeks were the hardest for me. Getting started and committing wasn’t easy. In a society where we all want instant gratification, not seeing immediate results can be almost demotivating – how can it be so hard to lose all the pounds that were so easy to pack on? It’s easy to want to give up after a few weeks when you see you’ve only lost a pound or two. Then you go to put on your pants one day and see there’s room where there wasn’t any before … it’s an awesome feeling. Commitment to your goal and discipline will pay off, but understand it will take time. 

Step five and a half: Eat smart

I retired from dieting a long time ago. I started eating smart instead. That meant subbing healthy foods in place of cupcakes, Pringles, frosting, Coke and pizza - staples in my diet. I started drinking more water. Diet sodas are just as bad for you as regular sodas, so don’t play games with yourself because the can says zero calories. Giving up pop was like coming off crack for me, but I did it and so can you. You have to realize that you won’t lose weight just by working out, especially if you’re still stuffing your face with fast food and other junk. It doesn’t mean you can’t eat that slice of cheesecake, drink an occasional soda or indulge in a "cheat" meal every now and then. Just moderate your intake. You have to eat, though, and make sure you are getting all your nutrients even if it means taking a multi-vitamin. A word of caution:  combining exercise with an eating disorder will probably kill you, so don’t do that because you want to see immediate results – it’s counterproductive. You can’t flaunt anything in a coffin. FYI.

It’s taken me a long time to get where I am today, and I came from weighing almost 200 pounds 13 years ago. It didn’t take me 13 years to lose the weight; it just took me that long to learn how to do it right. I’m proof that normal people can achieve personal fitness goals if they commit and work hard. So, stop making excuses and waiting for the New Year; start making progress - now. Kids, work and life are obstacles you put in your way to excuse a lack of motivation. I know, I’m a self-proclaimed queen of procrastination. Set your goal and work towards it. If my lazy ass can do it, you know you can.

PS: Thank you, Rachel and Erin, my workout buddies. Never mind that you're both genetically gifted, athletic individuals, it's still motivating to have a 5 a.m. suicide buddy and a 5K partner.

Disclaimer: Some excellent resources for working out: FitTv, Bodyrocktv.com, your local gym and crossfit box, and Fighter Diet on Facebook featuring Pauline Nordine of the Butt Bible workout. As with any workout or diet program, you want to consult with your physician first. My results are probably not typical and could be said to be under the average, but then, I’m not an athlete. Good luck.