Food is my weakness and I workout to eat. Having been on the "heavy side" (to put it as benignly as possible) in the past, I am in a very conscious about "being healthy". No, I don't weigh myself daily - not even monthly, actually; I just kinda watch and feel how my clothes fit. Over the years, I've actually learned to really enjoy working out and have tried to make physical activity a part of my lifestyle. I have to admit that I do slack once in a while (hey, I'm only human), but really do try to keep up a 3x/week workout - whether it's going to the gym, going snowboarding in tahoe for the day or playing tennis for the afternoon.
My motivation to stay fit is not merely "just to look good". Exercise, physical fitness and healthy eating habits has health benefits including protecting against heart disease, lowering blood pressure, controlling/preventing diabetes, reduce stress/anxiety and keeping your muscles and joints strong and limber so you can overall have a better quality of life. Don't over do it though! Over exercising can definitely be painful.
Here are some of the tricks that have worked for me.
1.
Join a gym nearby- then you can workout "comfortably", whether is rain or shine, hot or cold.
2.
Schedule workout "meetings" on your calendar with yourself. Program it into your planner/phone so you cannot forget or schedule something in place of it. Basically, have a workout plan and stick to it.
3. Have a
workout buddy, so you guys can be accountable for each other.
4. Be
consistent and persistent. Don't kid yourself - staying fit and healthy takes effort.
5.
Have variety in your workouts. Just because you joined the gym does not mean you can only workout at the gym. Pick up that tennis racket. Join the volleyball game going on weekly among ur friends. Go on that weekend hike you've been wanting to do. Tear it up in the snow with your skis/snowboard. I'm currently picking up a new sport - golf; it's definitely not as big of a cardio workout as I'm used to but it's something game that actually tests your strength, endurance and concentration in many other ways. Golf is also a sport I can grow old with - have longevity with.
6. Foodwise - just a few words...
Healthier choices and PORTION CONTROL! That's it.
First of all, congrats on you engagement!!! Definitely take some time to enjoy the engagment and take as long as you need. At some point, though, the planning process must begin.
