My favorite neighbor and I in the clubhouse. She is an actress/model which is never the kind of person you want to get your picture taken with. Luckily she's not tall.
The whole gang from our street.Above are some pictures from the Gala on Friday night. I have to admit I didn't hate them and want to get rid of them. Some progress is being made! It was so much fun but I'm DEFINITELY not a regular country club type :)
It's been such a crazy week and it's only Wednesday. I've been feeling really tired, and cranky and then all of a sudden got my period and could not believe a month had passed already. Seems like if one thing disrupts my schedule, such as travel, everything falls out of place for weeks. Like a snowball, rolling down a hill, getting fatter by the minute :)
This leads me to my re-evaluation. I'm so glad I wrote about my daily schedule because it's helped me to do a lot of thinking about it. I can't keep living with the idea that my schedule is ever going to be flexible. I would love to work through lunch and get off early or come in early and leave early but that's just not something that is possible at my job. In fact, I asked to leave 5 minutes early for the Braves Game last week and that turned into a yelling match with my boss. Yes, I'm a VP and yes, I have to ask. I got such shit about it that I cried all the way home. I can't explain how the traffic here works but if I get a 5 minute head start, it saves me 20 minutes on my drive. He won't even give me 5 minutes to save me 20. I could go on and on about it but it's not going to change anything so I'm trying to figure out another way.
Working out after work has been okay for a while but getting home at 8:00 is not ideal when we go to bed at 10:00. Also, there are too many social obligations and life events that get in the way and lots of time to talk myself out of it.
So where does that leave me? Back to the sore subject of mornings which I've probably written about a million times by now. I can't go to my current gym in the morning because it's way too far but I have a gorgeous Y right around the corner from home. I'm thinking of quitting my Weight Watchers plan and joining. I can't afford both right now but I think I could use Sparkpeople the same way I use Weight Watchers. If I got up at 5:45, I could have an hour to work out and an hour to do all my other morning things. I would have to break up with the Today Show but I can listen to news and drink my coffee in the car.
See that gorgeous Indian woman 3 people from the right in the group picture? She works out every day at the crack of dawn at our Y. She's 6 months pregnant too. We all joke about how she makes us all feel like a bunch of lazy asses but maybe I should take that seriously. She obviously doesn't get her perfect bod sitting around in her robe in the morning.
Next week I'm going to give the 7 day trial membership a shot. If I feel like I can commit to getting up, I will join. I'm going to give it everything I have. I'm tired of fighting with myself to go after a 9 hour work day and a 2 hour commute. I'm tired of writing about losing and gaining the same 5 pounds all the time. Something has to change and change is so freaking hard for me.
In the meantime, all you morning people, let me know your secrets. Keep in mind my mother said I've never been a morning person, from the day I was born :)
You look great - look at your little waist! Also I love your dress.
ReplyDeleteYou look beautiful, Tina! Isn't it fun to do the dress-up thing once in a while? I agree that the country club mentality is not for me either.
ReplyDeleteThe trial offer sounds like a really good idea - at least you get the chance to see if it works for you before committing time and money. I get what you're saying about the constant see-saw - but you ARE making progress. I'm with you - change is good, Hopefully this is a workable solution for you. Keep us posted.
You look lovely!
ReplyDeleteI don't like early morning starts either, but think it may well be the only solution in your case.
A try-out sounds like a good idea though!
I, too, have a long commute to my downtown every day (45 minutes in the a.m. at least), and I know that I would never work out at night because I'm too tired after a full day and commuting, and I want to hang out with my husband and son and friends. So, I go to a 24-hour gym and get there at 5:15/5:30. Early? Yes. But, I get it done and I feel such a sense of accomplishment the rest of the day. I just tell myself I HAVE to work out - it is not an option if I want to keep losing weight and getting healthier. It's almost like a job to me at this point. And, by going that early, I still get to watch a bit of The Today Show!
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
Convenience was at the heart of my decision for a workout place, and it made a world of difference. I found a place right around the corner from my office, so I can sneak workouts in easily during lunch hours or before work. It's hard to do everything you need to do during the course of a day, but making getting a sweat a priority is definitely important.
ReplyDeleteI've been getting up every day for the last 6 weeks at 5:00 a.m. to take a walk in the neighborhood. It was hard at first, but now it's almost a habit so that I don't even think about it anymore. It's great when I'm tired later in the day & I can say to myself, "you've already worked out!"
ReplyDeleteWhen it gets cold out this fall, my plan is to continue getting up early and go to the Y.
You can do it! What a great way to start the day!
What a great group shot - you all look like you were having a lot of fun! You look gorgeous and I love your dress!!!
ReplyDeleteI am not a morning person. So how did I end up working out at 8am? Because I finally wanted IT more than I wanted to sleep in. So I do it - and I'm pretty darn proud of myself every time I get to workout and someone else misses our class (our groups are really small, so it's noticeable). Once you set your mind to the early morning workouts, it just sort of becomes automatic.
I like the trial period - have fun with it!
You look amazing. I never comment but I follow along. I have the same problem as you. Trying to fit it in at night wasn't happening. So I have had success with the morning thing for a few months now. I get up at 5:30 a.m. and I am working out by 6:00 p.m. What has worked for me is 1. knowing it's the only time I will do it, 2. I feel amazing throughout the day and have more energy when I get home from work. 3.I attempt to go to bed a lot earlier. Especially when I first started out. I was getting my butt in bed by 9:00 p.m. the latest and now as long as I am in bed by 10:00 to 10:30 I am ok to get up in the morning. When the alarm goes off and I want to hit snooze or adjust the time I tell myself I went to bed early so there is no reason I need more sleep. NOW GET UP! Haha. It's a process but it does get easier as time goes on. Some days my workouts lag energy but hey I am still doing it. Good luck and I sure hope this helps a bit. =)
ReplyDeleteYou're super cute... i love the outfit.
ReplyDeleteCute pictures! Looks like fun!
ReplyDeleteI wish you could tell you boss to take that job and shove it! Men are the worst at understanding the need for a little flexibility and how much it adds to the commitment of an employee!
I've never ever ever liked getting out of bed, but like you, life obligations were getting in the way of night time workouts. Well, obligations and laziness. I've been getting up at 5:20 for about a month now and I have to say I love it! I also occasionally do another night time work out, but its freeing knowing I don't have to stress to get it in after a hard day at work. I also find I just plain eat better when I've already worked out for the day. I'm anxious to hear how you like the Y!
I love your dress in the pictures!
ReplyDeleteTrying out the new Y sounds like a good idea. It took me a few months to become a "morning person" when I first started working out in the AM - trust me, you get used to it.
What helps me is bringing my stuff with me to the gym so I can change/shower there. It saves me 20-30 mins depending on where I am working that day by not having to go back home. It takes some getting used to, but I can't imagine getting up any earlier (5:30-5:45) to work out!
You look awesome! I think the trial offer is a great idea, you don't have anything to lose if you don't like it!
ReplyDeleteI learned to love the early mornings in my quest to lost 150 pounds. Now 12 years later, I wouldn't give up my quiet time for exercise, reading and blogging for anything in the world!
Oh Tina, you should update your profile pic...these are even prettier!
ReplyDeleteMy sister started using SparkPeople and walking for 30 minutes first thing in the morning. She is so proud of her progress and it is really working for her! She "takes' this time for her...it is her quite time and her meditation. I hope tthe new plan works for you too!
You look fabulous!! The work/life balance conundrum is a tough one. I tried and tried for 3 years to get it together and take care of myself. I was a consultant on a 100% travel schedule and I had to give it up.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could give you tips on the mornings, but if I had to set my alarm clock to work out, I'd never go.
I'm eager to hear how your trial goes. Just set realistic workout goals for yourself and do the best you can. If it's 3 days per week, that's still awesome.
Chin up!
You look great. I love sparkpeople. I think that would great to do that instead of WW... it's free :)
ReplyDeletehttp://she-fit.com
You do, indeed, look lovely.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I do feel I must stand up for the country club people. :) Having belonged to a country club in all the places we've lived, I do not consider myself of that "ilk". I have always found a small number of people are snotty, but they are usually the ones out and about bragging about something somewhere. The rest of us just slog around doing ordinary stuff.
I do undertand the disdain people have for "clubbers", but it ain't all of us.
My biggest obstacle in exercise is mental. It's one of those things that I just have to do and not think about. My only success is in keeping it realistic and simple. I couldn't make it to the gym if I tried, but I can walk and I can do pilates at home. So I do & I do it consistently.
ReplyDeleteClearly you need a new boss. You'll either have to change companies or pay someone to have him knocked off. Either way...
ReplyDeleteI can TOTALLY relate to the 5 minutes early saves 20 minutes driving. It's like that here too.
It's great to "see" you on here. Keep those pics coming. :)
you look BEAUTIFUL!!
ReplyDeleteand I was NOT a morning person till we had our daughter and I had no hope of ME TIME if I didnt shift.
even I am stunned that I like the mornings now.
**cue uplifting music**
I totally look forward to the quiet
Mizfit is so flippin funny. It will definitely take an adjustment, as she noted, to get used to mornings. I'm not so strict about mornings any longer, but when I trained to walk the 1/2 marathon that was the ONLY time I could work out. Getting it done with first thing in the a.m. always left time for social fun later. The trial at the gym is a great way to give it a go.
ReplyDeleteAnd...may I say dahlink, that you look mah-velous in the pictures. Really really good!!!