*Confession: This blog post was supposed to be about why I do CrossFit, but then (somehow) the post took a different direction and is not quite the post I had originally intended to write. Oops!*
With bikini season in full force, I’ve been extra conscious about how I look practically naked. Which means I have two options: learn to diet, or sweat the calories off.
Bikini time! (And an excuse for me to post some post-wedding cliff jumping pics)
Now let’s be real for a second, I can’t diet to save my life. At all, ever. I eat cheese and crackers on the daily and mac & cheese and ice cream are two staples of my existence. Not that I don’t eat healthy foods, because I definitely do, but restricting myself when it comes to food just isn’t my thing.
Yep, if I want to tone this little body up, exercising is the route I have to take.
But sometimes it’s so darn hard to get to the gym! And here’s why… (and also how I convince myself to go anyway).
(Insert Lame Excuses Here)
I am not one of those people who can wake up at 4:30am and put on their gym shoes and head to the gym, ready for action.
Heck to the no.
Some days there is nothing I want to do less than workout. Especially when I could be sleeping instead.
And wanting to sleep isn’t my only excuse!
For example, yesterday I almost convinced myself I shouldn’t lift weights because I had just painted my nails two days prior.
And sometimes if I have already showered that particular day, I’ll decide it’s better for the planet to save water and not go to the gym… since I would have to shower again after my workout – and no one should take 2 showers in one day, right?!
And don’t get me started on good hair days… I hate putting pretty hair up in a ponytail and then sweating all over it!
Yeah, I’m pretty bad, right?
The only way to conquer lame excuses is to use logic and reason (boring!). I’m proud to say the more rational part of my brain usually wins out and I manage to get my booty to the gym at least twice a week.
Wake up, workout, coffee.
Working Out is Boring
I know, I know… working out can be a drag.
I’ve run quite a few marathons, so I’m only too aware of how looooong a long run can feel. So, when a workout gets boring, I find a new one!
I started doing yoga for a while, but got bored after a month.
I signed up for a gym membership and went to body sculpt classes, spin classes, etc. but then I got bored of that, too.
Finally, I found a CrossFit gym, fell in sweaty love immediately, and have been going for 9 months now.
It’s perfect for me.
* PS, ‘Sweaty Love’ would totally be a great name for a blog, reality TV show, a band, etc.
The workouts change every single day, it’s still a group class, I sweat my butt off, I work all my muscle groups, I meet new people, and I’m getting in great shape.
The point is, everyone enjoys something different, but once I found something that I enjoyed doing, I quit associating working out with being miserable/bored!
I Can’t See Improvements
I hate working out when I don’t notice any changes. If my body looks the same, and I feel the same, bleh – wasted time. (At least that’s how I felt about some of the workouts I’ve done in the past).
The great thing about CrossFit is that it’s easy to see improvement, and who doesn’t love seeing consistent progress?! I know that I’m getting faster and stronger because we repeat some workouts every few months, and I can compare the weights I’m lifting and the times it takes me to do a quick workout.
And nothing motivates me like seeing progress!
Even when I was running, I would try to record my pace and distance, so that I could track improvement/speed/endurance. I don’t measure pounds, because that fluctuates. Instead, I try to focus on what I can actually do. (Except I have noticed that my biceps are growing. Toned arms is a major win for me!)
I’m Scared
When I first started going to the CrossFit gym, I was intimidated because I thought I’d be the smallest and weakest one in the class.
Both of these things turned out to be true. I’m still the smallest and the weakest, even (almost) a year later.
And I won’t lie, I still get intimidated, especially when it’s a partner workout and I know that it will be hard for me to find a partner that will lift the same (puny) weights that I use.
I can’t help it, I’m just not that strong! But I’m working on it.
(via)
Yeah, you see that quote? That’s me every.single.time I go to the gym.
But it’s never as bad as I think it’s going to be. Sometimes I see the workout online prior to going to the gym (yay for gym blogs!) and get nervous just thinking about the workout and assuming I’ll probably end up embarrassing myself. And sometimes I talk myself out of going. But the times I do go, it’s never, ever as bad as I had thought it would be.
Do I ever regret not going to the gym because I was a wuss? YES.
Do I ever regret going to the gym even if I’m the weakling of the group? Not even once.
Once I remember that, I always get my booty in gear.
Even though some days it’s a battle, I’m glad that I’ve made going to the gym a consistent part of my life. I know I feel stronger, happier, and more confident when I’m exercising a few days each week. Plus, I’m definitely hungrier afterwards… which means I can eat more! Yay!
What has been keeping you from getting your sweat on this summer?!
Cheers to sweat!
