Let's Move!

So I just concluded my first two weeks of going full throttle with fitness.  I wanted to make this a high priority for 2014, though I technically began on December 29, 2013.  The first couple weeks are the hardest because you feel some changes to starting to occur but they're not fully visible and evident to the eye. 

To give you some background, I'm someone who enjoys exercising.  Crazy right?  I like the gym and taking classes at fitness studios.  However, where the mind might have been willing, the schedule and other considerations were not always so flexible.  I typically have an ebb and flow where I get all into it and then slack a bit and resume and repeat.  Usually this coincides with the seasons.  However, this time, I decided that I want to take back control from all these other factors and just move towards overall better health.  I believe there are three keys to success when engaging in a healthier lifestyle:  exercise, nutrition, and mindset.  Everyone knows about the first two but mindset may be the most important of all because if you're not mentally prepared and *ready* to make the commitment, it will be so easy to slip and then fall completely off the wagon.  As I mentioned in my previous post, I finally have the mindset to take control, live fully, and aim to be ready to conquer.  You've gotta see it to believe it!

So how did I jump start the exercise portion?  By going cardio-heavy and working out 4 days a week.  The goal is no less than 3 days, no more than 5 days for now.  A little rigorous, but hey, you've gotta go full out.  The key is to find stuff you enjoy.  I love Zumba fitness because I like the combination of dance + cardio + the international party feel.  So both weeks were filled with that.  I also like a solid treadmill run to either accompany another workout or as a standalone.  Strength and toning is also key and I tried a session that felt good and left my muscles sore (a good thing!).  In these winter months, that will likely be the routine. 

If you're wanting to exercise and are ready to commit to getting fit, do it.  There's never a wrong time.  Take baby steps.  After you've gotta crawl before you can walk but just get moving.  Stay tuned for my progress updates on fitness and my attempts at recipes and cleaning up the nutrition side.