Exercise

This is really where “do what works for you” comes into play – your exercise routine has to be something you WANT to do. Obviously, there will be days where you don’t want to do anything, but on the whole go with something you enjoy – walking, bicycling, running, yoga, lifting weights, Zumba – whatever it is the bottom line is to get yourself moving.

Even 50lbs ago I was active and enjoyed working out (as I mentioned, food was my big thing), but if you’re not that active right now A) talk to your doctor before jumping into anything crazy and B) START SLOW – there is zero need for you to try to run 12 miles tomorrow. It feels like the more you do the more weight you can lose and fast, right? Not if you hurt yourself and can’t do anything!

I was pretty set with cardio before I started this – going on runs, doing some sprint workouts, hitting the elliptical, but one of the biggest changes I made was I started lifting weights. I had done CrossFit and 9Rounds in the past (highly recommend either of those if you have one near you), so I had my basic lifting form down and just looked up a bunch of routines online (again, yay Pinterest!) If you have never lifted before, I would recommend seeking out someone who has and can show you proper form – whether that’s a friend (please make sure they actually know what they’re doing), a group class at a gym, a session or two with a personal trainer, maybe even a youtube video. I found this website really helpful for finding new exercises and how to use proper form.

Personal Training 

I did work with a personal trainer for a while (2x/week for 8 weeks) which I really enjoyed, but it was completely unsustainable for my budget. It was, however, really helpful to work with someone else as he was able to identify my weaknesses and provide me with exercises to correct them as well as show me how tight muscles/joints were affecting my form/performance. If you can afford it, it's probably worth it and I can definitely recommend my guy if you're in the Alexandria area.

Stretching 

Which brings me to the very important part of stretching! This gets neglected a lot (even by me!) because it doesn’t really feel like work, but trust me – I have spent some sessions with my foam roller that have had me sweating more than my workout! Whether it’s yoga or pilates or a foam roller (which I highly recommend, but watch some youtube videos before you dive in if you’ve never used one!), stretching really should be a part of your workout recovery. I try to do at least 20 minutes of foam rolling a day (and I do yoga on my off days.)

Days Off 

Which brings me to my next point – off days! YOU NEED TO TAKE DAYS OFF! They will help you perform better on the days you do work out. Now an off days don’t necessarily mean you should sit on the couch all day bingeing all of Stranger Things (which I 100% am not providing as an example from experience…), but doing things like some chill yoga, going for a walk, or stretching/foam rolling will help your body stay moving without stressing it out.

Sleep
This is simultaneously the easiest and the most difficult piece of advice. We all have to sleep, but not all of us have time/make time/stay asleep for as much sleep as we ideally should be getting. My hours of sleep drastically affect both my eating habits and my workout performance. If you can manage 7-8 hours a night, do it - you'll thank yourself immensely later on.

What I Do Now 

After 4 months of doing my own thing with decent if not extraordinary results, I needed a change in my routine so I gave Orange Theory Fitness a try – AND I FUCKING LOVE IT. Sorry for swearing, but that’s how much I love it. With the exceptions of long runs when training for a half, I find working out to be easiest when someone is tell me what to do. It was fun to learn about different lifting theories and try my hand at putting some routines together, but I got so tired of having to come up with the plan myself. I wanted to show up, follow directions for an hour and leave, sweaty and dead – and that’s what Orange Theory gives me. If you’re not familiar with OT, it’s a 50-ish minute workout that is always some combination of running on a treadmill, rowing on a water rower, and doing floor work with either dumbbells or body weight. What I love about it is it’s never the same twice, can be adapted to any fitness level, and the coaches are some of the coolest, most awesome people I’ve ever met. I’ve been going for 9 months and have gone from powerwalking my all outs (maximum effort) on the treadmill to running my all outs at 10mph. If it helps convey how much I love going – I live 1.5 miles away from my studio and have to walk there (and back) every time go (rain, shine, hot, humid, cold AF, you name it, I go). You definitely don’t have to do OT to be successful at this, but you do have to find something you love doing, something you’d be willing to walk 1.5 miles to.)