This post will sort of be a transition from our “first steps” to when we really got moving. As I’ve explained, we started slowly by purchasing an elliptical. Now when I say slowly, it was actually a big step at the time because we went from NO activity to working on the elliptical several days a week! We would do anywhere from 15-30 minutes at a time, and the most I think we ever did was like 45 minutes (though not often!).
The reason I say this was starting slowly was because we hadn’t completely overhauled our eating habits, and we had not yet gotten into more intense, full-body workouts. And though we did the elliptical quite often, there wasn’t really a set pattern, or complete consistency. We just tried to do it whenever we could. This was the case from early February through April.
Once we hit May, we kind of exploded! I had left my full-time day job to work from home, and we really got nuts! The next few posts will begin to detail how we moved into this new phase, and how we’ve continued on this path to this day.
The reason I felt like mentioning this is because I absolutely feel like it’s a good thing to start and progress slowly. You shouldn’t feel like you have to completely rearrange your life from top to bottom from the very start. Chances are if you dive in and try to do a complete makeover, you’ll probably get discouraged or burnt out, and thus give up. Just adding (or subtracting) one new thing, or changing one habit at a time, usually proves to be most effective. If you try to totally change your eating habits and begin working out 5 days a week from day one, I can almost guarantee you won’t keep it up!
The goal is lifelong health! It’s not about finding a quick fix, or reaching a short-term goal, but about changing your lifestyle. So don’t try to do too much too soon! Always remember the tortoise — slow and steady wins the race!
@andrewtate
Annette
I just had to say that the opposite is true for me. I have tried off and on many times to make small changes. It wasn’t until I made several large changes that I was able to stick with it. The small changes were too easy for me to overlook or ignore. Once I made several large changes, it was too big to ignore. There were too many reminders during the day of what my goals are. Thank you for sharing your journey. It’s great to find all of your research in one place instead of looking all over for advice that may not be good or helpful. Thanks.
By: Lori on 01/15/2009
at 9:22 PM
That’s cool Lori! I think it’s awesome if you can jump in and make sweeping changes! It just seems like most people I know don’t stick with it long-term, they get burnt out or discouraged and quit. I’m the type that can make big changes, well, especially now that we’ve got a good foundation under us, yet we actually did start out slowly. Anyways, that’s why I’m just trying to share our journey, because I know what worked for us isn’t “the way” for everyone! But thanks for the encouragement — sometimes I think I’m wasting my time doing this, but it’s cool to know that it may somehow be helpful for at least a few people!
By: Andrew on 01/23/2009
at 9:57 AM