New Exercise Regimen

I have decided to start really exercising mindfully, in addition to what I've been doing. Up to now I have mostly just been trying to be more active, going for the occasional walk, parking a little further, etc. It has obviously helped to push me to this point, losing as much size as I have. Still, I want to keep my momentum going and not stall out or go backwards. Being mindful of my activity level will hopefully push me to make even more healthy choices in my eating habits too, so I don't undo all that hard work.

My doctor wants me to do at least 5 hours a week of exercise, 2.5 of which is aerobic, and 2.5 of which is weight lifting.

One of the problems that I have with weight lifting is that I tend to bulk up, and fast. My legs right now are pretty much solid muscle, and they're not in any way tiny. While I'm not reaching toward the goal of being "tiny," I also don't want to become the Hulk-ette.

I know that my legs don't need any more bulking, but I would like to work on toning up and building strength and endurance in my whole body. I wouldn't mind adding more muscle to my core, my shoulders, and my arms, so I may do some weight training on my upper body, but my first goal is losing all this extra fat.

I have been trying a new work out video that I really really like, called "Pick Your Level: Weight Loss Pilates."



Each of the individual movements and workouts throughout the video are presented at 3 different levels simultaneously so you can challenge yourself to try different things throughout your workout. As you progress, you can go up in challenge without having to change videos, or even chapters in the video. It is a 30 minute workout that I feel comfortable doing, but that pushes me beyond what I'm used to physically. I feel my muscles after I'm done, but I'm not hurting, out of breath, or incredibly sweaty (so nice in the summer months, let me tell you).

I'm going to use this video as my "resistance training" instead of doing weight training. I'm going to work a couple of times a week on doing some weight training with my arms.

For the aerobic activity, I am going to start going on walks every evening for at least 30 minutes. I was doing this once every week or two up to now, and while I enjoyed it, it wasn't enough for me to count it as a consistent aerobic activity.

So, from this point forward, I am committing to my 5 hours a week of exercise, as per doctors recommendations. I can't wait for my next doctor appointment so I can tell him what all I am doing to change my life!