40 Day Challenge

The decision has been made on whether or not I will be starting the 28 day challenge over.  I am now presented, as well as 2 days deep into the new 40 day challenge.  It couldn't have come at a better time, either.  I have been lacking motivation.  Period.  I am on track for working out, but I have not been doing my trackers.  My water intake has been sub-par and my strength conditioning has not been continuous.  It's weird, some days, I just do it.  Then on other days, it feels like if I don't do them right away, they get put off until the noon time area of the day.

So I've been feeling down on myself, having pitty parties.  History tells me that them things are usually dull and no action.  Plus, it seems as if you're ever only the lone individual invited.  I've been thinking a lot about my fears as well a lot about my goals.  I am not going to placate myself with excuses.  I know I have to be better.  I know I can be better.

I made it to the gym last night.  Thanks to whoever provided the membership (I'm hearing conflicting stories), but last night would have easily been a night where I could have used the excuse of us not having money for the $3.50 admittance.  But, we have the membership now.  As well, I was lacking motivation yesterday too. What gives?!  Katie would not let me sit around though.  She asked how I was feeling and if I had an idea of where the lack of motivation was stemming from.  Although I didn't answer much, I had an opportunity to.  Then after giving me a minute to state my challenge of feeling motivated, she was like... "OK.  Well that's nice.  Go work out."  She is right.  I'd feel better after.  You know what?  I did.  I even found out a couple things about my workouts too.

Lately, I've been getting bored with the treadmill. I've been getting bored with our foods.  So last night, although it's a fear, I put some time in on the treadmill, but not all my workout. I found other things I wanted to try, like I've seen people doing in the background of Coach's emailed videos.  I picked up some dumbells, I hit a couple of weight lifting machines, back and forth.  My heart rate was all over the place.  But at least I found a couple things that I can do to keep the heart rate in my desired Cowboy Fit Zone.  When I was done with my experiment, I went out to the desk, got a basketball.  Went to the gymnasium.  I didn't care where, but I just shot some hoops for 2-3 minutes, getting a little irritated.  Simply b/c I used to hit these shots. I've lifted and shot immediately after, before in my life, but it never looked this bad. So, I figured that I was not going to get satisfaction there.  So I started dribbling around (mostly lefty).  You know what? I liked it.  I moved around fast enough that I was in the heart rate zone I needed to be in.  Plus, I jogged, not sprinted, one "suicide."  That really got my heart rate up.

The reason this is important, is b/c I feel like getting bored is making me not want to work out.  One of my goals is to enjoy fitness.  I enjoy basketball.  So why not incorporate it into my exercise.  Plus, I don't have my 2 younger brothers around to block all of my shots.  Plus, if nobody is there, I get to exaggerate how many shots actually went in!!!  There's a plus.  Anyhow, I'd like to bring it all together for ya'll.

The 40 day challenge:
Work out in the Cowboy Fit Zone as follows...
1 min at the tippy top of the heart rate zone, then crash it
1 min at the bottom of your zone.
Follow the next 10 minutes in the middle.
Then repeat.  You do that 4x folks, then you've got yourself a 48 minute workout.

As well, in the a.m., and then again in the p.m. before bedtime:
40 push ups
40 squats
40 sit ups/crunches

So, I've been working out, but this is the part I've been struggling with.  I must conquer this.

I did get some inspiration tonight watching the Coach's video. This gal had changed NOTHING in her diet.  She did the 28 day challenge and lost almost 15 inches!  4 inches in her belly area alone.  So, the coach followed her around during her workout, giving examples of her monitoring her heart rate.  There were times where if I were her, nor if I didn't have my heart rate monitor watch on, you could tell she could've easily kept going, with her energy.  But importantly, she wanted to stay in her zone.  So she'd lay on the ground, to crash her heart rate.  Once in her zone, she'd get back up and start moving again.  Anyone can do this system.

For me, it's just keeping it all together and not choosing the areas only I want.  It's everything.  The eating, the breathing, the water, the journals and logs and strength conditioning.  Everything.  Tomorrow is workout day and I'm looking forward to the challenge of not letting myself down.  I know I'm better then where I was on March 8th, 2013.  I know I'm not where I want to be.  But I do know that this is part of the journey.