My schedule has never been that crazy. I stay at home and don’t go out that much. So, working out for me has usually been a matter of getting up early enough to finish my workout before the kids are downstairs and ready to start the day. That did take a little planning, but certainly not as much as my friends who seemed to be pulled in ninety different directions.

I took an informal poll of people I knew who were busy in life but still seemed to find time to workout, and here’s what I found. I always believe in learning from those people who are already doing what you want to accomplish rather than just reinventing the wheel!

Here are their top 10 suggestions:

1. They double up their workouts on the weekends
2. Broke up their exercise into shorter time segments
3. Released themselves from exercising every day
4. Found a few favorite DVD workouts they could do when they had a minute or twenty
5. Stopped watching television at night until they had completed their workout for the day
6. Got up super early (like 4:30 or 5:00) to fit it in before they got going
7. If they had kids, they took a parent-child karate class two days a week
8. Looked for opportunities throughout an extra busy day to stay active. (ie: stairs, parking far away, using lunch hours to walk)
9. Did strength training while watching television
10. Put their workout on their daily calendar, scheduled in just like an appointment with themselves

I’d encourage you to not let a busy schedule keep you from working out. I know it isn’t always easy to find time for yourself, but the rewards and feelings of satisfaction after you are done are worth the time it takes.

How do you handle fitting in workouts when your life gets crazy? Diane

Being an experienced garage sale person, I left my teenage son holding onto the bike and went to find the seller. Turns out she is the fabulous lady who sometimes cuts my hair. She got a new bike and sold me this bike for . . . $15.00!! It is a Denali bike with Shimano brakes! It works perfectly and rides so smoothly. I had been riding my teenage son’s bike and it was not comfortable or enjoyable!

Here’s a picture of me in my brand new workout clothes. You might remember that I asked for workout clothes advice the other week. Taking Lori’s advice on buying a close fitting wicking shirt, I picked this shirt and the cute running skirt. I wasn’t so sure about the skirt when I saw it on other people – because I couldn’t imagine it was comfortable, but it is! I wish someone would give me one so I could give it away to you on my blog!!

I’m so excited and I think it’s funny that my bike cost LESS than my new outfit! What’s with that?

Hope you all have a great weekend, and if you don’t go to garage sales, maybe you should!!  Ever found a deal at a store or a yard sale?  Diane

Last year I was walking in my yard, minding my own business when a brick appeared out of nowhere and I banged my toe. Sadly, my foot had no shoe on, and reacted very poorly to being banged. I had broken my toe.

I was in pain.

My toe was swollen.

I was mad.

I was mad not just because I broke my toe, but because I knew that breaking my toe was going to severely limit the amount of exercise I was going to be able to do. No more brisk walking/occasional jogging for me. I was seriously annoyed. This wasn’t the first time in my 12 years of maintaining my 150 pound weight loss that I had been injured. Every time I hurt myself one of my first thoughts were, “What am I going to do about exercising and moving my body?”

Such a different response from when I was morbidly obese. At 300 pounds, injuries weren’t fun either-but I back then I wasn’t active at all, so I didn’t mind sitting on the couch even more than I normally did! I’d just load up on the treats and wait for the injury to go away. Not so after I lost my weight.

Now when I injure myself I check with my doctor and follow her recommendations. When I broke my toe, walking and running were out, but because my doctor didn’t cast my toe (thank goodness) there were other exercises I could still do-and I did them.

I checked out our local university’s swimming pool and started swimming. I pulled my son’s bicycle out of the garage and started biking again. And I didn’t stop strength training. During the month that it took my foot to start feeling better I was still able to exercise and move my body and I learned, once again, that sometimes in this journey to lose or maintain weight we have to be creative and patient.

If you have ever been injured you know what I’m talking about. Sometimes you can’t do any type of physical activity and then you really have to work through those frustrations and emotions. But there are other times, like I experienced, where I could do alternate training. Just so you know, I have had times where I injured my back so badly I could do no exercise for months. During those times I didn’t exercise or do much of anything, but I didn’t gain weight. How? I didn’t gain because I cut back on my calories enough to still maintain my weight. That wasn’t easy, but it worked for me.

So if you are injured, or get injured I wanted to encourage you that your journey doesn’t have to end. It may stall for a time and that’s okay. Take the time you need to heal, and when you can, add back some activity into your life.

Have you been injured? What did you do?  Diane

Always check with your doctor about any injury!

One game that I did like to play with my daughters when they were small was the “rest game.” This game was an obese person’s dream. It went like this: I would lay on the couch in the living room and pretend to be taking a nap. They would run in and out of the room every few minutes yelling, “Don’t get up yet – your nap time isn’t over!” I loved that game, because I didn’t have to exert any energy or even get up. This game could easily go on for a half an hour or more. At the end of the game we’d all go and have a snack together. The girls something healthy like cheese sticks and apple slices, me something unhealthy like chips, chocolate and a cheese stick thrown in for good measure.

The games I didn’t want to play were those that involved any physical exertion. Things like bike riding, going for walks, dancing, throwing the ball, swimming, etc. were off limits for me. I would sit and watch the children play those games and participate in those activities, but I never joined in. I was the classic Mom on the sidelines. I was living my life on the sidelines. I’ve had people tell me that they don’t really have a lot of motivation to lose weight because they can participate in any activity they want to. I would have told you that too back then, but if you had asked me to “prove it,” I would have been hard pressed to follow through. I’d ask you this – Are you truly physically able to do anything you want to do at your current weight? If you lost some weight and improved your fitness level would that activity be easier and more enjoyable?

Rest game, as fun as it was, didn’t get me anywhere close to achieving my physical fitness and weight loss goals. The games I needed to be playing couldn’t be played on the couch. I needed to get up off the couch, out of the chair, and move away from the sidelines. Finally losing weight enabled me to really be able to participate in my children’s lives. No longer did I have to sit down while the rest of the family walked the nature trail at the park. Now I was leading the way through the trees.

How has being more active changed how you interact with your family and friends? Diane

However, as time went on, and I went from morbidly obese to just plain obese, the weight loss slowed down. I still lost consistently, but it was more like 1 – 2 pounds a week. There were times where I seemed to spike downward and I those spikes made me happy. There were also the occasional jog upward on the scale, and I didn’t like that too much at all. There were also times that I just stayed the same for a while. Honestly, those were hard weeks.

Quite frankly, I really hated the “stay the same” for a while part of weight loss. Really hated it a lot. In past weight loss attempts I quit anytime my weight loss plateaued. I’d throw my hands up in the air, and say, “Well, my body is done losing weight. I’m destined to weigh 300 pounds.”

BUT that last time, I quickly learned that those “stay the same times” were just a part of weight loss and a great practice for future weight maintenance. During my attempt to lose 158 pounds, I experienced several weight loss plateaus. Each time, I tried very hard to pay attention to the other positive changes I saw while the scale was stuck.

One thing I noticed right away was the fact that although the scale seemed stuck at a certain weight, my body shape and fitness level certainly were not. Not stuck at all.

As I stayed stuck in one place scale-wise, I did not allow myself to stay stuck fitness wise. I kept exercising, always working hard to increase the intensity of my exercise, whether that exercise was walking, running, or biking. I continued strength training, utilizing different pieces of equipment and working on different body parts. And I noticed changes in my body even without the scale moving.

I noticed that my pants and skirts fit better. I also noticed that I had more endurance, that my calves had some new definition to them, and most importantly, that I felt stronger.

And those non-scale victories,  changes in my appearance, and my positive feelings about myself kept me motivated and focused. Those changes were real and lasting. Those changes were ones that got me through those times when the scale wouldn’t move.

Question: I was wondering if you notice the same thing, and if you’d share some changes you’ve seen! Diane

I got this very brightly colored stability ball a couple of years ago as a gift. And in case you were wondering, I did ask for it, although once I saw the color my first thought was, “That doesn’t match anything in my house!” Then I wondered where to store the thing, but remarkably, it fits in the bottom of my closet as long as I close the door really fast!

One of many things I’ve learned over the years is that getting fit doesn’t look the same for every person. And your definition of fitness may be different than that of your best friend’s. And in addition to the definitions being different, there are also lots of different ways to achieve certain levels of fitness.

Some may want to be runners, some are gym buffs, some just workout at home – but regardless of where or how you workout, it is important to pay attention to your core strength. I read an interesting article the other day that I will link if I can find it again, talking about the fact that some of us want to be runners or triathletes but really aren’t ready to train for those sports because we aren’t strong enough. I could see the author’s point, because when we don’t have the right muscle strength in our legs, back, and abs then strenuous activities like running can cause injuries if we aren’t ready for them.

Hence the picture of the stability ball. When I first got it I didn’t use it much. I wasn’t really sure what to do with it, or whether or not it really worked. But over time I began to use it more frequently and now really enjoy it. I incorporate it in with the free weights I use, the Gym In A Bag resistance bands/cuffs I have, and plain old floor work. I like to mix up my exercise because 1) I get bored and 2) I know that mixing things up keeps my body guessing as to what comes next.

Do you have a favorite way to strength train, or a favorite piece of equipment? I’d love to hear what you do because I’m always looking for new ideas!  Diane

The Mayo Clinic has a nice slide show with some ideas on how to use the exercise ball to improve your core strength. I would demonstrate some exercises myself, but when I did one for the girls they laughed so hard I knew that wasn’t a great plan!

Last Friday my family and I took a trip to the zoo. I realized how sheltered my two year old is when during the entire one hour drive there he kept saying, “Animals – pantry – cookie?” Because, yes – we occasionally have animal cookies and he thought that’s where animals like giraffes and elephants lived – in the pantry. But enough two year old stories or I may bore you to tears!

Once we got there, we had a great time walking around and looking at all the animals. No matter how many times I see the monkeys flying around on their ropes, or the majesty of the elephants I’m amazed.

Two funny things happened that made me think of you – my blogging friends.

First we saw the hippos doing this:

And then we saw the monkey doing this:

I immediately thought of a blog post. The hippo lays or floats around most of the day – rarely moving except to eat. The monkey is in constant motion, and even seems to eat on the run.

I realized in my morbidly obese days that I was the hippo. I not only kinda had the shape of a hippo, but more importantly, I had the attitude of the hippo. I didn’t lounge in my pool, but rather on my couch. If something needed attending to I waited until I absolutely had to move to do it. I sat, rolled around, and ate.

Once I lost weight I was much more like the monkey. I got busy, and active, and looked for ways to move. And my body changed drastically. Not only did my appearance change, but my outlook on life changed as well.

I felt strong, I felt capable, I felt like I could do or try anything – and I did. The great thing was I didn’t just feel those things after I lost all 158 pounds, but rather I felt stronger and more capable even after I lost just a few pounds. It was an incredibly uplifting feeling! I never want to go back to being a hippo!

Have you had that feeling? How does it make you feel as you change from being less active to more?  Diane

Right now we don’t do organized sports, but I realized that my kids are extremely active without joining a sports team. And because we homeschool, they also don’t participate in P.E. in a school setting.

I thought it would be fun to share with you some of the things we do to stay active as a family and see what you do to model good behavior to the kids in your family – rather sons/daughters or other children you have regular contact with.

Here are some things my family does to stay active and fit:

• Greatly limit television and video games. In fact, we have movie night once a week and that’sall theTV for the four smallest boys. Video games are occasional and time limits are strictly enforced.
• Portray exercise in a positive light. I try to never complain about exercising, but rather tell them how much I like it. (Fortunately this is now true!)
• Don’t sit down when I can get up. I really try to not send the kids on errands around the house that I can do myself.
• Engage them in play. In our own yard, we play:
  • soccer
  • baseball
  • basketball
  • tag
  • scooter
  • ride bikes
  • I don’t always get out there with them, but there are enough times that I do that they realize I think those things are fun to do and activities I enjoy also.
• If it’s raining or cold outside, we relax the “no running in the house” rule and when the boys get going with a good game of Star Wars tag or just “Chase Your Brother Until He Can’t Run Anymore” I just try and tune it out. I find a nice cup of hot tea helps a bit.
• Nothing organized, but just get outside and use our imaginations! (Which is what they are doing in the picture above!)

This has all helped my kids stay active and at a healthy weight for their age and height. And of course, they don’t drink sodas ever or eat junk very often. That helps too!

What ideas do you have to keep kids active and fight the whole childhood obesity dilemma?  Diane

I was talking to a friend the other day who struggles mightly with her weight. She has finally lost enough weight that she is able to move without being in constant pain. She is ready to do some exercise. She asked me what I recommended. I suggested walking or water exercising. She’s going to think about what she feels comfortable with. I’m excited for her and hope that she will be able to discover the love of exercise as I have.

I still remember the first day I woke up early after commiting to an exercise and weight loss regime. I put on my ugly homemade jumper and little white Ked tennis shoes and headed out into the dark neighborhood. After only ten minutes I was completely out of breath and huffing and puffing. I was sweaty and exhausted and I felt like I had just climbed Mt. Everest.

And to me I had. I had done something that I previously thought only fit, thin people did. I had exercised and I was proud of myself. And the best part? I kept it up and continue it to this day.

I was wondering what the first exercise experience felt like to you? Were you exhausted or elated? And did you keep it up consistently, or have you taken breaks along the way?  Diane

That’s not my street but I wish it were!

A few weeks ago I hosted a giveaway for a Gym In A Bag, and guess what? Jerry at Gym in a Bag was so impressed by your comments that he wanted to give another one away! Thanks Jerry! I’ve been using it consistently since I got mine and have enjoyed feeling stronger and more toned. As I told Jerry on the phone the other day, not only can I tell a difference in my shoulders and arms, but I feel that I’m standing up straighter, making me a little taller – which I love.

If you don’t remember what Gym In A Bag is all about, let me remind you. Instead of the traditional rubber bands, or round resistance bands that you just grab onto, the Gym in a Bag uses a patented system utilizing cuffs. Why cuffs? Because as Jerry said, “Using bands was never supposed to be about the grip, but rather about isolating and strengthening muscles. Whenever you grip something, part of your energy is going to the grip and forearm, taking away some of the effectiveness of whatever exercise you are doing.”

That makes a lot of sense to me. And although I’m not Kim Lyons, (who demonstrates their product) I think I’m looking better than I did before!

Here’s Kim demonstrating the cuffs – you can see she’s not gripping the cuffs with her hands, but rather letting them rest on her wrists. This is the big difference between this system and all other bands.

So do you think you have to join a gym to workout? And how would you use Gym In A Bag if you won?

I have to admit a bias here, because I have never joined a gym in my life. I’ve visited them several times with friends who invited me along to see their favorite gyms, but I’ve never actually had my own gym card. I also have to admit that I’m not fit in the same way as MizFit or Jody, but I still want to improve.

I’ve known many people throughout the years who have had that gym card in their wallets but it never saw the light of day. They paid their fees, went a couple of times, and stopped going. And these weren’t obese friends, but rather average sized men and women who just thought that the financial commitment to a gym membership would make them exercise on a more consistent basis. For them, it didn’t. I have also had friends who joined a gym, loved it, and go very consistently.

What if you can’t afford a gym membership, or don’t feel comfortable in a gym, or just don’t want to join a gym. Can you still get a decent workout at home without all the fancy gym equipment. Of course you know what my answer is: YES! You just have to DO IT, and Gym In A Bag is a great way to start!

I’ve done a little bit of everything during my weight loss years and the 12 years since I’ve hit maintenance. I’ve gotten weights, rubber bands, stability balls, and kitchen chairs and I’ve used them all at different times. I’d encourage you not to let lack of gym membership funds stop you from working out and strength training. I’d also encourage you to visit the Gym in a Bag website and check out their product.

How can you win a Gym In A Bag of your own this week? Well, leave me a comment letting me know how you will use the Gym In A Bag, twitter this post using @fittothefinish, or write a little blurb on your site, linking back. For each entry, please leave a separate comment so I will be able to count you properly!! The contest will end Wednesday at midnight, CST, and is only open to US residents. Sorry to my foreign readers!!  Diane

Disclosure: I received a Gym in a Bag to try and now you can win one!