Fitness Update

Whilst the initial plan was to complete 30 days of burning 200 calories each day, life has thrown a couple of curve balls.  The first one was being struck down for a couple of weeks with a nasty head cold, which I am still trying to shake the last remnants of.  One also has to be super careful of balancing the fitness with prevention of an AS flare up, which I can feel lingering along in the background.  So to counter the time off, I though I would make things simple with aliging the challenge to being an August challenge.  That way, in September I could start the next one, and it would be easier to count the months rather than 30 days.

Next curve ball arrives with my sister announcing she needs some help.  In preparation for a 4 month work trip, she needs to shed more than a few kilo's and beef up her fitness levels.  What easier way to do that than to move in with Ms Motivation!  Right I say, after the bags were semi unpacked around me!

Day 1 and I am on the spin bike completing my 200 calories, sister is on the couch with iPad and watching television.  How the guilt didn't get to her I will never know, but each person is different.  Day 2 she wakes to a lovely note on the kitchen bench, week 1 weigh in!!!  The note is now complete and sitting on the fridge as a reminder.  I must say as a single working parent, life is a juggle, and we often don't have the time to do all the health and fitness things I would like to.  With another adult in the house, it is much easier to share.  I could one night, and sister cooks the following one.  So in truth, we are motivating each other.  We share out journey at the end of the day, laughing and giggling about the good and the bad points of maintaing our daily calorie journey.  It has been great to share setting goals and supporting each other to achieve them, it is one thing I love about life, and pretty central to someone who maintains a 65 year life plan.  I have been feeling a little lost of late with my focus.

In having some closer support around we have spurred each other on and created some very real accountability, both essential in the achievement of goals.  I am by nature a competitive person, not so much with bench marking myself against others, but using others to drive myself even further.  With my sister around, I will actually do some time on the treadmill and then the spin bike, increasing my daily calories burned.  It is not about beating her on the scales, it is about pushing my own results, and also setting some stretch incentives for her.  When the training and diet goals are pinching, it is important to know that the path will work, you just need to keep on trying.