Motivation, making excuses, and the heat

I have found in the last couple of days that I have been totally unmotivated to write for my blog.  I read recently on a website that said motivation and willpower are the offspring of desire.  I think this is very true.  I am more motivated to do something when I have a strong desire to do it or for the results of doing it.  I make less excuses when I am motivated.  Making excuses can be my down fall in all this.  Usually making excuses becomes a habit and I stop exercising, eating right, and doing other things that I know are good for me.  It has happened in the past and I have to work very hard to see that it doesn't happen in the future.  One of my favorite excuses I could use here lately is the "it is too hot to exercise".  Even with a heat index of 106 degrees that is still a pitiful excuse and really complete BS.  It may be to hot to do anything outside like bike riding but it is not to hot to go to Curves and exercise inside in the air conditioning!   Even in this extreme heat I have to stay focused on my goal, looking better with less clothes on ;)  which will be nice in the heat.  I have to keep my desire and motivation alive in the heat and not let excuses get in my way!  Stay tuned after my weight loss ABC's for motivational Monday.  Here is a sneak peak of the kind of stuff it will feature.

Working it out

Today was my first workout at Curves in about 9 years.  Can you imagine how hot I would be if I had been working out at Curves for the past 9 years?!  Gah!  Alas, life often gets in the way...  What matters is right now and right now I'm starting back up :)  So, can you imagine how hot I'll be after working out at Curves for 9 years?!
I had a lot of fun today working the circuit.  I actually remembered a great deal from when I was a member before :)  Yeah Me!!  The instructor said I had really good form and I remembered how to do the stretches as well.  That made me feel pretty good.  It was also good to find out that our scale here at the house is pretty accurate, even though I don't like the numbers I see on it >.<  I know they will get better!  And, so will my measurements which were rather pitiful as well.
(Pause for 30 min bike ride with kids)
Where was I... ah yes, my first day at Curves.  I really like the fact that the Curves workout is only 30 minutes too, or close to it.  The Curves I plan to go to is only about 15 minutes from my house so at most I'll be spending only about an hour a day working out.  I really just need to make the monetary ($88 start up fee, $39 a month, and a one time charge of $50 if I want to use the Curves Smart technology) and time (about 1 1/2 hours a week at least) commitment to make this work.
I figure today I've had about an hour's worth of workout time between Curves and the bike ride.  That is more exercise than I've gotten in the past month or two!  I have SO much more energy :)  I'm looking forward to keeping this up!

Smokin Curves

Have you ever had one of those times when you feel like even your best efforts get thwarted?  Well, I had one of those days the other day.  I'm finally on summer vacation which means (a little) more free time!  This means time to exercise!  But, just as I get some time to bike again it gets all smoky outside :-(  So this would be counterproductive, let’s go ride bikes to lose weight but it is so smoky outside you'll get asthma!  I tried one day in the afternoon to ride and I only made it about 15 min before not being able to breathe.  Because of this I had to come up with another plan.  I have an exercise ball and I have a jump rope I could use, though I can't really use the jump rope inside, the ceilings are too low.  Plus, I wanted more of a workout than just the exercise ball.  That is when a new plan was hatched.
Years ago, when I was in college and I lived out in Temple I joined a gym called Curves and I actually did pretty good there.  Over the years though with life happening I canceled my membership and I stopped going.  Now, I am in a better place all around and I think it would be a good time to start back up!  And, Curves has teemed up with Zumba to offer a Zumba circut at least once a week!  You have seen what I have to say about Zumba on my Get Moving! page and I really like it.  Though, unfortunatly, I have not been to any more Zumba classes at Beach since that one :(  Totally  my own lazyness it has nothing to do with the actual workout.  I still like Zumba.  I like Curves too, as I said before, I did well when I actually went there.
 I like Curves for several reasons:

• it is an all female environment
• the environment is very up-beat, positive, and inviting
• they take your measurements not just your weight

I have an appointment on Monday at 8:30 am to fill out my paperwork and do a refresher course on the circut.  If I can get it moved to today I will but I don't know if that will work with my work schedule.  I will keep you updated though and put more information on the Get Moving! page :)