Hot Tip Tuesday: Just do SOMETHING!

by Jenn
Go, Susan, Go! I'm so proud of her for popping in that video and doing it. Aren't her "little helpers" so cute you just want to squeeze 'em?!

If you haven't noticed, Susan and I are both very motivated by the Biggest Loser. While she was doing her Bob Harper DVD, I have been breaking in my new Jillian Michael's Wii game (early Christmas present for my hero husband). Let me tell you, there is no "game" about it. That little disc is WORK! After my first session I was sore for THREE DAYS from shoulders to toes! I loved every second of it, though. It's about time my muscles felt used again. If you have a Wii, I highly reccomend at least renting this workout. It's fun and interactive and it keeps track of your weight and fitness progress. It even has some built in resolution (accountability) features!

So here's my hot tip of the week: Just do SOMETHING...often.

I'm a fairly black and white person. Meaning, if it's not perfect or perfectly planned it's not good enough. (Fortunately, motherhood is helping me toss that misperception out the back door. ) I have always wanted to have this perfect workout plan starting on the perfect time of day with all the right circumstances (clean house, sleeping baby, perfect healthy breakfast, cute outfit...). This, however, is not the life I lead...EVER. So, because things weren't ideal, I never worked out. My desperation to be healthy (and my husband's encouragement to leave dirty dishes behind) is changing all of that.

The circumstances and schedules of our lives will never be perfect. If I want to be healthy and fit I just have to do SOMETHING as often as possible. For example, some days it's easy to get Elli up from her nap, fed, bundled into the stroller and on our way for a good long walk. Other days, however, she's crying because she's teething and there is no way I'm going to get her into her coat, let alone her stroller. (Other days it's 17 degrees outside, like today, and I'm not a big fan of frostbite.) So, at that point I have two options, I can either just scratch exercise for that day or I can figure out SOMETHING I can do inside.

Here are a few ideas that I've been trying out and/or planning lately:
Exercise game or video (LOVING this!)
Dancing with baby for 20 minutes to our fave music (it's more tiring than you think)
Do some serious hardcore cleaning at a fast pace (if you're not sweating and breathing hard it doesn't count)
Go mall walking (I've heard it's not just for old people...we'll see...)
Do exercises with baby as weight (arm lifts, leg raises, crunches and stretches
Plan an event with friends that involves exercise (We did a 1.5m walk looking at lights with Susan and her fam.)

I will be the first to admit I am not even close to faithfully following this tip, but I am making fast strides and I'm proud to announce I have results to prove it! Last week I lost TWO POUNDS!!! WOOOOHOOO! Finally I have some sort of victory!

Don't give up, ladies! You CAN make progress even during the holidays. If these FB Mamas can do it, so can you! Just remember the tips! Make a plan and do something! What are some "SOMETHINGS" you can do THIS week?