I committed to perfect attendance for one month. I kept a daily food log, skipped the booze, and learned my midnight bedtime was no longer possible. I was exhausted. Wasn't exercise supposed to give me MORE energy?
My bedtime quickly changed. I had trouble keeping my eyes open much past 10pm, sometimes nine. My muscles ached, and I did the homework religiously on our off days, which helped the soreness.
Ryan repeatedly told us at boot camp that we could do anything for 10 seconds. It wasn't easy at all, but he was right. Mind over matter.
Sound familiar? Are you feeling sore and tired at the end of week one?
Keep going. You have already crossed the biggest hurdle - starting a lifestyle change. It WILL get better. It WILL get easier.
By the end of month one, I could run one mile without stopping in 10 minutes, compared to 12 minutes on day one. I could do 15 real push ups, compared to zero on day one. I could do more sit ups and tricep dips. I was getting stronger and despite losing zero pounds on the scale, friends were asking if I was losing weight.
I had such amazing results that I wanted to keep going. I set goals for myself each month for my fitness test and achieved them. Over time, I adjusted my bedtime back to 9:30-10pm most nights and slept like a baby on a nightly basis. Five a.m. soon became a part of my routine.
January 2012 is month 18. I've survived a year and a half. I do take a week off from time to time and miss classes due to my schedule and vacations, but for the most part, I can't quit. With a new perspective, I never want to go back to my out of shape self.
The transition to better health and fitness takes time. I can honestly say it took me three months of boot camp until I was less sleep deprived and actually had MORE energy. This is a normal adjustment period. But in the meantime, what can you do to make the change easier?
- Adjust your bedtime. Aim for at least 7-8 hours. This means snoozing by 9 or 10pm for a 5am wake-up.
- Stay hydrated. You need to drink roughly half your body weight in ounces of all fluids daily. Keep a bottle of water with you at all times. Dehydration can affect muscle fatigue and soreness.
- Eat smaller more frequent meals throughout the day. Instead of breakfast, lunch and dinner, have 3 smaller meals and work in 3 snacks between meals. Smaller more frequent meals help fuel your energy levels throughout the day
- Eat protein with each meal and snack. Your best sources of protein are lean meats, low-fat cheese and yogurt, skim or 1% milk, nuts, beans and legumes and soy products. Protein helps stabilize blood sugar, will help you feel fuller longer, and is needed for muscle repair post workouts.
- Eat a small snack 30 minutes before camp. If you are new to exercise, this can be tough, as your digestive system is readjusting to the change in your routine just like everything else. If morning doesn't work for you, try a bedtime snack to have fuel on board for workouts. The best choices? Different things work for different people, but generally speaking, one slice of toast or saltines with peanut butter, low-acid juices, sports drinks, yogurt or low-fiber cereals or cereal bars all may work. Experiment to see what works best for you.
- Do the homework. Homework exercises are at Step It Up Fitness under your log in information. If you can't do these, at least go for a 20 minute walk and stretch on your off days to help with muscle soreness.
- Avoid alcohol for the first month or two. Alcohol in excess can lead to dehydration and hinder your performance at camp, as well as interrupt sleep during the night. And if you are trying to lose weight, cocktails provide extra calories without any protein or nutrients.
