#FitIt Challenge: Reality Sinks In As I Trudge Along Training For My First 5K Marathon And Try To Remain Motivated
Like most people on 31st December, I too had given a fair share of my hard earned money to the gym, which I intended to go to, however failed miserably. It¡¯s almost abysmal to see how repeatedly have I failed, and so I am going to keep this
Where we are
Here we are, a week into my newfound love for fitness. Although, I started out week one in full zest, I must admit that it's not as simple as it may sound. But then, what¡¯s the fun in something that's easy to get?
After doing this for almost a week, I can tell you that running is easier than gymming in many ways. Sans the hectic regime you put yourself through, running comes without any peer pressure. At the gym, I have always found myself hiding from people, doing exercises in a corner, simply because I didn't want to be seen. As an amateur, the pressure of judgement is a lot. However, when I run, I perform it freely in a park, in my comfort zone, without any judgement. I can stop whenever I want, I can take a break, do some exercises and continue for as long as I want.
The small wins
It took me a little while to get the hang of things. I am slowly increasing the amount of running in my overall quota of daily distance to be covered, and trust me, there is nothing more satisfying than crossing the previous day¡¯s finishing mark, defeating yourself and setting a new goal.
It's always that mental fight between the body and the mind, whether to give up to the heaving breaths and aching legs or to continue listening to the constantly motivating mind, aggressively looking forward to crossing the next visible lamp-post. (I jog in a park and I use them as my milestones). But yes, after sudden drop post day 2, I have been gradually and consistently increasing the distance that I cover running, maintaining the fine balance between stretching beyond my own limits and ensuring that I don¡¯t over stress my body.
However, I do have some shortcomings, which I will discuss further in this post.
Garbage Out, Health In
It takes no time to realise the importance of what I feed myself while I am putting my body to test its limits. It is only when one starts noticing the nutritional contents of everything one consumes that one realises the amount of trash we tend to consume throughout the day. And I have said a strict no to most of it. Those crisps or french fries might appear to be a bit too small to affect much but as we all know, little drops end up making the ocean, which can very well drown us in this case.
Yes, it is an effort to consider and reconsider each time you want to down something, and not give in to the palate¡¯s eternal desire to savour whatever it wants. But the thumb-rule is more or less simple - if anything comes ready to eat in a packet, just chuck it. This applies for everything from biscuits to pizzas and doughnuts.
I know how difficult it is to get the diet right. Many of us start some sort of fitness regime or the other, only to get defeated by the most tricky part of the entire deal - eating right.
For me, I am starting simple. I'm cutting out processed sugar from my diet. Sounds simple, doesn't it? Alas, the biggest misery is that this beast (read sugar) has infiltrated our lives in so many forms that we gulp down spoonfuls without noticing.
The idea is simple. Drop the processed sugar and replace it with natural substitutes like jaggery or honey. Also, sugar in its natural forms like fruits and vegetables is good, as at the end of the day, the body does need its daily dose of sweetness.
Lack of rest, ain¡¯t no jest
The other aspect that I have realised over the last few days is the direct impact of rest on the body. A proper 7-8 hour of sleep is something the body is thankful for if you grant it that. Not only will it act as a catalyst to the results of your efforts, it will also ensure that your diet is synthesised by the body in just the right way, leading to a healthy metabolism. Our irregular routines have made sleep the last of our priorities and the ill-effects on our health are apparent. It's tough to get a regular and sound sleep, free from distractions and disturbances if you want to see some quick results.
The Unsung Hero #FitBit
Like you, I also need that one highly motivated nagging friend who constantly pushes me to follow my fitness goals. Unfortunately, times have changed and not all souls are blessed with such angels.
This is where this tiny buddy comes to the rescue. Always staying at an arm's distance from me, quite literally, my Fitbit ensures that I am following the path to my ultimate goal. It celebrates my achievements and gives me solid guilt trips if I try to take a shortcut.
It also tracks the amount of sleep I get every day, ensuring round the clock monitoring of my health, and I can¡¯t thank it enough for my progress so far.
The way ahead
I am running about 2 km every day which I plan to increase to not more than 3 in the next 10 days. It is amazing to see how the body reacts to such changes and how fresh the day feels, exactly opposite to one¡¯s expectation of tiredness or weakness. I can visibly see myself being able to concentrate better and enjoying my day more than ever.
I am planning to include more protein in my diet than usual and cut out more of the fats. Having said that, it is very important to understand the fact that a proper meal is crucial for proper functioning of the body. Cutting out too much on the diet will result in visibly low levels of energy and may result in day-long lethargy, definitely not what one would expect.
Everyday challenges
I try to be as regular as I can, but I am a lazy human being after all! I missed running for two consecutive days. Yes, I failed but never have I felt more guilty. I missed it, owing to the fervour of New Years eve. I also went out and ate a lot. I have my cheat days and as far as I know, there's nothing wrong with that. Upon having changed so much, it is okay to have a few moments of sheer pleasure. But make sure you burn what you eat.
Calorie intake should be lesser than the calorie burn
10 days into this fitness regime, I now see how difficult it is to follow something religiously. It's a challenge and a lot of peer pressure.
Hoping for a better week this time. : )
