Back to the Gym…Again…

UUUHGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!  You know why I wish I hadn’t stopped going to the gym?  Because it’s so flipping hard to start back up!!!  That is why I am sitting here typing this post 30 pounds heavier than I was in February.

Now before I start being too hard on myself, I did quit smoking and that is a large part of why the weight came back on so fast, but that really isn’t any excuse for me to not have been going to the gym for the last several months.

So I have to get my behind in gear now and get a plan going.  Now that I am working 12 hour shifts, two things are going to change.  The first is that I will NOT be working out on days that I work.  I will be walking the stairs again on a regular (yesterday, I did over 150 steps!) instead when I work.  The second, is that I will have a lot more time to go to the gym when I am not working because my days off are now in three to nine day stretches at a time!

I would like to say that I will be going to the gym everyday that I don’t work, but to be honest, I know that I won’t do that because on a day like today, my body already hurts from doing the stairs and 24 hours working in a 48 hour period.  So maybe I will take a day off after my work stretches and then get to the gym.

Also, I think that I am going to get to add a bit more variety into my workouts.  While I adore my personal trainer, I can’t expect that he be around for every calorie I burn, but at the same time, I love having company when I work out.   Therefore, I am going to pick up a ten class card for Core Power Yoga.  There are two very near where I live and I have co-workers who are more than willing to go with me.  I expect that it is going to be so challenging and that my co-workers are going to give me a lot of crap.  I also suspect that it is going to be a blast!

Another thing I am looking forward to is being a non-smoker while working out.  I have to admit that last year while I was always proud of myself for the strides that I made, I always felt like I was setting myself back by smoking.  That was why I would never take my cigarettes in my purse with my when I went to work out.  Now there are no more setbacks and I don’t have to feel all kind of ways because I came home from the gym and had a cigarette!

Wow just typing this post is actually getting me excited.  Like I said, my legs are killing me from all those steps yesterday, but I think I’ll go for a walk today.  Maybe I’ll even post some pics from the neighborhood….

What oh What Have I Been Up To???

Like I said yesterday, I have made some big decisions lately.  You see, here’s the deal, I quit smoking for mostly financial reasons.  I wanted to save $2000 and I thought I could use my cigarette money to do that.  However, what I realized was that was very short sighted.  First of all because my health and the health of my daughter should be my first priority for quitting smoking and second because I waste way more money than just $150 a month on smokes.  I realized that in order to achieve my 2011 financial goals, I am going to have to take a broader approach and do more than just cut out lunch money and cigarettes from my budget.

Where oh Where Have I Been???

I’ve been here.  I took a break because I really needed to be as stress free as possible during my first smoke free week.  It has obviously been the number one thing on my mind lately, and for good reason I suppose.  I am happy to report that today is my 7th smoke free day!  It’s pretty darn awesome too!  I really am enjoying being a non-smoker.  In just 7 days, I’m already noticing big changes!  My favorite part of my day right now is when I walk into my apartment and don’t smell cigarettes.  I haven’t experienced that since I don’t even know when!

I have also been busy making a pretty big decision.  Well I think it’s a big deal…I am going to try to do Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover.  Tomorrow, I’ll be posting more about that as well as where I am at with my 2011 financial goals.

Don’t forget to head over to my Youtube page to see my video journal about quitting smoking.  I promise there is less complaining than you would think!  Thanks for hanging in there with me!  I’m back!

I’m Quitting Smoking Today!

Well I think that today is the day.  The day that I quit smoking!  Not sure how I feel about it really.  I was just thinking how I am tired of having to “save” money during my tight times to buy cigarettes.  Then last night I watched this video on YT about the total Money Makeover.

It honestly got me to thinking.  Seriously, if I quit smoking and stopped having lunch at work everyday, I could save $250 a month right there.  Then I started thinking about all the other ways I could add to the pot.  I could make a menu plan and stick to it.  That eliminates two people  going out to eat 3-5 nights a week.  I consider myself a recovering compulsive shopper.  Right now, I am NOT in shopping mode.  I even passed up the WEN sale on QVC this weekend!  LOL  Honestly though that was just because I was saving money for smokes this week…pathetic I know.

So anyway, I am really really nervous and not looking forward at all to the cravings and the mood swings.  I just have to remember that I can’t treat people like crap just because I’m having a nicotene fit!  Anyone who works with me, please feel to remind me of that tomorrow and the next few days in the most loving and caring way you can imagine (insert smile here.)

Now I gotta get into the gym and see what this 38-year old machine called my body can really do!  The nerd in me wishes I could have a full pulmonary function test done now and in 6 months from now to see how I have changed.  I just don’t want to have to pay for them! LOL

So I am reaching out to you all for support!  Please help me hold myself accountable.  I know I can do it, it’s just really hard in the beginning.