What are your keys to consistency?

S

susan p2

Active Member
I'm hoping to find some inspiration. Just about the time I am getting really consistent with 5 days a week (4 is easy. I can do that. I STRIVE for 5), I missed a workout day yesterday. I know it is silly to kick myself around about it, but I'm just so DISAPPOINTED that I messed up the 5 days a week roll I was finally on! It was a busy day, our preschool's ice cream social, I'm on the parent board and had a lot of responsibility for making the whole thing come off well, spent a lot of time working on decorating all day, and at the last minute in the evening too (unfortunately ice cream isn't something you can set up ahead very well, is it?? :)). On a busy day like that I would usually work out after the kids are in bed but instead I was glued to the debate (yes I have actually watched every minute of all three boring and irritating debates! ha! --political junkie here).

SO, I know a lot of you are going to say work out in the morning. . . That hasn't worked for me in the past. Still, maybe I should look at that option. My kids wake so easily in the morning (small house). Anyway, ANY consistency keys that help you MIGHT just help me too!! Like I said, 4 a week is easy, automatic, but I want to get to where FIVE a week is automatic.

BTW, my kids were so cute. . . They wore little sailor hats and my three year old, in the front row, BOWED and smirked after every song like all the applause was for her alone. . . It was TOO funny. And my 5 year old was SO serious about doing all the motions to the songs just exactly so, and smiling at the right time, etc., she looked like such a little grown-up. . . I have SUCH adorable children! LOL! :D
 
We all have adorable children don't we? Mine just had his first public performance this summer and I was so...ya know :D

As for consistency, I work four days a week and those are definite workout days. It's part of my routine. Then I have three other days to choose from and it usually works out well. Another thing is this forum. I also check out VF but rarely post. Lot's of motivation though! Hopefully, just posting here will help you out a lot. But, you're right, don't beat yourself up over it. Your kids are gonna remember all the things you did for them. Not that you were consistent with your workouts!
Andrea
 
First of all, don't beat yourself up because you missed a day, just get back to it the next day. And your right, my first thought was to try morning workouts, because until I started doing that I didn't work out consistantly. Now that I work out in the morning I rarely miss a morning and if I do I have a chance to make it up in the evening. Yes I still miss a day here and there. This is going to happen and you need to realize your not alone in this.

Back to my point, don't beat yourself up over missing a day. just make sure you work out the next day. You can put in a little extra effort and intensity in your workout the next day if this helps to ease your mind. :-cool
Good Luck,
Dawn
 
Hey, I'm back on track for my five this week! I mowed today, which keeps me in my zone for at or over an hour (I wear my HRM). I spent 61 minutes smack in the middle of my zone for a good and useful cardio workout. Then a few hours later I had 45 minutes and I did one of the short workouts on the Firm's Bootcamp tape! So I did both strength and cardio today. Normally I don't try to play catch up, I think it's too hard, I'm more of a forgive yourself and go on type of gal. But today it just worked out

You know, I've been frustrated with am workouts because my kids wake up when they hear me (I have two earlybirds and a night owl). However, you know how kids can learn to sleep through things? I bet if I did it all the time instead of just occasionally, they would get used to it and NOT wake up. . . Kids can usually adapt to stuff like that. I would just have to be the ogre mommy and make them stay in bed till I'm done even if they wake up. However, that shouldn't be too hard because I do the ogre mommy pretty well, LOL!
 
You're right

about the kids getting used to sleeping through it. I just got back into working out after months of preg sickness, and it took my boy a few times to remember that this is Mommy's time. He doesn't sleep through it, but he either coaches me or plays. Great workout BTW!
Andrea
 
Congradulations :-jumpy on getting yourself back on track. See you didn't need to be so hard on yourself.
Great Job,
Dawn
 
Hey, Susan, I echo what everyone else already said -- missing one day is no big deal. So you work out the next day instead and you're right back on track. It all comes out in the wash. (Whatever the heck that means ... guess it shows that I'm not too domestically gifted, huh?)

You already KNOW all the secrets to being consistent -- otherwise you couldn't have successfully been exercising for this many years, right? So I guess what you're really saying is how do you find the time to work out more often? Again, I think you already have the answer. If you can't do a video 5 times a week, you can do a video 4 times a week and count lawnmowing or a brisk walk as the 5th. Or if the time of day is really a problem, go ahead and switch to mornings. Mornings are the only time of day that consistently work for me, but we all have different home situations, so that may not necessarily be true for you. If your two earlybird girls wake up early -- so what? Have some crayons and coloring books or another project all laid out for them and tell them they are on their own until you're down. I find that it's easier when 2 of mine are awake at the same time, since they tend to keep each other occupied.

Well, I haven't told you anything you didn't know already, but ... sometimes you need reminding of what a great job you are already doing balancing your many roles in life. I'll bet your girls are proud of their fit mommy.

P.S. -- Now if it were me -- there is no greater incentive to me to workout than those presidential/vp debates. I get so irritated and frustrated that I need some plyos or some pushups or a barbell or SOMETHING! Aaargh! Thank god they're over.:-jumpy
 
Oh Daphne, I have to laugh with you, I am ready to do some serious kickboxing after one of those debates!! ACK!! You know how some people yell at the TV screen from their chairs when watching a football game?? Well, that's me and a debate, LOL!! What really gets my blood pressure up is when they DON'T have the intelligent and all-encompassing snappy comeback they need and **I DO!!** I YELL it at 'em but they never hear me. Sigh.
 
When your kids get a little older...

....maybe you can run for office!!! Put those snappy comebacks to good use. I think you have a good "likeablity" factor ;-) In my truly humble opinion! And we know you're smart, so you have two good things going for you. And you have a good command of the English language. Sounds good to me....give it some thought!!

If not, maybe you could write a humorous political commentary column....the 21 century female Will Rogers. See, the possibilities are endless for you, Miss Susan P!! :7:7:7:7
 
When I miss a workout for something that has to do with my son, then I don't beat myself up so much. However, when it's because I'm tired and/or lazy, then I really do (in fact, too much).

As for the morning workouts, my son used to wake up when I was doing mine (I start at 4:30, so that was just really bad). Then I started putting a bath towel under his bedroom door so the light and sound wouldn't travel into his room. It really works! :-jumpy He stays in bed until I wake him up, I start my day knowing that I did something for my health (and hips, and thighs, and abs...)

I applaud you for saying that four days is easy. That takes a lot of dedication, you know. You're awesome! ;-)
 
a few things that work for me
1. I go to the forum a lot (find it very motivating)
2. I keep my schedule in a spreadsheet (for me it's motivating to write it down).
3. I make working out a priority - my kids 11/14 have accused me of being addicted to working out! but that's the only way. We do so much more for others so it's the one thing I do for myself.
4. Like you I prefer the morning but find the only time I can do it without totally disrupting everyone is in the evening during part of homework time. I guess the key is finding what works best in the never ending juggling process..


GOOD LUCK to you!
 
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