Getting Over my Fear of the Gym (and Sticking to it!)

Every winter, I try to remind myself that I will not gain any winter weight then Thanksgiving comes around – followed by my birthday and Christmas and my dependence on thick leggings. Winter weight is awful but what’s even more problematic is when the weather starts to change and I grab my summer clothes from the previous year and they fit a little snug. I usually get an attitude, get a low-cost gym membership and put myself in that good exercise pain for a few weeks until I feel results. I lose about 15 pounds in the summer then the season changes again and here I am again, trying not to gain weight in the cold weather again.

This is torture! I want to be the thick kind of curvy; you know, nice wide hips, a small but slightly pudgy tummy (so I can wear crop tops) and healthy, thick thighs. I don’t want to be skinny ( not there’s anything wrong with that) and I’m not trying to impress a guy (trust me, I don’t need any help in that department) but I do want to look a certain way in my clothes and I want to wear a fat-kini!

So I am making a promise to myself to lose 25 pounds by Labor Day because I think it’s realistic and I want to participate in Playing Mas ( an activity where I wear a costume and masquerade and dance, which is taking place during the West Indian Parade in Brooklyn, NY). So I need to get my cardio up if I’m going to be dancing all night. But where do I start?

I need Equipment:

I’m not super vain but I don’t want to worry about if my rolls are out of control or my boobs giving peek shows. I only want to work out and focus on sweating and the burn! So I’ve placed my order for some new workout gear on Amazon. I’ll post a review once I get it.

Diet:

The dreaded “D” word. Anyone who knows me knows that I have a sweet tooth and I crave cookies and puddings and everything else that is delicious but bad for me. I don’t want to complete eliminate these delicious gifts from the Earth, but I need a good balance. Krishna, founder of Baobab Wellness, created a post about detoxing. One of recipes that she states is good for boosting metabolism, is easy to create a home and tasty to drink hot or cold.

Here’s the recipe:

A recurring theme in my detox recipes is ginger. Ginger is a powerful detox ingredient that helps starts kick start your metabolism, it acts as a natural antihistamine during the allergy season and gives you that extra boost of energy to burn calories during your workout.Below are two of my go to’s:

Lemon, Ginger and Water:
Ingredients:
1 12 ounce glass of water
Juice of 1-2 lemons
1/2 inch knob of ginger

Add the lemon juice to the glass or water. Finely grate the ginger and add to lemon/water mixture. Drink.
I like to prepare this drink the night before to give the ginger time to seep and add a strong flavor but it can easily be prepared and drank daily.

I know I have to drink tons of water but I still want some flavor in my body and i was super excited when I discovered All Beauty Water. All Beauty Water is the equivalent of 2 glasses of water + 8 Skin Vitamin. I enjoyed the Pomegranate Rose but they also come in flavors such as Cucumber Aloe and Strawberry Açaí.

All Beauty Water has Zero calories!

Will Power:

They say it takes 30 days to create a habit and it’s true. The first week or so, your body has to readjust to less sugar and snacks but I found that the more I worked out, the smaller my appetite was.

Advice from the Experts:

Charity shares tips

What’s the ideal workout for curvy women?

CL: It would be great to do some free weight work followed by 20-30 minutes of cardio. Women don’t be afraid to lift those weights cardio alone will not get you the results that you are looking for.

What are the best labels and places to shop for plus size active wear?

CL: Curvy Chick Fitness by the Eleana Collection of course!

My runner up would be Katie K. Active

What are good guilt free snacks?

CL: Nuts and nut butters (almond,peanut,cashew etc.)

Fresh fruits (apples and bananas are great with almond and peanut butter)

Fresh vegetables with hummus as a dip

hard boiled egg

Now that I am making a promise to become the best I can be, where will I start at? Curvy Dance ( with Charity Lynette), Curvy Yoga or Curvy Pole Dancing? I will let you know what I decide soon!