Okay, I am a little on cloud nine with my fitness progress the past two weeks. I have to be careful because I’ve been here before. Most of us (me included) have two solid weeks of progress and expect to see big changes. Depending on your goal, that’s usually not realistic. I fall in this mental trap all the time and with where I sit right now, I know it is critical that I stay focused on the goal and not spend too much time in the mirror looking for changes. The thing that will carry me through the next two weeks is how I feel. I feel fit because my muscles are sore every day and I know my cardio endurance is getting stronger with every workout. I am seeing small changes, but I know no one else can see them at this point. So I can’t let that get me down or let it start to invade my thoughts. You’ve heard the saying…

I believe in this, and while it’s great to have deadlines or checkpoints for monitoring progress, I know I’m making a lifestyle change. Just like you can’t be a doctor without going to medical school and spending hours and hours in different hospital rotations, you can’t expect your body to look like an elite runner (or someone really lean/fit) unless you run a lot and do the things that result from those actions/habits.

Hopefully you’re feeling some of my enthusiasm. I feel like I am finally being honest with myself. Not expecting immediate results, and acknowledging that I have to put in the time and work to get the results. And it doesn’t have to be hard. You just have to make it happen. And be patient with yourself along the way.

Here’s a quick look at my workouts this past week (and what I’ll be doing tomorrow):

Monday PM: 30 min. stairmaster + heavy leg lifts + abs (squats, leg press, lunges, glutes, etc.)
Tuesday PM: 30 min. stairmaster + arm/shoulder lifts
Wednesday AM: 3.5 mile run w/ sprint intervals
Thursday PM: 30 min. stairmaster + heavy leg lifts 
Friday AM: 2 mile run
Saturday AM: Track (2-3 mile run + stadiums, sprints, sandbag, abs)
Sunday: Rest

The point is: consistency. When I make exercise part of my routine, I never make the decision to work out based on whether or not I feel like it, I just always plan to do it—like going to work every day. I still am not a morning person, but I’ve made an honest effort to get to bed by 10:30 or 11 pm each night. When I can’t, I don’t expect myself to be able to wake up early for a morning workout. But I know if I do go to bed earlier, I can always wake up early. That, along with preparing my meals for the week, has made all the difference in the world. Simple, but so key to success.