Sunday, June 6, 2010

Crystal Light Pure Fitness: How Do You Stay Fit?

This is sponsored content from BlogHer and Crystal Light Pure Fitness.

Before having the twins, I was a runner. I'd wake myself up every morning before school and run three miles. If it was nice outside, I'd run on the Crescent Trail. Most of the winter, I ran indoors on a treadmill.

Running was how I maintained my weight. It was my stress relief, my alone time, my thinking space. I can't say that I always loved dragging myself down to the gym, but I always loved the afterglow of exercise. I spent a lot of time feeling proud of myself for sucking it up and putting on my sneakers even when I'd rather stay in bed.

My doctor told me to stop running during fertility treatments and I truly didn't know what to do with myself at first. I stopped sleeping at night because I wasn't working out my nervous energy. The weight started creeping up and I felt sluggish. But soon I grew accustomed to having that time back, and once the twins arrived, I couldn't imagine giving up sleep for exercise. Even long after they were sleeping through the night, I could still find a better way to spend my time rather than running in place.

Vitalife
In the six years since I gave up running, my body has changed drastically and unhappiness with how I look and feel coupled with the fact that I can't afford a new wardrobe drove me to get back into shape starting last winter. I began with getting a Wii and committing myself to running every day, recording my progress in a small notebook that resides on my desk, reminding me of my commitment to schlep down to the basement and trot around WuHu Island.

So far, it's working. I've been able to stick to a five-day-a-week plan. Part of it is that it's easy--I don't have to leave the house to exercise so I can do it at any time. I even exercised straight through Washington, D.C.'s Snowmageddon since I didn't need to leave my house and get to a gym.

The increase in exercise has increased my water consumption. I've been mixing it up by drinking plain water, water with lemon, unsweetened iced tea, and some samples of Crystal Light Pure Fitness the kind people of Crystal Light sent me for this program.

Some of the weight has come off too. It's slow-going, but I'd rather have it sustainable and have the weight stay off. Beyond that, I'm feeling better and I'm sleeping better and both of those things are just as important as fitting back into my jeans.

So now I'm asking you--how do you stay in shape? Tell me by leaving a comment below. Each comment is an entry in the sweepstakes I'm holding at the end of this four-part series for a $100 gift card. And I'm not the only one running this contest: by clicking here, you also have 4 other chances to win $100 as well as a $1,000 sweepstakes on the round-up page. You can also read more on the official rules page.

27 comments:

Adam and Julia said...

I stay fit by hitting the gym four times a week. It is tough at times, but totally worth it when I leave. I feel better and look better when I am working out. I also try to eat right and drink lots and lots of water.

Kristin said...

We have an elliptical at home and I use that in my effort to get back in shape.

Justine L said...

I run at lunch or first thing in the morning ... usually only 3-4 miles, but it's something, I guess. And I try to eat healthy, most of the time! Yoga class helps. :) If only there were more hours in the day!

Suzanna Catherine said...

Walking/jogging. I don't make it everyday, but I'm trying to get back into the habit...

JW Moxie said...

This summer, I'm putting myself on an exercise and healthy-eating regimen. I get bored easily with repetition, so I rotate my at-home workouts. I use Jillian's 30 Day Shred, Zumba, and Turbo Jam workout DVDs. Today I'm also buying a Gold's Gym exercise bike, that way I can do what I do best without being a total lazebag - watch TV. :)

areyoukiddingme said...

Running is the only thing that helps...but I can't run very well. So I walk and I run. And then I try to do some weight training and some ab work. Basically I'm inconsistent.

Susan said...

walking, lifting and maintaining a physically demanding job that doesn't every really let me get out of shape!

Lori Lavender Luz said...

I still want our Miis to meet (miit?) on WuHu.

Yoga. Zumba, TurboKick, and now HipHop. Plus, I'm married to a health-conscious guy who cooks.

And I really need to drink more water.

Musewander said...

a mix of P90X, boot camp class and zumba class at the gym, combined with walking the dogs 2 x a night, most days, for about 20-30 minutes each.
I used to run more though--if I had more time, I'd do it more. For now, Zumba is plenty of cardio for me!

myinfertilitywoes said...

I absolutely LOVE bikram yoga. I became addicted to it this past winter when I was trying to lose my fertility treatment weight gain. I'm also a runner but there's something about bikram yoga that made my body look really awesome in a short-ish period of time!

Ceejay said...

With my hypothalamic amenorrhea, I've also had to cut way back on exercise. But my current plan is biking the 6 miles (round-trip) to work at least 3 times a week. I ride a mountain bike and try to push it pretty hard, so it's actually a pretty good workout. And good for the environment.

But I miss those morning jogs...

Anonymous said...

I use a stair climber 5 days a week, and on the weekend my exercise takes a more fun approach. Long power walks (5 miles) and longer bike rides (1-1/2 - 2 hours.

Drinking water all day at work keeps me hydrated and cuts down on my desire to snack. Especially if the water is nicely flavored -- like with Crystal Light.

Anonymous said...

I go to the gym 4-5 days a week and do a combo of cardio & weightlifting.

amycastellano74(at)hotmail(dot)com

Betty N said...

I am older and have some health problems but my husband and I take a 20 minute walk each morning and keeping up with young grandkids adds some exercise to my day!

Nita said...

Walking mostly. I would like to get a stationary bike to ride also.

Anonymous said...

Leslie Sansone's "Walk Away the Pound" DVDs. Low impact (can't run due to weak knees) cardio with strength training at the same time. Like your Wii, they are done at home so its easier to fit into my schedule and thus stick to it.

anonymous said...

I stay fit by walking and drinking lots of water.

Unknown said...

I walk the dog and workout with the Wii!

Tina B. said...

I bike to work (3 miles) and walk as much as possible!

Unknown said...

{{sigh}} I was the girl who always got a "D" in gym class..zero athletic ability here. But I'm a huge walker..and now both the dog and I are walking almost every day since the vet told me she was too overweight. She's lost her belly and my legs are a lot more toned than they've ever been.

shel704 at aol dot com

Leticia said...

I've tried running but I don't love it. So I switched to hiking! It's great and depending on the trail it can be a full bodied work out. Not to mention how great it is to escape the city.

Erin from Long Island said...

I am lucky enough to have a treadmill, a bike, and an elliptical in my house. (We got them used). I switch off between them making each workout a little different. I also have dumbbells to play with.

Deb Anderson said...

I realized I was spending more time indoors than outdoors. And I knew it would take a major life do-over to change that. I had heard about the Wii and how great it is for physical fitness, but I couldn't afford one. I do have an old Playstation 2 that still works, so I got on an auction site and found Dance Dance Revolution with the mat and all and now I try to do that at least a few times a week. Hey, it's better than nothing!! And it's FUN!

Anonymous said...

Normally, running is my favorite way to stay fit. I love having some time to myself to think and destress. Now that I'm pregnant, we take a lot of walks and I am going to start incorporating bike rides in there, too!

subfertilefrugalista@gmail.com

Hannah LaRue said...

I (try) to stay fit doing yoga and walking. I think I need to ramp it up with some running (ugh). I might have to check out the running feature on the Wii.

hannahoberg@yahoo.com

Katie said...

I stay fit by hitting the gym 4 to 5 times a week. It's good for my health and I get me time while my kids get to have fun in the awesome childwatch that our gym has.

Just call me "B" said...

I am a runner! And, I love it!