Foodie Fitness Corner

(Check out last month's article: How to Go from Frumpy to Fabulous at the Gym)

Discovering Your Fitness Personality
By Hillery Kelly

I have a confession to make.

I’ve reached that place in my fitness journey where I’ve become bored with my current routine.  And it’s starting to reflect in the intensity of my workouts!  Especially in my boot camp class.

Apathy towards my workouts, frustration at myself, lack of motivation, all make me feel pissed off after rather than accomplished and juiced, which is how I used to feel.

I’m aware of it, which is good.  But I don’t want to slip into the fitness abyss where I start making excuses not to work out. That’s why I’m attempting to shake things up. 

But if boot camp wasn’t doing it for me anymore, then what would? To start my path in a different direction, I first had to figure out my “fitness personality.” We all have one. Some of us are morning workout people, some runners, some weight lifters, some are competitive and others have to do some significant cajoling and bribery to pry themselves off the couch.

Knowing what drives you is important, which is why I spent some time figuring out what makes me “me” in the gym. Here’s what I discovered:

1.       I’m not a morning person.  I need two cups of coffee just to take a shower and brush my teeth. So 5am gym classes are not a viable option. I there, but I’m not enjoying it.

2.       I’m super competitive.  I compete with people who have no idea I’m in competition with them. Old lady on the treadmill 3 over that’s running a tad bit faster than me…YOU. ARE. GOING. DOWN!!!!  (Nik asked me to point out she’s the same way, which is probably why we’re good friends that never, EVER work out together!)

3.       I hate to lose.  But loosing doesn’t frustrate me, it motivates me.  It causes me to dig down deep and work harder so that I don’t lose again, which is closely related to #2.

4.       I’m a social person, but I also can be a loner.  I thrive on group activity, but I need my alone time to recharge because too many people can be draining.

5.       I’m a gym sadist.  I like a good workout that leaves me in a heap on the floor.  If it’s too easy, it’s not going to keep my interest for long.

6.       I need to move my body and hear my heart beating in my ears.  This is one of the few times my brain turns “off”.  I tried yoga and it seemed to have the opposite effect.  My brain kept racing and it was far from calming and relaxing. 

Knowing all this, I decided that my boot camp class, much as I love it, no longer gels with my fitness personality. There are always lots of beginners there, which is great, but it also means I sometimes don’t get pushed by the trainers and have no one to “mentally compete” with. Those things are important to me!

So it’s time to change up. I’ve decided to cut down on boot camp and pick up some spin classes. I’ve taken spin a few times and it is hard! But now I know I need it to be hard to keep me interested.

So that’s my fitness personality. What’s yours? Think about it and I guarantee you can find an activity that you like doing that will also push you toward your weight loss goals!

About the Author:  Hillery is a year post-op (gastric bypass). She is a chemist and environmental engineer residing in the suburbs of the Nation’s capital….a country girl at heart turned city slicker! She fully admits to being addicted to makeup, skin care, hair creams, soaps, lotions, and potions of all price ranges…an equal opportunity product junkie with a special passion and love for lipstick.  Read about her makeup addition, product reviews, and anything worth dishing about in the world of beauty at www.platinumpjs.com.

If you've got a fitness question or concern, hit Hillery up at bariatricfoodie@yahoo.com

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