Losing Your Fit Factor in a Relationship

"I don't know how girls in relationships can let themselves get so fat."- things I used to say... until now.

I admit that like many people over the past year, I have fallen of the wagon as far as working out. I have always been a single girl and had and the drive to hit the gym everyday and stay fit- MORE Than fit- in addition to my regular gym routine I've always done yoga, and either boxing or gymnastics on the side, as well as have many active hobbies. So how did this happen?

Why do we do this ladies? Why is it when we get into a relationship staying fit is so much harder? Well, I have a few theories:

• First, our men eat more than we do, and we eat with them. Men are always hungry and they eat a lot. I found myself eating so much more than I normally would. And while my boyfriend eats pretty healthy most of the time, eating significantly more food more often is not good for staying fit! So I recently decided that it's ok to just say i'm not hungry if he is, and to say i'm full when I am. 


• Second, I like to workout at night, and that's the time I now spend with my boo. My usual gym time is now taken up with my significant other. I go to his house at night, we eat dinner, we watch a movie, we go to bed. I used to go to the gym at night, and while over the last year I wouldn't say I've let myself go by any means, I certainly have not been nearly at my most fit shape. In fact, I'll admit that I will make it to the gym a few mornings in a row, and then just drop off all together for months.

The realization- "OMG, I'm like... getting fat!"

 

These things might be simple realizations, but they took me a longtime to come to. I don't think I realized I was becoming out of shape till I'd already been out of the gym for almost a year. It hit me when I put on a BIKINI and actually looked at myself. While I'd say I am a very good looking girl, I'm thin, I'm generally tan, I just didn't look fit..... and that's when I realized.... I have "the relationship syndrome" that other girls have and I've always criticized them for.

 

So I've decided to take up my blog again and to start trying to get back into not just adequate "relationship" shape, but to get FIT.

 AT HOME WORKOUT

 

Almost everything I do at the gym, I can do at home. At the gym, I mostly workout with free weights and run on the elliptical. I can get just as good a cardio workout jumping rope, running, doing step ups, jumping jacks, etc, and I also have a lot of workout equipment at home (though nothing crazy). And the bonus is that it's cheaper than the gym and more convenient.

I LOVE MY GYM BOSS TIMER! 

You will need a good circuit timer if you wanna get into working out at home and get results. Timers keep me on track, and force me to pre-plan a workout and complete it. I have a gymboss timer, which I love! I can set it for two varying time intervals which rotate in sets. For example I can have a 1 minute interval, followed by a 30 second interval which repeats however many times I want, or whatever. Right now, I am programing it to give me 30 seconds in between each exercise to get prepped for the next and take a breather. I highly recommend the gymboss timer. You can get it here: buy a gym boss timer

I am choosing 5 of the following activities each day and working it in a circuit 3 times, with 30 second breaks in between each. when I was in better shape, I'd do 30 seconds in between each set, and add ankle weights to jump roping, and the legs/ butt workouts, as well as increase my time to at least a minute for each.

cardio-
jump rope- 1 minute
step ups- 1 minute (on chair or step)
jumping jacks- 1 minute
1/2 mile run- at end of circuit.

core-
plank- 1 minute
side plank- 30 seconds each side
push up jumps onto yoga blog- 1 minute

legs/ butt-
jump squats- 1 minute (10 lbs in each hand)
side  step squats with a band- 1 minute
lounges- 1 minute

arms and chest-
on yoga ball- triceps- 30 sec. chest press-30 sec. (10 lbs in each hand)
biceps/triceps with a band- 30 seconds each
lunges with bicep curls- 30 sec. (10 lbs in each hand)
squats with a military press- 30 sec. (10 lbs in each hand)
lawn mowers- 30 seconds each side

(lawn mowers- I do these in a lounge for added difficulty and core work)

Some of these are really hard and can be modified to be easier: Especially the jump squats, the plank, and push ups. If it's too hard, and it was for me the first time, I recommend doing it in a girls style push up position on your knees. Similarly, if you can't hold a body plank for one minute to go down to a girls style push up position and hold it, but, don't drop it!!!

If the jump squats are too hard- hold a a wall squat, but don't drop it!!