Infomercials, Really?

Prior to losing the 90ish pounds I’ve lost since last February, I had been on every “diet” known to man. If it was on an infomercial, between my mother and I, we’d bought it. The “think yourself thin” CD’s you listen to while you go to sleep, the “all you have to do is breathe correctly” VHS tapes with the crazy blonde, the “Great North American Weight Loss” plan, the “Slim in 6″….and the list goes on.

The problem with these programs isn’t that they don’t work – it’s that they’re diets, mostly. And diets don’t work. But on top of all those diet programs, I’ve also purchased a number of workout programs from infomercials – and always hated them. Because, seriously, a 280 lb woman trying to do something and get the full motivation for it in her living room just isn’t what worked for me. I needed accountability and a trainer and a gym. But now that I have self-motivation, I thought maybe these things might work again.

So fast forward to now. I’ve learned to enjoy Yoga and Pilates in “class form” outside my home. And I’ve also become this avid runner I never thought I’d be. My one problem with running is the backs of my legs. I always feel like there’s a stiff line from my achilles to my hip – and no matter how much I stretch, it’s always there.

So last night, after my run, I thought to myself, “I wonder if Pilates would help.” So I dug through those fitness DVDs and found the Mari Winsor Pilates 20 minute workout (promoted by Daisy Fuentes back in 2002 when I probably bought it!) and pulled out my Yoga mat. I did a really fun, but difficult 20 minute Pilates workout. And I realized that the reason I used to hate this was because I really wasn’t in good enough shape to do it. Now that I’m strong, I can do everything correctly – and I did.

And guess what? I woke up this morning with no tightness at all in my legs. So, new normal, 20 minutes of Pilates after a run and I’m home free. I think I may break out the other DVDs I’ve got collecting dust now and see which ones get me going!