I admittedly am a creature of habit. Maybe I’m not good at remembering changes, but I like to have my days follow a regular schedule. I go to the YMCA every day, Monday through Friday, for my regular workout. Although I do change up what I do from day to day and week to week to keep my body guessing, I go at the same time every day. Because of this, I am often unable to fit group classes into my schedule. I am not the biggest fan of group classes, anyhow. They are not in my comfort zone. I like to do my own thing (or work with my trainer).

However, I decided to take my own advice and step out of my comfort zone again. I took a Zumba class and spent the whole hour laughing about just how much I CAN’T DANCE! I kept my heart rate up, burned calories and had fun, so it was completely worth any humiliation I felt. Although I have taken the class before, I am definitely not comfortable there. I also broke up my schedule by adding a twice weekly yoga class to my routine. I am very comfortable doing yoga, but I had to rearrange my day twice a week to accommodate the class. Again, it was well worth it. I feel calm and refreshed after the classes. Because I gave up some cardio time to fit the class into my schedule, I now have to do a little cardio at home twice a week so I’m not totally relying on the gym.

The real key to losing weight and keeping it off is changing your lifestyle. Change can be very scary for lots of people. It is mostly about being comfortable with the status quo, so getting uncomfortable once in a while is key. Change isn’t so bad. You are trying to change your body so embrace change in your lifestyle. See change as your best friend, and soon the changes you make will be your new comfort zone.

Tags: Comfort Zone