Zippy

Meet my hiking partner, Velvet, in this zestful open space.

The letter of the week from ABC Wednesday is the letter Z.

I choose the word zippy.


I belong to a Facebook group on body transformation where each member defines his or own transformation. Whether the goal is to lose weight, shape your body, add bulk, etc, we all want to work on our goals with eating and exercise.

We talk about, among other things, what gives us energy or motivation to exercise and go to the gym.

What makes me zippy and energetic? I tell them my secrets of having the energy to exercise or workout.

1. A breakfast with 20 or more grams of protein makes a difference. It gives me this satisfied feeling and not feel hungry for hours. When I go to the gym, I do not think about hunger or food because I am not hungry. How do I get 20+ grams of protein? I cheat by adding protein powder to my green smoothie. I eat yogurt or eggs or ham in the morning.
2. I drink lots of water. By the time I hit the door leaving the house to go to the gym, I would already drink 4 cups of water and then two more in the gym. I am well hydrated. In the past, before I get conscious about my water intake, I get so thirsty and get a headache while exercising. I reach my maximum heart rate according to my age within minutes of walking in the treadmill. I think I was dehydrated, that was why. In 15 minutes, I was so tired and could barely continue.
3. Caffeine also keeps me going. I feel a bit hyper after 1 cup of coffee and 2 cups of matcha tea. I pour this energy in cardio and weight machines. It works. It extends my stamina. No need for me to use expensive pre-workout out supplements.
4. Meditation and yoga, I think, helps my mind and helps me to think about positive things too so my mind does not wander too much and I could concentrate on what I want to do--exercise, read, or work.
5. My dog Velvet, keeps me going as we walk outside. She is so fun to be with on a hike. To see her happy motivates me to go further.
6. A good quality sleep. To me, it can be anywhere from six to nine hours with a good amount of deep sleep. I use my Fitbit blaze to track my sleep and I notice, the more I spend time in deep sleep, the better I feel throughout the day.

How about you? What gives you energy? How do you motivate yourself to move?