Week 2 Day 4

The last two days, along with everything else, there has been a thinking assignment mulling around in my head. Why am I doing this and what in me resists change?

At one time in my life, I embraced change. It was exciting, it was an opportunity to learn and try something new and to discover something new about myself in my responses and my own strengths and weaknesses. Now, my life has really turned around. Struggles through relationships, trying to survive the aftermath of two disastrous marriages (hey, if at first you don’t succeed…) that left me financially crippled for a long time due to actions other than my own. I lost confidence in myself and my own abilities, but those were always rather shaky. This despite evidence to the contrary – always graduating at the top of my class and commended on the quality of the work that I do. However, in my personal life, surrounded by people who were poison for one reason or another.

Now, I’m not as ready for adventure and have become a great deal more cautious. If nothing else, this quest to return to fitness and health has shaken things up a bit. I’m watching my peers suffering from low back pain, arthritis, overweight, diabetes, hypertension…the range of onset of chronic preventable disease.  They ask me for advice and I tell them – be careful of what you eat and enough but not too much, get out and walk, take a water aerobics class,  or do something to get your body moving, follow your doctor’s advice on medications and such  and work to get those numbers down where they need to be, etc. It falls on deaf ears as they would rather continue as they are and complain than do anything about it.

Now I have to sit and ponder.  Am I the same way in other areas beyond fitness? What about my personal relationships? What about my education? Am I doing what is best for me in every case or just some of the time? What do I fear to face and what challenges am I not taking on because of change or discovering that I’m going to need to work hard to develop where I am currently weak?

Not exactly a fitness and fat loss kind of post at this point, but maybe closer to the root of why I’m here.  Am I trying to turn back the clock and reclaim my life?

Week 2 Day 3

Another rough day for keeping with the workouts and sometimes all I can do is keep my eating clean.

Work this week has been insane. Last minute arrangements for a potential “spousal hire” who should also meet with a speaker who is visiting this week just so my supervisor can have feedback on the speaker’s impression. Then a Fulbright scholar arrives and I’m running all over campus with him trying to get everything in place since the international office on campus doesn’t seem to think that we are responsible for anything and he’s on his own to sink or swim. This is how we treat visitors to our country? So I’m learning my way through that maze and suffering along with him.

On the personal front, scheduling in overdue medical checks, watching a friend’s  house while she’s gone, and responding to the mini-emergencies of my younger offspring while still trying to finish reviewing dozens of references for a paper that I must turn in in less than two weeks…and word one isn’t on the paper yet. Just ideas churning in my head.

Of course, with everything else going on, getting time and space to get workouts in while at work is next to impossible.  I’m lucky to escape to the restroom when I need to.  Don’t even mention the sleep issue. The frustration is mounting….

Last day of the “new” workout regimen is tomorrow. Is it too much to ask to get through one day with all sessions done, following the nutrition plan, and getting enough sleep? I hope not.

Week 2 Day 2

Started the day off strong and on schedule. Then, in the afternoon, the storms hit and a torrential downpour. Received a call from a “special friend” who lives about an hour away.  He asked me down for dinner so we could then later retrieve his car where he had had to leave it the night before when one of his team mates accidentally left with his keys.  Then a call from my younger daughter to give her a ride home from work since she had no umbrella and no car. Finally road construction and closure due to flooding topped off the trip home. No evening workouts for me.

I did watch what I had for dinner and just decided to relax and enjoy the conversation and the company.  Life has been such a constant rush lately that I think I needed that break both mentally and emotionally. I don’t have another adult IRL to simply sit and chat with and online can only go so far.

Afterwards, a drive to the ball field to pick up his car and then an hour’s drive home for me.  I think I fell asleep the moment my head hit the pillow.

Week 2 Day 1

The start of a new flurry of madness in the workouts and nutrition, but not to say that I didn’t expect it.  Loaded the cupboards with “good food” and now just have to take the time to eat it.  That’s become a bit of an issue.  Not super hungry right now, so I’ll have to keep an eye on my intake.

A few stressors, as usual, but I’m going to keep at the program and keep pushing.  Now, when I know that I’m going to be hard pressed to get a particular workout in, I try to make the others that much harder – adding greater weights to prolong recovery time, an extra circuit, etc.  Anything to get some more work in in the time that I do have.

My body feels good.  “Used and worked” but not in a bad worn-down, broken-down way.  It’s more in a way that makes me feel more alive and present.  My outlook is coming back to the old optimistic person that I was in my younger years. All very fine with me.  I’ll be more than pleased to dump the down moods along with the negative physical weight (read unneeded fat and weak muscles) and exchange them for something that makes me happier with the person I’m in the process of becoming.

End of Week 1 pictures

For those who are interested (and my own personal record!), here are the pictures to go with the end of week one.

Week 1 Day 7

Made it through all the workouts despite a late start. However, I didn’t feel much like eating, so it ended up being a “fast day” for me. I finally had a little roasted chicken (without the skin) and steamed broccoli just to keep something in my system.

I feel good.  The workouts had me sweating and shaking by the time I was done, but nothing that I didn’t recover from with a bit of hydration and rest. I was tempted to simply push the fast into the next three days to allow me more time for working on my school work catch-up but then decided against that approach since I didn’t know how it would affect any potential muscle loss at the same time.

I’ll finish up with the supplements and then probably take a hot bath before bedtime to help relax me and get me ready for another workday tomorrow. Pleased with results thus far.

Measurements at end of week 1 (mind you, this includes missing workouts on two days!).

Body Location	Right (where applicable)	Left (where applicable)
Chest	35.75”
Waist at Umbilicus	32.5”
Natural Waist	27.75”
Hips	35.75”
Upper Thigh	18.25”	18.25”
Lower Thigh	14.5”	14.5”
Upper Arm	10.75”	10.625”
Weight as of 6/13/10	132 lbs

Week 1 Day 6

Not a great day for workouts because many other things demanded by attention as essentially a single parent. I’ve been putting off other tasks during the week that are on a strict timeline in order to get the workouts done and now I had to “do or die” in either getting them started or finishing them off.  However, rather than jumping into the car for every chore, I convinced my daughter that making the trip on foot, whenever possible, would do us good so I managed to get in 5 or 6 miles of walking yesterday.

I didn’t eat much either.  Stuck with the nutritional recommendations, but I just wasn’t hungry. Stressed out?  Yes.  Hungry? No.  I’ll try using the recommended herbals and see if that helps although I’ve only been able to locate them locally in tablet form.

Up late reading through references for a paper that is due in two weeks during the evening of Day 6.  Eish. It seems like there is never enough time to accomplish everything, but I still got in a solid eight hours of sleep before getting up on Day 7.  I just went to bed and let my body take it from there, sleeping as long as I needed. I also managed to multi-task enough to get my laundry done today, so not everything essential is waiting for tomorrow.

Time to get “back on target” and switch my attitude to one of taking some time for myself rather than seeing the program as another chore in a list of chores.

Week 1 Day 5

Busy trying to keep up with everything.  My brain is still stressed out over the paper I need to write.  I feel like I should just “hole up” for the weekend someplace other than home (with all the work around me that no one else seems to think needs done – college students live in rooms that resemble ground zero). However, the U where I can be near my office may be the best choice because I want to keep up with the workouts now that I can move again!

I added an extra circuit and am now up to five, but that was really pulling it out of me and I was sweating and shaky at the end.  Same thing earlier today, but most of the work is done now although my numbers were down a little.  I can feel the arms developing.  I’ll be forcing myself off to bed on time just to make sure that I get my rest in.  I want that tummy blubber GONE by the time these thirty days are up.  It either shapes up or ships out!

The soreness is mostly gone, but I noticed a bit of pain in my left groin area during the morning workout.  Something new that bears watching until I figure out how to best manage it.  I’ll up my supplements tonight to see if that helps with whatever is going on there plus getting rid of any residual.

The farmers’ market will be opening next weekend and will be a fine opportunity for biking and getting produce fresher than the stores for less.  I’m looking forward into adding that back into my summer routine.

MAP Week 1 Day 4

Hooray!!  I finally feel like me again.  Although I’m a little sore, I’m two workouts through the day and will do one as soon as I get home and save the relaxing stretches for before bed.

Sleep is the biggest issue, hands down.  I’ve been stressing about a paper that I need to hand in in three weeks and just had a two hour meeting with my adviser.  Now it looks like things will take a slightly different direction which will require more “quickie” research and analysis – on a weekend that has the university network down for upgrade.  Oh, well. That will be a good time to make an outline, look at what I have, and see where I might want to do some digging. So, I stay up after work at the computer and time passes before I realize how horribly late it’s gotten and that I am now settling for six hours or less.  Need I say not a good idea?

Last night I passed on the research and got into bed by 10:30 for a 6:30 a.m. wake-up.  I was still out cold when the alarm went off and realize that I could have probably easily slept for another hour or two. Instead, I’ll have to budget my time more carefully, which means creating a schedule and sticking with it or having a darned good reason to deviate.

Oh, and my advisor?  she asked for a link to Dax’s website.  ;D

MAP Week 1 Day 3

Okay, now it’s getting frustrating. I’m so sore that I can hardly move and having to bend over, get into the car, or sit for long periods of time is surprisingly painful.  I’m going to take another long soak in salt water tonight, really watch the fluids and supplement intake and definitely need to up my protein intake.  I practically live on salads and lightly steamed veggies and didn’t realize how low I’d let it go until I did a two day review.  I took a walk with my younger daughter just to get out and move for a bit plus another walk at work today and those wiped me out.

As far as my goals go, I’d like to drop another 10 pounds this round, so I’m watching my food choices carefully to get a good mix of nutrient dense ones.  Hydration will also need to be pushed just to make sure I get all that water in.  Sleep has been a major challenge this past week.  I think my on-again/off-again/maybe relationship will have to go for a while.  Not a bad choice given we live over an hour’s drive away and arranging meet-ups isn’t always convenient for either of us as we are both students. Neat guy, but life can’t go on hold while he makes up his mind and I need my evenings for catching up on my school work and the self-love of getting myself fit and staying there.

I was down another pound on the scale this morning, but that could be more water flush-out.  I tend to be rather doubtful of sudden “big” losses like that.

I cough and my abdomen aches, I turn and my obliques scream, and just touching other areas is uncomfortable.  Hmmmm.  Sounds like the program is hitting all the right places.