Pit and Peak Linkup 1/11/13

 

I love this idea (and anyone who knows me, knows I love the Kardashians) of sharing our Pit & Peaks of the week.  I'm excited to take part!  So here goes:

I'm starting off with my peaks (two parts) because my pit came from them :)  I haven't been to Zumba in a month because my mom was here in December and I'd rather workout here at home with her than leave her to go to the gym.  So on Sunday, I FINALLY got to go back to my favorite Zumba class and just like it always is, it was a kickass burn.  I felt so good, surprisingly since I'd been gone for month!  I jumped around like a crazy person and shook my badonk like I hadn't shaken it in a while...I loved being back to the gym and I burned almost 600 calories by the end of the class.  I left there and then joined one of my workout buddies at my house and walked another 3 miles and I ended the day with over 1100 calories - awesome, right?!?

So here comes my pit :(  Monday morning, I was standing in my kitchen at work, doing something pretty substantial:  um, standing there.  I went to take a step and bam!  My knee gave out!  I could barely walk but somehow made it up to my office.  I have felt little tugs on my knees in the past - I mean, let's face it, they've been under some stress for the past 20 years - but this one hurt a little more...I couldn't just walk it off. I decided I'd sit and rest it for the day...I changed from my cute heels into some boring flats...and figured that I wouldn't do anything crazy and I'd be fine for my Monday night Zumba class.  Thankfully, I have a great team that I work with and one of my gals ran to CVS to get me a knee brace; it helped a lot.  I still had plans to workout...that is, until my gym buddy looked at me incredulously and said, "You are NOT going to the gym, you crazy person!  You are going to rest your knee."  So, I pouted, but figured that she was probably right.  I certainly don't want to do so much damage that I have to have surgery and be off my feet for even longer than a few days.

I started to think about why I was hesitant to "take a break".  I mean the old me would have taken any opportunity to NOT workout...hangnail?  Oh I better rest.  So what I came up with is something I've been thinking about a lot lately.  One thing that I've learned in this journey is that I sort of rely A LOT on my workouts to be able to enjoy a few extra treats in my day.  I don't go nuts, but it's nice to have a little bit of a cushion on some days.  The problem with this philosophy is that I still struggle mentally with my inner fat girl & I worry that at any moment I could lose all control and just go over the edge.  Does anyone else feel this way?  Hubby says that it's because I still don't know who the "new" me is and I certainly don't trust her yet.  He doesn't even know that old fat girl anymore; he only knows this new chick who rolled up and seems to have her crap together.  Which is pretty funny since we've been together 25 years and 20 of those years, I WAS that fat girl.  

But isn't it funny that even though my life is so drastically different that it used to be, that girl still just lurks there?  I wonder if I'll spend my life always trying to squash her?  In truth, I don't want to squash her; she is a huge (heh heh) part of me.  I liked her, quite honestly.  She was the girl who pointed me in the direction of this new me.  We're always going to be buds.

So, back to the other part of my peak, I relaxed a little bit (mentally and physically), rested my knee and ROCKED keeping my calories in check WITHOUT relying on my workouts.  I took two days off and then did a little toning with not too much cardio.  Next week my goal is going to be to do the same.  I want being able to manage my calories ALL the time to become a habit.

I only had a small loss (.7) but I need to start enjoying those small losses as much as I do the big ones.  Overall, even with an injury, a great week!  I hope you a week with more peaks than pits, too.

January 3, 2013 - Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Welp, I got through the holidays no worse for wear and I’m super excited about that!  The scale didn’t budge either way, and for me, that’s a huge accomplishment.  Overall, I did alright; not too crazy with all of the cookies and delicious treats around.  But, I certainly partook.  I honestly am crediting my crazy workout schedule because I certainly ate more than I had been before the holidays.

Basically, my philosophy during the last 3 weeks was simple; the convo went a little like this: 

Me to Myself:  Ugh, the last thing I want to do is work out today! 

Myself to Me:  Guess that means you better get your ass in gear & work out.

And that is exactly what I did.  I didn’t get a chance to get to the gym because my mom was here, so my handy elliptical got quite a workout itself.  AND, I got caught up on most of my trash TV, heh heh.  Hey, I’ve told you before, I’m not ashamed of my reality shows; they get me through the workouts!

I have to admit, I got a little, teensy bit nervous to get on the scale.  I mean, I had every intention of waiting to weigh until I could be good for at least a week straight after the New Year.  But then I decided I better just bite the bullet and see what the damage was.  I wanted to know how I was starting off the year.  I gave Myself the pep talk beforehand:  “Okay, you’re going to be okay no matter what it says.  You WILL NOT freak out; you will OWN what it says and you will take that information and move forward and you will NOT beat yourself up!”  I honestly, had my eyes closed and peeked.  Well, imagine my surprise to have remained the same and how VERY thankful I was that I listened to Myself…she’s alright.

But here’s an interesting thing that happened while I was avoiding my stupid friend, The Scale, and enjoying some yummy treats.  Even though I was working out like a crazy person, I was still not eating as well as I usually do and my whole mentality was really off as I got closer to having to weigh.  I started feeling bloated and fat.  I tried on a bunch of clothes that day and nothing felt good; nothing felt right or flattering.  I just KNEW that bitch was going to tell me that I had gained 10lbs.  But I hadn’t…not even an ounce.

Basically, my point is that doing what we need to do and what is right to get healthy makes us feel better.  It just does.

So, it’s the New Year and my healthy goal (NOT a resolution!) is simple:  Keep doing what I know I need to do and don’t lose momentum!  And for Gawd’s sake, give Myself some credit for all of her hard work.

December 7, 2012

It’s that time of year again!  I bet you think I’m talking about the holidays?  Nope, I’m talking about the Season of Eating.  There are typically two trains of thought when it comes to December: 

1)  YESSS!!  It’s the holidays; I’m SOOO ditching my diet and am going to eat, eat, eat and not think about ANYTHING healthy until January 1^st!   Cookies, parties, yummy treats – Yahoooo!

And

2)  OH NOOO…it’s the holidays…TOO.  MUCH.  GOOD.  FOOD.  How am I going to get through this???  Cookies, parties, yummy treats, oh my.

This is my 2^nd Season of Eating since I started my healthy lifestyle and I have another train of thought:  Bring on the season!  I’m ready and I have a plan!

Yes, you can look at it one of the above two ways, but both carry along with them some type of guilt whether you end up feeling guilty on January 1^st or you feel guilty every single time you eat something you shouldn’t have…and guilt is awful!  It’s the most horrible feeling and it’s completely counter-productive and quite honestly who needs self-destruction like that???!

First, don’t stress.  This time of year is stressful enough.  Second, have a plan.  It’s not too late or too early to figure out how you’re going to meet these obstacles and temptations head on.  You may have your own plan, but I also wanted to share mine with you.

I’ve said it before:  don’t look at this time of year as a whole season of free-for-all eating.  If you really break down the whole month, there are probably only a few days when there are going to be big temptations.  Not every day is a day to celebrate with food.  Maybe a few office parties or friendly get-togethers, and probably only one or two family gatherings, right?  Make those your days to splurge.  I’m certainly NOT going to tell you not to enjoy food.  Let’s face it, this time of year is, for most of us, the only time when we make and/or receive special treats we reserve for this time of year -  ENJOY THEM.  Just enjoy fewer or less of them.

I also have a workout plan in place.  I work out almost every other day of the year anyway, and I enjoy it immensely. I’m not going to put that on the back burner, especially now.  I will continue to make it a priority.  It’s SO very important to keep your momentum going so that you don’t have to try to start back up again in January.  I love this quote:  If you’re tired of starting over, stop giving up.  You need your workouts for those extra cookies, but also for good mental health!  Counteract the craziness of the season with some really great workouts like walking and hiking if the weather permits, or trying some new workouts – the internet is filled with tons of different videos of things to try.  I’ve even walked in place while I’m watching a movie!  The bottom line:  do something.  Just get up and move -  you will feel better, I promise!

I’m starting off the month 45lbs lighter and I couldn’t be more proud of myself.  I am not worried about the holidays at all, bring them on!  I’m going to enjoy them and I’m certainly NOT going to feel guilt.  Because I’ve got my plan…and I know you’re going to get yours.

No matter how you celebrate your holidays, I hope they are happy, healthy and most importantly, filled with love and laughter.