Happy Friday!
First off, HAPPY BIRTHDAY GAYLE!
(How do I get that in big flashing letters?)
Cardio didn’t happen last night. I just struggle to get it in when the kids are in school – too much to do between activities and homework. It did happen today – LIS – and I did as much high intensity as I could even though it’s Low Intensity, and the sweat felt good! However, I’m way off schedule, and I’ll need to double up this weekend to get back on track.
Clean eating for 6 meals 2 days in a row. 45 more to go!
Wow, some really deep thoughts yesterday, so as usual I’m chiming in later. Here goes. I’m a perfectionist, meaning that when I go to do something, I intend and expect to do it well. I need to have a plan, a goal to achieve, etc. to really be motivated. So a bit back, before I knew it, 40 was approaching and I realized that I wanted to achieve something physical by that milestone. I choose running a 5K, and I did do it, several in fact, before I turned 40. So my next goal became beating 30 minutes, which would require losing some of the weight. Excuse, excuse, excuse, but I just wasn’t consistent. Then I finally figured out how to prioritize me – meaning go to bed early enough to wake up before the sun. With my time constraint of 30-40 minutes per day, BFL is a perfect fit. If I can get my body fat down to the 20-25% range, probably meaning another challenge), I expect to be able to run a 5K in under 30 minutes, then a 10K in under an hour, On to just doing a half marathon, and even a marathon . Maybe I’ll squeeze in a sprint triathlon. There’s always a half marathon in half or all 50 states, or a marathon on each continent. And that’s just some cardio goals. There are potential strength goals, too, like finally being able to do a pull-up or seeing how I can max out on straight leg push-ups (which isn’t very many right now). By completing this challenge, and maybe another, it's just one of the many goals I can have to celebrate this healthy, fully functioning body that I’ve been blessed with and finally got around to appreciating. It’s not just about how it looks, but also how it performs. Life is a journey and these are several of the “sites” I think I’ll “see” while I’m on it. That’s my take on the motivation.
Now on to lighter moments:
Belinda – Isn’t it fun when you start a new workout? I just need to be up to the mental challenge of learning the new choreography. Which is why in really dragging days, the tried and true, can do it half asleep workouts get pulled out.
Tammy – Yes, this is quite the chatty bunch. Don’t think at all that you have to give up something that you enjoy like spinning. There’s always a way to incorporate it in.
Amelia – I agree that the decrease in the cardio is very different from what I thought was needed, but the body is responding, so something must be working. I, too, am trying to stay focused on the body fat and not just the pure weight.
Gayle – Did I say Happy Birthday yet? Enjoy the day! Enjoy the weekend! Special occasions are meant to be celebrated, and that includes good food. And I’m an emotional eater, too, as I think you’ve said. Sometimes I need visuals like charts. Because I don’t want to get hung up on weight, etc for my daughter’s sake, I put up charts on the good stuff, the exercise and eating.
Michelle – I probably haven’t told you that I love your upbeat spirit, but I do! Your posts often have me laughing. And I didn’t even notice the one about the cheating.
I tend to eat cleaner when I am exercising because I don’t want to waste all of the effort. And a few people have said something lately, so I know it’s working!
Christina – Did you ever make it to Boston? And yes, I’ve have fallen into the not eating enough trap before. That’s in part why the 6 meals a day was difficult at first.
Stephanie – How are the legs today? Still feeling it?
Melissa – The before bikini picture IS motivation – the picture that I don’t want to take again. But I try to focus on the accomplishment rather than the dread – glass is half full. I’m also doing it because I haven’t achieved the spectacular results that some of the folks get in 12 weeks, and explaining to myself that it didn’t get there in 12 weeks, so it’s ok if it takes a little longer to come off, just little though.
Kathy – 75-90 minutes – wow! I don’t have nearly that much time. I’m in part jealous, but I’m also with it. I enjoy all of the other stuff, too. That failure thing fits in perfectly with the perfectionist in me – I need to plan in order to achieve.
Heidi – I don’t want to talk about cars! We’re trying to wait until summer when the credit card should be paid off before DH gets a new vehicle. That’s an awful long time to be without. As for the headaches and the eyes, are you squinting at all? That’s usually my first sign to get the eye Rx changed.
Hello to anyone I missed. Rather lengthy today. Kids are psyched ‘cause they’re off next week for mid-winter break, and I’m spazzing because I’ve got one heck of a day ahead at work. Hope it doesn’t come across like a rant that I took it out on all of you.
Hey, it’s Friday! Life is good!
