You Look So ...

Older generation Bangladeshis are not known for their tact. They'll have no problem approaching you and telling you to your face that you've put on weight or other criticisms. It's something I dread.

It's something that I've really, really been anxious about prior to my arrival in Dhaka. D knows that it is a major concern of mine because I don't want to feel bad, especially not when I've been working so hard. I know that I've lost weight, but I'm not thin (YET) ... so the last thing that I want to hear from my relatives is that I look fat.

Seriously. It was stressing me out.

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I wanted to post yesterday but it was such a busy day.

The day started off perfectly after an incredible 9-hour sleep. I felt like a new person. The Westin has a signature bed called 'The Heavenly Bed' - it is indeed HEAVENLY! I've stayed at several Westin's - Malaysia, Thailand, Toronto, NYC, etc. - their bed never disappoints. I want one in my house!

The main event of yesterday was a massive family gathering for dinner at my parents house. By massive I'm talking about around 70 people - and this was immediate family only :) I knew there would be lots of food at mom's place so D and I headed to the gym for a great workout - cardio + weights before heading over there. The gym trainers must not see a lot of women lifting heavy weights because they had an alarmed expression on their face as I squatted 55 kg. I think they would have had a heart attack if they saw me do my real 75 kg ... but as nice as the hotel gym was, it didn't have that many free weight options. Plus I wasn't really aiming to lift heavy, just work up a good sweat - and I definitely did.

I love that my mom is so aware of my eating habits now. Although there were many, many foods that I would normally have loved to eat (high in calories/fat/fried foods), she also had a number of dishes that were low fat, high protein for me plus lots of veggies. In the end, actually, I hardly ate anything at all because catching up with my relatives took up pretty much all my time.

So how did they react? Well, first of all, D and I were both wearing traditional clothes (me in a sari and him in a long kurta) so that delighted the whole family -- and on top of that, pretty much everybody (all the women at least) came up to me and said -- You look so ... thin! You've lost weight. You look terrific etc. etc. etc.

I haven't lost too much since I was here last year - I think 6 kg (15 lbs.) but I know that my body has definitely changed shape; after all, my clothes are all a smaller size. I know I'm on this mission for myself, but let's face it - you want others to notice how good you look as well. I'm not thin yet, but I know that I look different/better.

I was really happy. D was incredibly sweet telling me that I never had anything to worry about and that I should be proud of the work I've done -- and I am. It's definitely even more motivation to keep on going.

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Today has been more of the same.

Breakfast; lounging around; then the gym.

Today I decided to practice some of the Body Pump choreography that I've been trying to learn. I haven't looked at it since I came back from Italy. It was a really good workout, but I definitely need to practice more. I completed 6 tracks, some cardio, and a total of 200 squats.

My ass is quivering lol.

So far things have been good on the food front. My mom has been my biggest advocate, pleading on my behalf that we just want to visit family and enjoy their company versus go to eat - plus saying that both D and I have become really sensitive and can't eat all the rich foods. Bless her. She's my hero!

I love that on vacation D & I get a chance to work out together. It's a change in our routine. Plus we're both being vigilant of what we eat. That doesn't mean that we're on a crazy restrictive diet. We both know that Bangladeshi sweets are really, really good (and really sweet!). I told myself that I'd rather not eat anything else but just have a sweet if it came down to it. I know it's not the healthiest choice, but having one sweet on 3 days once a year is not a big deal in the scheme of things (in my opinion), especially when I'm still exercising (not that I exercise to make room for more food calories). Anyway.

I don't know if that's my inner/outer fat girl speaking and looking for an excuse to eat something sweet -- I know I don't need it, but I do enjoy it ... I guess we'll see how it all plays out once I weigh in when I get home!
 

Getting To It and SSSD Update

I started back at the gym today. It felt good to be back though I could have used a few more hours of sleep before doing my workouts. Still, I wanted to do the Body Pump and Zumba classes which meant getting to the gym by 8:30 a.m.

I used slightly lighter weights for Body Pump today - I haven't done the class in just over two weeks plus my right arm/shoulder is still feeling a bit sore so I didn't want to push it. The class was mainly help me warm my muscles up since it's been a while! I don't want my body to go into complete shock once I get back to CrossFit!

I then went to Zumba, which I also haven't done in about two weeks. I have missed that class!! I forgot how much fun I have dancing. At first I was a bit stiff plus there were a number of new songs that I didn't know ... still, once I warmed up, I was good to go! Shakin' my ass like it was nobody's business ;)

I did absolutely nothing for the rest of the day. I just vegged in front of the TV watching Season 7 of Grey's Anatomy (yes, I'm really behind!). The best part about having the hubby home on a day like this is that when the DVD was over, I just had to text him to come and change the disc for me. Yes, I was that lazy today! :) [He's such a sweetheart for indulging me like this - as long as I don't make a habit of it!]

So, on to the SSSD update:

I haven't even been back a full week so I've only been doing the challenge for 6 days. Plus I gave myself the week off from exercise, so as you can imagine, getting in 6 hours of activity was not easy. Still, this is what I did accomplish:

Weight
I have no set goal of weight loss on a weekly basis. I do know that I want to lose 7 kg (15 lbs) by July 22) so I'm just going to keep working towards that.

This week: Lost 2 lbs (which is not bad considering it hasn't even been a full week!) 

Tracking Calories
Tuesday-Friday I tracked everything I ate. Laziness got the best of me yesterday and today.
Although tracking was the challenge for week 1, it is something that I want to continue as best as possible for the rest of the challenge. It really does come in handy.

Reflections on Food
Damn those carbs! Yesterday and today I ate too many carbs and too much salt. These are the two things that really affect me badly. I need to totally cut them down this upcoming week.
Water intake is good but I'm not back up to my normal intake yet. I think this will change once my exercise routine is back in play.

Exercise
The challenge for week 2 was to get 6 hours of exercise. I did 2 hours at the gym today and I'd say another 2 hours of other types of 'more than normal' activity - the running around/packing/moving with my parents. So I think I can safely say that I did 4 hours this week. I'm not obsessing over the number because it was my week off ... I'm sure I'll hit 6 hours this upcoming week. It'll be another goal that I'll try to maintain throughout the challenge.

My plan for the upcoming week - get in at least

• 1 swim 
• 1 boxing lesson
• 2 CrossFit sessions
• 2 C25K sessions
• 1 free weights session
• 1 body balance/yoga/pilates class

Ambitious, isn't it? Fingers crossed I can get them all done!

Challenge for this week: Try a new exercise/gym equipment
Hmmmm I'm not sure what I'll try this week. There aren't too many things that I haven't tried at the gym. I'll hunt around and see what I find and let you know in next week's update!

Finishing Up the Week

I've done really well this week in terms of hitting my exercise goals. The only thing I had left was my C25K workout - week 1 day 3.

This morning I completed the session. I have to say, I felt great! I didn't feel that mental dread that I felt during the previous two sessions. Instead, I felt well rested and eager to complete the week. It was great to feel the short running intervals were already getting easier! More details about my C25K progress here.

I skipped Body Combat to do the C25K program and after that I headed down to the Body Pump studio. I lessened my weights for the chest and triceps track by 1 kg just because my right arm/shoulder is still a bit sore. My instructor reckons my rotator cuff is inflamed. It's a good thing I'm going on holiday now because my body sure could use the rest!

I headed to Zumba right after Body Pump but unfortunately not enough people showed up for the class for them to hold the session. Too bad :( I had really been looking forward to the class since I haven't had time to attend lately, especially because of the CrossFit sessions. Oh well. Hopefully I can rejoin after I return from my holiday.

The rest of the day was spent packing and being pampered at the salon. It felt great to relax after a hectic week ... and tomorrow I'm off to Abu Dhabi! I can't wait :)

Back into It

Friday schedule: Body Combat, Body Pump, Zumba - 3 hours back to back; 1350 calories burned.

At first I felt hesitant about whether or not I should do all three classes, but I've learned from the past that this hesitation needs to just be kicked in the ass! 

It felt good to be back in the gym and doing the workouts again. 

In particular, the highlight of my day was going into the Body Pump studio to find this on my bench (sorry for the blurry photo): 

There was also a doctor's coat on my bench. KD, the Body Pump instructor, pulled me to the front of the class (OMG I was so shy and totally blushing!!) and congratulated me - it was so sweet though and presented me with the doctor's coat. Everyone applauded and congratulated me. I was embarrassed but happy at the same time :) We did clarify that I had not become a medical doctor, but I did wear the coat for a few minutes of the warm-up track (made even harder to get on and pull off coz' I was so sweaty from Body Combat). Here's a photo that we quickly took after the workout (at this point I had completed 2 classes, so excuse the dazed/sweaty look, lol): 

In yesterday's post I was wondering about whether or not I should do CrossFit because I still haven't finished NROL4W. I'm almost done with the New Rules program though so I've decided that I'll start CrossFit training from next Wednesday. I'll be able to squeeze in 4, maybe 5 sessions before I travel next. Still, I won't be gone for long so I can rejoin when I return - and then it'll be about 6 full weeks before my next trip (yes, quite a bit of travel this summer). 

I also desperately need to get my eating on track. My crazy huger has subsided, but I have yet to do a proper shop and load up on good fruits and veggies for us. It's on my list of things to do and hopefully something I can tackle tomorrow. 

I'm still trying to catch up on the blog reading/commenting. Slowly but surely I'm making progress - though that stack of papers to grade is calling my name. I'm not sure how much longer I can ignore it!

Trying to Gain Control

I leave for London in three days. OMG - 3 days. I'm starting to freak out. I have so much left to do and not nearly enough time to do it all. I'm trying to tackle each thing one at a time; I really don't have any other choice.

Ironically, before when things would get hectic, the first thing that would get dropped from my schedule would be my gym time. Now, however, it's the one thing I really dread dropping from my scheduled. I do recognize that sometimes things are crazy busy and I just can't make it to the gym - I used to feel incredibly guilty, but now I don't feel that much guilt. Sometimes you just have to take care of other things - as long as that's the exception and not the norm.

There are also times (many, many times) when I use the gym to procrastinate and put things off. I know that a 1-hour workout should suffice, but I stay for much longer because I just don't want to get other things done. It may sound like a 'healthy' way to procrastinate, but when I'm putting off important things, it actually just ends up adding to the stress sometimes.

So, for the next few days I've got a gym plan, but I've also told myself that it's ok if I don't make it because right now getting ready for my PhD thesis defense is really the most important thing.

Today, however, I did go to the gym and did what has become my routine Friday workout - Body Combat followed by Body Pump followed by Zumba. There was no way I was missing Zumba as this is the second week in a row I've only had time to go the Friday class. I think my body has gotten used to doing the three classes back to back, though I do leave the gym feeling exhausted, but very happy!

Tonight was the last night with my in-laws. They wanted to go to a pizza place. Of course I heard the word pizza and I immediately tensed up. I didn't get a chance to look up the menu online so I had no idea what I would order. In the end I told myself not to freak out - I could have a slice of pizza or some pasta - it wasn't going to kill me. I really do have to learn not to panic so much. Regardless of the circumstance, I am still in control.

I got lucky and they had a delicious salad - lettuce, red bell peppers, avocado, boiled egg, potato, and chicken. I asked them to remove the chicken (since I don't each chicken) and add some extra veggies. They were happy to oblige. I was a bit worried about the potato, but it was just 2 new potatoes boiled, so it wasn't a big deal. Overall, it was really yummy. Whew. No need to panic!

Tomorrow things should get a bit more back to normal in terms of eating ... well, maybe. As I said, I have a lot of work to do, so I know I won't be spending a lot of time cooking. We'll see how it turns out. I may have to rely on D to prepare dinner for us for the upcoming days! 

My Aching Thighs and Shoulders!

I'm not sure how I made it to the gym this morning after yesterday's CrossFit session. Actually, getting to the gym was not a problem. I guess I should say - I'm not sure how I made it through today's workouts because my thighs and shoulders were on fire!

I did my usual Body Combat, Body Pump, Zumba Friday routine. Both Combat and Pump classes had lots of lunges and squats - they did not help my aching thighs one bit. Plus all the punching in Combat followed by chest presses, tricep presses, and push ups (to name a few) that were targeting my shoulders/arms -- OMG. I wanted to stop at one point, but I didn't. Zumba was my treat of the day, especially since I missed both classes during the week. So, I got a mega-workout in today ... but let me tell you about yesterday.

I got my first taste of CrossFit yesterday.

We met in an outdoor field and were introduced to the basic idea of CrossFit and shown some of the basic moves. None of us (7 girls) had ever done CrossFit before, which was a relief for me because I was nervous. We had two coaches - F, who I mentioned in my post at the beginning of the month, and YAB, who professional competes in CrossFit competitions.

We started off with some jogging, rudely interrupted by burpees! Have you ever done a burpee? To me, it's a form of modern-day torture. It really is a challenge (for me) to put all the movements together - jump down into push up position, pull your knees in to your chest quickly, and jump back up. Try doing three of those after being out of breath from jogging and then continuing the jog only to be interrupted again by burpees. I wanted to cry (in a good way, kinda).

The when did a combination of some other moves - squats, push ups, leg raise holds, followed by another jog. We did walking lunges, deadlifts, and more sprints, burpees, and other jumps.

Since this was just an introductory taste, we didn't use any weights. It's amazing how much of a workout you can get without using any weights at all!

All in all, I loved it! It really got my heart rate going and challenged my body to MOVE. Those quick shifts from one position to another are themselves a challenge enough. This is definitely something that I want to continue doing. I think once my PhD is completely out of the way and I finish my NROL4W weights program I will be able to devote time to CrossFit. I can't wait :)

By the way, CrossFit Regionals are happening right now.

Moments like these ...

Finally, the end of what has felt like a chaotic week.

Today's workouts:

Body Combat, Body Pump, Zumba -- all one after the other -- a total of 1430 calories burned.

Needless to say by the time I got home, I.Was.Exhausted!

Doing 2 cardio classes with a weights class in between is quite intense, but I like this routine. Combat allows me to practice my boxing moves and get some additional footwork in; Pump is a chance for me to loosen up all my muscles - though this time I upped a few of the weights. OMG, my muscles were screaming during the shoulder and bicep tracks! By the time I get to Zumba, I'm tired ... but once the music comes on, I forget about the pain and just start dancing. In fact, I found that burned 70 more calories than last night! I knew it was my last workout of the week, so I had to make it count!

Tomorrow is my day off from the gym -- definitely some much, much needed rest. I know that I've put in the effort this week, but I am worried that it won't show on the scale come Sunday morning. I'm trying not to get ahead of myself, but I can't help it ...

It's moments like these that I have to keep reminding myself of -- because of course, just before or right after a weigh in you think, 'Did I do everything I could this week?' 

I ask myself this question several times during the week. Every Sunday (and really everyday) I want my answer to be a confident Yes.

I know that each day is not the same as the other. Like yesterday, I knew I was tired. I tried my best, but I knew that it wasn't as good of a workout as it could have been had I rested. Perhaps not having done the evening session would have been better for me - who knows?

The idea of taking a day off, or skipping a workout in order to rest and reenergize, is scary to me. At the same time, I know that there have been times in the past when taking a day (sometimes two or three days) off have really helped me get that extra energy boost that I needed to have a good workout - particularly when it comes to lifting weights. Anyway.

I know I hit all my workout targets. Now I just need to make sure that I eat well and get some sleep. Hopefully the scale will show me some love on Sunday. 

An Abnormal Day

Staying up late last night made it hard for me to get out of bed this morning. I was already quite exhausted from yesterday's double workout. Once I was up, however, it was pretty much non-stop ... I wouldn't say I rushed around, as I have been trying to slow down a bit. I think it would be more accurate to say that I had a FULL day.

At the gym today was more of an active recovery day. Just 20 minutes on the treadmill - working in a bit of a jog here and there, and then to try something new, I did the rowing machine. I really liked it. I think the different type of movements for my arms and legs are good. I only did 15 minutes today, followed by 10 minutes (not straight, unfortunately) of jump rope.

I met KD, our Body Pump instructor, at noon to go over the new choreography for the new Les Mills Release, Body Pump 81. I was really touched that she asked me to join her as she went through the choreography and give my feedback. I thoroughly enjoyed it, even though I think a few tears instead of sweat fell during the lunges and shoulder tracks!

So, that was it for me. I wouldn't normally have done a weights workout today, especially since I did one yesterday and I have one planned for tomorrow, and Friday - 4 consecutive days of weights! Still, I used a light weight today just to go through the tracks versus really working out hardcore like I hope to do on Friday.

Another unusual thing about today is how much I ate. I didn't eat anything unhealthy, but I ate a lot more than I usually do. I had scrambled egg whites this morning, lentils with veggies in the afternoon, and my spinach/tofu/mushroom creation for dinner. Snacks were a banana, protein shake, and 1/4 cup of Greek yogurt. A bit of mint dark chocolate for dessert. Overall, I didn't eat horribly, but I do feel like I ate more than normal - but I was hungry! I think it's all the weight training. I'm pretty sure things will get back to normal tomorrow.

Oh My!

My usual Friday routine is 15-30 minutes of cardio warm-up (either treadmill or cross-trainer) followed by Body Pump and then Zumba.

Today I decided to change that up a little.

When I wrote my review of the week I did feel like I needed to change up my routine, especially because I feel like I'm losing/gaining the same few pounds over and over again. I want to break through is plateau in a BIG way ... and break through it for good!

The thing is, I also want to continue with my weight lifting routine. So often have I started a plan and then become frustrated after trying it for a few weeks and not seeing the results I wanted and then giving up. Not this time. Even though I want to change up my weight lifting routine, I am going to stick to what is outlined in New Rules of Lifting for Women (NROL4W). The slow and steady approach has been effective - I'm just antsy.

So, what can I do? I guess it's all about changing up the types of cardio that I do because I have some flexibility in that area.

This morning I went to the gym a bit earlier than usual and went to the 10 am Body Combat class. I haven't done combat in AGES. I could not remember the last time I was in the combat studio. With all the boxing training I've been doing lately (and totally loving it) I thought it would be great to attend the class for some added cardio + boxing ... and my trainer is the one who teaches the class so I knew he would be watching my form. {Before I left the gym he told me that my form was improving and he was glad to see me trying to keep my guard up at all times - I appreciated the positive feedback!}

I absolutely loved being back. I forgot how intense the class was - by the end of it, I was totally drenched in sweat. My t-shirt was literally dripping (gross, but satisfying too!) so I had to rush to my locker to change my t-shirt before Body Pump ... followed by Zumba.

Oh my indeed!

By the time I got home at 2 pm I was EXHAUSTED. I felt really, really good, but also really, really ready to just lie down!! :)

I'm so glad I booked a massage for this evening - I have a feeling I'm going to fall asleep on the massage table! It's a good way to end my workout week!

Last Workout of the Week

As much as I do enjoy working out, I have to say, Wednesday's boxing workout left me quite sore. The extra resistance of working with the swinging bag made quite a difference in terms of how much impact I felt. Add the ab twists and side bends that I did on Thursday, and my sides/lower back were aching big time!

I hadn't planned on doing the 8 km last night, so I didn't really want to overdo it with another 8-10 km this morning. Instead I just warmed up on the treadmill for 15 minutes and then went in for Body Pump class. Since KD, the usual instructor, is away on vacation, S was taking the class -- I've never taken a class with him. Overall it was quite good. I wish he had used the microphone as it was difficult to hear him at times, but other than that, it was a good class. Even though I did weights already 3 times this week, I like going to Body Pump on Fridays because it's kind of like an overall workout/stretch for all my muscles. Although I did increase some of the weights from last week's class, I didn't go crazy and overdo it. Still a challenging workout though. After Body Pump I did another Zumba class. It does feel a bit strange since I just did the class last night, but I absolutely love to dance, and Zumba is the perfect chance/excuse to do it!

I think I hit all my goals in terms of workouts this week. Tomorrow is my day of rest - I can't wait! Will work on my week in review post for Sunday.

Getting Ready for the New Week

Yesterday I spent ages fixing up my workout chart for Stage 6 of NROL4W. I can't wait to start the program on Sunday! This stage seems really focused on strength building -- for example, for the first week it's 2 sets of 10, followed by 2 sets of 8 next week etc. The goal is to really push your muscles to lift heavier. I remember back when I started Stage 1 I didn't think that the few reps/exercises per day wouldn't be enough ... but slow and steady progress through the stages has definitely proved that it is effective. I am much stronger, and I definitely see the changes in my body in terms of tone/shape ... so, slow, steady, consistent progress with 100% effort is definitely the way forward.

Today I fixed up my menu for the upcoming week, and hopefully tomorrow I'll get to the grocery store to make sure I've got everything I need in the house ... I've got another busy, busy week ahead, and I know that not planning ahead can lead to terrible food choices.

As for my workouts for today ... even though I didn't get to see the doctor yesterday and have him give me the A-ok to resume my normal routine, I thought that since my leg has been feeling better since Tuesday that I could go ahead with my workouts. So, I warmed-up and then headed to Body Pump class. It was a good class. I used light weights (7 kg + bar) for my squats and lunges; I also lightened the load on the bar by 1 kg for the tricep and chest (9 kg + bar). Since I already did 3 weights workouts this week I just wanted to focus on my form during Pump. I think I made the right choice. I felt great throughout the class. My form was great. I felt strong and didn't falter once during any of the exercises - which sometimes happens when I lift heavier weights. Anyway. It was great. Our instructor will be on vacation until the 13th so I don't know if I'll do another pump class until she gets back ... but we'll see. It all depends on how Stage 6 feels.

After Body Pump, I went up to my locker, changed my t-shirt, and put on my Zumba shoes --- Finally!! Back to Zumba class. I haven't been to class since the beginning of this month so it felt amazing! There were lots of new routines, but I fell right into the swing of things and loved every second of it :)

I don't think I realized how exhausted I was until I got home, had lunch (some quinoa with veggies), and lay down on the couch ... and woke up almost 2 hours later! I don't usually nap, but obviously I was exhausted and totally needed the rest. I definitely felt much better afterwards. Gave me the energy I needed for a fun night out with my girlfriends.

It's been a good day.

Improvising

Although I haven't been banned from the gym due to my injury, I do know that I need to take a little easy as I don't want to push too hard and negate the improvement that I'm already starting to feel from the anti-inflammatory meds.

As I mentioned yesterday, I'm at a bit of a loss without a plan for my workout -- so today's gym session wasn't as great as it probably could have been. Some warm-up cardio followed by Body Pump class. Pump was great - I felt strong, I lifted good weights, and I had good form -- I did, however, have to skip the lunge and squat tracks -- but for one of them I just did 5 minutes of sit-ups and for the other I went out and walked on the treadmill for 5 minutes. It's nothing much, but my goal was to just keep on moving.

So, I got in a workout, but it didn't feel as satisfying as I would have liked.

I definitely need to come up with a plan.

Fringe Benefits

I have to admit that it was a bit of a struggle to get to the gym this morning. I had a late night last night and didn't get enough sleep. I'm I'm going to workout twice a day I really do need to make more of an effort to get at least 5 hours of sleep - of course ideally 7 or 8, but let's be realistic. I am a chronic insomniac!

Still, I made it in to the gym. Did 30 minutes on the cross-trainer and then decided to do weights for just my legs.

Ever since I started on the NROL4W program I have pretty much left all other weight training exercises/classes. I have indulged in the occasional Body Pump class, but I've mainly stuck to the program.

However, I really felt like I needed to do something to work on my quads, especially given my muscle pain.

I spent about 45 minutes doing different exercises - leg presses, leg extensions, leg curls, adductor, abductor, etc. etc. It was really good. The pain is not completely gone, but every time I stretch it definitely feels better.

Later in the afternoon I went back to the gym - did another 30 minutes on the cross-trainer. Unfortunately there was no Zumba class tonight (the instructor is still unwell) so I decided to do RPM instead. Again, it's been quite a while ... but it was a killer/amazing class. I worked up a mega sweat - you could literally wring the sweat out of my clothes after I was done. It felt awesome! :)

Tomorrow will be my last day of NROL4W Stage 4 -- again, I'm very happy with the slow and steady approach to lifting weights that is offered by this program. I'm sure part of the reason RPM class went well is because my legs are stronger from the weights/resistance training. It's so great to see the benefits in other areas of my life besides just muscle growth. Feeling stronger means I can do things with more energy and enthusiasm, which gives me an overall feeling of satisfaction.

I just gotta keep these fringe benefits in mind whenever I get to a point when I feel like I don't want to go to the gym or that I'm feeling tired. It's all about the bigger picture, and it's definitely about living a happier and healthier life.

Dragging My Feet

Up at 2 a.m. today. This is getting ridiculous.

Crawled back to bed around 6:30 a.m. for restless/nightmare filled nap.

Dragged myself to the gym at 10:30 a.m. So not in the mood for this.

Quick cardio warm-up, just 15 minutes.

Body Pump class at 11:00. I concentrated on my form, but used light weights - didn't want to overdo it, plus wasn't sure if I was going to collapse or not.

Zumba at 12 -- but the class got cancelled. Was disappointed and relieved. My body definitely needs to get some rest somehow.

Lunch - a bit of pasta with some veggies and egg white thrown in for protein - at 1:00.

Attempted at a nap at 2:30 - stayed in bed till 3:30, couldn't sleep but my body felt like a lump of lead. Was so difficult to get up.

Massage booked for 4:30 - bliss. Thought I would fall asleep, but I didn't. I did, however, manage to relax, so I definitely felt better post-massage.

Going out to dinner with some friends tonight to celebrate my thesis submission. Am thinking - grilled fish and the salad bar ... perhaps.

I've given up hoping for a good night's sleep. So I'm just hoping I don't collapse.

Not Enough Sleep

I didn't sleep well last night -- I don't normally sleep well anyway, but last night was terrible. I got about 4 hours of mega-interrupted sleep. I was waking up every 15 - 30 minutes. I don't know what was wrong because I was definitely very tired by the time I got to bed ... I was not a happy camper when I woke up this morning :(

Anyway.

Despite the lack of sleep I still made it to the gym this morning. Warmed up with 20 minutes of cardio - am still working on picking up my running, which is slowly but surely improving. Within the 20 minutes I ran/jogged for 5 1-minute intervals. I hope to keep improving on this. Then I went to Body Pump class followed by Zumba class.

Two hours and 20 minutes of exercise ... on probably just about two hours and 20 minutes of sleep!

I've got a ton of work to do, so gotta get to it and push through the sleepiness and exhaustion.

Working through the Pain

I'm still struggling quite a bit through the pain of my cramps and in general the fibroid pain, though I have to admit, it's the swelling/bloating caused by the fibroids that annoys me more. Still, I knew this morning I had a choice -- sit at home and let the pain take over or push through and go to the gym ... so I went to the gym.

Every since my Fugly Day in January I've had to take a step back and reassess how I wanted live my life. Having a doctor tell me that the pain is something I'll just have to live with for the rest of my life is totally unacceptable. Unfortunately I don't have the time or the resources to pursue treatment at the moment ... but I refuse to let it get the best of me.

It's not easy. Many days a flit in and out of depression. I don't talk about it because there really isn't anything anybody can do except sympathize ... I don't need sympathy. I do allow myself to take a moment, only once in a while, to feel some sadness. Although my post-op pain is gone, I'm back to a constant level 3 pain, with pangs of pain that I would rank 7-8 out of 10 on most days ... it's hard to just grin and bear it, but I do because the other option - sitting around moping about it - isn't going to solve the problem ... nor is that attitude or lack of movement going to help me lose this weight I desperately want to get rid of. I have 55-60 lbs. left to lose ... I've been plateauing at this weight for enough time - it's time to move forward. Pain or no pain, I've got to push through it.

I did Body Pump this morning with KD. Great class, though half way through the chest track I felt my right arm give way. I just could not find the energy to push up with my right arm. It was strange. I felt the same during the tricep workout ... I need to talk to her about it. It may just be that my arms are kind of 'asleep' from not doing any intense weights for almost a month. Hopefully restarting the NROL4W workout on Sunday will help me with that.

I followed Pump class with another Zumba session. Since I know the moves now I can concentrate more on my posture and holding in 'abs' etc. Hopefully I'll continue to improve with each session.

I have definitely found that movement eases the pain - somewhat. I may be pushing it a little, but so far I don't feel anything so severe that I can't handle. I did have really bad cramping this afternoon, but I stayed away from the painkillers (yesterday I had 8 - yikes!). I've already taken 2 today, but am really trying to resist taking another dose.

Pumped Up

I cannot explain how sore my arms are from Sunday's workout. Even raising my bottle of water to my lips was painful. My biceps and triceps were killing me!!

Nevertheless, I made my way into the exercise studio for another Body Pump Session. Working through the pain was tough. The chest track, although easier than the last session, was more difficult because of all the soreness I was feeling. I have not done chest presses in MONTHS, so doing chest presses for 4-5 minutes in a row with very little rest really challenged me and woke up a few muscles that I haven't used for a while. Ouch.

Still, I love that class! It's the last one I'll do for quite a while, probably not until the summer because of my work schedule from February, but we'll see.

My eating over the past few days has been fine -- very boring still, oatmeal for breakfast, nuts/dried fruit for a snack, egg white veggie scramble for lunch, and soup for dinner. I think I've have exactly that set of meals 4-5 times a week. I just can't be bothered at the moment to do anything different ... perhaps when I return from holiday. At the moment, I'm just trying to do the basics of getting a bit of a workout in and eat sensibly.

Weights + Pump!

I didn't leave the house all weekend. I stayed at home, in front of my desk the whole freaking time. This also means that I haven't been to the gym since Tuesday. Wednesday was my rest day from the gym ... but I didn't make it back on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday (though I had poor-excuse for a workout on Friday). Just typing out all those days makes me feel panicked. Anyway - today I definitely made up for it.

My intention is to finish Stage 2 of NROL4W before my trip. If Friday's workout had gone well, then I would just have 1 workout left ... but it didn't, so I still had two left to complete.

This morning I did my usual 1 km warm-up before starting Workout A. I managed to shave a few more seconds off my time (completed 1 km in 10 min, 2 sec). Then I completed Workout A properly. Having my home gym is great, but nothing substitutes having all the right equipment when needed!

Workout A went really well -- again, I'm so surprised at how just 7 different exercises (2 sets; 10 reps each) can make me work up such a sweat! I guess it's about quality and good form versus more reps/sets/exercises but without the challenge.

Then after my workout ... ... ... ... I went to Body Pump class! I had not been to Pump class in 7 months (SEVEN MONTHS!!!) -- Ever since I started doing the NROL4W program, I stopped doing Body Pump (if you haven't tried the class, I highly recommend it). Since KD was back, and since I didn't need to be at work till a bit later, I decided to go.

It was awesome, but OMG after doing my normal weights routine, lifting weights for another hour was absolutely killer!! I haven't decided what hurt the most ... I think the 100 something lunges per leg was the toughest - my legs were SHAKING! Still, I felt amazing after class - though I'm sure I will pay the price for today's intense weights session in the morning!

A clip of Les Mills Body Pump (I'm glad our classes aren't this crowded!)