FMM - Habits

Today has been a hectic day -- you'll get a proper post tomorrow ... in the meantime, here's an FMM post (and hopefully an update with The Happiness Project later).

If you've taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you're new, please take a moment to answer this week's question on your own blog and add your link in the comments section at www.alltheweigh.com so we can all see your FMM questions and answers.

FMM: Habits

1. Are you proactive, or do you procrastinate?

I'm both - depending on the task. There are some things that I could do any day, all day - like menu planning, cooking, etc. When it comes to getting some writing done - I'm a mega-procrastinator ... but I'm working on improving that!

2. Do you eat breakfast everyday?

Yes - I never leave home without having breakfast.

In the winter I have a bowl of oatmeal and in the summer I have a bowl of cereal -- simple, boring, but since I want to have breakfast daily, I found that these two foods work best for me. On the weekends I may change it up a little - a whole wheat bagel with low fat cream cheese, whole wheat pancakes (homemade), or an egg white and salmon scramble - but for the most part it's oatmeal and cereal for me.

3. How much time do you spend watching TV on an average day?

On average I spend about 1.5 hours watching TV on a daily basis - usually just in the evening before bed.

4. Do you talk on the phone, or do you prefer e-mail and/or text message?

I'm a text maniac! I'm also a big keep-in-touch person - so phone and email are fine with me too, but I find that my main method of communication is through text messages.

5. Do you exercise in the morning, afternoon, or evening?

It depends on my schedule. Last semester I taught an 8 a.m. class, so I exercised in the afternoons/evenings. This semester I teach a 10 a.m. class, so I'll be at the gym in the morning (which is actually my favorite time to exercise).

6. Do you take time for yourself regularly? If so, how do you spend that time?

Not as regularly as I'd like. I do go for a mani/pedi every 3-4 weeks (though would love to make it every 2 weeks) and a massage once in a while --- other than that, I'm always up for treating myself to a new pair of shoes :)

7. How often do you make your bed?

Never. Hubby does it daily ;)

8. Do you plan meals? If so, how far in advance?

I love planning my meals. I plan on a weekly basis (earlier if it's a meal for a special event).

9. Do you wake up at the same time everyday?

I pretty much wake up between 4 and 5 a.m. on a daily basis, with or without the alarm. I like the routine of it, but there are some days when I wish I could just have a lie-in.

10. How often do you brush your teeth?

At least twice a day (morning and just before going to sleep) - sometimes in the afternoon as well!

Now it's your turn to answer this week's questions! Don't forget to come back and link up in the comments!

I'm Back!!!

I know I've been MIA for 3 weeks, but before heading to Argentina I promised myself that I would just take a break from everything and enjoy my trip. I'm glad I made that decision - I had an amazing time. Argentina was FABULOUS! I enjoyed every single moment.

So for today, a few highlights of my trip and then back to the health/fitness focus of this blog.

Argentina

Stop 1: Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires was HOT. I know that may seem like a strange comment coming from me since I live in a desert country, but I don't spend that much time outside -- and Buenos Aires definitely involved a lot of time walking outdoors. Although the hotel I stayed at had a gym facility, there was no need to use it because each day involved a minimum of active 2-3 hours of walking. It actually felt quite good to have walking/that much movement worked into a daily routine in contrast to the sedentary lifestyle of Kuwait.

A trip to Iguazu Falls (north of Argentina) and a day trip to Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay were also squeezed into this first week.

Iguazu Falls was spectacular! There were three trails (about 1.5-2.5 km each) that we completed. Each offered a different vantage point of the falls. I've always loved Niagara Falls in the States/Canada, but this really did take it to the next level. Pictures just don't do it justice.

Stop 2: Mendoza

The week-long stay in Mendoza involved a day-long hike to the top of Mt. Arenales (in the Andes mountain range). When we were told we'd go hiking - we just expected a small (easy) trail ... we had NOT expected a nearly vertical rocky climb! It was very challenging - the most challenging thing I've ever done for sure! We started at about 2,600 meters altitude and went up to about 3,800 meters. It's not a great distance - but add the rocky terrain and the steep incline and it's a whole other story. It was totally exhilarating! I now understand why mountain climbers and hikers get such a rush!

Another stop was to Aconcagua - the tallest mountain outside the Himalayas. This time there was a 2.5 km trail at the base of the mountain -- much easier than the previous hike! Again, the scenery was absolutely spectacular.

Stop 3: El Calafate

El Calafate was our final major stop of the trip -- once again, it's hard to describe how stunning (and different) the scenery was. Imagine the rolling deserted plains in a Western movie -- that's exactly how it was (at least where we were staying).

The most exciting part of this stop was going trekking on the Perito Moreno glacier -- phenomenal experience! The glacier itself was absolutely breathtaking ... again, pictures just don't do it justice.

The final activity in El Calafate was horseback riding! It had been many years since I had been on a horse - it was SO much fun!! This activity, however, left me incredibly sore (perhaps not such a good idea so soon after surgery) but still totally worth it!!

Now it's back to reality ...

Health/Fitness

Given the amount of walking and other outdoor activities over the past three weeks it would have been great to have seen a loss on the scale, but unfortunately I came back exactly the same weight as I had left. Of course I'm thankful that I didn't gain any weight - especially since I definitely indulged while on this trip - but now I have to refocus on losing, losing, losing.

Strangely enough I feel like my legs and arms are quite toned, but all the weight has shifted to my 'abs' (can I really call them abs?). I think this is just because of the type of food I was suddenly eating -- meat (yes, I did have steak), bread, and sweets -- all stuff that loves the waistline. Those three things are not a normal part of my diet here so I'm hoping that immediately cutting them out, and of course getting back to a normal gym routine, will help me at least shift (if not lose) the weight from my abdomen.

I got back to Kuwait on Friday and went in to work today (Sunday -- we work Sunday through Thursday here) -- definitely not enough time to recover from all that traveling. Nonetheless, I did go to the gym this morning - just a simple 30 min cardio workout on the treadmill. I just wanted to get straight into my routine. This semester I'm teaching a later class (starts at 10 a.m.) so I'll be heading to the gym for an early morning workout before going to class ...

I noticed that Zumba has finally been added to our gym class list!! I am BEYOND EXCITED!!

Today I fixed my menu for the week, went grocery shopping, and organized my schedule. I'm good to go -- let's hope for some good progress over the next few months!!

I'll be catching up on your blogs soon. Hope you've all been well :)

Ugh

I'm writing, packing, organizing, and basically freaking out.

I leave for Argentina in a few hours ... my thesis is almost done ... almost, but not quite.

I'll update when I can ...

Fingers crossed it all goes well.

A Fugly Day

Today sucked.

There's really no other way to put it. It was just one of those days that didn't start out right ... Well, I guess nothing really went wrong ... but nothing felt right today.

I woke up early (3 a.m.) and was at my desk ... I found myself stuck on one particular section of my writing and it was driving me insane. How can it be that at this point in my PhD I am still struggling with my words? It's so frustrating. I felt totally inadequate and unintelligent.

After working for a few hours I decided to take a break and try on a few clothes that I wanted to take for my upcoming trip. Talk about kicking myself when I was down ... Everything fit, but nothing looked right. I just felt disgusting. About a week before that time of the month I bloat so much -- apparently a natural reaction for the fibroids -- but let me tell you, it's no fun looking like you're 7-8 months pregnant when you're NOT! What's worse is that when I look in the mirror, I see someone who looks like they sit on the couch all day with nothing but a bag of cookies and ice cream for comfort -- that is so FAR from the truth ... but that's what I look like. Going through those clothes just made me feel an overwhelming sense of dread. I want to enjoy this trip and not be riddled with so many insecurities and so much self-loathing.

I then had to go to the university to proctor an exam. The exam was supposed to be two hours long. I thought I'd get some editing done while I was in the room -- but half an hour into the exam the director came in and said I could leave ... I should have been thrilled, right? No. I would have rather stayed the whole time. I couldn't get anything done in the half hour I was there - instead it felt like such a waste -- getting ready, driving to work, and then proctoring. Anyway.

I decided to go to the doctor since I hadn't been to see her for almost two months. I was dreading this visit. I knew that she wouldn't have much to tell me. I just mainly wanted to see if by any chance there were any improvements. There weren't. I asked her several questions about my condition and what the chances were for improvement and how this would affect my weight loss etc. She didn't have any answers. She was just like, 'It could get better, or get worse, or stay the same." Thanks genius. That was helpful. The worst part was towards the end of my appointment when she told me that it was expected that I would feel emotional after going through major surgery and then not having it be successful - but that I should let it go and just get over it.

Seriously?

What kind of doctor says that? The surgery was unsuccessful and you'll continue to be in pain for the rest of your life, but just get over it.

Nice.

Now I know my whole theme for this year is "Let it go" but the way she said it was NOT what I had in mind. I think I've done a good job pushing forward and not letting the whole surgery thing get me too down -- it's been hard. A lot harder than I actually let on ... but there's nothing else I can do. Having the doctor tell me to get over it, however, is a completely different story. I was not happy at all.

I met up with my BF at the mall and we had a chance to vent a little, have some lunch, and buy a pair of Timberland hiking boots :) so for two hours things were better ...

Then it was just a whirlwind of things to do -- general errands/household stuff, pre-travel stuff, and of course the never-ending PhD ...

Things are hectic and my stress levels are high -- I know I'm getting close to finishing everything, but I still don't see the finish line. Will I ever see it? I'm running out of time.

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.

A Walk in the Mall

I was just heading out the door to go to the gym this morning when my BFF called and suggested we do some pre-Argentina shopping ... I didn't say no! I headed back to my desk and got another 1 1/2 hours of PhD work done before heading to work to deal with final exam student conferencing (I hate student conferencing days - they should call it student complaining days)! Besides I knew that after a day of shopping, the last place I would end up is behind my desk ... gotta make the most of my time!

I felt a bit guilty about not going for my cardio session but with the way my legs now after 4 hours of walking around the Avenues I know I made the right decision. Although it was nothing like an intense cardio session, I am always drained after a trip to the Avenues!

My arms and legs are so sore from yesterday's weights + pump session - my biceps and triceps hurt every single time I move!!! Still, it feels good :)

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!)