Hello June!

Last week's enthusiasm about joining a gym was thwarted by the onset of a chest infection + hay fever. It was mega-frustrating to deal with, but by now I'm totally used to things not going according to plan. The thing is, even if I can't get through my day doing exactly what I want to do, I know by now how to stick to the basics -- drink lots of water, get in some exercise, and take care of what needs to be taken care of.

In the past I would really let setbacks get in the way of my overall progress. Now I know that I don't need to do that. One setback doesn't mean failure - it means that the plan for that day needs to be adjusted.

Realizing this and being able to follow through with making necessary changes has really benefitted me - not only in terms of me taking care of my health but also in terms of how I approach things in life in general.

Today was a much better start to my day and to a new month. To be honest, when I looked outside and then looked at the calendar I was a bit taken aback that it was June. Seeing the wind, rain, and overcast skies did not make it feel like summer was approaching at all! It was a bit disorientating. Nonetheless, the weather is the weather, and whether it feels like it or not, June is here!

I feel like the months have just passed me by, but when I take a look at it, it's not like I wasted the days away.

From my trip to Los Angeles for my Jiu-Jitsu instructor certification in January to earning my Pink Belt to starting to teach my own Women's Self-Defense class to buying a new house ... the days have been busy and productive.

At the same time, things like my weight lifting and my blogging have not been given as much attention as I would have liked. I hope June is the month for me to turn that all around and it started off right with a lovely yoga session at the new gym.

Although the yoga session itself was great for my stretches, it sometimes felt a bit overwhelming as it was an hour full of instructions -
'Now lie down, point your toes towards the mirror, raise your arms above your head, point your fingers towards the back wall, look right, stretch left, inhale, exhale ... ...' so on and so forth for a whole hour! Kind of made my head spin. Still, the instructor was good and I will definitely be back to her class.

I've found that no matter how much food prep I do on Sunday, some of the prep tasks spill over into Monday, so I spent most of the day in the kitchen plus doing errands around the house before heading out to teach our Bullyproof class. It's so great seeing the kids progress!

So, June started off well. My big task of the week is to pass my theoretical driving test. To say that I should have started studying sooner is an understatement! That's going to be my focus for the rest of the week - with stretching, lifting, running, and Jiu-Jitsu-ing whenever I can :)

Excited

I don't remember the last time that I was so excited for a new week to begin. The past month and a half has been so busy and stressful (both good and bad stress) that I just haven't felt like I've caught my breath. However, now, I finally feel like I've gotten over my jet lag and I am ready for my life to begin! I spent quite a bit of time yesterday and today working on my schedule - fitness, food, academia, errands, etc. etc. My days will be jam packed, but I can't wait!

I can't believe that I returned to London only 4 days ago! At least this time around my jet lag worked in my favor. My days have been really productive - de-cluttering, organizing, and planning. I've even started working on my research again (never thought that would happen, at least not so soon!). Here's a glimpse of this past week:

a bit of food

 It felt so good to get back in the kitchen! I got back to my food prep routine, and I have quite a few new recipes planned for the near future. 

a bit of fighting

Although I've been on the mats helping with the classes each day since I returned, today was my first day back on the mats for my own training. I must say, it was a really good session. I'm really looking forward to upping my game! 

a bit of fun

A friend of mine (who I knew from Kuwait) is leaving London for Seattle. She threw a 'The Brits meet the Yankees' party -- how appropriate for D & I (although technically I'm not an American)! It was great to enjoy a night out on the town! 

I've had a strange surge of energy. I'm not sure where it came from. All I know is that I'm going to capitalize on it! 

Here's to the start of what I hope will be a great week! 

Alive, Well, and Stressed

Hi!! Just a quick check in because I know I've been MIA for ages now. Everything is fine. The move to London has been keeping me preoccupied. Although I still have several weeks here in Kuwait, the cargo company is sending their packers on Friday -- which means that I need to have the house sorted by then. Not only do I need to figure out what to take, but I also have to figure out what I need here to last me until I leave -- and that I can take with me in my luggage. It's been quite a task.

So it's full on stress mode over here. Things are coming together slowly. It really has been a non-stop task. I'm literally running from room to room to get things done and it's a constant go-go-go from 5:30 a.m. until I collapse.

I think I'll really be relieved after this weekend because once the packers have taken everything, then the decision has been made. I either carry what's remaining with me when I leave or I sell it/donate it before I head out.

On the health and fitness side, things have been ok, but as the move has been approaching, my focus and time allocation towards exercise has been diminishing. It's been 3 weeks since I've hit the gym for a weight training session. The only thing I was focusing on was my MMA training (3 hours on 3 days a week). However, from this week I'm dropping that to just 2 hours -- and after tonight's training session, no gym or anything for me until after the weekend. My 'workout' for the next few days will consist of lifting and moving boxes.

I know that there are plenty of exercises that I can do at home to get in a workout. I'll see. I'm achy and sore all over from everything else that I'm doing. Holding off for a few days to focus on this massive change in my life is alright -- in the meantime, I'm definitely doing what I can to keep my food on track. As tempting as a pre-cooked meal from somewhere might sound (for convenience), I've still been cooking. My crockpot has been a saving grace for me these past few days!!

In other news, my Kajukenbo coach is away for a competition and he left me and another student (senior in ranking to me) in charge of the class while he's away. We ran a great class together last week. However, this week she was unable to make it, so I got to run my first class on my own! It went well & I definitely enjoyed it :)

Ok. That's it from me. Next update on Monday. Hope everyone has been doing well.

after Kajukenbo class last week

Catching Up and Complaining

I just haven’t been able to make the time to sit at my computer and type out a proper post. Aside for just checking my email and glancing through Facebook I’ve been running around, cooking, cleaning, working, and sleeping.

The challenge for the next two weeks in the Whole Life Challenge is to get 7 hours of sleep (per 24 hours, so if not all at night, then during a nap). Not only have I been making sure to get those 7 hours of sleep because of the challenge, but I’ve also been NEEDING the sleep because I’m tired!

My dad left a few days ago and day before yesterday my in-laws arrived. You can imagine how busy all that has been. Since my brother isn’t driving and his paperwork isn’t complete, I’ve been doing additional driving around for him – which wouldn’t be too bad if it wasn’t for the insane traffic here in Kuwait (was at a standstill for 25 minutes yesterday on a highway –ugh!!!).

I haven’t quite got the hang of cooking for 3 people yet. I used to make enough dinner so that I would have some food leftover for lunch. However, now I need enough lunch for 2 people – so that means I’ve had to either cook extra or cook again. I’ve most had to cook all over again.

My eating has been good in terms of staying true to the challenge, but it’s been bad in terms of being lazy and tired – so just having a few dates for energy to get me through the day, just picking on a bit of food here and there. I know it’s not healthy, and I need to rectify that. I need to make sure I eat right (the right amount, the right things, at the right time) in order to get the proper energy that I need. I know better, but I just don’t feel like I’ve got the energy to pull it all together.

I’ve been exercising daily. My morning workouts have taken a hit because of extra errands and work. I’ve been exercising in the evening – either Kajukenbo class, CrossFit, going for a walk, or Jiujitsu. I feel like my workouts have been mild (moderate at best) and it’s just not enough for what works for my body. I’ve also been working out with/training my brother to help him with his weight loss progress (he’s lost about 12 pounds in the past 2 weeks). We do a combination of kickboxing, weight lifting, and walking.

So, there’s a lot going on. I wish I could say that things are slowly falling into place, but they’re not at the moment. I feel like I really won’t be able to get a handle on things until the middle of next month. In the meantime, I’ll just keep doing my best.

By the way - sorry about the problem on my blog (re the photos covering the text). I'm not sure what happened. Hopefully that's been resolved now. For some reason my notifications (of when people post and comment) have also not been showing up. I haven't figured out how to fix that yet, but hopefully I'll be able to soon.

Overwhelmed

There's so much going on here. I'm having a tough time keeping up with it all. Plus I'm having a really tough time making it to the computer to read blogs/write blog posts. I really to do it, but it's the one thing that I've been struggling to incorporate in my schedule.

I usually wake up at 4:30 a.m., but I think the stress and the overwhelming feeling of all that I have to do during the day has been disrupting my sleep. I was up at 3:50 a.m. the other morning -- not cool at all.

One of the biggest changes to my schedule is that my brother is now living with me. He arrived in Kuwait last Friday and will be staying with me for at least 2 months. He's got a job in my department and is teaching English just like me. The thing that sucks is that I have an early morning schedule, whereas he teaches later in the day. Since he doesn't drive, I've needed to incorporate his transportation into my schedule. Until he gets his local paperwork done (which could take several weeks - if we're lucky), he won't be able to drive. Even taking taxis is a bit risky at the moment as there have been many random police check-points on the road, and since he's Bangladeshi and doesn't have all his papers ready yet, it's just not safe. Anyway. As I said, it'll just take some adjusting, but I haven't been able to come up with a good routine plan yet -- especially since things ALWAYS keep popping up!! For example, last week a meeting ran late, then another day I had to substitute somebody else's class, then I had some running around for my brother's paperwork ... etc. etc. I'm doing the best I can, but the disruptions themselves are exhausting ...

Dad arrived for his medical check-up yesterday --- and if you've been following my blog for some time, you know that he stresses me out when it comes to food. He's a diabetic who likes to eat all the WRONG stuff -- chocolate, chips, foods rich in butter, fried etc. etc. All he does is talk about food. It makes me insane!! Starting from the ride home from the airport ... (reciting the serenity prayer).

So it's a full house at the moment. I've given up all 'my' space in the house to my brother and my dad ... I just need to remember to breathe.

Being on the Whole Life Challenge has been good for me because I don't need to worry about my own food. Keeping my diet clean I think has actually helped me continue to feel good. I feel light, and not having any extra 'junk' in my system has given me at least enough energy to get through each day.

I've just got to stay focused on my goals and make sure that I get my workouts in (which I've been doing well at). I need to stay positive and prioritize. I need to breathe.

 

Topsy Turvey

Day 1 of my summer holiday - what a joy! My goal was to sleep in until 9 a.m. (I had a late, late night on Saturday) and then go about my day. I don't know what I was thinking! I woke up at 5:45 a.m. feeling frantic. Not anxious frantic, just busy - omg I have so much to do - frantic. So I started tidying up the house. Once I got started with that, I had a hard time stopping ... and consequently I did not make it to the gym in the morning. 

I did, however, do 100 burpees and 135 squats (Day 14 of the squats challenge) and I got a whole lot of stuff done at home. 

I think my frantic-ness of the day was caused by a sugar/carb-crash following what I ate the night before. Although it may not seem like a lot, when you don't eat that kind of food on a regular basis at all, I think your body reacts to it much more quickly. These are the consequences -- I gotta live with them. 

On my way to acupuncture in the morning my car battery light went on. I was already overdue going for its servicing, so I freaked out a little (the last thing I wanted was an overheated car!) so off to the garage I went, and then I was car-less. Ugh. How annoying!! 

D was a sweetheart and came home by 4 p.m. so that I could take his car to Kajukenbo at night. 

We did some circuit training before our martial art workout. I can really see the impact of my CrossFit & weight training paying off here. While all the other girls were totally out of breath (one even vomited - she was new to the class) I was feeling the effects, but I could keep on going without much difficulty. It felt good. I felt strong! 

By the time I got home, washed up etc. I was exhausted. I had just enough energy to watch the Arsenal match and then I was pretty much ready for bed (and it was only around 8:45 p.m.). I lazed on the couch for a bit and was in bed before 10. I was SO tired! 

------- 

Headed out of the house early this morning to get my car. The car was ready yesterday, but I had to make a decision - get my car or go to Kajukenbo? Kajukenbo won. I had them keep everything ready for me so that I could get it first thing this morning. I was so happy to see it parked right at the entrance of the garage ready for me :) 

Off to the gym --- though I met with a friend for breakfast first. We hadn't caught up in a while, so once again my morning workout didn't go as planned (I feel like such a slacker!!) but we both went in for Body Balance so at least I got that in! 

This afternoon was my last CrossFit class until August. I'll be traveling soon and then the schedules will be topsy turvey because of everyone else's travel plans for the summer. I'm ok with that as I still have the gym. However, I will miss CrossFit. 

Today's WOD left me completely breathless. OMG what a killer. We were supposed to do 3 rounds, but our coach stopped us after 2 coz' it was just deadly - lots of burpees, deadlifts, mountain climbers, push-ups etc. Definitely left me with a workout to remember for the rest of the summer! I'm hoping that while I'm in the States I'll get a chance to try out a CrossFit box or two. We'll see how that goes. 

I've got a birthday dinner to attend tonight. They're all gym buddies so I'm pretty sure that the food will be healthy. 

Picture post tomorrow! 

Countdown to Summer

The countdowns have begun!!

• 2 teaching days left
• 10 working days left
• 32 days until I travel for summer vacation 

I definitely like the look of those numbers!!


Today started off quite well. I restarted my morning yoga routine, I got my omelet muffins baked for the week, and I had a good list of things to do to follow. For the most part, my day went according to plan, but everything seemed to take a lot longer than expected. A meeting at work that I thought would only last 45 minutes went on for 2 hours! Anyway. The day went well, and although I was still feeling a bit of residual stress/anxiety from the past 2 weeks, I was glad that the week had started and that I had a schedule I could somewhat stick to.

After doing my yoga at home, I headed to the gym and did a cardio warm-up followed by weights (NROL Hypertrophy workout 3A).

Gearing Up to do Seated Incline Dumbbell Chest Presses

My eating schedule was a bit off today as I didn't eat my second breakfast right after my workout. I got busy at work and was munching on probably too many nuts in the meantime :/

I ate my second breakfast for lunch around 1:30 p.m. (during my meeting at work) and then didn't eat dinner until 7:30 p.m.

I had a productive afternoon, working on my Personal Trainer Certification studies. I completed the first 5 quizzes (I had started doing them last week though) and got 100% in all of them :) (Proud to be a nerd!)

The highlight of my day was a long overdue massage. I may make this a weekly/bi-weekly Sunday ritual. Let's see how well I do with getting back on track first!


In trying to keep better track of my food, I'm going to try to also keep a photo diary. It's something that I've seen quite a lot of bloggers start to do so I thought I'd give it a try.

Pre-workout Breakfast

(banana, 1 date covered with coconut flakes - sometimes 2 - 1 tablespoon of peanut butter)

110 calories + 25 calories + 100 = 235

Vitamins/Supplements in the Morning

(3 fish oil tablets, 2 glucosamine/chondroitin tablets, 1 Centrum performance multivitamin, 1 Ecinacea tablet)

My Daily Breakfast during the Week - Omelet Muffins + 1/2 avocado

320 calories (recipe here)

Snack

(mix of raw almonds, walnuts, raisins, and cashews)

My Dinner - 225 Degree Salad 

(the story behind that name will be explained once I post the recipe)

Basically French beans, roasted tomatoes, bell peppers, walnuts, lettuce, and grilled chicken + a whole grain mustard & vinegar dressing

(basic recipe here, but updated, more tasty recipe will be posted later)

Today:
- Workouts:

• Yoga in the morning at home (15 minutes)
• Cardio + weights at the gym (1.5 hours)
• Deep stretching at the gym, post-workout (15 minutes)
• Burpees: 15 {total: 3,500/20,130}
• Squats Day 1: 50

- Food: 

• Breakfast: pre-workout: banana, 1 date, 1 T natural peanut butter
• Lunch: 3 omelet muffins & 1/2 avocado
• Dinner: 225 degree salad with grilled chicken
• Snacks: too many nuts and raisins

- Other: 

• Completed the first 5 quizzes of my personal training certification

Quick April Review

Quick, quick, quick post - review of April

The Good Stuff
1) I completed my Fitness Nutritionist course and did really well on the final exam!
2) I wanted to complete 40 workouts this month & I completed 45!

The Okay Stuff
1) My weight goal was to end each month lighter than the previous one: I did, but I am disappointed with only a 1/2 kg (1 lb) loss for the month
2) My overall eating habits have been good, and I feel much more confident around food. However, I obviously still need to tweak my eating habits because with the amount I'm working out, it just doesn't seem to add up.

The Bad Stuff
1) I've been feeling really stressed out, which is affecting my sleep.
2) I've felt really disorganized and overwhelmed; I need to work on my time management and planning.


That's my basic post April review.

My May goals and plan for the month will be posted this weekend. I just need to survive the next 3 days.

Monday Already?

My stress level is off the charts. I haven't had any time to myself, let alone the peace of mind and clarity to write a blog post. There is just way too much going on and I feel my anxiety building.

I definitely used to turn to food before whenever I was stressed/anxious. Now that I'm not doing that anymore (I'm proud and happy to say that), I do find it a bit difficult to find a way to relieve my stress. I already had a killer hour and half kickboxing session, but it just wasn't enough. I feel like so overwhelmed with everything that I need to find something, anything to control -- and I don't know what to do. All I really want to do is lie absolutely still and block everything and everyone out. Hmmm I may try that.

My weight over the past week has gone up 1 kg and down 1 kg. It's so annoying to see. Now I'm hanging at a new low, which is only 1 lb. less than what I weighed 3 weeks ago. What is going on? I'm so frustrated.

I've been so good with my exercise and my food. I've been busy, but I haven't missed a workout; I've been stressed, but I haven't eaten anything bad (and believe me, there's been a lot of temptation). It's so, so, so frustrating when it really feels like you're doing everything right and the results aren't going your way.

I know that this is the time to really hold on and keep pushing forward, but for goodness sake, I can't help but to feel a bit irritated!

Anyway. Just checking in to say that I'm on track with my food and fitness ... it's just the rest of my life that I'm having issues with!

Big tasks for the week:
- prepare my students for their final writing exam (which will be on Wednesday) [this involves hours of consultation and counseling to help calm their nerves and give them the confidence to kick ass]
- get my dad to and from his hospital appointments (mainly on Wednesday & Thursday) [dealing with dad also means somehow surviving our day to day clashes, the biggest of which surrounds food of course; after that it's figuring out how to deal with him giving me advice/suggestions on how to live my life which I just don't want. The 'problem' is that I don't sit back and take it anymore. I talk back, and this just increases the conflict and the tension.]
- get everything planned, ready, and prepared for a bridal shower that I'm throwing on Thursday [I'm a perfectionist; I want this to be terrific. There are so many details to take care of ... it has been tough!]
- chase up my brother's papers with the university administrators [and surviving all the red tape and bureaucratic bullshit that goes along with any type of administration related errand]
- all the usual weekly errands and tasks!

Getting through Monday

To say that today was a beautiful day in Kuwait is an understatement. The sun was shining, the sky was clear, a slight breeze was blowing ... it was so tempting for me to skip work and stay at the gym and lounge poolside.

The view from the kickboxing studio this morning

After warming up on the treadmill a bit I headed to the studio to do some kickboxing practice. I worked out barefoot for the first time & I also used my shin guards for the first time -- they'll definitely help minimize the bruising on my legs. I worked out for about an hour and half before having to rush off to work.

Work went well today though I now have a huge stack of grading to do, which is always a bit of a downer. Still, the semester is almost over!!! Can't wait.

This afternoon I headed to CrossFit. Due to a last minute schedule change (and me having a previous engagement for after CrossFit) I had to leave early. I was a bit annoyed because of the time change - but as always, you've just got to make the most of it.

I felt some improvement in my pull-ups, though I'm still working with the thickest resistance band. My WOD was 7 minutes of AMRAP alternating 10 thrusters (w/a 10 kg plate) and 10 burpees. Think you can't get much of a workout in 7 minutes --- think again! I was drenched in sweat by the end of those 7 minutes!

I had a meeting with a potential private MMA instructor right after CrossFit. The meeting went well though nothing has been confirmed. Will have to see how it all unfolds.

My night ended with a girl's night out with some of my girlfriends who I hadn't seen in quite some time. It was a nice relaxing way to end what turned out to be quite a hectic day!


Today's Food
Breakfast #1: Banana, 2 dates, 1 T peanut butter
Breakfast #2: Tuna fish salad (like yesterday)
Lunch: Fish & vegetables (leftovers from last night's dinner)
Dinner: 1 cup of yogurt
Snacks throughout the day: 1 cup green tea; 2 peanut butter date balls; 1 oz dark chocolate


Today's Workouts
Warm-up: 2 km on the treadmill - easy walk
Main workout: Kickboxing (1 hour)
Burpees: 120 (I'm so behind in my challenge)
Squats Challenge Day #7: 80 squats

So Busy!!

I'm struggling to keep up with my blog. I really do want to get back to blogging regularly, but I just haven't managed to squeeze in the time. Things have been SO busy, and I feel like they're about to get busier. I seriously need a few extra hours in my day!

I totally forgot about writing a Friday Five post -- that post was supposed to be my easy post to help me keep up with my blog ... ya, didn't happen.

What did happen on Friday was that I spent 6 hours at my desk working on my Specialist in Fitness Nutrition final exam. It's a LONG exam. I only finished 260 questions out of the 350 multiple-choice questions and I've still got the essay and case study to complete. I've pretty much done the case study. I just need to type it up.

On Wednesday I met up with my first 'client' -- she's actually my case study, but she's also going to be a real client of mine. I was nervous, but it went well. It took about 2 hours and I think we're going to need at least another 2-4 hours before I can set something up for her properly. There are so many factors involved in setting up a good program. I don't want to just give out a food plan. I really want to come up with a plan that's going to be sustainable and help the person reach their goals -- and stay positive and motivated throughout the process. It's a tall order, but one that I want to fulfill!

Thursday I had a really good gym session in the morning - weights and cardio - followed by a good RPM session at night.

Me on my bike :)

Today - I did yoga in the morning, followed by RPM ... and then CrossFit in the evening. It kinda sucks that Saturday is the last day of our weekend here and I spent the whole day running around ... but I had the time so I took the opportunity to workout. I'm just going to have to find time during the week to squeeze in those errands that are normally saved for the weekends.

Our yoga pyramid this morning on the beach :) 

As I said, busy, busy, busy.

One week left of the Whole Life Challenge -- going to try and finish off STRONG!!

The Weekend is Finally Here!

Ok, my idea of having Wednesdays as a 'chill day' is not translating into reality. I don't teach on most Wednesdays, so I do have to to get things done ... but that often means I end up being busier than ever.

Yesterday was so busy that I didn't really have the energy to blog. I was so exhausted after my evening workouts (Body Balance in the morning, then Zumba followed by Cardio Kickboxing at night) that all I really wanted to do was sleep!!

Unfortunately, because I was so busy yesterday, I didn't get through the stack of grading that I wanted to get done. That meant that I was at my desk at 5 o'clock this morning quickly planning a lesson and creating slides for today's class. Not fun, especially because it was encroaching on my morning workout time.

I left the house at 7 a.m. -- that's usually the time I'm finishing my warm-up at the gym! I contemplated not going at all since I knew I wouldn't be able to complete the workout that I had planned on doing. Then I thought, what the heck. Let me just go and do what I can.

I warmed up with 3 minutes of jump rope and then got straight to my weights workout. Since this is the final workout portion A of this phase, I really wanted to end by upping a few of the weights. This is how it went:

2 sets; 15 reps each
Squats: last set 65kg (143 lbs) [increased by 5 kg (11 lbs) for the last set]
Lunges: last set 55kg (121 lbs) [increased by 5 kg (11 lbs) for the last set]

Then came the big challenge -- one arm dumbbell rows. I've been lifting 17.5 kg, which has been tough but not impossible. Today, I kept staring at these:

20kg dumbbells (44 lbs)

I really wanted to lift them for my dumbbell rows, but I was slightly hesitant -- would I be able to do them. The answer is: YES!! I did, and I was so happy :) It wasn't nearly as difficult as I thought it would be. Only the last 3-4 reps on my left arm felt tough. Other than that, it felt great!!

The workout ended with 2 sets of 20 push-ups followed by 2 sets of 20 Swiss ball crunches.

I didn't have time to do my interval training, so I just did burpees until it was time for me to cool down and stretch. I got 70 done.

So, it was a bit rushed at the gym this morning, but I got my workout in. I worked out for exactly one hour, which isn't too shabby.

Tonight I've got taekwondo and Jiujitsu practice after which I've got a farewell dinner to attend.

I love all my workouts, but I really am glad that tonight is the end of my big workouts of the week for me. It's not the exercises that are draining, it's more the prep time and the bloody laundry that follows that irks me.

On to the weekend!!!


Yesterday's Workouts
Stretching: Body Balance (1 hour)
Cardio: Zumba (1 hour)
MMA training: Cardio Kickboxing (1 1/2 hours)
Burpees: 0

Today's Workouts
Weights: NROL Workout 6A
Stretching: 15 minutes
MMA training: Taekwondo & BJJ (1 1/2 hours)
Burpees: 70 {challenge total: 1,240/20,130}


Yesterday's Food
Breakfast: Omelet muffins & 1/2 avocado
Lunch: Felafel bites (homemade) with a tomato salad
Dinner: Quinoa with vegetables and grilled chicken
Snacks: 2 dates

Today's Food
Breakfast: Banana & 2 teaspoons of peanut butter; Omelet muffins & 1/2 avocado
Lunch: Baked salmon over quinoa with vegetables
Dinner: Grilled lamb + hummus and tabbouleh
Snacks: 2 dates and green tea

Rushing through Monday

My killer workouts on Saturday and Sunday definitely caught up to me today. I could barely get out of bed. I slept in for an extra hour (so I was up at 5:30 instead of 4:30) and that definitely helped. I also decided not to go to the gym this morning (Monday's are scheduled as my optional morning workout day) and instead did 45 minutes of really good yoga and stretching. I bought this book - Ultimate Flexibility - and started doing a few of the exercises in that book. It felt great.

Breakfast was delicious -- my omelet muffins with avocado (recipe coming soon, I promise):

Work was alright.
Acupuncture went well. I've definitely become more comfortable with the process, and I'm really relieved that the dizziness following the session has pretty much completely subsided.


I had a late lunch - 2 tuna burgers (no bun or anything, just the patty -- recipe for this to follow soon too).

After that, I was really tempted to nap, but earlier in the day I had started to do some of my Nutrition Studies reading, so I completed the section, took the quiz, and scored 100% :) Yay!

Rush, rush, rush -- dinner prep, a bit of cleaning, then out the door (cursing through traffic) to kickboxing class where I took out a lot of stress. Man it was a fabulous session. Great pad work plus some dirty elbows - love 'em ;)


Dinner was another new recipe - baked cod with dill & lemon accompanied by some veggies. I felt that the cod was a bit dry so I think the recipe needs some tweaking before I post it. However, the vegetables were yummy!!

Another busy, busy day -- now off to bed feeling satisfyingly sore :)


Today's Workouts
Stretching: 45 minutes of yoga & stretching
MMA training: 1.15 hrs. of cardio kickboxing at ClubFit
Burpees: 20

Today's Food
Breakfast: 3 omelet muffins and half an avocado
Lunch: 2 tuna patties
Dinner: baked cod with vegetables
Snacks: 1/4 cup of mixed raw nuts, 2 dates, 1 oz. of 85% dark chocolate

Getting Organized

I feel like I've hit the ground running. Yesterday was so busy getting back to work, tackling a stack of research papers to grade, plus taking care of other errands (and losing time being stuck in mad traffic) ... no time to ease into it.

I really need to do something about these frantic days. It seems like they happen more often than not. Basically this means I need to take another look at my schedule and get my food organized - as always. I just feel so overwhelmed. There's so much I have to do and I just don't know how to fit it all in ... and I'm not willing to give anything up.

It's a constant battle.

First things first - food. As long as my menu for the week is organized and my fridge is stocked well (with healthy foods of course) then at least that will be one thing I won't have to worry too much about. I've realized that I need to include food prep time into my schedule. That's something that I haven't done before, but I really need to as it sometimes easily takes an hour or so to chop up veggies etc.

Second - exercise. I've got either boxing/kickboxing or CrossFit scheduled everyday. Yesterday CrossFit was cancelled so I headed over to ClubFit for Kickboxing class. I'm not worried about getting my exercise in, but I need to do more focused cardio (cross-trainer/treadmill/outdoor running) and practice some skills + yoga/Body Balance. Getting in those extras is going to be tough, but I really feel a difference (negative) not including them in my routine.

Third - work/writing/nutrition studies. I figure I need to set aside at least 3 hours a day to take care of one of these tasks (not including the time I spend at work, of course).

Fourth - home. I feel like I've been decluttering for a year, and I have!! Still, there's more - lots more to get rid of. I know I feel better the more I throw things out. I just need to find a systematic way to tackle this and also finish each task I start. I have a bad habit of starting to organize something and then getting distracted and moving on to something else. Must. Focus.

Fifth - social. 'Tis the season indeed. Lots of socializing going on before people travel for the holidays. I need to find a way to spend time with friends and catch up with ones I haven't seen in ages without it feeling overwhelming. Basically with so much going on in my life I want to make sure that I take time to relax and enjoy.

So, lots to be done. I'm starting with writing down my menu, grocery list, and schedule.

Taking a Break

I left the house this morning at 6:30 a.m. and didn't get back home until 11:45 p.m.

I've been running around like a madwoman all day - busy with work, errands, boxing, and a few social things too (so it hasn't been all work).

Anyway.

Just a quick post to check in and leave you with some words of inspiration and motivation for over Thanksgiving weekend. I've got a lot of stuff planned for the next few days - including my big shopping spree - so I won't be around to blog. I'll be back to my regular blogging schedule on Sunday.

In the meantime, have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and friends - stay healthy and be safe! :)

Much Better

I can't tell you how good it felt to send off my document at 6 this morning. What a huge weight off my chest!

The thing with being so distracted in a task like that is that I find it tough to get back to a routine. I know that when I'm busy I make do - exercise when I can, eat as good as possible. I keep up my good habits, but I also get a bit careless. I don't exercise with 100% effort or I do something 'easy'; I don't enjoy the food I eat and sometimes (often) just throw a bunch of ingredients together just for the sake of eating something.

I know these aren't the worst things in the world, but they bug me and I know it's something I want to work on.

Today was a totally get back to normal type of day - I went out for breakfast with D. I had my usual Friday break fast of smoked salmon, a bowl of hummus, and a plate of chopped cucumbers and tomatoes plus a cup of green tea.

I finally headed to the supermarket and restocked the fridge. That always makes me feel better - lots of fresh veggies and lots of fish all waiting to be cooked! They had a major stock of Egg Whites come in so I was thrilled. I'm stocked up until the 1st week of January :) No protein problems here!

I spent a bit of time this afternoon tidying up. It felt good to see things in my home office start to take shape again. This project, however, will take quite a few days.

Then I headed to CrossFit. We did pure strength training today -- man was it a workout!!

The good news -- I did about 40 double-unders!! Again, not in a row, but they're getting much, much better. Each time I succeed I get a bit more confidnet. I just have to balance that confidence with the feelings of frustration of not being able to do more. Patience. Patience Patience.

Our strength training was bench presses, but on the floor instead of on a bench. Being in the CrossFit Box where we're all on the floor covered in our (and who knows who else's) sweat has helped take some of the edge off my germaphobia. Today was another test to that. It felt a bit strange doing bench presses off the floor. I had never done them before. I worked my way up to 60kg (132 lbs) but with some assistance. I'll get it on my own soon.

Our WOD:

6 rounds
Barbell rows: adding weight at each round; I got up to 55 kg (121 lbs) [8 reps; only 5 the last 2 rounds]
Push-ups: 10/round [I did a total of 45 on my toes! The most I've ever done - I surprised myself!]
Pull-ups: with a band, but getting better [10 reps/round]

As always, there are some WODs that don't sound like much but are killers!

I've got something exciting going on tomorrow -- stay tuned :)

Back to Normal - Tomorrow

I was at my desk at 5 a.m. and I didn't get up  until 7 p.m.

I am absolutely mentally exhausted.

Today is the first day in about 10 weeks that I did absolutely no exercise.

I had a few sticks of celery this morning with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter and some raisins plus a cup of coffee --

Aside from that I was just consumed by stress and the adrenaline of almost getting this task done - and it is almost done.

Actually, it's done but it's due tomorrow so I'm going to hold on to it and give it a once over in the morning before submitting ... and then I'll be back on track with everything ... This is the price of procrastination.

I really need to fix my schedule so I don't pull crap like this anymore.

As I said, back to normal tomorrow.

Now, fingers crossed for a good night's sleep!

Exercise Classes

Today was a good day in terms of exercise. I've definitely found that on days when I'm scheduled to workout in a group or class the chances of skipping the workout are really small, even when I'm crazy busy like I have been these past few days.

Lately CrossFit and boxing have been the two main classes that I rarely miss. We're a small group, 3-5 people, so your absence is definitely noticed when you don't make it. Plus you miss out the training for the day which kinda puts you behind the next time you show up.

Zumba, Body Balance, and RPM are the other classes I try to attend as much as possible. I don't feel as much pressure to attend these classes because there are usually a lot of people, but I have found that people still notice when you're absent. People ask where you've been if you've been gone for a while. I don't exercise for other people, but the last thing I want is for people to think that I'm lazy!

I know a lot of people who can't stand going to exercise classes. They find them intimidating and impersonal.

I love them as a change in my routine, as a way to just a workout done with someone else leading the moves so I don't have to think too much, and for the group support.

It may be intimidating at first, but I've found that when  you're committed to a class, people notice. That's when they offer you encouragement and support - and definitely praise as you get faster, stronger, and more flexible.

I got a lot of positive comments after Body Balance class today. Not only about the weight loss, but also how my posture and flexibility had improved. It felt great getting those compliments.

Boxing class was good today too. I find that the hour goes by really quickly - wish the class was longer.


Other than that I spent my day stuck in traffic for about a total of 3 hours - maddening - and at my desk for 8 hours - just as maddening. I can't wait until I get this piece of writing done.

Food was alright today. As always, planning is key. I didn't really feel like thinking about cooking, and actually felt a bit irritated as I was chopping veggies for tonight's dinner, but I got it done. I really need a better back-up plan. I haven't even had time to go and do a proper grocery shop - must get on that. Still, an impromptu prep of some veggies - eggplant, cauliflower, sweet potato, bell pepper, and peas (I've never tried this combo before) cooked in some olive oil, onion, garlic, ginger, cumin, and curry powder & a piece of grilled haddock and I was good to go with leftovers for tomorrow!

Busy, Busy

I didn't get around to posting yesterday - and today's post will be short too ... I'm really caught up with my research writing at the moment and can't really concentrate on writing a proper blog post.

I just wanted to assure you that I'm still working out and eating well.

I've tried a few more things - a bit of dairy (nothing too exciting), a bit of cheese (the only thing to date that I did enjoy eating), and a bit of chocolate (I actually prefer the cheese). None of the non-Whole Life Challenge foods appeal to me so I feel quite relieved about that.

So far this week I went to RPM class on Sunday - my legs felt really nice and strong; I hit up Body Balance on Monday morning and then CrossFit in the evening. I love seeing my strength improve but some of the WODs still really intimidate me! Today was mild - just focused on practicing my double-unders. I'm finally managing to get the occasional consecutive double-unders, but it is a very, very rare occurrence. Still, practice makes perfect, so I gotta keep practicing!

Short and sweet for today. I'll leave you with some motivational words.

Typical

November 1st already. This year seems to be flying by.

Of course I had big plans for the day - I was going to do my yoga, have a good breakfast, get some work done, workout etc. etc.

Things didn't go according to plan and I started to think, 'Great. What a lousy start to the month.'

That's when I paused and thought, 'Actually, this is life. This is how it always goes. I should know this by now. Make the best of it and just move on.'

So I did.

I had tons of work to do. I find writing absolutely exhausting. The stress of trying to get it all right plus sitting at my desk for hours on end is not a good combination. So today I broke it up and every 1 1/2 hours I'd get up, do a small task around the house (e.g. fold the laundry) do 5 minutes of yoga stretching and then get back to my desk. I did this throughout the day.

Taking a break from my work helped me come back to my desk ready to go for another 1 1/2 hours.

After spending 9 hours at my desk, I was more than ready to do a bit of jumping around and work up a sweat.

I knew from early on that I wasn't going to make it to the gym, but I also know that I don't need a gym to get a workout done. There are tons of exercises to do that will make you break out a sweat and you don't even need any equipment!

Walking lunges, jump squats, burpees, push-ups, sit-ups, shadowboxing -- these are just a few exercises that you can do without needing much room or any equipment.

30 minutes of all that (ummm minus the burpees though) plus my Gleason's boxing workout and I was dripping with sweat and feeling totally satisfied.

It just goes to show - if you want to get it done, you will.

There really is no excuse to not exercising each day. Just freaking do it. You'll feel so much better after you're done!!

I ended with 10 minutes of yoga and I was feeling totally zen.

So things didn't go according to my initial plans ... that's life. I think that's the good thing about making eating right and exercising part of my lifestyle. It's always going to be there. Whether I'm eating at home, at a restaurant, or at a friend's house ... whether I'm working out at a gym, at the CrossFit box, or at home ... there's always an opportunity to make healthy choices.

Make eating right and exercise a typical part of your day. 

You can't go wrong.