6
Motivation. Time to BRING IT.
Last year I made a BIG change in my life. I started working out regularly and eating better (not perfect, I just made better choices and practiced portion control) and I lost 45 pounds. And I LOVED it.
And I looked like this:
And I had arms like this:
And calves like this:
And then I suddenly got lazy and complacent again and gained like 30 pounds back.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!
It didn’t all come piling back on and I for quite a long time managed to maintain the loss but in about the last 3 months, my weight just steadily crept UP AND UP AND UP!
And it’s time to fix it. About three weeks ago I started slowly incorporating workouts back in to my daily routine about three times a week. I didn’t feel like I was QUITE ready yet to just go gung ho all in.
Then for the first time last night I felt disappointed that I DIDN’T get a workout in. I didn’t sleep as well last night, I felt kind of “off” all day today, I couldn’t concentrate completely and I kept thinking that I’d REALLY wished I’d gotten a workout in. I couldn’t WAIT to get home and bust out the Legs and Back.
Then about 30 minutes before I left work Ben and I kind of got into it. Not a fight, we were both just annoyed with each other and I’m premenstrual so probably over reacted and I got home and was like JUST FUCK IT. I’M NOT WORKING OUT! WHY BOTHER! I HATE EVERYTHING IN THE WORLD EVEN KITTENS! ESPECIALLY KITTENS! AND BUTTERFLIES! FUCK BUTTERFLIES!
So after taking Cassidy to a friend’s to spend the night, and drinking a Shakeology, I sat down on the couch to pout and HATE THE WORLD. Then I opened YouTube and decided to just watch a few of my “motivation” videos. By about the third one I was feeling a bit better then I watched Tekoa’s video and that was all it took, I was going to press play.
And I did. And it was good. And it will probably hurt to THINK about moving my legs tomorrow. And my glutes are ALREADY sore. It hurts to sit. It hurts SO GOOD.
Anyway, this is just a post to say, I AM BACK. I’m not even close to those pictures up there but I’m pretty pleasantly surprised at how quickly my arm tone is coming back. Like, they are solid when I flex. SOLID. And covered in a layer of fat.
But give me three months. Pressing play 5-6 days a week, making those same smart food choices and I’ll be back.
Three months.
Time to BRING IT.
3
Peddle Faster!
So I kind of quietly started a new round of P90X on Monday. I didn’t really tell anybody but Julie and Ben because that meant having to admit out loud that I totally failed the last round. I’m not sure what happened but about half way through I just lost steam and motivation and gave up.
But I’m back, baby!
I’m not following the workout plan exactly because on cardio days I’ve been out on the bike peddling off the calories. I finally had to admit to myself that I’m just not going to be able to run. At least not right now. My shins have never stopped giving me problems and after trying stretching techniques, icing, aspirin, new running shoes, neoprene wraps, focusing on my landing, EVERYTHING, I’d still have KILLER shin splints every single time I tried. Having to admit it just WASN’T going to work was really hard on me because I hate being a quitter.
BUT! On a more positive note I’ve discovered that while I’m not a runner, I AM a biker! Ben, Cassidy and I started taking bike rides and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. The first day we rode about 10 miles and for the following two days I walked funny and had a hard time sitting down but that hasn’t happened since and I’ve been able to do the 9-10 mile rides with great success. I still can’t keep up with Ben, but I’ll get there soon!
So for right now (and at least the next two weeks) my schedule looks like this:
Monday: P90X Chest & Back
Tuesday: Bike ride (this week we did a 10 mile ride and I burned 700+ calories)
Wednesday: P90X Arms and Shoulders
Thursday: Bike ride (did 9.6 miles, 670 calories)
Friday: Rest day
Saturday: P90X Legs and Back
Sunday: Bike ride plus either X Stretch or Yoga X
Friday was a rest/free day for me and I think that I might stick to that for awhile. I have a LONG week of working and by Friday I am BURNT OUT. Ben and I like to have date nights those nights and then I’m in bed REALLY early. If I can manage to make it to a Friday with enough energy to work out I’ll probably plug Kenpo X, Plyometrics or a ride in there but for now, I’m not going to get down or myself or feel bad if I don’t manage to get to it.
Also, I’ve stopped using Spark People. It’s a great site but SO BLOATED with extra crap that I don’t need. So I’ve switched over to MyFitnessPal and I love it so far. So, if you use it add me! 
And I PROMISE I’ll get back to blogging more regularly again. I was in kind of a slump there for a bit but now that I’m back on track and eating more healthy and getting some great exercise I feel like I’m getting all my energy and spunk back.
2
Women usually love what they buy, yet hate two-thirds of what is in their closets.
So, I’ve needed new jeans for about a month and a half. I’ve been rotating between THREE PAIR and trying to dress them up in different ways to not make it looks like I only had THREE PAIR and I was quickly beginning to think that the people at work assume I live out of the trunk of my car. Or a cardboard box. Either way.
The problem is that, we really don’t have the money for me to go and buy new jeans right now, especially since (HOPEFULLY) in another two months when I’m done with P90X, I’ll need MORE jeans. Then today I remembered a friend mentioning The Goodwill the other day and was like DUH! I’ve gotten jeans there before because, HELLO CHEAP! I totally rock The Goodwill jeans.
ANYWAY! I’ve been telling myself for at least a week now that I have a LOT OF JEANS, I just need to go through and try them on and for sure before I go and BUY anymore. But… there was a big part of me that KNEW I’d be disappointed at all the pairs I couldn’t fit into yet so I’ve been making excuses EVERY DAY.
Then today, when I got out of a bath after a pretty intense Plymometrics workout, I looked over at my THREE PAIR of jeans laying on the floor and went to pick them up to put them in the wash and was like FUCK THIS, I’M TIRED OF THESE JEANS. So I started pulling out pairs of jeans and tried EVERY SINGLE PAIR ON. Here is how it went.
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8 pair – still too small
6 pair – FIT! But have holes or are inappropriate for work, but will make GREAT weekend/yard working jeans
3 pair – entirely too big
9 pair – FIT PERFECTLY!
NINE PAIR! I HAVE NINE PAIRS OF JEANS THAT FIT!
NINE!
So when Ben called to me for some reason I came bounding out of the room:
Me: GUESS WHAT!? ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME!?
Ben: Yes, I am listening to you.
Me: So, I was totally going to go shopping for new jeans but told myself I HAD to try all my jeans on BEFORE I went so I did and GUESS WHAT?!
Ben: You have jeans that fit?
Me: (All in one breath) NINE PAIR! AND THREE ARE TOO BIG AND SIX FIT BUT HAVE HOLES AND EIGHT ARE TOO SMALL BUT NINE PAIR FIT!
Ben: You have 26 PAIRS OF JEANS?!
Me: Shit.
Ben: TWENTY SIX PAIRS. OF. JEANS!
Me: I’ll be down to watch Lost in a second! I LOVE YOU OKAY BYE!
Cardinal Rule of Wifehood: Never admit to the number of shoes, purses, eye shadows or jeans you own. The poor men just can’t handle it.
Seriously though, after he got past the initial shock, he congratulated me and told me how proud he was and really, I am so proud of MYSELF. Even though I’ve been doing P90X for two 15 days now, until today I hadn’t lost any weight. I know I’ve gained muscle because I can see it, so I know I’ve lost fat because I’m not GAINING weight but actual pounds had not come off yet. Then yesterday I mentioned it on my P90X blog and this morning, BAM!
THE POUND. The pound I’ve been waiting to see for two weeks so I can finally officially say: I have lost 40 pounds.
I feel SO GOOD. I feel STRONG. I feel FIT. I feel like my lungs are bigger, my heart is stronger and my endurance is sky high.
I owe huge, gigantic, TOTALLY BIG thank you’s to two very important people:
Ben. Who has supported and encouraged me every single step of the way. He has been tough on me when I needed it and sensitive when I really needed a break. There is no way that I could have done this without the constant support and encouragement from my husband. And I know how hard it is for him to sit there and WATCH but not be able to DO since he’s pretty much stuck on the couch till his back surgery on the 15th of this month. To be able to stay upbeat and positive and supportive while he’s been down is a BIG DEAL to me. Thank you, honey.
And!
Julie. Who’s own transformation is just… AMAZING. I’ve known Julie for a LONG time. I got to hold her 1st baby the day he was born, I was there to watch her walk down the isle, and even though I’m a hippy liberal SHE STILL LIKES ME! What she’s given to me in a healthy body, mind and spirit is more than I ever expected. She makes me laugh pretty much every day and keeps me motivated to PUSH PLAY and BRING IT! Thank you, Julie!
25
*flex*
I know that some of you have been asking me WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU YOU!? And the answer is here: http://health.aflux.net/
I started P90X 11 days ago. The first day I threw up, a few days later I laid in the floor wondered WHAT THE HELL AM I THINKING, then yesterday I wanted to punch a wall because this is HARD.
Also, it’s been pretty much the most awesome thing ever. I’m sleeping better, have more energy, I can SEE muscle growing which means fat MUST be disappearing because my weight has stayed the same!
So, no, I’m not abandoning aflux. And yes, I do still have a life outside of working out but time has become a precious commodity and once I have a better balance down I’ll be back here again. I miss blogging and all your comments and ALL OF YOU. Like OHMYGOSH so much.
