Week 6

I'm in the middle of week 6 of a 12-week challenge, and I'm really feeling the motivation. It takes a few weeks, you know? Most people, including myself, are pretty impatient. After a few days, if I am not feeling super fantastic all the time, I tend to wonder why. I know it's not enough time, but logic doesn't prevail.

I start feeling a little better at about 2 weeks, super better at 4, and now at week 6 it's an all time high. I can be in a really bad mood before I lift weights, and then mid-workout, the endorphins kick in, and I am in a chipper mood. It's a fantastic feeling, not only to be high, but to be on a natural high.

And cardio. Ah cardio. That takes a *really* long time for me to start to enjoy. 5 weeks to be exact. I am now finally really into it and I look forward to it. I am doing Turbo Jam dvd's. At first, I drug my butt through it and did the bare minimum. I wondered if I'd ever be able to make it through. Now, I am using weighted gloves and bouncing around as much as the bounciest girls on the video do, and giving it as much gusto. I'm like a little old cheerleader, heh. It still kills me...but I get a rush. I generally feel great afterwards.

My overall energy levels are very high, and I love that. I get so much done in this state of mind. Around 8 pm, I still get tired, and when it's bed time, I crash. But I sleep very well, unless it's interrupted by the various living things in my house that will interrupt sleep.

Also, my self-esteem is higher. I can walk with pride, limp and all (not everyone knows that story. A later post). It's hard to describe the feeling you get when you take care of yourself. It just changes you. I even notice I photograph better. I think it's all the water that helps my skin.

None of this is news to me. I've done several challenges before, but this is my first real breakthrough challenge since having baby in 2006.

I know I'm not going to miss a workout now. I've been perfect so far, and each day I remember that, and I don't want to mess up the perfection by missing a workout. Now, if something legit comes up...baby starts puking or a tree falls on our house...sure, I'll miss a workout. But I've yet to have a valid reason like that yet.

Just Sunday, the thought crossed my mind to skip my ubwo. I thought...I'll just do it Monday. I'll double up on cardio and ubwo. That's where the important decision has to be made, right then and there, and I decided to work out on Sunday. When I start procrastinating and making stupid excuses, I fail. There was no reason not to work out Sunday other than pure laziness in the guise of "I have other things to do". I knew that, and so I did not go off plan. I've made it a priority.

Eating is not so bad. Could be better. I'm working on it. Tonight though, I'm having a beer. :)

I hope I don' t get sick this year. That happened the first year I did this workout/eating right program - I didn't get sick all winter. Not even a cold. That was a first for me, b/c I almost always get several colds a winter.

Not getting sick may be too much to ask with little baby in daycare and the exposure I get to all these little kid germs. However, I think this week I had a cold, and didn't even know it. I realized I was sniffing a bit and sneezing, too, and felt something something in the back of my throat, but it's almost like an afterthought or a side note instead of ruling me. My body becomes very powerful when it's in tip top shape.

Body Part Progress Report:

Face - looks thinner. My cheek bones are showing nicely (not too thin). It's pretty easy to slim down my face though.

Shoulders - shaping up nicely and getting definition.

Arms - ditto shoulders for arms. I'm liking my biceps, although they are long and will not get huge. My forearms don't look half bad either for being so scrawny.

Back - I have not looked at my back lately. I need to.

Chest above boobage - shaping up nicely.

Boobage - Not shrinking too badly. Yet.

Stomach/Abs - Upper abs are looking very nice. Obliques are not bad either. The little pooch around my belly button is being stubborn. It's my "baby" pooch. It does not upset me at all. I'm so happy I had a baby. I will be very patient with this area of my body. Maybe it will never go away. I did not get stretch marks. In so many ways, I am very lucky.

Butt - Slimming down...need to slim down quite a bit more. I like the junk...but it's hard to get my pants to fit right. Can't quite get into 4's yet (I'm in a 6 mostly). Also, with my junk comes cellulite, and we can't have that.

Thighs - Looking not half bad. Getting some good quad definition and cellulite is melting away.

Calves - well..these always shrink down to little sticks when I work out. I know my calves are stronger, but doubt they will build up a whole lot. That's okay.


Overall, I am feeling much stronger in every exercise and can lift more and more. All my measurements have gone down.

However, my scale weight has not gone down much at all. I know to not pay attention to the scale. I've not weighed myself much lately. But, I've been trained by society to really dig really low numbers in weight on myself. I think I'm #132 now. I'd like to be #125, but I do not want to sacrifice muscle for it. I may never get to my #125 pre-pregnancy weight. That's okay, as long as I feel good.

I have not taken my body fat measurements. I need to.

My only slight concern is that I seem to have pulled something in my chest or my back. I can't tell which...it's deep inside. Hard to explain, but when I pick up baby, for instance, I feel it. Like a pain deep inside...feels like back pain to me. I did lift an awful lot (for me) on my back on Sunday. Then doing those bench pullovers put you in an awkward position where it's easy to do it wrong. To save time, I did not take a break between 1 arm dumbell row sets, since you switch arms anyway. Maybe I needed the rest.

Also...I can really feel it in my joints when I do cardio. Man...I'm getting old. My doctor recommended something that lubricates joints (due to my bum arthritic hip). I didn't buy it b/c it was too expensive. I may need to look into it now.