Current Fitness and Mental Status

I am at the end of week five of my current fitness program. I have not missed a workout in these 5 weeks. The breakdown:

M
5:45 am
Turbo Jam 40 minute cardio

T
6:00 am
Turbo Jam 18 minute abs

W
5:45 am
Turbo Jam 40 minute body sculpt

Th
5:45 am
4o-50 min Pilates/Yoga

F
5:30 pm (after work on Fridays)
Weights - upper body and lower body alternate weeks

Additional: Walk the dog 2-4 times a week; 2 times for sure during the week at 25 minutes each; and trying to get 2 in on weekends, at 45 min to 1 hour each.


Typical Menu:

Breakfast - 1 serving size whole grain cereal which has less than 5 g sugar and 5 or more g of fiber, usually Kashi, with one banana, or a handful of strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries; with 1% milk.

Snack 1 - 1 banana or 1/2-1 apple, or 1 c grapes, or 1 orange, or 1/2 c sliced strawberries, + 1 slice lf cheese OR lf or ff yogurt

Lunch - Healthy choice soup, or leftover dinner, or ww tortilla w/turkey, lf cheese, lettuce, hummus, or a grilled chicken salad w/veggies and a little lf dressing

Snack 2 - 1 c carrot sticks and hummus OR protein powder w/1% milk

Dinner - a lean meat, pasta or ww rice, vegetable; varies...I have found many lean recipes to make; I like variety (who doesn't?)

Snack 3 - Protein powder and 1% milk; or sometimes a low cal dessert; or sometimes 1/2 of a blueberry mini-bagal (not the best choice; mostly a filler so I don't wake up starving); or sometimes just chocolate milk if I'm not really hungry

+ at least 64 oz of water a day

Saturdays and Sundays are sort of free days, but I mostly eat healthy those two days with 1 or 2 "bad" meals. I also don't worry about eating 6 meals a day on weekends, and don't really think so hard about the fitness program at all. We traditionally like to have a fun breakfast on Saturday, which includes real bacon and eggs, and to have take-out pizza or something like that Saturday night. I also allow a cola or two on weekends.

I have given up alcohol for Lent.

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I've been pretty focused lately, just sort of WANTING to do this, which of course is important, and the simple key. Obviously, what I'm doing is not good for anyone trying to lose more body fat. You would need to be stricter. I am so lucky to be genetically blessed to not really get "fat", even when I'm out of shape. When I think of all my other genetic faults, I try to remember all the good things about me, too, like this.

But it's not just about outward appearance. I am glad I don't look fat, even when I'm unhealthy, but I work out to feel good. My energy levels increase 1000%...I mean I get so much done when I'm healthy, you wouldn't believe it. I get stronger physically. I gain self-confidence. And then there is my bum hip. A proper strength program helps my hip to a point where I go from chronic pain to not hurting much at all! Although I do have to be careful. I unfortunately cannot do high impact stuff.

I hate that I can't do the high impact stuff. I feel like I am doing the old-lady version of the video. Especially when she says, "Okay...if you can't do it now, that is fine, stay low-impact, and work up to high impact"...bleh. But I've decided to swallow my pride and do what is safe for me. The people on the video cannot really see me anyway, ha ha, even though they act like you can. "we are SO GLAD you are here with us today" "You HAVE to keep doing this to keep us company!" What??? Ha ha !

I can barely eat out anymore as all of that stuff makes me sick on some level, even the pizza we get sometimes. I've been trying really hard to buy unprocessed foods without additives, but it is a challenge. I can't always do it, but I'm getting better. I even found some organic macaroni and cheese for my son!

I am finally starting to have my doubts about artificial sweeteners. I almost think that real, pure sugar is better, but that you have to really limit yourself there. We ran out of sugar lately, and I've been using Splenda all week, and getting headaches and now "optical migraines" I think (I go to the dr. today to confirm). I wonder if Splenda is the cause? It is also in 17 oz of water I drink a day, the fruit flavored kind I enjoy. My birth control pills are also suspect as the cause, as well as fluorescent lights.

I've been pushing myself on weights, too, using heavier ones than I thought I could use, even on body sculpt. Throughout the whole session, I think I'm not going to be able to do it and there is no way I'll finish. But then somehow, I do! I can tell my muscles are looking more defined. And even though I have not lost a lot of scale weight or inches, I somehow FEEL more muscular and in shape. I wonder if that's psychological, and if I really look any different, but like I said, it's not as much about how I look.

Overall, I am feeling really good and am in a really good place in my life at the moment. I'm not relying on any addictions like I have in the past, whether it be food, booze, or the internet, I am not surrounding myself with people who try to encourage our shared weaknesses or bring me to a lower moral ground (not that hard to do; best for me to avoid altogether when I see it), and I'm recognizing all of these behaviors in people who I once thought were good for me, but are really, very, very bad for me. I feel like that I have control of my life, and overall, I could not be happier. It's making me a better wife and mother, and probably person. I am finally in a place in my life where outside validation is not as important for me, and I am able to validate myself. It's almost hard to believe I'm here!

I will continue this workout program for another 7 weeks, and then take a break. God Bless.