I went over points yesterday. I freely admit it, although I'm not proud of it. I had one of those days when I was easily distracted and just couldn't seem to get enough food. Practically zero work got done, and my emotions fluctuated all day. I have these days intermittently - it feels like I've just zoned out a bit, and I'm about half a step out of synch with everyone else all day.
Part of it, I think, comes down to my still virtually non-existent activity levels. When I'm exercising regularly, I feel hyped, focused, energetic and happy. The first couple of weeks of injury, aside from feeling frustrated and and a little bit stir-crazy at not being able to leave the house really, I didn't notice any other downturn in my feelings from the lack of exercise. But I think, now I'm out of that initial "I hurt" period, I'm noticing the side-effects of prolonged laziness. I've not been getting out into the fresh air. I've not been getting into the brightly lit studios with loud rhythmic music and the shared sense of adrenaline and achievement.
The less exercise I do, the more sluggish I feel, and the less I feel like I want to do any. I finished work last night and made excuses not to go swimming - my shoes had developed a hole in them, so I had to stop at the shops after work and get some new shoes. Then I ended up hosting friends round at ours last night, so I had about 20 mins between getting home and them arriving to grab some dinner and tidy up. No swimming.
So how about a compromise - I won't do anything tonight, but I will do something tomorrow afternoon. I was going to go to Body Balance tonight, but honestly I feel so tight that I don't think I'd get anything out of it - I doubt I could reach my knees right now, never mind my toes. I will however ask my friend to book me in for next week's class and I'll work on getting loosened up by then. Tomorrow afternoon I'll get my bike out and head for a gentle ride up the hills. Fresh air, sunshine, some time to myself, and exhilarating views. I'll take it steady and opt for the gentler inclines and stop to rest if I need it. But I will go out.
The other part of yesterday's meh-ness was my food I think. I looked at it, and at the last couple of days - carbs, sugar and artificial stuff, not enough fruit and veg. There were too many snacks yesterday, and then I found myself unwilling to say no to homemade pizza which the boys bought round for everyone last night. I'd already had my dinner, so I wasn't hungry, but the willpower was lacking. Or the will to use the willpower. It wasn't the worst over-eat - 9 points over, but it was unnecessary.
Today, I'm eating fruit - lots of fruit. I had yoghurt and fresh raspberries for breakfast. I had a banana and a nutri-grain bar mid-morning. I've got a nectarine for a snack this afternoon, but I've eaten a good solid lunch, so I shouldn't feel too empty. I'm going to Merry Hill (huge shopping centre) after work with Bec - she's shopping and I'm returning stuff - so at least I'll be strolling round all evening, and away from the fridge. I'm going to make soup over the weekend and get back to my veggies.
I need to boost my energy, and not with caffeine either, so it's back to fresh foods, fresh air and exercise. Fingers crossed, I'm going to be able to start spin class again next week too!
Showing posts with label exercise withdrawal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label exercise withdrawal. Show all posts
Thursday, 24 September 2009
Wednesday, 17 June 2009
Just keep on keeping on
You know the phrase "banging your head against a brick wall"?
Well, I've felt rather like that's what I've been doing for the last 5 weeks or so. My weight's gone down a bit, then it's gone up, it's been down, it's stayed the same, but not a lot of progress has been made overall. My head wasn't strong enough to break the wall I'd run up against, but I just kept on headbutting it anyway, getting frustrated, but not getting anywhere much.
Persistence appears to be the key though. Every little time I made an effort, every time I hit that wall, made an impact. I might not have been able to see it, but weaknesses appeared, and then this morning it's like a little chunk finally fell out the wall - a visible sign of the impact I've made. The scales finally moved down again.
The point I'm trying to make - persistence pays off. Doesn't matter if you feel like you're trying to smash through a wall with your head, or cut down a tree with a nail file, or even just chipping away at all those unwanted stones of flesh on your body, one tiny pound at a time - it all adds up. You might not always see it, but one day you'll turn around and realise how far you've come.
Excuse the horribly mixed metaphors - I know they don't make a whole lot of sense - blame it on addled brains after all that proverbial head-banging!
What's more exciting than the glimmer of hope that the scales might start moving in the desired direction? That I think I've formed a new, good habit. One I can take away and use elsewhere in my life. Persistence. I haven't given up. Not even when things didn't look so good. When I've tripped up, I've picked myself up and started again. When the road took a detour, I kept on plodding. When the destination looked so bloody far away that I want to cry, I just looked at my feet and kept on walking, one little step at a time ... and if I keep doing that - mostly concentrating on what my feet are doing and the ground right in front of me, and just occasionally checking that I'm still heading in the right general direction, I'll get there.
More mixed metaphors - sorry.
The good thing with this persistence malarkey, is that it will carry me clean past goal if I let it. Into maintaining my new healthy lifestyle. Through whatever challenge I set myself next, because really, it's just the power to make the right decision every time something is put in your path. To weigh up the pros and cons, and decide which you want more at the end of the day. And it seems that most decisions come down to whether you want instant gratification or a long term return.
Talking of which - I've just been given a chocolate chip muffin. Because I'm a geek I got the nutritional information and just worked out that that bastard's 7.5 points. I don't want it but can't really give it back - any suggestions on what to do with it???? Seems a bit of a waste to just put it in the bin, but then I don't want to put it in my mouth either!!!! Bugger. It's sat on my desk giving me evils at the moment.
Not that it really matters - I've got my mojo back, and my self-belief, and my confidence in my ability to make the right decisions.
My back's also well on the way to being better. I can MOVE AGAIN!!!! YAAAAAAAY!
So I'm muchos looking forward to returning to spin class tonight. I'm just going to take it easy, but I can't wait for the easy camaraderie of class, and just doing something. After that I've got some of the girls coming over for a little catch up - good times ahead.
Well, I've felt rather like that's what I've been doing for the last 5 weeks or so. My weight's gone down a bit, then it's gone up, it's been down, it's stayed the same, but not a lot of progress has been made overall. My head wasn't strong enough to break the wall I'd run up against, but I just kept on headbutting it anyway, getting frustrated, but not getting anywhere much.
Persistence appears to be the key though. Every little time I made an effort, every time I hit that wall, made an impact. I might not have been able to see it, but weaknesses appeared, and then this morning it's like a little chunk finally fell out the wall - a visible sign of the impact I've made. The scales finally moved down again.
The point I'm trying to make - persistence pays off. Doesn't matter if you feel like you're trying to smash through a wall with your head, or cut down a tree with a nail file, or even just chipping away at all those unwanted stones of flesh on your body, one tiny pound at a time - it all adds up. You might not always see it, but one day you'll turn around and realise how far you've come.
Excuse the horribly mixed metaphors - I know they don't make a whole lot of sense - blame it on addled brains after all that proverbial head-banging!
What's more exciting than the glimmer of hope that the scales might start moving in the desired direction? That I think I've formed a new, good habit. One I can take away and use elsewhere in my life. Persistence. I haven't given up. Not even when things didn't look so good. When I've tripped up, I've picked myself up and started again. When the road took a detour, I kept on plodding. When the destination looked so bloody far away that I want to cry, I just looked at my feet and kept on walking, one little step at a time ... and if I keep doing that - mostly concentrating on what my feet are doing and the ground right in front of me, and just occasionally checking that I'm still heading in the right general direction, I'll get there.
More mixed metaphors - sorry.
The good thing with this persistence malarkey, is that it will carry me clean past goal if I let it. Into maintaining my new healthy lifestyle. Through whatever challenge I set myself next, because really, it's just the power to make the right decision every time something is put in your path. To weigh up the pros and cons, and decide which you want more at the end of the day. And it seems that most decisions come down to whether you want instant gratification or a long term return.
Talking of which - I've just been given a chocolate chip muffin. Because I'm a geek I got the nutritional information and just worked out that that bastard's 7.5 points. I don't want it but can't really give it back - any suggestions on what to do with it???? Seems a bit of a waste to just put it in the bin, but then I don't want to put it in my mouth either!!!! Bugger. It's sat on my desk giving me evils at the moment.
Not that it really matters - I've got my mojo back, and my self-belief, and my confidence in my ability to make the right decisions.
My back's also well on the way to being better. I can MOVE AGAIN!!!! YAAAAAAAY!
So I'm muchos looking forward to returning to spin class tonight. I'm just going to take it easy, but I can't wait for the easy camaraderie of class, and just doing something. After that I've got some of the girls coming over for a little catch up - good times ahead.
Sunday, 14 June 2009
Lazy days
I'm about as relaxed as it gets right now. I'm still in bed (ok, it's only half 9 so that's not too bad), I've had my breakfast (in bed!) and I'm feeling totally rested, thanks to zonking out at 10pm last night.
I'd forgotten how easy weekends can be when you stay home and don't have anything to get in the way of your food-planning. Up til dinner-time yesterday I was doing brilliantly, and just feeling totally like WW's is no trouble at all. I went a bit off-line at dinner-time though as I decided to cook for one of the boys next door as well as myself (I owe them about 10,000 hot dinners at the time of writing as they cook for us all the time). I'd decided to a mushroom risotto earlier in the day, and then because it was Sid, and he can't be doing with all vegetarian food, I switched to doing a variant with chicken and spinach in too. All good so far. What killed it was the 4 slices of French stick with butter than I had with the risotto, which I wouldn't have bothered with had I been alone. Damn. I have to stop pampering to other people's tastes when I'm the one doing the cooking. Damn. Damn. Damn.
Still - the bread and butter was lovely, and it's only a 6 point deficit for the whole week - 4 of which I can peel back today, but I'm still annoyed with myself. This is the one thing I struggle with on WW's. On my own, I will make the right choices, or at least manage my intake properly, every time. Stick me in a social situation and I crumble ... like some really crumbly thing that I can't think of a good analogy for right now.
It's now a fresh new day, and that's all that matters though. I'm having tea with my dad and grandma this afternoon. Tea in our family follow the old tradition of good ol' Engligh afternoon high tea - i.e. about one savoury course (usually sandwiches and maybe little dinky sausage rolls), and about 4 courses of cake. Luckily, I'm pretty good at being pretty good on these afternoons, and Dad knows I'm watching what I eat so isn't too much of a food pusher anyway. In any case - I'm planning - will reduce my points by 4 today anyway, and deduct 10 for tea, which leaves me about 9 for the rest of the day - easy! It looks like being another nice day, so I'm going to make a batch of soup and do some tidying and have lunch out on the balcony. Oh, and stroll along to the gym to finally take my long-suffering physio her cheque since I finally manged to locate my chequebook in the carnage I call my room yesterday - woooohoooo!
Oh - and the ankle's finally on the mend. Back to Body Pump tomorrow I think, and then some gentle walking / running and spinning later in the week. Exercise - how I have missed thee!! :o)
I'd forgotten how easy weekends can be when you stay home and don't have anything to get in the way of your food-planning. Up til dinner-time yesterday I was doing brilliantly, and just feeling totally like WW's is no trouble at all. I went a bit off-line at dinner-time though as I decided to cook for one of the boys next door as well as myself (I owe them about 10,000 hot dinners at the time of writing as they cook for us all the time). I'd decided to a mushroom risotto earlier in the day, and then because it was Sid, and he can't be doing with all vegetarian food, I switched to doing a variant with chicken and spinach in too. All good so far. What killed it was the 4 slices of French stick with butter than I had with the risotto, which I wouldn't have bothered with had I been alone. Damn. I have to stop pampering to other people's tastes when I'm the one doing the cooking. Damn. Damn. Damn.
Still - the bread and butter was lovely, and it's only a 6 point deficit for the whole week - 4 of which I can peel back today, but I'm still annoyed with myself. This is the one thing I struggle with on WW's. On my own, I will make the right choices, or at least manage my intake properly, every time. Stick me in a social situation and I crumble ... like some really crumbly thing that I can't think of a good analogy for right now.
It's now a fresh new day, and that's all that matters though. I'm having tea with my dad and grandma this afternoon. Tea in our family follow the old tradition of good ol' Engligh afternoon high tea - i.e. about one savoury course (usually sandwiches and maybe little dinky sausage rolls), and about 4 courses of cake. Luckily, I'm pretty good at being pretty good on these afternoons, and Dad knows I'm watching what I eat so isn't too much of a food pusher anyway. In any case - I'm planning - will reduce my points by 4 today anyway, and deduct 10 for tea, which leaves me about 9 for the rest of the day - easy! It looks like being another nice day, so I'm going to make a batch of soup and do some tidying and have lunch out on the balcony. Oh, and stroll along to the gym to finally take my long-suffering physio her cheque since I finally manged to locate my chequebook in the carnage I call my room yesterday - woooohoooo!
Oh - and the ankle's finally on the mend. Back to Body Pump tomorrow I think, and then some gentle walking / running and spinning later in the week. Exercise - how I have missed thee!! :o)
Wednesday, 3 June 2009
Not enough time
I'm actually getting pre-emptive exercise withdrawal anxiety I think, about the fact that over the next 5 days my entire schedule is going to go out the window. How incredibly sad is that? Moreover, I briefly considered whether it would be worth me putting in some running clothes so I could do something while I'm away if I want to. And I'm feeling guilty that I haven't found the time to run yet this week, although I am desperate to try and make it to my spin class this evening.
I'm getting slightly annoyed with the scales this week - after 2 positively saintly days in which I have eaten just under my points and drunk plenty of water, they've quite determinedly gone up instead of down. Grrrrrr. Oh well, not a lot I can do about that other than just grit my teeth and keep doing what I do.
The Great Pack commences tonight for the trip - I have officially run out of time as I leave tomorrow morning. Whoops, although not entirely surprising because that is how it always is with me!
I'm getting slightly annoyed with the scales this week - after 2 positively saintly days in which I have eaten just under my points and drunk plenty of water, they've quite determinedly gone up instead of down. Grrrrrr. Oh well, not a lot I can do about that other than just grit my teeth and keep doing what I do.
The Great Pack commences tonight for the trip - I have officially run out of time as I leave tomorrow morning. Whoops, although not entirely surprising because that is how it always is with me!
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