results!!

It has been a while since I"ve updated here.  I'm mostly here to celebrate results, but also note some things that need improvement.

I wish that I had decided to take SOME kind of metrics (weight, BMI, musc %, fat %, etc) before I started my new fitness & nutrition plan.  I can really REALLY see results in the mirror, but I have no idea where I started, or even where I am at now.  I have flat out avoided the scale and concentrated on my nutrition and workouts.  Having had several people I know say something to me recently about it being noticeable, I'll take that as a good sign that I'm not just seeing things ;-)

I have done really well on the nutrition part, and I don't remember feeling better.  Also, the results that were supposed to come from this change are already showing themselves.  However, the workout part I have only done so-so on.  Some of it was when I was feeling a little under the weather, some of it was the hustle of the holidays combined with poor time management, and other times it has been merely pure laziness.  So, while I had planned to start with 3 good workouts a week and ease back into a 5 or 6 day a week schedule, I didn't manage that.  I have, at least, gotten 1-2 GOOD workouts in per week, but that really isn't enough, not by a longshot.

Even with those sparse workouts, I am seeing improvements when I do them, and I am seeing exactly the things change in my fitness and appearance that I had hoped to achieve.  I've also been very pleasantly surprised at how GREAT I felt running the few times I went back out with friends.

Last week, I even managed about 7 miles with some friends on the road.  I don't think I ran once for about 6 weeks or so, then the first time I went back out we did 4 miles and I felt GREAT the entire time.  Last week felt good too, but had some big hills at the end and I was very very toasted at the end of that one, but felt awesome afterward.

So, I've held on to a LOT of my aerobic fitness level while also building my core.  I need to continue with this same nutrition program, but really commit, in earnest, to more workouts/week and not letting other things get in my way.

I see no reason, if I continue with this, why I can't meet or exceed my springtime fitness goal!

I miss running a ton - really I do.  I can see that this break, and this change is great for me, but I am ready to train for a big event again.  Perhaps this spring I will be ready.  I'm also being goaded about doing a tri - I am soooooo apprehensive and doubtful of my tri abilities.  We'll see.

An overdue update . . .

Last I posted, I had made some decisions about doing some completely new stuff.  This has gone particularly well, for the most part.

This new nutrition plan just felt right from the get go and it has continued to do so.  I've never felt better in my life, and I am amazed how this last weight I wanted to lose, but seemingly could not conquer, is now visibly melting away in the mirror.

The new workout plan has been very challenging, as I knew it would be, since basically I am working my weakest parts - ones I have historically avoided and honestly never did a THING with, even during the formative time of my life when building that muscle is so important.

The most important factor for me, was not diving into this workout plan TOO heavily at first, but easing in.  To be honest, I've been so sore from just easing in, that I'm not sure I COULD do it another way, because I still have to be able to give massages, and that is very difficult when you are incredibly sore.


I'm seeing results from these new workouts in the mirror - the first week, I did 2 core workouts and 1 cardio, week 2 I kept a similar schedule, but upped the intensity, and also did a little better on some of the guided stuff that I struggled with during week 1.  Week 3 was Thanksgiving week - nutrition was good, but my work schedule was off the hook and I didn't keep up with workouts very well that week.  I think I only did one - which kinda disappointed me in myself, but that was my bad for overscheduling.

This week, I finally brought that difficult Yoga (about 1.5 hours Ashtanga) back into the picture.  I am very pleased how much of the flexibility that I had worked hard to gain was still there - overall I did much better than I expected during the first 45 minutes of vinyasa hell (the fast moving part of this workout).  I didn't do as well as I feel like I normally do for parts of the balance section, but I did really good on some things that I normally have a hard time with - interesting.  anyhow - WOW i coudl not believe how sore this workout made me, especially my shoulders - I'll take that as a "i woke up muscles I needed to"  I has been a busy week, and I got a tad off schedule nutritonwise (I think I kinda severely under ate for 2 days) and I did have to skip 2 days in a row working out, which I dont' like to do, but I can still make my 3 workouts with rest days in between this week, so I will do so!

I really feel like I can see my goal in sight already, and possibly much sooner than I ever dreamed I could. I also think that this time off of running and focusing on other areas of my fitness will, ultimately, make me a MUCH better runner, and take me far beyond the wall I seemed to have reached with my running progress.  AND - I still got it in the cardio stuff, I can keep up and, even exceed, the people in my p90x kenpo, cardio, and plyometrics videos. Take that, you fit video jerks! ;-)