Blue25’s BodyBlog

I know, I know, I need a new pic. I just haven’t had a chance to get around to it. I’m in the process of a few changes that keep me from BB.com more than I’d like to be but that should change soon.

Not much change in the body to show off anyway. Only thing is I’m having some lower back pain which I think is due to tight muscles. I’ve never had a problem with my back before and it’s the only thing I can think of since it flared up when I returned to the dojo after a few weeks off. I’ve had some discomfort but never like this. If it doesn’t go away soon, then I’ll worry.

I discovered why I’ve been struggling the last couple of months. SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder. This is the third noticeable year that I’ve had to deal with it but it caught me by surprise because I actually sort of forgot about it but I did notice it was becoming more difficult not only to lose weight but to manage day to day. Once I realized what it was and started working with it, I started feeling better. Supposedly when you’re going through it you crave carbs. Hmmm, this might explain why I’ve been eating bagels. Um, I don’t eat bagels and even when I do, which is very rare, I only eat half. Then there was a day where I just could not get satisfied and I kept going back to the fridge and the cupboard looking for carbs. I thought, ‘Am I going crazy? Didn’t I just have waffles?’ It was pretty sad and I was really discouraged knowing that I had set a goal for myself by picking up the intensity of my workout.

Knowing that spring is around the corner has me filled with anticipation. Even waking up in the morning has become easier. I returned to my dojo after a few weeks off and not only did it feel great but I did much better than I expected, as if I hadn’t been away. Lifting again feels good too. I knew I couldn’t stay away from it too long because my body craves physical activity so I can only be but so sedentary.

Depression is real and when you’re in it, it feels like there’s no way out. The lethargy, loss  of or change in appetite, lack of interest… it can be scary because you don’t recognize yourself. But I knew to hang in there because it was temporary. That’s what got me through, knowing that it would get better. When you’ve been down, the only way to go is up!

I’ve decided to part ways with my long time workout program.  I’ve been feeling like it’s time to move on for a few months but wasn’t really sure I wanted to and if so, when.

But the time is now. And then I’ll be completely on my own. I’m a little nervous… well, not nervous. Maybe it’s more concerned about keeping up the variety, consistency and intensity of my program. I haven’t been a trainer in over ten years and I have a lot going on right now that makes complete focus difficult. So I guess some part of me is worried that I won’t be able to stick it out on my own.

People on here are making great strides and a couple of my friends are finally trying to lose weight and heading to the gym but they’re in a very different place with a different outlook.

I do realize that I’m probably doing too much to get to where I want to be but I hope all that will change which is why I keep trying to stick with it. I’ll always exercise, that I know, but the particular goals I have right now are what need extra force. This is where I feel most vulnerable.

Ah, it’s good to be back! And thank God spring is around the corner! I’m feeling better already.

What have I been up to? (as if anybody cares but I’ll tell you anyway!) Working, working hard. I’m in the last phase before my black belt and probably will be for some time and best of all I found a place with more space for my workout stuff so I can have a more suitable home gym! Maybe even a lat tower. And I’ll be close to the park so I can start my running again.

I think I was working so hard I got a little burned out. I gave my mind and body some time to rest after my grueling schedule but I’m ready to get back to it. I miss my workout regimen and of course, there are so many inspiring people on BB.com. That’s why I came here to begin with.

Exhausted from a busy week and working late, I missed karate. Again. Instead I did cardio and abs.

Today is the first day that I truly feel like I can’t do this anymore.

Today I made the mistake–well it wasn’t really a mistake since I knew what I was doing–of having a protein shake with whey. I was so busy at work I didn’t have time for a proper breakfast and opted for the shake even though I knew it had whey in it. Whey bloats me so I stay away from it. Well, needless to say I was miserable all day. I felt like I had a basketball in my gut and possibly looked that way too.

Surprisingly my rice protein arrived today. I wanted an alternative to soy and not crazy about hemp powder (yech) so decided to try rice. I’ll give it a try today after my workout. I’m going to have a decent meal first and hopefully I won’t get queasy like yesterday.

Watching my macros on low carb day is proving to be harder than I thought. It’s even tougher when I’m unprepared.

Had a long day at work and didn’t plan ahead with pre-packed meals. I tried to pace myself and did okay up until lunch time. I knew I was most-likely going over with lentils and barley soup but it was the closest thing i could get to something healthy.

I did an upper body routine but was queasy after the first set of six exercises. I pushed my way through 3 sets but was feeling pretty bad when I was done so that meant no cardio. I really thought I was going hurl this time possibly because I pushed myself and maybe because I didn’t eat properly before I worked out but it was then or never. I had a light dinner and shake afterward but when I reviewed my meals, I was over quite a bit. So do I make tomorrow a light day or just continue on and try to do better on Saturday? I always eat less on weekends so staying within range should be easy on Saturday.

Maybe I should just eat the same thing every low carb day. That might make it easier for me to follow.

I’ve been reviewing my meal plan and doing some extra reading to see where the cracks are. This has taken a few study hours away from prepping for my exam but I’m confident I can replace them next week. I made some mistakes this week but I’m not going to beat myself up about it. They were genuine mistakes and I learned from them and don’t intend on making them again.

My real concern is the party I’m attending tomorrow. Normally I’d just go allowing myself a cheat meal but since I will be there several hours, 3 meals worth will take place during the party and to top it off, Sunday is a LOW carb day! Of all the days…

I’m just going to suck it up and work with it starting with a fresh pressed veggie juice, protein-rich breakfast, cardio, abs, a PWO meal and a snack right before I leave so I won’t be hungry when I arrive. Now that I’m vegetarian again, I can only hope there will be more to eat than iceberg lettuce salad. But my friends are pretty creative when it comes to the culinary arts so I think I’ll be fine it’s just all the other temptations. Two things I don’t intend to do:

1 eat chips. Why? Because I haven’t had any in a month and half and I don’t want to open that door again yet so why start?

2 alcohol. I’m not a drinker. I have alcohol maybe three times a year. Tomorrow won’t be one of those times.

I know I will have sweet stuff. I’m actually looking forward to something sweet since I’ve been suppressing the desire for several days now. It’ll be great to finally give in and have something decadent but I won’t go overboard. An easy deterrent to keep me in check is to remember the nasty headaches I get when I stray from clean eating. Small amounts and lots of water and I’ll be fine especially since I’ll be right back on track come Monday morning.

Go Giants!

Another blogger’s post and a few other fitness folks have inspired me to take the steps that I’ve known I’ve needed to take for some time. I’m working hard but something’s not quite right. When I asked myself if I’m doing EVERYTHING I can to get to where I need to be the answer was NO.

Although I never claimed that I was doing everything or whined over lack of results, I did feel that I should be further along in my progress. With that, I realized my goals for my body and my dietary outlook had changed. As a matter of fact, my choice has made my physical goal even more of a challenge to obtain. So it was time to review some things and tighten the reins as there will be very little room for slacking.

I’ve been working at it for about a week now and it’s a tight schedule especially with my martial arts but my hope is that I can maintain for the next 6 weeks. Staying centered, organized, meditating, scheduling, and taking each day and task one at a time should help me get there.

I had a few days under the weather and several days of being swamped so I missed almost a week of working out. Maybe my body needed the break. My bruises definitely did. But I’m back at it and increased my weight on some upper body exercises. If only I felt this good about cardio.