lorelei729’s BodyBlog

It all started when I rolled out of bed.  My legs were sore… Really sore.  Who knew that doing one day of exercises and walking so much would make it near impossible for me to do what I intended today.  Luckily I had a plan in case this happened.  I will be doing an hour long stretching Yoga session tonight…

As for everything else, I ate relatively well.  I caved under the stress and sleepiness and pressure today when I got home from college and had two chocolate chip cookies and then took a nap.  It could’ve been worse.

But college… I was reminded how much I DON’T fit in with the other girls in my class.  There are only six of us, and we’re the first ones to be gradutaing from the Occupational Therapy Assisting (OTA) degree at my college.  Well, 4 of them have known each other for a long time and the other one has kind of assimilated into their clique. Me, on the other hand, just doesn’t fit in.  I don’t do the things they do, talk about the things they talk about…  Nothing.  Good for me I’m there to learn and I have never really cared wether or not I fit in. (I never did in high school, either.)  But it makes for some lonely days when you feel left out.  But not fitting in also has perks.  I don’t feel obligated to follow them to McDonalds (when I don’t even like McDonalds and it would do nothing for my meal plan)  It doesn’t really matter.  Soon I’ll be out in the real world again and not feel like I’m suddenly back in high school.

Now I’ve just got to rest my muscles and jump back in tomorrow.

ttfn.

:)

Since my life is so hectic right now, I am going to follow the following plan, with each obligation in parentheses after each exercise goal for the day.  I guess the best thing is that my schedule is fairly predictable. 

Sunday: A Day of Rest (Church, work 3:30pm-11pm)

Monday: Full body basic workout (College 9a-3p, Work 3:30pm-11pm)

Tuesday: Sweat! Cardio for 20-60 minutes (College 9a-3p)

Wednesday: Full body basic workout (College 9a-3p, Work 3:30pm-11pm)

Thursday: Sweat! Cardio for 20-60 minutes (college 9a-3p)

Friday: Full Body basic workout (Work 3:30-11pm-Woohoo! No college on fridays.)

Saturday: Sweat! Cardio for 20-60 minutes (Work 3:30-11pm)

For the first 2-4 weeks I will be starting with a very basic full body workout for now, until I have a little more time and stamina. 

My cardio days will consist of either a treadmill or outdoor interval run, a dance routine, or a kickbox routine.

Full Body routine (ten rep each, incresing the sets performed to tolerance):

Abs: Knee ups, crunches, bicycles

Upper body: Various positions of push ups(elevated, wide, narrow and eventually one-handed), tricep dips

Lower body:Ski squats, static lunges, bent knee dead lift

Okay, I realize that if I really want to get somewhere, I am going to have to get my eating into shape.  The following is in general the plan I am going to follow starting tomorrow.

Meal 1 / Breakfast:

• 1 cup oatmeal (with cinnamon and sweeteners)
• 1 cooked egg
• Citrus fruit

Meal 2 / Mid-morning:

• Protein bar

Meal 3 / Lunch:

• 1 cup lettuce
• 2 TBSP salsa
• Red pepper slices
• 3 oz. tuna
• broccoli  

Meal 4 / Mid-afternoon:

• 6 oz. soy milk
• Apple

Okay, now I am tackling my big obstacle…  No gym (or money for a gym).  I do have a limited supply of workout equipment here at my home:

Various weights

resistance bands

a swiss ball

a treadmill

and some workout videos.

But I also have my own body weight.  I found a website that I am going to start training from: 

http://www.bodyweightculture.com/

Well, a pleasant surprise, no matter how little… I woke up and weighed myself in at a whole 1/2 pound less than what I was last week.  And all I really did this week was walk, dance and start re-organizing my diet plan.  That is what I am going to focus on first.  It’s very easy for me to overeat.  I was raised in a house with a "snack corner."  My dad kept on hand virtually everything you could want.  Hershey’s kisses, pringles, nuts, pretzels, chips, etc.  It’s no wonder I was so chubby back then.  Since then, although I have tried to adapt a much more healthy way of eating, my biggest downfall has always been mindless snacking.  If it’s there… I eat it, sometimes without thinking.  And at owrk, my friend’s very often bring in munchies…  Just the other day they brought mini chocolate pastries and ever though I was in no way hungry, I grabbed one and started eating, before I even had time to assess why I was eating it.  THAT is what I want to get away from.  While I do believe that the best "diet" (a word I hate to use) is one that allows for reasonable portions of your favorite foods, along with all the healthy stuff.  So now I have to figure out for myself what the best plan of attack for controlling my munching and eating more effectively…

While I sit here at my computer, after a crazy practical test and exam number 2 of my summer session of college, (both of which I passed) I feel the longing for getting back to my fitness routine.  Life has been insane these last 2 years straight, and though I won’t give any excuses, I am far from the fit 132lbs I was when 2007 started.  I now weigh in at about 142lbs, and though it may be a small ten pounds… I vowed to myself that I would never let myself creep back up to where I started from (170lbs.) 

Now is the time to get my life back under control. 

Now is the time to re-start and re-train my body and to be fit and strong.

I have so many obstacles to work around at this point in my life.  I work anywhere from 2-5 days a week and right now I have 4 days a week of summer classes in almost my last semester of college for my OTA degree (Occupational therapy assisting).  My car developed a nasty crack in the frame about a month ago (not counting needing an alignment -which they wouldn’t do because of the frame- and a turn signal that has to be manually blinked, as well as my newest issue, a leak in the rear driver’s side window.  But… having the limited monetary resources (and a perfectionistic husband who won’t just settle for any $5-6k car) I’ve been walking to college (an actually motivating, much needed break from driving) and only taking the treacherous 7 minute drive to work in my POS.  If I worked a different shift-or lived in a safer taown, I’d ride a bike to work.  I also had to have my appendix out in January and I’m still paying off the hospital bills.  Life’s not too easy right now.

But between everything, I know that I can start a new fitness routine.  I vow now to my the rest of 2008 the best it can be despite stress and business.  I will make time for fitness and make time for me to relax.  It’s time to feel good about myself again.

Within the next couple of days I will post my official stats, goals and my plan of attack. (and hopefully an undated pic, too.)

"Do you not know that in a race all the runner’s run, but only one gets the prize?  Run in such a way as to get the prize."  1 Corninthians 9:24