This picture will make more sense as you read But I had to put it on top because its just awesome |
So I've gone back & forth on where to document my life in the workout/fitness/diet/nutrition/struggle/battle/blah blah blah at....
I thought about keeping it separate & did for 2 days... until my wise, wonderful, lovely friends Nathalie & Meranda got in touch with me & basically told me, "This is your life. Put it with your other posts"... & they are so right.
I know these aren't everyone's cups of tea to read, but it is a big part of my life.
I've been a girl who loves fitness & strives to eat healthier... & I'm also someone who struggles with staying on track & keeping weight off.
But I know some of you may just pass reading on Tuesdays... that's ok...
I just love my friends reminded me that this IS my life. Even if its not so fun, though I do try to bring a little bit of humor to every post... ESPECIALLY when it comes to working out & weight. God KNOWS I need a sense of humor when it comes to that.
I also know that I'm not alone in this. I know there are others out there with the same struggle.
The same battle of "I'm starting over again"... again...
& you can support me & I'll be more than happy to support you.
So once again, while I'm not training to run another half marathon.... though when I heard my neighbor was doing one in the fall, my ears went up & I was like, "Do I want to do that race?"... Gaaahhh - its always in my blood. & I dont get it because I still dont consider myself a runner.
A whole other topic...
Anyways - nope. No races ahead.
Maybe some fun runs... definitely a lot of weight training...
I literally started the 21 Day Fix Extreme last week & already got through the first week & know its not the plan I want to be on.
Well that was fun for a week |
So what am I starting now? WHO KNOWS.
I literally was praying about it at lunch on what God wants me to work out with.
Is that dumb? So #firstworldproblems? Probably... but I also know that God wants me healthy & I want to do the plan that is going to work best for me...
Let's just count this new beginning as a physical AND spiritual beginning I guess.
I'm just excited & anxious to get back on track.
I have started watching my food intake again & lost 2.5 lbs the first week... which sounds wonderful, but then you have to consider, I've gain 17 of the 40 I lost back. GAHHHHH.
But I'm just ready to get healthy... especially because I got the news that I'm getting old. No, really. I am. I got the report in after 6 tubes of blood were drawn that not only am I WAYYYY into perimenopause stages, but nearing menopause.
Thanks 45 for that.
OH MY WORD... where's the Golden Girls because I need to move in.
or wait, are they dead? ...No, there's still Betty White. I'll move Betty White in with Ricky & me.
Seriously - my levels - dont ask me all the names - estradiol & progesterone... Is that right? I'm not a nurse - they both were 0.5 on one & zero on the other.. the nurse called me & said, "The doctor said she'd be surprised if you have a period again".... aka, "you're old"
I'm not counting them out yet personally.... I went 3 months without one & then started right back up again. Hang in there old body.. .hang in there.
& with that comes all kinds of physical changes, including the wonderful, grand, lovely weight gain. Greeaaatttt...
& I'm a big researcher on such things that involve the body so the biggest thing I've been reading is how important weight training is at this stage of life. Get those muscles tones up, burn up the metabolism that way. I'm all for that.
So while I've always been a cardio girl... (hello other children of the 80's where leg warmers & Jane Fonda rule).... I'm going to have to rethink my workouts. I'm focusing on weights.
PUMP ME UP...
Betty White too!
Yep... she's my spirit animal |
Gonna run this old body till she cant run no more! Thats for sure!!!
What do you like to do - cardio or weight training?
Man, I need to get back on the diet and walking train! I have SO fallen off and I've got the body to prove it!
ReplyDeletesometimes we just need a fitness overhaul and if weights is where it's at, then that's where it's at! I need to increase my weight lifting as well but it's hard to fit that in with muay thai since I love that more :/
ReplyDeleteYou know I'll support you wherever you post -- starting over again stinks ... but while getting old is something everyone should get to experience, dealing with the symptoms of old age is the worst! I don't think you need to specifically train for anything. Just get out there and stay active - the fitness will come and the metabolism will know that YOU mean business. :)
ReplyDeleteHahah if Betty White moved in with you and Ricky that needs its own show!! I am so glad your friends encouraged you to just write about you. Sometimes I pull back with what I want to share because I think, who in the world wants to read that? But these are our little spaces for whatever we want to include. I'm pretty sure no one cares that my family went to a carnival and some may even view it as bragging (hopefully not though) but that's what I want to document and look back on. Staying on a fitness and healthy eating pattern is tough work. I struggle with it all the time :( Beautifully Candid
ReplyDeleteUgh... the struggle is definitely real! I've gained back most of the 20 pounds I lost and have to get serious about working on that :( I generally like weight training more than cardio with the exception of running because I just really enjoy the time to myself outside, or using it as an excuse to catch up with friends while we run :)
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean friend by loving cardio. I love it too, but my body doesn't seem to like it all the time. It seems like some low impact weights workouts that don't include a lot of pounding are so essential for my body to recover after runs, so I'm learning to love weights more. :) I'm looking forward to following along with your journey as we both continue down this road. :)
ReplyDeleteoh the weight struggle, I hear ya on that one friend! I am a both kind of girl, mostly I like taking classes. Maybe if you can join a gym and take some classes of different kinds it would mix it up a bit. I took a cardio dance jam last Friday and while I was awful at it, it was fun and I worked up a bit of a sweat. Then I am trying Purebarre too. It works muscles that I don't normally use, so that's good too. good luck with the weight loss, I still have those pesky last 5 that I want to get rid of...but cake sounds so much better...
ReplyDeleteThis post is so timely for me, Rebecca Jo. I've struggled with my weight for years and really fell off the rails when my depression consumed my life. And even though I no longer battle depression daily (but you know how it likes to pop up and say hi occasionally) I still treat my body poorly by eating badly and never exercising. I'm finally changing those old, bad habits, although this time, I going slowly. Normally I make grandiose (i.e. super unrealistic) plans that I promptly fail and quit. But I'm making real changes and really exercising again, not just thinking about it or giving lip service. We both can do this!!
ReplyDeleteAnd every time I get hot or sweat for no reason - I think, here she comes. I got my period early so I suspect menopause will come early too. I won't mind saying good riddance to my period but everything else that comes with it - nope.
I'm a runner at heart but boyyyy is it fun weight training! And personally, I think the body looks so much better with a little muscle tone! I'm studying wellness + fitness right now, so I totally get where you're at with trying to decide what to do. I have lost my motivation because i'm so busy with school & work.. but I know when I'll get it back, i'll probably choose weight training!
ReplyDeleteIf this is important to you then you should write it! I'm glad your friends encouraged you to do so :)
ReplyDeleteAlso, you are definitely a runner! Your exercise and fitness posts always inspire me. And, trust me, I need A LOT of inspiration to get off the couch and moving!
I'll look forward to your Tuesday posts just as I look forward to all the others! You are such an inspiration! I've lost and gained back the same 50 pounds at least four times. Time to get started again, and maybe in retirement I'll be up off my hind end more and not so close to the snack table....
ReplyDeleteYour honesty rocks! I like seeing your life on one blog!! I am loving my weight training. I like the cardio, but girl, we need weights for our bones! I like seeing muscles, which is why I'm so happy to be lifting again. Plus, we get big calorie burns with weight training.
ReplyDeleteWhy don't you start the Body Beast? You could do the Hammer and Chisel again too. It had a blend of cardio and weights.
Good luck with your 21 day fix!
ReplyDeleteYou always do amazing when you put your mind to something, so I have no doubt you'll do well.
FYI Betty White would be a great addition I could chat it up with that woman anytime she is hilarious, love her!
I'm so glad you decided to keep everything in one place! Perhaps you can title the blog "knit and train by God's hand"
ReplyDeleteJust look at all these comments and all the people that you inspire every day just by you being you!
Neither.
ReplyDeletePilates :)
I started into menopause at 48. Stopped periods, started again. Stopped again. Finally done - completely done - by 50. Then came the hot flashes. :) And the weight gain. When I was in my 30's I started running and lost 50 pounds in a year. I was able to keep it off until I hit menopause. Ugh. I think you are doing the right thing by asking the Lord what you should do. He created you and knows exactly what you need!
ReplyDeleteBeing motivated to get back on track can be one of the toughest things in the journey, and you've nailed that, so congrats! And, yes, I attended a seminar by a doctor/researcher (Dr. Vonda Wright--I think she's written some books) who researched aging, and she said that weight-bearing exercises like lifting weights, plyometrics, and running are the best things to do to help us age gracefully.
ReplyDeleteI definitely need to build some strength.
ReplyDeleteI'm doing Weight Watchers for weight loss, and I just started an arm routine (seeing as how I can't walk, there will be no cardio for a few more months). I started menopause really early & I actually think I might be done already at 53. What? That seems crazy!
ReplyDeleteMy doctor put me on Adipex-P a month ago in hopes of helping me get some weight off so it will get easier to exercise. I have plantar fasciitis, arthritis in at least one ankle, a bum knee from wiping out of the ice at work once too often, and currently a pain in the neck/shoulder that is affecting my back now, too. I have to get x-rays of my neck and back to make sure there's no disc involvement, that it's all muscle/tendon/ligament/whatever. If it's not, my Total Gym is totally coming back out and getting used again. I lost 12 pounds the first month on the pill without making any effort...imagine what would happen if I actually exercise!
ReplyDeleteOn the menopause thing...I got really messed up in my later 30s and early 40s. I had my period virtually every day and the days that were when my actual period was supposed to be I'd hemorraghe. It was awful. I ended up getting a D&C and then they put me on Provera to force my body to have regular periods. Around 47 or so the periods were only coming once a year or so even with the meds so I quit taking them and that was the end. My doctor had a fit, said I was too young for menopause, but for once I totally ignored him and I've been fine. I had one year of the worst emotional ups and downs...totally cried all the time about everything and anything...and a few pretty mild hot flashes. That was it. Personally, I'm glad to be done with that, but maybe that's because the last 10 years of it were pretty awful for me.
I'm not much of a cardio girl... but I'm not much of a worker-out-er right now either. I've always been more of a yoga/belly dance (subtle movement) type workout person. I don't love weights... but I can sometimes motivate myself to pick them up and do some arm reps, which is good. I try to take the stairs at work as much as possible and go for walks once a day if I can. Baby steps and all that. I really want to get back to doing workouts on Tuesdays when I am at home and on nights when KC is gone. Good luck lady, we are all often starting over and trying to get "better". :) XO - Alexandra
ReplyDeleteSimply Alexandra: My Favorite Things
I like that quote you shared about not giving up but starting over. I feel like I'm constantly doing that now that I really struggle to keep weight off too. For me, the key has been to find group classes I like (hip hop aerobics and boxing with body bags) in between training for races. I love running and hope I'll always love running, but I go through seasons of it, and I think it's better to switch things up anyway. The classes are good to go to because I've been going so long and so consistently that people know me and talk to me, so I feel a bit more commitment to actually go, which can help when my motivation is down. Basically, I've just marked on the calendar that those two nights are always blocked off for my exercise classes, and my husband's really good to support me in that (like, he won't schedule meetings or anything for those nights). It makes a big difference.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your refresh!