Day 320 - Something New

I had bought a living social deal for five classes at a new yoga place near me.  Well, it's new to me at least.  And, I was really excited to have something different to do.  So, tonight, I went to a beginner class that was 75 minutes long.  I think I was sweating for the entire class!  It was a great class, but it was definitely intense. 

The best part about the class was that it was small enough that the instructor was able to monitor everyone's form.  I have a bad habit of not keeping my feet aligned correctly in some of the standing poses (mountain, forward fold, chair, etc.).  She said that could be why my knee sometimes goes out on me during class.  I guess I'll be working on that!

I have four classes left.  I think one of them will be a yin/yang class, and I've always wanted to try a yoga nidra class.  I'm not sure what I'll do with the last two classes, but I'm really looking forward to figuring it out.  It's been a while since I had something new to try, so I am definitely excited by this!

Day 319 - Sweaty Stretching!

I went to yoga tonight all energized and ready to go.  I deliberately did not do cardio at lunch time because I wanted to see if my yoga practice was better if I started out fresh.  I think it definitely makes a difference.  Even though there are still positions I can't do, I was able to hold others better and longer tonight.  I love that I feel more flexible, and stronger.  It was just a wonderful class tonight!

The best part of the day, though, had nothing to do with exercise.  I got a note from Michael's teacher saying he had a great day.  No matter what, I will never get tired of hearing about good days at school.  So, Michael and I both had great days.  A definite win!

Day 318 - Coming Full Circle

Tonight was the season premiere of Extreme Weight Loss.  For those of you who don't know, not being selected for the show was my inspiration for starting this journey on my own.   Watching was definitely bittersweet for me.  On one hand, I have lost fifty pounds since I decided to do this on my own.  On the other hand, the people on the show lose so much more.  But, even though I have the most supportive family in the world, it's not the same as having an entire year dedicated to losing weight.  So, overall, I am really proud of myself.

But, I'm still not happy.  I really want to use this as motivation to step thing up and get back to losing.  This plateau has lasted way too long.  I'm tired of hovering right at that fifty pound mark.  So, I am going back to strict paleo, and I am going to vary my exercise a little more.  I'm not ready to go back to two hours every day, but some days, yes.  I need to know that I am doing my best, and I am going to push myself more. 

So, tonight, even though it was supposed to be a rest day, I decided to use it to make up for taking time off during the conference.  I did an hour on the exercise bike, and really enjoyed it.  I am going to take each episode of the show and use it for motivation, and to remind myself to push every single day.  I can do this!

Day 317 - I'm Baaaack!

I'm back from Autism One and Chicago, and I am ready to go!  I really enjoyed taking a few days off from everything and focusing on learning and healing.  In fact, I learned so much over the last few days.  Most of it applies to Michael, but some of it is just good health practice and will apply directly to this journey of mine.  So, I'll be adding new things as I go, and letting you know as I do.

The first thing that I learned about was the importance of fermented foods in regulating gut bacteria.  So, I started out the day with a small serving of Bubbies Sauerkrat.  And, I gave Michael a small serving as well.  I was surprised how easy it was to convince him to try it.  So, hopefully, the two of us will be working on our gut flora together.

I also got in a great workout this afternoon.  I was on the elliptical for an hour and really enjoyed it.  It was great to feel my body moving again.  Even though the hour felt pretty long, it was great to get back to my routine.  Obviously, with the holiday, I wasn't able to do my normal Monday night classes, but this was a great substitution.

I feel like I'm re-energized and ready to start a new phase of this journey.  I know that I ate more and exercised less over the last week, and I'm a little afraid to get back on the scale.  But, I'm committing to do just that this coming weekend.  It's time for a new update photo and to get really serious about my health and weight loss.  So, here's to a great, sweaty week ahead!

Day 310 - Happy and Exhausted

The most important thing today is that it's Michael's Birthday. I can't believe my baby is eleven years old! How did that happen? He woke up in a good mood, and had a great day at school. When he got home, we did presents, and he was happy. Then, I snuck out to the gym.

I did my regular combination of muscle challenge class followed by yoga. Both classes were really intense tonight. But, I got tricked into upping my weight on the one arm row to 30 pounds! I was looking for a 25, but they were all in use, so I tried the 30. It hurt, but I did it. I am so proud of myself! And, I was able to hold a plank for 90 seconds. That's a record for me. So, again, I'm proud of myself tonight.

As usual, by the time I got to yoga, I was tired. But, she started class on the floor tonight, so I had a chance to catch my breath. That helped a lot, and I ende dup having a really good practice. I notice that I am able to hold my down dogs a lot longer, and I am getting more consistent in my three legged dogs. It's progress, and I'll take it!

So, now I am home reflecting on the day. I'm exhausted, but really happy. Michael had a great day and I had two great workouts. Tomorrow, I leave for Autism One. If the schedule is anything like it normally is, I won't have much free time to exercise. I will do the best I can, but I'm not going to stress.  I need a break every now and then, and this week will be it.  Of course, once I get back, I will hit it hard and get right back on track!

Day 309 - Unplanned Rest Day

We celebrated Michael's 11th birthday today.  We had family over and just spend the day relaxing and enjoying each other's company.  After everyone left, I could have got on the bike or the elliptical for an hour, but Michael wanted to keep playing.  And, since it was his party, I wanted to do what he wanted.

I know this is going to be a rough week exercise wise, but I am just going to do the best I can.  With Michael's Birthday, Steve's Birthday, and Autism One all this week, I will be lucky to get a few days of exercise in.  And, I'm actually OK with that.  This week only comes once a year, and it's important to me.  That said, I will do the best I can, but I refuse to over stress.  Not this time, at least.

Day 308 - I love weekend!

Today was a great day.  Michael had his ASD yoga class this afternoon, and it was wonderful.  I love exercising with my son.  The class generally has relatively simple poses, but it's still a great workout.  Other than the yoga, it was a pretty relaxing day.  We got home later than I expected, and missed an event I was looking forward to.  But, it did mean that we spent most of the afternoon just hanging out as a family.  We went to the library and played wii.  Not the most energetic afternoon, but still fun.  Some days are just nice.  I need more nice days.

Day 307 - End of the Week

This has been a long, busy week.  And, next week is going to be longer and busier.  The good news is that I was able to get to yogo tonight, so I got in a great workout.  I really wasn't sure I'd be able to, since work and home life have been really crazy today.  But, since next week is going to be worse, I'm glad I got the workout in.

The best part of the day was realzing that Michael had two really good weeks in a row.  Not perfect, but really good.  I just hope that he keeps getting better, and that we keep getting such great reports from school.  And, tomorrow is his yoga class.  That makes me happy.

Day 305 - Great Yoga!

Tonight's yoga class was really, really good.  It started out with a few minutes of relaxation, but then quickly got into a lot of ab work and balance postures.  It was nice change.  I have a feeling I will be feeling the side planks tomorrow  - but that's a great thing.  I love that we are doing a few new postures that are different.

It was also a great day because my parents came to visit for a couple hours.  Michael loved showing off his yoga poses that he's been working on.  He was so proud of himself!  I love seeing him happy and proud of his accomplishments. 

Tomorrow is going to be another long day.  I have a full day of work, then Michael has a Dr. appt, and then I have a meeting.  So, I am not sure if I will get any exercise in or not.  But, that's why Thursdays are optional.  At least I got a great workout tonight!

Day 303 - Just Another Manic Monday

Today was actually a pretty good day.  I had a ton more energy than I have had the last few days.  Of course, I had to use every drop.

I went to my muscle challenge class first tonight.  It was really good.  I can chest press forty pounds.  That's pretty good for me!  The second set nearly killed me though.  And, by the time we got to the last set of biceps, my weights were much lighter.  But, progress is great, and I'm really proud of myself!

Of course, I pushed as hard as I could during the first class, and then when it was time for yoga, I had nothing left.  I dropped to child pose several times tonight.  My arms were so tired, I just couldn't hold some of the poses.  But, I did my best and that's what counts.  It was still a good workout, just not as amazing as it could have been.  Wednesday night I'll go to just yoga.  I'm sure I'll do much better!

Today was the first day of me getting back to strict paleo.  I've been having a hard time lately, and now I'm ready to be strict again.  Hopefully, I won't be too grumpy getting back used to it.  Today was actually fairly easy, diet-wise.  I just hope it continues!

Day 302 - Mothers Day

Today was Mothers Day, and it was pretty nice.  I got to sleep in this morning.  Steve made me a really nice breakfast, and Michael made me a sweet card.  So, the day got off to a great start.  Then, Michael had his KEEN music session this afternoon.  While he was in his session, I went and walked around the track for an hour.  I am averaging just over three miles an hour.  Not the pace I'd really like, but a lot better than when I first started.  So, I'll take it.

The rest of the day was pretty relaxing.  We played games this afternoon and had dinner with my Mother-in-Law.  I'm guessing tomorrow will go back to normal chaos, but it was nice to have a day that was pretty quiet and relaxing.  I wish more days could be like today.

Day 298 - Wednesday Yoga

Tonight's yoga class was nice.  I don't know if the difference is that since it's the only class now, I am not exhausted going into it, or what.  But, I really enjoyed the class and think I did really well.  I am able to hold some of the harder positions a lot longer now.  I even did the transition from down dog to plank!  Normally, I just don't have the strength left for that. 

So, as much as I hate not having the muscle challenge class on Wednesdays, it was nice tonight to just have yoga and really put my all into that one hour.  And, Ithink I got an excellent workout because of it.  So, that's a nice change of pace.

Tomorrow, I will be in a training class almost two hours away from home all day.  So, I don't think I'll be getting any exercise.  So, I am glad that tonight's workout was really good.  And, I am hoping that Friday will be another great exercise day.

Oh, I almost forgot the joy of the day.  Michael has been having perfect days at school pretty regularly now.  For a while we were getting calls almost daily.  Now, he's having good days 4 our of five days a week.  I will definitely take that!

Day 296 - Manic Monday

Today was a really busy day.  Work was a full day, then the gym, and then my Parent Support Group meeting.  All things that I like, but today I seem to be more worn out than I shoud be.

The gym was great, though.  In my muscle challenge class I actually used 20 pounds weight for several exercises.  My shoulders and biceps may not forgive me for a week!  And, I did real triceps dips.. boy am I going to pay.  But, it was a great class.

I went straight from the gym to my meeting.  I did take the time to cool down and get presentable, but didn't have that much time between the two.  I love going and talking with other parents with kids on the spectrum.  It's always empowering to share information, and share hope. 

After I came home, I had a few things to do, but now I am going to sneak off to bed early.  I am completely worn out.  And, I only had one hour of exercise because of my meeting.  Normally, on Mondays, I do twice as much.  Maybe I'm tired because my body didn't get what it was expecting?  I'm not sure, but no matter the reason, I am finding my bed.  Good night!

Day 294 - I love the Weekend!

I really enjoyed going to the intervals class last weekend, and decided I wanted to go back today.  So, this morning I got up and went to the gym for a 9:00 stretch class followed by a 9:30 intervals class.  The stretch class used the stability ball, and that was wonderful.  I really enjoyed the class and felt great going into the intervals class.

The intervals class was pretty intense, but a lot of fun.  She did a bunch of step moves, and interspersed tabata intervals and some strength work using resistance tubes.  I loved the tabata intervals.  They were beyond intense, but really fun at the same time.  And, I know my triceps are going to be feeling the muscle work tomorrow.  All in all, a great morning at the gym.

Then, when I got home, it was time to take Michael to his yoga class.  The room was a little warm today, but it wasn't as crowded as last week.  I'm guessing since it was such a beautiful day, not as many people wanted to exercise inside.  But, it was still a great session.  Michael and I both got a really good workout.  And, I love doing partner poses with him.  I'm not sure why, but I feel really close to Michael when we do yoga together.

So, for the day, I had two and a half hours of exercise.  I came home really, really tired.  But, I also feel like I accomplished something great.  I know I used to exercise two hours a day all the time, but today, it felt great.  I love that I am finding a balance between too much and too little.  And, I really love that exercise is just starting to feel like part of the day, not something I have to do.

Day 293 - Happy But Tired

After the excitement of yesterday, today seemed like a little bit of a let down.  I had meetings most of the day, and I got home tired and cranky. I'm trying to put together an audition video, so Steve and I worked on that for a while.  I definitely got a lot of exercise while he filmed.  It was kinda strange to have him film me working out, but kinda fun too.  Then, it was time to take Michael in the chamber, and then the day was over.  Why is it that the boring days seem to go by the fastest?  But, tomorrow is Friday, and that is always a wonderful thing to look forward to!

Day 292 - Real Life Progress. Four major achievements in one day!

Today was an amazing day.  I did four new things today, three of which I haven’t done in YEARS!  I am just bursting with excitement and pride.

1.        I finally retired the pair of capris that I have been wearing in my before vs now pictures.  They are a 3x and really were getting kinda baggy.  I couldn’t get a size 2x to replace them, so I got a 1x.  They are a little snug, but not too bad.  I actually wore them to class tonight.  I am so excited to be in a 1x!

2.       This afternoon I did a kettlebell DVD.  Steve got me a 5 pound kettlebell for my birthday, and Jillian Michael’s Shred it With Weights DVD.  For the first time, I think I did pretty well.  There was one move I couldn’t do at all, and one I did pretty poorly.  But, I lasted the whole workout, and I am beyond proud of myself.  I do think I need to find a heavier kettlebell, though.

3.       I went to yoga tonight, and one of the first things we did was sit cross legged.  I normally keep my legs straight, angled out, because I can’t cross them.  Tonight, I was actually able to cross them and be comfortable.  It was amazing!  I’m sure the teacher thought I was crazy grinning from ear to ear while doing warm up stretches.

4.       The last thing happened at the end of yoga class.  We were doing chair pose, and she wanted us to do a low chair.  That means squatting all the way down.  I’ve tried it a few times since I started this journey, and every time my knees lock up and refuse to bend all the way.  Tonight, I was able to do it!  It was such a great feeling. 

I know all of these are little things, and most people can do them and not even think twice.  But for me, they are tangible signs of progress.  And, it also reminds me that the important progress is measured in life, not on the scale.  That is a lesson I really needed to be reminded of.