Day 125 - Really Annoyed with LA Fitness Gaithersburg

OK, I’m really not happy with the new LA Fitness in Gaithersburg.  I guess I’ve gotten really spoiled by how wonderful Healthtrax is.  Tonight I was rushing in to the evening yoga class – one of two classes that are offered outside of work hours.  The person behind the desk grabbed my keys when I went to check in and said I had to get my picture taken right then.  I was so mad!  First of all, it’s really gross that they want to be the one to swipe your card.  Imagine all the germs and ick that they pass along just with that one process.  Then, to kidnap my keys for a picture, when I’m already running late was beyond rude.  There is no reason I couldn’t have done the picture on the way out.

I could forgive the rudeness of the check in, if only the classes made up for it.  But, when I signed up they promised there would be yoga every day.  Twice a week is not every day, last I checked.  And, as much as I like that the class is relatively advanced, I hate that the teacher offers almost no modifications.  I’m pretty good at coming up with my own modifications, but a lot of people aren’t.  Every class has had one or more people leave in the first fifteen minutes.  It was obvious they left out of frustration.  I hate seeing people give up on a class they should love!

I know I shouldn’t be so negative, but it’s been almost a month now, and I just haven’t seen any improvement.  They haven’t added any classes, the staff are getting more rude, and the classes they do have are not exactly welcoming.  I think I’m going to find out if there are any options to quit without losing my sign up fee.  A gym is not supposed to cause more stress than it alleviates!

I would guess it is fair to say that dealing with the LA Fitness people was definitely the challenge of the day.  I did manage to ignore it all and get a decent workout in.  I am so glad that the instructors at my primary gym have taught me enough to be really self sufficient! 

And I am thinking that the surprise of the day is that I really can do enough modifications or substitute poses that I get a great workout, no matter how advanced the class is.  Since I knew there was no way I could do the plough pose, I brought my strap and did a series of leg stretches.  It felt wonderful and gave me something positive to do while others were struggling with the pose.  Independence and self confidence?  Who knew!

Day 124 - Completely Exhausted Yet Again

Today’s workout was both wonderful and terrible at the same time.  I was still sore from Monday, so I didn’t use as heavy weights as I normally would.  But, I did push myself really hard.  By the time the muscle challenge class was over, I was completely exhausted.  Then, I had to get through the yoga class.  Let’s just say it wasn’t my best class ever.  I was so out of breath and tired that I went to the water fountain and skipped the sun salutations.  By the time class was over, every muscle in my body was on fire and completely spent.  I guess I really did leave it all in the studio!

I came home really frustrated that after so many months, the classes are still so hard.  My belly still gets in the way.  I’m still the biggest one in class.  I was really hoping to see bigger changes.  But, I do know I have to be patient.  And, even though all these things are still true, I still go.  I still push myself.  I am making progress.  That’s what I need to focus on.

Today’s challenge was a new one – I really wanted to skip yoga.  I was so tired that I knew it wouldn’t be a good workout.  But, I also knew that I had to push through and just do the best I could.  I am really proud of myself for not giving in and going home.  And, even though it wasn’t a great session, it was definitely better than giving up!

The surprise of the day was working on a Thanksgiving Poster with Michael.  He actually had a good time answering the questions and decorating the poster.  He couldn’t wait to write ‘Happy Thanksgiving’ at the bottom when he was done.  Absolutely adorable!

Day 123 - Sore Muscles and Good News

After taking time off during the conference, I was thinking about skipping my rest day today.  Then, I got up from my desk and realized how much I was hurting from last night.  I amazes me how the instructor can keep finding different exercises to work so many different muscles.  It seems like every workout leaves me with different muscles aching!  So, as I limped down the hallway, I decided that rest is good.

Today was definitely challenging!  It was so hard to get up this morning and head into the office.  My inbox was overflowing, and I had 3 conference calls.  But, even though I was really tempted to find a chocolate snack, I didn’t.  That took major willpower.

The surprise of the day was a great one though.  Steve called me up at work to tell me that we had gotten Michael’s report card in the mail.  I was a little worried since he’s been having a lot of issues focusing at school this quarter.  But, somehow he managed to get straight A’s.  I was so proud of him!  So, even though it was a really long day, I’m still smiling!

Day 122 - Back Home, Back to the Gym!

We’re back home! As much as I loved the conference, and as much as I loved having some down time with Steve, I really, really missed Michael.  It was so great to see how excited he was that we were home.  The first thing he said was that he missed us.  He also said that next time we go on vacation he wants to come with us.  He was so adorable!

Our flight back was delayed and I was so afraid I would miss my classes tonight.  But, we got home in time to spend a little time with Michael, and then I headed off to the gym.  I have to admit that I felt a little weak after not lifting any weights for a full week.  But, it came back to me quickly.  Then, when I was completely exhausted from the weight class, it was time for yoga.  I was definitely tired for yoga, but some of the poses felt really, really good.

And, even better, Michael was really happy to see me when I came home from the gym.  It was wonderful getting a second huge welcome home!  And, I got a bonus cuddle.  Some days life is really good!

The challenge for today was definitely tearing myself away from Michael to get my butt into the gym.  It was hard, but it felt so good to get back to my routine.  Halfway through the first class I realized how much I missed it.  I was sweaty and out of breath, but I was happy.  That was a huge revelation.

The surprise of the day was definitely my cuddle with Michael.  I knew he had missed us, but he is normally pretty quick with his hugs.  Tonight I picked him up in my lap and didn’t want to let him go.  And, he wasn’t in any hurry to get down, either.  That felt so nice!

 

Day 121 - Last Day of the Conference

Today was the last day of the conference, and tomorrow I’m going back home, and back to real life.  I’ve learned so much the last few days.  And, I’ve had a great time relaxing with Steve.  The good thing is that I really do feel rested and ready to go back tomorrow and really hit the gym hard.  I am actually looking forward to getting to my muscle challenge class tomorrow night.

The challenge of the day was pretty minor, but stress inducing.  The very last session of the conference was talking about planning for our children to reach adulthood.  It is so hard to imagine Michael in 8 years.  Will he be able to live independently?  Go to college?  Find a job?  No matter what the answers end up to be, we have to be ready.  So, we left the session with a big to do list, the first of which is figuring out how to set up a special needs trust.  Then, we need to update our wills.  Not happy things to think about, but definitely needs to be done.

The surprise of the day was just realizing that the conference was over and I had a few more hours to relax with Steve.  We had a quiet afternoon, and it was just nice.  Sometimes nice and relaxing is just what you need.

 

Day 120 - No 17 Week Results

Even though today is Saturday, I don’t have any weight loss results for the week.  I am still in Florida for the National Autism Association Conference, so I am away from my scale.  I’m doing the best I can while I am gone, but I am also focusing on learning as much as I can and enjoying a mini-vacation with Steve.

Today was another great day.  We went to some really good sessions at the conference, and Steve ran into a college friend.  We spoke with one of the doctors for a while and got some great ideas on where to go next with Michael, and some advice on timing some of his supplements.  I’m really excited to go home and make some changes!

There was definitely a challenge today, and I definitely failed it.  At the restaurant, they have been amazing about our food allergies, and made sure we always have delicious, safe meals.  Tonight after dinner, they surprised me with a flourless chocolate cake.  It would have been rude to turn it down after they went to such an effort to find a dessert I could have.  And, to be honest, I didn’t want to.  It tasted just as good as it looked!  And, a treat once in a while isn’t the end of the world.  It does mean that when I get back home, I need to hit the gym harder than ever!

The surprise of the day was definitely spending so much time talking with the doctor about Michael.  He explained a couple things that we were doing wrong, timing-wise.  Basically, one supplement was cancelling out another.  By separating the two of them, we should definitely see better results.  I hate making mistakes, but am really glad to hear that a supplement we had great hopes for still holds promise!

 

Day 119 - My Brain is in Full Swing

Today was the first full day of the conference.  We’ve been going since 8 this morning.  I think we walked back and forth from the main conference area, to the exhibit area, to the room, to the car, a million times.  My feet hurt more tonight than after my two hour sessions at the gym.  I am not sure if it counts as exercise, or recovery, or something in between.  But, no matter what, it’s been a great day.

One of the most interesting sessions was talking about thyroid issues, and that you can’t always tell whether or not your thyroid is working correctly based only on your TSH number.  I have had symptoms of hypothyroid as long as I can remember, but it was never enough to treat.  In the last year or so, I’ve been on a natural thyroid replacement medication, but it never seemed to make a huge difference.  I would love to make an appointment with today’s speaker and see what he thinks of my test results and if there is anything to make my thyroid work better.

The big challenge of today was just being tired.  I’m not quite sure why I was so tired, but I was.  It could just be that my normal routine is gone, or I haven’t been following my normal exercise routine, or eating different foods.  But, no matter what the cause, I’m going to bed early tonight!

The surprise of the day was that Michael actually misses us.  At least that is what he told Dan.  Normally, when Dan watches him, he thinks it’s one big party.  But this morning he was actually wondering when we were coming back.  It’s definitely nice to be missed.