Day 43 - Six Week Results!

Well, today was the day.  I’ve been on this journey now for six weeks.  I’m not sure why, but I’ve had the idea in my head that six weeks is a magic mark.  Maybe it’s because it’s about the time to set a new habit, or enough time to build some muscle, or maybe I just made it up to motivate myself.  But, I do know that I’m really proud of myself for making it this far.  And, where am I?  I am 14 pounds down, and noticeably smaller (at least according to the pictures).  I had been hoping for faster progress, but, I am really happy with what I have achieved.

For qualitative results I have a pretty big list:

·         My energy is definitely improved

·         My appetite is down

·         My cravings have disappeared

·         My stamina lets me work out for two hours straight

·         I am sleeping like a rock

·         I’m finding that I actually enjoy trying new classes at the gym

·         I’m developing a new confidence in my body and what I am able to do

·         Some of my clothes are starting to get really loose

Overall, I couldn’t be happier.  Well, there is one small exception.  I am very sad that my summer vacation is coming to a close and I will have to go back to work on Monday.  I have really enjoyed being able to plan my day around my family and my exercise plan.  I am definitely going to miss that.  However, the sadness is tempered by the sheer joy that Michael has for going back to school.  Even though he only got one week off, he is already talking about going to bed early tomorrow night to prepare for Monday, and how much he has missed his classmates.  It is such a huge turnaround for him; I can’t help but be happy.

As for today’s exercise results, I went to the gym first thing this morning and did a 30 minute stretch class, followed by an hour long intervals class.  I know the stretch class sounds pretty easy, but I wore my heart rate watch and realized I was getting quite a workout just keeping up with the instructor!  Then, during the intervals class, I had to tone things down a lot because my heart rate was getting way too high.  I do like having the watch to make sure that I am not too high and not too low.

This afternoon was a pre-season football game, so it was really nice to watch the game and ride the new bike.  I did thirty minutes on the bike before I even realized it.  Because it’s recumbent and also has a reclining seat, it’s actually comfortable.  And, with a heart rate monitor built in, it was great to see that I was keeping well above 65% heart rate but was still able to follow the game.  Every time I think I have my ‘program’ figured out, I give myself another new wrinkle to figure out.  I like that.  A lot.

Now, I guess I should set a goal or two for the next six weeks. Most people know that I tend to go overboard on things fairly easily.  One or two people have even commented on this whole journey that it is exactly my personality fit into a project.  So, for the next six weeks, I think I want to tone down the adventure aspect just a bit and settle more into a routine.    I know I want to keep my diet pretty much the same – paleo based but aiming for about 2000-2200 calories.  I also know that I want to keep with the six days a week of two hours of exercise.  But, I think I am going to try to get myself into a semi-regular exercise routine for a bit, instead of constantly mixing things up.  I like the idea of strength classes three times a week, yoga three times a week, and mixing up the rest.  That seems like a nice, balanced approach. It is a bit of a departure for me, but I do love a challenge!