The WW meeting yesterday was about Plan B when you can't do your regular exercise. This was a lesson I had to learn years back when I was more rigid in my thinking. I still struggle with it sometimes but for the most part I've learned that there are alternatives to my "routine" if I can't do it for some reason. Sometimes I'll do a shortened version of my workout, sometimes I'll do something else altogether. And sometimes I just have to let go and accept that for this day, or this week, I will not meet my goal. It's the old battle vs the war thing. I've learned that doing something is better than doing nothing. Sounds so obvious but it was a tough one for me to learn and internalize.
In January of '08, just a few months after starting exercise, I learned part of this lesson on a walk across the Golden Gate Bridge. Of course I blogged about it at the time, An Important Lesson @ Golden Gate Bridge, Crissy Field. The realization that even a walk could burn calories had a profound effect on me and ever since then I have made an effort to not discount "non-exercise" activity that I do outside of the gym. Wearing a heart rate monitor and seeing the calories burned really helps. For a while I'd wear it anytime I did anything, a hike with Miguel, a fun bike ride around town. Now I don't need that reinforcement for social activities but I still wear it at the gym and anytime I'm purposefully "exercising".
Being back at WW reminds me how much I've learned since starting this journey and how much I like the WW philosophy. I started WW in 2007 in part because my doctor recommended it. I'd gone in half-hoping she'd recommend some kind of weight loss surgery. I wasn't quite heavy enough. Thank God! Those surgeries are not the easy fix I thought they were. I think this is a painful lesson for some, like Carnie Wilson, who just got her second surgery. Anyway, I'm babbling a bit. On to the exercise...
I was debating going to the gym since I'd already worked out 4 days in a row. Friday would make 5. But I actually felt pretty good physically and decided it would be ok. I went after work and started out with 25 minutes on the upright bike. Level 7 is still kicking my butt. After the bike I started in on my chest/shoulders/core routine.
I did pushups first. I've been doing three sets of 6 "real" pushups and 2 assisted, working toward the goal of three sets of 8 real pushups. As I was about to start I thought about how I did 10 real pushups at that CrossFit class on Monday, albeit only 1 set. Maybe it was time to move up to 7 real ones, because three sets is different than one set. But then I figured, if I can do 7, I can probably do 8. Ah heck, let's just go for it! And guess what? I did it! I started on this goal of doing three sets of 8 real pushups back in November of last year. At the time I could do three sets of 3. And really, it started before then when I worked on lowering the smith machine bar. It's been a long haul and achieving this goal is a big deal to me. I can do pushups, really I can!
I forgot to mention that yesterday was our anniversary. My mom was coming over to watch the kids so Miguel and I could go to dinner. So I was in a hurry to get home and the rest of my workout was a blur. I hustled through my weight training and core routine and headed home to change. We were totally undecided on where to go for dinner but ended up at a place that serves California type fare. My dinner was:
Pan seared Mahi Mahi on a yummy pile of risotto
Bread and butter
A few bites of Miguel's dinner (steak, french fries, green beans)
Desert was a very creamy bread pudding and ice cream
I also had a vodka soda. After dinner we went to a bar to play pool and I had another vodka soda. I tracked it all and, unfortunately I'm only left with 5 "extra" weekly points. Thank goodness I can earn more through exercise! I know I can manage.
One last thing, I've started reading "The Beck Diet Solution", very interesting stuff, goes along with a lot of what I practice but I believe will help me take things a step further. The main thing I'm hoping is the book can help me to do away with these mental battles I have with food. They are tiresome and I lose half the time anyway. Gaining freedom from that would would be so cool!
Today is a day off from exercise, though I spent half the day pulling weeds, that's gotta be worth something! Alright, the kids are up from their naps so I gotta run.
I was debating going to the gym since I'd already worked out 4 days in a row. Friday would make 5. But I actually felt pretty good physically and decided it would be ok. I went after work and started out with 25 minutes on the upright bike. Level 7 is still kicking my butt. After the bike I started in on my chest/shoulders/core routine.
I did pushups first. I've been doing three sets of 6 "real" pushups and 2 assisted, working toward the goal of three sets of 8 real pushups. As I was about to start I thought about how I did 10 real pushups at that CrossFit class on Monday, albeit only 1 set. Maybe it was time to move up to 7 real ones, because three sets is different than one set. But then I figured, if I can do 7, I can probably do 8. Ah heck, let's just go for it! And guess what? I did it! I started on this goal of doing three sets of 8 real pushups back in November of last year. At the time I could do three sets of 3. And really, it started before then when I worked on lowering the smith machine bar. It's been a long haul and achieving this goal is a big deal to me. I can do pushups, really I can!
I forgot to mention that yesterday was our anniversary. My mom was coming over to watch the kids so Miguel and I could go to dinner. So I was in a hurry to get home and the rest of my workout was a blur. I hustled through my weight training and core routine and headed home to change. We were totally undecided on where to go for dinner but ended up at a place that serves California type fare. My dinner was:
Pan seared Mahi Mahi on a yummy pile of risotto
Bread and butter
A few bites of Miguel's dinner (steak, french fries, green beans)
Desert was a very creamy bread pudding and ice cream
I also had a vodka soda. After dinner we went to a bar to play pool and I had another vodka soda. I tracked it all and, unfortunately I'm only left with 5 "extra" weekly points. Thank goodness I can earn more through exercise! I know I can manage.
One last thing, I've started reading "The Beck Diet Solution", very interesting stuff, goes along with a lot of what I practice but I believe will help me take things a step further. The main thing I'm hoping is the book can help me to do away with these mental battles I have with food. They are tiresome and I lose half the time anyway. Gaining freedom from that would would be so cool!
Today is a day off from exercise, though I spent half the day pulling weeds, that's gotta be worth something! Alright, the kids are up from their naps so I gotta run.