Disclaimer

This blog is an accounting of my personal journey to find fitness. All the content on this blog should be read as a biographical piece of literature, not a medical resource. I am a physician, but I am in no way giving medical advice or establishing doctor patient relationships with my readers. I am simply keeping a diary. If you are starting a diet or exercise program or require medical evaluation or advice, please see your own family physician.

Friday, October 7, 2011

What a week!!!

Hard for me to believe I haven't posted all week. Sheesh. I am so very busy this week. It is killing me. I've gotten home late every night this week and it is wearing me absolutely OUT.  Today I am TIRED. Just plain tired. I haven't gotten enough sleep and it just occurred to me that maybe that is part of the reason the scale isn't moving this week, so far anyway.  Let's see, I'll give you the highlights of my week.

Monday night was my son's football game. That means I didn't get home until nearly 8pm. I did really well with eating that day. I also worked out with my trainer as I discussed in my last post. Let me tell you that after that workout sitting on metal bleachers was KILLER, especially on my back.  Tuesday I was super SUPER sore and I didn't get the morning workout I wanted because of it. I did attend TKD class as usual. It was hard as is usually the case, but the 100 crunches were very hard on my already sore abs.  That night I had a health fair to attend. Just marketing and community service stuff. Not too hard, but tiring as I was on my feet for 3 hours in heels. Got home at nearly 9pm and then had to get kids to bed, etc.

Wednesday was one of the highlights of my week. I was SOOOOO tired and sore.  I didn't sleep well Tuesday night because I was so tired I forgot to take some ibuprofen. PLUS I was up late helping my son with a genealogy project for school. It was very interesting to dig back in my family's past. I plan to do more now. We traced back to an ancestor born in 1660 in Virginia. Cool.  But, all that stuff Tuesday night made Wednesday morning a real bear. I had planned to run, but my hips were just shot after the hard workout Monday and then TKD. No freaking way.  I woke up in a mood and feeling very discouraged.

At lunch on Wednesday I had my usual hair appointment. I was so tired I nearly fell asleep several times and my stylist ( what is the proper word? Hair dresser? Whatever) told me I'd better wake up before I nod off and cause him to cut a big chunk out of my hair.  I tried and made it through without a disaster and went back to work with fabulous straightened hair. I enjoy those days becuase it's the only time my hair is straight. Showering 1-2 times a day after workouts just isn't conducive to trying to straighten my curls.

Anyhoo......somewhere late in the afternoon I finally perked up and I think it was excitement for Wednesday night's self-defense class. Our TKD gym had a free seminar for women only and I invited a bunch of the girls from the office. It was so super fun and I learned some things I didn't know before. A good workout, too!

So yesterday I was still struggling with soreness, especially my hip and SI joint.  Despite that I went to my TKD class at noon. It was a great class and I'm learning so much. It's hard. We did free sparring with knife defenses, not with a real knife of course.  I still have so much to learn!  THEN, after work I had to go back to TKD to pick up the kids. I realized I'd be sitting there for an hour watching them workout. That just seemed silly so I decided that now that we're in the same class, I might as well workout again. I joined their class and worked out for another hour after work.

Last night was a beating though because we didn't get home until nearly 8pm. My son had to complete that big project, or should I say WE had to complete the project. It turned out great, but we were up until midnight finishing it. (My son unfortunately inherited the procrastination gene from his father) I'm tired today, but finally less sore. I'm telling you that workout on Monday kicked my butt. Stupid, stupid stair master.  But, I'm not giving up on it. I'm going back to the gym next week to start working on working up my tolerance on that machine.  Tonight I have planned a TKD class after work

I have very little on tap for the weekend. It's the first weekend at home for us in like 5 weeks. Son has a camping trip with Boy Scouts. They're going canoeing on the Brazos River. I'm jealous. Wish I could go. Anyway, other than a FANTASTIC sports line up, I have little planned and I'm keeping it that way.  Can't wait for the OU-Texas game PLUS we have game one of the ACLS and the Rangers. Should be fun.

I'm frustrated by the fact that the scale hasn't moved. I've been hungry this week. Sometimes it seems like the more I exercise, the hungrier I am. I've kept my eating in line, I've eaten no more than 1300cal which was on my 2 workout day. I've had a little trouble getting all my water in at least at the level I usually do. I'm getting in the minimum, but not a whole lot more. I think it's just the hectic pace this week.

Do you find yourself hungry if you exercise a lot? Or is it just normal variations in hunger from our bodies? I don't know but it sure seems like sometimes I'm starving and others I'm fine.  Maybe it's the fact I've gotten less sleep? I don't know, but I'm trying to stay on track and positive. I love my exercise. I'm not quitting it.

I read a really good post today on Tony's blog. You can read it here.  It's all about how sometimes as you change in this journey, people's perception of you changes. It's titled "I Liked You Better When You Were Fat."  I'm honestly struggling with people's reactions to my new lifestyle lately, especially some people close to me. It's just more of the mental changes that come along with this journey. Here's the comment I left on that post:
I loved this post. I’ve lost 85 pounds and I still have about 60 left. People have already started to tell me I don’t need to lose more and I exercise too much and I’m too strict with my diet. I think a lot of it is them knowing they need to be doing it too.
For those closest to me, I think they are threatened by my success and maybe even worried about my change in priorities. It’s much more important to me now to workout. Much more than watching that TV show or going shopping. Not every gets that. And people rarely get why I would go to TWO Taekwondo classes in ONE DAY, especially not after working out in the morning once already.
I actually had someone tell me I was getting addicted to exercise and I needed to watch it. WTH? I am 41 years old and I am 5’1″ and I still weigh 189lbs. If I’m addicted to exercise it’s the least of my worries.
These days I’m simply focused more on me and being the best ME I can be. I think some people don’t like the fact that my focus has changed. Too freaking bad

AND I have to thank Allan for another shout out on his blog this week. Too kind.  You inspire me all the time. Particularly today's post about weekends and exercise. Funny and true.

I hope all of you have a great weekend.  What are you doing these days for exercise? What is inspiring you? Do people ever tell you they liked you better when you were fat?

9 comments:

  1. I can totally relate to what you're saying. Watching what I eat is important, but I'm not one of those people who can drop the weight by just eating less - I HAVE to exercise, and I love it. I get irritated when people tell me that sometimes I workout too much (it hasn't happened in a while since I've been a bit preoccupied) but I just let it wash over me -- I exercise, but I am still overweight. Until the weight comes off, I'll be at the gym as often as possible! I don't care what others say - I have enough battles to fight with the voices in my head!

    As for the hungry part -- the more I workout, the hungrier I get. My stomach growls (LOUDLY) every 2-3 hours ... so I've broken down my meals. I'll have sliced or diced fruit in my bag all the time so that I have healthy food on hand and I don't risk munching on something I'll seriously regret later. I eat at pretty much the same time everyday and I find the pattern helps - and I eat every 3 hours. It has made a huge difference.

    Plus, instead of a daily calorie count what I usually do is have a weekly goal -- so let's say for the week I won't go over 8,500 calories (just a bit over 1,200 a day) ... that way if there's an intense workout day (cardio + weights) I can eat a bit more on that day and less on rest days. And by eating more I don't mean eating unhealthy stuff -- I mean I'll have a protein shake or two-three servings of steamed veggies ... I'm just assuring my body that I'm not falling back into my old psychotic eating habits.

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  2. Hang in there Ann and the weight loss will come again. Plateaus happen for most people.

    If you are feeling hungry perhaps up the protein and fiber to keep the hunger at bay for longer periods of time.

    You do have a crazy busy schedule and I remember all of those school projects with my kids! It's a busy time in your life right now.

    I think everyone is okay with my eating and exercise routine as I have been at it for so many years now.

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  3. Sometimes the scale is just an evil bitch. You're on track, and I think 2 TKD classes in one day is AWESOME. I'm jumping back on my circuit training this weekend since I can breathe again (I hate bronchitis), and I'm psyched.

    You're not neglecting your practice or your family for exercise. You have mentioned several recreational activities you've had just recently. I think your priorities are just fine.

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  4. OU-UT It is on! No doubt UT will get clobbered, but hope we put on a good show. Do you have tickets? (jealous me)

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  5. Sometimes I think the biggest impediment is just that you have to change into a new person who does new stuff (and doesn't do old stuff).

    On another note, at least you have the Rangers. I have the 1-3 Eagles and the done Phillies. Boo.

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  6. As time marches on, and I'm around a whole different group of people than when I first lost weight, I get fewer comments. I still remember the food pushers and comments about how I looked sick when I first got to goal. It's harder when you are short like us. Five extra pounds means I can't comfortably wear some of my pants. We have to eat less and exercise more it seems to get where we want to be.

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  7. I am exhausted just reading what you have been up to. Just for keeping hard at it, your are an inspiration to many of us.

    YES! I find myself hungry if I exercise alot. My trick is to do as much as I can in the early morning or evening and have a late dinner. In the morning I know lunch is coming and evening, I know dinner is coming. I also try to drink a ton of water, but I know you do too.

    Anyway, another good week of eating and getting 'her done for you. Wahoo!

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  8. Allan used to tell us, a lot, that if you're eating right and exercising and the weight is not coming off, then get checked for a cause. As a doc, you have access to pros and tests and stuff. Maybe look into what other causes may be impediments. At your exercise level, at your weight, with 1300 calories, the scale should budge. Although, if this is one of those dreaded long-term plateaus, maybe all you can do is wait it out with fortitude. I've had plateaus, when I WAS eating right and moving, but they tended to break after a couple weeks. I have, knock wood, not had the months and months long ones that I've read about. That would make me fricken nuts.

    I've always lost slowly, so I'm not surprised that at 179, I lose even slower (less deficit, even at 1200-1400), but I did moderate my exercise. I found I WAS hungrier if I really exerised a lot. So, I moved it to moderate level...five days a week, sometimes six days, but not a lot. 2 one hour sessions with a trainer, 3 to 4x as week of 30 to 35 minute walks. That's it. Enough to get the blood going, get the heart pumping, build a bit of muscle, but not strain anything or revive the wild hunger beast.

    I won't look uber-buff, but I hate being hungry. Hate it like mad. So...I do what it takes to be NOT hungry...and when I'm in that appetite zen zone, I try to hang on to it. :D

    Here's to your hunger diminishing and your plateau busting....or medical tests zeroing in on what's up.

    It may be you need to ratchet down to 1100 calories...unfortunately. Might just be.

    Just hang on..and hope you see the scale move...

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  9. I had a plateau when I was trying...
    And then lost when I was not!
    I guess there will always be times like that.
    You know.... THAT old chestnut!
    Awesome you - at any rate!

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