Saturday, September 26, 2009

I show the road who's boss.

Hi lovely readers!

Once again, I'm having an awesome day. I was so excited about my workout this morning that I actually woke up at 7 am. So bizarre, right? I planned on doing a run and then going to yoga right after to give my legs a much needed stretch before my rest day: Sunday. I have a love/hate relationship with yoga. I love it all the time except when I'm holding a pose. Then I'm cursing all yogi's before me. I forgot that I feel this way until I was holding a warrior pose today and I couldn't hold it because my quads were so tired from the run. I was muttering curse words and debating on giving up but I made it through and the rest of the yoga class was awesome! Of course now I'm back to loving it because it's over and my legs feel so great. Yoga has seriously saved my workout life. Before yoga, my muscles were so tight from lifting weights all the time (story on this further down in the post) and running that I couldn't hardly climb stairs without my tendons popping or feeling so sore. And I wasn't doing the distance I'm doing now! So yes...yoga is so good for you and you need to incorporate it into you workouts at some point to keep your muscles healthy and strong so you can continue to work hard. That's my speech. Ok, backc to running...I'm getting so used to running 6 miles now that it doesn't even feel like a workout anymore...time to up the ante! Can I just remind you guys that I've run 25 miles this week! EEEEK!!! I am so proud of myself, that is the most I have ever run in a week in my life (I think- that I know of anyway). I feel so strong and healthy- it feels so good to know I'm slowly dominating the road. I'm getting addicted...

I think next week I'll start doing weights again...I was thinking about it on my run this morning. I just feel like lately I've been bouncing around 151.something and I never quite get past or stay past the 151 mark. The lowest I hit this month was 151.2...I've also touched 151.4 and 151.6 a few times. My goal this month is to break through this mini plateau and get to 149! I know I can do it! I've been debating on waiting to add weights for another two weeks or if I should do it now. I'm starting a new job next week and have to go through training in LA and I know the drive and the long days of training are going to be tiring, and I didn't want to add weights in this week and then quit a week later because of training, only to have to add them in again later. The problem with weights is that you're sore for the first week or so. I don't want to have to be sore twice (so lazy!). The great thing about weights is they get you smaller than just cardio does by itself. Remember last post how I was saying that I have a love/hate relationship with weights?? (I kept saying I break up with weights, then always take them back) Well, here's why I struggle with them sometimes...

I used to work for a bodybuilder. He didn't look like a body builder with his clothes on (I never saw him with them off, ps), but he was big and he was in shape, and he was always "cutting" (cutting fat, cutting calories, "shredding" if you will, or in other words getting more toned for upcoming contests). Obviously the man knew how to work his body to keep it in super great shape and keep the fat off. He was a machine- and I was in awe. Well, one day we were talking and I was telling him that I was stuck and frustrated with my current weight (at the time, not now), and he built me a weight lifting program specifically for me. At first I was like...eh, I don't know about this, but he told me, "Diz, trust me. I can help you lose the weight you want to lose." So I figured, why not, I'll give him two weeks and if it doesn't work, no harm I'll just go back to my old ways, and I turned myself over to him and did everything he told me to do and sure enough, I got to the smallest point I have ever been since I was about 12. I was lifting everyday and doing 40 min of cardio about 3-4 times a week. I was so toned and slender and I could pretty much eat whatever I wanted.

Once I moved to CA though, everything changed. I was starting to get burned out of the weight lifting program and it wasn't conducive to my work schedule to work out that much. Plus, I was struggling with the diet (it's low carb, high protein to build muscle). It seemed like everything I ate made me feel guilty. Eventually I decided that I had to abandon it all together because not only could I not maintain it, I was gaining weight rapidly anyway and I was sick of eating low carb all the time. I started cheating on the diet all the time and of course the next thing you know- BOOM. Fat. Once I finally accepted that my lifestyle is different in California than it was before, and that I wanted to be able to eat a wider variety of foods and I could as long as I ate in moderation, things started to shift again. I was able to slowly start maintaining my weight. Now, a few months later, I've been able to lose some of it without weights or low carb dieting. I've had occassional bouts with the weights and the diet just because I know how good they are at making me drop fast, but I don't think I'll ever be able to be as hard core as I was the first time around. I need something realistic for me. I want to enjoy my workouts, not dread them and be pissed the whole time I'm at the gym. I want to enjoy my food, not feel guilty everytime I eat something that is not a protein or low-carb. I respect people that are so disciplined cause I can't be. So that's how I've gotten to this point. It's been a long hard realization but now that I've come to grip with myself and what I really want and need, I think I can be thin again without being a slave to the weights and the diet. I feel like I should add that I don't think there is anything wrong with low carb and weight diets for other people, it's just not for me...forever. I know that lifting has it's perks such as dropping faster, dropping more fat than lean muscle mass, which in turn means you can eat more. I just can't maintain that lifestyle forever. I am hoping though, that adding weights back into my workouts will help push me through this plateau I've been lurking around so that I can continue on my journey. It's just a matter of time now...will I have the time in two weeks to do lifting and cardio with my new job training? Or should i just wait until after the training week is over....what to do!!!

OK, I think I've typed enough for now. Weights wear me out. :) Have a fabulous day today and be sure to kill it!

D

1 comment:

  1. Yoga IS awesome- I feel like it's my light work out for the week but I know it helps lengthen my muscles and stretch them from running.

    I dont know what to tell you about the lifting question- maybe talk to a trainer about that one...

    Good luck breaking into the 140's- i am trying to break into the 150's now... almost there...same with you.

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