Arthritis Warning

I have an old injury that decides to show its ugly face every so often...so I booked an appointment with a physiotherapist.  Of course when I finally get in to see him today - I am feeling just fine with no pain...but I can pinpoint exactly where it hides.  

After the regular assessment, we have a very honest but brief conversation...about Arthritis.   And it all came with a warning - stretch now or suffer later. 

I know I am stiff...and I am sure that he (as well as my trainer) has seen various degrees of stiffness before...but I get the impression neither one of them are impressed with my poor range of motion.  

This poor flexibility is a hidden but oh so obvious problem for me.  I can tell for sure that it is because of this poor range of motion that I cannot seem to advance with my weights and movements in the gym.  Try as I might, and as confident as I am, I cannot seem to add much more weight to my squats and deadlifts.  And the best way to describe it is that I am so focused on the movement because I do not trust my ability to do it as it should be done with a heavier load.  And I will be damned if I will be that girl in the squat rack that does 1/4 squats with 3x my body weight just cuz it looks awesome that I had all that weight on the bar (there is a girl with a body weight similar to mine at the gym who does this and I absolutely cringe every time she does a squat with 240lbs because her form is pathetic and shallow - to each their own though).

I don't think I am the only one who goes about our lives, complaining of being inflexible but never really committing to actually stretching on a daily and continuous basis.  It is honestly the first thing I will give up and it is the first thing I will cheat on if I want more time in the gym.  But when I was told that if I do not do something about it right now that I am intentionally setting myself up for arthritis problems in later years - I cringed.  That is a scary idea and worse part about it is that much of it can be prevented.  I have taken on so much to change my lifestyle to be more wholesome and active for the sake of long term, improved health, but never really actually considered just how important this may be as well.  

So with a plan in place, I attempt to incorporate yet another thing in to my day.  I have to be honest - I'm not very hopeful with this one (it will be about as hard as trying to drink 6-8 glasses of water a day for me!).  I am going to have to seriously change my attitude and priorities to fit this in.  So I hope to do a little research to help me along as well - I find this always help understanding and commitment.  Regardless - I have a lot of work to do before my next appointment and I hate to disappoint.  

Excuses aside - I best get to the floor and S T R E T C H!

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PS - Day 4 of clean eating!  No artificial sugars or sweeteners - only fruit 1-2 times per day!  Feeling great and always full!!!

Day 2

Not that I intend to give a daily update but it is sort of a way for me to stay accountable to myself.  I actually hate writing in a journal - I actually suck at it really and can barely read my own writing anyway!


Here is what I ate today:

• Breakfast - Baked Eggs with Zuchinni, Mushrooms, and Broccoli with one garlic sausage (not best choice but I needed more to eat) and a little HOT SAUCE! Coffee with cream. 
• Morning Snack - Greek Yogurt (plain) with large handful of blueberries
• Lunch - grilled veggies with 2 turkey muffins and HOT SAUCE
• Afternoon Snack - 3/4 can Tuna with lemon juice and pepper, big bowl of veggies
• Supper - Steamed Broccoli, 1 tilapia fillet with seasoning, 1 sausage with hot sauce, 1/2 cup spaghetti squash
• Bed Time - whey protein with coconut milk, handful of almonds

I don't measure anything and I don't count calories.  I probably am under-eating and over-eating certain macros but at this point I just want to be full and not get jittery. I have considered being more exact but I found that when I tried I became almost obsessive with it.  I find this works much better and that I'm less paranoid about the numbers and more about how content I feel after eating. 

 

Had an immense sugar craving right when I got home from grocery store and was preparing supper...opened the cupboards and closed them again several times.  Finally took the bag of chocolate chips and put them in the back of the freezer.  I munched on veggies to get through this and put some lemon juice in my water.  I was hungry...and at that point my body screams for sugar for the instant high.  I'm hoping that all this effort will recondition my body to crave sugar less and learn coping mechanisms when they do come on!

What I am starting to realize is that for as much as I thought I was doing food prep - I still feel like Im lagging behind and quickly having to pull something together.  My goal for next week is to pre-make 5 days worth of meals (especially lunch and afternoon snack) as well as have the weekly home meals planned out for the family.  I better invest in some ZipLock containers and reorganize the fridge then!

As for the gym - got a workout planned for tomorrow night after work.  I workout best at the 5pm hour but sometimes I have the kids so I skip.  I'm trying to stop using this as an excuse.  So I have their supper packed and we will be going to the gym at 5pm.  The day care there is cheap and an awesome convenience!  It really is not an excuse to skip the workout because I have my kids - it just takes a little more planning.  Plus - because I am only allowed 1.5 hours for them in the day care, it pushes me to get in and get it all done quickly!

Another big accomplishment for today - only had 1 cup of coffee and 5 glasses of water!!!! If you know me at all - you will know this is a BIG DEAL!

R

Day 1 of 30

Today is Day 1.  

Day 1 of 30 - Cutting out sugar (with exception of some specific fruit), grains, and most dairy.  Now if you are shaking your head at how extreme this sounds - it really isn't...plus I have a few treat days/meals planned throughout that I may or may not take advantage of.  The intent is to eat more raw, whole foods while realistically taking out unnecessary sugar sources and food irritants.  


Why?  Honestly - something to try.  There are a few specific reasons though:
-  To challenge myself.
-  To test my commitment to myself and the goals I set.
-  To see if I can "just say no" to temptations and foods that may taste so delicious but in the end make me feel like crap and bloated.
-  To see how it changes the way I feel and what I miss and don't miss in the end.
-  To see where it will take me next
-  To see how it improves or even maybe hinders my goals for the gym and my pursuit of a 6-pack (almost there I think!) 


Might consider this a cleanse of sorts - but as soon as you throw that word out there people take it to a whole new weirdness.  Might call it a diet...but then again I have issues with that word and what it actually means.  So it is what it is...30 Day Healthy Eating Challenge.  


So consider this:  For 30 days I will eat an insane amount of veggies.  For 30 days I will eat generous helpings of protein.  For 30 days I will eat healthy fats like avocados, coconut milk and nuts .   I won't step on the scale.  I will eat when I feel hungry but with the goal of 6 times per day.  I will still have my protein shake post workout.  WOW - Sounds extreme eh!  


Life without grains will be fine (although I do miss the idea of my PB&J snacks in the afternoon).  And I just discovered spaghetti squash as a substitute for spaghetti so I'm all set now!  I will keep my greek yogurt but plain with my allowance of fruit.  I will watch to make sure I'm consuming enough protein and carbs for my workouts.  And I hope to journal about it all but without becoming crazy obsessive with logging every bite.  


I guess you should know that I am well aware this won't come without temptation.  And you can bet I'm already trying to figure out ways to stay on track when around family or away from home.  And it hit me like a brick that I need more sources of protein and yummy recipes to get through this!  But without all of this...it wouldn't be a challenge then would it? 


So Day 1 is over.  And I felt a little low for the day and hungry....so as I finish this up, I'm enjoying two turkey muffins with hot sauce (goodbye ketchup!) and thought I would share my meals for today:

• Breakfast - leftovers of spaghetti squash, ground turkey, hot peppers, and grilled veggies
• Coffee - with 35% fat cream (next gonna try coconut milk!)
• Morning Snack - missed this one :( - I struggle with this meal when I teach...Something I will have to work on!
• Lunch - Spinach salad with a colorful assortment of veggies and two turkey muffins with hot sauce
• Afternoon - Greek Yogurt (plain) with blueberries (large handful)
• Post-Workout - shake and apple
• Supper - leftover squash, turkey, hot peppers and veggies (this was the last of a huge batch I made)
• Drive home from work - handful of almonds
• Bed Time - I was starving...so two turkey muffins and hot sauce it was!

And I feel good.  Not bloated.  Full and happy.  And honestly - today...never even craved sugar.  (Note: I have actually been easing my way into this plan...so it has not been the culture shock the way it may be for some others)

So call it what you will.  Criticize as you must.  But in the end....I'm not doing this for anyone other than me.  The treats will all be there again at the next family gathering or in the grocery isle.  There will be no shortage of opportunities to binge eat in the future.  These 30 days are mine.  Why not try yourself?!?  What do you have to lose?

Next challenge - addressing the shopping list and food prep!  I spend WAY too much time in the kitchen!!!!

Out with the old...In with the new

Like many teens, the moment I turned 18 I got a tattoo.  Picked it right off the wall of various tribal designs and plunked it on my right shoulder blade.  Seemed like a good idea at the time.  What was an even better was we finished the trip off with a visit to the strippers and a night in a hotel - all because we apparently were adult enough now to do so.  

I never got sentimental about my tattoo.  It wasn't symbolic of anything...but over the years it became a symbol of those times of the past.  A memory of young love, of friendships we thought would never change, of the freedom to start making my own decisions, of parties and a young adulthood long lost to the realities we all must face.  So it became sentimental in its own way...but something I needed to let go of.  

As much as one can cover it up - it is still hidden under the new colors and design - always there no matter how hard you have to look to see what remains of it.  As will the memories and emotions it can evoke when I spend some time reflecting on it and the time in my life it represented remain with me for life.  There are many reasons why I finally went through with changing it...I am another decade older, I have come to the realization that life moves on, and I want something fresh and new.  As well, I wanted to show more pride in my body and reward myself for the hard work I have done in the gym (isn't that back toning up nicely?)

But I am not one for symbols....so it is what it is. A fresh, new, colorful, unique design that only I possess - no one else has this exact one.  And it is not done.  This is just a start.  I already have some things I want to add to it to take it to the exact coverage I want and lets not forget about the very similar but individual one I have on my ankle that is just screaming to have more sprays and more colors to mirror what is on my shoulder.  And I couldn't be happier or more excited to see where it will evolve over the years.  

Some people are against tattooing.  I am not. (I'm sure my parents will be so proud of me again when they see this...It must have taken my dad all these years to get over the first!)  I will encourage my children to make their own decisions and put thought and value into their choices should they ever want a tattoo...but then again maybe they will never get one either.  Some want to hide theirs and to be discrete.  I do not.  I want mine to show as I see fit and I am proud to have it so why not show it off.  At the same time it can be covered and hidden as I see fit as well.  

And when the time comes that I am in a nursing home (I know my mother must just be rolling her eyes) I will laugh at the snickers from youthful nurses who will be caring for me (most with their own tattoos already I bet)...and be proud to tell them the stories my tattoos represent.  

This is totally the look I was going for!

The Next 12 Weeks

It has been quite a long time since I have posted anything - which should give some indication about how motivated and active I have been (or not).  To be quite honest, for quite a while I was just going through the motions at the gym and eating with no conscience. I can't put my finger on why exactly - just that it was like I reached a plateau.  Plateaued with my intentions and motivation as well as with my achievements at the gym.  So when it came to a few family events - whatever ounce of willpower I had left went right out the window. 


Having hit a very low point - instead of getting upset with myself and making excuses - I got angry.  Angry and refocused.  A few emails later to my trainer/friend and we agreed on the next course of action.  A change in diet/intentions with it, a change in program for the gym, and a revisit on my goals.  So being that all those things were being revitalized - it only seems appropriate that my blogging should be too.  


As of today - I am 12 weeks and 2 days away from the Spartan race in Calgary (August 18th - check it out at www.spartanrace.com).  People often ask me what I am "training" for.  I always tell them Spartan. But I don't feel like I am.  I feel more like I'm just working out, trying every day to be healthy, and living in a world that doesn't make it easy.  Nothing special.  Nothing different then most other people.  I don't feel like a competitor.  I don't feel like I'm in some intense training program with rigorous diet and exercise demands.  But I answer them anyway - without batting a guilty eye - that I'm training for Spartan.  


That all being said - it's about time I start training for Spartan.  I need to focus on this event as it is in the near future and a specific thing to aim for....but what will be hardest as this event nears is what will be next after that.  It's an intense feeling of unease because when someone asks me after that what I am training for - I don't know what my answer will be.  So what is wrong with answering that question with "I'm training for me or for my health, or for the hell of it"?  Why does a person always have to be training for something?  Because.  It makes all the sacrifices and scrutiny worth it and it is an easy reason to deny the pressures of life that make you want to stray away from your goals.


To be very specific - I need to redefine my goals (way easier said then done) and list the tasks I need to do to accomplish them.  I am not sure I can put them on here yet - mostly because even myself do not know what they are.  I know the general goals I'd like to achieve - but they are almost too grande to be a goal but more so a dream.  This will take some time and attention to get started but it is on my priority list.


What I do know is this:


a)  I am committed to going to the gym.  My trainer has put together the next phase for my conditioning - 4 days per week at the gym - NO CARDIO.  I find this the absolute easiest to commit to - I love all things about a new gym plan.  And 12 weeks will fly - so I will do every week what is required of me - summer holidays and all.  


b)  I am changing my 'diet'.  I have a lot of aspirations when it comes to my 'diet' and I am challenging even my own opinions on food.  The one thing I know is that I want (not just need) to change.  To go to one extreme or another is not something I am willing to do but adopting some concepts from a variety of sources is.  Eating whole foods and eliminating processed foods is a start.  In fact, one of the big challenges I want to try for 30 days is to eliminate sugar.  More so because I want to see how doing so changes the way I feel.  Researching what sugar does to your body, and with some help from my trainer, I'm finally believing that this is something I want to be more conscious about avoiding.  And in making such changes, my family will benefit as well.  My plan is to start this on Monday and there is a lot more to be said about it too - stay tuned.  


So now what? 
-  I got new gym shoes!  Quite excited about this. 
-  I revamped my ipod playlist.  Always helps. 
-  I got a fridge full of fruits, veggies, and cooked meats.
-  I got some dates set to keep me working towards something. (Starting changes with diet, family wedding, motivational photoshoot, and Spartan to name a few)
-  I'm getting a new tattoo! 
-  I started a motivation book - full of pictures, quotes, reminders, and aspirations.  Next will be to strategically place some of the more influential ones in places like cupboards and on the fridge.
-  Keep up with these blogs as a way to be accountable to myself
-  Set my short term and long term goals
-  I need to re-measure my body composition and take mid-way pictures since the last time I did this was February.


I think that is a start.  12 weeks to go.  Follow along!


R