
I decided to lay low for a week, eat and sleep my way to being as strong as "usual" and then get back on the wagon in style.
Today marks the day I feel fully alive again. It's a strange sort of feeling, one I'd never have realised was possible before I started working out, but it felt like I'd been suffocating all week. It's one that some of you will nod your head in acknowledgement of and some of you will quirk your head to one side and pass it off as part of my madness, but living without workouts is like living without air.
Ok, so that's being *slightly* melodramatic, but for me workouts represent something very important. As you know I've battled with depression during the course of my life and working out is a very real way of keeping myself alive, happy and functioning. They may as well be air - they're a lifeline to actually being alive.
Last week I initially spent thinking "oh yes, time to eat ALL THE THINGS and relax", but by Wednesday my mood had taken a nosedive and Sunday I was positively dangerous. I spent most of the week feeling like I was meant to be doing something, like I had missed something. I was restless and hugely irritable. I felt lethargic, bloated and very, very unhappy.
It was when I threw a mini tantrum trying to find a sock earlier today that I knew it was time to work my way back to the gym. I'm going to be honest, but running isn't going to happen just yet on account of a HUGE blister on my big toe that squelches every time I put my foot down (yummeh) but the weight room was calling and who am I to turn it down?
Having uncovered my FitBit that had been washed for the second time in as many months (it's still working thank goodness) and found two socks (not matching of course) I headed out to the gym to meet Tom for our usual kick-ass weight session.
The gym kicked my bottom. I'm not going to lie. I struggled through weights that I usually don't have quite as much trouble with, but I did it. I persevered and finished all of my sets, even upping the weight on my flyes and doing three sets of decline push-ups (which strangely I find easier than normal push-ups....). I even managed half a pull-up. Get me.
My arms are sort of shaky now. And I'm starving
Now one of my amazing #sweatpink sisters has been asking for people to try out her 4 week fitness plan, so on account of my #sweatpink sister Angelena I will be trying out her "4 week Shape Up Plan" for the next four weeks. (You can find out more about Angelena here at her blog "On Fire Fitness"). The shape up plan calls for a quite drastic change in the way I'm going to be eating and feeling about food, which should be interesting - as you all know I'm very much an IIFYM kind of girl (I talk about that in depth here) so trying out the Paelo diet will be interesting. I'm especially excited about weaning myself off of sugar and processed sugars - I went to the dentist recently and got told I need a filling. Fillings do not make me happy. Therefore, sugar does not make me happy! (Given I don't drink, smoke, drink fizzy drinks or eat tons of sweeties and I brush and floss my teeth 2-3 times a day with an electric toothbrush the only "real" culprit is the amount of processed sugars in my diet). It's funny that the final straw on the sugar train has been my teeth - but hey, they have to last a lot longer, so we'll have to keep them in good nick!).
So, my plan going forward will be to follow Angelena's plan - which calls for considerable weight training and HIIT cardio training (just my sort of thing). I'm also planning on seeing how long a streak of Yoga I can get. I plan on doing 20 minutes a day, every day for as long as I can in an unbroken streak. I'm currently on half a day.... 0_o I'm also planning on being able to do a full pull-up by the time I go back to school in Sept.....wish me luck xD
I have to go and take my measurements and get some "before" photos for when I do my final write up for Angelena, but I'll keep you all updated on how it's going! Today is chest, triceps and abs and I feel that it's gone very well :D I just have to finish my dreaded planks (yes, I know they're awesome for core strength but I HATE them. Almost as much as I hate burpees. Actually, possibly more. At least with burpees you're DOING something!).
Ha.
Anyway peeps, I'm off to soak my massive blister (which has taken offence to the shoes I put it in) and take my measurements.
Be good and stay happy - keep working out :D