Week 27: A little bit of progress, a LOT of food and a lot more words

Fitness
June 29 - 
I stepped on the scale today, after working out, but before my shower. I was disappointed to see that the number ticked up by one pound. However, I’m not going to let that stop me from continuing to work toward my goal of being fit to participate in a 5k at a moment's notice. You never know when one will pop up. LOL!
 I went to the gym again today, but made it a point to go earlier than I usually go because I have a busy day today. And a lot of that business involves sitting in the car, driving, then sitting in a theater watching a friend and her daughter perform in a musical. So, to be a better version of me, I’m making the choice to get my booty in gear a little earlier today. I got up, did my 10+ minutes of reading (I’m so close to finishing the book I’m reading right now), loaded the dishwasher, started it, and then hand washed the remaining dishes from dinner last night. Which was delicious! My oldest son made a new recipe for the entire family and did a great job. 

 

June 30 - 

Today was an active rest day. Sounds a little counter productive, but I don’t want to take a full rest day, because I know my motivation will drop off drastically if I don’t do something active on my rest days. So, I decided to take a 20 minute walk this evening. The little one wanted to ride his scooter for a while, so I figured it would be a good opportunity to let him pick the path and distance we would travel tonight. I’ve been having some pain issues with portions of my body, so I really think some active rest will help me work through the pain and stiffness.  The pain on my right side is still there, but it seems to be getting dull. That means I am either getting used to the pain OR it’s working itself out. My hope is for the second option. My left knee hurts a little today, so I’m beginning to question if it’s the new shoes I purchased that are part of the problem. If they are, I’ll be upset. I strayed away from my usual brand, but didn’t get cheap shoes so it’s a little frustrating.

Reflections for June:

It’s taken me a few months to realize this, but MAN am I a late starter. Sometimes the ideas I have sound so good when I lay them out, especially a year in advance, but then life happens and I allow the currents of life sweep me away to spaces that I don’t even realize are a far cry from my intended purpose. June was no different in that aspect. It kind of stinks that I figured it out so late, but I honestly think that the plans I’ve made for the 75 day challenge are good and easy to complete. Not that the challenge is easy in itself. Doing anything for 75 days consistently is difficult. I’ve seen a lot of successful stories of people completing various adaptations of the 75 day challenge, but I honestly think those are not realistic for me or my family. Perhaps I can bump stuff up later, but having the current goal be one that is lower is beneficial in terms of my ability to complete it and hopefully stick to it past the 75 days. I’m not getting any younger, my muscle mass is not going to grow on its own, and let’s be real, I want my clothes to fit me better than they have in a few years. I’m not looking to win any beauty, health, or fitness awards, I just want to be in better shape for myself and to stick around for my kids for as long as I can. If they grace me with grandkids, I’d like to be able to hold them, hug them, and maybe even play around with them a little. Heck, the little one has already decided that he’s going to have a bunch of kids and I’ll be their babysitter. News flash kid, I don’t like little kids that much. LOL! 
As an ending to my focus on fitness in June, I am really looking forward to watching my eating habits in July in the hopes that they will begin to benefit one another. I know you can’t out exercise a bad diet, so I need to focus on that bad diet part. I’ve already cut out soda and I’m working hard to limit my added sugar intake. It’s not perfect by any means, but I’m going to try my hardest to be a healthier version of me.

Eating

July 1 -

Peanut butter toast (2 slices)

Salad (lettuce, tomato, black olives, croutons, bacon bits, Italian dressing)

York Peppermint Patty (one fun sized)

Wendy’s crispy chicken meal (crispy chicken sandwich, fries, lemonade)

 Well, my food choices weren’t exactly stellar today, but I have had MUCH worse in my life. I know I need to eat a decent amount of protein, due to the added exercise I’m doing now. I tend to have peanut butter toast or eggs and toast for a breakfast type meal to help with my protein intake. I don’t want to drink protein shakes, eat protein bars, or anything like that. I’m just gonna work at making choices that add protein in a way that doesn’t break the bank or taste terrible.

 With working out in June, I started to modify some of my eating habits, but I’m really struggling to eat before noon and by the time that happens, I’m famished. During the summer months I tend to wake up around 7 or 8 am most days. I have my morning tea with turbinado sugar (sometimes I add milk and vanilla syrup if I want a fog style drink). After I finish my tea, I usually start in on my water for the day. Between the two liquids, I’m not feeling hunger pangs until 11 am or noon. Due to the intense amount of hunger I have at that time, I usually try to go for something that is quick and can keep me full for a while. Drinking 64+ oz of water a day is really helping me not snack. If I feel like I want to grab a bite to eat, I check in with myself to see how much water I’ve had at that point. If it’s not an appropriate amount for the time of day, I drink some water and find something to do. Since I’m trying to drink 64+ oz of water a day, I space it out to have 2 24 oz glasses while at home, then 20 oz while I’m at the gym. It seems to be working so far to ensure I get my water intake for the day.

July 2 -

Over easy egg and wheat toast (2 each)

Cheez-Its (2 servings during the day)

York Peppermint patty (one fun sized)

Honey Bourbon chicken, rice, green beans

I decided to start tracking my food through MyFitnessPal so I can easily access it in case I am late on typing up the food I have for a day. I don’t know if all of the amounts are correct, since a LOT of the food provided through their search tool is mass produced. So, I’ll take a swing and hope for the best. I really want to do my best to prepare and eat food at home to lessen my dependence on fast food and to eat better.

July 3 -

Fried eggs and wheat toast (2 each)

Green beans (like 2.5 cups worth)

Tuna Helper (1 cup)

Peas (⅔ cup)

Strawberries (1 cup halved)

Tootsie Roll (1 long)

After logging my food into MyFitnessPal, I am beginning to think the idea of how much protein you need on a daily basis is rigged. Not because our body needs protein, which it does, but the fact that it seems like the amount of protein cannot be met while staying within a needed calorie count (especially for losing weight) without utilizing things like shakes and protein bars (which I refuse to use). How did people get enough protein before the invention of those “miracle” shakes and bars? We’re told to eat meat in moderation, because it’s so bad for your health, but then we’re told that we need to consume manufactured powder to hit a protein amount. It just doesn’t sit well with me.

On a related note, I underconsumed my calories for the day, so I was chastised by the website for not doing enough. Here’s the thing about that. I wasn’t that freaking hungry. I’m working hard to really feel and respond to my hunger cues and I just don’t seem to be as hungry as I’ve told myself I am for years. I rediscover this every summer. Sadly, I don’t always follow it because I eat some shit food during the summer, but I know it’s how my body cycles. Anyway, I somehow need to eat more, I guess. Since tomorrow is a holiday, that shouldn’t be too hard. It’s an active rest day so I’m sure I’ll overshoot my calories, especially since there’s homemade strawberry shortcake involved.

July 4 -

Toast (2 slices)

Crunchy Peanut Butter (1 tbsp)

Tuna Helper with peas

Pork chop, mashed potatoes, ear of corn, baked beans

Strawberry shortcake 

 Under calories, fat, and protein. Over on carbs, sodium, and sugar.

 We used to have a more traditional 4th of July, but things haven’t really settled in the last 5 years for us to have a consistent 4th of July celebration. So, I decided we’d celebrate by having some grilled pork chops, corn, mashed potatoes and strawberry shortcake for dinner. I gave the boys some money for fireworks so they could blow up stuff and I also invited my sister and a family friend over to spend time with us. Overall, it was a really good day. The boys didn’t blow themselves up, my sister and our family friend were able to get out of their houses for a while (and watched some Say Yes to the Dress), Our friend brought over some baked beans to share and we all ate our fill of the food. I am so thankful we were able to spend time together!

July 5 - 

Cottage cheese (1 cup total)

Honey graham crackers (1 serving)

Baked beans (1 cup)

Burrito (meat, cheese, lettuce mix, sour cream, black olives, flour tortilla)

Shortcake biscuits

Strawberries

 Under calories, fat, protein, and carbs. Over on sodium and sugar.

 I stepped on the scale today and it looks like I’ve lost a couple of pounds. I also took updated photos for the week. I don’t really see any progress between the two, but I am also very critical of myself. 

 While I was at the gym today, I was watching some TV while working my arms. There was a Kit-Kat commercial on and for once in my life, all I could think about was how overly sweet modern candy is and how much I didn’t want it. Then I remembered that Sunday is the day that sundaes are half price at A&W and how much I want one. So, there are some great things going on in my head and some things that I clearly need to work on. LOL! In the same vein, what’s life without a little sweetness? 

Working out is getting easier and I’m starting to feel like I’m neglecting myself if I don’t do something active each day. Active rest days have probably been the biggest savior in keeping me motivated. It’s been 10 days. That gives me 20 more days to make it a habit, in theory. I’m putting it out in the universe that I won’t get sick in those 20 days. Today I upped the weight on one of the machines for all of my sets. That was such a great feeling!

Here's me being a little vulnerable, these are some of the photos from a week ago and this week. As I stated in my post, I don't see any change, but I'm also my own worst critic. Please be kind if you say anything, I am a work in progress.

First week of July

Second week of July