Some days I am able to actually see the skinny girl I once was, or will be again, inside of this now larger shell. It may be when I get out of the shower in the morning and while sucking in my stomach I see what I would look like with flat abs and the curved indentation of a waist. It may be when I'm on the elliptical trainer and I remember how good it felt when I was a competitive runner to get out there and breeze through a 3 mile race. It may be when I'm laying quietly in bed visualizing myself with tone, strong arms able to do a chin-up.
Today, however, is not one of those days. Today my knees ache when I stand up after sitting at my desk for too long. Today my hip hurts just while I sit still here.
Last week Julie posted a story about how difficult it used to be to bend down simply to pick up a pen. I used to be the person that did that without a thought but now I find that I need to grab onto something frequently to pull myself back up. How did I let it get to this point-where I'm actually afraid that I might see another century on the scale? Where I dread having to squat down to pull something out of my lower cabinets?
Progress Prompt #63: How well do you stick to your program on weekends? What are your tips or strategies for staying on program during unstructured days?
Weekends are frequently my "off" time. Well, actually lately every day has been my "off" time but as I start to refocus my dieting energy, weekends are frequently my loose time. My husband likes to cook my breakfast on weekends which usualy includes some bacon with either fried eggs or pancakes. Lunch is frequently something we pick up while we are out, and dinner is more of an event as we have the time to cook.
There are some things I do when I am really trying to be good: I pick up an unsweetened iced tea from Starbucks instead of a Mocha, I order the half salad or grilled chicken option for lunch instead of a burger or other high-cal option, I eat my salad first at dinner to help me feel full before diving into dinner.
But, as the days get longer and warmer it is a lot easier for me to stick to my program. I won't be hiding behind sweaters and jeans for much longer and as the hems get shorter my meals get smaller. I also tend to find it easier to get working out in over the weekend by going for bike rides or hikes-both of which I can do with my husband!
This morning I got on the scale for the first time in a few weeks and was pleasantly surprised to find I had lost a couple of pounds. I've been deep in a move from one apartment to another including lots of stairs, painting, and carrying of things large and small. While I have made no efforts to improve my eating habits, and if anything they are worse, this extra dose of daily "exercise" seems to have done th trick to jumpstart my metabolism. Now, if only I can keep it up.
I did set the alarm to get up early enough for a workout this morning, but after my husband got 5 support calls in the middle of the night, and the thunderstorm that woke me up, I decided I would be a whole lot more productive today if I slept for that extra hour so at about 2am I reset it to the "getting up in time for work" time and even hit snooze once after that. I did leave my workout clothes in a nice neat pile on my closet floor to encourage me to get a workout in when I get home from work.
PS. I'm allowing comments again now that the comment spam filters have been updated by our host!
Due to my comments being spammed with ads for various sexual health aids, I have decided to no longer accept comments on my blog. It is a very unfortunate state which makes me sad because I really enjoy the feedback from visitors. For now you'll just have to email me.