Keep going

Another day, another morning exercise. It's becoming routine, and that's good. I only scored 5 hours of sleep last night, but I was ready to go today. Of course, I'm a bit wiped out right now, yawning as I type, but rest will come soon enough.

When I got to the gym, I hit the cardio area as usual. There was someone on the row of elliptical machines I typically hit, and being the introverted creature I am, I went the other way and jumped onto a stationary bike. This is the third time I've done the bike for my cardio, and it's bizarre - when I do the elliptical machine, I'm huffing and puffing fairly quickly, rocking both my arms and legs, and working up a fast sweat that soaks though 80% of my shirt. My heart rate is around 178 and I burn 150 calories in 20 minutes. On the bike? Once the level kicks up past warmup, my legs are burning immediately. I can feel them on the outsides, pumping and twitching and whatever else they're doing. The bike is significantly more difficult than the elliptical, and yet - I only soak though the collar area of my shirt. No huge puddle on my back or chest/belly. The sweat doesn't roll down my forehead until around minute 15/16 instead of minute 3/4. I can more easily carry on a conversation. But the thing is, it's so flipping hard! I wanted to quit by minute 17 today, my legs just feeling gassed out and burning. I burned 170 calories when I stepped off after minute 20. Yet I wasn't all gross.

I guess I'm not too sure where I'm going with this - I haven't drafted a hypothesis or anything, just a not-so-casual observance.

Hopefully nobody will be on the elliptical machines tomorrow morning. :)

A new program

Hey, been awhile, blah blah blah, let's get into it.

So two (three?) months ago I did something weird; I went grocery shopping. And to be perfectly blunt, I kicked ass. I picked good foods that were easily prepared and followed through, eating meals at home and avoiding the drive thru after work. Huzzah me. I even registered on my scale again, and didn't error the fucker out. That was pretty cool.

But like many of my changes, it didn't stick. Even with the scale thing, it didn't stick.

So when I started my newest program thing two week ago, I decided to keep it under wraps. I felt that I didn't want to expose it for fear that I may fuck it up again and look like an asshole.

Then I realized something. I realized that I was accepting failure before I began, and preparing for the inevitable. Did I spell that right? Doubt it. Anyway, that's why I'm posting now. It's been two weeks on my latest dealio, and I'm still going. What's weird is that this is the hardest program I've done in many years. And the shocking thing is, my participation is actually *growing*.

I've started waking up at 6:30am and working out. Wow. Two weeks without a blunder (though I did miss one day because of a work meeting), and I'm actually looking forward to tomorrow. Right now I'm on 20 minutes of cardio, followed up with three sets of three different weight lifting exercises that focus on one of five major muscle groups. Today was shoulders, tomorrow is my back.

I've also given up smoking. Not because it was part of the program, but because I wanted to. I was just done with it. I had recently developed a bit of a hack, and when I'd cough I'd bring up some lung butter. Gross. But two weeks off the sticks and the cough is gone. I don't want them, even when in my social circle that smokes. I'm just done with those things. Yay.

I hope I become a regular blogger again, though no promises. But as I'm becoming more interested in caloric intake (today I started a food journal - 2700 calories eaten, and I thought I was having a good day!) and more focused on working my body back into some shape that isn't 'morbidly obese' (awesome description by the way - perhaps Match.com should use that as one of they're body types?) I'll be checking in.

And hoping to register on my scale soon.