Positive changes bring positive changes

Oh my...

So yesterday morning I had done my elliptical for 45 minutes. I ran intervals and had bumped up my level from 15 to 16. I forgot to mention that during the last few minutes of the run I developed a stitch in my side.

Last night I then went to my taekwondo class. With 30 minutes of class left, our instructor had us strap on the sparring gear and began pairing fighters. I ended up having five separate fights - it was an awesome experience, and it's very fun for me to see the blooming confidence I'm getting each time I step in against someone. However, by the fifth fight I was hurting. Instead of bouncing on the balls of my feel, I'd become flat-footed and stationary. And again, the stitch in my side came roaring back. Ugh... not my best sparring match, that's for certain.

Anyway, I got home, took a shower and just felt my body compressing and tightening after the adrenaline had worn off. I started shuffling around a bit. This morning when the alarm went off... oi. My body was so sore. So ragged. So... aged. Not a great feeling. I ended up texting Dan the Workout Partner, letting him know that I'd be missing my scheduled weight-lifting session this morning. I literally couldn't get out of bed, and I'd even taken some Advil prior to laying down.

It's my hope that through the interval training I'm now doing, I'm going to increase my ability to last through these sparring matches. And symbiotically, I'm hoping that these sparring matches will help me to get through the intervals as I'm constantly under that go/stop/go pressure. But right now? Right now I'm just feeling the growing pains of where I'm at.

One other thing... late last week when I went to my blog, I saw something new. The progress meter above the top post wasn't displaying my weight loss any longer. It had switched to an error message, stating that I hadn't logged in for 80 days. Eighty days... I haven't lost a tenth of a pound in 80 days? Holy shit. Think about that. What a commentary on the treading of water I've been doing for the last three months. How very pathetic for a guy who has still consistently gone to the gym to not have shown any progress.

I've tried to look at it from other angles... In those 80 days, my body has reconfigured itself some. I'm now officially wearing XL shirts, out of the XXL. Two weeks ago when The Gal and I were at a mall, I'd gone in thinking I was only going to get one new pair of shoes that were on sale. However, as we went into different stores, I kept trying on shirts. Every time I put on a XL, it fit. Standing in the dressing room, turning and looking at myself, I was a bit overcome; I simply just started buying these new shirts! And honestly, I don't feel guilty about overspending a bit. The feeling that gave me was tremendous. Hard to describe actually, except to say that it was just an awesome gift I received, and one I'd apparently given to myself.

Point being though, the progress bar's error message reminded me that I hadn't weighed in at 247 since some time in July. This past week I made a change and dumped the morning breakfast muffin. By dumping the carbs early, I find that I'm no longer craving more later in the form of cookies from the cafeteria or grabbing a danish when I get my lunch salad. The constant *need* had just disappeared. I still get a latte on the drive into work after the gym, but I still feel satisfied and I'm no longer going crazy. It's a welcome and wonderful change to NOT have food on the brain.

Anyway, just wanted to point out some of the things I'm working on over here.

ps, I weighed in this morning.

247

Wednesday, I think.

Another day, another great trip to the gym for some hard interval cardio on the elliptical. Loving it!

Beyond that, no real pressing issues. No problems personally, no problems at work... I think I'm just going to enjoy this, because inevitably my situation will change. I'd much prefer to spend my time NOT worrying about how my good fortune will change. I'm just going to appreciate it.

:)

Keep on

You'd think by now I'd know that the weekend is my worst enemy, yet there I was, eating at Buffalo Wild Wings, eating at Panakoeken, eating a cheesecake dessert... This is got to stop, but unless I get a plan together, I'm effed. And both this and next weekends I'm not around the house much, so that could really continue to screw me.

Ugh!

Yesterday I did hit the gym in the morning and again in the evening, so yay to that.

250.2

Hey there!

So I just re-read my most recent post, and wanted to give an update - now I set two alarms to ensure I wake up; it's been a phenomenal change. I haven't slept through it once this week - four for four on morning workouts!

Last night The Gal and I joined her dad in going to a lutefisk dinner. Those who don't know what lutefisk is... you're lucky. I only heard it referenced in jokes about Minnesotans, but never had I experienced it before.

And never shall I again.

Blech.

It's supposedly fish (cod) that's been "luted". Don't know what that is, though the stuff comes out jiggling on the platter, like chunks of white jello. Its initial taste is in fact fish, though the texture is much like biting into a phlemmy snot.

Blech!

I was so hungry though, and was 35 miles from home in some church basement where this was going on (1000 people expected btw; I was number 692!), so I had to eat something. I had water. I had potatos. I had rutebega. I had lefsa. I had Swedish Meatballs. I ended up having to push away from the table due to feeling like I was swollen and drunk on carbs. Seriously... And this morning I'm finding that all those carbs eaten without a nice chunk of protein to accompany them has created an imbalance. My body is *screaming* for carbs right now! Cookies, cakes, donuts... I had a muffin for breakfast, but I'm fighting hard to avoid any others for the rest of the day. I feel like I need to OD on protein to bring my levels back to normal.

Also, and this is nutty... I hadn't stepped on the scale since last week. This morning? 255. Again. wtf?!? I think that the heavy lifting I've been doing this week, coupled with carb overload, has me retaining water something fierce. I've had only a bit of water today, but I've peed 4 or 5 times already. C'mon water, get outta here!

Anyway, please... please please please... avoid lutefisk. And carb overloading. Trust me.