Wednesday 16 September 2015

How to Stay Active While on a Dr Induced Rest

Sigh…

Seeing the days pass and my schedule falling behind is a bit depressing.  Knowing that I am falling short of my goal makes me sad!  BUT I am trying not to focus on that but it can be difficult to see past it.

SO, what did I do to keep active and busy on a rest day?

I took the stairs 5 times

I got up and moved every 1/2 hour

I drank my water which kept me moving as I walked to the bathroom countless times!!

Worked with our study group until 11pm so I kept the movements going until that hour.  Getting up and getting everyone the water, bringing a healthy snack to all … just kept my body in motion as much as I could.

Today, I am doing the same thing… BUT I have to drive my lil girl to Cheer tonight which happens to be 2 hours away (each way) so there will not be a lot of movement going on tonight.  While she is in cheer I plan on being active but tonight is the registration and meeting that parents must participate in.  Tomorrow I have my x-rays and then hopefully the rest time will be lifted.

How do you keep active when you are forced to rest??


Tuesday 15 September 2015

Kenpo and a Hike Followed by a Forced Break

Happy Tuesday everyone in Bloggerland!

What a weekend!  Friday I took my lil Miss out with some of her friends and we went to a wonderful little cafe for drinks and art therapy.  It is amazing how I can talk 5 teenagers into colouring :P








They questioned me at first but before long I had them eating out of the palm of my hand :P  My lil girl LOVED it and was a little embarrassed at first but it turns out that her friends thought that I was cool.  HEHEHE

Then Saturday … oh Saturday, I went fishing with my parents and brother.  THe seas were not kind and as a result I was so sick!!  I am sure that it was good for weight-loss though.  Came home and rested all day and managed to break out another sweat during a feeble attempt at Kenpo.  But I got it done and kept chatting this mantra in my head...


Then on Sunday I took the dog for a hike where we will be snowshoeing this winter.  I am hoping to teach her so she takes me up on the offer to make our way through the snow in the upcoming months.  She was WONDERFUL … my pup always amazes me.  I got a great burn and realized that it is much easier to snowshoe the trail with the ground cover rather than to take my clumsy ass through brush.  

Then came Monday and my Dr. appointment.  Turns out the Doctor fears that I have an injury to my tendon in my left shoulder.  I have received three shots of Cortisone in the past 4 months and now it is time to do x-rays to assess the damage.  That being said I have to take a rest until the Cortisone is functioning and the x-ray is complete.  

SO… it will be quiet on the X schedule but I plan to keep active.  I am well on my way and I don't want to start over again so I am just modifying.

Make it a great day everyone and make it count!

Friday 11 September 2015

Wobbly Legs and Back

It was 8:30pm before I got downstairs and worked out my legs and back.  I really did not feel it until I pushed play.  My sister has been going through some stuff and finally made the break she has been planning and it was weighing on my mind.  My parents and in-laws were over for cake and ice cream to celebrate this little beauty:







By the time everyone left and homework was complete it was getting late and I thought of postponing it… but I sucked it up and brought it as though it were 7pm!  I got through it and as I was walking up the stairs my knees were wobbly and grinding… like there was sand under them.  But, this morning I feel perfect… so I am thrilled with my mind over matter win last night.


I like to take pictures a lot because I think that it shows results more than any other measure.  I have avoided the scale because that bitch lies… LIES I tell ya!  So, I will be updating with pictures because that is how I roll :P

I am leaving you with a picture of me with two of my most favourite people in the world, my parents!  My father is always doing something foolish… so in the second picture you are witnessing my mother trying to contain my Dad.  Dad was trying to hide my face with his hat and my Mom was saving me.  My reaction is the way I look every time I am in their presence… pure joy!





Plans for the weekend!  My baby girl has a couple of her good friends over tonight and we are getting dressed up and heading out for a girl's night.  Dinner, dessert and a little art therapy.  We will be coming home for movies (I will be kicking out some Kenpo) and then bed for me.  Saturday morning I am heading to the wharf for 5am because I will be fishing with those two great people in the photos above.  Then I will be doing my Chest and Back routine and maybe do a Plyo workout (depending on my body's response) to do a little catch up.  Then Sunday I am doing either Plyo or, I am hoping to be doing Shoulders and Arms to be closer to my original schedule.  Again, I will be listening to my body and not planning to do more that my body allows.

Stay tuned :D  Have a great weekend everyone!  We shall chat Monday!




Thursday 10 September 2015

Subbed out Yoga X for SUCCESS

SO… Tuesday night was my rest day for the week considering it was Kryptonite day and I was exhausted and just didn't have enough fuel to get through my workout.  I didn't beat myself up … just used it as my rest day.

Last night I was ready for bed at 6pm … was so sluggish and drained.  I wasn't sure how I was going to get through my workout; however, somehow I found the strength to get dressed and go downstairs to push play and break out a good sweat with Cardio X.  I felt revived when it was all done and went to bed and killed an 8 hour sleep session… was just about a perfect day!

Before


After


Tonight is Legs and Back and try and avoid BIRTHDAY cake over consumption … it is my little girl's 13th birthday today and YES, there will be cake because she is worth celebrating!!


Make it a great day everyone and make it count!





Tuesday 8 September 2015

10/90 COMPLETE!

Good Monday Tuesday morning!

Today was my Kryptonite day so I am hoping to be feeling 100% by tomorrow… although lately the effect has been less than usual.  Regardless I am not stopping and feeling like I am ready to kick September in the ASS!


So… where did I leave off?  Oh yeah, Friday … Plyo day and I was working followed by a two hour drive to take the family camping… so Plyo was subbed out with extreme cross country hiking!  My sweet little girl and I did the loop twice and I took my lil puppy, Cersei, for a run on the same loop.  Everyday I burned more than 450 calories and there were many walks and hikes that I did not take my phone/runkeeper on.  








I rushed home on Monday to do up my laundry, the lawn and my meal prep so that this week would go off without a hitch.  Despite all the sweating that I did all weekend and all day I picked up on day 10 and killed a shoulders and arms workout!!  Left me all sweaty like:


Now that brings me to day 11… the dreaded Yoga.  Yoga on my treatment day… can it get any worse?  NOPE… so I am subbing out Yoga for Cardio X.  That is what will keep me in the game.  So tonight I am going to try and muster up the energy to get it done!  

HOw was your weekend everyone?  Enjoy your short work week and make it a great Tuesday :D


Friday 4 September 2015

8/90 Pushing and Pulling

Man, when I start week two I feel like a superstar… I am already feeling stronger and managed to do deeper push ups although I am still at 20 per set.  My goal is to make them beautiful not to push out more … just to do 20 with exceptional quality.

As for the chin-up portion of the program I have succumb to using the Smith Machine and 80 pounds rather than trying to lift all 180 pounds of myself.  Again I am looking at doing it in good form, increasing the strength in my back and gradually making my way over to the chin-up bar.  This format is keeping me motivated and I am not feeling discouraged at all.

Next week my plan is to increase my weight on the chin ups and keep getting deeper in the push ups.

What a great feeling of accomplishment when I am done a great workout :D

I promised a progress picture… but I didn't take one of myself so I will post a progress pic of the gym :D



Love the colour and I the energy it gives me.  I can't wait to see the second colour in there and what mood it lends to the space.  The hockey net is getting a new home to ensure that there will be no more puck marks on my walls!  We are pouring a slab of cement so that Ashton can use it outside in any season.  AND … in a year or two we may use the same slab to build a shed and give him an indoor space to take out those frustrations.

I took some selfies last night too… happy to have Tony on my TV and sweat in my eyes!



Now, my plan for the weekend is to pause my P90x schedule so that I may join my family at the campsite.  I have to be able to fit the program in my life and my responsibilities.  THat being said, I am planning at least one BIG hike per day.  It will be a cardio-fest weekend and when I get back I will carry on with the schedule, as planned.  This 90 day program may take me 100 or more but I will get there :D

Make it a great day and make it count. 


Thursday 3 September 2015

6 and 7/90 - Kenpo and Rest Day

If any of you follow me on Instagram you know how difficult it was for me to do my workout last night!  This blog is the real shiznit … talking about the real problems we face trying to regain our spirits and our bodies.

For some more real talk… my rheumatologist's office called two days ago to advise me that my potassium levels were dangerously low.  I am on medication and being closely monitored to ensure the levels pick up.  As an autoimmune disease warrior I suffer with fatigue on a regular basis but in the last couple of weeks my family and I have noted that it seemed worse.  I attributed it to forcing a new schedule and was certain time and commitment would fix it.  I may now be able to point the finger to the potassium!  This is great news because I am hoping that it will go away once my levels regulate.

All that to say, my energy levels have been suffering and I did NOT want to go downstairs and kill that workout last night!

I started off discouraged and looking like this:


But once I pushed play, turned on my tunes and focused I ended up looking like this:


The shirt came off after the warm up!!  It was too hot and restricting for Kenpo.  By the time I was doing the punches, front kick, behind kick series I was dizzy~~  but I kept going and burned some grizzle as a result!

After my workout my lil boy asked me to read him his story and I could not think of a better way to cool down… so that is just what I did.  Love his snuggles!!  We are reading about Greek Gods … Zeus is a 10 year old in this novel and so is that smiling cutie beside me.  He is loving the series.



One last share today… I am transforming my garage into my home gym.  I am hoping that the space will be cooler than my current gym and my son wants to take over the large room downstairs as his bedroom.  It is a win-win as far as I can tell.  I am so excited to see the paint going on the walls and the space opening up … I can't wait to get in there and have a good sweat session.



As for the schedule … day 8 starts today!  Chest and Back and ARX… stay tuned… maybe even some progress pics from week 1 to week 2 :P  

Make it a great day everyone and make it count!!




Tuesday 1 September 2015

5/90 Legs and Back

There is not a lag in the blogger application there was actually a delay in my execution of day 5: Legs and Back.  Why?

Swollen knees and back :(

Typically I would have taken pain meds and worked through it… leaving myself in a BAD state and then falling off the rails, yet again.

This time… I took my pain meds until the inflammation was gone and my joints were functional again. Then I KICKED some ass in my home gym while I tortured my legs and back!


I must be learning in my old age :P  

I really want to finish this round so I am committed to listening to my body and working with it… not against it.

I kept my diet on point this weekend.  Indulged in a little bit of wine on Saturday but other that that… keeping fat low and carbs in check.  

Next Tuesday is my Remicade day and I will know how this hard work translates into weight loss/gain.  I refuse to weigh in daily like I used to because I get obsessive.  I am having faith in the routine and giving it everything I have and seeing the weigh-in like a gift.  That is a big change for me as I typically dread the weigh in.  

So, legs are done and Kempo tonight.  I have had enough rest days so tomorrow I am doing Chest and Back… week two will commence. 

Make it a great day everyone and make it count!