Oh So Right. Ooooh So Wrong. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Here I am with one of those bittersweet reports of triumph pie with a side of defeat.

The first two weeks of my fitness journey started out feeling like a failure. Instead of 4 days of strength training, I was only getting two days at 15-20 minutes each. As I poked out my lip and mounted the scale at the end of week 2, I was shocked to see that I was down 7 pounds. And for those of you who need the New International Translation of my crazy ramblings:

The Good News: I was actually down 7 pounds, which equaled 3.5 pounds per week, with no changes to my diet and minimal sweating.

The Bad News: I was actually down 7 pounds, which equaled 3.5 pounds per week, with no changes to my diet and minimal sweating.

Why is the same point good and bad? I found this surprisingly frustrating, because I was totally outed. If it only takes minimal work to establish a healthier weight - why haven't I reached a healthier weight?

Several things come to mind, like:

• Bad habits.
• The lazy after-a-long-day-work blues.
• Or worse, something deep down inside that doesn't really wanna get'er done.

If 15 minutes, two days per week can produce a good result, what could I achieve with 15 minutes of strength training per day?

I can't think of a single good excuse why I don't dedicate 15 minutes of exercise to my daily routine - especially since I waste a good 2 hours watching my favorite TV shows. The excuses get real flimsy when I can even work 15 minutes while I'm watching a favorite TV show.

I'm out of excuses - but not out of drive. Strangely enough, I'm discovering some truth behind all of this useless struggle over my weight while reading:

Radical Honesty: How to Transform Your Life by Telling the Truth (Brad Blanton, PhD)

You can read about my fascination with Blanton's Radical Honesty movement:

Here:
Never Tell a Lie: A Social Experiment

and

Here:
Pass the Stuffing... Because Your Thighs Indicate You Should Be Done With It

Until next time, I wish you the best of all health for your mind, body, and spirit.

And as always: Happy Cleansing!

Here and Now

Three days ago, I started my fitness journey. Although the plan doesn't include a cleanse until November (hopefully with buddy, Mary Lee), I started with my trainer (aka sweetheart) on Sunday.

Mr. Military himself doesn't subscribe to the bounce-your-boobie school of sweating off the pounds. Yeah, walks are fine, but his routine is all about strength training.

After the first two days, I'm feeling a little like an old lady. Who got hit by a car. Off a cliff. In the rain.

Workout days are Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday. I can add a Friday or Saturday if I like. But right now I don't feel like adding anything except an ice pack and a burger.

We sat together and wrote a 4-week goal before I started on Sunday. I took the following measurements as points to track my progress on a weekly basis.

1. Weight
2. Calves
3. Thighs
4. Hips
5. Waist
6. Chest
7. Arms

This coming Sunday will be my first weigh-in and checkup on body measurements. I'll post the results here by Monday night... or sooner if I'm having great results (of course). *smile*

Happy Cleansing, and even Happier Living !

Can't Start Now - The Typical Cleanse Killer

Some folks cleanse like crack addicts... scratching and twitching for the next cleanse "hit." Many times at the Yahoo group, the moderator team had to express concerns to men and women who fantasized about the cleanse "high" -- and wanted to know if "a week in between cleanses is enough."

Because of that, I made sure to keep my cleansing in check... leaving at least three months in between and not trying to cleanse until I shrank and simply disappeared.

But right now, I'm feeling a little like the cleanse-addict. I haven't been on one in quite a while, and I'm starting to feel like I NEED it.

I'm sure that position is justified. I have been an absolute louse towards my body and my general health. Everybody and everything (take a number) has priority status. Boyfriend, children, new puppy, work schedule, and heck, even my favorite TV shows - complete with soft pillow, evening beverage and possibly a crappy snack. This just won't do.

So my feet are back on the cleanse road, and the dang startup challenges are the same. Does any of this sound familiar?:

1. My son turns 15 and his party is this weekend. Can't start now. Hafta have cake.

2. Sweetheart has been wanting a date for a while now. We try for each weekend. Can't start now. Hafta be able to eat out.

3. The good ole' monthly cycle might be starting soon. Can't start now. There's nothing worse than cleansing during that time of the month.

No matter how much of a veteran you are, you always run the risk of sounding like a confused newbie when it's time to cleanse again. :-)

When Stress Holds the Trump Card

As you know, I am a huge supporter of the idea that cleansing the body is essentially a waste if the mind and spirit don't follow. And I notice that challenges in one area often upsets the balance in another.

I have a list of "soul" irritants that have me fantasizing about the lemonade. In other words, I'm craving a body fix for things that are challenging my mind and spirit:

1. Mom hates the boyfriend and would stab him if it was legal. Instead, I get stabbed with her tongue.

2. I haven't found a new church home since my old church ceased to exist around December 2006.

3. The rental unit is performing about as well as a rock in a 100-yard hurdle competition.

4. I got a glowing annual review at work, but the raise indicated that I must spend my days sleeping on my desk while snoring loudly.

In other words, stress dealt some wicked trump cards on me in recent months. By this past Sunday, I was emotionally exhausted and wanted nothing more than a vacation - or at least a box of Calgon.

Will a cleanse of my body (Master Cleanse) help with this emotional exhaustion? By all accounts - including my own... a cleanse just may be in order. Besides the health benefits, a cleanse generates a dramatic change in the daily routine. That "change of pace" is enough to help inspire a new perspective.

Some take sabbaticals and come back with glowy hair and flawless skin. For those of us with a more-than-hectic life, our sabbatical may lie just inside a glass of cleansing lemonade.

More later as I brush the dust from these blogging fingers.