It has taken a while, but I think that I have found a happy balance for working out. I used to think that I had to work out every day and if I missed a day, well, for some reason, motivation was lost and I would become lazy...really lazy. I am not sure why my mind worked in that way, but it did. Since I now have to reserve childcare, I am finding that scheduling time at and keeping my "dates" with the gym is much easier. I am giving myself more days off yet I am seeing better results than I have in several years. My Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and at least one weekend day schedule seems to be perfect for me.
Over the past couple of months, by doing regular workouts, I also found the motivation that I didn't have for a long time. Losing the baby weight and fitting back into my pants was a top priority and those goals have been met. Now, I have a renewed fitness spirit and look forward to dropping a few more pounds and more toning of all of my still jiggly parts. Running is still a work in progress, however I did run outside for 40 minutes on a gloriously chilly Sunday two weeks ago. I simply can not bring myself to do anything but intervals on the treadmill and snowy sidewalks and streets are often a deterrent from outdoor running.
I am working with a personal trainer. I have found that I need someone other than myself and you guys to hold me accountable for working out. I would love to have someone available every workout to push me, however I just can't budget in $200+ a week. (Why are trainers so darn expensive?!) My compromise is to spend the $50 for one session every six to eight weeks to assess my progress and change up my routine. And, it seems to be working! My current lifting plan is comprised of five super sets which leave my legs all jello-e due to lots of lunges, squats, and step-ups; my heart rate is elevated the whole time, so the fat furnace keeps burning without "real" cardio. My trainer is also very encouraging and has shown me that the reason some exercises were so difficult for me was because my form was wrong. Oops! He has also given me routines on pieces of equipment that I didn't have the courage to try out on my own. And, as I see the numbers on the scale continue to go down by about one pound a week while noticing my strength increasing, I get all giddy and excited.
The struggle that I am having is one with my sciatic nerve. It is once again giving me problems on my left side from my glutes to mid hamstring. I am making a greater effort to stretch out the mussels on my left leg, but I still have a lot of pain some days. If anyone has any advice, I would love to hear it.
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4 comments:
Hey Chris! So glad to hear from you!
It sounds like to you are right back on track again. I have had that sciatic issue myself. That's what led to me renaming my hamstrings, ham screams! I used to stand up at my desk and lean over so I didn't have to sit on my ass. I iced, stretched (not really, but I tried) and it finally just seemed to work itself out. I am afraid I am no good for you; but I can certainly feel your pain!
I wish I had better news, I gave birth over 28 months ago and mine still bothers me. A rolled up towel is a must on long car rides. Biofreeze also works wonders.
Keep up the great work. If you ever want to bump it up to 5-6 days I really enjoy the P90X vidoes and supplement my gym workouts with them at home while Rylin's napping.
Glad you've figured out the balance. I have a tough time with it...and I have been doing it for a year now. It's so tough getting it in between nap times, snack times and regular meals. I've figured out that if I don't go in the morning it probably won't happen. :)
And glad you found a good trainer. I am soooo scared to spend the money and "waste" it on someone that really doesn't do their job. I had one free session when we joined our gym and wasn't impressed at all.
I never had sciatic pain, but my mom did. Doc wanted to do surgery, but the PT said don't let them touch you. He showed her some stretches and did some deep tissue massages (the kind that leave you bruised) and it took care of it for her. I think the stretch that helped the most was the one where you sit on the floor with legs straight, bend one knee and put that foot on the other side of the straight leg, then "hug" that leg to your chest, stretching your butt.
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