Small Victories

Well, dear reader, today is a monumental day. I have completed day 21 of Beach Body's 21 Day Fix. Am I fixed? No. However, I feel better, stronger, more motivated, and a bit more disciplined. I went to the doctor on day thirteen. I was hopeful, optimistic, and my pants with buttons were fitting better. When I got on the scale, it was an utter disappointment. I had only lost two pounds. I believe, in my shock and disbelief, I even uttered aloud, "Awww, you're kidding me! Son of bitch!" Which made my nurse practitioner laugh out loud. Thirty minutes a day of working out is HAAAAARRRRRDDDDD! I sweat...a lot. I'm not particularly eager to sweat, even a little. I am using these tiny little containers to measure my food. I am not eating things I like, and I am eating things like kale, fish, and cauliflower. I am drinking a ton of water and passing a ton of water frequently. Seriously, it's distracting. I am drinking shakes that are just kind of a "meh." Thirteen days and two pounds, not the results I was hoping for, that's for sure.

You see, I am of the mindset that when I work out for 30 minutes, I should lose at least five pounds every thirty minutes. When I eat food that I feel I am making a considerable effort to consume, I feel like I should lose at least twenty pounds. Do you remember the commercial when the heavy-set man gets on the treadmill, runs for five minutes, weighs himself, and then collapses in frustration because the scale doesn't budge? That is me, to a T. The problem is, I remember my body from twenty-five years ago. I can remember thinking I need to drop a few pounds, walking around the farm, cutting out the mixed drinks and beer, eating five cookies instead of ten, and dropping ten pounds like it was nothing. There was no intense working out, no significant diet changes, no real sacrifice. It just happened. I miss that body. Sigh...

Now, I have to work hard to drop just a few pounds. I have to focus on the food I consume and make conscious choices. I have to sweat. When I turned on the workout for day fourteen, Autumn, the extraordinarily perky and svelte instructor, shared the insight that one may not see a huge weight loss in the first week or so because one's body is adjusting to the stress of working out. That information was about a day to late Autumn! If I were in person, I would snap you with my towel on your spandex-clad person, Autumn! I'd make it a really good snap too. I would make it the kind of snap that leaves a welt for an hour or so. I digress. However, Autumn is annoying and tends to bring out my aggressive side.

I must admit, I am a bit surprised and a bit impressed with myself. I don't have a history of substantial commitment. I make a reasonable effort for maybe a week, and then I just lose focus and wander off to something else...usually cookies. Now, I feel like if I have made an effort to work out and sweat for thirty minutes, I am not going to ruin it by eating something bad. When I feel hungry, which I don't feel hungry often, I drink a big glass of water. Instead of parking it on the couch in the evening, I work a little longer or walk. I don't even feel the need for my afternoon nap anymore. I love to nap; it's kind of my thing. I just don't feel the need to sleep for half an hour in the middle of the day anymore, and I'm still nice in the evening. That is huge.

So, there are positives to all this hard work. I wish I had dropped twenty pounds and looked more like annoying, perky Autumn. However, the goal is not about looks. The goal is about overall good health, heart health, and living a long, full life. I went to the doctor again on Monday, and I had dropped another two pounds for a total of four pounds in almost 21 days. That is the only positive that came from that doctor's appointment. Four pounds is practically a bag of sugar. When I weigh four pounds of lard to make the soap, I can visualize the amount of weight I have lost. Four pounds of lard is a lot of fat to remove from one's person. Also, if I put it in perspective, I don't want to lose too much weight too fast. If it comes off too quickly, there is a good chance it will come back fast as well.

Also, the 21 Day Fix is not the end of the road for the workouts. Tomorrow I will move on to the 21 Day Fix Extreme. Although I am still doing the buxom, out-of-shape girl modifications with my friend Cat...the token out-of-shape girl on the videos, whom I like way more than super svelte Autumn, I will move on to a more challenging workout. From there, I think I will do a workout called A Little Obsessed. It is a never-ending cycle of workouts, modifications, and diet changes. I try not to look at it like that; I try to look at it like it's a lifestyle, not a diet. However, I am willing to commit to another twenty-one days of exercise, diet changes, and shakes that are "meh." Not too shabby for a buxom out-of-shape girl with heart issues...insert wink. Also, another four pounds is a total of eight pounds, which is closer to my goal. I'm getting there one sweaty thirty-minute session at a time.

As always, dear reader, stay safe, stay smart, recognize your progress, and keep washing your hands.