My Journey With Health And Fitness – 3 Weeks Down

For some reason the weather gods just don’t seem to want to cooperate with my plans for running to the promenade and back in the next week or so. Yes, we are heading back into another cold snap with the potential of snow. I asked my husband if he had been serious when he told the group this week that he had put away the snowblower for the year. He said yes and I told him that I now blame him for the upcoming cold weather. Next year I am going to make sure that the snowblower stays out until at least the middle of March.

So I am finishing up 3 weeks of significant training as well as Dry February (having started January 30th) and I think things are really starting to change for me. I still haven’t braved getting on the scale but it is becoming obvious that my face is thinning out again. Moreover, some of the muscles that had loosened up in my butt and arms are getting tight again. This morning I noticed for the first time in months that the veins in my arms are starting to become prominent again. Hmm, maybe this is starting to work.

Ok, really I do know it is working because of how good I feel. Despite having tossed out my blood pressure medication more than a year ago my BP is awesome. This is despite the fact that for the first time in years I am drinking caffeine again (note when diagnosed with hypertension about 20 years ago I had to give up caffeine along with taking medication to keep it in check). My resting heart rate which usually is in the normal to good range is now firmly in the excellent range. My cardio fitness is well into the very good range (though I hate that it also says ‘for a woman your age’). I am sleeping a bit better though it seems that my average sleeping heart rate has significantly dropped. I’m testing my glucose levels pretty much every day and they too are well within the normal range. These are all amazing signs that I am firmly back on my journey.

The other thing that has come a long way very quickly is my endurance. This week I have been doing interval training at 4 minutes running with 1 minute walking. Today I was watching a movie while doing this and for the first time since I started training again I didn’t have to chant mantras in my head to keep me motivated. As a matter of fact when I was finished my hour workout I felt awesome. It wasn’t just that sense of accomplishment but it just felt good again. It kind of makes me wonder how I allowed myself to step away from this for so many months. Now having said that, next week is intervals of 5/1 so I may have an entirely different opinion come Tuesday when I do the first set.

I guess I have to admit a couple things. Firstly, taking alcohol out of my diet (which I have done several times at various intervals over the past 3 years) has really made a difference in my training. As such I have decided that I am going to consume minimal alcohol even when Dry Feb is over (the exception may be when in Mexico where the amount may increase). Secondly, I want to be fit and healthy, I love seeing my metrics every day and know they are improving. It makes me excited to see what I can do next.

And so after 3 weeks I am feeling great. I plan to up the ante a bit next week but am going to hold off on mentioning what I am going to do until next weekend just to make sure I can pull it off.