Injuries and Recovery

I have been notably absent for a couple of weeks. Reason being? I hurt my wrist.  "Hurt" isn't necessarily the right word per se. I have had carpal tunnel issues for a few years now, but they come and go, and usually a quick little cortisone injection does the trick and sends me on my way. Unfortunately I let it go a little too long this time, in addition to throwing a ton of extra stress at it, like 10 hour work days, and spending 3-4 hours a day driving, then adding in all of the Insanity workouts and push ups and planks in on top of it.  Long story short, I crushed my median nerve and have to go see a hand surgeon to potentially get it fixed. In the meantime, it is in an immobilizing brace with instructions to rest it.  I lost two weeks of quality workout time... but have clearance to resume, but not to exert or over extend my wrist, so no push ups or planks, but at least it is SOME level of clearance.

I'm not going to lie, starting back tonight - particularly on the first night of MONTH TWO of Insanity, was such a mental struggle. Darling had to convince me to get up and do it. I was terrified.  I was definitely worried about my stamina and flexibility decreasing during the break that I took. I mean, It was half as long of a break as time I had actually been working out! No to mention that these were the MAX workouts. Bigger, harder, longer...  Was I up for it?!

There was definitely modification involved, and different exercises when there simply was no modification. I don't want to screw it my hand up more than it already is, but lets face it, I have 18 days until I go back to Canada to see Darling, and I am not letting anything derail my goals!!

I have to say though, that I am SO PROUD OF MYSELF. My stamina had not significantly diminished, and I pushed it as hard as I could through the workout. And the result? My single best calorie burn achieved to date. 

That's right people - nearly 700 calories burned in AN HOUR!!! That was me! I did that!

Seeing that was exactly what I needed to do in order to get back on track.  I have 18 days before I leave to absolutely kill it and reach my first major milestone, which is to be under 200 lbs for the first time in a DECADE.  Almost  half of my my life has been spent at this mark or over it, and I am determined to blast it out of the water.  The bright side? I'm almost there!  I may have taken two weeks off, and not lost any weight during that time, but more importantly, I didn't gain any either. Which means I am just over 4 lbs away from my goal. I should shatter it.

And even if the pounds on the scale aren't moving, my body is still changing. I am down another complete size, and hopefully the pants which are tight (aka I can wear them but not breathe so well) will fit perfectly by the time I go up there. I can't wait to show you guys my 'result' pictures. 

I feel amazing. I'm overcoming my first athletic injury, and it isn't slowing me down or stopping me. I'm working with it and still allowing myself to recoup.  No Excuses! 

I am not getting on the scale again for two weeks. I don't ever want to see it say 2-- again. And next time I get on? I'm determined to do everything in my power to make sure its no where near there.

Thanks for waiting me out guys.  I might disappear every once in a while, but I'll always be back, and I'll always be killing it!

My Journey Alone

Hey everyone! Realized I haven't posted in a while, but that does not mean I'm not still going strong! Honestly I haven't felt better in my life... So what's been going on you say?

Well work has been INSANE lately. Like more insane than Shaun T hyped up on caffeine.  My workload and hours have significantly intensified along with the girls not being super cooperative most of the time... lets just say I've been stressed. I'd say that you should try potty training a 2 year old, moderating a 5 year old acting out at school and daycare, and still trying to keep up a healthy diet, work full time and then some (averaging 55+ hours a week right now) plus try to make plans for a long-ish international trip. Except I don't really wish this on anyone.  It isn't easy, and I have found myself incredibly high-strung lately and spending quite a bit of time just in tears.

There was one night recently that I just did not want to do it. I didn't want to get up and push play. I was exhausted - mentally and physically. My body was sore, and it was a tough workout that night - Pure Cardio.  I've expressed my feelings on that certain ring of hell previously. I thought of every possible excuse I could to NOT get up and just do it. But then I decided to stop that train of thought, and think of the reasons why I should.

I was having difficulty finding the motivation on my own, so I turned to my external motivators.  My beachbody team. I have an awesome coach, and am part of an incredible team now, and as soon as I posted that I just COULDN'T possibly make it through, there they were. Pushing me on, giving me reasons to move forward, to get up and just do it.  Endorphins are a great stress reliever! The energy that comes after a workout! Pretend you're punching your source of stress! You don't want the guilt of not doing it added to your current stress... And with their encouragement, I did it, and it was probably one of the most motivating and rewarding experiences of my journey thus far. When I thought I just could not possibly do it, I did it. And I killed it.

I am not in this journey alone. It is not just MY journey. I am surrounded by people who believe in me, even when I can't believe in myself. And by them pushing me, they're helping me set examples for others around me who have similar goals, dreams, and motivators, but just aren't certain they can do it.  Well guess what? 

IF I CAN, YOU CAN!

The changes I see in me after just these first few weeks are amazing. Its little things that I might not have noticed before - I'm lasting longer through every workout, doing more and more reps each exercise, jumping higher, pushing further, digging DEEPER. I'm climbing staircases at work without being out of breath or in pain from my foot when I reach the top, and carrying boxes of files without needing to set it down because they're too heavy.  Pants that I couldn't even put on a month ago are loose on me now.  So many little accomplishments that combine to equal one amazing accomplishment - I am getting healthier. Stronger.

Every day that goes by, every giant "X" I put through my workout calendar, every step I take, is moving me that much closer to my goal.

I've been avoiding the scale, so I don't know my exact weight loss, but honestly I'm much less concerned with that now.  I know I am building a lot of muscle and starting to see definition where previously there was nothing, and I am certainly losing inches, but most importantly, I'm better.

I am now halfway through week 4.  On Monday I have my fit test again, and measurements and a weigh in. I'm no longer embarrassed to post my results. I know there are going to be improvements. I see it in every workout. Whether its pounds or inches or stamina, there are changes, and I'm embracing them, and I'm so grateful that each and every one of you are on this journey with me, because alone, I would surely fail.