Keeping Busy

After all the excitement of the past few weeks/months, I’m at a little bit of a loss. I came home to no work on my plate and not much to keep me busy. All my projects finished up nicely (ish) before the wedding and it was lovely to be away not really worrying too much about work at all, but now the email is quiet, the bank account emptying and the boredom mounting.

So, in the interests of keeping my butt off the couch and my brain from melting into oblivion, I am getting back on course with the whole healthy living thing. Yeah, that. Remember when I used to exercise, like, ALL the time? And eat right? And think about muscles and weights and running a 5k one day? Yeah, I know, it was a long time ago but I’m getting back there.

I picked up some awesome deals thanks to Grab One and Groupy, the New Zealand Groupon equivalents and this week, I set about using them. First up was a voucher for three box fit personal training sessions at my gym for $49 – which is about how much one session would cost alone. So I booked in for that. Next up was a great voucher for some reformer pilates sessions at Peak Pilates, which is a brilliant Physio and Pilates chain right up the road from me (literally actually, it’s 2 minutes away!) which would usually cost somwhere around $200. So I signed up for that.

I had my intro class on Monday and I’m hooked. They worked one-on-one with me, looking over my posture (not good thanks to that whole right leg being longer than the left) and went through a bunch of important positions and moves, correcting me along the way. I really enjoyed the attention and knowing that I was in no danger of getting hurt by doing things wrong. That’s what I hate about the big classes where you’re one of 20 people and the instructor has no way to correct everyone.

And then I had my first actual class on Wednesday. At 7am. Yes, it was tough getting up for it. Yes, I contemplated staying in bed. No, I don’t regret it at all. I am OFFICIALLY addicted. The class was small – they always are a max of 5 people but there were only 2 of us – so we both got tons of attention. I knew I was working my muscles hard and properly and I felt it. It was an hour class and we worked every part of the body. I’m so not a morning person but this was a great way to wake up. Of course, I was so paranoid that I was going to oversleep that I woke up at 5am and then every 20 minutes after that. But no matter, I booked in again next week and once my 3 sessions are finished, I’m going to sit down with the budget and work out if we can afford me doing more. Because I might be in love with pilates.

But that was not all I did on Wednesday. No no. I had my first box fit session and Mae kicked. my. ass. My heart rate rose right from the get-go and did not drop the entire time. I guess 2 months of no exercise at all means you’re one unfit, puffing billy at the gym. We did sprints. We did speed pyramids, with “rest periods” of wall sits – apparently the gym wall needed a lot of propping up – and then more speed pyramids. We did crunches and jumping jacks. We also cursed Mae out repeatedly. And booked in for next week and more hell.

So today my body is aching, but in a good way, a way I haven’t felt for a while and I’m loving it. Because seriously, my brain might be turning to mush while I’m out of work, but my body certainly will not.

Happy Thanksgiving to my U.S. peeps and enjoy the turkey!

Off course and trying to find my way back

It’s VERY annoying how I’ve fallen off the wagon just as the weather seems to be on the way to sunshine and revealing clothing. I’m down from my usual 4 gym sessions a week (2x weights and 2x cardio) to 3 (2x weights and 1x half-hearted cardio) and my eating is, well, crap. Awful. Stupid. I KNOW what I should and shouldn’t be eating and doing and even as the voice says “Don’t do it, you don’t need it” my hands are already reaching for it and my mouth is opening up in anticipation.

I’m not eating because I’m hungry or because the food in question is nutritionally sound. Nope. I’m eating because I’m stressed out and bored at the same time. I’m stressed out with deadlines and bored when I’m waiting for stuff to come in. Waiting because I’m relying on other people and that in turn stresses me out even more.

I’ve found myself getting into minor panic attacks at work and I’ve had to do the whole yoga breathing thing to calm down. I’d like to get out of the office and run for a bit but there have been meetings after meetings after meetings which means I’ve been desking it for lunch and not leaving the office at all. Another bad thing because I’m never satisfied with my lunch when I desk it. No matter what I eat, I always crave more afterwards – and more usually ends up being a packet of chips or a chocolate.

So.

I’m putting it out there. I’ve done it before and I will do it again.

• 1 piece of chocolate per week
• No chips for a month
• 3 muffins a week instead of 5 (c’mon – it’s kinda breakfast!)
• A better breakfast in the morning with protein instead of all carbs
• No snacking after 8pm

I can do this and really, it’s not denying myself THAT much because, when it comes down it to, I don’t need this stuff. I want it but my body doesn’t need it. And I need to remember that. It does NOTHING for me and I need to consume food that benefits me. I’ll feel better for it.

Ugh.

Find that course and stay on it!