Tag Archive | exercise

Self Portrait Sunday: Pre-Exercise Body Shots

Jan12

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Well, there it is in all it’s wiggly-jigglyness. I’m like Santa in that I shake when I laugh like bowl full of jelly. I’m not ashamed of it, but that doesn’t mean I like it. And it’s not the size that bothers me. It’s that I feel weak which we discussed yesterday. At least I think I discussed it here. It may have been in my journal. Nope, I checked. Right here.

So, I did actually sit last night and think about what I want to do. I had a pretty good routine going through the summer and I really liked it. Not the exercising part, but the endorphin rushes and pushing myself. And the day I moved my fully loaded cubbies from one place in my room to another was a very empowering moment. I was STRONG, and I was confident. And I really, really enjoyed that. But I am not strong anymore, nor do I have any confidence in my physical abilities, beyond the knowledge that I did this just a few months ago. That’s a thing I want to change.

You will note that I do not have my weight anywhere in this post. That’s because I don’t know what it is. Nor do I really care very much. I did not lose more than a couple of pounds last time, but my clothes fit better, and I felt better. See, that’s the thing. How I feel. Exercise makes me feel strong. It makes me tired so that I sleep well. When I sleep well, everything else falls naturally into place. Exercise also allows me to process stress. When I do that, I am less grumpy and generally a more pleasant person to be around. Since I spend more time with me than I spend with anyone else, I’d like to be less grumpy, so I can enjoy me more.

Here’s the plan. I am going with the squat challenge..

In fact, that is the exact image I have pasted into my notebook. I’ll use that same number for squats, crunches, reverse crunches, calf raises, and jumping jacks. I will do 10% of that number for push-ups. I’ll convert numbers to seconds for plank, reverse plank, wall sit, superman, and bridge. Then 50% of that for side planks and V-sit. These are all elements that I used before, but this will be the first time I am starting everything at once.

The one thing I am worried about is my left shoulder. It did not enjoy supporting my weight before, and I had to alter my routine to accommodate that. I decided to accommodate from the get-go this time, so hopefully it will not be a problem.

I plan to exercise four days per week, because that’s the number of times I could find a two hour block in the schedule. I will want time to stop sweating and shower before the next agenda item rolls up on me.

And can I just say? Am I allowed to say? I just want to put out there that when I look at these pictures, they aren’t that bad. I’d like my arms to be firmer and my butt to be a bit rounder, but other than that, I’m not displeased.

Another Finishing Day

Jan11

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I do love finishing things. And I do have many things to finish. So far today, I have finished the cowl on the top left, picked up the Carrick Pullover which has been languishing for far too long, and started Seabird. It’s a quick read, and so I will be done with it today. Carrick will take longer; it needs two sleeves, two seams and a collar. However, I estimate that it will take less time than anything else I have laid out to do this year, with the exception of the scrap socks I decided to make the day I packed up the yarn. Those are worsted weight wool and shouldn’t take more than a week, even with classes and internship.

As far as Carrick goes, I am hoping it will fit properly. I’ve fluctuated a bit in size -both down and up- since I started it. Those of you who have done that will realize that the same number on the scale can look vastly different even on the same body. So, we’ll see. It’s a ribbed pattern and that will help. The instructions assure me that I am knitting the correct size. Usually I can pretty much tell, because I knit in the round. The sides of this sweater are seamed so I’m losing a couple of visual inches on each side where the pieces roll in.

After I finish Seabird, I should get myself set up to start using the new schedule I made yesterday. I was going to start it today, but I didn’t set the alarm. I am glad of that, because I woke up dreaming of my grandmother. We weren’t doing anything that I can remember, she was just there. Much like when I dreamed of Daddy a couple months ago. Comforting. I much prefer these gentle visits to the traumatic dreams I was having now and again. Of course, those were useful, too, as they pointed me in directions I really needed to go. But still. Not fun.

As I sit here writing, I am thinking about all the things that aren’t on my agenda for this year. No, I haven’t talked about all my plans yet, because I haven’t finalized them all. I think the main thing I still have to work out is what my exercise program is going to be. I’ve got several options and just need to figure out how I want to pull it together. I like the way I feel when I’m working out regularly. The best word I can think of is strong. Not just physically strong, but mentally, too. So, expect to hear me talk about that soonish, and we will leave the dusty guitar hanging on the bedroom wall for a bit longer. I reckon I can hold off ordering those accordion straps at guitar center, but I will probably be wanting yoga mat and maybe some weights. I want shapelier thighs before I get to my loooooooong socks. Well that, and the bubble butt I had when I was doing squats. Unfortunately, it is the sad truth that the only way to a squatter’s butt is…squats.