Life Update

I have forgotten what it was like to be incredibly busy. Clearly based on how much time I am generally able to invest into myself one can see how clearly I don’t have much else of a life. November/December suddenly become quite busy times for me. I guess it’s the holidays. That and work has been super ridiculously busy as of late which is actually requiring much of my time. Between work and trying to maintain my workouts it doesn’t leave much time for everything else. Wait, this part of my world goes by the wayside a little. In this instance it does not mean that I have been floundering though.

I have to admit that with all the additional demands on my time my motivation/desire to give 150% to my health and nutrition is hard. I am still managing to make it something that I partake in but it’s perhaps not the level that is has been. But that is only slightly in question. I had a very hard time around Thanksgiving, but who doesn’t? I did not beat myself up, it was Thanksgiving and I had a lovely holiday with my family. It was actually very low key, chill and delicious.

I got up on Thanksgiving and I ran 5.2 miles in the freezing cold and when I say freezing they announced before the run that it was 27 degrees out so I guess that is freezing. I do not run in the freezing cold and I hated it. I think I discovered I am incredibly cold blooded. I was bone chilled. My nose could not stop running which in turn made every drop of moisture stick to my body like ice. It was miserable. When we were done they gave us wine at like 9 AM in the morning. I had a drink and then tossed the rest. I wanted warm. When I finally got in the car I was shaking I was so cold. I turned the heat on and it literally took me 45 minutes to warm up. I had not been that cold in forever. Miserable experience, but hey, you live and learn and I did it.

The rest of my Thanksgiving was fabulous and I really did eat too much. I should have gone to the gym on Friday as I was off and had no good reason not to. I had every intention of going, but I did not. I think I was still in a food coma and did not want to do it. I told myself it was okay to take another day of rest. I did not work out Wednesday night either. I only feel slightly bad about that decision. I mean, in the end I knew I was getting up Saturday morning for 9 AM turbokick and then I did 10 AM boot camp. At 11 AM, I then proceeded to do about 20 more minutes of weights on my own before calling it quits. Really awesome workout. Then I went to my mom’s house where we had a very big install the outdoor Christmas lights party. It was amazing… and I mean, we do a kickass job and it looks beautiful.

This is the thing about Christmas. I do not decorate my own home probably because I spend so much time decorating my moms. Christmas happens for me at my mom’s house. It is the magical land of Christmas cheer for me and my sisters. I am not exactly sure why and I can’t explain it but over the past couple years Christmas has become more and more magical. It is that special time of the year that is just perfect in every possible way (despite not always being perfect) and is completely held in such high regard that we spend the entire year glowing from it. Christmas is just magical family time. Being a family girl I wouldn’t want it any other way. So we decorate the hell out of mom’s house, inside and out and spend our evenings drinking coffee/cider/cocoa by the tree and bonding. It is AMAZING. I wish I could articulate why it has this sense of joy and wonderment but it just does. I think it is this massive desire to be close and just experience pure unadulterated love. This is why I get so caught up in giving and loving and sharing with my family.

Anyhow, after we decorated the outside we got a tree and decorated it. I already wrapped some presents on Friday night and brought them over to put under the tree. Mind you this is just the tiny beginning of presents. We ususally have a ton, but in all fairness, it is presents for 10 people. It gets quite massive. Mostly because we adore the kids and I love buying them things and sharing the sense of Christmas wonderment with them as well.

Sunday morning I once again woke up NOT wanting to exercise. I think it’s this persistent voice in my head telling me that I want to eat cookies and drink cocoa and do Christmas stuff. Instead I instantly put on my workout clothes and told myself I just had to get to the gym for an hour. I arrived about 11:30 AM. I told myself an hour. I did an hour of weights. Then I was like, oh, just a little bit more. I was feeling good at this point. Then at about 12:45 my friend Amanda, the trainer, texted me and said they were meeting there at 1 PM to do a workout. I was like, well, I’m already here so sure. So at 1 PM, I started round 2. We warmed up with a 30 minute walk on the treadmill. Then we did shoulders and abs. It wasn’t until about 2:30 when I finished and finally walked out of the gym. So yes, 3 hours later I guess I’d say I worked out despite not feeling it.

Monday was crazy busy at work, payday and all and then Monday night I headed to the gym where I partook in a killer 30 minute high intensity class and then 30 minutes of turbokick. I had to leave early as Monday nights are also my therapy night. But in my hour there I still got in a great workout.

Yesterday I was excited to go to the gym but once I got there I wasn’t exactly feeling it. I did a 30 minute class and then did about 45 minutes of weights on my own and decided that this was good enough for me for the night. Tonight is personal training and class so I know it’s going to be a killer one so I let last night be slightly easy.

So yes, tonight I am back at the gym again. So clearly I am going thru all the appropriate motions of exercise despite feeling very busy otherwise. All of my free time is consumed between decorating, shopping, wrapping presents, trying to keep my head above water. You get it. Of course I love this time of year and wouldn’t want it any different. I am sure I will be back to my old self post Christmas. For now I am just doing my thing, staying on top of it. But the food choices were less than stellar the entire weekend and even the past 2 days I’ve struggled a little with volume. I just am constantly hungry beyond belief. Crazy hungry. I can’t seem to shovel enough food down my pie hole. Normally this is okay with me as long as it’s good foods I am eating but the past days it’s literally been a pie hole. I ate a lot of pie. And crackers and other random things that are not exactly nutritionally sound. However, I am not mad at myself. I forgive me and I move on.

Today is a new day and I am learning that even a few bad days are not life altering for me. I won’t gain weight and I get right back to it. Plus I kind of work out a whole hell of a lot in the grand scheme of things so I am sure I am fine. I did have a few moments in the past couple days where my mind was feeling bad about my food consumption and told my brain to think I was fat and gaining weight. I am not. Just funny to note that when I eat badly my brain wants to think that physically I am getting chunky. There is no difference in my body. It’s just the tricks our mind plays to fuck with us.

But overall I am doing well and I am happy and looking forward to my most wonderful time of the year. Christmas music 24/7… feeling the holiday cheer.