Trying to achieve balance

This drawing is hilarious. Many people who exercise  also party hard. Don't we all think there's a conversion chart for working off potato chips and Sierra Nevada pale ales? I know we all have vices. The goal is to find that balance between falling off the wagon, rolling down a hill, and landing in a mound of bacon and Guiness versus depriving yourself of sleep to run a marathon every week. But even if you do end up in a hole of nachos with shredded cheese and cheap beer, it's good to remember that you don't have to stay there. Maybe I didn't have the healthiest dinner last night. Truthfully, it probably wasn't the most unhealthy choice I could have made either.  Should I sleep in past my alarm and beat myself up while skipping my morning workout? Of course not.

Life is meant to be lived. I want to drink beer and have my snacks on occasion. I like my smoothies spiked with coconut rum on a weekend evening. I'm gonna order pizza at times and eat too many pieces. We all do this. Right? But I'm also gonna walk my dog when I don't feel up for it and take the stairs up to the fourth floor when I have to use the bathroom at work. I'm never parking in the closest parking spot to the door wherever I go. These are little things I do to keep myself in check.

I do big things too. Like, I got up again at 5:30 and did an hourlong DVD before work. This time I did Jillian's Burn Fat Boost Metabolism. I did plenty of lifting with weights yesterday, so today was going to be my cardio burn. Burn, it did, indeed! I think tomorrow I'll even hit the gym before work. I haven't done that in ages. Seriously, maybe even years? But then I get my exercise out of the way before the holiday weekend. Bring on the fireworks, the beer, and the sweet joy of sleeping in! 

Talk dirty to me Bob

Kickin ass and taking names! I was up and sweating at 5:30 a.m. today. Jason was snoozing and Quixote was grunting in his sleep. Occasionally I wonder what the hell I'm doing. An extra hour of sleep every day is a luxury most people wouldn't pass on. Oh well, I'm not most people, I'm kicking ass at the butt crack of dawn. If you don't believe me, check out Bob Harper's ferocious kicking on the cover of the DVD. Now, picture my face on that threatening pose!
This marks four mornings now that I have stuck to my plan. It's easier to get up when I have something new to try. I never know if I'll love a DVD or dread it. The not-knowing really carries me to a good place. After I punched, squatted, lunged, and planked my way to a drippy, soggy mess, I leashed up the pooch and took him for a quick stroll down the dirt roads. Ahhh, that lucky little guy.

I am still taking Jillian's advice to heart. I'm writing in my journal at night about my accomplishments and about my goals. Really, most people wouldn't notice if I gained 10 lbs. Some people probably think I should. The truth is I can't afford to buy new pants. I want  my old jeans to fit me! When I'm pregnant one day and my clothes don't fit — that's a transformation I'll make peace with. However, I'm not making peace with laziness or clothes that deceive me. My sister gave me a pair of stylish jeans that her friend outgrew. They were a bit too big on me and I seriously think this went to my head. I was like, "Oh, gosh, I am skinny. Get in my face, frosting. Get in my face, potato chips."  I was misled because I wasn't wearing my jeans for these bouts of frenetic eating and sloth moments. I don't want to be that freaky woman who eats in a bikini to stay on track. That is just whack! However, there are different feelings when you're sporting clothes that are too small, too big, or just right for us.

I intend to keep kicking ass at the break of dawn. I want my jeans to fit, not someone else's. And let's face it: those were designer jeans.  I'll stick to my unstylish style and my buns of steel!

On the wagon still!

Full steam ahead with my workout goals. A hangover can't even stop me now! On Saturday morning I went to the gym right away. I am  realizing that working out first thing in the day is the best choice for me. I have heard that people who work out in the morning are more likely to stick with their workouts. (They're also more likely to fall asleep in the parking lot when they get to work, but that's another issue.) The reason you stick with a.m. exercise is because nothing derails you: not the grocery store, not your dog's sad eyes that scream I've been alone all day, walk me now!, not the hundred other things that enter your brain as soon as you come home and drop your keys down. If you can get up with that alarm, that's 90 percent of the battle.

I'll be truthful here and admit that I hit snooze too long this morning. By the time I dragged my pillow-smushed face from my perfect cocoon, it was after 6:00. I only had time for a 30-minute Jillian Yoga Meltdown DVD but that's OK. I didn't chuck the whole plan since there wasn't time for an hour of exercise. I still got up. I did something. My body and my psyche were better for it.

It's true that morning workouts can energize you but they can also deplete you. I drove to work, parked in the lot, then promptly reclined my seat and took a quick snooze ... before I even went into the office! I really think I'm immune to coffee.  Oh well it was a party hardy weekend with lots of socializing and little sleep. The old me would have done nothing this morning. I would've figured that if I can't go whole hog, why bother? Not so anymore. I'm sticking with my plan!