Week 2 Report: Steady and Strong

Week 2 complete. Stronger = ready for more.

Goofy is glamorous. Seriously.

Stats:

Starting weight: 79.5 kg

Current weight: 76.0 kg

Week 2 lost: -0.5 kg

Total lost: -3.5 kg

Highlights:

Week 2 Summary: Week two has brought more challenges with time-management and planning, but has been an overall successful week. I made it through two running workous in spite of rainy weather and/or hot weather, and I managed to get into the fitness center once this week. For a special treat, we went to the rock climbing gym to play... My work schedule has been very busy (about 55 hours between my full-time job and other clients), and we were blessed by a visit from a beloved family member from the States. I wanted so much to make everything perfect for everyone, and that meant loosening up a bit on my own training/diet schedule. ...Naturally, that showed up on the scale this week. I'm not disappointed by my smaller weight-loss for week 2, but I am determined to make week 3 stronger in terms of performance. The only way to break through is to push harder and tighten up on my diet. Overall, it was a great week, and I'm feeling fitter and stronger. I can already see a very positive difference in my mobility and strength and range of motion, and it is amazing to be able to run again. (Yes, I can RUN again!!!)

Rocking the pink this week.

Thoughts: Building a fit lifestyle is a process of balancing and integrating our values and responsibilities to make a life that WORKS. For me, this means incorporating activity into my daily life as much as possible, and building social events around fitness. It means ordering the salad and taking the stairs instead of the elevator. It means going to the rock climbing gym with our out-of-town guest, and making it a fun time to share fitness tips. The work we invest in our fitness is something that brings value not only to ourselves, but to everyone we meet. It's important to really focus on a holistic approach to fitness, and not get lost in the details. We can count the reps and sets, the calories, the distance and times... We can measure food and weight and bodyfat and circumferences. But we can't quantify the value of moving our bodies thought strenous activities without pain, or the incredible feeling of overcoming an obstacle. True fitness isn't about restriction and regimentation, but about expanding ourselves and our abilities so that we can live more fully. 

holistic

həʊˈlɪstɪk,hɒ-/

adjective

PHILOSOPHY

1. 
   
   

   characterized by the belief that the parts of something are intimately interconnected and explicable only by reference to the whole.

   
   

Stuff that was hard for me this week:

Time-management: This is a recurring theme for me, and I think it's something most of us really struggle with. I tend to take on too many responsibilities, and then I end up losing out on important parts of my own self-maintenance (sleep, personal enrichment, relaxation, household management, leisure)... Organization is going to be a huge key to achieving more.

Setting Limits: This is another tough one. I have such a heart for others, and I absolutely hate to inconvenience or disappoint anyone. When I look at my schedule, I wonder how I manage to get everything done and still have a smile on my face. True, I have a huge amount of energy to give and a natural inclination to help and be of service to the well-being and happiness of others. But the reality is that I need to find ways to create limits, activate my support network, and delegate. I don't know how to ask for help, but it is absolutely essential to my health and my success in life. This seems to be a very common theme for most of us who struggle with weight-management. We put our own needs last, and we don't know how to say "no" or "help" or "I need more time." This is a fundamental skill-set to expand and develop for lifelong health and well-being.

Goals for next week:

• Workouts: cardio 5x; weights 2x 
• Nutrition: continue to pack all foods in the cooler (Prepare for Success!)
• Life Skills/Interpersonal: set limits and find ways to reduce commitments
• Time/Routine: get at least 6 hours of sleep a night.
• Weight-loss goal for week 3: 1 kg

Visuals for the week:

The light isn't great, but the upper back muscles are starting to come in.