Week 2 Of My Journey to Better With #PersonalTrainerFood

 

#PersonalTrainerFood

  I have been thinking about how and why I forgot how to eat healthy. I felt like I had been held hostage by food. Food is expensive and with money tight, it feels like you have to sacrifice. And when life is busy and schedules can get crazy, we fall into the fast food trap and it seems easier to just grab a meal in a sack.
Then when you're at the grocery store you get into a rut of going down the same aisles, grabbing the same food over and over again. I think most of us crave routine and even in abstract ways we create routine without even thinking about it. The thing is, we can make good routines just as easily as we do bad routines. Based on how I feel after only one week (and heading into my second) of following the guidelines of the Personal Trainer Food program, I would say if you want to change a bad routine into a good routine, DO IT. You won't regret that.

This week started out good. Monday, I "celebrated" by adding 5 minutes to my regular walking time.  

I had a bad day Wednesday. I had breakfast then went to the hospital because my mom was having surgery on her knee. It was only one day surgery, but they got started on her much later than they were supposed to which altered the rest of the day. By the time we got her back home and settled so I could heat my food, it was much later than my regular schedule. It was a stressful day. I temporarily lost my self control and ate a cookie. Just one, but still.... I didn't beat myself up over it, but I washed my mouth out good so I wouldn't want anymore! It serves as a reminder that it is still a struggle. We got home so late, I didn't get to do my walking. We had walked a little around the hospital and we walk a little distance to and from the parking lot, so I had moved some, but not as much.  So Thursday I doubled my walking time, plus 10 minutes for the cookie. I don't know if that technically "makes up for it", but I worked up a sweat and felt surprisingly good afterwards. I can feel myself getting stronger, being able to do more. 

I can offer this: If you decide to do this program, create a playlist of songs. Up tempo, happy songs (no sad lyrics!). When I think of the transformation I am working toward, it is a little emotional. One day, I was walking and Fight Song came on... I bawled like a baby!  If you're afraid you'll get bored listening to the same songs everyday while you're walking, make two lists and alternate. If you're really ambitious, you can make one for each day. Make the first one or two songs a little slower paced then have the next ones faster paced. Then have one or two slower paced ones at the end of the playlist. This allows you to warm up and not just jumping into a fast pace and then the ones on the end bring you a cool down period. I love music anyway and happy fast music gets me moving. A few from my playlist: All About that Bass (Megan Trainor), Animal (Def Leppard), Armeggeddon it (DL), Pour Some Sugar On Me (DL), Barbara Ann (Beach Boys), Dance the Night Away (Van Halen), I Gotta Feeling (Black Eyed Peas), Smile - the Ulti-Remix (Uncle Cracker). That version of Smile is like 7 minutes long! Stuck Like Glue (Sugarland).... the point is to set up the playlist and go, don't mess with your device, don't answer calls, just walk. I have a timer stuck to my elliptical. I set it and just keep going until it goes off. I strapped a bluetooth speaker to it as well. I just turn it on and enjoy the beat! Wear comfortable athletic shoes.  

On Friday I set up an indoor bike trainer that I got to review.... it's a stand that holds a bike up by the back wheel so you can ride without going anywhere! :) After getting it together, I did my 35 minutes on the elliptical and had a goal of 30 minutes for the bike. I'm not there just yet. I did 15. Still felt great and worked some different muscles. I also received some 2 LB hand weights that I used during a portion of my walking.  

WARNING:  TMI ahead:

So I ended my second week still feeling great. I have always had very irregular periods. For the last few years I had actually went from only having one or two a year to only skipping two or three a year. I had not had not had one in over two months, but that ended Friday night/Saturday morning. Very heavy right out of the gate so I didn't get on the elliptical. 

I attended a fiber workshop where I am attempting to learn how to crochet. Afterwards I got in a few steps and flights of stairs when we made some stops in town before heading home, so not a total loss on the walking front.


Observations from this week:

~ My balance has improved greatly! I am no longer getting the feeling the floor is tilting out from under me. I no longer lay down at night and feel as if the bed is tilting and trying to dump me out.

~ I am getting the best sleep I have in years! I sleep all night, wake at 5 - 5:30 AM to start the day and I feel well rested. No soreness, no grogginess. I can walk down the stairs in the mornings normally and not by hobbling down one step at a time.

~ The pain in my joints has disappeared. I still get some twinges in my left knee, usually while walking, but I injured both my knees at different times when I was playing sports in school. The pain in the joints of my feet and hands, is gone. I have been doing arm movements while walking and am gaining better range of motion in my shoulders.

~ My moods! It's incredible. I feel like I'm on a more even keel now. Even when negative things happen, I don't feel like I am going to blow a gasket. I feel fantastic. 

~ My skin has cleared with very little effort on my part.   

~ There is a little less bumply stuff on my thighs! 

~ Nothing tests your will more than Cracker Barrel's Hashbrown Casserole or Waffle House Hashbrowns! Hashbrowns 0 - Me 2!!!

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Disclosure: I received products from Personal Trainer Food for the purpose of review. The opinions expressed are 100% my own based on my usage of the product. You opinion and experience may differ.