Hard Work and Dirty Habits = a Humbled Lauren

Lately I've been a shining example of how NOT to live a healthy life.

I've been eating a lot of crappy food and a lot of my own words.  For someone who tells people that the only solution for "I don't have time to exercise" is to MAKE time, I've been doing very little of that myself.  To be fair to myself, I did just switch jobs and take on a much more hectic work schedule than I've ever been used to.  Adjusting to a new part-time job while working a full-time job around it has been a challenge that I wasn't quite ready for (and now feel really proud now to have made it through!)

But now the adjustment period is coming to a close and I can feel myself settling into the new routine--which means it's time to turn my energy back toward my nutrition and activity level!  I'm still figuring out where the best little pockets of time will be to fit in my workouts and food prep, and though I'm confident I'll get it figured out the rest of the way within the next couple of weeks I definitely have a new understanding of how difficult it can become to stay on track when life gets crazy or something unexpected interrupts the usual. 

I've still remained health conscious every second of the time, but it's been torture having so much trouble finding the time to do what I need to do.  Now it makes sense to me how even people who start out determined can end up letting their good habits go in the midst of pandemonium.  I guess instead of torturing themselves mentally for enacting poor health practices, some just accept the easier (and less immediately stressful) route--which is to turn that food filter off, sit back at the end of the day and say "eh, working all day is enough of a workout.  Maybe I'll get a real one in tomorrow."

This is not to say that I would encourage anyone who's "too busy" to give up trying...but I'm certainly feeling less judgmental about the people who do.


Lauren's Virtue of the Month: Humility.

Drugs...sometimes you need them.

Yesterday I went back on my antidepressant medication.

After one month happy and drug free and another month slowly sinking back into a hole of irritability and trying to cling to normalcy, I've finally broken down.  The worst part is that I'm having to eat my words about how much better I felt without the drug initially.  I thought proper diet and copious exercise were doing the job that my maintenance dose of SSRI's has been doing for the last ten or so years. 

I was wrong.

Well, I was partially wrong.  When things were easy and I had two jobs I was used to and a busy but managable schedule, everything was fine.  But as soon as things got stressful and my life started to change with this new position, I began feeling less and less like myself and more and more like a crazy monster that can't handle even the slightest mishap without screaming or throwing something.

So yeah, back to citalopram.  When I get my life back in order and start finding time to work out vigorously on a daily basis again, maybe I'll need it less.  But even then I think I should stay on, and that's the plan until the next time I manage to forget why I need the stuff and try to play Superwoman. 

The general concensus as to the effect time of these types of medications is that they take about a week to two weeks to start working, but after two days I feel a difference.  Maybe it's just a placebo effect from knowing I'm back in my safety net, but whatever it is, I'll take it.

I wanted to be the shining example of why medications aren't always necessary if you conduct a healthy lifestyle.  But I guess it's more important to be an example of someone who recognizes what their body and mind need to be healthy and does it (even when it's a blow to my pride.)

Another day in fitness Paradise...

Oh. My. Hamstrings.  I went to my brother's Crossfit class at noon on Wednesday (remember when I said I might work out in between jobs?  Yeah.  That happened.)  The skill for the day was dumbbel snatches (which were new to me, although I'm familiar with the regular snatch.  And I really need to get over how dirty this word sounds regardless of context.) 

I'm going to try saying it a bunch of times.  Snatch.  Snatch.  Snatch.  Snatch.  Snatch.
Do 10 snatches.
Hold that snatch in position.
You're doing your snatch wrong.

Okay this isnt' helping.

The WOD was as many rounds as possible, 5 dumbbell snatches alternating hands, 5 front squats (I did 55 which I'm determined to raise next time) and a 200 meter run for the others but a stupid 250 meter row for me because my knees are still a little easily inflamed from all the running abuse I did.  The workout itself didn't feel too torturous.  I mean it's always a torturefest, but it wasn't one of those ones where you leave feeling nauseous and like your body is a half-cooked piece of pasta. 

But DAMN am I feeling it in my legs right now.  And now I get to stand for hours and hours and hours.  Cheers. 

I have a long day ahead of me and it's probably going to suck; but in the two hours I have between my two 8 hour shifts I'm going to get in an ab workout and feel pretty badass about myself for doing it.  So at least there's that to look forward to, both the workout itself (I love working abs!) and the feeling of knowing I put that effort in.  Whatever you have to do today, make sure you do something for yourself. 

Nunc scio quit sit FATIGUE (Now I know what fatigue is)

Good morning, folks!  I hope everyone is having a fabulously fit week. 

Today is my second day (as well as my second day IN A ROW) as an opener at the new health club at which I am now employed.  The rookies always get the crap shifts, although I really wouldn't mind the early days if it weren't for the 3-11 pm shifts at CVS that often follow.  I'm basically stuck with a free-time sandwich three to four days out of the week with an inadequate span of time for sleeping in between. 

It's going to be a struggle for a while, but I believe it'll be worth it.  The club itself is amazing and in addition to a free membership I get to be surrounded by others who are passionate about fitness and support my goal of becoming a trainer.  I'm pretty exhausted right now, and yet I'm finding there's almost like a store of energy here waiting for me when I come in that keeps me going.  I even found the will to work out yesterday, and may even do so again today between jobs.

Nothing destroys fatigue like passion, and there's plenty of that here.

Fitness-- it's infectious.