If you are reading this without having first read the last blog post, then go read that one first and come back to this one.
I wrote my last post right as I was about to walk out of the door to go to the gym - which means I just had two hours at the gym to really process this topic and to expand more on it, as I feel I truly missed the real point of the topic in my last post. Let me explain...
We live in a culture that is both set on instant gratification and set in the way of learned helplessness. There is an expert on every corner for everything under the sun. At a time when we, more than ever before, can research things on our own, we assign that role to other people. And what do we get from that? The ability to not be responsible. If I depend on a program to tell me how to eat, then they are responsible when I fail. I won't say if I fail because the whole set up is done in such a way that the changes can't be permanent. I'm sorry to hammer on WW, but it truly is the worst offender - for many reasons. At least most of the others present the truth - they are based on medications or processed foods or something of the like, so there are no surprises when it comes out that it's somehow problematic. WW, on the other hand, convinces you to spend money to use their "expert" guidance when the information is readily available in 20 minutes or less on the internet. Seriously.
The other reason they are a worse offender is that is promotes dependency on their system without seeming to do so. At least with Jenny Craig someone can walk out with a weeks worth of meals to account for the money they spend. At Weight Watchers, they give you an outline of what you can and can't eat, but no insight as to why this is a better choice, therefore creating dependence. Yes, people who use WW make healthier choices - in theory - but they never learn why they are better choices, so the minute they can't log into the WW database for point values on food, they revert back to old eating habits (because this buffalo chicken salad with ranch dressing HAS to be better than a burger, right?) and find themselves back where they started. And because WW is what works (or so we think), once all of the weight is back on, then back to WW, lose the weight, and the cycle repeats - over and over and over.
Actually, I say that WW is the great offender, but in truth it is the WW consumer that is the worst offender. Without a consumer base, a product is nothing.
So, here we are, in a time and place where we can access more information then every before, and we dig our heads deeper in the sand. Why? Because when my health declines, or I find myself back in the same spot over and over again, I can put the responsibility somewhere other than the person staring back in the mirror. Of course, it's WW fault I have diabetes from eating unlimited fruit....they were the experts and should have known better than to give it a zero point value. Of course, it's the government's fault because they are the ones who regulate the food industry - and that is why...my kid is fat...and I have heart disease... and my mom has dementia/cancer/Parkinson's/etc and this person has this and that person has that....
I am a little fired up here, but this ignorance is real and it costs us billions in healthcare costs per year. And keeping us this way is a multi-billion dollar industry - food, medication, healthcare, supportive costs... If the system really protected us from these things, then how many people would be without a job and what an impact it would have on our economy. We have literally made a business out of being helpless. Think about it.
Have you ever taken the time to Google search each ingredient on your food label. For those who have kids, have you? Try it sometime. You might be every surprised at what you find. We are literally lab rats - consuming dozens of experimental products. And then wondering why we have the epidemics we have. I find it especially interesting that children's products are all processed, loaded with high fructose corn syrup and dyes, and no one has taken the time to determine whether this could be a factor in the rising rates of emotional and mental disorders in children....
At some point we have to take responsibility for this epidemic. To educate ourselves, stop eating crap, and definitely stop feeding it to our children. To stop expecting instant gratification and externalizing the blame when we suffer the resulting consequences. It shouldn't have to be, but being healthy in today's culture is WORK! It takes work. It takes commitment. It takes a willingness to educate yourself and go against the mainstream. It takes an understanding that lasting change usually isn't comfortable in the beginning - if it was it wouldn't last. Get it?
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Why eating programs are horrible...
Disclaimer: this is my opinion. It will piss some people off. And I'm okay with that. Just be forewarned that this is a rant and it might hit home.
Ok. I'm going to try to keep this simple. What makes programs like Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Physician's Weight Loss Center, The Zone and other "diet" programs so successful? Lack of education. Seriously.
All the nutrition research you could ever need is easily available on the internet. It takes two seconds to figure out that more than a certain amount of fructose (i.e., fruit) is toxic, yet fruit is a "free" item on Weight Watchers, meaning it's participants can eat all they want. Other things that are readily available that go against the widely accepted ideals of nutrition: soy is toxic (a staple of vegetarian diets), processed foods are horrible (no matter what container they come in, even if it says Jenny Craig/Zone/Biggest Loser), even 100% wheat bread contains high fructose corn syrup (as does every other product in the word, hence the cravings people have for them), medications will never take the place of lifestyle change and only prolong the inevitable if no lifestyle change is made, people need at least a pound of greens a day to help keep blood alkaline and reduce their chances of cancer....I could keep going...
And speaking of cravings...if you eat a food you crave, it's probably not good for you. Alcoholics understand the concept that a craving is a toxic reaction, and this is the same for sugar, carbs, preservatives, and so on. As a result, moderation is a joke for me and the vast majority of the population. I'm not able to eat one Hersey's Kiss - even if my life depends on it. It sets off a craving and I obsess until I have another one, and another one, and another one. I know more people like me than otherwise. And for some people it's bread. Or butter. Or cheese. Or (insert your thing here). I have learned that when I eat for what my body needs, the foods that are right for me satisfy me, not leave me craving more. Just something to think about.
Which, for me, means that eating programs are a joke - and dangerous. And this is quite possible true for most people. They don't teach me to eat what I need for optimal functioning, and the foods I eat on them certainly don't satisfy me. In fact, my experience was that all the ones I tried left me forcing myself to eat that way for the result, but left me obsessing over what I can't have - or better - what I am trying to moderate.
Thank goodness I don't have to live like that today. With the help of some people in my network, I learned about what I needed for my optimal functioning, and developed a pattern of eating that meets that need. I can research what I need to do on my own, and consequently have an understanding of why I need to eat that way, which in turn means I internalize it rather than intellectualize it. As a result - no obsession - no cravings. And because I get what I need, I literally have to force myself to eat a cheat meal because I get no satisfaction from the crap. It really just makes me feel like crap.
Ok. I'm going to try to keep this simple. What makes programs like Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Physician's Weight Loss Center, The Zone and other "diet" programs so successful? Lack of education. Seriously.
All the nutrition research you could ever need is easily available on the internet. It takes two seconds to figure out that more than a certain amount of fructose (i.e., fruit) is toxic, yet fruit is a "free" item on Weight Watchers, meaning it's participants can eat all they want. Other things that are readily available that go against the widely accepted ideals of nutrition: soy is toxic (a staple of vegetarian diets), processed foods are horrible (no matter what container they come in, even if it says Jenny Craig/Zone/Biggest Loser), even 100% wheat bread contains high fructose corn syrup (as does every other product in the word, hence the cravings people have for them), medications will never take the place of lifestyle change and only prolong the inevitable if no lifestyle change is made, people need at least a pound of greens a day to help keep blood alkaline and reduce their chances of cancer....I could keep going...
And speaking of cravings...if you eat a food you crave, it's probably not good for you. Alcoholics understand the concept that a craving is a toxic reaction, and this is the same for sugar, carbs, preservatives, and so on. As a result, moderation is a joke for me and the vast majority of the population. I'm not able to eat one Hersey's Kiss - even if my life depends on it. It sets off a craving and I obsess until I have another one, and another one, and another one. I know more people like me than otherwise. And for some people it's bread. Or butter. Or cheese. Or (insert your thing here). I have learned that when I eat for what my body needs, the foods that are right for me satisfy me, not leave me craving more. Just something to think about.
Which, for me, means that eating programs are a joke - and dangerous. And this is quite possible true for most people. They don't teach me to eat what I need for optimal functioning, and the foods I eat on them certainly don't satisfy me. In fact, my experience was that all the ones I tried left me forcing myself to eat that way for the result, but left me obsessing over what I can't have - or better - what I am trying to moderate.
Thank goodness I don't have to live like that today. With the help of some people in my network, I learned about what I needed for my optimal functioning, and developed a pattern of eating that meets that need. I can research what I need to do on my own, and consequently have an understanding of why I need to eat that way, which in turn means I internalize it rather than intellectualize it. As a result - no obsession - no cravings. And because I get what I need, I literally have to force myself to eat a cheat meal because I get no satisfaction from the crap. It really just makes me feel like crap.
Sometimes it's not easy...
To work it in - to work it out - to make it happen...
Sometimes life just happens. Making a change in lifestyle is a major commitment. People laugh at me sometimes because I will turn down invitations to do things because it coincides with the time I go to the gym - and I tell them why I can't come. Laugh as they will, it is my job to make it work. There is always something that can take precedence over my time in the gym - especially since it has to be immediately following work and before I pick Jenna up from daycare. There are times when something does need to go in place of that time in the gym, but very rarely. If it's my time just for that activity, I make it my time just for that activity.
Sometimes fatigue happens. Like this week, for example. I have been exhausted all week. I mean the "I am scheming ways to be able to be an hour late for work so I can sleep an extra hour, dammit!" kind of exhausted. That's not very conducive to a solid workout. So some days - and even some weeks - I just have to make myself get suited up and show up. And understand that some workout is better than none. It's quite interesting when your workout partner is in the same place. However, those are the times we can remind each other than we are human, and it's important to listen to our body and not always push it to the absolute limit...and that fatigue happens.
Sometimes burn out happens. For me, especially with diet. A quit aside about the word "diet" - I am not on a diet, I am using the word diet for my way of eating in general. Maybe nutrition would be a better word? Hmmmmm....I'll just use both. Sometimes eating the way I need to in order to produce the maximum results gets, well, exhausting. Like keeping the commitment to my gym time, eating can sometimes be disruptive to social functioning. For example, having to ask crazy specific details about what is in meals that friends might want to provide or trying to bring my own meals (so I don't have to ask) and having people look at me like I have three heads. Like the gym time, there is always going to be an excuse to not eat right. Marketers at work bring lunch all the time - I have a very active social network and everything we do has food involved - they always give us watermelons at work to kick off the official start of summer - someone has dessert for ny number of reasons - we have a couple of girls who visit a friend on Friday nights who owns a pizza joint - and so on and so on. What so many people don't understand is that the couple of pieces of fruit here, and sneaking a cookie there, and having a french fry here, and (insert whatever your thing is) there all add up to a whole lot of self-sabotage. As a result, I have to make eating my commitment. And if I am trying to make changes with my body - it's 90% nutrition anyway. :)
Sometimes life just happens. Making a change in lifestyle is a major commitment. People laugh at me sometimes because I will turn down invitations to do things because it coincides with the time I go to the gym - and I tell them why I can't come. Laugh as they will, it is my job to make it work. There is always something that can take precedence over my time in the gym - especially since it has to be immediately following work and before I pick Jenna up from daycare. There are times when something does need to go in place of that time in the gym, but very rarely. If it's my time just for that activity, I make it my time just for that activity.
Sometimes fatigue happens. Like this week, for example. I have been exhausted all week. I mean the "I am scheming ways to be able to be an hour late for work so I can sleep an extra hour, dammit!" kind of exhausted. That's not very conducive to a solid workout. So some days - and even some weeks - I just have to make myself get suited up and show up. And understand that some workout is better than none. It's quite interesting when your workout partner is in the same place. However, those are the times we can remind each other than we are human, and it's important to listen to our body and not always push it to the absolute limit...and that fatigue happens.
Sometimes burn out happens. For me, especially with diet. A quit aside about the word "diet" - I am not on a diet, I am using the word diet for my way of eating in general. Maybe nutrition would be a better word? Hmmmmm....I'll just use both. Sometimes eating the way I need to in order to produce the maximum results gets, well, exhausting. Like keeping the commitment to my gym time, eating can sometimes be disruptive to social functioning. For example, having to ask crazy specific details about what is in meals that friends might want to provide or trying to bring my own meals (so I don't have to ask) and having people look at me like I have three heads. Like the gym time, there is always going to be an excuse to not eat right. Marketers at work bring lunch all the time - I have a very active social network and everything we do has food involved - they always give us watermelons at work to kick off the official start of summer - someone has dessert for ny number of reasons - we have a couple of girls who visit a friend on Friday nights who owns a pizza joint - and so on and so on. What so many people don't understand is that the couple of pieces of fruit here, and sneaking a cookie there, and having a french fry here, and (insert whatever your thing is) there all add up to a whole lot of self-sabotage. As a result, I have to make eating my commitment. And if I am trying to make changes with my body - it's 90% nutrition anyway. :)
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Oh yeah!
Did I tell you guys that having a workout partner makes all the difference in the world?!? Just wanted to make sure I reiterated that part! :)
Killed shoulders and back! Not that I don't kill everything else, but having someone there with you to help you keep going and to spot you makes such a difference. If you don't believe me, just try it!
Killed shoulders and back! Not that I don't kill everything else, but having someone there with you to help you keep going and to spot you makes such a difference. If you don't believe me, just try it!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
An additional thought about accountability...
For me, having a workout partner = accountability in this journey. Without a workout partner, I would not be able to do what I need to do to progress.
Examples:
:)
Examples:
- Getting back into the gym, my muscles have had to learn to balance again - especially with dumbbell exercises. Having a workout partner helps me maintain good form while my muscle memory kicks back in. Also helps me keep good form as I increase the weight I lift.
- Having a workout partner helps me push past where I can get to alone. Last weekend I was doing flat bench press - and JP was spotting me - and I was able to lift more weight because I had him there to help me.
- Having a workout partner helps me save face. Chest burns out fast, and I have had to yell for a spot when I burned out and couldn't rack the weight on my own. It's quite embarrassing...
- And finally, it helps me push myself beyond the point where I want to stop. Similar to being able to push more weight, but not the same. As an illustration - last night I was working quads. I started on V-Squat. I started light and worked my way up and then did drop sets - for a total of 2 warm up sets, 5 work sets and 7 drop sets (132 reps total). Then I went to the leg extension and, 10 reps at a time per leg, I worked my weight up and then finished out with drop sets - for a total of 2 warm up sets, 4 work sets and 6 drop sets (130 reps total per leg - 260 total combined). I finished out with barbell squats - which were my burn out work sets. Because I didn't have a workout partner at the gym last night, I asked someone to spot me because I needed to make sure I could stay upright (and not teeter over). As a result, I was able to complete my burn out sets and move beyond what I would have done by myself (left to my own devices, I would have stopped after leg extensions!). My muscles were done - my squads were shaking and my last rep was truly the last one I could do.
:)
The value of accountability...
I have mentioned in recent posts that I started strong, slacked off some and now I am back in it strong again. At first, getting back in the gym helped restore a bit of my sanity while I was out on maternity leave. But then I went back to work, and the pinched nerve became an issue, and there is always trying to take care of the baby, keep the house up, keep with regular commitments, and so on, to try to juggle with everything.... In the end life became overwhelming very fast and it was easy to lose sight of the goal of being in the gym. I really, really needed some accountability.
I wanted to get to the gym, and finally asked JP to help me make time (accountability action #1). And I started going (accountability action #2), but missed having a workout partner. Before I had JP and another female friend as workout partners. With JP and I switching off taking care of the baby, he's not usually able to come with me. My other old workout partner and I have been working out at different times and places, so trying to catch up was difficult. As a woman who likes to bodybuild, finding another female workout partner who has the same goals and workout schedule is damn near impossible. Finally, my old partner reached out and said she needed a workout partner, so we met one Sunday and worked shoulders together, and I remembered how well we worked together. We made an agreement to try to make it work by having me workout with her at the gym where her and JP work a few times a week (accountability action#3).
Our schedules are such that we have not been able to work out together for the past two weeks, but just knowing I have a workout partner has gotten me back on track. I've been 5 days a week for the past three weeks and eating clean again for the past 2 weeks. And since I am down to 2 days a week at the chiropractor, I have two afternoons a week available to work out with her at Body Tech. As a result, we are getting together to work shoulders today, which I am excited about!
The point of all this is that my experience has been that accountability is essential. First, it helps me go even on those days when I'm feeling exhausted - like I did last night (but I still went and had a killer quad workout). Second, it helps me stay on task when I am there. And third, it always keeps me pushing past where I would go if I didn't have a partner (both because of having someone to push me, but also having someone to spot me!).
I have motivation, I have a vision of what changes I want to see in my body (and the way I view/treat myself), and I love working out. I have all of these things, and more, and I still have to find ways to be accountable. It is what makes it work best for me in the long run, and I have had to find the level of accountibility that works for me.
Which leaves me with a question for you. I don't do this often, but I want to challenge you to find what level of accountability you need for you. This is necessary for all areas of life - whether working out in the gym, staying committed to your faith, finding ways to live a more productive, healthy life - what level of accountability do you have in place to keep you on point? Because, no matter how much you love, what level of motivation, what feeling of desire - there will come a time that, without accountability, you will falter, or burn out, or find an excuse not to. Accountability is not weakness. It is strength. It is part of the solution to the problem - whatever that problem may be. It is understanding that someone can help you, push you, make you better than you can do on your own. So....I'll ask again...what do you do to be accountable?
I wanted to get to the gym, and finally asked JP to help me make time (accountability action #1). And I started going (accountability action #2), but missed having a workout partner. Before I had JP and another female friend as workout partners. With JP and I switching off taking care of the baby, he's not usually able to come with me. My other old workout partner and I have been working out at different times and places, so trying to catch up was difficult. As a woman who likes to bodybuild, finding another female workout partner who has the same goals and workout schedule is damn near impossible. Finally, my old partner reached out and said she needed a workout partner, so we met one Sunday and worked shoulders together, and I remembered how well we worked together. We made an agreement to try to make it work by having me workout with her at the gym where her and JP work a few times a week (accountability action#3).
Our schedules are such that we have not been able to work out together for the past two weeks, but just knowing I have a workout partner has gotten me back on track. I've been 5 days a week for the past three weeks and eating clean again for the past 2 weeks. And since I am down to 2 days a week at the chiropractor, I have two afternoons a week available to work out with her at Body Tech. As a result, we are getting together to work shoulders today, which I am excited about!
The point of all this is that my experience has been that accountability is essential. First, it helps me go even on those days when I'm feeling exhausted - like I did last night (but I still went and had a killer quad workout). Second, it helps me stay on task when I am there. And third, it always keeps me pushing past where I would go if I didn't have a partner (both because of having someone to push me, but also having someone to spot me!).
I have motivation, I have a vision of what changes I want to see in my body (and the way I view/treat myself), and I love working out. I have all of these things, and more, and I still have to find ways to be accountable. It is what makes it work best for me in the long run, and I have had to find the level of accountibility that works for me.
Which leaves me with a question for you. I don't do this often, but I want to challenge you to find what level of accountability you need for you. This is necessary for all areas of life - whether working out in the gym, staying committed to your faith, finding ways to live a more productive, healthy life - what level of accountability do you have in place to keep you on point? Because, no matter how much you love, what level of motivation, what feeling of desire - there will come a time that, without accountability, you will falter, or burn out, or find an excuse not to. Accountability is not weakness. It is strength. It is part of the solution to the problem - whatever that problem may be. It is understanding that someone can help you, push you, make you better than you can do on your own. So....I'll ask again...what do you do to be accountable?
I become what I eat...
Ahhhhhh! A Sunday afternoon and all is quiet in the house at the moment - JP and Jenna are napping - and I am doing my Sunday afternoon routine...cooking for the week. So far I have flash cooked some lean steaks, cooked a pound of broccoli, baked 6 sweet potatoes to make mashed sweet potatoes from, and in the process of baking tilapia and 6 pounds of chicken. With a bag of brown rice (which JP cooks because he seasons it a certain way) and a large container of organic spring mix greens, all of this should get us through Wednesday...if we're lucky!
I forgot how much I love to eat like this. It makes such a difference. It truly is what my body needs for my workout style. So much so that I can eat six meals a day of this stuff and not crave anything else. We do allow for one cheat meal a week, and last week that meant I allowed a little shredded cheese on my salad and indulged at Colstone Creamery after dinner. Only....it did nothing for me. I ate less than half of my ice cream and I was over it.
What an amazing feeling! Back to eating clean for two weeks and my body has what it needs. No obsession over sugar or carbs. No dairy, very low sodium, and LOTS of water. I can feel my muscles again now because they are getting what they need to recover and grow. A much needed reminder to me that I not only am what I eat but I also become what I eat.
I forgot how much I love to eat like this. It makes such a difference. It truly is what my body needs for my workout style. So much so that I can eat six meals a day of this stuff and not crave anything else. We do allow for one cheat meal a week, and last week that meant I allowed a little shredded cheese on my salad and indulged at Colstone Creamery after dinner. Only....it did nothing for me. I ate less than half of my ice cream and I was over it.
What an amazing feeling! Back to eating clean for two weeks and my body has what it needs. No obsession over sugar or carbs. No dairy, very low sodium, and LOTS of water. I can feel my muscles again now because they are getting what they need to recover and grow. A much needed reminder to me that I not only am what I eat but I also become what I eat.
Argh...prioritizing is not always easy...
Hmmmmm....I started this draft on 5/23/11. A lot has changed since then, but I am going to post it as is because it is where I was at the time....
Original post from 5/23/11:
Ok....so I started strong and then came to a screetching halt! Actually, not really. I have been busy with life. And the reality of life is that sometimes you have to make decisions that you don't want to make, to prioritize things you don't want to have to prioritize, and then live with the outcomes.
In my case, the issue is a pinched nerve in my neck. It is something that has been reoccuring for years, but generally requires one quick adjustment from the chiropractor and I'm good as new for another 6-8 months. After I had the baby, it started again, so I ran to the chiropractor for a quick adjustment, and nothing happened. No relief, and the pain intensified. So I ran back the next week for another adjustment, and the same outcome. I was trying to just live with it, but then it started limiting my workouts. First I noticed a shooting pain when doing flat bench press, and then issues with decline chest press, and then I couldn't even go through the motion to do dips. I started noticing my mobility was severely limited after workouts, and the only thing I could work comfortably in the gym were pull motion exercises, like back & biceps. The pain progressed to where it was happening all of the time, and it was disruptive to not only my workouts, but also my work, sleep and my ability to do certain things with the baby. I decided to try a new chiropractor, and after an assessment and x-rays, was presented with a plan of action, which included sessions three times per week for a month, two times per week for a month, and then one time per week for the final month.
So...back to the original topic of prioritizing things... If I have to go to the chiropractor three times per week, and I already have a commitment on Wednesdays, that leaves Monday, Tuesday and Thursday after work to schedule appointments. And since I have to get Jenna from daycare by a certain time, and JP works many afternoons/evenings, that means probably no gym Monday through Thursday. And since we have been out of town the last three weekends - and will also be out of town this weekend - that means no gym on the weekends. Meaning I am having to prioritize things in order of importance and time limitations. Since the pinched nerve limits by abilities in the gym, it takes precedence over the gym. And Jenna takes precedence over it all. So no gym for me for the last couple of weeks. :(
I do have to say a week and a half at the chiropractor has resulted in much less pain and more mobility for me. I am still experiencing some pain and some limitations, but this is going to work, and I am excited that I have been feeling a little better each time I go. Having muscle stimulation, muscle ultrasounds and massage is a nice addition to the manual adjustments, too, so the benefits of making this a priority are apparant (even if I long for the gym).
The danger for me in this is the fact that your schedule becomes your schedule, and prioritizing things differently, even for a short time period, than normal makes it extremely difficult to get back into the old routine. As a result, I have asked JP to race home in the evenings so I can try to get to the gym - even if only for a short cardio session - to keep it in my routine. I have found this is important, as I can easily forget how much I love the gym, especially when I am exhasuted and wanting to veg a bit!
And that is my solution. As tired as I am, and as just as I don't want to leave the munchkin in the evenings or go to the gym at a later, less convenient time, I have to push through and go. Like a muscle that doesn't get worked not only doesn't grow, but can actually atrophy, me not making the process of going to the gym a part of my schedule, no matter the reasoning, can result in an increased desire not to go. It's funny how this works, isn't it? So, I will push through and reprioritize....and go later...
Original post from 5/23/11:
Ok....so I started strong and then came to a screetching halt! Actually, not really. I have been busy with life. And the reality of life is that sometimes you have to make decisions that you don't want to make, to prioritize things you don't want to have to prioritize, and then live with the outcomes.
In my case, the issue is a pinched nerve in my neck. It is something that has been reoccuring for years, but generally requires one quick adjustment from the chiropractor and I'm good as new for another 6-8 months. After I had the baby, it started again, so I ran to the chiropractor for a quick adjustment, and nothing happened. No relief, and the pain intensified. So I ran back the next week for another adjustment, and the same outcome. I was trying to just live with it, but then it started limiting my workouts. First I noticed a shooting pain when doing flat bench press, and then issues with decline chest press, and then I couldn't even go through the motion to do dips. I started noticing my mobility was severely limited after workouts, and the only thing I could work comfortably in the gym were pull motion exercises, like back & biceps. The pain progressed to where it was happening all of the time, and it was disruptive to not only my workouts, but also my work, sleep and my ability to do certain things with the baby. I decided to try a new chiropractor, and after an assessment and x-rays, was presented with a plan of action, which included sessions three times per week for a month, two times per week for a month, and then one time per week for the final month.
So...back to the original topic of prioritizing things... If I have to go to the chiropractor three times per week, and I already have a commitment on Wednesdays, that leaves Monday, Tuesday and Thursday after work to schedule appointments. And since I have to get Jenna from daycare by a certain time, and JP works many afternoons/evenings, that means probably no gym Monday through Thursday. And since we have been out of town the last three weekends - and will also be out of town this weekend - that means no gym on the weekends. Meaning I am having to prioritize things in order of importance and time limitations. Since the pinched nerve limits by abilities in the gym, it takes precedence over the gym. And Jenna takes precedence over it all. So no gym for me for the last couple of weeks. :(
I do have to say a week and a half at the chiropractor has resulted in much less pain and more mobility for me. I am still experiencing some pain and some limitations, but this is going to work, and I am excited that I have been feeling a little better each time I go. Having muscle stimulation, muscle ultrasounds and massage is a nice addition to the manual adjustments, too, so the benefits of making this a priority are apparant (even if I long for the gym).
The danger for me in this is the fact that your schedule becomes your schedule, and prioritizing things differently, even for a short time period, than normal makes it extremely difficult to get back into the old routine. As a result, I have asked JP to race home in the evenings so I can try to get to the gym - even if only for a short cardio session - to keep it in my routine. I have found this is important, as I can easily forget how much I love the gym, especially when I am exhasuted and wanting to veg a bit!
And that is my solution. As tired as I am, and as just as I don't want to leave the munchkin in the evenings or go to the gym at a later, less convenient time, I have to push through and go. Like a muscle that doesn't get worked not only doesn't grow, but can actually atrophy, me not making the process of going to the gym a part of my schedule, no matter the reasoning, can result in an increased desire not to go. It's funny how this works, isn't it? So, I will push through and reprioritize....and go later...
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