So far so good!

I ended up not doing Yoga/Core II on Sunday.  I DDR'd instead.  That is good.  The plan is not important right now.  Only the every day of it.

I did Yoga and Core II on Monday morning and it felt gooooooood to do some stretching.  As for Core II, here are the benchmark numbers:
Crunches: 25
Leg Curls: 12
Superman: 15
Side crunches: 15
Elbow bridge: 12
Legs up: 15
Crunches: 25
Core II was always my favorite!

Tuesday I had the day off work, and I went down to the beach and went for a nice run on the Seawall.  It was an absolutely gorgeous day (sunny, 50's) and I was so happy with it and the run and just everything!

Also got my Dolce back from the shop on Tuesday and took her for a very short spin to my parents for dinner with the new non-clip pedals.  Tentatively very pleased.  Definitely am more comfortable when I'm not clipped in.

So this morning I rode her on the trainer for half an hour.  Definitely am more aware on the trainer that I was, in fact, using my calves for the appropriate opposition movement.  No clipping in is definitely more quad heavy and an adjustment.  But that is ok.  That is what this is all about!

Weight on Monday was 148.2.  Headed in the right direction.

 

Progress

Every day is about little accomplishments, right?

Yesterday we got Christmas completely down.  That is a big one.

Also, I did P90X: Arms & Shoulders even though I really really didn't want to.  So that was a big one too!

This morning I am feeling a little creaky, so I'm thinking maybe Yoga today along with Core II even though my abs are still super sore.

I'd also like to do a little cleaning, a little laundry, and plant Zoe's little root-visible windowbox garden.

I'm so sore!

It is the morning of the third day of getting back to exercise and I am SO SORE!

Core 1 really killed my abs, y'all.

And then DDR last night rubbed some hot spots on the bottom of my feet that I'm sure will become callouses but right now they are just sore.

Sore!

Today I'm thinking a nice P90X arms day to give my legs, feet, and abs a break!

By the way, full disclosure.  Weight on 1/1/2015 was 150 pounds.  Goal weight range is 130-135.  I've let stress eating get the better of me in the last 6 months, and stress not-exercising.  But this is a new year and I'm already feeling better about things!  Also full disclosure: I'm not counting calories... yet.  This month is going to be about exercising again.  I'm trying to be a bit smarter about what we are cooking and what I'm putting in my mouth, but I am not going to focus on eating yet, and I'm not going to beat myself up if I reach for the extra cookie this month, because frankly, I'm still at the stressy old job and disentangling myself is both stressy, and in some cases will involve goodbye eating.  I am trying to mentally set myself up for success by not making a goal that will be too painful.  Yet.

Oh and one more thing.  I'm already seeing the benefits of exercise in better sleep.  I had forgotten how much harder I sleep when I'm working out!

Ab FAIL

I didn't do abs on Saturday.  I suck.  Actually, it is really stupid.  I didn't make a conscious decision not to do abs.  I didn't fail to do abs because I was sore.  I just FORGOT!!  Ugh!!  You see, I've fallen on the 100 crunches minimum a lot so far this month.  I get to the end of the day, haven't done abs, and bust out my core ball in my bedroom before bed and just do 100 crunches (which kills, btw, so even though it is a minimum, it is still a challenge!).  On Saturday I was super tired, I stumbled towards bed at like 8pm, and I just forgot.  On the upside, I ran that day, and I focused on my core, and I know I got good ab work in, but I didn't get my core specific work in, and I am disappointed in that.

Now, onward, I'm still going for the rest of the days this month.  Tonight, hopefully, I'll be trying Ab Ripper X (from P90X).  Wish me luck!

Oh, I have abs???

Yes, I do. And they are making themselves felt. I mean felt.

Last Sunday I felt the urge to do some crunches. No big thing. Just kinda felt like it. I did about 50 (could have gone longer, but got distracted) and a few push-ups, and wandered off to other things.

Then on Monday I thought, "Those crunches felt good. Let's do some more while we watch tv - maybe we can make a regular thing of this again." And I plopped down on the floor and crunched 100 times, with 25 push-ups.

Ummm, yeah. I didn't crunch last night because every tiny little ab muscle was screaming at me yesterday.

The sad part is that I used to be able to do literally hundreds of crunches. Seriously. No exaggerating. I was in high school/college at the time and really thin and I'd joke that my abs were the only muscles I had.

I think I may try for a few more crunches tonight during the tv watching. Or tomorrow. Or both. I'd like to be an ab beast again.