I've got my FitBit Charge HR to track heart rate during exercise, at rest, and while asleep (but not while showering). I've got my FitBit Aria scale to track my weight and body fat percentage(ish--it's obviously just the mediocre electric body composition thing). And finally, I've got daily progress photos from which I will spare all but the most genuinely curious in the world.
After I succumbed to allowing stress to flag my workout routine for several months in a row, I was horrified to have crept back over my never-exceed weight (set generously). I noticed similar patterns to before, long ago: thinking my weight was okay (as opposed to not thinking about weight at all), tighter clothes, polite but plausibly disappointed dates, and finally, a picture. Not the worst picture ever to exist of me, but an important reality check. The scale was a reminder that I've slacked off a little too long.
So here's a four-pronged counterattack:
First, a return to biking to work. That little bit went a long way. To hit the issue harder, today was Day 1 of a return to the original P90X.
Second, sleep. Sleep's huge. In order to wake up to work out at 6, I should be in bed, focusing on my breathing at 10.
Third, my eating habits. In an attempt to maximize in a crazy overcorrection fashion, I'll go paleo. This is less important than regular exercise, since mandatory exercise by itself is enough to encourage me to not overeat and to nudge me towards healthy, nourishing food. But let's go for broke and go full food hippy. This means I won't be accepting alcohol, cookies or cake.
Fourth, I'll write little blurbs after my post-workout showers, hopefully shorter than this one, for immediate publication. This will keep me accountable but also hopefully show a real record of what it's like to go this far. Why fall in the woods?
There are several challenges I expect along this front and several habits I will have to rewire quickly:
- P90X is over an hour of exercise daily. For this to work, the rest of my life will have to become more efficient. Will I really have enough time left in my day to enjoy life?
- Eating paleo means most food will be store bought and home-prepared. Amortization of food preparation will become critical.
- I'll be politely refusing most food offers, but discreetly. Nobody likes a fussy eater.
- 10pm bed time will really make me seem like a party pooper. Luckily, I'm 30. PS--30 is great.
- Traveling: It's wedding season, and Seattle summertime means visitors. I can re-stack my workouts leading up to long weekends so I don't need to travel with weights.
- Lots of people fail at this. Why am I special? What will make me succeed? How did I succeed before? Last time I succeeded by not giving myself a choice. One folds so easily when negotiating with oneself. I expect it will be hard. I expect I will get drained. I expect there to be days when it will not be fun. And I await those days knowing that following through on days when it isn't easy is where success is made.
Day 1 was not easy. I've let my physical shape slip a bit, and I felt it. P90X is designed to take you from fit to super-fit, and I might need a reality check about where my fitness is right now. I'll check that later. First I'll try. Excuses come after the workout, not before.
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Re-reading this draft, I see I've identified the root cause of letting my fitness routine slip as succumbing to stress. On one hand, this is a choice, but on the other hand, replacing the fitness routine doesn't fix the sources of stress or the fact that I handled it with poor food, sleep, and activity choices. I'll certainly be revisiting this element of wellness this time around.
Ready set go.
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