agoodnewbeginning

So, as many of you are already aware, I have joined the citizens of Vega again and I am proud to call myself a Vegan. Sorry for the horrible pun, but I just remembered it since one of my old Physics professors used to ask me all the time, “How are things on Vega?” Does this have a point?! Yes, but I don’t feel like making it right now.

I am back to not eating animal products because my body just performs better this way. I don’t know why I ever gave up veganism in the first place. I guess I just needed to remember how it felt polluting my body. Eating meat and dairy again seriously felt like a drug binge. I know that no matter how good I think a food tastes, what it does to me mentally and physically is more important. And that my friends is why I am back to my ole vegan ways. : )

How does a vegan diet become even more restrictive? Well, let’s just say your blood pressure falls into Phase I hypertension so you are now eating a low sodium/no salt added diet. (Which sucks because I fucking love salt!) I have always said I have the insides of a 50 year old man. But with all my exercise and weight loss I can (cross your fingers) get off this blood pressure medication one day. (Damn you, heredity!) Oh, and how about your addiction to diet soda? Yeah, I had to give that up too. All that fake sweetener cannot be good for me. 

But even with no [diet] soda and a serious lacking of sodium/salt, my diet is pretty open. Plus, I am a way more adventurous eater when I’m vegan. 

Wow. It’s been over a month since I last posted. It’s been a rough month too, but I have still be exercising and losing weight. Only 60 more pounds until I hit my ultimate goal! (So that means to date I’ve lost about 30 pounds!!!)

So to recap the last month:

- I started working out at a new gym with my coworkers. It makes the workouts so much easier and they go by so much faster! Plus, this new gym is insanely cheap compared to my old gym. (My membership there is up March 5!)

- Sadly, I gave “my two weeks notice” to Glen at KPT today. So my last session will be Thursday March 1. : ( I’m bummed, but I need to start saving money. (It’s time to get my ass to Milwaukee where I’ve always wanted to live.) And with all the stress from school, work, and my Grandma being sick I have been struggling to get out of bed at 4AM to go work out at 5AM. I am going to miss Glen and miss working with him. Thankfully, I remember all that he has taught me and I’m fully capable of completing some strength and balance routines at home.

- I’m looking into to buying a spin bike. Cycling is the one exercise I know I would do at home in front of the TV. I love cycling soooo much and I always get so bummed during the winter because I can’t ride my bike. I’m still debating on it, but there is a decent one on sale right now that I’m really thinking about purchasing….We’ll see!

- Oh, and I’ve gone back to eating vegan. The vegetarian thing wasn’t really working out for me. I feel so much healthier and cleaner eating a vegan diet. I don’t know why I ever stopped. 

- I’ve been slacking on using the Wrecking Balm, but once my stress level comes down I hope to start doing it more regularly so I can post progress pics.

This has been a good week, exercise-wise. I had three great sessions at KPT and I joined a new gym! Wednesday I got to workout with the BFF which was sweet. It made the time fly by. Today I even made it to the gym! Five workouts this week? I am rocking!

What has not been so good? Wednesday was my first day being (diet) soda free. It wasn’t so bad the first day, but I am having mad cravings today!!! I didn’t realize how addicted I really was to it.

I just gotta keep progressing!!

Today’s workout was pretty easy. I did several exercises in sets of three for one minute on and one minute rest. It was definitely a change and it did keep my heart rate up, but I didn’t feel like I was going to die at the end of the workout. Plus, I only ran a half of a mile. (I didn’t mind taking a break from running, but I kind of missed it…No worries tomorrow is a gym day and I’ll get some good distance in then.)

I know haven’t written a ‘real’ post in weeks. Pretty much since I’ve owned an iPhone I haven’t been posting. I mean, why do I need to use my macbook when I can just check everything on the iPhone? I’ll probably post more frequently again when my classes start up next weekend. I’ll have to use my macbook then! 

So….The workouts? My god they have only been getting harder as I have becoming more fit! I keep working hard every session because I want to get the most out of them. I’ve also been more interested in fitness on my own. I get an “itch” on the days I don’t workout. (Well, every day but Mondays because that is the day I have given myself off from workouts) I never thought I’d get this way. Even when I played sports in high school, if I had a few days off I wanted to fucking celebrate. But I know my heart wasn’t in it back then. I didn’t care if we won or lost. I had no interest in the competition. The only competition that I’ve ever cared about is with myself and that is why I’m so involved in these workouts. My heart is in it because this is for me. I’m competing with myself to do better every day and push harder every day. And it feels amazing! 

I still have a long road ahead of me, but I have lost about 25lb since starting late last September!!! It’s only going to get better as I continue to work and include more physical activity into my daily routine. Also, I’ve gone back to eating a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet. (My god does it feel amazing to rid my body of meat!) I just need to continue making good healthy food choices and the weight will continue to drop!

Hell, on Friday night I felt guilty about eating some french fries and having a few beers so I shoveled the drive way and the sidewalk to get in an extra work out! (I can tell you I would have never shoveled all that by myself or at all before…)