Updates, goals reached, challenges.

 

I finished Bodyshred on November 11, and it felt so good, but also kind of anticlimactic, and I'm not sure why. I never really expected to finish it able to do everything the workout asked of me, and I am proud that I fought through that last week, when the workouts were so hard it felt like I was modifying more than actually following the moves. Or maybe it was because my sister was getting engaged in two days, and that was consuming my thoughts and feelings. Maybe it was because I felt like my body wasn't really changing, despite my giving everything I had. 

Except it was, and is. My body did the ridiculous swelling thing it does through most of the program, and it was difficult to see any exterior payoff to all my hard work. On the Friday before my last week of Bodyshred, my size 8 jeans were feeling incredibly tight and I thought, this better come off when I get a little chance to recover. Well, the next Thursday, I felt kinda skinny, and decided to see what I weighed. The scale had faithfully claimed since Declan was 2 weeks old that I weighed 182 (or more, some days!) despite me losing pant sizes and working out like a beast. Not this day. This day it told me 174. Well good. I'll take that. Then, sometime that weekend, I tried on my size six jeans, and they slid right on and there was no muffin top. 

This past week was not intended to be a recovery week, but due to a perfect storm on my mental health affecting my physical health, it was, for the most part. That also gave me a chance to actually see the changes in my body. I saw another movement on the scale (171) and I tried on my size fours twice. The first time I just wanted to see how close I was to being able to button and zip-I didn't really think they'd come over my hips! They buttoned and zipped with little effort. The second time, yesterday, there was no muffin top. What is this world? They weren't comfortable, but they went on. So that gives me some fuel to think that maybe in the next 5 weeks of workouts I can make the difference between where I am now and "comfortable". Y'know, everyone's Holiday plan. Hahahaha! 

I'm starting the first of two challenges I've got on deck for the holidays today,  and I'm gonna record stats for once:

Weight: 171

Waist: 30

Hips: 40

Chest:40

Cage : 33

Thigh: 23

Calf:14

Bicep(not flexed): 11

I'm trying to prepare myself for the likelihood of swelling up again, at least a bit, but hopefully even our trip at Christmas won't jack up my results too much. 

This is (probably) our last week of nursing, which will get its own post, but this means next week I can start taking a pre workout and BCAA supplements! I'm excited about that and really hope there's a positive effect on my muscle building, workout performance, and overall energy. 

I'm a bit overtired today from a very emotional and mentally challenging week, and resulting lack of sleep, but I'm so excited for what's ahead. 

31 weeks!