Variety is the Spice of Life

Day 4.  Last night was bad.  Very bad.  I did not sleep well.  My muscles were angry and restless, most likely confused as to what I had done with their normal "person" and who the hell did I leave in charge.  I am not writing this to complain (although it does feel nice to get it out there), I write it to be real.  Working to change the composition of my body to increase my muscle mass is not a walk in the park, literally or figuratively.

My arms hurt just resting at my sides this morning.  My son (who is 17 and goes to the gym regularly - the real gym, not my basement gym where I work out) told me to give my arms a rest today.  Hmmm, how did I not figure that in?  I am smart enough to know that, but I was so determined to be disciplined.  However, this is an experiment so I have room for a learning curve and adjustments.  I think I may make everything I do from here on out an experiment.  It feels much freer.

So instead of doing my planned workout, I changed it up.  I still did almost an hour workout doing a different video followed by an ab session on the mat.  I had to modify a few moves to not over-strain my arms, listening to my body as I went.  Let's repeat that and give it the recognition it deserves.  I listened to my body as I went.  Mind-body connection, here I come!  I still got in a great workout and it was nice to change things up a bit.

Which brings me to the diet portion of this experiment.  Last night for dinner, I made a salad and baked potatoes.  I needed a simple meal that wouldn't require too much thought because I was so worn out.  Normally this meal would look like this:  fresh salad with tomato, cucumber, shredded cheddar cheese and good season's flavor packet recipe for Italian dressing and a baked potato smothered in butter and sour cream with some added shredded cheddar cheese on top.  Yummy!  But, not in line with my new dietary guidelines.

Instead, I mixed it up.  I tried to create my own version of a Mediterranean-inspired salad.  I started with the same fresh spring greens mix I would normally use and the tomato and cucumber, then I added in a few kalamata olives and some jarred artichoke hearts.  I topped this off with some crumbled feta cheese (which is not my favorite usually) and I made my own homemade Italian dressing using a few roasted cloves of garlic, vinegar, oil, lemon juice, honey and oregano.  The combination of all of those flavors made my salad a new experience and I enjoyed every healthful, nutritious bite.  For my baked potato, I dressed it with a homemade veggie dip I made the night before.  I used plain non-fat Greek yogurt mixed with a few tablespoons of light mayonnaise and liberal sprinklings of garlic powder and dill.  This was really unique on my potato.  The dill really made the potato flavor stand out in contrast.

This morning, I drizzled a little honey on my grapefruit (which was like a dessert after my already tasty breakfast).  As pictured above: a fried egg, strawberries and multi-grain skinny bread covered with laughing cow skinny Swiss cheese.  Note 1) I fried my egg in olive oil, which I thought would be disgusting and turns out, I couldn't taste any difference at all.  Note 2)  I drink 4 oz of quality (not from concentrate) orange juice with my breakfast most days.  I know that many people say not to drink fruit juices at all, but they can bite me!  I'm simply not giving up my sunshine in a glass.  But moderation. 4 ounces.  No more.  No less.

Then, because my body and I are becoming friends, I soaked in a long, hot epsom salt bath to ease my sore muscles before putting on the softest clothes I could find. 

Until next time...  Be well!
~Tracy