every day shines

[WhoCaresWins]

13th December 65.2kg.
Today's weight 65.2kg (No change!)

A rather average week. I managed to get some workouts in, but didn't get to kickboxing .

Sunday Mindfulness of Breathing plus GPP
Monday Tara plus Core
Tuesday Metta
Eve Some skipping plus Core
Wednesday Mindfulness plus Magic 50
Thursday Tara plus Core
Eve Weights (B)
Friday Metta
Eve Yoga
Saturday Mindfulness and Weights (A)

I have made a few changes to what I do this week.

After doing the Ross Enamait strength workouts once a week, I have decided to go back to more conventional weights twice a week. Although I love Ross's "complex pair" idea and will go back to these at some point.


Weight routines
A
(3x12 of everything)
Squats 50kg
Military Press 25kg
Lunges (with sandbag) 20kg
Floor Bench Press 45kg
Step-ups (with sandbag) 20kg

B
3x12 of all except SLDL.
Arnolds 12.5kg
SLDL (3x8) 70kg
Row 30kg
Squat 50kg
1 Arm Row 15kg

Poundages are low, even for me. But I am doing sets of 12 and I have been working more of a 5x5 plan. I have probably lost some strength due to the lack of lifting and my attempts to lose some bodyfat over the past couple of months.

The Yoga/Gymnastics thing is like this:
Yoga
Trikonasana
2 different twists
2 different forward bends

Gymnastics
L-sits (5x30 secs)
Bridge (5 x what feels like enough )
Tuck Planche (5x30 secs)
Wall Walks (5 x what feels like enough )
Handstand (working towards 5x1min - nearly there)
Candlesticks (5 slow negatives)

I also have a strong urge to run, so I will definitely be trying to fit some running in during the Christmas holidays.

Anyway ... I am happy with how things are going. I'll update next week.

WCW

[WhoCaresWins]

Felt like weighing myself this morning : 63.9kg. That's about 10st 1lb.
WCW

[WhoCaresWins]

Well, it's Saturday, so time for me to update this log. I have had a couple of days of over-indulgence and little or no exercise, so I am not weighing myself for a few days

Sunday Mindfulness plus GPP
Monday Tara plus Core
Tuesday Metta plus burpee intervals
Eve Weights B
Wednesday Mindfulness of Breathing plus Magic 50
Eve Yoga and Gymnastics
Thursday Rest day (aka Christmas Day)
Friday 5x5 partial HSPU (hands on blocks). Plus some handstand practice.
Saturday MIndfulness of Breathing plus Core.

WCW

[WhoCaresWins]

22/12/08 : 63.9kg.

Today 62.8kg.

[emm7]

hi WCW how is the Tara meditation going?

[WhoCaresWins]

Hi Emm - my meditation has been a bit disrupted over the holiday period - too many late nights However I have stuck at it and only missed a couple of sessions.

The last Tara sit I did was actually on New Year's Day. I was in Leeds and allowed myself a lie in, as it had not been a particulary good night's sleep (although I was actually asleep before midnight!). Anyway, I had a really good session. I had also been thinking about something from "A Course in Miracles" - a lesson in which we are asked to see the Son in the person who most causes us difficulties. I was thinking about this in the part of my practice when I imagine the rainbow light from the Tara Mantra falling upon beings and acting in a positive way upon them. I found myself having a real sense of relief as I thought about the person I had major problems with at work when I was quite paranoid and unwell. I was able to let go of my grievances and ask his forgiveness. It was quite an intense feeling! Especially since I have avoided using him in meditations before due to having so much rage around this relationship. I then thought I should tackle my negative feelings towards my mother and found a similar feeling of relief and freedom. It is amazing what visualising yourself as the embodiment of compassion can do!

This morning I really struggled with a basic mindfulness practice - just feeling too tired - must get to bed earlier tonight!!

Anyway ... training.


Saturday Eve Weights A
Sunday Mindfulness of Breathing plus GPP
Eve 20 mins on treadmill
Monday Tara plus Core
Tuesday Metta plus GPP
Eve Weights B
Wednesday Mindfulness plus 6x2 mins burpees
Thursday Tara
Friday Metta plus Core
Saturday Mindfulness

I am actually feeling quite down today. The buffet meals around Christmas and New Year have really played havoc with my "Eating Window". Today I am just about getting back on track. I am really annoyed with myself for missing so many workouts over the last few days.

On the positive side, I have been reading Coach Sommer's book on Gymnastics and made a few alterations to what I plan to do.
It will now be as follows:

Yoga:
Trikonasana
Bharadvajasana
Maricyasana
Janu Sirasana
Upavista Konasana

Gymnastics:
L Sits
Bridge
Straddle Planche
Reverse Leg Lifts
Straddle L
Handstand Press-Ups

Hopefully I can get my groove back tonight!

[emm7]

Tara meditation sounds very powerful
sounds like it is definitely having strong effects
I've been doing a lot of reiki work on "healing the past" over this Christmas break and I think things are shifting.

Re. eating, I've been re-reading Intuitive Eating by Tribole and Resch.
http://www.intuitiveeating.com/
http://www.amazon.com/Intuitive-Eating- ... 0312321236
As well as the listening to body hunger signals & cravings they espouse an attitude of enlighted hedonism towards food. They have a great saying: in matters of taste, consider nutrition, and in matters of nutrition, consider taste.

Your page from course in miracles is very interesting, all the SIGHT metaphors are fascinating to me.

So is the seeing of the world reversed, as we look out toward truth, away from fear.

I feel as though this is describing what happened to me. Suddenly I SAW differently. But you can't get there (to the new way of SEEING) through brute willpower. You can't force yourself. It's a subconscious CLICK. I think it comes as a gift. But I think it increases the chance of it happening, if you're being kind and tender to yourself. In how you treat yourself and talk to yourself and think about yourself etc.
I want to have this NEW SEEING in a lot of areas now, I am hoping for it to happen in many more places.

[WhoCaresWins]

weight = 65kg

I have been eating a bit more this week. In the mornings I have been having some dextrose with my Essential Amino Acids.

Sat Eve Yoga and Gymnastics
Sun Mindfulness and Weights A
Mon Tara and Core
Eve Kickboxing
Tues Metta Bhavana and GPP
Eve Weights B
Wed Mindfulness of Breathing and Magic 50
Eve Yoga and Gymnastics
Thurs Tara and Core
Eve Kickboxing
Fri Metta and GPP
Sat Mindfulness of Breathing

I was pleased that I got to Kickboxing twice this week. Thursday's session was a bit hopeless. I'd eaten well at about 5pm and the food hadn't gone down enough by the time I started training at 7pm. I just never really got into the class as a result.
I am enjoying the new gymnastics moves - the Straddle L is going well and the Reverse Leg Lifts are challenging. For this movement, I get into a headstand and then slowly lower my feet to the floor and raise them back up. The idea is to touch the floor only lightly. I am working towards 5 sets of 5 reps. My balance isn't all it should be and I sometimes fall over after about 3 reps!
I must do some sort of run this weekend - even if it is only on the treadmill. I need to start the proper marathon training schedule in mid Feb, so I need to build up some running endurance. I am considering dropping one kickboxing session in order to go fell-running again. An added advantage of doing that is that it would save me money!
One thing I have really noticed is that I need to get more sleep - this week has been quite difficult at work and I have been really tired as a result of getting less than 7 hours on a couple of nights.

I had a lie-in this morning so I haven't done any exercise. I may try to fit in the weights session at some point, but I need to take the kids swimming!

The meditation has suffered this week from my tiredness. I am on the verge of completely rethinking things in order to give myself more time and energy for that side of things!!

WCW

[emm7]

I have been eating a bit more this week.

One thing I have really noticed is that I need to get more sleep - this week has been quite difficult at work and I have been really tired as a result of getting less than 7 hours on a couple of nights.

I had a lie-in this morning

More food, more sleep
Good am very glad to hear that very well done.

[WhoCaresWins]

This is a mid-week update, because I have made a few changes (again).

I have had a few days off . Partly because I'd been having some pain in my right arm for a week or so and partly because I was beginning to think that maybe I was overdoing things. Specifically, I was tired in the mornings and finding it hard to meditate. So, I have had a think.
So ... I basically did no exercise from Friday am to Tuesday night. Tuesday night I did Weights A and this morning I did some burpee intervals. I have kept the meditation going.

Firstly, I am going to try to get more sleep. I have moved meditation time to the evening for the time being. I am also not going to go to Kickboxing on Monday nights any more. This class is 8:30 until 10pm and I have just been finding myself exhausted the next day. I am going to drop some other sessions too - less core work as I feel that my core is probably being stimulated well by the yoga and gymnastics stuff. I'll have to see how it goes. Finally, I am easing up on the Intermittent Fasting. Having some breakfast now and eating my main meal at lunchtime so that food has gone down better for evening sessions.

Right then. Here's the plan. Meditate every day plus these sessions:

Monday GPP, Yoga and Gymnastics.
Tuesday GPP, Weights A.
Wednesday GPP, Yoga and Gymnastics.
Thursday GPP, Kickboxing.
Friday GPP (then maybe a run or something in the evening).
Saturday Weights B
Sunday Run.

I am thinking that this is still fairly varied and has some nice intensity built in. The GPP sessions are between 10 and 17(ish) mins so are nice short workouts to do in the mornings (when I was doing Core sessions, they were far more time-consuming). My main issue will be building up my running as I am going to start marathon training in mid-February.

[WhoCaresWins]

I have decided to enter a Kickboxing competition on Feb 8th. One thing I have my eye on are the weight divisions. I am hoping to fight in the 60-65kg category. This is good as it puts me off losing any more weight. I just need to maintain a weight just below 65 and I'll be in a good position (ie one of the bigger people in the category!).

Now, if only I can learn to keep my guard up and put together some good combinations ....

WCW

[emm7]

good adjustments WCW
good luck for the kickboxing competition too!
how many meals are you eating per day now?

[WhoCaresWins]

good adjustments WCW
good luck for the kickboxing competition too!
how many meals are you eating per day now?

Thanks. I am eating 3 meals (sort of). I am still being a bit restrictive though.

Breakfast = about 65g mixed seeds and nuts.
Lunch = homecooked main meal (eg lentil curry) plus apple and banana.
Snack = two slices of bread (wholemeal) plus apple and banana.
Dinner = 4 squares plain chocolate, some prunes, dates apricots and raisins. Bowl of porridge followed by about 3 desert spoons of beetroot salad, one tomato and some salad leaves. I also had about 1 pint of soya milk (in milky drinks).

WCW

[emm7]

do you eat whenever you're hungry or do you ignore hunger pangs?
how full / satisfied do you feel after meals?
how is your concentration?
how is your mood?

[WhoCaresWins]

do you eat whenever you're hungry or do you ignore hunger pangs?

Er ... ignore / drink herbal tea.

how full / satisfied do you feel after meals?
how is your concentration?
how is your mood?

I feel good after eating and concentration and mood are fine at the moment
WCW