Failed - But On A Positive Note

     I'm a failure at my challenge. I missed yesterday and that made 3 missed days. # strikes and I'm out. However.....I may have technically failed at training for 21 days straight, but I've succeeded in moving at the very least, every other day. I've moved more over the past two weeks than I have in the past 8 months. So is that really a failure? I'm counting it as a win. 

     Tonight was an upper body night. It's amazing how much strength I've lost. I'm hoping that it's not lost forever, maybe it's just hiding behind the tall weeds. IN any case, here's what I did:

SEATED OVERHEAD PRESS:

(bar x10 ea front & rear) 3x

FAT GUY PULL UPS:

10x3

RAISES:

(5 lb Front / Lat / Y) x15

(10lb front/ lat / Y) x8

(15lb front / lat / Y) x3

MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS:

30 in 24 seconds

30 in 25 seconds

30 in 26 seconds

••••••••••

For those not in the know, I do seated overhead because the ceilings are too low for standard overhead press. Although, now that I think about it, I could've done it standing because I only used the bar - no plates. Oh well, next time. The FGP were ugly as hell and demonstrated just how weak I truly am. I was very discouraged after the first set but stuck with it and finished all 3 sets. 

     This is where I have to put my mental self in check. All my life I've expected perfection from myself on the very first try. How ridiculous is that? I certainly don't expect that from my daughter. I always tell her that you have to fail while you're learning. So why do I expect something different from me? If I could do a perfect pull up, why the hell would I even be doing fat guy pull ups? We train with the assumption that we're not as strong as we could  be. We don't start out as strong as we could imagine. Anyhow, that's my neurotic brain. 

     Now it's time for stuffed peppers and some shrimp cocktail. Peace.

Habit Forming

     Day 15 of 21. Tonight saw some deadlifts happening for the first time in a very long time. Too long. I looked back quickly in my blog to February and I didn't see any, so at least 8 months has passed. Looking back I also saw a lot of haphazardness in those 8 months. I didn't see any real programming, no real direction; so that's an issue. Even with all that chaos I saw a determination and tenacity that will serve me well in the long run. I hope those are traits that I pass on to Emily.
     Again, I'm not going for any record breaking sets right now. I just want to get in the habit of moving every day. I believe I'm on the right track. It seems like less of a mental tug of war with myself before each session. I'm encouraged by that at least. I'm glad that I switched from kettlebells to the barbell. I still do feel almost like I failed my own challenge, but I suppose I really haven't. I'll throw the kettlebells back in here and there, they're certainly not gone for good!

     Here's tonight's work:

DEADLIFTS:

95lb x10

115lb x10

135lb x10

BARBELL GOOD MORNINGS:

45lb x10

65lb x10

85lb x10

95lb x10

REVERSE DB FLYS:

(15lb x10) 3x

H.K.R. / PLATE PULLOVERS:

(H.K.R. x10 / 35lb x10) 2x

••••••••••

And that was it. It was enough, for now. 6 more days of getting habits to set in and then we kick it up a bit with the intensity. 

I don't have any recipes tonight. I'm doing some meal prepping tomorrow, or at least that's he plan anyhow. I'll share some of what I accomplished. Peace out.

Take It Easy

     Day 14 of 21. Yesterday was my birthday so there was no training. I had ice cream cake & Chinese food and some fun time with my family. It was 100% worth it and I have zero regrets. That puts me officially 2 days behind where I should be, but I'm OK with that. Life goes on, and so does my training.

     I stayed with barbell work. As much as I love kettlebells, I do get bored with them easily and I enjoy lifting. So tonight I did some bench work. Here's what got done:

BENCH:

1.5 reps (bottom range):

55lb x10

65lb x8 

75lb x6

95lb x3

CURLS: 

Standard curls 15lb x10 / gladiator curls 15lb x10 / zottman curls 15lbx10 (no rest between each variation)

Reverse curls 15lb x10 / hammer curls 15lb x10 (no rest between each)

RENEGADE ROWS:

(15lb x10 each side) 2x

PLANKS:

(from forearms) 30 seconds x2

OVERHEAD RAISES:

25lb plate x25

15lb DB x25

••••••••••

     I like the 1.5 rep benches. Some nights I work the top range, other nights, the bottom. This is the most weight that I've ever done on the 1.5 reps so I think that's pretty good. I'm not going back to any strict programming yet so I realize that these nights may seem somewhat haphazard. After I get past these 21 days I think I'll probably end up going back to that 12 week strength program that w-I was on so many moons ago. It had a great deal of variety but good structure to get results. 

     My nutrition has slipped over the past week and I'm noticing a distinct difference in how I feel and perform. I intend on getting back in line this weekend. I'm trying to keep myself on track and disciplined yet at the same time not stress too much at the slip ups. 

     I've hit the 45 year mile marker in my life. I'm not perfect. This may be surprising to those reading this, but I'm actually quite flawed. I know, I was shocked when I realized it too. I realized that beating myself up for messing up is pretty counterproductive. My birthday gift to myself is easing up on myself a little. A little.

     

     

It Was Bar-ly A Workout

Day 13 of 21.

By the time I was able to head downstairs, it was already around 6:30 and we still hadn't had dinner. A quick session was all I could do. I again opted for the bar instead of the bells. I'm kind of glad I did tonight because the back squats showed me how tight my shoulders  had gotten. I think they bothered me more than my legs tonight!

Not too much to say or to brag about just a straightforward session before the timer on the oven went off. Here's all I got:

BACK SQUATS:
bar x10

bar x10 paused

55lb x10

65lb x10

95lb x10

Wide/Mid/Narrow x10 each

     And that's it. I'm not happy with it, but it was movement. I've come to the realization that Frank and I have very different training styles. I'm used to pushing pretty much as hard as I can for longer. Frank is used to smaller, quicker sessions. I know I didn't push myself near enough tonight, but, whatever. I can feel the frustration building in me just typing about it, so I'm walking away for now. 

     Tonight's recipe is as quick as my training tonight. It's for Instant Pot buffalo chicken. Place 3 boneless, skinless breasts in the pot of the cooker. Add a 12oz bottle of hot sauce and 1/2 stick butter. Cook on the poultry setting for 15-20 minutes. Take the chicken out and shred it. You can cook the sauce in the pot on the sauté setting to thicken it, then add the chicken back in. This chicken is great on top of the Ultimate Detox Salad that I shared in a previous post. Add some cottage cheese and blue cheese dressing and you're good to go! As a side note, adding cottage cheese to your creamy dressings means that you can use less dressing and cut out some fat. 

That's it for tonight. On to day 14.

Rise Again Tomorrow

     DAY 12 of 21. I took a break from kettlebells tonight and did some very easy weights tonight. I'm getting really bored. The same thing, every night...swing, squat, push, blah, blah, blah. I'm tired, worn out and just feel like stopping. But I know I shouldn't quit. I also know that I gave myself a challenge of 21 days of kettlebells. While I've technically broken that challenge by missing a day, I didn't want to miss another day. I suppose I've broken that challenge even further by doing weights instead of kettlebells. Oh well. At least it was better than nothing. 

     Here's what we did:

50lb DB shrugs x40

Machine chest flies: 40lb x10, 20lb x10, 20lb x10, 10lb x10

Tricep pull downs: 60lb x10, 70lb x3, 60lb x7

Face pulls: (60lb x10) 2x

Seal rows: (30lb x10) 2x

Hanging knee raises (x10) 3x

     Tonight got me thinking about a couple of things. It bothers me that I get so upset if I deviate from this challenge in any way. Why? This wasn't handed down to me from some superior or something. It was given to me by some adversary trying to break me. It was simply something that I thought would be good for me to do. I also thought that I had a couple of people to do it with me, but I'm not sure they're still going. I thought if I could keep myself moving every day for 3 weeks I would definitely set up some better fitness habits and hopefully, in the process, drop the last of this extra weight that I'm carrying around. I've missed one day of the past 12. Every single one of the other 11 days I've worked my ass off swinging a bell. But I have to stop to think if my goal was to totally break myself over the span of 3 weeks. Can I work this hard every day for 21 days? Should I? I'm no spring chicken but I'm certainly not the friggin crypt keeper, either. So is it so awful if tonight, I did a fluff of a workout? Then I start to worry that I'm giving myself the OK to make excuses for not living up to my expectations. 

     Being a chronic overthinker is tiresome. Couple that with insomnia and you've got a wonderful set up for exhaustion. Which is the point that I'm at. So was tonight stellar? NO. I cannot lie and say that it was tough or taxing or really, very productive. It was, however, movement and better than sitting on my ass on the couch. It was semi-enjoyable and my love and I got to spend a few quiet minutes together. 

     Tomorrow will be another day that I can try again. Maybe I'll have a few hours of good sleep tonight and maybe I'll have a bit more spring in my step tomorrow. I don't know the certainty of those things. I know though, for certain, that I will keep trying. I will keep striving to be better even when it looks as though I'm running in place.

     It's exactly because of times like these that I keep a particular John Dryden quote close at hand. I learned it when I first started seeing a personal trainer all those years ago and it sums me up perfectly. I keep it on my blog and when I feel less than wonderful and less than what I should be, I read it and remind myself of how far I've come. I will leave you with it tonight.

This May Take Awhile

Day 11 of 21.

     I skipped working out yesterday. I felt like I had zero energy and zero ambition. I don't really have much to say about it. 

     As soon as I started tonight, I felt like it was going to be another shit show. I set my mind, once again, to getting through one set at a time. Surprisingly, I finished faster than Saturday night. Admittedly, the squats were not as deep as they sometimes are or probably should be, but I'm not worrying about it. The fact that I did anything at all is satisfying. I also alternated between doing 3 rows on each side, and 3 push ups. I'm so sick of push ups but I know that they're a staple and I should be able to do them fluidly and efficiently.

     Here's tonight's work:

START TIME - 4:29pm

END TIME - 5:06pm

35lb KB (15 swings, 5 goblet squats, 3 lunge rows each side or 3 push ups) 20x

     Tonight's recipe is for buffalo chicken in the instant pot. I'm not sure if it's healthy or not, but it's awesome on top of a salad. Salad makes anything healthy! Get the recipe here. 

     

Well, It Had To Happen

Day 10 of 21

I skipped today. I just did not have it in me. 

20 Sets One Set At A Time

     Day 9 of 21. Every time I think that it can't get any suckier, it does. Tonight was just awful. I did a lot of work around the house today. I stripped 3 sections of fence that our neighbor was going to throw away. I'm using it to beef up our chicken coop. So I spent all morning doing that, plus running in and doing laundry. By the time the afternoon arrived, I was already sore and tired. I thought last night was a total grind? HA! Tonight was even worse.

     I took out the push ups. I really just can't stand them and I didn't want to do them. There's no other reason. In their place I did lunge rows. I honestly didn't think I was going to finish. I was sweatier than I've been in a long time and actually had to break out my chalk to keep the bell in my hand. (Side note here - chalk does not feel good on raw skin. I had pulled a splinter out earlier in the day and when I chalked up, it was unpleasant to say the least.) I got to about the 11th set and it felt like I was just shutting down. Every part of me hurt, I was drenched in sweat and I just felt wrung the hell out. So I told myself just get through one more set; it's not that much, and then you can quit. And that's how I got through the last nine sets. I just did one more. When that one was done, I just did one more. Always just one more. 

     I have a tendency to look at each session as one huge set and I think that's probably what screws me up. I feel overwhelmed because I think, How the hell am I going to 20 sets? It seems too daunting. When I tell myself that I jus need to get through one set, it's a more realistic task. I know this sounds way too overcomplicated and maybe for some people it is. For me, on days like this, it's the only way I can possibly accomplish this goal. If there's one thing I am, it's tenacious. I will grind, trudge, and plow my way through difficult tasks and I do it one step, one push, one pull, one set at a time. 

     Here's my breakdown:

START TIME - 4:53pm

END TIME - 5:35pm

35lb KB (15 swings, 5 squats, 3 lunge rows each side) 20x

After I was done, I took my measurements again, purely for shits and giggles. I have no faith that my weight is accurate (see last night's post about that piece of shit). As for my measurements, I figured taking them after my workout might give me a little pump and maybe that would lift my spirits. Meh, not so much.

Thigh - 24" - 1" gain

Bicep - 14" - 1" gain

Calf - 15" - SAME

Waist - 37.5" - 1" loss

Weight 181lbs - 4lb gain

Make of those numbers what you will. I still don't like what I see in the mirror. 

     Tonight's recipe is one of my own doing. We had a ton of zucchini from the garden this year and they were huge! We made some stuffed zucchini and that's always good but I also made some sausage and zucchini soup. It's basically a tomato base with some green peppers, onions, garlic, carrots, celery, and then loads of cut up zucchini. and some browned, crumbled, Italian sausage. I can try and write up the recipe at some point, but it's too late at night for my brain to deal with that. Basically, homemade soups are a great option when you're eating healthy. They're very filling and don't pack on a lot of calories or carbs. Stay away from creamy soups though because most of those are loaded with fat!

     Time for a shower, a snack, and then bed. 

Total Grind

     Day 8 of 21. Tonight was, what shall I call it? It was a dichotomy of pleasure and pain. I made it through the entire routine with the 35lb bell. I'm actually proud of myself and that doesn't happen too often. It feels good to have accomplished that. Plus, I accomplished it in a time that was indeed faster than the first night when I had to switch to the lighter bell. Numbers don't lie. I am making progress. 

     So, you may ask, what was the pain? Oh, you know, the pain of underused muscles screaming at you for making them work and the burning of airways as you try to get enough air to keep from passing out. I. Am. Tired. It took all I had to even start to move tonight. I almost succeeded in talking myself out of it. I tried telling myself that I could get away with just fluffing a workout with my light bell, and just doing a few sets of swings and maybe some sit ups or some shit. Then I started looking in my books for different workouts, basically trying to find something easier. The stubborn part of my mind won and I shut the books, quit the excuses, and grabbed the 35lb bell, my music, and my iced tea. Sometimes it's good to be stubborn. It was a grind. A slow, steady, ugly grind. And it was good. Here's tonight's breakdown:

START TIME - 4:13pm

END TIME - 4:54pm

35lb KB (15 swings, 5 squats, 3 push ups) 20x

One minute faster than day 1. I am pleased.

     Before I get to tonight's recipe, I have to confess that we did not have salmon last night. We wound up having Chinese food and I have no regrets. The salmon will be tonight. The recipe I'm sharing tonight may or may not be the exact one that I've used in the past (please refer to my past post about my inability to save websites and recipes). That being said, if it isn't the exact one, it's pretty damn close and looks just as good! It's a recipe for Greek stuffed peppers and you can find it here. 

     All in all tonight was good. I'm glad it's over and I'm not even going to think about tomorrow until it's time. Grinding on....

Lucky Number 7

     Day 7 of 21. One week is officially signed, sealed and delivered. I will tell you that no part of me wanted to do this tonight. I feel like a wrung out dishcloth. I think it's more mentally exhausted than anything, I'd say a good night's sleep would help, but we all know that's not going to happen. Or maybe we didn't all know that, but in any case, now we do.

     I was going to take my measurements and see what kind of progress I made, but I decided against that. I really don't think anything has changed. I don't feel lighter or tighter so, screw it. Besides that, my scale is almost useless so getting an accurate weight is a joke. Take my adventure the other morning for example. I like to weigh myself when I get up. I figure I might as well get the personal disgust out of the way first thing so I can move on with my more widely spread disgust about the world. So I scuffle into the bathroom and wake the damned thing up with a toe tap. I step on when it's ready and it tells me I weigh 188lbs. Bollocks. But it's OK, I'll play along. So I give it the old toe tap again, this time with a little attitude, and step on when it's adjusted itself. 164lbs. Easiest diet I ever went on, WOO! I know that's not right either though. The third time is supposed to be a charm, so I toe tap the stinkin thing in a last-ditch effort to get a reasonable weight. Now I'm back up to 177lbs. I gave up at that point and just took an average of the three, but I'm not even sure that average is accurate. This is why it's so frustrating to figure out just how much I've lost. Not to mention that my weight fluctuates so much in the course of a week (hormones are lovely, am I right?). My clothes are loose and that's how I know I'm doing OK. At the end of the three weeks, I'll take my measurements again and see what happened. At least tape measures don't lie. 

     I have to confess that I have had more sugar than I was eating and so I am more waterlogged than I would like. It's also probably why I feel like shit. Something to take note of and adjust. Certainly not something to beat myself up over. 

     Anyway, here's tonight's numbers:

START TIME - 3:53pm

END TIME - 4:21pm

20lb KB (15 swings, 5 goblet squats, 3 push ups) 20x

One minute faster than last night. I'm not quite sure how that happened, but I'll take it!

     Tonight's recipe isn't a diabetic recipe, but it's a keto one. It's for Curry Rubbed Chicken Thighs. I had never had many curry-flavored foods until I went on this keto diet. I realized I had been missing out on some awesome flavors. This is a favorite of ours when we're feeling a little spicy. That whole website found here has some great recipes. They're anything but low fat though, so if that's what you're looking for, be careful of what recipes you choose. Remember, keto is about low carb, not low fat!

     Speaking of food, I need to go get dinner - salmon for us tonight.

It's The Got-Damned Grapes

     Day 6 of 21. I did a thing today. I proved to myself that I'm almost as good as I once was. I completed the standard Coyote with the 20lb bell. Yup. I know I had said I would wait till the second week to try it again, but I felt like I could give it a go. I figured I'd start it and see how far I could get before my legs gave out. My legs did not give out. I had my water and my grapes and I got through the whole damned thing, and if you keep reading, you'll see I got through it in good time as well. I'm telling you, it's the friggin grapes. Magical little pops of energy is what they are. Try it, you won't be disappointed.

     Here was tonight's work:

START TIME - 4:02pm

END TIME - 4:31pm

(That's right, 29 frickin minutes, baby!)

20lb KB (15 swings, 5 squats, 3 push ups) 20x

     The first night when I tried to complete this, it was 42 minutes. Granted, that was a mix of the 35lb KB and the 20pounder, but still, it was a lot slower. This is a huge motivator to get me back to that 35lb KB. Come to think of it, I'm not sure if I've ever completed it with the 35lb KB. I know when I first started doing this every night, all I had was the 20lb, but I don't remember if I bumped up to the 35lb. It doesn't really matter, even if I did do it at one time, remember, that time is not now. Now is now, and right now, I can't do it. But I will.

     Tonight's recipe is for a zucchini & chickpea veggie burger. This recipe made me a little nervous because it uses a lot of things that we didn't normally eat, mainly tahini, miso & chickpeas. We gave it a shot and were not disappointed! The thing with these veggies burgers and others like them, is that you can't have the expectation of it actually tasting like a burger. If you make it thinking it's going to be just like a beef patty, you're going to hate it. It tastes like veggies, but veggies are awesome! Don't skip the miso and tahini because they add a lot of the pizzazz. Get the recipe here . In general that website that the recipe is on is a great resource for healthy recipes. They're all technically diabetic recipes. Here's a little secret though, of all the eating plans and nutrition regimens I've read about and tried, diabetic meal plans seem to be the most common sense, balanced and sustainable that I've come across. We could all do with less processed carbs and more lean meat and veggies.  Give it a try!

Dare I say?

     Day 5 of 21. Dare I say it? Do I dare to say it felt easier tonight? I do dare, and I do say it. It was easier. It's amazing what a lessening of pain will do for you! I know that I'll be able to add the squats back in next week and maybe even up the weight. we'll see how it all goes. 

     I put this 21 day challenge to myself as sort of a..."put up or shut up" sort of thing. You know, I have all these conversations with myself in my head. It sounds crazy, maybe even clinically it is, but those conversations are pretty effective at working me through plateaus. I've been telling myself how pissed off I am that I can't do what I used to and how I used to be this and used to be that. While it's true that i really did used to be able to some awesome things, right now, none of that matters. What once was is miles and years away from what is now. That doesn't mean that I can't be that person again. So, basically, I told myself to either shit or get off the pot. I either start doing the things that I used to , or I stop reminding myself of them. 

     When these 21 days are up, it's not actually the end. It's the beginning of new habits and new muscles formed. I don't intend on this ending. I want this to be me going back to my normal ways. Maybe not working out everyday, but most days. It'll be me being able to not worry that I had a cookie because I've worked hard enough to negate it's downsides. It's me not hating the way I look in clothes and hating the crappy way I feel. 

     Not only did I feel better, but I sure did move quicker! 35 minutes; 6 minutes faster than last night. Here's tonight's work:

START TIME - 4:03pm

END TIME - 4:38pm

20lb KB (15 swings, 5 presses each side, 5 gorilla rows each side) 20x

     Tonight's recipe is for a pizza crust. Who doesn't love pizza? It's made from spaghetti squash and while it sounds nasty it's honestly really good! Guilt free pizza for the win! Get the recipe here. 

Still Surviving

     Day 4 of 21. The pain is easing up; a little. Moving is actually keeping me from locking up totally, so that's one reason why I don't want to quit. It's starting to subside though, so that's good. I kept away from the squats again today. Instead of the squats, I did some gorilla rows. If you're unfamiliar with them, here's a page from T-Nation to give you some info on them. While they're great for the back, they also recruit your legs quite a bit.

     Here's the stats for tonight:

START TIME - 4:17pm

END TIME - 5:58pm

20lb KB (15 swings, 5 presses each side, 5 gorilla rows each side) 20x

     I'm starting to feel really good with the 20lb bell and I'm torn between wanting to do at least part of the session with the 35lb. I may force myself to finish the first week with the small bell and then weave the 35lb bell back in on the second week. 

     I don't have a specific recipe tonight. I have just have a favorite go-to meal for our family. Aldi's has a Mediterranean Herbed Salmon that is DECLICIOUS! We have it with some roasted asparagus and rice and everyone leaves the table satisfied. Find the salmon here. 

     Glad I did it, but also glad it's over. 17 more days to go.

I Don't Want To Die Average

Day 3 of 21
I knew I would encounter some physical issues but I didn't think it would be so early! There was no physical way that I was going to be able to do squats today. My entire body is sore, however, my legs are barely functioning. Let's just say that the fact that I have stairs in my home has put me in my own personal hell. I didn't want to quit though and I knew I had to keep going. I also knew that I didn't want to damage my old body beyond repair! So I switched the movements up and put the coyote to bed until I'm in better shape.
I was a few sets in, and I was hurting, bad. The desire to just fluff it or to stop and call it "enough" was palpable. What made me keep going? It was something I told my daughter just the other day. I said, "never settle for average". If I was telling her not to settle, then how the hell could I allow myself? And at the end of the day, I just don't want to die average. I'm so much better than that. What was this momentary pain? It was my debt that I had to pay off for taking it too easy. I hate being in debt, even to myself. AT the end of this 21 days, that debt will be paid and then I can start banking again! Without further ado, here's what I managed tonight:
START TIME - 4:57pm
END TIME - 5:40pm
20lb KB (15 swings, 5 Presses each side, 5 lunge rows each side) 20x
A minute longer than day 1, but there were more movements tonight so I'm not going to complain. As always, I'm glad that I pushed through any doubt that I had. I was better than average tonight.

Tonight's recipe is a keto recipe that we make all the time. Even Emily likes it! I don't use the xanthan gum. Instead I use flax seed meal and that helps to thicken it. Honestly, you could use a little cornstarch if you weren't worried about that small amount of carbs. We don't do a strict keto diet anymore, so its not a huge issue for us either way. Find the recipe here.

Well That Was Terrible

     Today was day 2 of 21. It was worse than day 1. Of course it was worse than day 1 and I knew it would be because I've been down this road before. I suppose that's one positive of starting over...again. I know what to expect. I knew I would be super sore from yesterday because I haven't worked out in months. I knew that the soreness would make squatting an ugly affair, and I was not disappointed. The flip side to knowing the negative is knowing how to prepare yourself, mentally, to brace against that. I knew I would hear that little shitter named Doubt whisper in my ear to quit, and I knew that I had everything within me to tell him to piss off. So I did. Multiple times. I worked just with the 20lb bell today. I'm not happy with that, but it is what it is. The weight will go up.
     I also know that it will get easier. Or at least, less difficult. I know that the squats will get deeper and more solid, the swings will get more powerful and the pushups will be to full range of motion. I know that I will win this battle with myself. I have before and I'm in the process of doing it again. Watch me.

START TIME - 2:20pm
20lb KB (15 swings, 5 goblet squats, 3 pushups) x20
END TIME - 2:57pm

Today's recipe is for a wonderful little muffin called The morning Glory Muffin. I found the recipe o the back of the bag of whole wheat flour. They're filling, not overly sweet, and easy to make. I make mine with wheat germ instead of the sunflower seeds and I put dates in mine also. Get the recipe here. I usually have on of these on my morning break at work and it keeps me going until lunch.

Music, water & grapes keep me going

Welcome To RegretsVille

     Let me first start by confessing that it has been nearly 2 months since I last worked out. TWO FUCKING MONTHS! OK, now that I've confessed, let me say that in my defense, over those same 2 moths I'm roughly 20lbs lighter, so it's not like I've been slacking and filling my face with junk.

     Frank and I totally overhauled our dietary habits because he found out he was diabetic. The doc put him on some meds and he had to start testing his blood. I think we both got a healthy dose of shitty reality right there so we changed. He's done absolutely fantastic - dropping about 25-30lbs and he was taken off of the meds! I've learned more about nutrition over the past months than I ever thought I'd know. I tracked macros for both of us for a few weeks and really got a handle of portion sizes and what foods to eat, so forth and so on. I'm proud of myself for that, it was no easy task. We're treating this as a life overhaul so I expect that we'll see a few more pounds drop away. That being said, it's time to kick things back into overdrive with higher activity levels.

My weight loss has pretty much plateaued. I'm pleased to have lost what I have, but I miss my muscles and my fitness. Let me tell you something here. If you're in shape - STAY THAT WAY! If you're in the process of getting in shape - DON"T GIVE UP. As someone who's been on both sides of this scenario, I can tell you that it's way better being fit and healthy and strong. It sucks ass to be saggy nd baggy and weak. I 100% regret letting myself fall away from training and working out. It's not impossible to get back there, but it is a tad harder just because I'm older.  I decided I would bite the bullet and give myself a challenge - 21 days of kettlebells. I plan on doing my tried and true "Coyote" workout everyday for 21 days. Here are my stats and my work for tonight (try not to laugh).

OCTOBER 8, 2021

WEIGHT: 177lbs

WAIST (at belly button): 38.5"

Thigh (middle): 23"

Calf: 15"

Bicep: 13"

COYOTE:

START TIME -  3:10pm

35lb KB: (15 swings, 5 goblet squats, 3 pushups) 13x

20lb KB: (15 swings, 5 goblet squats, 3 pushups) 7x

END TIME - 3:52pm

     I'm a little ashamed to admit that, yes, I did have to drop down to the 20lb bell. But I realized that if I kept pushing with the 35lb bell, there would only be 2 possible outcomes. I would either die, or be so sore tomorrow that I wouldn't be able to workout. So I dropped the weight.

     Here's a little pro tip for you - have some ice-cold grapes nearby to snack on as you're going. They're great for keeping your energy up and also for keeping you hydrated without making you feel like you're going to puke. I didn't want to stop and rinse them off before I dove into them so I've made a mental note to rinse them all when I initially bring them home from the store. Now I'll probably wind up with freaking salmonella and I won't be able to run to the toilet because my legs will be too sore. I'll keep you posted on that.

I wanted to finish this in 45 minutes or less and I cam in at 42 minutes. Hooray for me. There's a shit ton of room for improvement here but that's part of what makes it so awesome. I truly have nowhere to go but up and if I stick to this for the full 21 days I WILL PROGRESS. This is a guaranteed success and all it takes is discipline. There's 2 ladies from work that may do this with me and I hope they do. I also hope Frank joins in in some capacity, even if he just starts lifting again. Things like this are always more motivating when you have others in the trenches with you but you can't rely solely on that. Again, it all boils back down to discipline and routine.

     I also thought that I would throw a healthy recipe into each post. Ones that we've tried and enjoy. The problem is a try a lot of recipes, and then forget to write them down or save the web page! We rarely eat the same thing twice lol.  Here's a link to a great salad that we do make all the time. I make up a huge bowl and then it's ready to portion out whenever we need it. It's great as-is, but it's even better with some protein thrown on top. You could do hard boiled eggs, tuna, chicken, beef, or even just some cottage cheese. Don't skip making the dressing for this either! It's outstanding! Ultimate Detox Salad

     I'm kind of excited to see what I can achieve. I don't want to die. I want to live a long, HEALTHY life and see my girl grow up and make her own life. And I want all the time that I can get with Frank. So, no looking back. It's just a short rest stop in this hick town of RegretsVille before moving on to bigger and brighter places!