Balance

As I was doing Level 1 Day 4 of Jillian Michaels' Ripped in 30, I realized that the most challenging part of doing these workouts is keeping my balance. Other than the single-leg hops and skaters which requires me to land on one foot, the moves are not incredibly hard. Still, I keep wobbling and find myself fighting for control and balance.

I find myself fighting for control and balance...that's the story of my life.

During the workout my inner voice kept saying "Don't give up! Keep at it! Eventually, you'll find your balance!"

After a little reflection I know now that I need to be equally encouraging in other areas of my life. I need to be more patient in regards to my compulsive eating. I didn't get this way over night and I can't normalize over night either. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to be complacent about it. I'm not going to give up. I'm going to keep trying to correct it. And eventually, I will find my balance!

Major "Aha moment" for me!

My meals today were a little more controlled. I had a protein shake (240 calories), a banana, a bowl of grapes, a rice cake w/ peanut butter (250 calories), 1/2 cup of pinto beans (120 calories), 1/2 cup of collard greens (60 calories) another banana, more collards, and a nectarine.

Just in case anyone reading this is thinking that this is not enough food, I had Gastric bypass surgery in 2011. I no longer have a functioning stomach. My surgeon created a small pouch at the top of my stomach using surgical staples. My pouch was then connected to my small intestine. So I can only tolerate a small amount of food at a time. Trust me, I've tried to devour a plate full of some of my favorite things...I didn’t' turn out well.

In addition to R.I.30, I also did a total of 75 sit-ups and I did Week 4 Day 1 of C25K on my Run Double app.

The run starts with a 5 minute warm up followed by 3 minutes of running, 90 seconds of walking, 5 minutes of running, 2 minutes 30 seconds of walking, then it repeats, and finally it ends with a 5 minute cool down.

I'm not that great of a runner. I long for the days when I was in the Army Reserves and could run for miles. But that was a lifetime ago. Now, I'm 42 years old, about 30 pounds heavier than I was then, I'm slower, my form is horrible, and I have a terrible case of Genu valgum (which means I'm knock kneed but Genu valgum sounds less child-like). I probably don't look like a runner, but I have to admit, I love it and it does wonders for my stress!

Considering that I was putting all of the final touches together to send my son back to school tomorrow, today was a pretty good day as far as diet and exercise.

I will continue to search for that elusive balance and try to be consistent with it when I find it. But if I stumble, I will be gentle with myself and know that tomorrow is another day.

Tell me, how do YOU find balance in your life?

Until next time, may you have harmony, peace, and yes, balance, today and always!

Regards,

Blaque