Saturday, February 18, 2017

The month of fitness that wasn't

I'd really hoped that February would be a month where things came together for my fitness. I started off by being sick, which meant almost no working out. Then that ended, and a ton of stress meant I turned to treats, which I'd done a good job of avoiding. I'll have more details on the stress, but that's a full post of its own. We have house stress, & M's job's work stress, plus a full restructuring of my current team, and more. . . In terms of fitness, I did manage a big hike on Sunday, but pulled a muscle in my leg - the soleus? I'd never heard of it, but let me say, it's painful just to walk around the house.

So, I'm a little afraid of what's happening with my health & fitness, and I really, really need to get out of the cycle of turning to treats to reward myself during times of stress. Yes, I need to also find ways to eliminate the stress. :-)

I think I can do yoga today, and have that on the agenda. My body is craving activity (finally!), so it's very frustrating to feel limited by a muscle strain. For those of you who have been pregnant, remember the muscle cramping/charlie horse? It's like that, but permanently in a very specific muscle in your lower leg. Youch!

Life, of course, doesn't stop during stressful times, so here's what's on the agenda. Sam had a friend over last night for a birthday sleepover, and they didn't get much sleep, so I'm starting off the day with A LOT of coffee! On the bright side, it's a three day weekend. Woohoo!


  • Nick has an age group soccer scrimmage this morning, as part of the final tryouts for teams.
  • Sam has the same, but 8 hours later.
  • I need to make a menu, and a Costco list.
  • Yoga is a must
  • I also need to plan my schedule for next week, including work out time. I haven't been accomplishing this, and it's very obvious
  • Pack
  • Get rid of the things that haven't sold on my Facebook group & donate them to Goodwill
  • A trip to Costco, the produce stand, and my local grocery store
  • Make muffins
  • Start moving things to the new house (the garage, as we are still doing flooring & painting)

On a more personal note, I'm usually a VERY positive person, but have struggled a bit with this over the past few months. It's a combination of factors, but I'm not enjoying this new phase & need to practice better self care. More baths, more walks, more yoga, less junky food, better work stress management, and less constant influx of news (because. . . that's just an opportunity for frustration).

There have been positive things that have happened, so let's celebrate them a bit, shall we? What good things have happened over the past week or so?
  1. My manager was so impressed with my efforts over the past few months (I covered for multiple people for almost a quarter during our busiest time of the year, including her) that I received a $500 bonus. Typically, it's cash. In this particular case, it was a gift card to a spa. She wisely knew I wouldn't use it on myself unless it was a gift card. ;-) She has also insisted that I take a few comp days now that everyone is back in the office, & treat myself to a spa visit. Win/win! 
  2. Sam had a buddy over last night, and rather than getting pizza delivery (typically around $30), M picked up a Costco pizza. We still have almost half left & the kids loved it). M had the remainder of another dinner, & I had bits & bobs of each. I also made homemade popcorn for the movie, and gave each child a small bowl of my favorite chocolate (a birthday gift for a coworker). Best to give it to the kids. A frugal celebration at home!
  3. M is handling the house stuff amazingly well. Basically, he's pulling together all of the house projects, timelines, supplies, etc. I'm so grateful that this is something he can cover, because I'm terrible at it, and it stresses me out.  
  4. M & I have been stressing over the house situation - the move, finding new renters, the housing projects, timing, etc. In the car yesterday, Nick told M, "I'm so proud of our family. We worked together & accomplished something really great - we bought a house & now we can stay in our same school." Sometimes the impact of a situation can get lost on kids, so it was a nice reminder that it is a HUGE accomplishment, despite all of the stress. ;-) 
  5. I have a bunch of fun stuff coming up in April! My parents are coming to hang with the kids over spring break, and they are awesome. And, I'm going to the beach with my sister & best friend for a very much needed girls trip. Just having that to look forward to is putting a spring in my step.

Lots of rambling in there. ;) What are you up to this weekend? And, tell me one good thing that happened to you this week!





10 comments:

  1. Oh those days of work stress . . . remember them well, and in my case they would take away my appetite entirely, so I'd end up losing weight if it went on for too long. I'd react the same way to my husband's work stress as well. For sure that would be the biggest thing I do not miss, even if I no longer 'magically' lose weight now that we're retired.

    Overseeing a new backyard install here, which has been interesting what with all the rain we're getting here in SoCal. Best news, hmmm, well that would probably be deciding to put down a deposit on a four week hiking trip across New Zealand in early 2018. :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wish I had that problem with work stress! My mom is the same way, and ends up super skinny (she's already really thin) when she's stressed.

      Hope you are staying safe & dry in SoCal! And, amazing news for the New Zealand trip - it sounds so fabulous!!!!

      Delete
  2. Reading over your post makes me remember a couple of things. I do remember the middle of the night charlie horse on numerous occasions during pregnancy. I can't imagine feeling like that on an ongoing basis for ever a day or two. Hopefully it will disappear soon, (today, soon!)
    I also remember the angst of buying a new house and am grateful we will do no more moving up. I think the best thing about the move is that you managed to buy in the same school district. Now the move can be nothing but positive for the boys!
    A big positive this week is getting one unpleasant task that has been hanging over my head done.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The muscle cramp/pull feels much better - I've been rolling it with a "stick" (can't remember the name of the official product, but it's designed to roll out sore muscles), taking some ibuprofen, and just generally resting. I did realize that wearing my heavy boots was a poor choice - all of that tension on my leg!

      Nice work on your unpleasant task completion - it feels so good to get that stuff out of your hair.

      And yes, keeping in mind the positives, it's a huge win to stay in the same neighborhood. We're also doing a lot of work on the house to make it more of our style & update it (it's 50 years old & really looks it), so I think we are already making good property value improvements.

      Delete
  3. It sounds like your family is a well oiled machine-each picking up the other. That is truly a blessing and how sweet of Nick! I also love that your manager found a way to treat you, specifically you! I echo the working out and skipping junk. I feel a major need to detox my body after just grabbing and shoveling food in my mouth this last week when plans for healthy dinners went out the window. Let's all look at MArch as a positive momentum month, shall we?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha - I wish! But, we do cover for each pretty well.

      I felt similarly yesterday. I always want to eat well after I work out. It's like my body craves healthier food. So, I picked up spinach & beets at Costco, along with cottage cheese. Cottage cheese is a good source of quick protein, and I love adding spinach to smoothies, etc. I'm not a huge salad person at home (I have it at work), but the beets will help! Beets with some toasted nuts sprinkled on top and a bit of goat cheese on a bed of spinach . . . heaven!

      Yes, March is going to be the positive momentum month - I can feel it!

      Delete
  4. Moving is one of the most stressful things in life on top of all your other stress. Even though this is good stress into your own home still it is hard on you all the same. Is it possible you could take a day off per week with those comp days? That would likely ease up the stress a little. Now you can self-care and it won't come from the budget, smart boss you have.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are so correct. When I mentally list out everything we have dealt with over the past few months, it's really not surprising. Even though it's so for the best, and is ending up being a gift for us to stay in the area, it's been. . .incredibly stressful.

      And, yes on the comp days! That's my plan. I'm hoping to take next Friday off. The following Friday I'll be at a conference speaking to partners, and then traveling for a work trip. But, I like to spread them out so that the week feels a bit easier. I can take as many as a week, but will likely stick to a few. I'll also accumulate more by traveling on a weekend (I'll be traveling on three weekend days).

      Delete
  5. Try to take it easy with the pulled muscle while keeping it warm. That sounds like an oxymoron but I find that's what works best. Don't let the muscle sit but don't overwork it. I hope you are able to destress. You have so much going on right now. Enjoy your spa day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are correct! Moderate activity has helped, but it's not quite time to go for a run yet. :-) I can't wait for the spa day. I'm trying to decide if I should book it for next Friday, or wait to reward myself after the move is over. It will definitely be just what the doctor (aka myself, sadly, not a doctor) ordered!

      Delete