Monday, July 26, 2010

“Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are.” - Arthur Golden

If I didn't date my posts, I could have called this one "If I have to do one more !@#$%^&* Step-Up!"

I learned two things today.  The first is that I'm not as tall as I thought I was and two, every inch shorter that I am equals an increase of 2% Body Fat.  Which means for those of you out there who are not mathletes, my current weight is 146 pounds (an increase of 6 pounds) and my actual and current height is 5'3".  When we correct the original measurements taken to include my correct height, this makes my current body fat 27% (normal is 21 - 25%  - it's not shocking that I'm not normal). The good news is, out of the 6 pounds I gained, only 5 of them were fat.  (I know, ticker tape parade, right?)

So while the knowledge that I gained 6 pounds since I started this journey is a little disheartening, it is important and noteworthy, that this means I am doing what I promised Jo I would do.  I continue to have faith that doing this her way and not resisting change will eventually find my numbers going in a downward direction.  I am not anxious to have measurements done anytime soon. 

Today was a personal training day with Jo.  Freaking awesome abs workout, but today I found a new challenge.  The Step-Up. The Reebok Deck (http://www.fitter1.com/Catalog/Items/Reebok%20Deck.aspx) is exactly 13" off the ground and was the bane of my existance today.  

As Jo explained it to me, I don't need to get a Reebok Deck, but in the gym it provides a good cardio workout in a space where there isn't much room for cardio and other options are not available at the time.  I may get one anyway, just so I get practice beating the machine!

The exercise was simple..do 35 step ups in 40 seconds.  Easy, right?  Yeah, not so much.  Everytime I tried to complete this exercise, I came across some catastrophic failure somewhere around 16 that continued until 31 step ups or my time ran out.  I think what I found more horrendous than not actually completing the task each time, it was the defeatest thoughts I had going through my mind, in addition to the noises eminating from my body - I made better sounds when I was having my daughter!  No suffering in silence here, let me tell you.  We did those effing steps I think 5 times without reaching the goal.

You see, I didn't feel breathless or even tired, really.  It was just this unimagineable feeling that I could not lift my legs up 13".  Jo called this dead legs and gave me this freaking awesome banana nut cookie (which is a huge step given my extreme dislike for bananas - ask me sometime about why I hate bananas).  We did some other exercises and returned back to "The Step." 

And what do you know, I did it.  Infact, I did 35 in 37 seconds.  I am so glad Jo didn't ask me to do them again starting on the other leg.