Control

Honestly, I wasn't looking forward to my workout today. Day 3 of Insanity is the Cardio Recovery DVD, which I assumed was going to be a boring, low-key, mansy-pansy workout. Glorified stretching. I figured I would at least need to pair it with a Pure Barre DVD to get the most bang for my buck. (Read about my Pure Barre workouts here.)

Not to mention that I took my "before" photo today, and well, let's just say that after that, I wanted to kill it in my gym. I didn't want to look like that for another second! (Hopefully, as soon as my milk supply dries up, my metabolism will get an extra boost.)

Well, if you've ever done that workout video, it's not a wussy workout. It is slower paced and wasn't enough to get my heart racing, but it's about control instead. It's a lot like Pure Barre in that you perform slow, controlled movements that require complete concentration and engagement of both body and mind. That's not my strong suit. I like workouts where I put my body through the ringer but can let my mind wander. High intensity, high impact. So this was more of a challenge than I had imagined. But my muscles were shaking toward the end! 

If a tree falls in the forest and no one's around to hear it, does it still make a sound?

Not only was my workout a stretch for me, but I'm learning that I really don't like keeping a food diary. I've always boasted a "healthy appetite;" I'm a girl who likes to eat and just makes up for it in the gym. I simply don't like having to give an account of what I've eaten that day. Plus, I'm freakin' hungry when I work out this much! But this kind of accountability is necessary for that very reason, I think. It forces me away from mindless overeating, from believing that calories eaten in secret don't really count. I've also heard that working out will get you in great shape, but you won't look like it unless you also watch what you eat.


So here's what I ate today: 

Breakfast:
Cheerios with skim milk and a banana
coffee 

Lunch:
leftover shrimp and angel hair pasta (if you missed this recipe, get it here) 

Snack:
a spoonful of peanut butter 

Dinner:
jambalaya (get the recipe)
2 slices cinnamon toast (low-sugar)


This weight-loss challenge is going to be good for me, body and soul. Hopefully, not only will my body get in shape and I'll lose the 10 pounds, but I'll also train myself to start living a more self-controlled, disciplined life.