Pity party for 1

I was going to write a post last night but I was too busy holding a pity party for 1.

I have been working on my sleep hygiene and it is actually really tough to get into a sleep pattern. I am still really really tired and hoping that I start to feel the benefits soon (Google says it's about two weeks before you notice a difference). I've been having a very hard time saying awake during the day, and especially in the evening. My sleep time is 10 pm so it is very tough to stay away that long especially when I am SO tired. I have been waking up with headaches everyday too, that go away shortly after having a shower and eating.

So after work yesterday I met Sean at the gym and we got changed to do our workout. Then we sat there for 5 minutes and complained that we were both so tired and just wanted to go home. We contemplated leaving before working out but I was like that would be SO lazy and lame to get dressed then just change again and go home when we were already there. So we pursued our workout. I started my warm up walking on the treadmill and then went to the mats to do a good stretch. When I was stretching there were three females that were working out in the area that were super fit and it made me feel really crummy. I know you shouldn't compare yourself to others but I was down on the fact that I had let myself get like this (put some weight back on). I ended up doing a half an hour cardio workout then we went home.

I am feeling a bit better today, although still down, but I am trying to focus on the positive. The good thing is that I did NOT go home and eat my feelings! I made dinner, ate good portions, then had a portioned snack. Previously I would have just said "forget this" and eaten what ever I wanted. I am still determined to lose 8 pounds this month - and I am going to do it!

Today I am going to try a new idea - right as I am leaving work I am going to have a lift off to help power me through my workout. I have a really good workout plan for this week so I just have to stay focused on it.

Monday - gym
Tuesday - Lee
Wednesday - soccer
Thursday - gym
Friday - Lee
Saturday - gym
Sunday - hiking with Sean and Levi

I am going to finish this Debbie Downer post with three things that I am grateful for right now:

1. My back is no longer hurting me (for the most part)
2. I have a lot of exciting trips to looks forward to
3. I am starting to feel like my old self, little bit by little bit - but I notice them more obviously when they happen little bits at a time.
　
　
　
　

Top of the morning to ya...

This weather has been so nice this past few weeks. They are calling for rain all weekend but we will see what we get! This is my first weekend in a bit that I do not have anything planned - well a few things, but for the most part it is just taking it easy.

I started my new sleep routine on Monday of this week and so far it's actually been really challenging. Like anything it will take a while until I notice a difference but for now I will keep sticking to it. I have been spending 9-10pm doing relaxing things, like reading, visualization, etc. then being in bed by 10 with lights out. I have been having a hard time staying awake until 10. I am waking up at 6:30, but also having trouble with that too, I have been rolling out of bed at 6:50am and leaving myself very little time to get ready for work. It will be interesting on the weekend to see what happens with waking up at 6:30. Hopefully it will give me a chance to get more stuff done.

Tomorrow is June 1st which means that my May HBL challenge will be "officially" over, although I still plan on continuing to follow it. I have not been able to drink the tea because it has been so hot but I have been drinking a lot more water than normal it try to keep cool.

That brings us to June's challenge. My goal is to lose 8 pounds this month. I have been doing really well with my eating and I have been slowly increasing my exercise to help me get back to where I was and then hopefully better than that. I have been doing activity every day. I am looking forward to next week because it is very open so I plan on getting lots of activity in. Sean is back on days next week so I am going to try to find some activities for us to do together. We both like playing tennis (and we both equally suck) so hopefully we will be able to get some of that in as well as some hiking and who knows what else. I switched gyms so now I can workout with my sister, and some other friends so hopefully that will give me some more company to keep things interesting at the gym. If not, I will always rely on my trusty ipod to keep me company!

Tara and I are going to start really planning our NYC trip this weekend. We know the dates we want to go, and we know we want to do one day shopping, two days site seeing, but that is about it. My reward for losing the 8 pounds will be extra shopping money to spend on me. If I don't lose the 8 pounds then I will just be window shopping, which will not be near as fun. We plan on getting a lot of exercise while we are there by doing lots of walking and possibly even renting bikes! It is bound to be a great time!

Overall my summer is shaping up quite nicely since I have a lot of things to look forward to between, NYC, camping, BC, and more! My calendar is filling up with lots of fun and healthy activities! The thought of summer gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. Fresh fruit and veggies, the smell of BBQ's, crispy salad, warm skin and a slight breeze, chasing after the soccer ball, swimming, driving with the windows down and music up, and so much more. Other than the humidity, what is not to love about summer?

Give it time...

This weekend was very busy but overall pretty good. On Friday my physiotherapist recommend that I start back doing more exercise than walking again. On Friday night I had a session with Lee at the track and we did a fairly easy session compared to normal, but I woke up Saturday very sore.

I went to weight watchers on Saturday morning and then to our walk in the park with our women's ministry. After that I was so tired I took a nap. When I got up, Sean and I went on our date night to celebrate our two year anniversary, and we had a really great time!

Sunday I was up early and went to Church - I was on nursery and the kiddies were so well behaved and cute. Afterwards we went out for lunch, then I did some errands with Tara. I ended up switching my gym membership to Goodlife from The Athletic Club, just because they have so many more locations and I know a number of people that go there. After running around I had a short rest before my soccer game. It was a good game, I feel I played pretty well, and I got a goal! I was very close to a second goal but had my ankles taken out by the other teams goalie.

I have started to notice a difference from keeping on the HBL vitamins. Although my energy has not increased I am starting to feel better health over all, especially in my nails, they are so strong and nice looking! I am also noticing a difference in my joints! I have some extreme exhaustion, which I have had for a while. My doctor is sending me to a sleep doctor to see if they can help me figure out why I am SO tired all of the time. I have also been making better food choices, and tracking everything honestly. Every day that I track honestly I give myself a sticker - a princess sticker non-the-less.

I have been doing some research on the internet about sleeping and I am going to try to set a sleep schedule this week. I am going to spend from 9-10 winding down and getting into a bedtime routine, and be in bed by 10. I am going to wake up at 6:30 every day (which allows for a 30 minutes of falling asleep time, and still gives me a full 8 hours.) I am going to make my bedroom into a place that is just for sleeping, and tidy it up (I know that always makes me feel so much better when it is tidy). I have a relaxation CD that I will play to set the tone of relaxing, make sure the room is completely dark and most importantly - NOT USE MY PHONE! I am going to set a nightly timer for 9pm and I will have to turn everything off at that point (even if I am in the middle of a show).

I will keep you updated on how things workout! I have a feeling that just like my HBL vitamins, I will have to give it time and not give up!