Day 68 of Metamorphosis!!! WOW!

Holly-molly! Day 68???!!! Already!!!??? I'm on disk 3 and I just have two new MS workouts left in Meta... Wait... WHAT??? I still can't believe it...

So anyway, today was the day like many others. I was tired, couldn't get up at 6 am, woke up around 8. By the time I did my DC, had a shower, ate my yummy breakfast, got ready - it was already 11... So, I was in office only by midday, and then a friend dropped by my office for coffee... And you know how it goes... So started work much later than I hoped for... But - when my colleague walked into the office, she stopped and asked "Wait, did you lose more weight?" And no, I did not, but I guess I toned more, and she said that I look so much more toned and slimmer. 

Then I went to salsa – finally after not being there for about a month. And I was really shocked and surprised. Because Wally (our trainer) started saying from the minute I walked in “Wow, Liuba, you are so skinny!” And then everyone was talking at the same time on the same topic... And several of my friends who came in – even those who have not heard this conversation with Wally – were saying that I lost weight. So, the secret is to be away for a long time, and then people are surprised. :) But hey – I don’t even notice if I am smaller than I used to be or not anymore. I simply get used to being how I am at the moment, and then I stop being surprised… Ah, that all made my day today.

And you know, the best feeling throughout all those conversations, remarks and questions (i.e. “How did you DO it??”) was that I actually achieved it. Yes, it is great I actually weigh less now and I love the feel of my body when I am stretching in bed in the morning – it feels lean, strong, small, and simultaneously soft and muscular. But the best thing about people noticing is that I set the goal 3 months ago (holly molly! Has it been already 3 months??!!), I told people about it and I stubbornly went forth to achieve it. I didn’t give up on the way – not once. I did have bumps on the way (I still do), I do overeat sometimes, I am lazy sometimes and it is hard to start the workout, I procrastinate (something that I have to deal with seriously from now on), I sometimes don’t have time even for 30 minutes cardio, but I put in as much as I can – even if it is just 10 minutes… I did it all myself! I am strong enough and disciplined enough for that! This gives an amazing feeling. Now I have to be just as strong and disciplined in writing my PhD...

As the workouts go, I am definitely not in love with level 7. I heard I’m not the only one… It is hard and… well just hard. Super hard. It has lots of exercises in plunk-push-up position – and I do not like those. I feel like my arms are still not strong enough to hold me in plunk position… If it is not plunks, then it is a lot about balance. Try to balance on left knee and right elbow, while doing some stuff with right leg and left arm… Honestly, this almost feels like some kind of torture! I feel it in my ass, and my abs, and my thighs… I feel it everywhere. I actually am sore from time to time during this level. And feel like I need more sleep. But anyway, as soon as I could do all the reps, I added the ankle weights. And boy that took me back to 25-30 reps again (instead of 40…) Wow.

On the bright side, I had a bit of a breakthrough with DC I think. Not that I like it more than before. No. I am of course used to it by now and my body knows it well. But these past two weeks I tried to really make myself perform. And well surprise surprise… It was not that hard actually… You know, I am naturally a performer I think. I like to be cute and shiny on stage. I used to for ages – ever since I got over my childhood shyness I guess (and having one pretty embarrassing stage appearance, which I will never forget, but which probably changed me and challenged the performer in me), I have loved stage. I wish I could sing… But I tried acting, poetry reading, now dancing… When I was performing salsa last year, my trainers asked other more experienced and advanced dancers to come and look at me… They used to stop us (we were performing in a team of 3 couples) and tell the others “Liuba is outshining you all, you have to start performing, and not just going through the dance routine desperately trying to remember the steps”. And thinking about it, I was constantly wondering why was it so hard to perform DC for me?.. Well – duh! Cos there is no audience! No one to smile and flirt with, but then we did train dancing in empty rooms too. So I started imagining there IS an audience in front of me, started smiling and flirting… For a laugh sometimes I would put my little stuffed animals in front and do the DC “for them” :) Or turn on the camera and film my "performance" (no, not a soul is going to see it...)… This changed my DC completely. And I know now what the difference is between performing and just doing the DC. After each time I actually performed, I was sweating like CRAZY. Really – I don’t even know how to explain it. I drank half a litre of water after that in one go and was feeling like I perhaps ran a marathon, but definitely not a half hour workout… But the most surprising thing – I tend to check my heart rate from time to time… Throughout the performing workout my average was 150-158!!! Compare it to 120-130 of when I’m just doing it on a moderate speed. I am not ever sure it is actually healthy to have such a high heart rate… But the difference is obvious. After such a workout, I take some protein shake – cause I feel like I might start shaking from exhaustion. And only then proceed to MS.

So, all in all, I loved my workouts and am getting closer to level 8!!! I’m amazed! And only one thing pressing and stressing me and making me down – is my PhD, which is not going so well. But I still hope I will find strength – also from my workout and healthy lifestyle successes – to be more disciplined and work more.

Breakfasts...

I used to be very very very bad with breakfasts. Really. Growing up I would wake up 45 minutes before school started, take a quick shower (won't even bother dry my hair), throw in a cup of tea and run for school. I was able to get ready in under 25 minutes - from the moment I opened my eyes that is. So naturally by lunch time I was always starving... My habits never improved during my University years - I got food whenever and wherever was convenient. So by the time I was 26 I got into a hospital with acute stomach aches from some defect I apparently had from birth, but which developed and progressed due to my eating habits. The doctors then advised me to go on a healthy eating diet (especially nothing fried and too spicy - unfortunately not spicy...) and start having good healthy breakfasts.

That was couple years ago, and since then I became a definite breakfast-addict. I cherish my breakfast time, I hate eating fast and on the go... I can tolerate it for other meals: something small for lunch on the go, carrying a box with salad and eating it whenever I feel hungry is a normal thing. But breakfasts! For me breakfasts are sacred. So I get a cup of tea (and a juice when I'm in Prague), something nice, take out my ebook and lazily read through the news or the novel I am reading at the moment, while enjoying every bite of breakfast. I don't like to be disturbed then. Nowadays, I don't eat anything sophisticated, rather something simple with fresh fruit and veg thrown in for a good measure. But I love the time when I get up, prepare something nice and allow myself to indulge a little. Getting ready for me never takes under an hour-hour and a half now, but well for the pleasure of having a nice relaxing breakfast, I will wake up earlier.

So this is my ode to Breakfast. :) Today I had some nice apply blueberry puree, cheese with cucumbers, a mandarin and a steamy cup of hot Earl Grey tea. Mmmmm. Nothing spectacular, I know, but hey - it was good and filling. Savoir those moments!

Who doesn't want hearts for breakfast? :) Don't break hearts, eat them!!! (I just bought some of those forms for making fried and poached eggs, and they didn't have any simple round ones...)
Poached eggs, cucumber-tomato-celery salad, a little tzatziki, dried ham

Ciabatta roll with egg salad (2 boiled eggs and a table spoon tzatziki), cucumbers.

Cheese, eggs, cucumbers, tomatoes, fresh juice. No sophistication: everything in its pure form, but oh so yummy! And my Kindle at my side too.

Enjoy your meals people! Add a little of taste to your life by savoring the moments when you have something yummy and what you like. Those are little, but still oh so important joys of life!

My Fitness Pal

I really don't want to make an advertisement. Really. But I simply have to mention this app and web-site. Previously I have been using My Calorie Counter (MCC)  from Everyday Health, and I still use the website, it has a lot of interesting info and offers a lot of options. But yesterday I ran into My Fitness Pal (MFP). I do not know how I didn't know about it earlier. Jeez! It is great! Moreover, you can install the app on your iPhone (iPod, iPad, Android, etc.) and it works offline, and whenever you have Internet it synchronises everything. Basically, it stores all your info on line. MFP offers much more than MCC especially in terms of individualisation. For example, calculating calories for your favourite menus, individualising recipes, and creating your own list of most often used foods. It also has personalisation with exercise in a similar way, so I hope to create the TA Meta workouts there at some point... It offers gadgets (I added a tracker to my blog now), and a community as well. All of you- especially those who are not using one of TAM menus, can definitely keep track of your weight and exercise there - it is very useful!!!

This is how it all looks on iPhone:   

 

Good luck!

Level 7 restarted, day 62 of Metamorphosis

So, I'm back from the land of pains and feeling sick and weak... The heat is taking lots of my energy, but I am back on track. I still eat a bit more than I should I guess, but Meta has my back again. I am not gaining weight, I am not loosing it, I am just right. And I love it.

I decided to restart level 7, as I missed about 4 days due to sickness. And as I said before, it is important to take care of your health. So, it was all good. Besides, I don't feel so bad about restarting the level: I was only 2 days into it. And as before, level 7 is indeed tough. Get ready for it. I definitely cannot do all the reps, cannot go Tracy's speed - which I sort of could in level 6, so I take it easy and try to push myself just a little bit each day. I am thinking of starting using ankle weights as well. I want results!!! 

To be honest, I should be happy about what I have. The problem is that I won't be getting visible and evident results I think anymore. No, don't think I am a pessimist - I am not!!! I swear! Its just I can't really become much lighter or skinnier... My weight won't go down anymore - I am in my normal slender healthy weight right now. And skinnier - well everything much skinnier than now (in terms of measurements in a way) would make me unhealthy. So here. The only visible results I could get at this point are muscles... But surprise surprise - TAM doesn't give you too many visible muscles... So, I am definitely becoming more toned, my muscles are more defined, but they are not bulking out and are not too visible. And because of all this I do lose motivation sometimes. Not for long - but long enough to stall my workout for an hour or two...

Now I feel like I need to find a different way to measure my results... I definitely feel more energetic and strong every single day. But how do we measure it? I also feel a little addicted to workouts, and really positive about them, and the day starts only after one workout. That's good right? It means I am closer to the goal of making a healthy lifestyle a habit. Cheers to that!

Level 7 started… and dropped…

So, yes folks, I have started level 7. And as Michelle Styles mentioned – all of the levels would be different and surprising. And it is so true. Level 7 also surprised me – may be a bit less than level 6, but it was only because level 6 sudden change was so unexpected…

Level 7 is tough though. I can do only half of the reps at most now I guess. And some of the exercises simply kill me – I start swearing quite not-lady-like and scream sometimes. Ah, the joys of exercise! It is a good excuse to use bad words! ;) Surprising is the ending of level 7 MS, cause you find yourself… on your back… Yes – that was really shocking. “Are we doing abs AGAIN??” But even though those exercises do involve abs, they are still for legs. Ah well. :)

But as the title says – I did manage to start level 7 (days 1 and 2), but then I could not continue. I also missed 2 days in between level 6 and 7, and 2 days already now. I feel bad about it, but really there is nothing I could do about it. I felt really sick all week. First some digestion disorder, then I managed to do two days of workout, and then I started having strong pains in my lower abdomen and - well girls’ parts… So there was NO way I could jump, or squeeze any muscles for that matter. I am still in recovery today – even though the strong stabbing pain went a bit away, I am able to move (yesterday I spent most of the day in bed or on the couch – exciting huh?!). So we are going to an outdoor weekend now, for some badminton, tennis, games and fun. It’s not like I’m going to be able to participate in all the fun – but at least the sun, fresh air and 'greenness' would be good.

So, I’m still smiling, still shining, but just taking a break while I recover. Have a great weekend everybody!

Just enjoying the sun and breeze of a great sunny day in a cabrio. :)

Day - OMG!!! - 60 of Metamorphosis

So, I did finish level 6. Without any bumps or bruises. Fast and easy, almost breezy! :) I am amazed and positively surprised! 2/3 of Meta done today! I am ecstatic and still can't totally get my head around this. 

WOW!!!!

This was just the small part of what we ordered...

Level 6 was I think so far my favourite. I know I might have said it before, but hey, it truly was interesting and exciting, yet challenging and sweaty! Tomorrow I will get some of the results. I have not kept up very well with diet - today for instance I had a sushi feast (and I DO mean a feast!!! - but after all I am 2/3 done with Meta, I do as well deserve a little - or big-ish - treat!), and I haven't lost any more weight, though I am not trying to anymore. I am just trying to keep my current weight, and get even more toned. So, I will try to take some pics tomorrow, and see how this goes.

Very nice relaxing weekend and week in general for me. I wake up and have my workout, in the weekdays I then go to driving classes, come back for lunch with my sweetheart, and start work. Then more driving in the evening, and nice homey evening afterwards. Today we also watched hockey - Russia won!!! Hurrah! And funny enough, I am in Czech Republic right now, and this is the team we bit. :) Oops. Today was a great sushi day and I am still stuffed. But I simply couldn't resist. The sushi from (funny enough) the Sushi Bar were really great, and I simply couldn't stop... Ah.

Now after couple hours of work I am off to bed, to see a more beautiful day tomorrow, to start level 7 and hopefully finished the work I am doing right now. Good night everyone!

Rest day...

Rest days are marvelous... and ah - so restless too. I have to say I wake up every day with the though of exercise. No, I am not waking up hating it and not looking forward to it. Neither do I jump out of bed to get into the exercise because I am so excited. Nonetheless, I do wake up and one of the thoughts on my mind is about the workout. Neither good, nor bad. And I think it is indeed a great development - it is as if my body doesn't see a day without it. So, I actually have to remind myself the evening before and the morning I get up that "Hey, calm down, you are not working out today". And it is strange not to. I try to enjoy the break - so that I actually rest. I take a slow breakfast, I laze in the bathroom or put make-up twice longer... I have time to open the book (Kindle actually) and read with my breakfast and juice... I have time to take it easy and slow down in the morning. But I feel strange. As if something is missing.

I start work, and my brain is not as concentrated and I keep returning to the pleasure of stretching my muscles, and doing this exercise and that... I keep interrupting myself with searching the web for nice fitness and sports videos, health tips and other fitness-related things. I keep falling asleep too. So I get a coffee, and try to muddle through some more work. Then I go to a driving class, and by the time I am back, my eyes hurt, my back aches and I just need some stretches and activity. I do a little bit of back and legs stretches, and stop myself from working out. 

It is so strange how this works, isn't it? How the psychology of us humans works?! On the days when I have the workouts, I still have to talk myself into them - rather my laziness. I have to force myself start it early enough so that I can fit it in. On the opposite, on rest days I am restless and can barely stop myself from exercising... Funny beings humans :)

Day 56 of Metamorphosis

Level 6 is definitely going to be faster and easier to finish than level 5… I mean I practically have only several days till the end! But to start with I am not travelling as much as in the last level – or rather not taking long weekends off, which are not very encouraging for working out. I have to say, I really do admire people who go on vacation and continue workout!!! I mean, I can imagine the workouts in the form of walks, jogging, playing badminton and tennis, swimming, cycling… But real cardio and muscle work??!! Hmmm… Well I still haven’t reached that point I guess.

I did travel though – but not for just a weekend. I am now staying at my sweetheart’s in Prague for two weeks. We are living our normal everyday lives and enjoy working in the evenings together and finally have our little dinners together… I might get used to this too much I have to say! It is so different to practically live together, and then see each other over distance. Sigh. But I went off topic.

So, level 6. It still surprises me to a very high extent! And it is not only the different rotations, vectors, the weird moves… It is also about the after-effects. So the last time I had sore muscles was – well, let me try to remember … - in level 1 suppose. Yes, I only had sore muscles in the very first few days of Meta – when the body experienced its initial shock. Then it seemed my muscles had adjusted to workouts pretty fast and knew what they were doing… And imagine my surprise when I woke up on day 52 with my butt hurting!!! I though “Wow, how peculiar! This level rocks! I have the sore muscles again!” And off I went to do the next workout, being particularly thorough on my leg lifts and angles for butt – thinking “Yey, smaller butt, smaller butt, smaller butt!” Well, then imagine my – no not a surprise anymore – more like a shock, when I woke up on day 53 and felt my ABS hurting!!! I thought “What the hell?! How is that possible? I am doing the SAME exercises! Nothing changed since yesterday!” Ah, dear reader, still more to come… Because the next day I woke up with sore muscles in my arms… Then I stopped getting surprised, just accepted it as inevitable and I love to wake up to new sensations in my body, to feel slightly differently, a little more and more alive each day… Because if muscles are sore, it means they are working right? It means they are really really alive… It means I am alive! Hurray to level 6!!! 

(Anyone had the same experience? On Omni or any other Meta type?)

DC is getting more routine-like, but I don’t have patience or very often time to do it in full. So I do as much as I can. So, if I have 50 minutes, I prefer to do the full MS and 20 minutes of DC. Yes, I don’t do full 30 minutes from time to time… Well, the main thing is that I keep to it right? And despite all odds, I do fit in at least 45-50 minutes of workout ever day.

I also started doing DC in the morning just after I wake up, and MS in the evening. DC feels better in the morning, because I still have empty stomach and now it became my substitution for a coffee. Really. I won’t wake up properly if I don’t have a workout: I feel sleepy and lacking energy completely! But I also like to do MS in late-ish evening, because it makes me feel that after eating the whole day I do some exercise still. And I love to sweat and then take a relaxing shower before bed. I complement MS with a nice and relaxed 15-minute stretching, and after that I feel like I am definitely relaxed after the whole day. It works for me, and it is hard to find enough time in the morning to workout for an hour. But I am satisfied with how it works this way.

Oh and one more improvement! We have a juicer here in Prague, so I started having a nice juice each morning. I didn’t find kale or spinach here (what a surprise…), but I am having some apples, carrots and oranges in the juice. Yum. I tried different combinations, and love to add some random fruits and veggies from the fridge. They are all good right?! :) Generally, I have slightly more food than is outlined by the Meta eating plan, but hey - I am keeping it healthy and just right amount of calories... I think. :) I don't go hungry - EVER, and I don't overeat. It is great!

Fresh juice (orange, apple, tomato, celery, carrot) and breakfast (two eggs, little tomatoes, 2 slices of cheese and cucumber). Very filling, and energetic! No coffee needed!

What do you have for breakfast people?

Motivation and balance…

I am feeling like I am losing my motivation. Here came that moment, when I sit back and start thinking, what am I doing it all for? Why am I thinking about healthy foods, decline unhealthy but oh so yummy (sometimes) stuff, try to squeeze in an hour or at least 45-50 minutes of workout a day almost every day? Am I really enjoying myself? Am I enjoying the results? Am I doing it for some sick vanity reason in pursue of thinner body? Or am I actually doing it to feel better? And if so, do I feel better? Isn’t it better to stop thinking about any of this stuff and simply let everything go, eat whatever you want and like, drink whatever you want and like, enjoy couch-potato-ing on weekends? Or is giving up simply easier, and not necessarily better?

My best friend once mentioned that her dad said “You women are always either gaining weight or losing weight”… And isn’t it true for oh so many women? Have I also joined the wide-spread paranoia of pursuit for and obsession with small sizes, flat stomachs and tiny butts? And when I reflect on all that – all these tendencies in women are shaped by A) insecurities; and B) media. Yes, it is all about what is actually beauty, what is considered beauty – and that has become a very popular and important topic on so many of the TAM-bloggers I follow… What indeed is beauty?

All bodies are different... Is size 0 really beautiful?!

 It is quite unnerving to have all these question pop into one’s head, when this one has taken on a challenge, which essentially is about losing weight and bringing inches off. So after so many years of being able to proudly say “I don’t care, I like myself just the way I am” – and I have to be honest here, I meant it - I came to the point, when I think "Oh man, I should lose some more weight". Yes, I sometimes felt a little uncomfortable in a bikini, but overall, I never had anything to complain about, and I liked myself. I tend to have this annoying general positivity, which doesn’t allow me to feel insecure and beat myself up for too long. Hence, even when I felt bad, the feeling would go away pretty fast. So all in all, I can’t say I have ever felt like I needed to go on diet, like I was not living my life well. I enjoyed my days and never regretted my decisions (or almost never), I love burgers and coke, and never gave a damn about how many calories I consumed. Regardless, I was happy. And it was easy not to care.

Then one day came when I got into a hospital. And no, don’t get me wrong. I am not going to have a dramatic tale of my past. I never had any eating or personality disorders (and I do respect and truly am amazed by all those women who overcome their problems and fight their disorders – that requires more strength than fighting an enemy!). I got to a hospital for an all-round check of my digestive system, as I developed strong stomach aches. Turned out I had a defected valve (one of them, no point to be more precise here) and while I don’t understand exactly what it means, after a course of medication I was advised to change my diet completely. The diet had to eliminate anything fatty and fried, anything containing fresh onions, garlic, peppers, radishes, lemons and some other stuff. No 'sparkling' anything (soda, water or champagne). There were some more restrictions – or rather advices, I didn’t have to follow them, but after experiencing the type of bloating and stomach aches I used to have, I was ready to do anything to never ever have them again. So I followed the diet. This was 3 years ago. Since then I never had aches as strong as before. I still have some minor aches sometimes – and I think it is because of some food indigestion – but those are nothing compared to what I used to have.

My eating habits have changed tremendously, and I started to feel better. That can’t be wrong right? And then there was this fateful Christmas holiday at home couple months ago. One simple thing changed in me during those couple of weeks, I simply observed my parents. They are great and talented people (both doctors of science, dad in chemistry and physics, mum – in pedagogy), they are also fun and sweet, and I love them so, but they are also the champions of couch-potato-ing… I observed them and their life… And realised I might end up like them as well, and I didn’t want to. And it is not only about being overweight and inactive (though honestly, for me that is already quite a lot), it is about the consequences obesity has: cardio-vascular and heart diseases risks are extremely high. Due to inactivity, your joints and bones and muscles become rusty as well with age - exercise does help! And it was at my parents' house that I thought: "I want to have a healthy life, up to old age". And while it is so hard to change habits when you are in your 50’s, I might as well start now, so that I get used to the new lifestyle and never go back to it again. And I started looking for a fitness program, which would work for a lazy and unorganised person like me.

So I started TAM and Meta not because I was just not comfortable in my own skin and wanted to be 10 pounds less. The initial reason was to change a lifestyle. So now every time I start thinking “God, did I get on the same wagon of slim-madness???!!!” I stop myself and think “No, you want to be healthier and exercise, get a habit of exercising every day or every other day. And getting a fitter body on the way is a logical consequence”. So I stop myself – forcefully – from obsessing over eating just 100 calories more – I munch on chocolate and nuts, and keep my mind happy and sane. I don’t say no to the stuff I like. Simply with years I started liking healthier and healthier stuff. I do sometimes crave for fast food. I do. But then I think – hey I better have a home-made burger than get anything from MacDonald’s… At least I would make sure the burger is not fried, and I use a lot of lettuce and tomatoes… I can be healthier, without denying myself too much, without feeling unhappy for denying some things. And for every little victory I praise myself.

It is so easy to say – I know – balance is the most important… It is so much harder to actually balance life in reality. Hence, every little step you make towards you own balance, towards the world which is free of your insecurities and is a happy place, where you feel happy, loved and loving yourself – you have to value and treasure those steps. Enjoy every minute and don’t let the negative thinking shrink you to a boring unhappy miserable self. You are the person who can change yourself, and even if you start a change for all the wrong reasons, at least appreciate the change for all the right ones.

This is how I think whenever I get obsessed with my weight or measurements, or I think that I can see more of my love handles… It doesn’t matter. I silence myself and think: I am changing my life, so that it is more healthy, happy and long. What else should I wish for?

Anyone else has problems with balancing your life, workouts, what you think of yourself and body image?

Day 51 of Metamorphosis

First and foremost, I am extremely and utterly happy that level 5 is over. Uff. It’s not like it was bad, no. But as I mentioned in my previous post – I got so so so bored of it! I did it something like 15 times (as I did restart it at some point), and by the end was managing the same amount of reps as Tracy – with the exception of plunks. If in the beginning I though “WHOAAAA!!! That’s FAST!” – especially on arms section with weights. By the end I was simply “Yawn… Boring”. Well, not really :) But you get the point. :)

But boy was I happy to have done so much and so long level 5, because level 6… Well, it’s level 6 you know… No, it is not hard and extremely difficult. No no no. I could actually do most of the exercises with the same speed as Tracy does – I was simply following her – again except for the plunks and one more naughty exercise. But it was weird. Really. That was what I was thinking throughout doing it. What weird arms movements – really. Unusual, new, not done by me yet – ever. And the lying abs?! Where did all the moves come from?! Good heavens! The leg sections were somehow strange as well. And I think it was not extremely horrible for me because of level 5 – if you do it well and thorough, it would help you in level 6.

But overall this level really surprised me – I have to be honest here. The movements were not difficult, but my muscles I think were shocked – as much as I was. Now, however, after 8 days of workouts in a row I am taking a rest day (I did 8 to compensate for the days I missed before). Tomorrow I am just gonna wake up, take a shower and go to the office. That would feel so strange – without the workout!!! But I think I deserved my rest day, and if you did your workouts 5-6 times, you did too! Keep it up!!

Day 48 of Metamorphosis... and the bumps along the way

Yes, it sounds crazy that I am - still - on level 5, but I had to restart the level, as I had too many interruptions. Now, however I am delighted to finish it tomorrow (if all goes well, and it should), and start level 6! Wohoo!

MS

Don't get me wrong, it was my own decision to restart level 5, but oh boy I am tired of it. I am simply getting bored. I know every single exercise of the MS, and well now can do it in full reps (though it takes me a little longer than Tracy). This hasn't happened with previous levels. But in true, I have done it like 15 times by now! So I am happy to move on. It is true that you get bored of the same thing, and when you are doing one of the MS longer than supposed to, it also loses some touch of excitement. I was always excited thinking "Just 10 workouts like that - get the most out of it!" Now I am thinking "Oh I wish it was day 50 already!!!" So it definitely is time to move on for good.

DC

Dance cardio is indeed getting boring. But I have to say I know it by now (which is only logical after doing it for around 50 times...), and sometimes I simply turn it on and start jumping automatically - before I manage to convince myself that I don't need to do it. And then the automatic jumps get more energy and I enjoy it. Sweat is the magic powder after all! ;) I also catch myself that while I concentrate a lot on MS, I tend to drift a little bit on DC nowadays - cos my body and mind know by now what I am doing, and I am not working out the specific muscles, I am jumping and dancing to get the heart beat up and loose some calories in the process. But I nevertheless enjoy it. Why? It makes me feel good. As simple as that. I feel great when I finish it - physically and mentally. I love it.

Food

In terms of diet, I went off Tracy's diet. Sigh. Well, I was going to follow it for around 30 days anyway, and I did it longer. But simply when those Body Reset repetitive Weeks finished, I could not deal with the ones "with diversity any more (starting Week ??? the BRW become diverse, which involves more recipes, and hence more time for cooking...). My PhD taking most of my time (and this is the biggest reason why I actually disappeared for so long). I sometimes work till 8-9, and then drag my feet home (still have to take a train to get home and all) and drop nearly dead. My driving school also continues... And with being busy and not having enough time for anything, I simply could not follow all the recipes of TA Dynamic Eating Plan any longer. But I keep eating healthy and fresh (mostly). I got into a good routine with food, I already calculate or estimate my calories without needing to really calculate them. I eat lots of salads, lots of fruit, add some fish, poultry or meat on top of that, sometimes I have one of those protein bars and protein shakes to keep me up on protein. Eggs, cheese, quinoa, nuts and just a little bit of chocolate are also in my diet. I also sometimes make soups - really with only veggies and not too fat. Yum!

Little bit of smoked trout and some yummy rucola-tomato-cucumber salad. I love food! Mmmm.

My feelings overall

To be honest, I was feeling a little guilty - for going off the diet, for missing some days (4 days for salsa festival and 4 more days for a wonderful weekend in Monaco), for not eating too healthy all the time (I confess to having an addiction to chocolate as of late and I simply can't do anything about it...), for missing the DC sometimes - that's really naughty of me! Monaco has set me off a little bit, as French cuisine offers a lot of temptations! I gained 2 kilos there, but by now they all went off - without even a big effort on my side. So after all I decided to not feel guilty. I am working out, and Meta has my back. I am doing my best, I am not pushing it, but enjoying every single workout. I don't want to suddenly feel so tired I would not want to workout at all. I LOVE the workouts, I feel great after them - both physically and mentally (after all, I never stop to fight my weaknesses, and every little victory is oh so sweet!) I still eat well and healthy, even if I allow myself to eat some bread sometimes. But generally I keep it better than ever before in my life. So why on Earth should I feel guilty??!! I should feel proud and delighted, satisfied and really glad with myself. I am working on myself and doing the best I have ever done! What can be more pleasing???!!!

So, the advice is: be realistic. No, one should not give up at every difficulty saying "It is realistic: I can't do it" I say "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can" and I move forward. But instead of beating myself up, I praise myself and motivate myself to go on, to keep up to the healthy food, to the workouts - to the better and transformed lifestyle. Cos this is my end goal: A better and healthier lifestyle.

And if on the way I look in the mirror and see the beautiful abs and tiny ass - hell, I won't say no! 

3rd Palladium Voyage

I know I disappeared. It was a crazy crazy crazy time… As I wrote in my previous post, I had a salsa festival over the weekend of 12-15^th April, hence I had no time. After that a nightmare of a week at work started, and then this weekend I was in… Monte Carlo! In other words – Monaco...

But I should tell the tale in order, so salsa first. The festival was called 3^rd Palladium Voyage, took place in Bremen, Germany. It took place over the span of 4 days with the first party starting on Thursday the 12^th of April, and the closing party – on Sunday the 15^th of April. Several international salsa and Latin dancers performed during the parties on Friday and Saturday, and everyone had a chance to dance with some of the world’s leading dancers – such an experience! Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 till 17:00 were filled with workshops on technique, styling, different styles of salsa, Bachata, Pachanga, Cha cha cha… On Friday I had a formal event at the University, and ate something there (my guess is that I might be highly lactose intolerant, and I ate some cream) and my stomach started to kill me nearly. I had horribly painful bloating with nausea, and of course could not go to salsa that evening. But Saturday I started on full speed. I took all the possible workshops, and ended up dancing 6-7 hours each day on Saturday and Sunday (including workshops and the parties). By the party on Sunday, everybody was squeezed out and exhausted, but all together it was a great great great fun! Some pics below!

Day 44 of Metamorphosis

Yesterday and today were tough. Level 5 doesn't get much easier: my arms are still about to fly off when I'm doing the arms section, my abs are in pain when I'm doing lying abs, and by the end of the leg section I feel like both my feet and bottom are about to fall off too. But all of those are great feelings, and then standing in a long-ish shower, I enjoy the hot water caressing my aching muscles. I love hot and contrast showers after the workouts - they bring back the strength and refresh. Sometimes I also want to have a bathtub, to be able to take quick baths very fast, but oh well - in my next house. 

Wally and Gallo - our teachers, from
La Sandunguera dancing school.

I have a confession to make... In terms of diet... Well, I have had a little bit of chocolate addiction in the past two days... I mean it is after Easter now (technically Orthodox Easter is this weekend, so I'm not supposed to celebrate quite yet), and all the Easter chocolates are on sale. You can get all those yummy eggs and rabbits for half or even 1/3 of price! And I simply couldn't walk past them. So, I obviously excluded the choco pudding from the diet, as I already had enough of chocolate to last me at least a week... But still - too much sugar in my diet :)

In the next couple days I'm gonna keep really busy, as a Salsa festival is taking place in Bremen, and I am volunteering with some help (keeping the long story short, I'll say that I am volunteering): reception, some food and drinks tasks, and hosting 2 artists. Besides that I am going to have dancing workshops whole days on Saturday and Sunday. So, I'm saying all this, because I might have no time at all to get back here till Monday or so, and I might as well skip the DC a couple of times: after all I will be dancing up to 6-7 hours a day... I think that is enough of a cardio... :)

And just some memories - my salsa performance in the end of last year (November) - before I went for three months to a cold and dark Stockholm... I love to look at those pics and hope that one day I might do it again - now looking much better too! :)

Rest day and the power of indulging

Today was my rest day. Not very resting though I have to tell you. I woke up at 6am because some builders were making noise outside my window... At 6am!!! I am still sleeping at that time, and they are already "noising" around!!! And I have to tell you, I went to bed only at 2... So, not much sleep.

At 9 I had to be at the university at the structural equation modelling (SEM) course - which to be honest was interesting and exciting, so I was not - thankfully - falling asleep. After that - as a normal PhD student - I got so excited, I went back home and started using SEM for my own data... By the evening I was exhausted from work, and sleepy. 

I did let myself indulge in a little bit of dinner: carrot-parsnip puree, quinoa (yes, I found it thanks to one of my readers Nina - Thank you so much!), several olives, a slice of cheese, pureed tomatoes with garlic and some weird bio-diet-ham (of only 8 cal a slice... weird! but I simply had to try it). All that with a little glass of wine, some candle light and instrumental piano music of genious Ludovico Einaudi... Perfect evening, just wish my sweetheart was here in person and not just on Skype... :)

Dinner, Week 7 with some extravagances... :)

I LOVE candles... Long time ago I used to find them a waste of time and space... Now I love the little flames...

Meta Level 4 results (with photos)

Well, to be honest, they are not so grand. For anyone, but me. Cos I know my body best, cos I know what it is like, and what it was like. I had so far a great - an amazing and fulfilling journey! But my best friend (Ritych) once said "May be it is because you have not worked out before, your body got shocked from all the exercise". And I think she was right. Truly right. Very often it takes so much longer for people to see any results at all, when their bodies are toned and fit already. It takes so much more time to reach those accessory muscles of theirs, and tone everything up, lean everything out. For me - all my muscles we shocked, I was shocked, and here we go. 

No, I have not reached a plateau. I just nearly reached my desired weight - I don't really want to lose weight much below 52 kilos. And I am already quite small in measurements. So in the past level I got my boobs back :) Sorry for mentioning that, but i guess I will always go around 1-2 cm up and down there. The only other areas I still lost cm in were thighs (HOORAY!): -1, left bikini: -1 and right bikini: -0.5. Weight went 0.5 kilos down, but it generally tends to keep within a kilo or so throughout the week (going up and down).

And as I am not going to present the before and after pics now... As a teaser, and for all those who are still not inspired enough... I am gonna show you my abs... They are getting better each day... But when I got a new bikini (cos I am going to Italy this summer - YEY!!!), and took some pics for my boyfriend to see... I could not believe them myself. So just see for yourself. It does work, people!

Can you believe it is only 1.5 months in between the pics on the right and left??!! I still can't! :D :D :D

Just really look look look at my abs... :)

In the end just wanted to say... I do feel good. I do eat enough, I exercise, I am following most of the things. I love the way I feel. I love the way I am. I love when I can't find my sizes in shops as everything is too big. I love to fit in my old jeans. I love to feel confident and secure, energetic and healthy. I run up the stairs, and I don't loose my breath. I dance for an hour in salsa, and I am still able to go on. I love it. It is not only how you look (it is just the easiest to present) - it is a lot how you feel, ladies. And I feel great!!!!

Day 42 of Metamorphosis

Yes, I started level 5 yesterday… I think on April 13 I will celebrate the half-done Meta… I am so proud of myself and am a little surprised all the same with how much I managed to achieve so far. Tomorrow I have a rest day (yes, I missed some days here and there, so my rest day moved a little too), but then I am going to continue rocking it.

I find DC getting easier and easier. I mean, it should, right? After 40 or so times doing it?! And I keep changing music, sometimes returning to Tracy’s list, sometimes choosing my own. But the MS in level 5 is a killer. I know, I say that about every level, but honestly, this time I realise what a “killer” actually means – before those were just rehearsals… Really, even level 2 is nothing compared to this. Somehow throughout arms I keep finding myself wondering: “Just how on Earth can she move so fast – with weights in her hands too??!!” I mean, I sometimes feel that if I go faster, my arms will fall off – as I still have to use a little bit of momentum to go that fast… So I decided to slow down just a little… My muscles were not sore since week 1, and here I was today in the morning: my arms and thighs were in amazingly satisfactory pain. Abs also got harder – with all the “both-legs-lifts” – I feel like giving up in the middle (but I don’t!). Legs… well legs… Plunks are back (only one exercise though), and then the weird lunges and extending leg to the side… At some point I feel a LOT of muscle pain and find myself gritting my teeth and swearing aloud. I cannot do all the reps, I am slowly doing about 10-15 less than Tracy does, but it’s OK, I think. As long as I am doing my best.

So, beware all Omnis – level 5 is no joke! :)

Just to share a little thing I am proud of: I finished off the first page of the calendar.... I am using the TA calendars from the community, as I just feel horrible writing on glossy paper and all. Besides, it gives you an incredible feeling of achievement, when you finish each page!!!

The change of the direction of crossing out of each date is the change in level. Half-crossed day is a day, where only half the workout was done, on this sheet it was always DC that suffered from being neglected. Missed DC: 5, missed days: 1. Not proud, but it is how it is. :) I also notice, how much my weight fluctuates... sometimes by 2 kilos over two consecutive days... I guess it is partially the process of fast weight loss.

TA Diet controversies...

Everything in the world has its critique. Everything. Everything can be praised and criticised, and in the end of the day - except for may be maths and physics - there is no ultimate truth. So in this post I wanted to raise an issue of TAM and Meta major criticism - its diet.

First and foremost, I have to say I am NO dietician or a doctor, all the statements below are only my own opinions, and what I discovered works for me. In no way am I advising anyone to follow anything I am saying below. 

So... There has been a lot of talk about the evil of TA diet... Recently I ran into this article by Rebecca Wilcox... It is pretty old already - about a year old, but well it does talk about TAM and Meta, and the diet I am currently on. 

Before I get into a long discussion about it all (which I want to try to avoid not to bore you all too much), I have to say I read all of that (the critique I mean) before I started Meta. Meta was not a rushed decision for me, it was not a whim one Sunday evening or an idea that may be I'm lacking some excitement in my life. I am not - and Meta was a choice I made after analysing the scene... I am a PhD student after all: I don't make rushed decisions normally, and I can't afford spending money without some thought behind it. I am careful in making my decisions, and would always investigate and read a lot before starting a new venture. When I needed to buy a new laptop, I actually spent a week on learning about computers, reading about them, and getting to know what characteristics were most important for me - again as a PhD student. I don't rely on advice usually (may be unfortunately - this would have made my life so much easier) and I don't believe commercials. I also don't really care how stars look - they are there and I am here, I have to be realistic and down-to-Earth. I have to understand what is good for me - just for me - and not for some rush towards a "Gwyneth body". And I think this is in a way where it started wrong for the author of the above-mentioned article... She tried to reach something she is not, and didn't listen to herself and her body.

Hence, regardless of what you are starting (school, hobby, training), you have to listen to yourself! When you starting a new workout program or a diet - you have to listen to your body, it won't lie to you. And if you are good at it, you will understand when it is just lazy (i.e. making up excuses for not doing a workout) or when it is actually suffering, or in pain. And the earlier you notice this, the better.

So, coming back to the above mentioned article... The main argument of it was "I did get the Gwynie body, but I starved in the process"... Then there is a lot of evidence from nutritionists, dieticians, doctors, etc., who basically say that this diet is a "pamphlet of patients with anorexia nervosa", that it is only 700 calories a day and lacks calcium, iron, carbohydrates, proteins, salt etc.... Basically, it is hugely imbalanced, and non-nutritive against what it is proclaiming (to the other criticisms I will get in a separate post I think). 

My response to that.... 

Week 7 diet

So, I am starting week 7 diet tomorrow. I did the shopping yesterday, so my fridge is stuffed - mostly with fruit and veg... This happens a lot lately, but it is still overly full (and I live alone, so it is only my food!!!)

OK, so in this week's menu we have:

• Power Juice
• Chocolate Pudding
• Kiwi Basil Puree
• Waldorf Salad
• Veggie Snack
• Carrot Parsnip Puree +
• 1.2 c red quinoa
• Fruit Puree

I substituted the Waldorf Salad with Chili, as I really didn't like the Waldorf Salad, but the reason for that may be lies in the fact that I did not use chestnuts for it. And I absolutely loved the Chili. I know it is not the best substitution, but at least I will enjoy it. :) So my shopping list was a bit different from the one on TAM web-site - including Chili ingredients. I couldn't find quinoa... Actually still have no idea what it is, had to Google it and read about it on Wikipedia, and check out how it can be called in German. :) Still no success - even in the international cuisine shelves...

So, my shopping list:

• Chocolate/chocolate chips (I still have the rest of the ingredients)
• 3 cups spinach
• 2 English cucumbers
• Pack of celery
• 1 lime
• 1.4 kg ground beef
• 6 tomatoes
• 1 jalapeno
• 1 large or 2 small zucchinis
• 1 red bell peppers
• Roasted garlic
• 6 parsnips
• 3.5 cups quinoa
• 14 kiwis
• 40 basil leaves
• 2 oranges
• Pack of strawberries
• Pack of blackberries
• Pack of blueberries
• Pack of raspberries
• 2 big bunches fresh mint

So, today I am cooking. Chili and carrot-parsnip puree are ready, I just have to finish the chocolate pudding, and the rest I would prefer to eat fresh.

Here I also wanted to mention the vitamins and other supplements I am taking. I used to take multi-vitamins, but now I decided I need more attention to certain functions in my body, like eyes, my brain (concentration and memory), bones and muscles. They supplement each other, and the same vitamins do not repeat from one pack to another. 

I also started taking L-carnitine - just to try it out. We'll see how it goes and if I will see any interesting results. :)

Have a great Sunday everyone - and a good rest of Easter weekend!

Day 39 of Metamorphosis

Or level 4 day 9. One day to the end of level 4. Just one. Again, how could this happen?

If you read my post on level 3, you remember, I was really shocked when it was over. Well, no less I am shocked that level 4 is over. I don’t know if it is the busy life, or the fact that workouts become more “normal” and every-day for me, rather than anything special. Don’t get me wrong, I still have to have a battle with my laziness every day to start the workout, and sometimes it is more painful, but I also reached the point, when it also is enjoyable at times. All the same, the fact is, the levels fly by, melt away. Just around the time I start to “get” the MS, I have to change it. It is a little unfair I think. But then again, it is good for the muscles right? That is the whole point of MS and changing it every 10 workouts.

Level 4 was and – thankfully still is – wonderful! It has a lot on balance, and, with an exception of planks, I was looking forward to every single move. I loved the standing abs – but then again I love them always. This level however, I could finally see the pattern in them, notice the details, and not just go from side-to-side. Arms were really kicking and I was feeling like lowering them down so many times – especially after the DC. Today, by the way, I rocked the DC - seriously. Was jumping like crazy, and even bumped into a sofa. Oops.

And I have a huge huge huge revelation… I started loving abs. I don’t mean standing abs… Just normal abs. I never ever liked them – I was always feeling nauseous when doing them, and when I started Meta, I had to take a breather and a water break after them, and honestly, it was painfully nauseous. Now I absolutely love them. I love to feel my abs working. And hey – the great motivation is to see the abs forming. The lean, flat stomach, with nice lean muscles… no 6 pack, just feminine flat stomach with some definition. You just HAVE to love that!

I had a lovely dinner today – backed some chicken with peas and onions, added a bit of salad. Turned out to be quite a lot of food, but then again, I haven’t eaten most of the day, so I think it’s ok. And there was no oils or frying, or carbs or anything unhealthy. Just protein and veg. Yum-yum.

Chicken breast, some cheese, peas, onions, and cucumber-tomato-celery salad. Some garlic, basil, parsley, dill to spice it up. Truly great!

Today was a bit of a slow day, but hey – HAPPY EASTER everyone! Whole Germany is closed – I mean shops and all, and I do hope they open tomorrow, as I am running out of food, and have no money at all for eating out – kinda broke from the beginning of the month. :) I have been shopping lately quite a lot – got some new outfits with my sweetheart for the spring (just when will it come to Germany??!!), some accessories, a new bikini (that all makes a reason for a different post!), jeans and more jeans (to be honest - I love the way I look, so started obsessively checking out which size I can already fit...).

So have a great day everyone and a great weekend to y’all!

Foods in weeks - what is it? - 6 and 6.5?

So I finally have time to talk a little about food... Yes, I am not using "diet" on purpose right now, as...  well I wasn't so good following Tracy's diet in the past 2 weeks. All the roller-coaster of life started in the end of Week 5. Which was already past 30-day-diet-trial-period I set for myself from the start. I have to say, I almost arrived at my desired weight, so now I am concentrating more on keeping it and not gaining more. Though I would still not mind to lose another 1-2 kilos. But... well, I had some things going on, so it was pretty hard to stick to the diet to the T. 

In the end of week 5 (Nutrient Boost...) my sweetheart was visiting from Prague - and hey I just can't resist going for a nice dinner out with him (or two! :D) So we again went to the wonderful Le Gril place on the Weser river bank (definitely recommended to anyone visiting Bremen!!!) - I tried to stick to the grill and salad, and nothing more, and as before Le Gril didn't disappoint us - it was yummy-amazing! :)

With a little bit of dry Martini... romantic atmosphere... great company... What else do you need?!

Beef steak and some salad

Day 36 of Metamorphosis

To be very honest with you, it does NOT get easier. Really. I mean you get stronger and all, and then the new level kicks your ass once again. There is truly no limit to perfection. You can do it probably for years, and new moves would still kick your little shapely butt. 

I have had a crazy of a time recently. As I mentioned before - I started driving school, on top of that work is not becoming less... I have couple of doctors appointments, salsa festival coming up next week and I have a lot to help out with still... Today was the culmination of ridiculousness of German bureaucracy. First I had 4 hours of driving theory class, then had a quick lunch and 6 (!!!) hours of "first aid course" - an obligatory course for German driving license... Yes, besides that I managed to squeeze in DC in the morning before I left, and MS after I came back home at 21:30 or so. I did it!!! I was really afraid I wouldn't have time. And to be honest, with all the stuff going on, I very often find it hard simply to find time - and it is not like I want to skip it! I honestly LOVE to do MS, but sometimes it is so hard to squeeze anything in. 

Tomorrow is yet again a crazy day:

08:00-09:00 Eye doctor

10:00-14:00 Driving school

16:00-17:30 Driving lesson (practice)

20:00-21:00 Salsa training

21:00- Salsa social...

I am not whining - really. I am just trying to sort out my day and think when I can fit my workouts. When the craziness with driving school is over, I will write some more. But I am still hanging on, I just wish for a little more sleep. :)

Level 3 grand results, before and after (with pics!)

Level 3 is over.

Wait, WHAT? HOW? WHEN?

Yop, this is approximately my reaction on the day I fill in the workout calendar for day 30… I loved level 3 so much, I enjoyed doing every single exercise in the MS, I loved all those exercises for my bum… And now it is OVER? I didn’t put enough of effort into it, I didn’t have enough time to rock it and enjoy it… I didn’t… I didn’t… I didn’t…

It is like when someone you care about leaves for good – even if it is not totally out of the bloom – you sit there stunned questioning, how could that happen and why haven’t you told that person more often how much you cared. Well, same here :) I feel like I haven’t put enough effort into the level 3 workouts, because constantly there were some distractions and urgent things to do. And now that I have to move on, I don’t feel ready. But life is inevitable, and it is my own fault I didn’t enjoy the moment while it lasted, so I will try to do the level 4 better. Learn on your own mistakes, people!

Lots of bumps on the way during level 3. For one thing, I completely lacked motivation on some days– just didn’t want to do anything. But then forced myself to start the workout and felt much better after it – at least about myself. At the same time, I had lots of work (presentation for faculty), which I had to do last-minute as I didn’t do it earlier (again, my fault!). And I was smart enough to start driving school now. Yes, I don’t have a license (still) and yes, I will have it sometime soon. I decided I am already too old NOT to have a license, I need to do it and Germany is as good as it gets in terms of licenses. Even though it is expensive, it is pretty much accepted everywhere and is given without an ending date. What can be better?! Hence, I am going to driving school three hours each morning for 1.5 weeks… All these matters put together at the same time, I found myself running out of time every day. Sometimes I had to shorten the Cardio by 5-10 minutes or so. And I missed it all together twice.

Sunday was my day 30 and that was the culmination of my struggle against work and laziness. I also made a mistake of starting the workout too early after I ate (and I noticed, I don’t like working out in the second half of the day – as I am already ‘heavy’ and everything aches by the evening, I totally prefer morning before breakfast). So Sunday workout was heavy and hard, I felt like a cow on ice (with no ice) – that was a horrible feeling of being old and tired… And that was AFTER my rest day on Saturday. And as I didn’t give enough time for digestion, I felt nauseous throughout the workout… Honestly, I was nearly in tears, and was feeling horrible for not giving justice to the wonderful level 3… My last level 3 workout didn’t give me any pleasure – such a shame!!!

The next day – Monday – I took another rest day. First, I needed to get some rest and sleep (which I ended up not getting), and second, I still had to finish my presentation for Tuesday… So level 4 had to wait, I was working till late at night and going to driving school for 3 hours each morning. I did get back on track yesterday, and now after driving school bO-O-Oring theory class, going to meet my supervisor and then head home for a nap and my MS (DC done in the morning).

Level 3 has taught me a lot. It taught me that it is better to workout with a smile than tears. So next time I feel SO bad, I would stop and take a rest day. There is a fine line between laziness that stops you from starting the workout and actual suffering throughout the workout. Overcoming laziness is hard, but really really important. Suffering should never happen. Struggling – yes, suffering – no! Even a hard workout (when you honestly want to swear and say all the bad words you can remember) can be extremely enjoyable and refreshing.

But despite of – or may be because of – all the bumps, I did manage to surprise myself with results…

Day 31 of Metamorphosis

(Ah, this is approximately how I was urgently
 trying to finish my presentation...)

I know, I disappeared. I know. And I am sorry. I had a crazy time. Well basically, not too crazy considering I am a PhD student - and that in itself is crazy, but I had a little bit of a bad time even for a PhD student. Today I had a presentation - an important presentation at the Uni. And I was not ready even a week ago - meaning I had absolutely nothing to present. So it took me almost day and night to prepare. For that reason I disappeared, for that reason I had some problems with level 3 (about that in the next post), and for that reason I took an extra rest day - yesterday - after the end of level 3 (even though my official rest day was Saturday...) But, nevertheless, I did get back on track today - after the presentation right away.

Soooo...  I did start level 4. I still myself can't believe I am actually saying (writing) this. How can it be even possible??!! I actually made it through to level 4 already! And the journey felt like a couple days so far, but was difficult as if it was a year. It had ups and downs... But boy it was good!

Level 4 will definitely kick your ass. There is SO much about balance. Some of the MS exercises are so hard - primarily in terms of balance. While in level 3 my butt really hurt by the end of MS, now I feel like a have wobbly legs and arms. I mean seriously - I fell several times! For real! Good that I have a soft mat, but it was not fun. I was already starting to think "Yey, I kick ass!" after level 3, when here we come - I actually fell like three times in a particular balancing exercise...

I am on week hmmm on week 6 of diet (Body Reset, I call it "protein boost") - it took me some time to remember, which week it is. While my set goal of following the diet for 30 days came and went, I am still sticking to it. I just decided, I won't feel bad about myself if I am not always consitstent with sticking to it, but I will try as much as I can. So I still have my chicken and salad in the evenings, I still have two eggs in the morning and some fruit and protein bar during the day. It works out well, and mostly I don't feel hungry. But if I have a dinner with friends or sweetheart, I won't overthink it - I will just try to stick to healthy options.

I have some nice results from level 3 - despite all the bumps on the way, or may be due to them, who knows - I even have pics taken, measurements calculated, all ready... Just have to write it up and post all of that juicy content tomorrow, so stay tuned! ;)

Day 28 of Metamorphosis

So... I just ate two slices of Gouda cheese and I don't feel bad about it! :) I went into the shop to get some zucchini and eggplant for  cooking the second half of the Roasted veggie puree... But hey it was past 9pm, no zucchini or eggplant left... No celery either.  Felt a little like I was back in the perestroyka times... So I saw cheese, and I just couldn't resist - I needed it. I topped up the two slices of cheese (~200 calories as I calculated) with couple olives, and that was my dinner. Well. It is not like I ate some french fries and a burger. And I feel better now.

Do let yourself enjoy a little, and when you get off the track, don't beat yourself up for it! It is so not worth it! What is the pleasure than of eating something you find yummy if you don't enjoy eating it and feel guilty?!Just enjoy it, and get back on track the next day. 

Now I'm off to get a good beauty sleep. Night night y'all!

One month with Meta and still going strong… Or?

Today is exactly a month since I started my journey. And I thought it is about time to talk a little about the journey itself, without counting kilos, calories, describing the workouts, the diet, whining how tough it all is and so on, and so forth… It is time to reflect, to think what has actually been going on in my head, to try to understand in what way has this journey changed me and my life so far. Because we are not talking only about kilos, calories, muscles and sexy butt here, are we? I mean, it might seem this way sometimes, but really – we are not. Those are just some of the visible results, some of the outcomes. Much more has been going on in the background, somewhere deep inside my head and sub-consciousness. Or not?

First and foremost, the workout has become part of my life. Even if it doesn’t fit in the schedule, even if I very often don’t start it with a smile on my face (cmon, I am just a human!), even if it intervenes with work… Yes, it has become a part of my mindset of the things to do. It is really on the way of becoming a habit, but I am not going to be risky and not remind myself: “You have to do it” every day. I think this is the longest ever commitment to workout and healthy lifestyle I ever had and managed to keep up with. I have to say, that even though I have not been able to follow the diet to the T, I still stuck with healthy eating – which is after all the most important thing. I think this is a right way for changing the mindset. I very often don’t have to tell myself “I am on diet, I should eat this”, but rather “This looks healthy and yummy”. And I guess this is really important.

This all been said, there are not just only positive things. I am still majorly struggling with the rest of my life. As I did start with putting the workouts the first thing on my daily to-do-list, it has moved my schedule at least 1.5. And I have never been good in scheduling and organizing. And instead of waking up an 1-2 earlier (which still happens sometimes), I keep waking up the same time I used to before, and then the workout takes around 1-2 hours from my work routine. You see, I am a PhD student, I have a free schedule to work whenever and wherever basically. So, it is really hard for an unorganized person like me to get into a good routine. I am still trying, and still struggling about 4 days out of 5… I have to start working on weekends too as I don’t get enough done over the workdays… The sad truths of my life. This problem sucks me into some bad moods and stress sometime, so the next thing on my monthly agenda is to GET INTO A ROUTINE. It is hard to start working out, but for me it is even harder to start doing so without hurting my other spheres of my life: professional and personal. Hence, this will be the agenda for month 2.