Daily Journal

One of the things that I've learned over the past couple of years is that I periodically need to give myself breaks. It's a time that I work out less and am not so strict about eating healthfully. It doesn't happen often, maybe twice a year.

The key to a successful break is definite planning and then sticking to the plan.

1. I choose a day that I start the break and a day that I stop the break and go back into proper eating habits and exercise.

2. I give myself permission to eat a little differently. I still make mostly healthy choices, but I may eat a little more, and I don't skip the desserts. I don't eat all the sweet stuff either. I'm picky about which ones I choose. Only the best!

3. I expect to put on a few pounds knowing that I'll take them back off quickly.

4. I expect that when I start back, my body will scream at me. I'll be just a little more out of breath during workouts, and I'll be more sore afterwards. However, I also know that it won't take long for me to feel back to normal and be going strong again.

Before you think, "Oh! I'll just take a break!" consider this. A true break is just a time when a person lets their mind relax from being so conscious about health. It's a time of rest and relaxation for the body, mind, and emotions. Most people use their break as an excuse to stop working toward and/or being healthy, and they do not have intentions of starting back. They might fool themselves into believing they will, but their true intention is that they are looking for an excuse to either eat junk or stop exercising. Both lead to death: of their health goal and eventually their body.

That's why Number 1 above is key. It's like that law of physics: a body in motion tends to stay in motion. The reverse is also true. A body at rest tends to stay at rest. When we take a break, our bodies don't like to get going again. That is the reason that planning is so very important. You plan a start date, you know what will happen during the break, and then you have an end date for the break that cannot be broken regardless of what happens.

MY BREAK
Between work (10-12 hour days) and time with friends and family, I knew that the holidays were going to be very busy this year. Therefore, I scheduled my break for the holidays. I planned for my break to officially end Sunday and be back to normal healthy eating and exercise habits on Monday. I couldn't wait though. While I enjoyed my more fatty foods for a few days, they didn't satisfy. By the Monday before the New Year, I was back to eating mostly vegetables and protein with only an occasional piece of chocolate.

I had an unexpected but good adjustment that had to be made to my planning. My work schedule doesn't show any sign of slowing down any time soon. I could be working 15 hours a day and still be barely keeping up. I have to be at my best during the day, so that means no early morning strength workouts that drain me. I know my body and if I work out after 5:30 p.m. or so, I end up not being able to sleep until nearly midnight. Therefore, I made an adjustment to my work. I start at 5 a.m. and work until 3 p.m. That gives me enough time to get my workout in during the afternoon and still get all my work done.

So yesterday was the big day and, wouldn't you know, interuptions rained down! In fact, it spoiled my time to get to the gym. I know how important it is to start back, and I wasn't about to give my body any excuse. I at least did a lap around my neighborhood -- 2.2 miles in 35 minutes. It was exercise anyway. Today I was looking forward to my strength workout and life stuck out it's big toe again. An emergency came up that required me to stay at home. However, Fast Track came to the rescue. They provide full body workout videos online for their members. I pulled one up and was able to do my workout at home.

That's life so far this year. Busy busy busy! But it's ok. I'm eating well and fitting in exercise. Tomorrow, I'm planning on doing two of the video workouts -- one during lunch and one in the afternoon.

ABOUT TODAY'S WORKOUT
In case you are wondering about the workout videos, they are geared for doing them at home with a minimum of equipment. Today's targeted the lower body. Here's the workout:

- 2 min. warmup with a jumprope (Variation: jump in place with no rope)

- 1 min. jog in place or around the room

- 30 wide-stance squats with 3-5 lbs. ball. The ball is held straight down in front of the body. (Variation: I used a dumbbell, but a 1 gallon jug with water in it works just as well.)

- 1 min. jumprope

- 30 wide-stance squats with shoulders. The ball is held straight down when lowering into the squat. As you stand back up, press the ball overhead throwing it up in the air. Catch the ball on the way back down and let it carry you into the next squat. (Variation: I don't have a weighted ball. I used a resistance band. I hooked it under my feet. As I stood up from the squat, I did an overhead press to produce the same affect. Again, a couple of gallon jugs with water in them -- one for each hand -- can do the same thing.)

- 1 min. jog in place or around the room

- 100 walking lunges (Variation: walk them back and forth across the room or do them in place)

- 30 mountain climbers

- 1 min. jack squats. Drop in a wide-stance squat. When standing back up, press up explosively coming off the ground bringing the feet together as in a jumping jack. Hop your feet back out as you drop back to the squat.

- 100 tricep overhead extensions

- 1 min. jumprope

- 50 traveling side squats, 30 second jog, 50 traveling side squats

- 2 interval sprints (sprint 50 yards, walk 50, sprint 50, walk 50)

- Stretch

What I like about the video workouts is that you have a trainer there doing it with a single trainee. I can just follow along. It makes it very easy. Check out Fast Track to Fat Loss to see all the videos.

NOTE: Don't do any workout without checking with your doctor first.