Thursday, February 17, 2011

Day 17...Those Pesky Hiccups!

I took a couple days off from blogging...trying to give the extensor muscles in my forearm (the ones that are causing the pain in my elbow) some much needed rest.  Its amazing that something, seemingly so benign, could be so detrimental...yes I'm talking about typing.

Physical therapy was very good yesterday.  The muscles in my forearm were described as feeling like hard ropes just days ago, but yesterday they were much softer.  Now that I see that in writing, it doesn't sound so good!  I prefer to think of my muscles as 'ropy' and 'sinewy'...not soft!  Oh well, the good news is that my elbow is healing, and I was actually progressed from soft-tissue work (grueling deep massage) to light exercise...can I get an amen!

All is not positive however...

Things got a little busy yesterday, and I was not able to get my workout in.  I know, I know...what was I thinking anyway!?  Well...I did actually begin my workout...I just didn't finish it.  That's got to count for something right?  No? Ok, I'll do better today.  

Setbacks...that's what I'm blogging on today.  We all  have them.  In fact, I had one in my first couple of days, remember?  We can deal with them in one of two ways...positively or negatively.  It is important to remember that our success (and failures) are most often created by our thought processes.  If I think I am going to be successful I most likely will be.  On the other hand...well, you know where I'm leading right? I understand that one day is not going to make or break my goals.  If I was a competitive bodybuilder a single day may make the difference, but as my photos have revealed, I am clearly not a bodybuilder, so I'm ok.  The point here is that too often, successful programs are derailed simply because the individual messed up one or two days. 

You have seen me use the term hiccup in previous posts, and it is because I truly feel that these single-day, or couple-day mess ups are relatively inconsequential to the overall plan...much like a hiccup.  A hiccup occurs when the diaphragm contracts abruptly.  This abrupt rush of air into the lungs causes the vocal cords to close quickly, resulting in a 'hic' sound.  The body quickly recovers from these little bouts, and never looks back...which it was we need to do...just keep moving forward.  If we derail, we move backward.  So I am choosing to drink a little cold water, hold my breath for 10 seconds, get over my case of hiccups, and keep moving forward!

Today is Thursday, and that means weigh-in.  I stepped on the scale this morning, right after I climbed out of bed...189.  Not as good as I would like, but still on track.  Remember...1-2 pounds per week is considered healthy, sustainable fat loss.  

Thanks for reading!

2 comments:

  1. John tell us how you get to the point like me of running 13 miles at one setting but you still weigh exactly the same 178lbs???

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  2. SAID principle...specific adaptations to imposed demands. Believe it or not, your body will adapt quite quickly to a specific action...i.e. long distance running. If you are looking to reduce body fat, and improve lactate threshold, interval training must be implemented into your workouts. High intensity interval training. This raises your metabolic rate temporarily, allowing you to burn more fat for fuel as you recover. It is important to know that you actually burn a relatively small amount of fat while exercising. Glycogen is the primary fuel during activity, so you need to crank it up to get the fat burning.

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