The Day After (and the day after that)

I woke up yesterday unable to walk without a funny gimp. I knew it would only get worse, which it has, but I managed to make it to spin in the morning and a bootcamp class with Susie in the evening. I cheated a lot but I felt triumphant that I was even there. And I knew that I needed to move the muscles that hurt in an effort to push that lactic acid out of them.

I hurt enough that I didn't think too much about whether I had done a enough the day before - I couldn't have given any more than I did - that should be enough. And when I saw Ellen at the studio she told me that I did great, "really amazing" she said, and then admitted that our workout together had been a little extra "spicy". I felt better knowing that she wasn't disappointed.

Today I can't get in and out of chairs without agony. And forget stairs! I went to spin this morning, thinking that I would just ride recovery and let my muscles warm up. Of course, it turned out to be less recovery and more work, but my legs felt better being warm... I would have stayed on the bike all day if I could. It seems like the only time my legs don't hurt is when I'm riding. I'll go back for more this evening...

Eating has been odd the last couple of days. I know I should be eating more, but I'm less hungry. Ellen wants me to eat high-protein/low-carb, which has been surprisingly easy for me so far (I know this will get more challenging). I'm having a protein shake in the morning and then some chicken and veggies for lunch, with a repeat for dinner. Throw in some fruit and nuts for snacks and presto, my daily meals. It's a bit of a challenge to transition from my Weight Watchers habit of counting and weighing everything. I can eat all whole foods, but nothing that comes in a box or a wrapper. It feels good and it allows me to eat the foods that I really love, that fill me up with energy and joy.

I haven't lost any weight. In fact, I'm 3 pounds heavier than I was Tuesday before I started with Ellen!! But I'm trying to convince myself that it's muscle and/or lactic acid retention and/or water retention... And I really should stop weighing myself. That's not the only gauge for my success during these 28 days.

My legs are wrecked, my arms are so sore that it hurts to reach for the phone but I feel good. And I'm not going to quit. Ever.