40 Days of 75 Hard

Well, I’ve made it over the halfway hump and I’m on the downhill slope. But I’ve never been more motivated! My friend reminded me that I still have over a month left and I said, “Good! I need it!”

One of my favorite poses in Bikram. I used to really get off the ground with this one! Still have some work to do.

Most people feel sorry for me because I can’t drink, haha. Well, my response is “If I had that glass of wine last night, I wouldn’t have been doing yoga at 7 a.m.” Alcohol and sugar cause more aches and pains than they are worth. I’ll just have to keep reminding myself of that when these 75 days are over.

In April, when I added regular exercise back into my life, I started to consume more calories. Obviously, the more calories you burn, the more hungry you become. But it’s really hard when you have to tell yourself “No, you cannot have another snack.” Especially a late one! #mentaltoughness

I saw myself plateauing around Day 20 and decided it was time to burn more calories while exercising and to watch what I was eating more closely. My weight still seems to fluctuate and I’m definitely putting on muscle. But I do not weigh myself regularly. I do not even own a scale. Instead, I try on old pairs of shorts that haven’t fit in a few years. 😉

My legs are getting stronger, but my balance still needs a lot of work.

Here’s the short version of what I’ve learned over the last 40+ days.

• I should do yoga every morning for the rest of my life.
• I should drink a gallon of water every day for the rest of my life.
• The hardest part is getting started. Fully committing to something. Once you start to see results, there’s no going back!
• Be patient.
• I never want to be out of shape again!
• My body is way stronger than I gave it credit for.
• Most of the soreness I experience now is due to exercise.
• I still have to be careful and not push myself too hard. I don’t want to be set back by an injury like pulling a hamstring.
• My nerves seem less sensitive.
• My periods are lighter and PMS has been less intense.
• I’ve found yoga poses to relieve most aches in my neck and shoulders… I just have to do them every day!
• Yoga with Adriene on YouTube is perfect for beginners or people like me who will hurt themselves if they aren’t extra careful. She moves at a good pace and gives a lot of notes.
• And most of all… it’s all about Mental Toughness. Just like Andy Frisella says.

Working from home, not having kids, and living alone have all really helped! Returning to an early morning teaching schedule in August is going to be really tough! I hope I still have the drive to get up extra early and do at least 30 minutes of yoga.

I’ve decided I’m worth the extra time and energy it takes to exercise twice a day, drink a gallon of water, not drink alcohol, and watch what I eat! And I’m even more committed than ever to fighting fibromyalgia pain.

I’ve lived many years with the motto “Life is short; enjoy yourself,” and hopefully I’ll have more of those! But it’s good to have years of “ I’m going to take better care of myself, so I’ll be able to enjoy life even more in the years to come.”

Samantha’s waits patiently while I exercise.