Day 76: small is big

Some small changes worth noting:

My overall mobility has improved immensely. I even drive better (I can move my neck and shoulders and check my blind spots more easily). And although I have not been doing much stretching, my flexibility is awesome. In between crunch sets I can rest flat on my back and stretch my arms to rest flat on the floor, way over my head. I can forward fold. Touch my toes! I feel like Gumby.

My torso is filling out like a tree (although I am visualizing a surfboard).

I used to feel like a messed-up marionette puppet (one with all the strings tangled up). Now those strings have come untangled, aligned and tightened up. My body seems to self-correct its posture. One year of pilates 3X/week and I never even came close to this.

This is big.

But it's not all sunshine and roses in my head. I feel really bloated and stuffed. The one time I feel great is first thing in the morning/until after breakfast.... the rest of the day is an eating/snacking marathon... hoping my diet gets cut tomorrow. I am definitely gaining weight/getting bigger. I am not sure how I feel about that. Actually I feel like skipping meals and snacks but so far have been good, taking my medicine.

Day 75: not enough zzzz

Last night I made the mistake of opening a late-breaking email, then staying up half the night to work on a moving target project. I say yes way too recklessly. Not good. Got about 3 hours sleep in the end. Not good at all! Energy-wise I felt stoked when I woke up though and still zippy this afternoon. (Seems I like adrenalin almost as much as endorphins). However, the all-nighter crash is usually on a 36-hour delay. I will feel like crap tomorrow. This is a step backwards (obviously). Dipping my toe in my old ways... testing the post-PCP waters. Wasting perfectly good muscle-growing time!

Got to put the boots to the workout now... workout, jumps, 8MA... bring on tomorrow please. I will try to get it right.

xx

Day 74: Salud

Read Patrick's funny indulgence email on my BB exactly five hours prior to wine festival tasting party number two. Hmmmn, should I just go for it tonight and spend my 1000 calories on a barrel of rose and a motherload of tapas? Nah. I decided five hours lead time was not nearly enough foreplay. I mean, half the point/fun of the indulgence is in the anticipation leading up to it right? Consequently the party was over for me before it got started. I had a splash of rose in my glass as my cover. I ate some potato frittata (one inch square) which was fine. I watched people elbow their way up to the tables, intent of tasting every bloody bottle in the room as fast as possible. I contemplated changing careers.

Then I came back to my hotel to plot the strategy...

Stay tuned for Operation Indulgence.

I can't wait!

PS: Had to wear flats tonight because my legs were SHOT.

Day 73: skin deep

I hope no one bumps into me at the party tonight because everything hurts, including my skin! I am visualizing that this new found pain is a war between my muscles and sub-whatchamacallit fat. Go muscles! I was bummed this morning because I could barely do a single proper pull-up, let alone two. However, the incline pull-ups were less of a struggle. Go figure. The jumps have captivated me again as I am determined to jump like a boxer and "dance like a butterfly" Ali-style.... you know, those cool single-footed hops. I tried them at the beginning and I couldn't do them at all. Today, I could do them, plus a few crossovers. Kickass! I think these small "miracles" keep you going when things get tough...

Wishing you all small miracles too.

Go on now, you can do it.

xx

UPDATE: Party one, now over and done. Had two prawns (plain) and one glass of bubbly (just for show, left undrunk... and that's a big bloody miracle let me tell you). I bet I was the only chick at the party packing a hardboiled egg in her purse... yeah, I'm cool.

Day 72: this is HARD

Okay, I can tell this week is going to be KILLER... The workouts are so hard! Yet failure is teaching me I've got more in me than I realized... Two big wine events to attend tomorrow and Tuesday nights, but I'm not worried about indulging this time as it is not likely I will have the strength to hold a wine glass. In fact, I can barely type this...

Hang in there gang!

xx

Day 70: the good life

As we get closer to day 90, I am taking mental snapshots of everything. Like how much is 110 grams of salmon to visualizing a perfect v-sit. I want to tattoo PCP into my psyche. I am not feeling stressed about day 90, more excited actually. The experiment will continue for sure and for reals. I liken it to the difference between learning a new language at home, then going to live in that country. I am really looking forward to taking up residency in PCP-land, hopefully permanently. Having said that, it will also be nice to bust out a bit more frequently...

My dad is a character and we share a working studio together. Today as he was leaving he handed me a chilled bottle of white wine. "I know you're not drinking," he said. "But this is a really, really good bottle of wine. You can save it for later."

"Thanks," I said. "Thanks for chilling it dad!"

I think he misses his fun-loving daughter... I miss her too. But hopefully come day 90, this new girl can raise a glass even higher (and resist drinking the whole bottle)!

Have a nice weekend everybody...

Kick it!

xo

Day 69: Never mind the bollocks...

I can do two real pullups! Hurrah!

(This monumental development has officially catapulted me out of my funk.) Cracked out the rest of the workout in a fine mood. New photos are up on schedule. Thanks for the push.

Feeling on, like Donkey Kong!

Three weeks to go....

Let's kick it people!