Tracy Anderson Metamorphosis Day 1

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” (Lao Tzu)

Day one of my 90 day challenge is over, and I am happy it is. I think the first few days are the hardest and the most awful. Only today did I actually realize what it means to be doing this. To be doing this exercise and writing this blog. It made me feel really scared. Thoughts like "why am I doing this?", "I could just take it of the internet and go back to my old habits", crossed my mind.

When I realized these feelings and thoughts of fear and discomfort, I tried to refocus on my goals and motives. But it wasn't easy. It was especially difficult, because P. ate my favorite meal in front of me, and we had guests that ended up ordering kebabs.

All in all, it was a trying first day. (I did snatch a piece of meat from P.'s kebab)

Measurements  

When I embarked on my dreaded walk to the scale, I really didn't want to know the truth about my weight. (I only did this for you!) Ironically, I weighed less after stuffing my face for over a month, than when I actually tried to watch what I was eating before.

Where I am starting from: 

Weight:  64 kg (Height: 1,64 m)

Arms:    30,5 cm

Chest:    93 cm

Waist (Bellybutton): 77,5 cm

Waist (Center of Fat): 85,5 cm

Thighs: 59,5 cm

The Diet

Food is a real sad subject for me today, and I am going to keep it short. From eating a BurgerKing meal, and eating whatever I want, I went to eating:

• 2 Pears for breakfast
• 1 Glass of Hipp Babyfood, 1 pear
• 1 Bowl of red and yellow peppers, 1 bowl of beets, 1 bowl of vegetable soup
• 1 Glass of orange juice (breaking one of my rules)

I know that nothing on this list actually matches the Tracy Anderson Eating plan, and that there are only four meals. Problem is, I don't like half of the things she mentions, and I don't have a juicer. I thought of making a green smoothie instead, but forgot to buy the kale. Instead, I have enough fruit at hand in order to eat when I am feeling hungry. The baby food was a replacement for the gazpacho and tasted horrible. The only reason we can actually feed it to babies is, because they can't defend themselves. And if they do, that's what bibs are for. I ate another pear with it, because I needed something sweet to counterbalance the bland taste of the baby slob. 

I kept my bowl of soup esepecially for when the others would order something, so it wouldn't be too hard for me. Of course it still sucked that they were eating kebabs, while I was munching on soup and vegetables. (This is so stupid, considering I was eating the healthier foods for my body) They say it takes 21 days to form a new habit; I'll just give myself a break for the first day.

It's still difficult for me to find the right time to snack on one of my meals during the day, which is why I didn't eat enough. (Plus I missed out on my allowed piece of chocolate) If I don't eat enough during the day, that's when my worst cravings occur. Fast-food, white bread and pasta seem so much tastier in those moments, and it's really hard to stick to my diet. This is why I want to come up with a better way of planning my meals for the day. I also didn't drink enough, this has always been one of my problems. 

What I want to Improve:

• Bottle what I want to drink during the day, so that I can actually see what I need to drink
• Plan my meals in the morning
• Kill P. if he eats my favorite food in front of me again... ;)

Vegetable Soup

I guess this would be another rule-breaker, as I made my own "Irish Stew"ish vegetable soup, and included potatoes. (I regret nothing) I thought I might share the recipe with you, as this lasts for at least three days (longer if you freeze it.)

• Cut up any vegetable you would like, until half of your pot is full (potato, carrots, onions, celery, parsnip, etc.)
• Fill with water untill everything is well covered
• Add one cube of plain vegetable stock
• Cook for ca. 40 minutes until potatoes are done
• Add a pinch of salt and pepper

     The Workout

Cardio

After the diet went OK today, the battle against the dance-cardio was a huge defeat. It took me ages to get the motivation to actually start, and when I did, energy-levels were low.  The initial plan was to do it in the morning, then at three o'clock and finally at five. Not having prepared everything in advance (clothing, water, DVDs), delayed my start by an additional 30 minutes.To grant myself a tiny excuse: I was worried how my kitten, still hiding under the couch (we only have her three days), would react to me jumping around like an elphant. I was really heavy on my feet, and had to frequently stop.  Of the 30 minutes of cardio, I  probably spent 15 minutes gaping at the TV. (I am thinking of filming this for all those who think they are alone in their beginners misery). But it is not all bad, I know from experience that improvement with TA's cardio happens fast, and that it will get better soon. 

Workout

The workout was the easiest today. The arms and abs sections were not too challenging, while the leg-section is a real killer. The legs part is designed to exhaust the larger muscles, and really takes a lot of will-power. My legs are usually the fittest part of my body, but I couldn't do it without taking frequent breaks. (It also takes up about 15 of the 30 minutes) 

All in all, I just didn't have the proper motivation and energy for a real workout today. I took every excuse that came my way to stop, and didn't perform. Nevertheless, I am still proud of what I managed today! I already feel so much better about myself, and have an idea of what challenges lie ahead. 

What I want to Improve:

• Have everything prepared BEFORE the scheduled time 
• Water
• Mat
• Runners and outfit
• Hair ribbon!!
• Schedule a realistic time for my workout and show up
• Keep my runners on for the mat-workout (essential for the leg exhaustion)

So in a whiny nutshell, this was my very first day of Meta ;)  I don't think that I have left anything important out and am happy it is over. And although the post might read in a negative way, it really wasn't that bad. The thing that made the workout difficult was that I procrastinated on it for so long. Because I was finding reasons not to do it, it dominated my whole day. 

I just need to be patient with myself and accept, that it's the first day and progress needs time.

"Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success."(Napoleon Hill) 

I'd love to know how your day went, 

love, 

Shauna

PS: I am very sorry that I posted this so late, but I didn't expect our guests to stay for soo long. I'll work on it! :)