Work Out Schmork Out

Yikes. It's been a while since I've mentioned my working out, and Colleen was so kind as to point it out to me yesterday. I am still going to the gym regularly, working out with my trainer (and friends) twice a week, and trying to get in some additional cardio at least twice a week. Sometimes that cardio comes in the form of some quality time with the elliptical machine, and sometimes it's a step class, just depends on the week and the timing.

This week, though, has been a challenge. I seem to have done something to my back - what, I don't have a clue - and it's made working out, and heck even just moving, really difficult. I seem to have strained some kind of muscle in my back, but fortunately my trainer was able to show me some stretches to help alleviate my super-fun discomfort yesterday, so hopefully that will help. She also prescribed a heating pad, which shockingly, I don't own, so I had to run out to get one.

Working out has been a really good stress reliever, and over the last month, our trainer has added some interesting new exercises to our routine. We've even being doing ab exercises, which has been interesting, since I haven't done crunches in years. We use the balance balls for most of our ab exercises, though we do some of them on the floor. We also still do those evil deadlifts, and walking lunges, and we've done squats with the balance ball at our back, which has been interesting. Admittedly, I haven't gotten on a scale in the last month, in part because I don't feel like being disappointed by it, but both our trainer and Husband think that I look skinnier than before, so hopefully all the work is doing something for me. I also haven't been really changing my diet, outside of trying not to eat excessively, which I think is a big problem for me. I'm trying to learn to listen to my body when it says that it's full. It's hard sometimes to be in tune with my body, especially when there's so much else going on, like the mess in the kitchen or Baby trying to have a conversation with me, or what-have-you, but it's a work in progress.

How about you? Are you working on losing some weight? Toning some muscle? Tell me about it! I think it's great to hear what other people are doing at the gym, sometimes it can give you inspiration to try something new.