Stupid head cold.
Just sick enough to realise that, somehow, you’ve set your life up in such a way that no one offers to cook for you, or make tea for you, or do anything for you, except, thank god, housework. I had to ask.
I felt betrayed, too. Here I was doing everything I could possibly do to be healthy–and I got sick.
It was an eye-opening experience.
My head cold hit me like a truckload of cabbages. Friday night, I showed up at work with the sniffles. Saturday morning, I remember being confused about what should come first; making supper, a lunch for work, getting dressed or taking a shower. Instead, I called in sick. Sunday, I didn’t go to yoga. Monday and Tuesday were days off, thankfully, and I started binge watching Netflix. Wednesday, I worked half a day. But by Thursday, I was ready to murder everyone in my path.
All of my coping mechanisms fell away. I stopped doing my meditation. I’d decided recently, to switch my sessions from morning to evening to help me unwind and I completely forgot. Other than my Tuesday night yoga session, I stopped exercising too. Fortunately, I continued with my morning pages, mostly.
Friday, I had a talk with my husband.
My fierce independence is usually an asset. But what it does, of course, is make the people around me blind to whatever I may need. Or maybe, I pick people who are blind because when I’m not sick, their attentions can feel suffocating? It’s the old chicken and egg thing and it doesn’t much matter as long as one of them steps up to the plate and offers to make dinner. A relationship is formed by the people in it–and both need to change if it’s going to change. So, I promised a few things, and he promised a few tings. After that talk, things started to get better.
But it wasn’t good, there, for a while.
I suppose it isn’t unusual for something like a cold to wreck havoc on your new habits and lifestyle. There was one day with nothing but junk: slices of Apple pie, cake and ice cream, a chocolate bar, cookies. Last night, after supper, I tucked into popcorn and a chocolate bar. I would have had cookies had we any left.
I am in desperate need of a reset.
So, I joined the FIT class at Fitocracy. Four workouts a week. I’ve already missed two! But I did do the fitness assessment. It is a nine minute circuit consisting of three exercises: the plank, the push up and a jump squat. (I’d never even heard of the jump squat!) I had my husband run the stopwatch and count for me.
Like so: (Actual accomplishments in bold)
- Plank for 1 minute. done. but I think I did it wrong.
- Do 10 Push-Ups in 1 minute. done.
- Do 10 Jump Squats in 1 minute. 14
- Plank for 1 minute. held for 43 seconds
- Do 10 Push-Ups in 1 minute. done.
- Do 10 Jump Squats in 1 minute. 12
- Plank for 1 minute. 30 seconds
- Do 10 Push-Ups in 1 minute.
- Do 10 Jump Squats in 1 minute. done.
Total Time: 9 minutes
There.
That feels better.
mybodyandmeblog 
October 26, 2016 at 7:31 am
I bet you are on week six or nine or some multiple of three, years ago, I remember taking charge of my weight and really going for it. Fortunately I had a book ( I always have a book) written by a doctor, Morton Glenn, who wrote that every three weeks a crises of some description occurs to dissuade you from your goal. After I read that I watched carefully and sure enough, I would twist my foot, or my family would have a new emergency, or I’d take on something extra…all distractions that would have derailed me (love the picture!) if I had not been alert. For me, it was mind boggling how that kept happening. I believe it was the power of the sub conscientious mind at work. And what power it has!
Hang in there. You had a set back…they pass. Don’t give up!
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October 26, 2016 at 11:12 am
Interesting theory, Mom. Depending on exactly when I was challenged to take care of my health, you could say I got sick at the beginning of week 9 or in the middle of it. Ok. That is officially freaky. I appreciate the encouragement.
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October 26, 2016 at 2:38 pm
The other Marian just wants to offer up some encouragement too, Alana. I hope you’re able to get back on track. I don’t know if this is overly simplistic, but there have been many times my husband has simply asked me to keep certain items (like cookies) out of the house. He doesn’t do well with “moderation” and has found that the easiest way to remain on the healthy eating path is to simply have no other options available. (Which I know is a really, really, really hard thing to achieve when it’s not just you in the house.)
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October 26, 2016 at 4:39 pm
Thank you, “other” Marian! It may come to that. I didn’t buy any sea salt bars on my shopping trip this time: I’ve become unable to resist them. (I crave some usually right after work–the minute I get in the car to drive home.) And that would be fine if I stopped at one or two pieces, like I did 7 weeks ago, but that’s not happening anymore. It is a challenge to eat well when you’re sick. I’ll haveto figure it out, eventually. Though, I don’t expect to get sick again for many, many months.
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November 2, 2016 at 5:43 am
Hang in there! Progress NOT perfection!
Gina in Chattanooga, TN
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November 2, 2016 at 9:38 am
Thanks, Gina! Progress doesn\t look much like progress, sometimes…but you are right, I am progressing! And not only is the enough, it is everything, right now!
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