The "Zone"

I love the zone...you know that feeling you get when you're exercising when it doesn't feel like you are exercising and the intervals go super quickly and you can feel the burn, but instead of pissing you off, makes you feel good and like you could go harder? I spent about half of my work out in the zone. Of course, as soon as you start thinking about being in the zone, you're out of it, but that's irrelevant at the moment. I remember the zone from when I was a competitive rifle shooter. You couldn't feel the pain (and boy did it hurt), and everything just flowed like clockwork.

I feel better about my workout today than I did yesterday. I didn't feel so heavy, I didn't feel like I couldn't do it. I did half of a 10 Pound Shred work out. Half because as I was half way through, my condo gym started filling up and there are only 3 treadmills and I really didn't want to miss my run because of busyness, so after only the 2nd rotation (there are like 8-10 exercises you do for 40 seconds each and then do the whole cycle 3 times, takes about 30-40 minutes), I switched to the couch to 5K so that I wouldn't miss it. Then I did day 1 of week 2 and only peeked once! Bravo for me! I was winded, but could still breath fairly easily. I had some new music on my iphone that kept me going. After that I hit the pool and did some laps. Not many, cause wow is swimming intense! But I managed 4 laps before I felt like I was going to drown. I will try to increase it each time. I really like swimming after my work out. Especially during the summer, it's an awesome cool down, but still productive.

I am also on day one of the 17 Day Diet. Going ok. I have resigned myself to learning to like some things. I still won't force feed myself vegetables I have a long history of disliking (squash and green beans are hiiiigh up on that list), but I can definitely make more of an effort to eat more of the vegetables I do like, and some that I am on the fence about (hello spinach and asparagus). I am having a small indulgence tonight with my protein and veggie only dinner. This is summer, and every summer I make peach cream cheese pie. It is my ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE dessert. I only get it once a year (because I refuse to make it with peaches that are not Canadian, just doesn't taste as good), and so damn it, I'm gonna enjoy it! Take a cooked pie crust, then take 1 cup of plain cream cheese and mix it with 1 tbls of lemon juice and 1/2 cup of sugar. Slice up about 10 ripe peaches and toss in a peach glaze (I get my mom to send this to me from British Columbia. I haven't found the peach glaze packages in Ontario, which is highly annoying). Spread the cream cheese over the bottom of the crust, then pour in the glazed peaches. Let set for an hour or so, slice, top with whipped cream, and voila, Meg's favourite dessert :) That pie is going to get my through the rest of the day, lol.

I set up myfitnesspal to 1200 calories a day, to go along with the 17 Day Diet. However, if I am hungry, I will eat. I do not believe in starvation. I have a lot of exercise coming up and you need fuel to do that. However, I have to make better choices, which is a personal challenge. Weekends are always easy to recommit. It's the real life of Mondays and beyond that is difficult. Tomorrow I have a 12 hour day. We shall see how my planning works out.

Here's to an OP week :)