It's over

Christmas is over thank goodness. I love the reason for the season but I dread the food fest.

The excess is tough. How much cream cheese can one consume. Cream cheese potato pie, cream cheese cake, cream cheese with pepper jelly and don't for get the cream cheese filled cookies.
I've had enough wine and holiday food to last a lifetime...... or at least a year.

Today was the day to get back on track with my exercise. The last day I exercised was last Saturday, so 6 days later I am back into the gym.
I think I have mentioned before about muscle memory. I have been reading a little about it and I believe it to be true. I have only been back to working out a little over a month. I have been away from exercising for 6 years and the weight I am able to lift is nearly back to my pre-layoff numbers.
Today I was able to bench the last two sets of 15 with 55lbs and then 60lbs. A beginner would have to work up to that weight unless they had enormous natural strength . Their are people who are naturally very very strong but in general that is not weight for the 4 week of exercise.
Again I believe that muscle memory exists even 6 years out. I am hoping that after the holiday is gone and the new year comes in that I can get really serious and I can't wait to see what happens.
I have to mention also that one of the biggest mistakes I made when I lifted before was not resting. I worked out everyday and only rested on Sunday. I took Sunday off because the gym was closed. I don't think I gave my body time to recover. When I taught at the gym I REALLY didn't get recovery time. I think you platau faster and it is harder to make big gains on the pounds you lift. I always felt a little fatigued. I think now I am gonna do much better because I see the mistakes I made.
Stretching has never been my favorite thing but I need to add more at the end of my workout. Being muscle bound is not just being huge with muscles it is also losing flexibilty by lifting and never stretching the muscle. Another one of my mistakes I am trying to correct.
The scale says the same thing it has said for the last weeks but I feel my pants legs getting baggier. My big shirts are getting bigger. Now having said that.....my gut is still huge. It will be the last thing to go. Clean strict eating will whittle it down but It's gonna be a long haul to get it off.
My son AKA Johnny Danger the rock climber, gave me a bike rack for my car so now I am gonna be nation wide. Aaron gave me an Ipod so I am enjoying opera on the treadmill. Life is good.

So the point of this whole post is to say I went back right on time and got right back to work. I stepped off the wagon but was able to get right back on it and get busy.
I am trying, nope that is not right, I AM working hard and pushing myself . If I cheat I am only cheating myself. It is 4 sets of 15 even if it is all I can do to get them all done.

~You got to have heart....miles and miles and miles of heart... la la la da da da dahhhhhhh