First off, a prayer:
Thank you, dear Lord, for allowing me even 6 hours of "shut eye" last night, even though it wasn't entirely consecutive. Regardless, I am full of gratitude for even the minuscule amount of zzzz's provided to me (because I'm such a spazz and can't shut my brain down). Amen.
Gah, my sleeping pattern/schedule has been horrendous lately! No matter what I do--swallowing an all-natural sleeping aid (pfft!), going to bed at a geriatric time, counting sheep or focusing on my breathing-- it takes me for-eeeeeeeeeee-ver to get to sleep:( I'm up once or twice in the night because I have to.....tinkle. I say 'tinkle' because that's what it is. I only feel like I have to pee, but when I stumble out of bed to the 'powder room', I get a less-than-stellar effort. Soooo annoying!!! I'd at least feel better about my sleep interruption if I really did have to pee, but it's like my bladder is playing a joke on me and taunting me, saying, "Ha! Ha! Sucker! Made ya look!" What a jerk!
Anyway, I'm thankful that last night was better than the Monday's sleep. The night before I was wide-awake much of the night and just could not get my mind to shut off. It really is starting to become a problem because I'm noticing my energy levels declining and since I'm putting 2+ hours in the gym, I need all the energy I can get. Yesterday I was cranky and even doing the simplest tasks around the house seemed to exhaust me. I even had to take a nap like a pre-schooler. I'm just really going to have to work at getting as much sleep as I can, even if it means getting ready for bed at 8pm just so that I *might* fall asleep by 10pm. After all, everybody knows that not getting an adequate amount of sleep can interfere with muscle recovery and growth, as well as immune function and...well, mood. Just ask Hubbs...(love you, honey!)
As for my training, I put in 45 minutes of cardio this morning, but starting Monday (don't you start new goals on Mondays?) I'm going to switch things up and incorporate six (6) HIIT sessions in place of steady-state cardio. I used to only do HIIT when I did Body-for-Life and not only do I really miss it, but I want to give my body a "jolt" and see how it responds to something outside this routine. Maybe I'll do one week of HIIT followed by one week of steady-state or just start mixing it in evenly throughout the week. I'll let my body tell me what it prefers, but I now have 66 days until competition and I gotta "drop it like it's hot"...fat that is!
I wish I was as pumped about cardio as I am strength training. Man, I love headin' to the 'Testosterone Box' and pumping iron!!! I feel so strong, determined, sexy and EXCITED to change my body! I can't wait to see what it will look like in two (2) months! Today I'm working Chest/Triceps/Abs. YAY!
So, the title of this post is Lighten Up and that is exactly what I intend to do with these bad boys. As you can see here, I already have pretty white teeth to begin with, but I want my smile to freakin' light up the stage come November, so I've begun using these Listerine Whitening Strips to whiten and brighten my smile:) Honestly, I only chose this brand because they were the cheapest of the "strips", but most all of the over-the-counter strips have the same ingredient and I wasn't going to drop $50 when the ingredient list was the same and these were $25 cheaper. I am, however, in a bit of a conundrum (ooooh, fun word!) because as much as I like white and bright teeth, I also love:
...and coffee...and the occasional Diet Coke! I hope by drinking these I don't cancel out the effects of bleaching. DOH! I'll probably buck up (literally) right before the show and do one of those intense 3-day whitening kits. That is, if my teeth can handle it. They are pretty sensitive so I have to ease on into things.
Well, I'm off to eat my second meal of the day. I'll be noshing on 4 oz. of chicken with one ounce of cashews.
Gosh, I love nuts! I usually leave a few to eat after my chicken so I can end on an extra yummy note! Also, speaking of chicken, I finally found a way to begin liking this fowl again! As I mentioned in this post, I eat a LOT of chicken and it can get pretty tedious. However, with the addition of this yummy salsa, I have to say that I now look forward to my 3-4 chicken breasts per day! Yup, it's that good!
I hope you all have a wonderful day! I'm looking forward to my workout and then coming home and getting all dolled up for Date Night with my Hunk. We've been pretty busy on weekends so we thought we'd mix it up and have a Hot Date Night on a Wednesday. Whoo hooo! ;)
QUESTION:
1) How many hours of sleep do you get a night?
2) Do you whiten your teeth? If so, what brand do you use?
1) ughhh i've been having such trouble falling asleep too! my mind is going a mile a minute and i have racing thoughts about EVERYTHING! anything from food to boys to clothes to work! yuck! i won't take any meds either. not a fan. i hope you get on a better schedule soon :)
ReplyDelete2) well i was using this stuff i got for free (!) from my dentist bc i referred a patient to him, but now i'm out. i think i'll just buy whatever i can find a coupon for.
3)omg i just sniffed my arm and it DOES SMELL LIKE EASTER!
I do whiten my teeth--it instantly makes me feel prettier! I use the stuff from the dentist and then crest white strips as well!
ReplyDeleteJust a note about the HIIT--its not meant to be done everyday of the week...its too much for your body and your body doesnt have time to recover. Id stick to 2-3 more intense sessions a week and keep the others at steady state. That being said, a week or two of that won't kill ya, but just wanted to let you know!
Thanks, Lisa! :)
ReplyDeleteI actually saw an article in Muscle and Performance magazine about a fast fat-burning program called "Church and Burn" that recommended those six HIITs. I, too, thought that seemed like a LOT, but thought I'd try it. I only wanted to try it for a week, because again that is a LOT, especially since I already do 5-6 days of weight training.
I think maybe you are right- doing HIIT every OTHER day may be better for me right now. I am a firm believer that my body will definitely let me know :)