New Workout Routine

CFS & Fibro can seriously complicate a girls life.  I was a hottie for a long time.  People checked me out & I knew I was attractive. It was only after people talked to me that they realized how incredibly bizarre I am. The people that wanted to be my friend even after getting to know my wacko side are true friends - and they're the friends I love to have. But, I still miss that look in strangers eyes when they meet me for the first time - the simple appreciation for a woman who is healthy & beautiful.

Enter the complication...With Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia, getting back into shape is like walking a tight rope.  If I push myself too hard I'll start a major flare that can last weeks. Maybe there are brave, amazing (or masochistic) people out there that will work-out through a Fibro Flare, but I am not one of them.    On the other side of this evil rope, though, if I don't push hard enough I can't improve, build muscle, or lose fat.

So I've created a new workout routine that I hope will help me carefully walk the tightrope.  I used an article by Bret Contreras as my guide for creating the routine and Nia Shanks as my inspiration for the exercises and my evaluation of performance.

The primary concept of my plan is that I want to improve my real-life functionality. This means better:

• Endurance
• Strength
• Speed
• Flexibility

My routine and all of my exercises are built around improving in these areas and keeping me motivated by providing flexibility and variety.  Here's what my weekly plan looks like:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Endurance Flexibility	Strength	Interval Flexibility	Strength Flexibility	REST	Speed Flexibility	Strength Flexibility

The Flexibility section is the in-depth warm-up and stretching routine I do to prevent Fibro flares.

Endurance, Interval, and Speed all reference traditional cardio: Walking/Jogging, Bicycle, etc.  On Endurance days, my goal is to go a longer distance than I did last time.  Interval days will be pushing my intensity level for short bursts. And, Speed days are when my goal is to do the same distance as my Endurance day, but in a shorter time.

The Strength training portion is where we get to have fun.  My strength routines are made up of 5 basic pieces:

1. Lower Body Push - compound exercise like squat, lunge, step up
2. Lower Body Pull - compound exercise like deadlift, glute ham raises, glute bridge
3. Upper Body Push - compound exercise like push-up (or knee push-up for me), chair dips, incline push-ups
4. Upper Body Pull - compound exercise like pull ups (palms forward), chin ups, rows
5. Core - compound exercise like plank, L-sit, superman

I even made a nifty Excel spreadsheet that lets me pick out my exercises and track my performance on them. Because, yes, I'm a dork like that.

I'm now doing strength training 3 times per week. Hopefully, I can maintain the tricky balance required to get myself in shape and keep the evil flares away!

Sleepaholics & Weight Gain

I am obese. Technically & officially past the overweight stage and into obesity. My BMI is 32.7. I am 5'8.5" and as of this morning, my weight was at 218.2.

I've never been tiny but as a teenager & 20-something, weight wasn't something I ever had to worry about. I gained some, I lost some. If I got above a weight I was comfortable with, I just made sure to increase my activity level.  Then, in my late 20s I started gaining weight at a faster pace. 

I tried various exercise programs, routines, and classes, but was never able to stick with them. I started beating myself up over it - thinking I was lazy, had no willpower, or was just fickle. I would get a nice, hard work-out it, then be in pain the next day. Many friends told me I just needed to work through the pain.  With CFS & Fibro, there isn't actually a point where it doesn't hurt anymore.  However, since I didn't know what was going on with my body, I just thought I was a wimp.

Now that I'm learning how to deal with the awesomeness that is my way-overactive nervous system, I feel more able to deal with my weight issues.  I know that pushing too hard is the worst thing I can do. Even pushing to my max can cause problems, so I have to do it carefully and with planning for the week ahead.  I have to think, "If I push too hard, can I afford to live the next couple of days on the couch?"

We're also trying to adjust the way we eat to be healthier. Because Fibro & CFS don't have any known syndrome, we're trying to eat chemical free, low-sugar, low-dairy, low-to-no meat.  It's a really interesting challenge to find new ways to eat. We have to relearn everything from grocery shopping to meal-planning to actual cooking. 

The healthier eating part is fun, because I love a wide variety of food and flavors. I get to experiment with Indian, Thai, Grilling, etc. Plus, since we're trying chemical free, I get to play with food preservation. And, it is play for me because we live within 2 blocks of a PCC, Metropolitan Market, and Safeway with an awesome natural foods section. That way, when I burn dinner, we don't need to resort to Kraft Mac n Cheese! I'm considering recording some of these food experiments on my other blog, Let's Be Five. It's more fun and adventure over there, so it seems the right place to put these trial & errors.

Here on Sleepaholics I'll like to track my efforts at exercise.  This is definitely the place for it, since all my exercises and routines will be tailored to deal with Fibro flares and CFS meltdowns. 

Look out for posts on what I've tried so far, and what I'll be doing next. Coming soon to a blog near you!!