Final Update on the Yoga Challenge
Well, my yoga challenge finished last week and I’m happy with the results.
I didn’t end up making it 3 times every week, but most weeks I did, and every week I made it at least twice. Considering I’m managing 2 jobs and a social life I’m pretty happy with that. It showed me that it is doable to put a good amount of yoga into my life without too much hardship or loss of social life.
It also renewed my passion for yoga and my belief that it is one of the most important things I can do. It’s not for everyone, but the feeling I get after (and during) a good yoga class is very powerful. I would like to be a yoga teacher at some point, though I feel like that is a bit farther in my future, as it requires a significant temporal and financial investment that, because of the challenges I outlined above, I can’t make right now.
Also because I want to do some traveling in 2011. But more on that later.
I feel like having a hobby, something besides work that you believe in passionately and that you do passionately, is important. Even if that is doing raids on World of Warcraft or collecting stamps or what have you, it broadens your horizons and introduces you to new people and new ideas. It adds a certain…depth to you, I think, and helps you realize your full potential. I’ve spent a lot of the last few weeks taking a long look at who I am and who I want to be. And, again, I’ll have more on that later, because I think a lot of us are stuck in a kind of personal development hell, pulled this way and that, and hopefully my story can help someone.
If not, well, it’s my damn blog.
Update on the Yoga Challenge
It’s definitely been a unique couple weeks! The start of my Yoga Challenge, seeing some great friends, getting new glasses, getting some sad news and the iPhone 4. It’s turning out to be a very memorable summer so far, I’ll say that much.
This past week I started off great with my yoga. I went Sunday and Monday, getting the week off to a great start. After that, however, things got in the way. I was supposed to pick my glasses up on Tuesday, but they were delayed til Wednesday, throwing my plans off a bit. I’m tempted to run through why I didn’t go to yoga each day of the week, and there are definitely some creative and awesome excuses, but that’s just what they are. Excuses. I could have fit it in, I could have done it, and I chose not to. I sacrificed yoga for some extra sleep and a couple nights off.
It was worth it, however. I got to see some friends I rarely ever see and I got a lot of things done I needed to and had a bit of time to decompress.
So this week I’ve gone once so far, but need three more times to make up for last week! It’s doable, however. This week is a bit lighter, I won’t be up til 2 and up again at 4:30 this week (presumably) and I have a renewed sense of urgency and balance in my life. Taking some time to reflect will do that.
Where have I been?
Keen readers will notice a distinct drop-off in posts this week and a lack of follow-up to my Yoga Challenge.
I’d apologize for that, but I’ve been busy. So a quick update.
Yoga challenge has been going well. Did 3x easy last week, 3x this week may get a little tough. I’ve done 2 already, but the rest of the week gets very busy and I have plenty of distractions. Yesterday was StarCraft 2 release day, where I stayed up til 12:30 going through the campaign. Tonight I pick up a new pair of glasses (yay for Benefits!). Tomorrow I head out for my friend Adam’s birthday. And Friday…
iPhone 4.
Also I get to hang out with my awesome friend Lisa as well as Adam. Actually Lisa will be there Thursday as well, but Friday is really the Lisa Day. We’re going to hit the AGO and have a grand old time.
I’ve been absent this week because I’ve been caught up in the excitement, reading posts, news and reviews about the new iPhone, chatting with others about what to expect for the launch day, all that fun stuff. I always enjoy times like this. A friend at work today, after I lamented a bit on the cost of it all, reminded me you have to follow your passion, whatever that is. For me it’s gadgets, having new capabilities to do the things I love to do and to capture memories.
But one must not forget one’s goals, either. Despite the link I posted a while back, I’m not quite ready to live completely goal-less. But I think there is something to be said for living in the moment, and not putting too much focus on the future.
That being said, my weight was up a bit this week at the nutritionist’s. Not much, but enough. Back to yoga I will go!
Plateaus, Yoga and Challenging
In the last 4 months, I’ve lost 20 pounds. It’s a nice accomplishment and a nice round number to share when people ask, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. I was at 20 pounds almost 2 months ago. For the last month and a bit I’ve been stuck at a plateau.
Now the reasons for this are many. My lack of a vacation and a fairly heavy work schedule have started to take their toll. I’ve started stress-eating and reward-eating more often. I’ve also lost sight of why I’m doing this.
And, perhaps most dangerously, I’ve started to feel a bit too proud of my accomplishment. This isn’t to say that I shouldn’t be proud, but to say that I’ve started to think “well I’ve done this much…I can slip and let loose a bit,” or “well, I’ve made great strides…I can take a bit of a break.” I’m forgetting I’m only about 1/3 of the way to my goal weight. Yes, my clothes are fitting better, and old clothes I haven’t worn in a year are now fitting.
I’m not nearly done though.
So, the question is, what do you do when you plateau? How do you push yourself through it and not get complacent?
I look at why I’m doing this. Not only to be slimmer, but to be healthier. To be better able to keep up with people and to be proud of myself. To challenge myself. I usually seek out sources of inspiration, things that have motivated me in the past.
So today, I wandered into lululemon. Say what you will about the brand and the clothing, but as a company they do promote fitness and a balanced lifestyle very well (though not, perhaps, a balanced chequebook). Today they had someone doing yoga on a mat in the middle of the store. It was a bit of a gimmick, but just seeing it reminded me of how much I miss yoga, how much of a community my studio is and how good it feels to do those poses. As I’ve lost weight my yoga has gotten easier. There are tons of poses that I had no hope of doing before, that now come easily to me. Mostly because I’ve lost weight around the belly, truthfully, but it’s still a motivator.
So here’s what I’m pledging to you readers, as a challenge to myself:
From now, through til August 28th, I will go to yoga 3x a week.
It may not seem like much, but considering I’m at once a month now, that’s a big step up. It is also achievable, with my schedule and commitments. I believe that’s important.
And I’m going to ask anyone and everyone reading this to help keep me accountable. Help push me, remind me, check in with me, if you can. Yoga helps me balance out my weight loss, my mind and my life in general.
It’s the first step for me moving forward with my goals.
And I am pumped to get back to the mat.
