53/52 Days (Jennie)

Stress... stress... STRESS!!! I am a busy gal, I always am burning the candle at both ends, so to speak, and once every so often I get burn out. Work has been extra busy lately with multiple large projects deploying at the same time. I think I'm finally coming to the realization that summer is drawing to a close (at least as far as the kiddos starting up school again) and we didn't get a chance to do anything or go anywhere. Cry me a river, I know... it's not like I'm the only person on the planet right now not getting to take a summer vacation. We have our health, our jobs, our home, so I'm really trying not to make this sound like a big deal that it isn't, but bear with me. Knowing that school is here once again and we're once again back to the craziness of team sports, homework, and all the other activities that come with it, without any R&R is a bit of a bummer. The kiddos were throwing a fit tonight about dinner (hubby's galumpke is not their favorite), they made a huge mess upstairs while we were making dinner. None of it is all that big of a deal... really... but I'm human and sometimes all the little things add up to make a cranky mommy.

So it made me start thinking about exercise and stress reduction. As tempting as it is to skip a workout or sleep in a little later because I'm tired, it's generally not worth it. So what makes it so great?

• Endorphins! Your body's natural feel-good response- this is the "runner's high" you hear about so often.
• Mood! This is totally unscientific here, but I know that if I don't get my workout in, I spend the rest of the day kicking myself (psychologically) for missing it. Not worth the extra hour of sleep. 
• Self-Esteem! I feel better about me when I take care of me. Again, not scientific here, but when I feel better about me, I have more confidence, which helps me to deal with stressful situations better.
• Focus! Exercise helps me focus and tackle my day. I challenge myself to keep pushing physically and get over mental hurdles, which helps later in the day as well. Warm-up, stretching and cool-down gives me time to think, whether it's about the workout ahead or the day ahead.
• And so many more...

Food for the days (you know you're in a rut when you're eating identical meals breakfast and lunch)
Breakfast 8/07 and 08/08: post-workout smoothie (spinach, vanilla protein powder, blueberries and unsweetened almond milk)
AM Snack 8/07 and 08/08: coffee and homemade banana bread (got to get rid of this stuff- I keep eating it!)
Lunch 08/07 and 08/08: salad with grilled chicken and ranch dressing
PM Snack 08/07: handful of almonds and granola bar
PM Snack 08/08: granola bar and a peach
Dinner 08/07: unscheduled stop at Chevy's... had some chips (noooo!) and a big salad
Dinner 8/08: hubby's galumpke
No dessert either day. Still trying to make up for the chips last night and splurging at the BBQ this weekend.

Total calories in 08/08: 1735
Total calories in 08/07: I'm guessing about 2500, although I honestly didn't track it. Darn chips and salsa did me in, I really need to work on willpower there!
Calories burned 08/08: 2300
Calories burned 08/07: 2385
Workout 08/08: P90X Chest and Back
Workout 08/02:P90X Kenpo. It was supposed to be a rest day- but trying to make up for lost time last week. My hands couldn't handle back-to-back pullup days. ;)