Small changes already

The human body never ceases to amaze me. I've been exercising consistently, but in a kind of half-arsed manner for years. I walked the dog most days, did a weights workout a couple of times a week and I think my body got really comfortable with just doing that.  It's like.....nothing new, no big deal. blah, blah, blah.

During the past couple of weeks I have really worked over my workout schedule, and I can tell that there are differences already. I start the day with a 20 minute yoga workout - a different one each day, then either the BL cardio or body sculpt workouts. Then I go about the day's chores and then take Gizmo out for a really fast walk. I'm getting nearly 120 minutes of good and varied exercise each day, which involves sweating, weights, lots of fast movement and a lot of stretching.

The changes I've noticed already are:

• My posture is better, or rather, I'm more conscious of doing the things that make posture good. I notice that my abs and rear end are just tucking in naturally. Weird (but good)
• I can do things from the dvd's that I just couldn't manage last week. I can do many of the stretches much better, and I can do ALL of the cardio work, without quitting.
• I am going up and down the stairs quicker
• The hip that was giving me gip is feeling better, more flexible and much less painful. I am getting closer every day to that elusive "comfortable crossed leg postion". Before, there was absolutely no cross leg position that was even remotely comfortable.

I'm amazed that I can tell a difference already. I don't know what the scales will say on Monday. I've been counting my points and eating really clean foods. I've been drinking lots of water and doing everything that I need to do every day. I'm just used to having no change, and part of me just prepares for that. I am thinking that there will probably be little or no change, because I've added some muscle. I know that saying that sounds defeatist, but past experience tells me that I can't get too excited. 

worries, and why exercise will save me (I hope)

I had tests done last July to measure my Resting Metabolic Rate, or RMR, which is the number of calories the body burns while at rest. Given my age, weight and height, my RMR ought to be approximately 1620 cals. Mine measured in at 840 cals/day. This is not much. This is not good. They repeated the test again and again, but it still came out at that. It has worried me terribly ever since.

After the test, the doctor basically blew me off. He offered no explanation, and no solution. If you were a doctor, wouldn't it pique your interest? Wouldn't you WANT to solve the problem and get to the bottom of why my metabolism crawls like a snail?
It would me. The result upset me terribly. On one hand, it explained things, but on the other hand, it removed some measure of hope. I wake up at night worrying about whether the test was right. I wake up worrying THAT it was right. Then I worry that the worrying has so affected my mindset that everything I do gets screwed up by it, you know, if you believe that something is so....then it is. The whole thing has me in a bunch.

So....what to do? I believe that my thyroid is stablilizing and my next blood test and appointment is at the beginning of March and I have an appointment with another doctor in mid-January. I can't maintain a healthy 750 cal diet but I know that exercise is the best thing in the world for me, and I do enjoy it. In the past, the times when i just forgot about food because I was so busy being physically active were the times when the weight just "fell off". I have to get back to that place. Kind of like my own biggest loser campus.

Every day I take Gizmo out for a fast 40-50 minute walk. I have the best walking track in the world - solitary, beautiful (in a desert beauty kind of way) and soft, because it's a network of dirt roads.I can go a variety of different routes, depending on my mood and the prevailing winds. I am starting to do some yoga every day, which is good for both body and mind. I use a dvd by Sara Ivanhoe, which is great because there are 6 different 20 minute workouts. I am also doing the Biggest Loser cardio workout and am going to start the BL body sculpt workout. I also have to be more active just doing what I do....moving more, moving faster. And somewhere there I need to work in a regular weight training session. I have a great machine....I just need to USE it regularly.

So....that's my plan. Eat clean and count my WW points, but get BUSY, busy, busy..oh, and relax.