Pump and Lift, Episode 15: The Unkindest Cut

(DISCLOSURE: I still hate this song as much as I did when it came out ten years ago. And I still hate 98 Degrees, even though Drew Lachey really won me over on Dancing With The Stars.)

Originally, I was going to post an entry from my SparkBlog, but after reading it I realized that I sounded really, really grumpy on that one, and it would've been better if I'd written it in a more even-tempered manner. Anyway, that's that.

What I really want to discuss here, however, is my decision to cut out red meat from my diet.

It'll be a long time before pork and beef get reintroduced back in the rotation, but right now my body has yet to stabilize itself in terms of processing fat and uric acid. The main thing here is that I don't overindulge in anything other than fruit and veg, which should help me get my blood chemistry under control.

Another thing that's making a long-overdue exit from my diet: butter. The last cake I had was coated in butter icing, and I felt it in my mouth and stomach... like I was going to throw up by the time I got home. That was the last straw for me. Sorry, Goldilocks, but I think I liked you better without frosting.

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Enough about my diet - let's talk about the rest of the plan.

Upgrading my exercise routine has been the best thing that happened to me - not just with strength training, but also with my stress management. Not that I'm the very example of "calm and collected" at my job right now, but using weights and keeping up with my workouts gives me the chance to burn off a lot of frustration.

Come to think of it, that's a LOT of frustration that I need to burn off right now, too. Every single doctor I've consulted in the last year or so have told me that exercise is the best way to get a handle on my health problems: it's cheaper than therapy and less scary than prescription drugs. If I didn't do this, I would be looking at a litany of missed opportunities and bitter regret that no doctor can cure, and could only make matters worse health-wise.

(A piece of advice from my college days, which I believe I picked up from Scribey: If you feel like you can't get through your current workout, imagine yourself stomping on all the annoying people in your path with every move. Frenemies: trip 'em with a roundhouse kick! Ex-boyfriends: pick up a hand weight and push 'em away! Works every time.)

Another part of the plan now is to work on my communications skills. I've started consulting other professors to help me grade and teach my classes more effectively. I'm working on accepting my friends for being the good-hearted people they are, instead of potential saboteurs. (Ironic, though, because I still need to trust my gut whenever I come across someone who doesn't make me feel comfortable - which explains why I've un-friended so many people on Facebook.)  And, of course, I've started writing a journal again, for no other good reason than to keep track of myself and stay sane in the midst of all this chaos.

There's more weight to lose at this point, even if I am feeling good and confident enough to have my pants taken in. We've only just begun.