Always Something!!!

It never fails! As soon as I get into a routine, find a class that I like, a way of eating that WORKS for me, blah, blah, blah, something always happens to foil my plans, discourage me and/or simply get me off track. I kept being double booked and couldn't attend The Get Down classes, so I increased the distance of my walks with my mom, twice a week, to 5k (3.14 miles). I went to my doctor's appointment on Friday and found out that in addition to exacerbating an existing condition I was diagnosed with last December - Capsulitis of my second toe on my right foot, I now also have Plantar Fasciitis of the SAME foot. JUST BROKE DOWN!!! I have more injuries and ailments now than I had when I was dancing (not on the pole, thank you, lol) - ballet, jazz, tap, modern, African, etc. six (6) days a week. This whole getting old thing is for the birds, but I am so very thankful to be above ground.

Not only am I broke down, I'm TIRED! Not tired in the sense of "I'm Done" and "Can't take this anymore", but litterally lacking energy. I know they say you feel more energized when you exercise, but I've noticed that I fall into this same trap at the same time EVERY YEAR!! I'm usually able to work out consistently and stick to a program January - June and then when July and August come, I get busy with summer activities/events/cook outs/vacations and then I FALL SLAM OFF. Then Lord knows, by the time September rolls around, I've gained back and ruined everything I've accomplished at the beginning of the year and then my self-diagnosed condition - S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder) starts kicking in. I believe I suffer from Fall and Winter S.A.D. The symptoms include:

- Oversleeping

- Appetite changes, especially a craving for foods high in carbohydrates

- Weight gain

- Tiredness or low energy.

YEP!! I experience all of these except for the Oversleeping. I definitely don't do that!! I wish I could sleep in on the weekends like I used to growing up. I always got my eight (8) hours back then! If I only got six (6) hours at night, I made sure I took a two (2) hour nap during the day, even if it was broken up into 6 - 20 minute power naps, lol. These days I'm lucky if I even get six (6) hours of sleep. This past Thursday though, I was BEAT and couldn't take it, so I shut it down early! I mean SHUT IT DOWN - no lights, no T.V., no phone, no nothing after dinner and by 9:30p I was KNOCKED OUT. I got seven and a half (7.5) hours of sleep and O.M.G. I felt GREAT the next day. I have to wake up between 5a - 5:30a every morning, so I look forward to the weekend, but I can't seem to sleep past 6:30a or 7a on both my days off and on the weekends. It SUCKS!! I try so hard to sleep late, but my eyes automatically open I guess when the sun starts to rise. We could go out on Friday night and I may not get to sleep until 2a and I so of course I'm hoping I can sleep until 10a (if we don't have anything to do early Saturday morning which is rare). But NOPE! My eyes open at 6:30a/7a. I stay in the bed as long as I can though, but I'm still not well rested.

So what am I gonna do? Well, I have to declare and profess that I'm gonna CHANGE!! I'm really gonna have to focus on the end result, make a commitment to myself and don't give up on myself. I'm going to fight through S.A.D. and MAKE THE CHANGE! And this time when I lose the weight I'm not going to QUIT i.e. working out and eating right, because Oh Yeah! I forgot to tell you. I plan to be Fit, Fabulous & Fifty!! I have a little less than 3 years!! LET'S GO!!!

Chat soon!

Donnese