the reformation: a six-week update

 

The last six weeks have gone well for my physical 'reformation': I've cut back on alcohol (though I never get drunk, I enjoy a two- or three-shot nightcap once the girls are in bed), and I've started shifting from drinking bourbon - Maker's Mark and Woodford Reserve are where it's at! - to drinking red wine. It's rich in antioxidants, apparently it's good for your heart, and I enjoy the taste. These past six weeks I've been far more regimented in my weight lifting (minus a deload week, but those 'off' weeks are always worth it in the long run) while simultaneously nursing tennis elbow. My diet has, for the most part, been on point: rich in protein and healthy fats, moderate in complex carbs, and hardly any ridiculous snacking (though damn if I'm not a sucker for midnight cereal gauntlets; I pity poor Zoey who's woken up one too many mornings to discover her favorite cereal has been demolished in the night; 'Anty! There was still half a box! How did you eat it all?!'). Here's some 'shirtless' pics of me, in which a detailed eye will note a decent (well, minuscule, but who are we even kidding?) amount of fat loss around the midsection since the last update. My body likes to store its fat in my stomach, sides, and lower back. Gotta love it!

I doubt I'll be making another 'reformation' post until I hit the two-year mark in December. Between now and then, I hope to shed a few more pounds and begin focusing on 'problem areas' that continue creeping up. For about a year and a half I skimped out on shoulder workouts, and I regret it; I've implemented a variety of dumbbell shoulder workouts in my routine. I'm also focusing on legs: bum knees make most tried-and-true muscle building leg workouts a real pain in the ass (err, knee), so I'm experimenting with ways around it. I do a lot of pilates work on my legs, and I've been incorporating calf exercises that don't require much knee movements. My upper legs are tough to get to, and as soon as I think I've found something that relieves stress on the knees, I end up spending the next week waking up multiple times at night in knee-splitting agony. Hopefully I can find something that works, or I'll be doomed with 'chicken legs' for the rest of my life. In addition to focusing on legs and shoulders, I'm beginning to implement HIIT workouts once or twice a week. By including dumbbells, they're a lot like crossfit, but the focus is more on core strengthening than anything. Here's to another four months before the next update!