Day Twentay

[ScoutFinch]

Well, the clouds have not precisely lifted but they are lifting gradually, day by day. I have not yet begun to feel "the magic" and have not experienced a second night of uninterrupted sleep, but there's a lot of stress right now at midterm and grading and all of that, friends decomposing (I want to reach out to them and say HERE! TRY THIS! but I know they are under too much stress to do it so I'll let the changes in me speak to them if they do).

I went over to look at Tom Denham's theological reflections blog and was so inspired by this video clip he had there a couple of days ago:http://www.theologicalreflections.com/

Other than that, one of the reasons I started the Whole 30 now instead of waiting until spring, when I should imagine it would be a lot easier vegetable-wise, is that I'd been away from the gym for about a month, after ploughing in and making a number of somewhat unrealistic goals given my state of health and lack of good nourishment. I'd gotten sick twice this year, which had not happened in a long time, and I was getting injured nearly every time I worked out.

I know from hard experience that with fibromyalgia, no exercise = double the pain and eventually you pay for the deconditioning with excruciating days and nights, and that I had to get back to it. Last Friday went back to the trainer for the first time in a month and could barely do a thing without wobbling and feeling very weak. Wednesday I lifted on my own and it was pretty okay, and then yesterday worked with my trainer again, and I felt strong, powerful, and assured, working out in great form and feeling just right by the end. I didn't scrimp on food before or after the workout, and ate all good regular meals.

Not only that, in Mark Sisson's words, I am starting to "look good naked," which is really the only measurement I want to use from here on out. Not out of vanity, but I was a 56-year-old woman with the body of a 76-year-old ill person. Seeing that change is tremendous. I am feeling like a person again, instead of a worn-out body carrying around a sickness.

Again, I say: WOOT!

[Krista Billows Rodriguez]

Yea for getting back into the gym and lifting! Exercise is such an important thing. I hope you continue to get more and more relief.