November 29, 2009

Yesterday was a contradiction. I had an excellent workout yesterday -- I simulated my own spinning class and spent an hour on the bike sweating buckets while going through several sets of arm exercises (shoulder, biceps, triceps) with 3 lb. weights. I followed the cycling with a vigorous 30 minutes arm, chest, and back workout and left feeling great. I kept myself active for the next 3-4 hours with chores and was worn out by the evening. This, of course, is when my discipline started to dissipate.

I think the combination of vigorous activity and relatively light activity made me tired and more susceptible to overeating. I had a decent portion of leftovers (yummy cheese and mac and scallops), but the small second portion was unnecessary. To make matters worse, I decided to top it off with a double serving (about 4-6 oz) of eggnog. The size and composition of this quite tasty meal was not welcomed by my stomach. As I said before, a little bit of cream, butter, and cheese are fine -- a moderate sized portion isn't. Just to make sure I finished my evening on the right note, I decided at about 9pm to have some gingerbread with -- you guessed it -- whip cream! This is actually quite funny as I write it.

So, the end result of my indulgence was none too pleasant. I spent the last hour of my semi-restful sleep with stomach pains because I couldn't quite wake myself up enough. The sharp, achy pain has subsided, but light to moderate discomfort remains in its place. In brief, I don't feel so hot. I suppose this isn't all bad. It is a not-too-subtle reminder of the importance of my planning and preparing for a daily dose of physical activity and reasonable mini meals.

I wouldn't be me if I didn't draft myself a "recovery plan." Sadly, I think the key to my plan is to avoid most dairy fats today in an effort to restore balance to my digestive system. I will make an exception for the cream in my coffee as it is a part of my regular diet, but cheese, pasta, etc. are out. I also need to scale back on the portions of my meals today. Something like almond butter will be critical today -- it'll enable me to get the calories I need for energy and a workout without the volume that overwhelms my stomach.

I am a bit too tired and still feel to ill to get in an early morning workout -- it's already 10am. I am going to push it back to early afternoon and still strive for 90 minutes, but it might be light if my stomach has not settled down. Finally, I've spent three of my last four days of vacation slacking on my eating late rule. This, like consuming alcohol, affects the quality of my sleep and both have to go to start the week off properly.