Firming and Toning

Another week of 5x at the gym; Tina was right things are getting easier. Except that's it's a double edged sword because the better I do the more she adds to my workout routine.... The lunges are now accompanied by 10# weights and I'm nowing doing "ball wall squats" with a large exercise ball pressed up against the wall. Boy I really know where my quad muscles are located. This coming week I start a pilates class on Monday and Wednesday with another trainer at the gym, Rosa. It will be Mondays 3 - 4:30 and Weds 12 - 1:00 - all intended to build core muscles in the abdomen. You mean I really have an abdomen underneath the rolls?

The diet is progressing; I don't notice any cravings for sugary foods but do still hunger for salt and crunchy food, ie: popcorn and chips. Being a popcorn fanatic, movies aren't worth it without a bowl of the salt and fat, it's hard to limit myself to only 2 cups of the lowfat microwave stuff. It's almost easier to have none at all. It's also a challenge to eat so many times a day - I feel like I'm constantly eating, preparing or storing food and yet I do know that it's much healthier and easier on the digestive system to have frequent small meals rather than 3 large ones - especially as the day goes on.

With all this work I have noticed that I've already gone down almost one whole size as I had to return something to TJ Maxx on Thursday during a trip to Santa Fe. I tried on some summer shorts/skirts and they fit in the smaller size! My weight hasn't changed even one ounce but Tina assures me that muscle weighs more than fat - a fact I'm well aware of from my days as a Curves owner - so it's not discouraging. It's more important to me how my clothes fit and how I generally feel.

The liquid herbal supplements are becoming easier to get down; the gag reflex has relaxed somewhat - not that I'm ready to take on anything else.

The tarot class progresses; each week we explore the history and symbolism of 4 new cards - this week it was the Emperor, The Hierophant, The Lovers and the The High Priestess. The instructor assigns movies, books and meditation for homework each week - surely enough to keep us busy. It's amazing to me to get a glimpse of the historical symbolism in the cards - much like art history and to learn about cultural beliefs stemming from B.C. up through the Medieval Ages. It puts modern Christianity and Judaism in a different perspective when you know more of the history of the "original movers and shakers". The Cathars, The Knights Templar, the Crusdades, The Gnostic Bible, Hermetism, Greek Mythology - to name but a few.