Facing Facts

I  just had a facial. Ow.

After relaxing alone in the room, I was joined by the aesthetician. She pulled one of those horrifyingly large magnifying glasses over to my face and said "I do a lot of extractions on you, ok?"

Having been using the OCM (though not exclusively) for a couple of months now, I've become a little obsessed with my skin, and in particular, my pores.  I was getting decent results and then had a series of breakouts, quite possibly due to stress.  So, in hopes of further unclogging my pores, I went for a facial. And I was enthusiastic about the extractions... until they started.  If you haven't been through this process, just be aware - this is not the relaxing, cucumber on the eyelids facial they show you on tv. It is a relatively painful process that left me looking like I'd been attacked by bees.  Granted, my pores were pretty clogged - but I'd wager yours are too. The discomfort goes away pretty quickly, and the swelling followed suit after about 40 minutes.

Since then, I've been trying to exfoliate regularly and continue to unclog my pores as much as I can from home.  I'm probably going to buy my own extraction tool as well.  I think it will take a couple more sessions to get the results I really want.

Non-Scale Victories

Since starting my journey to better health & better fitness, I've lost about 20 pounds.  But that's not the point.  Here are a list of things that have happened along the way:

• I can walk up 4 flights of stairs without needing to stop to rest (or thinking I'm going to die.)
• I can button my jeans without looking or feeling like a sausage.
• That would be my old jeans that I couldn't fit into for the 2 years before that.
• I have completed 3 5Ks.
• I can climb on pole (a little bit).
• I can see definition in my biceps.
• I have successfully worked out more days than not for the past 3 months.
• I have lost 2 inches on my waist (which I mostly only care about as it relates to my clothes).

I Pick Things Up & Put Them Down

I've started strength training.

I've resisted strength training for most most of my life, because I find it too cerebral. In a Zumba or Yoga class, I don't have to think too much. I follow an instructor, and I don't need a plan for what to do next. I don't need to remember what weight I'm up to or how many sets & reps I'm doing of anything. Smartphones have helped with some of that, and the Fitocracy ap has especially made following a plan simpler.

A friend introduced me to  The New Rules of Lifting for Women, and I'm really enjoying it so far.

It has 7 stages of progressively harder  routines, each of which you intensify  along the way to help move you along the journey. It's designed to be really efficient.  I haven't read the original New Rules book, but I suspect I would like it better. 

In the short time that I've been doing it (4 weeks) I do see a bit of a difference in my body. visually, but more importantly in my actual strength.  It's definitely showing up in my efforts on pole.

Stay tuned for more about muscle!