Taking Life by the Increments

Increments; I’ve measured most of my life in them. Keeping my focus on the goal, the ‘carrot’ or the light at the end of the tunnel.  Reminding myself what the payoff was going to be, in order to persevere. In the more recent past it went something like this: 

10 weeks, enough time passed to announce the pregnancy. 13 weeks (3 months),  first trimester over bringing some relief from the nausea. 39 weeks (9 months), due date and a ‘birth’ day cake. (I had Gestational Diabetes…. the cake was a real motivator to stick to the low sugar restraints)

186 weeks (3 years 7 months), has passed since my youngest was born and I’ve finally signed on to do something about this post-pregnancy body… in turn, handing my ‘incremental’ life into the hands of my trainers, Pam and Yoni.

In case you are coming into the conversation late: JCC's Largest Loser competition has begun. I am on the Green Team. Along with increased activity, journaling my food and well, a lot of laundry. Nothing much has changed.  Except the increments by which I lead my life. Now it’s a little something like this:

60 minutes of cardio: and not your mothers cardio either…  This is whole body, ohmygodIcantdoanothersquat hard core cardio.  Squat, kick, squat, punch, combo, shuffle, squat. (give the instructor the stink eye, but don't stop moving)

30 minutes of laps: by laps I mean in the pool. With a bathing suit. And goggles.  I need a ‘bathing cap’ and I’ll be all set because trust me, this body ain’t fittin’ into no speedo. But I did it, because I was told to. Ok, there was a few times when I gave up on the ‘lap part’ and went belly up, imagining myself to be a sleek floating starfish, but looking more like a fish that well… expired. (but in a cute retro bathing suit and goggles)

15 minutes remaining in the Group Workout: this is usually the time when my increments start coming closer together, overlapping even.  If-I-keep-going-one-more-set-i-can-have-a-break-next-set-is-a-stretching-set-maybe?please?

30 seconds is it just me or are the trainers 30 seconds and my 30 seconds different? My 30 was over 10 ago… ok, they just called the 10 second warning, (aka: the longest 10 seconds of the day) it’s the last push for 6 more squats, 5 more pushups, 4 shoulder presses, get em in 3-2-1. Relax.

10 second break (AKA:  the shortest 10 seconds you’ll ever spend) as I gasp for breath, take a swig of water, wipe my sweaty hands off and set up for the next round.

This week, I paid for these changes with 4.7 pounds of flesh (and fat) and my team with a total of 101.6 (pounds, not fever). So, with an eye on the prize, I will take my life in at 60-30-15-10 minute/ second/millisecond intervals, for another week, 2,3… 10.