206.6

I'm really starting to get into the groove of the gym. It's starting to feel like I have some sort of routine going. I stay on the arc trainer until I reach 400 or more calories. Then switch days between abdominal exercises and arm exercises. On abdominal days I try to do the straight arm ab machine and if there is time I will do planks, v crunches, and straight leg pendulums. On arm days I do the tricep (lifting behind your head), bicep curls, and side extensions. I know,  I'm really just trying to engage my core whenever I can. At first I thought I was overdoing things because I was feeling hungry and tired but I think I just wasn't giving my body what it needed to do proper recovery. I think I will start making improvements soon.

Watching Alan Thrall's videos on youtube really make me want to try the overhead press and the barbell squats. I'm kind of nervous about trying out things like that out on my own but I know eventually I will try it. It's very inspiring to see all these videos that could help show my family that I'm not off base with throwing out a lot of the junk and trying to meal prep to make our lives easier.

Meal prepping this week was sort of a failure. I really wanted to have it down but it's going to take some time I guess to get ratios right for how many things to pack and overall just making space. We have a tiny crap fridge where it's hard to store food but what makes it extra difficult is all the unnecessary foods we always end up throwing out. We constantly want something easy to throw at my sons to eat but we don't prep for them like we did when they were first born. I had bottles lined up for them just ready for me to feed them. Now it's like a scrambling mess. We will do better. Also my freezer is just jammed packed with foods I know we aren't going to eat. A cluttered space leads to a cluttered mind. Anyway it doesn't have to feel like that.

Ok I'm also going to update that I haven't been watching anime on the Arc Trainer. I'm trying to listen to pandora because the techno music, dub step, and new bass music all seem to pump me up to go faster thus burning more calories. I end up dripping with sweat by the end of the workout and am definitely proud of myself.


If I can keep myself consistent with having fun like this with the gym and keeping up with meal prep. I'm going to free up a bunch more time and hopefully be able to start painting more regularly again.