Thanksgiving is over. I really love the Thanksgiving holiday, but it's hard to stick to a clean eating diet when you are around all the delicious food. At first, I had planned on not eating any of the worst offenders in the line up (mashed potatoes loaded with butter and cream, bread stuffing, sweet potato casserole, cheese and crackers, pie, etc) and I was going to stick to turkey and fresh veggies but then I thought, why? One day to indulge a little in one of one the joys of being human is not going to set me back much. Holiday time with family, seeping with tradition, lovely food prepared for the special occasion....it's one of the greatest days of the year.
I could have held fast, been strong willed. But I wanted to fully enjoy myself. And I did. I had a little of everything. And THAT was the key for me...."little". I had a marvelous day. I didn't feel stuffed, only satisfied. I was happy knowing I didn't overindulge and put thousands of extra calories into my body. There was one thing I did pass up though.....eggnog. I think eggnog is probably one of the worst things you can ingest during the holiday season. One cup of that stuff can top 450 calories!
This morning, instead of going to the gym, I stayed in bed. Partly because Emma was coughing for hours on end during the night and I felt like I didn't sleep a wink and partly because my shoulder is still bothering me quite a bit and I figure an extra day to rest it might be wise. My husband, who seems forever hell bent on talking me out of weight training, suggested that I stop because of this "injury". I have had little strains like this before. I'm not going to quit this lifestyle because of it. The benefits far outweigh any negatives. But it is important to be smart about it, like not aggravating an injury further. I'm committed, not stupid.
He tells me a story of his late grandmother, who had worked hard physically all her life and by her 70's could hardly raise her arms to shoulder height. But maybe her stress and overuse injuries led to that, as far as I'm aware, she wasn't lifting weights to strengthen her bones and joints. I am. And I fully intend on still doing cartwheels when I'm 70.
He might think it's weird that I choose to inflict muscle soreness day after day and sometimes risk injuries, but that comes with the territory. It comes with any sport. Runners, bikers, football players, soccer players all risk injuries....life has it's risks. But I'm not going to sit on the couch in fear. I will never stop. Weight training exercises (if done right) do not put strain on joints. There are literally thousands of variations of exercises you can do with careful fluid movements, which strengthen muscles, joints and bones. Not to mention lower stress, prevent weight gain, improve cognitive function, release "happy hormones", lower cholesterol, and a plethora of other benefits. There is no pounding stress on joints that other forms of exercise put on the body. I know quite a few former runners who can no longer run because of damage done. Bad knees, bad ankles, hip flexors that will never be the same. I'll be lifting long after they have hung up their 200th pair of kicks.
How many bodybuilders do I know that can't lift anymore because of injuries? None. Not to say they aren't out there. But I don't know any personally.
Sorry, honey, you'll never be able to convince me that lifting is anything but good for a body. And I guess I am ok with constantly defending my decision to lift weights. I have to stand up for what I believe in. My passion is my purpose. Like it, or not. Understand it or not. This is who I am.
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