I started late today. I finished my steps before midnight, but did the rest of my exercises after midnight. I don't really care as long as I do them before I go to sleep - that is how I count my days for the challenge exercises. I have to count my steps by midnight because that is when the new day starts on Fitbit, but the rest I count the day from the time I wake up until the time I go to sleep which is almost always well after midnight.
For steps, I managed my 6,500 step goal and 3 mile goal. I had 6,534 steps and 3.15 miles. I really wasn't feeling very well most of the day thanks to the time of the month, so I didn't shoot for more with this.
Day 6 of the Eat Drink and Be Skinny (eatdrinkandbeskinny.com) Planks and Push Ups Challenge was back to Push Ups. I managed 11 on my knees. I tried for more because my benchmark was 16, but after I went down for 12, my arms gave out and I nearly fell flat on my face trying to push back up. I am convinced my benchmark was a fluke. I am still happy with 11 actually because I had not done push ups except for maybe wall push ups a handfull of times since my car accident 12 years ago. I will keep working to get as many as I can each Push up day and just hope to improve by the end of the month.
Next round of exercises, I went for the Blogilates (blogilates.com) Butt Lift Challenge Day 6. This consisted of 10 squats, 10 Pointed Butt Lifts each side, and 10 Fire Hydrants each side. I really like these exercises and am still noticing improvements when I do them more and more.
Next round of exercises, I went to the Blogilates (blogilates.com) Flat Abs Challenge. Day 6 was 10 Roll Ups, 10 Ankle Reaches, and 10 Double Leg Lifts. I still feel the burn with the Ankle Reaches and Leg Lifts in my lower abs, but that is a good sign, right? I love it!
Next round of exercises I did the Blogilates (blogilates.com) Thigh Slimming Challenge. I completed Day 6 from this challenge as well which was 10 Plie Squats, 10 Leg Swings each side, and 10 Side Lunges each side. I did the Leg Swings without holding on again this time. I did have to stop 3 times each side and regain my balance though, but this is still an improvement from the beginning. Hopefully by the end of this month, I will be able to do these without needing to stop to regain my balance!
After finishing the Thigh Slimming Challenge I went ahead and finished Day 6 from the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans (shrinkingjeans.net) Lose the Love Handles Challenge too. Day 6 was 8 Side Planks each side, 8 Russian Twists and 12 Bicycle Crunches. My side planks have been on my knees becuase I started last month with my legs extended and could barely even lift my butt off the floor. I think I will do them for one more week on my knees while I am on my period, but I think after that is over this time, I may try using my legs fully extended again. They are finally getting a good bit easier I think. The bicycle crunches are finaly starting to seem easier too. I think these are both great signs of improvement!
I have decided that during my belly cramping and having issues from my time of the month, I will probably not be doing much other exercises for the next week other than continuing my challenge exercises and walking. These times really wipe me out. I think that is possibly why I still haven't been feeling very well the past week as my body was preparing for this. I really miss doing Yoga and Blogilates and using my AeroPilates Refromer. However, aside from a few massaging postures with Yoga and a few massaging moves with the Reformer, these forms of exercise always make me feel way worse during this time of the month. At least when it is over, I will hopefully be more than ready to hit the exercises hard for another few weeks until it comes around again.
I had a HUGE non-scale victory today as well. I have had my eye on one pair of my old jeans since early December right after I had joined my first Dietbet games. Every month around the beginning to middle of the month, I have been trying them on, but have been unable to get them up over my thighs, hips and butt. Tonight, I was able to pull them up over all these areas quite easily. They are still a little tight on top which is around my hip bones because they are low rise jeans. However, they came right on and buttoned and zipped with ease. I was beyond thrilled! I will have to find another pair out of my old stack of too-small jeans to try this with for the next couple of months!