I was feeling down today because I didn't do so well on my lab practical. I'm not entirely sure if the professor will curve everyone's grade because I'm sure everyone did pretty bad on that practical, but regardless, it got me into thinking what I really wanted to do in life. I started to question my goal of wanting to be an internal medicine physician. Was this something I really wanted to do for the rest of my life? The answer to that question, is yes. I want to be a physician for sure. I love biology, and my drive for wanting to help people has always been strong. Giving health advise to others who want to better their health has always been something I wanted to do. The only thing that keeps me from reaching out to my goal are grades, and much needed clinical experience. I'm not too terrible on my grades, one tiny bad grade has the potential to hurt my GPA significantly. I still have a final to take for that course, so we'll see how I do.
But today's post is not about how well I'm doing academically, but on a big accomplishment: I finally got my dad to workout with me. Today was really hard for me to get my dad to workout. He's been very down, and angry at his living situation right now, and asking him to workout was just out of the question. Whenever I asked, he'd always say, "I'm too tired right now. Don't even bother asking." Today, I decided to push his buttons a bit. I told him that him losing weight due to stress is not healthy, and that if he wants to be healthier, he needs to exercise. Weight is not an accurate measurement of how healthy you are. And I used the famous plea, "do it for me". I explained to him that I wanted him to be healthier, that I can't let myself get healthy all by myself while he's clearly getting worse. I love my dad dearly, and I just couldn't watch him get enveloped in his stress every single day. He's been on edge lately, and I really think exercise would help him to relieve some of that stress.
Workout -
Pilates Fix (It was all about that plank!)
Diet -
Breakfast: Chocolate shakeology with hemp milk and banana
Snack 1: Double chocolate chip Quest Bar
Lunch: Brown rice with chicken breast, bell peppers, and broccoli stir fry
Dinner: Same as lunch.
Snack 2: Chocolate chip cookie dough Quest Bar.
How I felt -
Despite feeling a bit down after my lab practical and my dad stressing out, I felt really good after my workout. This is proof that working out relieves stress. Instead of relieving your stress on unhealthy eating habits, relieve your stress by exercising. It's proven to work! I can definitely feel myself getting stronger. I'm seeing improvements on my form, and I find myself holding poses longer. I'm not doing lower modifications as often, and I can actually get off my knees when doing planks now! My main problem with plank exercises was that my shoulders would start to hurt a lot after a while. I'm guessing my shoulders are getting stronger too because I don't feel that tired in my shoulders anymore. Now, if I can only hold a plank for a longer period of time, I'd be really happy. With today's nutrition, I'm a little worried that I had two Quest Bars. I haven't been drinking enough water lately due to being busy with studying, and not having time. I need to work on drinking lots of water, and making it a habit.
How was your workout today? Try inviting a friend to workout with you. If you have someone you really want to help get healthy, explain to them why it's so important for them to make exercise a habit. Working out with another person will help both you and your friend feel motivated to continue. Let's continue to stay healthy, and keep moving towards our goals. :)