Day 69-75 - Strong Inside And Out, and Avoiding The Inevitable

It started with a sniffle. I thought nothing of it, as we were visiting with friends that have two cats, both of which I have allergies to. Mountains of tissue later, we headed home, but the next morning I was still congested. I attributed it to the clothes I had left on the floor, likely still full of cat dander, but after tidying up a little I still felt stuffed. We actually went back to the same friends' house the next day, and once again I left behind a towering mound of used tissues. However, the next morning I felt chilled, stuffed and had a cough. A COLD. Directly after a weekend of pumping myself up to begin anew with a steady workout regime, I'm forced to continue to "take it easy" with a bowl of soup and a blanket. Fortunately for me, all of this healthy eating has promoted a tip-top immune system, allowing for a speedy recovery. What usually would have provided a nagging cough, fatigue, and plugged sinuses for a week or even more, had subsided in a matter of days, just in time for my next hockey game. So, though I may have lost a week of physical activity, my body has responded very well to fighting off a potentially lengthy and annoying cold. I'm very thankful that I've been very consistent in eating well for myself, otherwise this may have been a case of serious derailment to accompany my sickness. My appetite actually seemed to increase for the few days that I was sick, but instead of reaching for the old "comfort food", I hit up the fridge for veggies, fruits, and soups. My speedy recovery also means that I can get back on my workout routine without too much of a setback. I don't expect a monumental weight loss for this week, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to let up.

This upcoming weekend is going to be a tough one. We've got two local sports teams (college and professional) competing for two national championships, and with that comes the inevitable "parties". The limits of my will power have been tested in the past, but this will be a monumental challenge. Pizza, chips, dips, cookies, cake, and liquor. Some of these items no longer interest me the way they once did, as I've actually managed to loosen their salty grip from around my taste buds. However, when all of your other senses are heightened by the heat of the moment (yes, I just made an "Asia" reference), the intoxicating aroma of that pizza can sometimes override any sort of logical decisions or plans you may have had. Even just watching the other attendees habitually shovel fistfuls of salty crunchits into their mouths can be contagious, as they blindly pass the bowl your way while unintelligibly mumbling something resembling "pfftshndhwmah" as bits of chip fly past their lips and onto their team's jersey. It's far too easy too fall into the same trance, mash as many crunchy snacks into your mouth as you can, and pass it on. This time, I'll be looking to just pass the bowl without sampling. Complete deprivation is said to be an unhealthy tactic, but for me it's almost completely necessary. I still don't have the ability to feel satisfied with a small amount, once I get a taste I crave more until there is none to be had. I'm better off abstaining, and we'll see how that goes.

Because of a generally bed-ridden week, I was left with very little to talk about.  Though I'll surely return next week to regale you with the many ups-and-downs that continue to plague my journey.  Either way, it's going to be a great weekend, followed by a great week. My plan is to be fully in the workout groove starting with a solid hockey game and building from there. My advice for the upcoming cold and flu season is to eat your fruits and veggies, have some soup, and a good book on hand.  It worked for me.