Catching My Breath

I survived my first (albeit half) week at my new job, though it left me feeling very unprepared and scattered.  It's amazing how, when I wasn't working I felt like I was doing so much already, and now I get home from work and have so much to do that there literally is no extra time for another workout.  And when I say that, I mean it.  I get home around 6PM, then have to do homework with Israel, then get dinner ready for them, coax them into baths, cook my meals for the next day, then put the kids to bed.  If I'm lucky, I get to see my husband for an episode of Diners Drive-ins and Dives before we both head off to bed.  That leaves me about seven hours of sleep before I wake up to do cardio.  I know it just seems crazy now because it's new, and once the kids are on summer vacation, that will give me a break from the homework, which is when I'll sneak that extra workout in.  It'll all work out. 
I did do strength training today, I have been getting accustomed to not doing it, so I was procrastinating, looking for the right time when the kids were busy doing something else, but also I was just generally feeling lazy.  Which made me realize that no matter how much cardio I do, it just can't do for me what weight training does for me, make me feel powerful and like I can conquer any goal I set for myself, and that I am healthy, which is the part that has always been a dream for me, even moreso than looking good in spaghetti straps.  The minute I began my strength training, I felt the blood rush to the muscle, got an immediate pump, and with a sly little grin I told my husband, "I am going to be sore tomorrow!"   I think that workout sapped nearly all the energy I had left, so my post-workout cardio turned into a 12 minute "cool down".  And I'm OK with that.  I am holding steady at 160 pounds, and I've been taking some liberties lately, so the fact that I haven't gone crazy and packed on the pounds is a relief. 
This particular workout brought me back to where I needed to be, to a place where my job will not consume me, and I will still attempt to be a good role model for my kids, and I still have the twinkle in my eye for that dream that at once seemed so far away.  Even though I now have a few other things to focus on, I know that if I let my mind focus too much on that, that it will be detrimental to my long-term goals. 
This week is my orientation, and I won't have the usual freedoms of moving about the office, eating whenever and whatever I want.  Lunch is being provided Monday -Wednesday, so it will be interesting to see what I will be having for lunch, and I am almost certain that I won't get extra breaks for snacks, so my metabolism will be taking a hit those days, but I can pull it in the rest of the week, when I will finally get to be in my new office.  The girl who was running that office just gave her notice, so instead of me being a relief to the company, I am now a neccessity, and will probably be seeing a lot of overtime in the next couple months until they can hire someone else.  The only saving grace is that, it doesn't seem to be a terribly busy office, and the money is soooo good.  I will leave my monthly measurements/losses and then go enjoy this beautiful, windy-but-finally-sunny day.  Hope everyone's having a great start to May!
Apr 1-May 1                                                                                                          Total loss so far
Bust: 3/4 inch                                                                                                          6 1/4 inches
Chest: 1/4 inch                                                                                                        4 1/4 inches
Waist: 1 inch                                                                                                            5 3/8 inches
Hips: 1 inch                                                                                                              6 inches
Thighs: 3/4                                                                                                               2 inches
Calves: no change                                                                                                     5/8 inches
Upper arm: 1/4 inch                                                                                                   1 3/4 inches
Forearm: 1/4 inch                                                                                                        7/8 inches
total inches lost for April1-May 1= 4 3/4 inches
Total inches lost so far: 27 1/8 inches