Well I managed 6 hours and 34 total minutes of sleep in over 12 hours of having my Fitbit set to sleep mode.  I never ever sleep very well or get much sleep.  This is the most sleep I have had in awhile probably and the longest I have been able to keep trying to go back to sleep after getting awakened several times.  I have no idea why I don't sleep well.  I never ever have.  I can remember when I was in middle school, I would be wired when I would go to bed.  I would stay up reading until 3 or 4 AM most nights and then would struggle to get up between 7 and 7:30 AM.  The trend did not change a bit in High School either.  In college, I didn't even try anymore to go to bed a lot of times, I just continued studying and doing homework until I would kind of crap out for a few hours of sleep.  A few years ago, I tried several differnent sleeping medicines and none of them worked.  I found a couple that may have helped a little, but I could not for the life of me wake up the next day to go to work.  I have a horror story about that time of my life when I was on a lot of medicines, and the time to discuss that isn't here.  

 

Anyway, I was pleased with being able to stay in bed for 12 hours and to actually achieve 6 hours and 34 minutes of sleep for once.  the 281 restless minutes aside.  The extra sleep was nice.  However, I still felt like crap and lethargic all day because of all of the junk food I ate Friday and Saturday.  I going to the bathroom is not a pleasant topic for anyone, but let me just be honest here.  I have issues with constipation most of the time... even when I am eating super clean, I regularly use the aid of Yogi Brand Get Regular Tea from time to time to help keep things moving.  I have not been to the bathroom since my first poor food choice on Friday night.  It is getting quite uncomfortable in my belly with all the toxins building up.  I was out of lemons for a few days too and I had drinking lemon water every day for the past few weeks.  It helps eliminate the water weight and toxins that way too.  At least I have more lemons and I am getting in more water again.  I am getting ready for bed now, so I am figuring that when I wake up this afternoon/evening the tea will start going to work on helping me get some of the junk out of my system too.  

 

All of these toxins have me feeling pretty miserable and tired and lazy and bloated and uncomfortable.  I almost just went back to bed after being awake for a few hours and almost chose to wait until I wake up Monday to finish my daily challenge exercises.  

 

Yet, I decided against that.  I figured if I just do exercises off one sheet at a time, it wouldn't take long each time, and I could get back to watching some stuff from my DVR and resting.  This worked for me for the day and I finished the Day 8 exercises off each challenge sheet.  

 

Day 8 from the Eat Drink and be Skinny (eatdrinkandbeskinny.com) Planks and Push Ups Challenge was for Planking today.  I completed Level 2 (knees) for 51 seconds.  I don't know why I am going down in my times and push ups with this challenge as it goes on.  I don't know if it is from feeling miserable, or what.  I have a personal no shoes on the mat rule for my new Yoga mat I got last month.  However, when I do these planks, I feel like my toes are going to bend backwards and snap in two after I am planking for just a few seconds.  It was the pain in muy feet that made me give in this time over the shaking in my core.  I may have to try it with shoes on next time to see if that helps provide more support for my toes.  

 

Day 8 of the Blogilates (blogilates.com) Butt Lift Challenge was 10 Squats, 10 Pointed Butt Lifts each side, 10 Fire Hydrants each side, and 6 Heel Kicks each side.  I enjoy these exercises, and am pleased that I can now get much lower with my squats than when I started this challenge and a Squat Challenge last month.

 

Day 8 of the Blogilates (blogilates.com) Flat Abs Challenge was 10 Roll Ups, 10 Ankle Reaches, 10 Double Leg Lifts, and 6 Reverse Crunches.  I still feel some burn in my abs with these, but it's getting much easier than it was when I started it last month.  I look forward to these exercises most days too.  

 

Day 8 of the Blogilates (blogilates.com) Thigh Slimming Challenge was 10 Plie Squats, 10 Leg Swings each side, 10 Side Lunges each side, and 6 Side Leg Lifts each side.  I had to use the back of a chair for support on the Leg Swings again this time because I was feeling tired and kind of unstable with my belly being upset and bloated.  The Side Lunges are really working my thighs with this challenge.  I am definitely feeling the exercises from this challenge the most I think.  I don't know if it is because I started three of my other challenges last month too, and this one is new, or if it is because I have never really targeted my thighs much before.  Either way, I am loving the workout I am getting with these exercises!  

 

Lastly, I completed Day 8 of the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans (shrinkingjeans.net) Lose the Love Handles Challenge.  Day 8 was 10 Side Planks (knees for me) each side, 10 Russian Twists, and 15 Bicycle Crunches.  

 

I had almost gone to bed without doing the challenge exercises.  I was thinking I could just do 2 days off the Challenge Calendars on Monday night.  However, I reminded myself that I really enjoy most of the exercises, especially the 3 Blogilates calendar exercises.  I figured I was up and was most likely going to be up for awhile trying to pare down my ever-growing DVR.  I figured the least I could do was do it one challenge per break & it ended up working out for me.  

 

I was up 3 pounds Sunday when I got up from my lowest weight last week for one of my Dietbet weigh-outs.  I was absolutely shocked I had gained that much from the junk food.  Chances are it is because of water retention and toxin/junk build up inside my body since it hasn't been coming out.  I have a new game starting the 10th.  I was going to do my initial weigh-in Sunday, but I was embarrassed to be up 3 pounds in less than a week.  I wanted to start my newest game closer to where my lowest number was, so that I keep losing.  I don't want it to look like I am padding my weight to make it easier to reach my goals.  However, I think we all know with the time of the month and junk food toxins and issues with constipation it is totally understandable and believable that we can gain a few pounds when we least expect it.  I am thinking that tonight when I wake back up I may just go ahead and weigh in no matter what my weight is.  It is hard to tell how long these 3 pounds will be back.  I could spend the whole game trying to lose them again for all I know.  I may as well just weigh in as soon as I can and give myself as much time as possible to reach my goal.  I really hope I am not still the full 3 pounds up though.  That is just embarrassing to gain 3 pounds in less than a week.

 

I am really torn about my other open game slot right now.  I usually do 3 games at a time.  I know one by another host I really like has a new game starting the 9th.  But I know that there is one that starts the 25th that I really want to do.  There is another host I like too who I'm in a game with right now that ends the 18th.  If I knew whether or not that one would have another game starting soon after that or a break untiil April, I think it would make it easier for me to decide what to do.  However, I don't know when that host's next game will be, so I don't know if I should fill my slot with the one that I want to do on the 25th, or the one on the 9th and then use my slot that frees up on the 18th for the one starting on the 25th.  I put a lot of thought into decisions sometimes and can drive myself crazy wondering in circles about things.  Sometimes, maybe waiting is the key and the answer will reveal itself to me.  I have no idea whether to start this other game on the 9th at this point yet or not.  I am sure I will figure out something soon enough.

 

I hope everyone had a great weekend.  I hope everyone is looking forward to another great week!!!