The sets down...and a whole world before me

Image from Flickr, by quinn.anya

I'm beat.  I feel it through out my entire body.  I feel it in new ways, and not just the physical.

My demons almost won, but I made a last ditch check and actually found out that I'm the one who has been winning lately.

Yeah, it's been a hell of a weekend.


First, let's start with some scale time on Friday.  I got on it.  I was a pound and a half heavier.  What the hell?  I was down.  I was beaten.  What had the last week been about? 

I spent Saturday out and about.  There wasn't a lot of healthy food options, so I went bad.  I was exhausted when I got home, so we ordered pizza (yeah, I know...).  I kept thinking, "I know I didn't gain muscle like that.  It's just not possible."

Sunday, I ate better, but sparsely.

This morning, I decided to take some body measurements.  The last time I did this was on April 3.  My body fat worked out to 34.08 percent.  Yeah, not good.  Today, 12 days later, we've got 30.64 percent difference.

You see, my "demons" had me focused on the scale.  I looked at that number and wondered what the heck was going on.  My body weight on those two dates are about the same.  Just a half pound difference.  Lean body mass though?  138.75 lbs on 4/3 versus 146.35 lbs.  That's over seven and a half pounds of muscle.  Seriously?

I was stoked today.  Incredibly stoked.  I know I was careful to measure in the same places, but I saw noticeable difference in all the right places.  Waste, hips, even thighs were down.  Biceps and chest were bigger.  Just from the measurements, I knew something was happening.  I just didn't know what it was.

It was fuel.  It was everything I needed.

The kettlebell awaited.

Friday, I figured I could have banged out a third set if I hadn't decided to skip squats and do deadlifts instead.  The deadlifts started hurting my lower back a bit, so I cut it short.

Today?  No mercy.

I hit the kettlebell, and busted my butt.  I felt the burn.  I battled my demons, but I had already won this round.  Each rep was another spear thrust.  Each swing was a slash at the demons.  Each press was to push a demon off a cliff.  I was a spartan, standing at Thermopylae along side Leonidas.

Victory was achieved.

As I sat down to blog about it all, I couldn't help but wonder what I would have seen today if I hadn't let my own rules go on Saturday?  How much damage did eating like that do?

It doesn't matter now.  I could wargame it until I'm blue in the face, but nothing would change.  It's history. 

Instead, I have achieved amazing things.  I will continue.  I'll still use the scale, but only as part of the whole.  The body fat percentage is what matters, and that will be my scale.  I always planned on that at some point, but now is all that matters.  Now, I will use that body fat measurement.

There is no tomorrow otherwise.