Week Forty-One of REAL...

Reminders: REAL - Reduce stress Exercise Adequate sleep Lower caloric intake

What Navy SEALs are required to do to make it into BUD/S:
500 yard swim using breast and/or sidestroke 12.5 minutes 10 minute rest
Perform a minimum of 42 push-ups 2 minutes 2 minute rest
Perform a minimum of 50 sit-ups 2 minutes 2 minute rest
Perform a minimum of 6 pull-ups No time limit 10 minute rest
Run 1.5 miles wearing boots and long pants 11.5 minutes

Here's the link if you're interested in the whole thing: http://navyseal.s5.com/requirements.html

RIght up front: Never in a million years could I do what is required. However, I needed to start somewhere. Considering how fit the SEALs are, I figured it was a good place to start. So my SEAL puppy reps consist of girls' pushups, crunches, and flutter kicks, a SEAL training basic. I started with doing one of each. This week, I try to increase my reps. I've worked up to 20.

The 30th: weigh in: 229.6 lb. Cool. SEAL puppy reps. Two-mile walk. SEAL puppy rep. Carnation Instant Breakfast, croissant, hamburger, yogurt and blueberries, bread and butter, crackers and cheese, cookies, hot chocolate. Oops. Stressed a little bit. I'll do better, tomorrow.

The 31st: weigh in: 230.6 lb. Two-mile walk with my sister. Physical therapy, with 1-lb weights. Spaghetti and meatballs, cookies, peanut butter and jelly sandwich, apple and cheese, crackers, hot chocolate.

April

The 1st: weigh in: 231 lb. Peanut butter and jelly sandwich, chips, pasta and chicken, nuts and fruit juice. Stressed! My manuscript was due a month earlier than I thought! Turned it in, but I'm wired.

The 2nd: weigh in: 231.8 lb. No surprise. SEAL puppy reps. Two-mile walk. SEAL puppy rep. Still feeling wired from yesterday, but pleased I didn't beat myself up over it. Go me! Crackers, hamburger, apple and cheese and toast, chocolate chip cookies (homemade, today) hot chocolate.

The 3rd: weigh in: 232.2 lb. One-mile walk. Physical therapy, with 1-lb weights. Carnation Instant Breakfast, spaghetti with meatballs, yogurt, crackers, little cakes, i.e., Hostess Ding Dongs and Little Debbie Cocoa Cremes. Maybe it's the other way around, but it doesn't matter. I bought both to do a taste comparison. Ding Dongs, hands down. I've been a little stressed, but I'm starting to relax again. I'm not comfortable at this weight, and to think I used to weigh 20 lb more.

The 4th: weigh in: 231.8 lb. Yay! SEAL puppy rep. Two-mile walk. SEAL puppy rep. CIB, spaghetti and meatballs, cake, sandwich, yogurt, cookies, crackers and peanut butter, hot chocolate.

The 5th: weigh in: 231.2 lb. Waist circumference: 39". One-mile walk. Physical therapy, using 1-lb weights. CIB, Florentine salad and almond croissant, ham sandwich and yogurt, cake, peanut butter and crackers, pork and potatoes, hot chocolate. I slept less than four hours last night. It should prove to be an interesting day. I'm looking forward to spending the morning with a couple of my writing friends.

Inspiration, at least to me: