Maybe it's not such a big problem....

So, I have been mulling over some thoughts about my workouts. I seem to get obsessed with things and the only way I can get everything I want to do is to do at least two workouts a day. Some days on the weekend, I may even sneak in an extra by doing some kettlebell swings. I am obsessed with lots and recently just discovered spin class....another obsession. So, now I have kettlebells, stair climbing, running, boxing, weight lifting and spin class to fill my workout time with....oh, and I would really like to fit some swimming, yoga and mat Pilates in if I could.

I started to think about how I was becoming a "Jack of all trades but a master of none" regarding my various workouts. Even though I like lots of things, I really am not very good at any of them...but I do sweat and workout hard, which is important to me. I also love the endorphins. The mental release I get from working out is sometimes more important than the physical benefits. An hour punching on the heavy bag at the boxing gym allows me to sweat away any frustration I may have from the day of dealing with various projects. An hour cycling in spin class allows me to clear my mind of the never ending deadlines that fill my work day. A good sweat on the stair mill allows me to feel like I accomplished something even if the rest of the day was wrought with failures.

I love it all. Of course, some of the activities I love more than others but for the most part, I really do like the activities I currently am obsessed with. I have dabbled from time to time in other things -- Zumba for instance. Oh, and body pump classes were great for awhile but now, well, I am not so much into the synchronized weight lifting and prefer doing my own. As much as I liked the sweat, my heart was just not into these activities for very long. I just mention this to show that I am somewhat selective about my workouts but when I do find something I love, I want to do it every day. But realistically, I can't so I try to fit as much in as I can throughout the week, which stresses me out a bit....totally NOT what I want to happen.

I have had a lot of people tell me that I work out too much and I needed to work out smarter. I know I have blogged about it in the past but obviously have not learned enough to figure out how to fix things without stressing about everything too much. After speaking with people about the progress and lack of progress I have had in the past months, I decided to do two testings, one with my nutritionist and one at the gym. Honestly, one of my hopes in all this testing was that I would be told that everyone was wrong and I need to work out more or harder or something like that. You know, find a few more hours a week to work out and to work out harder. To me, that seems like the easiest answer.

The first one was an ASI test, a saliva testing for adrenal stress index. I did this one a few weeks ago and got the results on Friday. I must admit that I was a bit taken back by the results. My cortisol is all out of whack, too high in the morning, too low at noon, and on the high side the rest of the day. Sigh, what to do now?

The second test would be helpful in trying to figure some of this out. It is metabolic testing at the gym and will tell me what heart rate zone is most efficient for fat burn and things like that. Unfortunately, I had to postpone the testing because, for the second time this year, I am sick. I haven't been this sick in some time, which is another sign of cortisol/adrenal issues. Hopefully, when I get this figured out, I will be able to avoid the colds like I have in the past. It is rescheduled for next week. I am also doing a Resting Metabolic Rate test to tell me how many calories I am burning just to get through the day and give me an idea of targets for how much I should be consuming. I did both of these tests a couple of years ago at the spa. It will be interesting to see how things changed. Unfortunately, I had to postpone the testing because, for the second time this year, I am sick. I haven't been this sick in some time, which is another sign of cortisol/adrenal issues. Hopefully, when I get this figured out, I will be able to avoid the colds like I have in the past. It is rescheduled for next week.

In the meantime, I have to think about what I can do to work out the issues with the cortisol levels. I have some supplements from the nutritionist. I also need to think about what I really want to do for workouts and stop over working out. I have to need to be better about fueling before and after workouts. I have to figure out the whole carb balance thing too. Lauren thinks that these things will help me get things back in balance. I will admit that at first I was a little freaked out. I did think that the test would show that adrenal/cortisol was quite normal and that I could just try to figure out how to do more things. But alas, now I need to think and figure things out. One thing I am going to try to do is track food again, not for calories as much as to watch when I am eating my carbs and making sure that I am fueling for workouts correctly.


Here we go again...it seems like the more I know, the more I need to learn....but I will get there some day.