Finding Balance
I'm not sure if it's possible to have "just a little OCD" (JALOCD), but if it is, I do. I check the door a few times on the way out. And the stove. Oh, and I need to take 10 drinks of water after brushing my teeth at bedtime. Okay, I don't NEED to, but I always do – and if I lose count I'll take 15 drinks from there. You know, so I don't accidentally get 13 drinks. Don't bother saying anything, I've already heard it all from Sharon.
So my tendency to obsess carries over into my fitness activities too. Once I get into something, I really get into it. When I'm doing Weight Watchers, I'm obsessed with doing it "correctly." The same goes for when I'm into working out. For March and April I was fanatical about doing Jillian videos. It does a body good, right?
Anyway, since our latest challenge has started, I've been trying to find a good balance between my new found obsession with running and my previous obsession with Jillian. If I could both run and do videos 7 days a week I would, but my knees (and other parts, I'm sure) need days off to recover. Instead I've been running 4 days a week and doing Jillian videos the other 3 days, but after today's Jillian workout I realize that's not enough. While I'm losing weight and my legs are more defined, I'm losing definition everywhere else (no, abs, don't leave me!). And I had to drop to my knees during a set of pushups, so my upper body is obviously deflating.
Okay, I've had the flu for a week, so that could explain the pushup thing, but only working out upper body and abs 3 times a week isn't going to do it for me. At least not until late June when we get together for a family reunion where we'll be at the pool a lot. After that I can back off. 
I'd love to keep running at least 4 days and bump videos to 5+ times a week, but mentally I know that's ridiculous. Maybe 3 running days and 5 video days is reasonable though. Or 4 days of running, abs daily and strength 4 days? That sounds reasonable, right?
How are you guys balancing running with strength training? Is anyone else noticing a difference in their bodies now that you aren't Shredding every day? How are you balancing strength training and running?
- Bill
I’m actually just doing the running right now. I might add the strength and the yoga back in on the “off” days, but for now, I’m giving myself a little break and trying to focus on the 5K. I don’t want to get burned out and since I’m fitting into smaller clothes and still keeping up on the food thing, I’m telling myself it will be fine.
I struggle with this ALL of the time and I too am compulsive- – it’s an uphill battle.
I am running regularly 3x/week and on the other days I have jazzercise- – I’m an instructor. However, I try to do the Shred every day on top of whatever else I’m doing. I know that it’s a little crazy, but running is way harder on my legs than the Shred so Shred only days, kind of feel like a break.
I (accidentally) took two days off from the Shred and had a HARD time when I got back into it yesterday. It’s just not worth taking time off… I don’t think!
It’s so amazing to hear that I’m not the only one like this, lol. I recently “discovered” I’m a little ocd myself… and like you said, when I’m into something, I really get INTO it. This has played havoc with exercise to a certain degree – how do I fit everything in?!
So, yeah, I decdied to do the Shred everyday (I’m only on level 1 – my plan is to officially try the 30 day challenge) and to fit in other things around it. I think that’s the only way for me to keep up on my metabolic rate. If I was just to do Body Sculpt (which is my other main exercise) I know my metabolism would drop and I’d just be doing all this darn work without seeing the gains.
After this 30 days is over, I might contemplate going for one of Jillian’s 40 minute dvds three times a week, with Body Sculpt in between… It’s such a balancing act and so hard to know what will click and what won’t.
i know balance is different for everyone and the key is to find what works for you. i’m finding a really happy balance with daily shredding and running every other day. weight is coming off, knees are holding strong, and running seems to be really improving with the ‘off’ day. on those ‘off” days, 20 minutes of jillian is perfect – and if i can fit in a leisurely walk with the stroller, bonus!
I find that the days I can excerise I can really do it, but the days it’s hard to fit in, it is just too hard to fit in. What has been working best for me is if I KNOW I can’t exercise in the next day or two, I’ll run for 30 min and then do a shred. If I know I can exercise 2 days in a row, I’ll run for 45/60 min (OK, a lot of walking in there too)one day and do a 60 min workout from Jillian via OnDemand. I’ve been finding that keeping it more 50/50 works best for improving both weight loss and toning more evenly.