Today I was up at 4am... why you ask? Because of back pain. I made a decision a while back that if I was tossing and turning in bed because of back pain I would just get up and get going for the day. So, that means that a lot of days I'm up before my alarm clock. But I don't just lounge on the couch when I get up early, I get up and get moving! I got my day 1 post submitted to The Daily HIIT while drinking some hot lemon water, and then did some other blogging activities until 4:30 rolled around and I got up and hit day 2!

The workout

For day 2 Rita leads us through a 12 minute HIIT workout that uses just your sandbag if you have it, if not, you can also use dumbbells. Find the workout video along with a workout breakdown and warm-up/cool down videos for day 2 here.

Modifications

• Side plank leg lift & through: I had to change this to a standard side plank hold. Once my core is stronger again I'll try these again and see if I can't do them, but after not working out for 3 months, I'm a little weak.
• Single leg thrust (bridge): Single leg bridges are something I've never been able to do, even when I was in physical therapy for my back. They just cause too much pain for me, so I did a standard weighted bridge for the two rounds.
• Sandbag swing: this I had to change to a CrossFit style kettle-bell swing since forward momentum from a sandbag swing pulls me off balance and strains my back.

 

Food log

Another repeat lunch to keep it simple!

Breakfast

Coffee with a tablespoon of grass-fed gelatin

Lunch

Leek and potato soup with a kale/tomato salad

Snack

2 mini quiche and 2 pickles

Dinner

Tonight we're going out to dinner for a friend's birthday. Luckily he's chosen a restaurant called Gyuta which is an all you can eat shabu-shabu place. It's an all you can eat restaurant, but it uses fresh meat and veggies. We usually order the spicy broth and a side of rice, dip our meat and veggies in the goma sauce, and of course partake in the unlimited ice cream at the end (seriously... this place is awesome and evil all at the same time!). Tonight though, I'll be skipping the rice and the ice cream... I don't think I could give up the goma sauce :) but I'll try and limit my intake by thinning it with some of the broth.

Supplements

Yesterday I mentioned that I would tell you today what supplements I take. I used to take a bunch of supplements trying to beat familial ALS that runs in my family, but then cut them out and decided to concentrate on eating real food instead. Here's what I take now (click on the photo to enlarge): So, from left to right, here is what I take and why: Dark cherry juice- Dark/tart cherry juice is said to be an anti-inflammatory, so I'm hoping it will help with my back pain. I just started taking it and I'll give it a month or so and see. Fish oil omega-3- Most people get plenty of omega-6, and not nearly enough Omega-3. Omega-3 from fish oil is also an anti-inflammatory and I'm hoping it will help with my back pain. I'm using up a bottle we had on hand and once it's done I'll be switching to a higher quality brand. We're also trying to get pregnant, and omega-3s are important for a growing fetus. Fermented cod liver oil/high vitamin butter oil- Cod liver oil is high in Vitamin D and A as well as Omega-3. Omega-3 was discussed above, and Vitamin A is great for your skin and immune system. Vitamin D I need since blood tests showed I am deficient. Gelatin- I just recently added gelatin as a way to get more protein as well as help lubricate my joints and hopefully help with my back pain.   :) Pamela

Have you tackled day 2 yet?