YOU WIN, July.

Let it be known that the first two weeks of July kicked my ass (and not in a good way).

Here's the break down of the bad luck cloud that hovered over me:

1) I nearly chopped off my thumb. In a feeble attempt to be Top Chef cook myself a healthy dinner, whilst separating frozen salmon, the knife slipped and my left thumb was in its path. Point of impact: top part of the thumb at the first knuckle, right where it bends. That knife got me good. Bleeding like faucet, I rushed to Patient First, and quite frankly I'm unsure how I even made it there without getting a speeding ticket and without hyperventilating/losing control of my moving vehicle. After X-rays to make sure the knife didn't hit bone, needles to numb my finger, and six stitches, I was sent home, but not without consolation prizes! I left with half a roll of gauze wrapped around my thumb, a splint, and a sling so I could keep the stitches elevated. WINNER, WINNER! I documented this adventure along the way, for your entertainment. (Warning: photo of stitches. Not the prettiest of things to see.) Also, if this is what I get for trying to eat healthy, I'm going to the drive-thru next time. Much safer.

After being stitched up, on the table at Patient First.  Note: gym attire.
I hadn't even been home three minutes from the gym when the chaos ensued.

The following day at work rocking the sling like a champ.
I was super ineffective that day, but IMHO, I made that sling WORK.

My hardware. #BrassKnuckles

Stitches after 5 days.

2) As if almost removing my thumb wasn't enough fun for one week, my credit card number was hijacked. Some ignoramus charged $416 at CVS, $592 and The Home Depot, and then tapped off his gas tank with a modest $20 fill up. First of all, what the hell do you buy at CVS for $416? Second of all, if you're spending hundreds elsewhere, why not just fill up your whole tank while you're at it? Why be frugal now? Luckily, it didn't take long for Bank of America to contact me and turn off the card. They were on top of it pretty quickly, but it's not like it was difficult fraudulent activity to notice. I don't do Home Depot.

Shitty Timing

The thumb incident of 2014 couldn't have come at a worse time in regard to my personal training venture. I've been trying to make it to the gym/work out on a regular basis, but not being able to use my hand fully has compromised that undertaking.

However, I will give myself a solid pat on the back because despite the injury, I have remained committed to working out as best I can. It wouldn't have happened without the help, expertise, and patience of my trainer Tim. You don't realize how much you use and need your thumb until you can't use it. Over the past couple weeks, Tim has been super creative in building different strength training, cardio, and circuit training workouts that don't involve much use of my thumb. I mean... he's a seriously talented trainer. No matter the fact that one hand was essentially out of order, he put together various workouts that still maximized our time together. (That said, if you have any workout, diet, or fitness related questions, you can reach Tim at TRider@macwellness.com)

Update on the healing: I no longer have to wear the splint or the sling. On Saturday, I got the stitches removed, and today was the first day I didn't have the wound covered at all. The doctor said it's going to take a while for the wound to heal because it's so deep, but that I should try to start bending my thumb and treating it like a regular cut (it can get wet, doesn't need to be covered 24/7). It definitely is still sensitive to the touch, and hurts if pressed on too hard. Right now during workouts I just try to be as careful as possible.

Update on fitness and lifestyle improvements: I definitely feel stronger. After not having been to the gym in 2.5 years to going 3-4 times a week with structured workouts, I can feel my muscles waking up. That feeling energizes me to keep going. I know I am on the right path to a healthier lifestyle. However, my downfall remains: I snack. And when I'm not at the gym or work, I am on my couch. Probably with a snack. I need to snack less, and add in a little more activity during my day, like taking Bruiser on longer walks, or doing some crunches before bed. I am proud of the fact that I've kept up with the gym, but until I make changes in other areas like diet, I won't see the results I want to see.

Tim did some re-measurements last week. I gained three pounds, but my fat mass reduced by 1.5% and I lost an inch on both thighs, waist, and chest. He assured me that the weight gain is muscle mass building, but I'd be lying if I said the news didn't sting a little. I didn't understand how I was gaining, even though I've been working out more than I had in years.

Admittedly: I also have a little bit of BBQ guilt. It's been a busy summer, and even though I want to lose weight, I also want to enjoy my summer. I don't like the idea of deprivation. I am going to enjoy myself at these summer get-togethers (without going overboard), and will combat the calories with working out. It's a give and take for me at this point. Perhaps right now I'm taking too much, evidenced by my stomach getting bigger, not smaller. But, moving forward, I hope to give a little more and take a little less... ideally resulting in a leaner body composition. We'll see!

Workout Gear Refresh

It wouldn't be a GJU post without a fashion shout-out. I picked up some great workout tops and spandex from Marshall's a couple weeks ago, but I was also curious to try Fabletics. With Fabletics, you can buy individual pieces, or pre-styled outfits based on styles and colors you like. I decided to give it a try, and I chose a pre-styled outfit. Also, because it was my first purchase, I got an amazing discount. I bought a sports bra, top, and a pair of workout pants for $29! Such a steal! I absolutely love the bright colors and designs that Fabletics offers. The outfit I chose is the Santorini-- I love the mint green color (comes in other color combos as well) and I love the style of the tank and sports bra. Both the tank and sports bra have a cut out on the back. The cut outs are a cool feature, but I was a little worried there wouldn't be enough support with the bra. Luckily, it fit perfectly!

Full outfit

Love the matching mint detail in the sports bra

Cut out!

Double cut-out

Kinda crappy photo quality on this but I took a quick back selfie so you could
see what the bra looks like. Please excuse the poor photo quality, but
at 5:30 am before a 6 am workout, it's the best I could get :)

Have you tried Fabletics? What pieces did you get?

Until next time,
GJU