Weeks 11, 12, and 13

I honestly have no idea where the weeks have gone!  There's been a lot of chaos at home lately, what with birthday parties (Jett is 3!) and company (my niece and nephew stayed for a couple weeks!) and summer just being busy.  I don't even remember where I left off so I'll try my best to get the last three weeks straightened out in my mind.

First of all: my knees.  I've been seeing a physical therapist once a week to get those figured out.  The biggest problem is that I overpronate.  There's something called a navicular drop: it measures just how far your arch falls when you stand up.  My physical therapist said that he typically starts recommending orthotics when someone's navicular drop is 5 mm.  Mine is 10 mm.  Ha!  No wonder I've had knee pain.  He gave me some orthotics to try and they have helped tremendously!  However, years of overpronating have caused muscle imbalances that need to be corrected.  My hip abductors are considerably weaker than they should be, so he has me doing exercises to strengthen them.  I'm also doing exercises to increase core strength, as that can sometimes be a culprit too.  I'm learning a lot about how my body works together, or doesn't, and it's helping me to be more conscious about having proper form even with the simplest things, like going up or down stairs.

Secondly: I did the Shakeology cleanse for three days.  Actually what happened is that I started on a Sunday but it also happened to be a graduation day and I went to one graduation where I simply couldn't resist the pulled pork sandwiches and cupcakes.  I decided to officially start the cleanse the next day, but what happened is that I think by the third day (technically the fourth day) my body was done with it and I really struggled.  I felt great on Monday and Tuesday but by Wednesday I was just weak and miserable and enduring to the end.  I even felt terrible on Thursday, like I had just had the flu practically.  I lost weight that has stayed off but I'm not sure if I would recommend it to others.  I haven't decided if I really felt it benefited me.  Well, let me put it this way: I doubt I would do another one based on how I felt the last day and the day after.  It wasn't worth it to feel that awful afterwards.  Not even to lose a few pounds. 

My mindset has totally changed.  I used to juice fast just to drop weight, and now my preferred method of shedding pounds is to exercise.  It feels healthier to think that way.

In the last three weeks, my diet and exercise have been quite lackluster.  Between resting my knees and having company, I've been struggling for the last week or so to get back to a diet I can live with.  It's hard to get up at 6 these days again.  I will get back to it, but it has been a struggle.  Incidentally I've also been too busy to really weigh myself either, let alone take inches.  I will try to remember to do it tomorrow morning and post those changes as that is one of the main purposes of this blog.

I'm currently starting a week of doubles with this program.  I know it's a lot to take on, but I am looking forward to the cardio boost.  I have 28 Insanity workouts left.  I would like to complete them in 20 days.  It will be a challenge, to be sure...

I'm sure there's more I could share but that's all I have time for.  I will post updated measurements tomorrow.

*Update*

This morning I weighed 146.2.  That's a loss of 5.6 lbs since I started.  Not a whole lot of loss over the course of 13 weeks, but I have done nothing but gain since starting Insanity.  However, I can tell it's not fat that is coming on because my clothes are fitting better than ever. 

Also, since beginning I have lost 5 inches in my waist and an inch and a half in my hips.  I'll take it!