Brown Dress Plan: Week 4 and Getting Kicked off the Wagon

Week 4 of the brown dress plan didn't go as I had hoped. I did manage to get in about an hour of lifting and abs, and almost 3 hours of vigorous walking but the spin classes did not happen. I'd like to say I was lazy and enjoyed some other activity in place of working out, but that would be a lie. I didn't fall off the wagon; I got kicked off...hard. What kicked me? This:

image

Ah, sinus headaches! I love Spring and the sun but I could do without the sinus headaches. I never had them until about 2 years ago. Now when I get them, I get them. My eyeballs feel like they are going to throb right out of their sockets, my head feels like it's being hit by a hammer, and the bridge of my nose feels like a full grown elephant is standing on it. Sometimes my teeth hurt! They are the worse. I got a sinus headache 4 days last week. Week 5 isn't looking so hot either since I spent all of Monday night in bed with another one.

I know I didn't do everything I wanted to do last week (fitness or otherwise) but I'm not too worried about getting back on the horse. I definitely think it helps that this is a lifestyle change as oppose to losing weight by a certain date. I think there's less pressure when you miss a week. And since I'm going to continue with the plan forever (I hope), I know there will always be a week here and there where work or health gets in the way. I think the key is motivation.

I'm definitely seeing some change in my body. I've lost weight around my ribs (below my bra). My calves are a little slimmer and I put on a pair of jeans over the weekend that I haven't worn in 2 years! They were very snug, but they were on me.

I also read this morning that weight loss can lower the prevalence of headaches. In addition to sinus headaches, I get some wicked migraines. There's sweating, head pounding and a few visits to the toilet bowl (sorry tmi). While I do still get the occasional migraine, I have noticed I don't get them as often. I'll woot! woot! to that.

In addition to looking thinner, what kinds of benefits have you seen and/or felt when you changed your diet or started working out more?

Brown Dress Plan
Brown Dress Plan: Week 1
Brown Dress Plan: Weeks 2 & 3