Operation Crazy Owl continues

Well, I’m starting week 3 of Operation Crazy Owl. I started going to the gym at 5:00 on Wednesday the 18th, so the first week was a short week. I did it again last week, but Wednesday, the door wouldn’t open to let me in; Thursday, I exercised at home; Friday, I went around 8:00. So this week will be the first actual full week of getting up at crazy early in the morning to go to the gym.

It really feels like I’ve been doing this for longer than I have. I can’t put my finger on why that’s the case, but it really feels like I’ve been doing this for ages. It’s still not fun getting out of bed at that time of day. I’m still struggling with being super tired later in the day.

But getting that done right away makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something really difficult. It helps me know how much I can eat for the day because I’ve already done my exercising. I have the option of just going home and slouching around the whole evening without feeling too guilty because I’ve already done what I would usually be avoiding on those evenings. And I’ve been falling asleep more quickly in the evening.

It has its pros and cons, but I’m definitely enjoying the pros much more than the cons are bothering me. I really hope to be able to sustain this for the long run.

Which is good because I had a doctor’s appointment on Wednesday and my cholesterol levels and my triglycerides are up. (Dad, those triglycerides are probably partially your fault! ;)) So I’ve got an appointment set up for 3 months to see if what I’m doing is making a difference to those things. I’m adding fish oil pills to my diet, and I’m going to make sure I get the milled flaxseed put back in there, too. With those two things, the exercise I’m doing, and the changes I’m making to my diet, I should be able to make some progress on that.

I’m still having trouble figuring out a “heart-healthy” diet. From my research, this is what I should be doing:

Fat should make up 25-35% of my daily diet.
Of that, less than 7% should be saturated fats
And less than 1% should be trans fat

I should have less than 200 mg of cholesterol a day

I should have 25-30g of fiber a day, in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes

Sodium should be less than 1,500 mg a day.

And I should eat fish twice a week.

I have a really long way to go.