Archive for July, 2012



12
Jul
12

Rest Days-Battle of the Mind

One of my greatest struggles as an athlete is taking rest.  Deep down I suspect it’s either an addiction to the endorphins that shoot through my brain during and after a workout or an addiction to that feeling of soreness that comes with a really tough workout.

Mentally I fight the “just get up and get on it” over the “take the rest your body needs”.

I’ve been injury free for a long time, but it’s only recently that I’ve incorporated more rest days. 

It hasn’t been without a mental struggle, but my body is FINALLY starting to progress to heavier loads.  Yesterday I wrote about trusting the process and its high time I lived strictly by that rule. 

When you are surrounded by good trainers, set your ego aside, listen, and apply, results will start showing.

Overtraining is very common once you achieved your initial weight-loss goals because then you are ready to step up your game and make good even better.  You raise your own bar, rightly so.   Unfortunately, you tend to get stubborn and think that basic rules no longer apply to you.  Wrong.

For me, it’s the strong, selfish desire to never go back to that obese body I was once trapped in.  Now I trust myself enough to know that I won’t ever go back.   Now I trust the process.

10
Jul
12

Trust The Process

I was having lunch with some friends today.  I love our lunches.  We are all fitness junkies and we all care about what we eat.  Most of the time that is.  I say that because as a collective group we are at different points in our fitness and nutritional journey.

Interestingly enough there is never, ever a case of “you know you should be doing better”.   There is talk.

Inquisitive questions that help each person think through why they are willing to give up weeks and weeks of good clean eating or consistent training for food culprits, ie. sugars, or processed food.

Ironically most of the time it usually comes back to not progressing as quickly as one would like.

I used to get so jammed up that I wasn’t progressing fast enough, getting stronger fast enough, getting faster fast enough.  All of these thoughts started hindering my ability to progress at all.

I finally came to the realization that trusting in the process is just as important as eating clean, working out and getting enough rest.  

A friend asked just yesterday:  “On a scale of 1-10 where are you in your fitness?”  I can soundly say I’m sitting at 7, I’m above average in both my clean eating and nutritional disciplines.  The interesting thing was the acknowledgement that I have no idea was levels 8, 9 and 10 are for me.  Not what someone else thinks my levels should be or are, but instead how do I define them.

Love that thought-provoking question and I’m working on identifying those levels.  Identifying them results in action.  Leaving them blank and unanswered leaves me right smack dab  where I am today. 

09
Jul
12

Be Weird. Be Random. Be Who YOU Are.

 

Love this saying.  I wish I had made this one up myself.  I see people, especially women hiding behind what they think everyone else wants to see.  The lucky few may get a glimpse in to who that person really is. 

This morning I was the woman laying in the gym floor rolling on a foam roller shortly after doing five sets of heavy dead-lifts.  I got stared at while doing the lifts.  I don’t care.  That is who I am.  By today’s standards seeing a woman dead-lift isn’t common place.  It’s weird.  AND. I. LOVE. IT.

Want big biceps?  Secretly behind closed doors flexing your guns to see if they’ve grown?  Show ’em.  Be proud of ’em.  You bet I want nice bulky biceps and shapely shoulders.  Side effect?  I can paddle a mean kayak when I want to.  I can also whip up a good omelet with those same guns.

I have a paddle board and a kayak to haul up a steep lot when I’m finished playing on the water.  Every single weekend when I’m doing that hauling I thank my lucky stars that I made the decision to shed 168# and get fit.

Some say I’m getting too old for all that.  Pfffhhhttt, I’ll never be too old.  The day I get too old will be the day I stop having fun.  Living this life today is the only choice we have, I’m taking full advantage of it by keeping myself in great shape. 

If you’ve got pounds to lose, don’t waste another day trying.  Get busy DOING.  Hold yourself accountable.  You are the ultimate keeper of your success!  DO. IT.

 

 

 

 

06
Jul
12

Drink Water Like it’s Your Job

I saw some helpful hints about getting back on track after a holiday, lets face it, not everyone is perfect all the time. 

“Drink water like it’s your job” was at the top of this list.  This one really stuck with me.  I’ve been at this fitness and nutrition thing for a while and I love it when an idea hits me like it’s brand new. 

Maybe it’s because I work at my day job really hard.  Putting the water into that perspective is a dead ringer for accomplishing it.

We are creeping up on another weekend already and I aim to keep this like it’s my job mindset for the entire weekend. 

Have a safe and well hydrated weekend!

Drink water like it’s your job!

05
Jul
12

Just Get Away

If at all possible, just get away.  This came to mind as I came back to my day job after 5 days of being away. 

Steal yourself away from what others make you think is important and spend a little time on what is truly important.  Yourself, your loved ones, your friends.  You will thank yourself for it.

We all think we are too important to step-away, that the job just won’t get done without us.  If it’s important enough they will either find you or someone else to handle it.