Archive for the 'Morphing of a Fit Woman' Category



31
Jul
12

Roller Coaster

My last post was about having patience to put in the necessary work to achieve your goals. 

I had lunch with a group of friends today and during lunch one of the girls made the comment of “yesterday’s workout made me feel bad about myself last night.”

The irony in that comment is that it was exactly what I was thinking Friday night after having such a great workout on Thursday. 

My conclusion is there will always be something that makes me question myself.  Especially if I desire to grow as an individual.  There will always be triumphs and trials.   It is in the aftermath of the trials that I have the opportunity to experience true growth.

I’ve got two choices, I can sit back on my ego and whine a little or I can dig deep and realize that it makes me better and better.  Do nothing or work on the skills that it takes to get better and better.

Today the workout left me feeling good simply because I finished it and got just a smidge better in the process.  It is taking the time to settle down and realize that with each and every hurdle, I can jump it or walk around it.  It truly doesn’t matter as long as I move forward.

Hat Tip to Wikipedia for the pic!

19
Jul
12

Discipline

It sounds like we are in school today but we’re not, bummer. 

Occasionally I have people seek me out for advice on how I successfully transitioned from obesity to being fit.  I’ll help anyone out there.  That’s probably one of my biggest blessings and at the same time one of my biggest flaws. 

The old adage “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink” applies here.   I’ve found that people want me to tell them exactly what to eat and when (key word is exactly), what to drink, and when to breathe, etc. 

I’ll help up to a point, I’ll give you menu’s, workouts, etc.  I’ll point you to every resource I’ve ever used. 

One thing I won’t do is feed you and do your workouts day in and day out.   You’ve got to have some self-motivation, self-discipline and learn to do that stuff yourself.

I know all about the insecurity of being left to your own devices and eating healthy.  I used to get paralyzed with over thinking about food.  Some days I’d freak out and not eat much at all for fear of eating too much of the wrong thing.  Wrong to who?  I still laugh over my naiveté.

If you keep it simple and LEARN the difference between a complex carb, a lean protein, heathly fat and healthy veggies you can then make great choices. 

In today’s world things get so confusing so that’s the first thing I try to teach any client or friend.  You’d be amazed at how many people use almonds and bacon as their sources of protein, when in actuality they are fats. 

There are a ton of resources and some of my favorites are Body-for-Life Library.  You’ll have to register and then visit the library tab.  Secondly The Zone Diet both of these programs are relatively easy to follow with cut and dried food lists.  If you are starting out, they are great resources.  Lastly, I’m a fan of Primal eating Mark’s Daily Apple for folks who are more advanced in their nutritional journey.  Meaning you don’t eat fast food EVER.  If you are still eating fast food, stick with the first two choices.

You can mix and match!  YES. YOU. CAN.  I promise at least up to this point, there are no food police that will come to your house and tell you that you are eating improperly.  Learn how to fuel your body to feel better.  Listen to your body NOT YOUR EMOTIONS when deciding what to eat.

In a perfect household everyone is on board and all the junk goes in the trash.   In my house that’s not the case. 

So I keep my food in a seperate veggie bin in the fridge and the other stuff in a separate pantry with all the small appliances I don’t want sitting out. 

No one goes in that pantry except for me, they don’t like appliances. 🙂 

I don’t have to look at bread, crackers and chips when I’m selecting my food. 

I’m optimistic as time goes on that things will get better in my house. But until they do, I don’t use that as an excuse.

Everyone has their own favorite complex carbs.  These are two of my favorite carbs. 

16
Jul
12

Want Something? Go get it!

Some days I step back and think about where I’ve come from, looking for the moments of clarity on when my greatest progresses have been.

I have found that happens when I turn off all external noise and I get busy actually doing.

Forming a plan and sticking to that plan 90% of the time.  Whether its training or nutrition.  That’s what has worked for me.

I’m happiest when I have a barbell in my hand, but I realize that I must work on skills that I don’t like even more.

I’ve been working on my strict pull-ups for two years. Yes, two years. Actually probably a little longer than that. 

It would have come sooner if I had been just a bit more strict in my weekly discipline of working on them.  So now it’s time for me to go get it.  Get the strict daily regimen that will result in those dead-hang pull-ups.  No excuses.

This is me two years ago on the biggest band I had.  Today, I am on the smallest band I have.  That being said my chin lacks 3″ from getting over the bar.  No more excuses.

It will be 2 years come this October since this picture was made.  The next picture will be in two months and with no band.  I am determined.

 

 

13
Jul
12

What’s Age Got To Do With It

Picture this:  One of my male coworkers who’s about five years older than I am wagging his finger at me all the while saying “you need to quit lifting all those heavy weights”.   I looked him straight in the eye and said give me one good scientific reason why I should.  He couldn’t. 

Just because he doesn’t do it perhaps?  You’ve got me. 

You all have no idea how close I came to throwing up all sort of stinging retorts, but I bit my tongue because I know better than to buy into someone elses thoughts on aging.  This is my life, my mind, my body and most of all my DETERMINATION. 

In my humble opinion if you are listening to your body, feeding it the proper amounts of clean healthy foods, staying injury free, and have determination there is not a reason in the world you should stop or even fear starting to work with weights. 

Perhaps it was that very statement that spurred me to swing a 2.5 pood (90 lbs) Kettlebell this morning just to see if I could do it.  YES. I. CAN.

1 pood

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.

 

 

 

 

28
Jun
12

Motivation

I’ve said it a few times and I’m going to say it again.  Motivation is not a constant.  It comes and goes and often times there are things going on in our lives that add to the loss of motivation.  I’m a firm believer in staying with my workouts (even if it’s 10 minutes of air squats in your office) and keeping my food at minimum 80% clean always.  

Doing some type of work-out even when you don’t feel like it add positive motivation to your mojo bank.  Doing nothing is just that…a big blank of nothing.  If you are serious about getting fit you should figure this one out fast.

Secondly, work-out your mind!  Positive thoughts, visualization and gratitude are three of the most powerful work-outs you have access too.

Positive thoughts include being kind to yourself instead of being critical of all of your perceived flaws.

Visualize yourself exactly where you want to be.

Make a list everyday of the top three things you are grateful for.  Challenge yourself not to duplicate them for 5 days.

A huge thank you to my friend Leah VanHoose for allowing me to use this positively beautiful photo today!!

Sunflower by Leah Vanhoose

 

26
Jun
12

Helpful Hints

I have some friends that never seem to have slip ups or slumps in motivation.  I’m not one of those people.  Although I’ve learned how to keep myself on task simply by adhering to my own set of rules.

When you fall off the wagon and eat or drink excessively, admit it and stop it.

Stop it you say?  That’s hard.  Yes it is.  But what’s harder is breaking yourself from the eat bad, feel bad cycle that can go on indefinitely if you don’t stop it.

Do it by committing to yourself that the next meal will be clean.  Once you start consuming clean food and WATER, yes a lot of water you flush out all of the nastiness you’ve consumed and you give your internal organs a nice clean shower.  Not to mention you mentally feel better for making good choices.

Another rule I have is no more than 3 days of wallowing.  Everybody has a woe as me time at some point.  Yes, me too. 

Share your concerns with a friend.  If they are truly your friend they will smack you right in the mindset with the excuses and what-if’s come back.  So you had better be tough enough to take tough love from your fitness friends, that’s what they are there for. 

What happens at the end of 3 days?  Get moving.  No matter what, set your clock, do your workout, pack your meals for the whole day and get on with acting your way to better thinking. 

Lastly, quit comparing yourself to other people.  It’s not about them, it’s about YOU getting better.

***Edited to add:  I realized after I posted this that the 3 day rule is incomplete.  That’s 3 days in a row ONCE every 4 months.  Not every week or even every month.  To take that 3 day rule more often means you need to dig a little deeper and figure out why you would sabotage your own efforts that often.

21
Jun
12

Community and Support

Community and support.  I had no idea what those two words really meant outside of community = neighborhood and support = a helping hand if needed.

Since I started my fitness journey, I’ve come to see both of those words in a completely different light.

Community now means a group of people who support each other in a common goal. 

That means the good, bad and the ugly too. 

There are some folks out there than can simply go it alone.   I’ve found that I am much better as part of a community.

Higher goals, higher level of accountability, higher levels of support, both give and take.

If you are just starting out, find a group to get involved with.  Whether its classes at your gym or online forums or joining a CrossFit box.   

Don’t expect everyone to coddle you, don’t expect everyone to check on you when you are down.  If you need support reach out instead of having a pity party. 

People cannot read your mind and know if you are having a lack of motivation, feelings of discontent or even a life crisis.  Your support group will rely on you to let them in on what’s happening.  And trust me, everyone eventually has a lack of motivation.

These two ladies are two of my dearest friends, they are from other states.  We’ve been a part of the same fitness support group for years.  We all met up in DC for the Marine Corps Marathon in 2011.  Here they are coming across the finish line. 

Community and support!  Get some!