Posts Tagged ‘Bright Spots



24
Sep
12

Scales and What Not

No, not fish scales.  Weight scales.

I work with so many women regarding weight-loss and fitness.  I’ve talked about scale weight before and how it fits in the big scheme of things.

If I could somehow be Glenda the Good Witch for just one day, I swear I’d love to banish all scales from the land! 

Have I ever told you guys the story of going to our company “health-fair”?  I consider myself pretty fit in the big scheme of averages so the health fair didn’t deter me.  They checked both my good and bad cholesterol and both were impeccable.  My blood pressure was also in the very good category. 

So off I go the new super-duper body mass index machine.  To use the machine you must be in your sock feet.  I took off my shoes and when it was my turn, I jumped up on that bad boy only to receive this little ticker tape print out showing that I was by American standards “obese”.  I literally laughed out loud. 

One of the guys I workout with was right behind me.  He 26 years old, six feet tall and has six-pack abs.  Yes, I saw them during a workout class.   You know what?  His BMI put him in the obese category as well.  I was already skeptical about our BMI standards anyway, but that pushed it over the top.  The number one reason is that the technician never bothered to ask either of us if we work out on a regular basis.  There is a different selection for athletes.  Either way bad data.

Anyway, back to where I was going with all of this.  Data is just data.  It’s not a sign of success or failure, it’s a number.  It is what we do with that number that matters. 

If you struggle with getting on the scale to gather data then it’s time to ask yourself  “why does this number matter so much to me?”.

What should really matter to you is if you are doing better today than you did yesterday.  If you strive every single day to be a better person, whether it’s in your workouts, your finances, your savings, keeping your kids clothes clean and helping someone else out in some small way.  You are moving forward.

Progress isn’t about what’s happening on the outside.  It’s about what’s happening on the inside.  When you figure out why you wrap success or failure around a number, changes begin to happen.  You stop paying so much attention to the scale and to your appearance and start focusing on your workouts, how consistent you are, and if you are doing them correctly from a technical standpoint.  Suddenly your body image starts to improve as does your ability.

One of the most refreshing things I’ve read lately was Lifting My Spirits about page and reading that she went on stage to compete in her first bodybuilding show without even caring what her BF% was.  She just new by looking in the mirror and by doing the right things with her workouts and food that results were there.  And that’s how this should be.

Do the right things and results will come.

20
Sep
12

I Don’t Have Time

I hear this comment often.  “I don’t have time to train and eat right.  I can’t imagine packing my meals and being at the gym at 5:30am. ”  “I can’t imagine doing that with 3 kids”.  In reality we all have the same number of hours in our day.

Some days I’d like to be a real hard nose about it, but the old fat chick in my head says “remember when that was you?” so I refrain.  

What I would really like to say is this.  You have a lot more time than you think you do so stop saying you don’t have time. 

Swap half of your social media time for working out.  Swap all of your TV time for food prep and you just might find a little extra wiggle room in there.  I the beginning it seems like an undoable, impossible idea.  It does for most people so you are not alone.

Give it two weeks.  Set a timer and limit yourself to 10 minutes of social media at a time.  For the next 10 minutes, try doing some air squats or some push-ups (even if your push-ups are on your knees or your leaning against a wall) or some good old-fashioned sit-ups,  just do it for 10 minutes. 

You will soon realize that you don’t have to move a bus to feel better, just move yourself.  Care about yourself enough to do it.

I’ve learned that my commitment to consistency has been the greatest link to my success.  Day after day, week after week, month after month and year after year.

Things got so much easier when I quit chasing “the end” of each phase.  When the end comes, it’s over but you are not finished.   I never imagined when I was 38 and just getting started that I would be creeping up on 50 in the best shape of my life and still working out consistently 5-6 times per week.

Ironically, I’m not finished.  Now I see 80 as a new challenge.  Just how good of shape can I keep myself in over the next 30-ish years.  And even better?  What do I want to accomplish?

Getting and staying fit is the greatest gift I could have ever given to myself.  Learning to live this lifestyle has taught me that anything is possible.  Now go get your greatness!

17
Sep
12

Do You Inspire?

This morning after I finished my workout, I stopped by the grocery store on my way home.  All stinky and sweaty I walked in store and a gentlemen unexpectedly came around the corner “excuse me” I say in my normal post workout cheerful voice. 

I continued on down the main store front aisle.  I noticed him about ten feet to my right and he says “are you a bodybuilder?” and I don’t know exactly what came over me when I blurted out “Well, yes I am!”, technically speaking I’m building on this body every single day.   He proceeded to ask how long I’ve been working on it etc, I said a good 3-4 years.  He simply said “well nice work”. 

I could have gone in to the story of CrossFit and the story of being a personal trainer but in all honesty the answer I gave flew out of my mouth and so be it.

I’m not in great shape, I’m in good shape.  To the outside average observer, I guess they see something different.  It made my day.  Reaffirmed my desire to keep moving forward, obstacle after obstacle.   Goal after goal. 

I have always loved the following quote:

“Just remember, there is someone out there who wishes they were where you are today.”

Today I’d like to share a new friends blog.  It’s very inspirational.  And a big thank you to Lifting My Spirits for taking time out of her busy schedule to talk with me.

13
Sep
12

The Past

Every now and again I’m delightfully gifted with the opportunity to share my story and a few things I’ve learned to a live audience. 

I derive so much joy from having these opportunities.  Talking to others reminds me of various places I’ve been along my journey.  It also reminds me that I’m still on my own journey.

This past weekend I was reminded of one aspect of my journey.  The mind has a very powerful ability to replay old conversations years after the occurence.

That being said, I believe that we are in control of rewinding and re-recording over those powerful negative messages with positive new ones.

For example, I started running (well, what would be barely considered jogging to a runner) when I weighed just shy of 250#.  I remember the negative thoughts going through my mind step after step, “you’re too fat to do this, you are too slow to be running, you can quit this now”.  Over and over I would allow my negative thoughts to rule.  It took me years to clear the cobwebs enough to realize that I was, simply put, defeating my own purpose.

Once I began to understand that nothing has the power to impact me, unless I give it the power did I realize  great positive change from the inside.

I began changing my mantra to “you are strong and you are capable”, “you are strong and you are capable”.  Over and over, year after year, I’ve repeated those words many, many times. 

We truly are what we think we are so it is extremely important to make sure that we use “no negative self-talk, EVER”

I have that saying written in chalk in the middle of the chalk board in Garagegym 107.  My clients see it.  It’s a constant reminder of the way I live.  I see it every time I start my day.  I believe it.

Empower yourself to make changes to negative experiences from your past. 

Our past contributes to who we are, but our past doesn’t dictate who we become.

The chalk board project.  The humble beginnings of GG107.

11
Sep
12

You Can’t Out Train a Poor Diet

I know this to be such a true statement.  I don’t consider what I do a diet.  I eat clean, I’ve educated myself on proper macro-nutrients and understand how to consume balanced meals.

Does that mean I always do what I know is the right thing?  Negative ghost-rider!

Why would I not do what I know is best?  Well, for me it is usually about poor planning. 

If I don’t make a conscious effort to prepare and store my protein sources I find myself scrounging around for what I should eat.

I spend a couple of hours once a week preparing protein sources, usually grilling or baking in the form of chicken.  Chicken gets boring.  Yes, I know.  I have umpteen(yes that’s a word my mom used to use) spices that I rotate so the my chicken gets a different flavor.  I have friends that simply boil their chicken to death and then eat it.  Not me I want some flavor. 

I digress terribly today.

I freeze what chicken I won’t use over the following two days and I even go so far as to cut it up in to bite sized pieces so I don’t have to fight it later.  I use the quart sized Ziploc freezer backs.  They make my life easier.

I don’t always have access to fresh veggies, but our local Kroger puts small bags of broccoli, cauliflower and carrots on sale 10/$10.00 so I always have a back up plan on my veggies and yes, I eat the whole bag at one sitting.

I hard boil an 18 pack of eggs on Sunday, then I peel them all.  Grab and go protein.

Food planning is only as hard as you make it.  Do you work 12 hour days?  Then it’s even MORE important to plan your meals.  Write down a list of what you need and go buy ONLY what is on the list.  Stay out of the inner aisles at the grocery store unless you are looking for olive or coconut oils or some other healthy oil.   Shop the produce section, the meat counter and cooler for eggs. 

Yes, it is that simple.

Veggies…don’t judge your taste of a veggie from any childhood experience.  I hated brussels sprouts until someone roasted them after tossing in olive oil and salt and pepper.  Now I love them. I enjoy and appreciate most all roasted veggies.  We are grown-ups now.  We should be open to trying every single vegetable just for sake of variety.  It’s amazing how many things I’ll eat now that I wouldn’t touch years ago. 

Eating clean is only as hard as you choose to make it.  I choose to make it as easy as possible. 

It’s not a chore, it’s a choice.

The best carb sources around!

28
Aug
12

Something New

This past weekend I attended my first ever bodybuilding show.  The place was packed, sold out.  It was the Alabama State Championship.  It was amazing.

Watching people from one of the fattest states in the nation beat the odds.  Yes, for me, that’s what it was all about.

You see I understand the sacrifices those people make day in and day out.  Workout, eat cleaner than you ever have, repeat day in and day out for months!

I find it fascinating that they have chosen to build those works of art through time and patience and I’m sure at times utter frustration.

Body work.  Getting to know your body on such a personal level has to be amazing. Learning every little curve, bump and surprising even yourself when you create progress.

Loved it. 

 

 

24
Aug
12

Emotional Eating

Quite a few people know what emotional eating is.  Some folks think it is conjured up and an excuse.

I found this definition on the interwebz but it’s a bit harsh for my liking. 

“Compulsive overeating, also sometimes called food addiction, is characterized by an obsessive/compulsive relationship to food.”

You see in the South we celebrate every occasion with food and therefore tend to connect every type of emotion under the sun with food.  EVERYTHING.

Ironically I married a man who is NOT emotionally attached to food.  I’ve learned a lot from him. 

Food either tastes good to him, or it’s meh…  He never eats because he’s stressed or anything like that.  In fact I at times I put food in front of him as a reminder to eat.

It’s actually quite cool as an emotional eater to witness in reality that non-emotional eating really exists.  It has helped me come to the following conclusion on handling food.

-When you look at food you shouldn’t be trying to decide if it will make you feel better or worse.  You should only be thinking “it’s time for me to fuel my body with the best possible option, is that what this particular food will do?”

Once I accepted the responsibility that I managed food and it didn’t manage me, things really begin to change.

When you are caught up in the cycle of eat bad, feel bad so eat more bad and feel worse, it is totally up to you to break that mental cycle.  It has nothing to do with the food. 

You see when I first started losing weight, I had weight loss momentum on my side.  I ate clean 6 days a week, had a free day and I worked out 6 days a week and rested one.  The weight literally started falling off.  125# in the first year.

But the real changes for me didn’t start happening until I started unpacking my baggage chest.  For 8 years I went up 20 pounds and down 20 pounds.  Constantly yo-yo dieting and never really putting my finger on what the issue was.

One day I stood in my kitchen with my hand literally in the cookie jar, with my cup of milk about to commence in the Oreo dunking party when I realized that I was defeating my very own purpose. 

At that moment came the first epiphany.  That ah-ha moment when I cracked open the proverbial baggage trunk for the first time.  I was flooded with guilt and shame and all sorts of emotion from the shoe boxes within that chest. 

At that moment however, true healing began.

One shoe box of baggage at a time was revealed, acknowledged, ultimately forgiven and then released into that unknown space of healing.

I wrote letters to people who had wronged me, vented all of my frustrations, then burned them.  Somehow this process allowed for me to let go of bitterness and hurt I was holding on to.

I wrote letters of apology and requested forgiveness and actually mailed those. 

Once I had dealt with the process of letting go, surprisingly the emotional eating episodes slowed down and now are almost completely non-existent.

Never give up on yourself.  Learn to love and appreciate the wonderful things you are capable of and forgive yourself for the seemingly stupid mistakes you’ve made and move on. 

Life is so much better with a trunk filled with peace.

24
Jul
12

Community

I love it when I meet new people who are struggling.  This morning I saw a woman walk by my door and as I glanced up I noticed what a pretty dress she had on. 

A little later my boss pushes open my office door and there stands the woman in the pretty dress and she was saying “I knew she was the one!”   Hmmm…

Well, needless to say she wanted to talk workouts.  I love that.  I work for a company with over 1600 people.  When someone says “I knew she was the one” man that’ll make your day. 

Anyway, she was telling me about a recent weight gain, low iron and the fact that she’d been put on medication for it.  She is struggling with her mojo for sure.  Lack of energy, poor diet, etc.

As we talked, she mentioned knowing all about meal-timing etc., and that she wanted to get back in to shape.

My first comment was simply “get back to basics”.  You know about meal timing and working out so the only thing I see missing is community.  I asked her when the last time she hung out with like-minded people? 

It doesn’t matter what you do, whether it’s Zumba, Body Pump, Jazzercise, CrossFit or Running, remember to find like-minded people to do it with. 

Everyone struggles, everyone has an “off” day or even an off week.   Food may be spot on but workouts stink or just the opposite, workouts are great but food stinks. 

In a community though there will be days you will push, pull or drag each other along but that’s the point. 

Do it. 

It’s not always about YOU.  You soon realize that the greatest part of community is what you can offer to another person in the way of support. 

 

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.