Posts Tagged ‘exercise

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20
Sep
12

I Don’t Have Time

By garagegym107 6 Comments
Categories: Living Fit Daily
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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!

19
Sep
12

Ignorance is Bliss

By garagegym107 1 Comment
Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Most people really truly don’t want to acknowledge the truth about fitness and weight loss.  If they hide behind the veil of ignorance then they don’t have to hold themselves accountable.  I did that, for a couple of years, in fact.  I managed to pack on an additional 168# in two years.  Yes, that’s correct, in only two years I went from a relatively healthy size 10 woman to a grossly unhealthy size 22.  That’s an average weight gain of 1.61 pounds PER WEEK.

Talk about a sad sack.  But ignorance was bliss.  No one really ever said anything about the weight as it progressively increased.

I could have stopped it, I could have changed the course of my life.  But instead I used every excuse I could dig up, meds were making me fat, job related stress was making me fat, my obnoxiously nasty divorce was making me fat.  But you know what? 

I was making me fat.  I was the one stopping by the fast food joints picking up a bag full of whatever daily special was going on at whichever place was super-sizing everything.

The beautiful thing in my story is that I truly believe that people can change and those changes can stick, like glue. 

I know personally many people who have successfully changed.   Taking themselves from being slightly overweight, or emotional eaters, to those like me, who were obese. 

They’ve taken responsibility for educating themselves.  They’ve put their own ego’s and pride aside to make these changes.  They’ve humbled themselves to the point of learning and humbled themselves to the point of DOING. 

The most important thing that we’ve all learned is that in this life is:  it’s not always about me. 

Reach out and do something nice for another person.  No need to tell anyone what you did, just do it.

Each one, reach one.

18
Sep
12

Nutritional Knowledge

By garagegym107 2 Comments
Categories: Precision Nutrition Certification
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

For over a decade I’ve spent a lot of time trying to learn how to eat properly.  I’ve gotten lost in the noise of this program or that.  I’ve tried them all with the exception of those you must get from your doctor.  None of them have really explained the how and why of food and how it impacts my body.

I am a trainer.  I hunger to know more so that I can help my clients on a deeper level.  More than  making a recommendation of a diet they can follow.  I want to teach them.  I want to help them.  I want them to learn about why some foods are better than others.

First I must help myself.  I’ve registered for the Precision Nutrition Certification course.  It could take me months, but I’m willing to invest the time.

As with everything, it starts with me.

I will begin practicing what I preach, documenting my journey along the way.

To my friends who have gone ahead of me, thanks for dragging me along.  I ♥ you.

17
Sep
12

Do You Inspire?

By garagegym107 Leave a Comment
Categories: Living Fit Daily
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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

By garagegym107 Leave a Comment
Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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.

12
Sep
12

Unbelievable!

By garagegym107 3 Comments
Categories: Random Thoughts
Tags: , , , , , , ,

I read this yesterday and was taken so far aback I needed to wait a day to write about it.

Junior Tennis Player Benched

As you read this remember that this is a young woman in our society today.  Unbelievable pressure to fit in a mold that wasn’t made for her body type.  I get it.  I get it because I’m a big girl.  At 5’8″ tall and 165# I am not the size of the average female.  What’s average height?  5’4″ or 162.5cm. 

So yes, I’m above average by 4 full inches.  And outside of that I’m also more muscular than average because I choose to workout with weights.

The social pressure for young women is unbearable.  Watching my beautiful step-daughter struggle because she has the most beautiful red hair was hard enough. 

The young lady in the article is a very talented tennis player and that physical ability is being clouded by judgemental people WHO AREN’T THE ONES PLAYING.  Give me a break.

When will the madness stop and people begin to truly grasp that this world isn’t one size fits all, neither are human beings. 

Perfect example of this very thing, my friend at 5’0″ and I both doing the same exact thing, same weight ball.  It just doesn’t matter.  I don’t like her because she’s 5’0″ and tiny, I like her because she is a great person.

Hat tip to CrossFit Impulse for the picture.

11
Sep
12

You Can’t Out Train a Poor Diet

By garagegym107 22 Comments
Categories: Living Fit Daily
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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!

30
Aug
12

Are Anger and Frustration a Catalyst?

By garagegym107 6 Comments
Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Yesterday I had a conversation with an online trainer.  I’m not here to bash this person because there is an off-chance there may be a bit of truth in his message.

His message was that someone with my history, the history of obesity to fitness, isn’t likely a good fit for taking things to the next level of getting leaned out.

It really struck a chord with my insecurity for about an hour.   For that whole hour I had mental tapes from years past replay over in my head.  All of the moments I heard the term “you can’t” “you won’t” “it’s not possible” to lose the weight. 

He never said those exact words, but the words he said were direct enough to make me take that road trip backwards for the hour that I allowed my mind to venture. 

Then I got really miffed.  Miffed like I haven’t been in a decade.  I got miffed because I allowed another human being to create doubt in a space that is off-limits.  A space that I’ve maintained, manicured, furtilized with positivity, grown from a desolate space of nothingness into a positive field of successful DOING.

I know that people are trained in given fields.  They fill themselves with statistics and data.  They become an encyclopedia of their field of study and then they get comfortable spewing that data as one size fits all gospel.

Well, I’m here to tell you that is well and good.  But there are things that none of that data can capture. Those are human spirit, soul and determination.  The odds may be stacked in favor of the data, but there is always the off-chance that the underdog can and will prevail.

I choose to be the underdog.  I choose to be the one that will succeed.  My next level may not be the same as a superstar, but it’s mine for the taking.

I saw this the other day and yes, it came to mind by the time my head hit my pillow last night. 

“Never let anyone tell you that you can’t”

28
Aug
12

Something New

By garagegym107 10 Comments
Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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

By garagegym107 Leave a Comment
Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
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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.

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