goals | garagegym107

Posts Tagged ‘goals

Jul

Roller Coaster

Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
Tags: change, Clean Eating, Community, CrossFit, goals, healthy-living, Motivation, nutrition, Training, Weight Lifting, Workout

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!

Jul

Leaning on Accountability

By garagegym107 3 Comments

Categories: Nutritional Cleanse Experiment
Tags: accountability, change, Clean Eating, Community, CrossFit, exercise, fat loss, fitness, gaining self confidence, Goal Setting, goals, Gym, health, healthy-living, Insecurity, Inspiration, mental-health, Motivation, nutrition, Working out, Workout

Some of us require accountability. Not someone to police us, but instead a person that knows our intent and that will call us out when we are not holding ourselves to the standard of which will take us closer to our goals.

I have a couple of these accountability buddies. They know who they are.

Recently I talked about a goal I had and made the comment to my friend “What if such and such is still there?”. It took her all of 3.2 seconds to send me a response that simply said “Oh, I didn’t realize we were living in the world of “what if.”

I love her for it. It was an eye opener of the underlying lack of belief I still carry in some areas. That just means there is more work to be done on my personal belief system.

I have another accountability buddy that shares daily meal structure along with pictures of her meals. We strive for small balanced meals every 3 hours. I’ve begun to do the same with her. It keeps my meal plans fresh because I know she will call me out for not having a variety of fresh veggies.

I also have hard-core friends that never ever need anyone to hold them accountable, they don’t judge me just as I don’t judge anyone else. It’s not my place. Weight loss and fitness are a process, that process is different for everyone.

I like having someone to lean on from time to time. It makes leaning solely on myself much more doable.

Want to eat cleaner and work harder? Find someone that will call you out, even if it stings a little. You’ll be better for it!

Jul

Community

By garagegym107 3 Comments

Categories: Living Fit Daily
Tags: Bright Spots, change, Clean Eating, Community, CrossFit, exercise, fitness, gaining self confidence, Goal Setting, goals, Insecurity, Inspiration, Motivation, nutrition, Training, Weight Lifting, weight loss, Well-Being, Working out, Workout

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.

Jul

Getting Fit! Tami Rose

By garagegym107 42 Comments

Categories: Living Fit Daily
Tags: change, Clean Eating, Community, CrossFit, exercise, fat loss, food, gaining self confidence, Goal Setting, goals, healthy-living, Inspiration, Motivation, nutrition, Success, Training, Weight Lifting, weight loss, Weightloss, Working out, Workout

I’d like to take a moment to introduce you to a woman I know. I met Tami a year ago when she joined the CrossFit Box I attend.

With her permission, this blog is for her. To celebrate the victory of consistency with both her nutrition and her workouts. Tami has made changes that have now become visible results. No super secret code or plan.

Clean conscious eating and working out. I do not train Tami. She works out at CrossFit Impulse. She does this on her own with the support of other CrossFit community members, friends and trainers at the box.

For all of you out there struggling, use this as motivation.

Instead of me saying a thousand words, I’ll let the photo’s do the talking. Congratulations Tami!

March vs July 2012 Congratulations Tami!!

Jul

Rest Days-Battle of the Mind

By garagegym107 6 Comments

Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
Tags: Bright Spots, change, Clean Eating, Community, CrossFit, exercise, fat loss, fitness, goals, Inspiration, Motivation, rest, Training, Weight Lifting

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.

Jul

Be Weird. Be Random. Be Who YOU Are.

By garagegym107 23 Comments

Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
Tags: Body-for-Life, Bright Spots, change, Clean Eating, Community, CrossFit, exercise, fat loss, fitness, food, gaining self confidence, Goal Setting, goals, Gym, health, healthy-living, Inspiration, Motivation, nutrition, Training, Weight Lifting, weight loss, Well-Being, Working out

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.

Jun

Motivation

By garagegym107 Leave a Comment

Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
Tags: Bright Spots, change, Clean Eating, Community, CrossFit, exercise, Goal Setting, goals, Gratitude, Insecurity, Inspiration, Motivation, nutrition, Positive Mental Attitude, Working out, Workout

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

Jun

Mirror Mirror

By garagegym107 1 Comment

Categories: Living Fit Daily
Tags: Bright Spots, change, Clean Eating, Community, CrossFit, exercise, fat loss, fitness, food, gaining self confidence, Goal Setting, goals, health, healthy-living, Insecurity, Inspiration, Mental-Heath, Motivation, nutrition, self-image, Training, Weight Lifting, Workout

This morning I stood in front of the mirror criticizing my perceived flaws. As I realized what I was doing I stepped back and thought “hold on now, lets take a look at what we really have here”.

I have a healthy body that allows me to trash it working out 5-6 days a week. It doesn’t give up, it doesn’t quit. It just keeps responding to the physical challenges I dish out everyday.

Did I get there overnight? Absolutely not.

What’s even more important than what I see staring back at me in the mirror is what I’ve built up on the inside.

My mind, confidence, willingness to succeed, discipline and consistent dedication to living a healthy lifestyle. Being able to stop myself from comparing my physique to that of another is invaluable. I am me for a reason. Why would I change that?

You want instant gratification? Get yourself moving. There is nothing more gratifying than taking that 30 or so minutes a day to work on your goal of getting fit.

Want more instant gratification? There is a tremendous feeling of empowerment that comes from making healthy food choices every day.

Need more instant gratification? Stop comparing yourself to other people and focus on becoming the very best you that you can become.

Sooner or later your instant gratification vault will be running over with results.

Jun

Community and Support

By garagegym107 1 Comment

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!

Jun

Amazing

By garagegym107 Leave a Comment

Categories: Living Fit Daily
Tags: Age, Body-for-Life, CrossFit, exercise, fitness, gaining self confidence, Goal Setting, goals, Gym, health, healthy-living, Insecurity, Inspiration, Motivation, Training, Weight Lifting, weight loss, Well-Being, Wisdom, Working out, Workout

For those of you who don’t know me, I’m an early riser. Up with the chickens as they say down here in the south. I’m up and getting ready to go workout at 4:30am every morning during the week. That’s my “me” time. The no excuses time that works out best for my life.

As I was running out the door of the gym this morning another lady looked over her shoulder and said “I am 48 and you’ll pass me in a minute”. I jogged up beside her and I said “you are never to old to reach for amazing” besides I’ve got you beat by a year.

I gently reminded her instead of comparing ourselves to the ladies in the class who are 20-25 years younger we needed to remember to focus on how we stack up against our peers and more so than our peers, compare ourselves to who we were yesterday. Better today than yesterday.

On the next lap which was in between dead-lifts/push-ups and air squats/sit-ups we continued our conversation about wisdom, discipline and consistency being the keys to staying at least within sight range of the younger crowd. As we finished up the last run she looked over at me and said “now what was that you said earlier?”. I said the amazing quote again. I suspect she’ll be holding on to that one just like I have.

Wisdom comes with age. And to this day I still greatly appreciate my friend you said “you are never too old to reach for amazing” to me.

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