Posts Tagged ‘healthy-living

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24
May
12

Lost That Loving Feeling

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

Strange title for the morphing of a fit woman, but it’s so fitting.   I haven’t shared this with my friends and some will likely read it here first.   Of late I’ve lost that loving feeling for CrossFit.  insert a sharp intake of breath…

I’ve heard that it’s just a phase and will pass but in the meantime I want that feeling back.  That joy of having my booty handed to me on any given day.   That joy of accomplishment, that passion for beating me yesterday.  It’s been almost two weeks since I set foot in the box.   That’s just not me.  I’ve been going at least 3 times a week for almost 2 years and suddenly I’m drawn to something just a little less stressful.

I finally had an epiphany this morning and I’m relieved.  Over the past two months my day job (as I call it) has gotten exponentially more stressful.  Our company acquired another company and blah, blah, blah which is equal to my work-load almost doubling.  I’m good for it, up for the task.   What I realized just this morning is that I may not be cut out for two stressful activities at once.

I feel certain that my crossfitting friends reading this will now set about an intervention.  They all know how hard I’ve worked over the past 2 years and won’t allow me to sit by the way side.  I just need to determine exactly the right mix of stressors for me between the day job and the CrossFit.

The sheer fact that I finally figured out that I had lost the loving feeling and why is huge progress.  People get bored and need a change.  I don’t get bored with CrossFit.  I love it, I have loved it since day one.  

Now to figure out the path back to that loving feeling.  

You see, doing nothing to isn’t an option.  I’ve been doing strength and skill work and all the while eating clean but it’s just not CrossFit or the excitement surrounding it. 

I spent too many years fighting my way out of the mess I made of my body to not care for it and nurture it every day.

23
May
12

Random Thought

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

Want an eye opener?  Go sit in an emergency room for four or five hours.  Then leave there and make a list of what you can do to improve your overall health.   Start checking things off that list one at a time.

I spent four hours in the ER plus an hour at the pharmacy last night with the spousal unit and his pet kidney stone.  Needless to say I left with a renewed interest in my mission to help others get fit.

I’m in the pull-up your boot straps mood today and if you are easily offended stop here. 

Rarely do I get up on my soap box but come on people.  If you really want to make changes in your life YOU have to be the initiator.  No one is going to swoop in and rescue you.  

This is your life, you must be the one to change it! 

Sure it’s hard, but not any harder than paying our bills and being responsible for all the other stuff we do. 

It takes committment.  It takes a strong resolve that will ebb and flow. 

When we’ve got our motivation everything is easy.  When you first start your fitness program, no matter what it is, you are all excited and filled with determination (much like dating).  

Next thing you know you realize this is HARD and it takes work (much like marriage).  It takes a commitment to yourself to take care of you first.  What will you do to make it happen?

I’ve been working out at 5:00 or 5:30am for years because that’s my me time.  Everyone else is still snug in the bed and I’m busting my booty because I’m committed to a healthy lifestyle.

YES, the odds are stacked against us.  Foods that may seem healthy by someone’s marketing standards really aren’t.  Learn to live by these two rules when it comes to food and it will solve a lot of your trouble and questions.

  • If it will spoil in 3-5 days, eat it. (meats, veggies, fruits, healthy fats, nuts & seeds and little or no sugar.
  • If it keeps for months or years in your pantry in bags or boxes, just skip it. 

If you don’t know how to cook, then find a local cooking class.  Just make sure the class doesn’t specialize in fried chicken!

22
May
12

The Morphing of a Fit Woman

By garagegym107 3 Comments
Categories: Living Fit Daily
Tags: , , , , , ,

People in the gym see me and most would never know that I weighed 328# at one point in my life.   Most days I don’t think about where I came from just because I don’t live in the past.  I prefer to keep my eyes peeled on what’s happening today. 

That way I see more of the good stuff.  Worrying about tomorrow before it gets here solves nothing.  Hanging on to crap that happened in the past only serves to keep me there so I tend to let yesterday go and live in today.

Ever looked up the definition of morphing? 

  • Undergo or cause to undergo a gradual transformation: “it began as an online magazine and morphed into a book”.

This suits me perfectly. Gradual transformation.  What started out as a seemingly impossible task has become a reality.   From fat to fit.  I used to bristle at the term fat for fear of hurting someone’s feelings.  

The truth is I WAS FAT and I blamed it on everyone and everything.  Bad  divorce, hated my job, not enough money, I had three kids, I was too busy to go to the gym, my knee’s hurt (ya think??  what body part doesn’t hurt when you pack 170# of excess weight on it?).   In reality, I was scared.  What if I failed.  What if I didn’t follow through.  What if I didn’t stay with it.  Notice I never said “what if I can’t”.  Subconsciously, I always knew that I could and I would.  Where I got into trouble was wanting major results all the time.  I’ve learned that the minor changes are just as important. 

It’s in the details.  We lose ourselves in where we want to be instead of what it takes to get there.   My best progressions have come when I stopped focusing on when I get “there” and started wholeheartedly focusing my attention on where I am and what I can do to be better today than I was yesterday.

It’s not easy, but I promise you when you get “there”, you’ll move the bar to somewhere else.     That’s morphing. 

Gradual transformation is difficult mainly because of our instant gratification society.   For me, gradual transformation has forced me to embrace the journey. It’s the journey that makes it possible to endure the necessary sacrifices to achieve any goal worth having.

21
May
12

Results Nutrition Cleanse Experimenting

By garagegym107 5 Comments
Categories: Nutritional Cleanse Experiment
Tags: , , , ,

Before I get to the nitty-gritty and completely lose your attention, I want to talk about aftermath. 

Most people are geared toward instant gratification and the thought of what’s next rarely crosses their mind.  Until the aftermath has come and gone.  What do I mean by aftermath? 

It’s been my personal experience in the beginning and middle of my transformation that any time there was extended strict discipline it was usually followed by a make-up date with the things I missed.  Not binging, but just over indulgence for multiple meals and snacks  for two or three days.   So my advice is to think ahead to how you are going to manage your food the days and weeks following a nutritional cleanse.  It serves no purpose if you are going to go get a burger and fries for lunch the Monday after you finish. 

Again, that’s my experience and part of being caught in the emotional cycle of deserving success but being scared to death of actually becoming successful.  It’s so much easier to fail and stay mediocre.  Seriously.  When you do that, you are just staying stagnant in the comfort of where you are.  It takes courage to move beyond your comfort zone and change those cycles when you become aware of what you are doing.

Ok, on with the good news.  On the program you measure both arms and legs which to me makes the results a bit higher than I normally qualify so I’ve done it both ways just because I don’t want anyone saying “well that’s just BS”.

Standard Measures in my norm:  Neck, Upper Arm (right), Chest, Waist 2# below rib cage, Abs at hip bones, Buttocks, Thigh Upper (right), Calf upper (right)  Total inches lost 14.5

Using the measurements included with the program the total is 21.4 which includes both arms and the extra measurement of upper knee and diaphragm.

Total pounds lost 10 on the money.  Even if 5 of those pounds are water weight, that’s still a 5 pound loss over all.

I’m an optimistic realist.  I believe in looking for the bright spots in this life.  I also know from a realistic stand point there are no miracles in weight loss.  This is no miracle.  This is strict dietary discipline for 11 days.  It’s taught me that I have work to do dialing in my whole foods and healthy fat portions and it’ s taught me that stimulants may cause me to hold on to fat that I’m trying to lose.

There are benefits no doubt.   I feel better, my skin is very clear, I’ve been sleeping like a rock, and my cravings have been for eggs and fresh veggies.  The most notable result is that even though I’ve been in caloric deficit, my workouts haven’t suffered.  

I don’t necessarily think that the “two-day” cleanse cycle is best for me because of my personal goals for building muscle.   On future cleanses I will rotate with one day a week cleanse days.  I spend on average 1.5 hours per day working out for my specific goals.   That takes balance.  I don’t eat a lot of processed foods and when I do they are usually in the form of ice cream, dark chocolate and red-wine.  With the occassional cup-cake thrown in for pleasure.  

Off to another challenge!  Have a great day.

18
May
12

Experimenting Day 9

By garagegym107 2 Comments
Categories: Nutritional Cleanse Experiment
Tags: , , , ,

Ever noticed how most people are just generally happier on Friday?  Even when you know there is a banging busy work day ahead, it’s still better than the four days before it.  Maybe it’s because some of us get to wear jeans on Friday.

Speaking of jeans, I’ve learned a very valuable lesson this year.  I bet I’ve purchased 10-15 pair of jeans over the last two years, attempting to find just the right fit without paying too much.  Ironically, if I had spent the extra money and had someone who actually knew what they were doing and knew their product I would have had a couple of pair of jeans that I love instead of 10 that I only wore once.  Lesson here?  Two kick butt pair of more expensive jeans will make you happier than 10 pair that you never wear. One for flats and one for heels!

After running too late this morning to make my CrossFit class I ended up in the gym doing a back and bicep workout.  I was elated that after this many days in to the cleanse experiment, my strength is only getting better.  My lifts were strong this morning and it just reaffirms that every now and again changing things up is just what the trainer ordered!

I’m down to my last shake day and then tomorrow and Sunday are the last two cleanse days.  I will be posting all of my results in detail Monday in my post.  Yes, it will be hard but I’ve already done it once there is no reason to not finish what I started.

Update on the college kids in training.  Yesterday they actually beat me through 10 rounds for time of 10 push-press and 10 kettlebell swings. GO KIDS!  One caveat though, my loads were heavier than theirs so Mom can still beat you. 

Note to Self: Increase loads for the kids next time.

 

11
May
12

experimenting Day 2

By garagegym107 Leave a Comment
Categories: Nutritional Cleanse Experiment
Tags: , , ,

It’s FRIDAY!!  I love Friday.  Just because it’s the end of the workout week for me and the end of the professional work week for me too.  Don’t get me wrong I do adore my day job but like anyone I adore the weekends more.

Update on the boy and his girlfriend.  Day 1 I thought I might have killed him.   Day 2, I thought surely she was going to meet her maker after running up and down the hill in front of garage gym 107.  Day 3 they both came to win, win, win…no matter what, what, what and both refused to stay down.  Being a CrossFit Level 1 Trainer allows me to show them such variety that just about the time they think they are dying the workout is over. 

Ok, let’s get on with the cleanse discussion.  I should really learn to read and pay more attention.  Yesterday I short-changed myself a delicious small organic apple. That my friends will not happen again, this girl will get her food.  Uh huh, no wonder I was famished by the time dinner rolled around. 

OH WAIT!!  It wasn’t me that had dinner, it was the spousal unit and the boy who had dinner.   For those of you who don’t know I am married to the junk food king of the world.   Although I must say as his awareness grows he’s getting better. 

Last night I was going to send the boy to get the two of them some take out.  It was a great plan until the spousal unit says “fried chicken is not good unless you eat it there”.  Ever wanted to punch someone?  But instead I grabbed my keys and headed out the door to sit with them while they ate dinner. 

I came home and immensely enjoyed my shake.  Seriously, by then I was hungry and it was good.   I slept like a rock last night and felt great when I woke up this morning.

A couple of things to note about these shakes.  They contain whey from grass-fed dairy cows.  Why is that important?  I’m a primal eater.  I eat meat, A LOT OF VEGGIES, some fruit, nuts, sweet potatoes and eggs.  I eat gluten-free oats from time to time and I will occasionally have dairy.  Not likely to risk it any time soon after the vacation fiasco though. 

In comparison to my Sonic foot long chili cheese dogs, large tater tots and chocolate milk shakes that I consumed during my 2 year 150# weight gain, I’m a pristine eater.   If I can lose 158# ANYONE CAN!

Today I’m fully prepared for day two of the pre-cleanse and have a much better understanding of the purpose of these two days.

Today is day two of being totally caffeine free.  That may have something to do with the good nights sleep.  I lifted like a beast in the gym this morning so there is no impact on my lifting so far. 

One other thing.  The word “cleanse” strikes fear in the heart of many a woman.  In the back of your mind you are thinking “I’ll be on the john all day every day for nine days” yeah, I know you’re thinking that but that has not been the case at all. 

Tomorrow and Sunday are the first two official cleanse days.  No food allowed.  I’ve done intermittent fasting from time to time but never for two full days in a row.  We shall see what my iron will is really made of. 

Stand-up paddle board here I come!  That ought to keep me busy.

10
May
12

Experimenting Day 1

By garagegym107 7 Comments
Categories: Nutritional Cleanse Experiment
Tags: , , , ,

Funny story.  My youngest son is home from college for the summer.  About a month ago he sent me a couple of text messages asking if I would put him and his girlfriend through a summer training program.   “Well heck yeah!” I replied.  Evidently texting is the only form of communication for young adults these days.  But I digress.

So the training  journey started exactly two days ago.  Dear Lord I thought I was about to kill my own kid.  For future reference to all of you moms out there with young adult males.  Never say “he’s a little soft” because some how it will get back to him.  I felt bad for about two seconds.  Either I can toughen him up or life in general will.   He came back for day two and there was nothing soft about him!  He’s already asked me “what time are we training tonight?”.  Now that’s my boy!

When I do things, I do them with full enthusiasm and dedication.  This morning I took some “before” pictures, all of my measurements and heaven forbid my weight.  Heaven forbid over my weight you say?  Not my weight but that silly scale.   It occurred to me as I read all of the instructions for the cleanse that I would be weighing more times in 9 days than I generally do over several months!  I’m an athlete, the scale is irrelevant.  

Today is “pre-cleanse day 1”.  There are two of these days to gear your body up for the full-fledged 9 day cleanse.   That means there will be two bonus days of writing material. 

Ok, on to the IsaLean shake AKA breakfast.  As I got ready to head to the gym I pondered….hmmm now what about my usual pre-workout protein/post workout protein?  I made the executive decision to split the shake in half  and drank half before my workout and half after.  No issues there.  I’ve had some pretty gross shakes over the years this one thankfully isn’t one of them.  So far so good.  I will enjoy documenting all of this.  I lift heavy weights and I’m truly interested to see if there is any impact to my lifts. 

Next will be a decent lunch of lean protein and fresh steamed veggies.   This will be no problem.  I love my normal clean food.

Water, water, water!   Another shake for dinner and more water and no cooking!  Yay for ME!  See there is always a positive spin on things.

Have a great day and go lift heavy things!

09
May
12

A New Adventure

By garagegym107 3 Comments
Categories: Nutritional Cleanse Experiment
Tags: ,

My journey gets more fun by the day.  A new adventure is just what the MOJO doctor ordered.  Rewind to three weeks ago.  I went on a week-long vacation with two of my best friends.  We did exactly what we thought vacation should be for us.  We did the best we could do to disconnect from our normal lives.  As much as I’d like to say we were successful, I’ll give it a 50/50 success rating.  Why?  Because we all love being social!

We are all clean eaters in some form or fashion and we pretty much stuck to our normal foods.  However, on day two I began to break out in hives.  I narrowed it down to the two foods I thought were the culprits.  I left in Greek yogurt because secretly I adore it and refuse to admit I could have any type of food sensitivity.  Well lets just say by Wednesday of the glorious vacation I was wrecked with hives.  I ended up at a Minute Clinic and with a prescription for prednisone. 

All that being said, my system has been completely out of whack for what is now my second week after returning from vacation.  What to do, what to do? 

After consulting a friend who is very well versed in the art of nutritional cleansing, I’ve taken the leap and decided to do a full nine-day cleanse.   A cleanse you say?  Yes indeed.  At this point a cleanse simply cannot hurt me any further that what I’m going through already.  

Before I lose you to disinterest, I am not a gimmicky person.  I believe in doing everything the hard way.  In fact my best lessons have been provided solely by the school of hard-knocks, your’s truly now being the head professor.  I don’t believe in taking the easy way out of anything but maybe an argument.

This will not be easy for me unless I make it so.  I lift heavy things on a daily basis.  I eat clean foods 5-6 times daily.  I drink a ton of water daily.  And for the next 9 days I will do everything I normally do differently daily.  Ha!!  That’s crazy talk.

The cleanse is from a company called IsAgenix and my package is supposed to arrive today.  Over the next 11 days or so I will be documenting my experience and my results.  Gather round because if nothing more this will be the funniest thing ever.

Cheers and hang on for the ride!!

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