Posts Tagged ‘healthy-living

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08
Jun
12

Making Long Term Change

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

Over the last couple of days, I seen the reports of the 600# Virgin regaining 400# that he lost.  It’s been on my mind and I decided to write about when real long-term changes started happening for me and how they happened.

The mis-leading thing about all of these tv specials about weight-loss don’t really tell you about when everything is over.  I know I’ve seen one of the Biggest Loser’s, the pizza guy from up North gained all of his weight back.  

In a perfect world, every person could go to a fitness camp, have world-class trainers and chef’s preparing perfect food. 

But in reality we have lives that aren’t put on hold because we decide we want to get healthy.  It can be done but it won’t be without sacrifice. 

One of the hardest realizations I had to come to was that there were people who have always known me and they just weren’t willing to accept the person I was becoming. 

Whether they realize what they are doing or not, there will be the tempting lunch invitations, happy hour invites, your favorite cookies or candies showing up etc. 

It took awhile for me to realize that my change was making people around me uncomfortable.  Change is hard.  Not just for you, but for those who know the old you.  Some want to stay in the old comfortable place they’ve always been and they’d like to keep you there with them.

Change takes courage.  You don’t have to be mean or rude, just say “thanks for the invite, but I can’t make it”.  After the first decline it will get easier. 

You may lose a friend or two over it, but remember there ARE like-minded people out there who want to socialize with other fit people. 

One of my fondest memories was this past fall while watching a college championship game with a group of people who I had just met from a local gym.  Every single dish was healthy and tasted great!  I felt as if I were in a safety zone.

One of my clients is a young 24-year-old professional.  One of her greatest obstacles is hanging with her friends.  We plan her workouts and weekly nutrition goals around her social schedule so her free meals fall on the day of the event she has scheduled.  It allows her to enjoy life without feeling restricted.

Being fit isn’t about giving up everything you enjoy and feeling miserable.  It’s about having the courage to make the choices day in and day out to be better today than you were yesterday FOR YOURSELF not for anyone else.

07
Jun
12

Random Workout Thoughts

By garagegym107 2 Comments
Categories: Random Thoughts
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

– You have to start somewhere.  If you haven’t been working out at all start by walking.  Go just one block.  Every single day add another block to the previous days total until you are up to 45 minutes.

– On the day you don’t want to workout, do it anyway.

– People in the gym really aren’t really looking at you.  Don’t be insecure.  You deserve to be there.

– If you don’t know what to do in the gym ask someone.  Don’t strike up a conversation, just ask for help.

– If you don’t want to ask someone, there are plenty of forums that have demo videos.  http://www.exrx.net/ is one of my favs.

– If you’re bored do something different.  There are plenty of parks and places to get in a body weight workout.

– Yes, you will get sore.  In some cases more sore than you imagined.  Especially after walking lunges.  Lunges bring a booty back though and are well worth holding on to the bathroom stall walls.

– Someone will always be stronger, bigger or faster than you.  Keep going.

– Never forget there is someone wishing they could be where you are today.   Someone who is physically incapable of moving due to injury or illness, you should do it simply because you can and they don’t have that luxury.

06
Jun
12

Random Food Thoughts

By garagegym107 7 Comments
Categories: Random Thoughts
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

–  You control food, it doesn’t control you.  It has no feeling, it’s not out to get you.  It doesn’t sabotage your efforts.  Get over it.

–  You can overcome emotional food issues.  It starts with accepting the statement above.

–  You can still have your cake and eat it.  It is far better to go to the store and buy one cupcake every couple of months instead of home-baking a whole dozen for the same price.  You don’t need a whole dozen of anything.  Get over it.  Well except maybe shoes.

–  You can live without mac & cheese.  In fact you’ll likely live a lot longer without it.

–  Healthy fat won’t make you fat. 

–  It takes about two weeks to get over sugar cravings once you relinquish your strong hold on sugar.  Try it.  You’ll see.

– You can always find an excuse or justification for eating poorly, don’t kid yourself in to thinking they are legit.

– It takes minimal planning to make sure you purchase what you need to make great, simple meals all week.  Failing to plan = planning to fail. 

– There is not one thing that you can put in your mouth that will make your emotions feel better so H.A.L.T. first.  Hurt. Angry. Lonely. Tired.  Identify if you are truly hungry or just messing around with a cover-up of one of the other emotions.

–  Remember, that fork doesn’t get up off of that plate and fly in your mouth.  YOU put it there.

– Water.  Sometimes you just think you are hungry.  Hydrate instead.

Vacation Food

More Vacation Food

05
Jun
12

Change “IS” Hard

By garagegym107 9 Comments
Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I talk to so many people about fitness, health and weight-loss.  Interestingly enough I have found that on average when the going gets tough, people literally stop as opposed to getting uncomfortable. 

It’s the rare occasion when someone will choose discomfort and success over the just giving up on themselves. 

The thing that I’ve found to be most common even with myself is I get to a crossroads and have to decide to get more uncomfortable.  I’ll ponder for a day or five about “what now?” and those moments usually come when I feel like my progress is stalled out.  I’m not talking about scale progress.  I’m talking about fitness progress of getting stronger or faster or it’s as simple as if my form has improved.   And of course the ultimate goal is always to remain injury free.

I came to this fitness game a little late, mainly because I spent 10 good years battling the shame and insecurity of being heavy.  Sure, I shed the weight consistently, but it took me a bit longer to shed the insecurity. 

A really good friend told me this morning that she had recently seen a young woman with a tattoo that read “I am the hero of this story, I don’t need to be saved”.   Every person should feel that way about themselves and be that confident in their own ability to take care of themselves. 

I believe that most people have the ability to choose whether they get fit or not.  And the average person sometimes needs a good nudge from someone who will be brutally honest with them to get them jump started.

All throughout the process I had to learn to stop taking things so personally all the time.   When you get really fat, you get really sensitive whether you willingly admit that or not. 

Sometimes that sensitivity can become a crutch and it will hold you back.  It takes courage to step back and ask yourself “I am being the best that I can be or am at a least headed in that direction?” from an objective stand point.

I do this on a regular basis now but in the beginning it took a couple of objective people to kick me in the pants.  One was an internet acquaintance that I met while doing multiple Body-for-Life Challenges.  He basically said “If you don’t like your results, what are you going to do about it?”.  

After I won the 2009 Body-for-Life challenge another friend took me to a track and showed me beyond doubt that I was a long, long way from my physical limits and potential.  Initially I took this process very personally because I was overly sensitive.  The fat chick in my head said “you have a ton more work to do so why don’t you just quit now?”  The fighter in me said “I will not quit, not now, not ever!” and off I went to get even better. 

And most recently was one of my very best friends Michelle (see the link to the right) said to me “what if this is as good as it gets for you?”  It was at that moment that I realized I was not where I wanted to be, but at some point in my life I will inevitably get that point. 

It was a great moment of realization.  Fitness doesn’t always have to get tougher and tougher, heavier and heavier or faster and faster.  Sometimes it just has to get healthier and healthier from the mind, not the food you eat, not the workouts you do but from the thoughts you think. 

Your actions are driven by your thoughts.  Be sure you’re thinking the positive thoughts that will take you to your goals.

04
Jun
12

Square Peg in a Round Hole

By garagegym107 2 Comments
Categories: Living Fit Daily
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I love reading.   In fact it’s not uncommon that I have more than one book going at a time.  Sometime there is fiction/drama and it’s generally counter balanced with something that is non-fiction.  Right now I have two non-fiction books going at once.  One is Switch by Chip Heath and Dan Heath and it’s about making lasting change when change is hard.   The other is a book called Paleoista by Nell Stephenson.   

I bought Paleoista because I was interested to see a woman’s perspective on Paleo eating.   I’m just over halfway finished and so far I find it rather idealistic. 

In example…”you’ll no longer need that microwave so go ahead and donate it to the thrift store” and in the same chapter, “plan your meals so there is enough for lunch the next day”. 

Ok in a perfect world of having access to a working stove and a skillet to reheat lunch meals at work would be great.   Not using a microwave is fine if you eat salad every day. But realistically does this author always eat her leftovers cold?  Leftovers that she discusses how wonderful the meals are fresh and hot off the stove?

Ok, so I’m nit-picking.  Or am I?  I eat a very clean diet.  I have for several years.  One of my greatest discoveries was that I was eating too many cold meals and wasn’t satisfied 50% of the time.

Instead of telling people to ditch the microwave (I’m not trying to start a debate here so hold your comments on the damages of using a microwave) why not instruct them how to properly re-heat those awesome leftovers?

I live in the great state of Alabama.  North Alabama to be exact.  The land of fried, smothered and covered, eat everything on your plate, and “thanks for dinner, I enjoyed it”.  We don’t have a Whole Foods.  Thankfully this time of year we do have a farmers market.  I’ve found one source for a grass-fed cow, but I’ve yet to jump on the 6-12 month waiting list.

Another hot button?  Squeezing all women in to the same one size fits all box.  Ironically, I do eat a Paleo style diet mainly because I have a wheat intolerance and it takes exactly 3 days for strange things to happen in my body.  I do include the occasional dairy, wine, dark chocolate,  and sweet potatoes. 

That being said IT TOOK ME YEARS to get here from morbid obesity.  Attempting to make Paleo appear to be the fashionable thing to do rubs me a little.  When you are 168# over weight, you don’t really feel very “ista” anything, instead you feel lost, lonely and perhaps even a bit broken.

I would not recommend this book to one of my clients unless I knew in advance that they had their head on straight. And that there was no yo-yoing going on.

What I mean by that?  Heavily restricting the diet of a person that is extremely overweight can wreak havoc on that persons emotional eating issues not to mention their metabolism.  Some folks don’t do so hot with cold turkey.

I’ve never been able to understand the statement “eat until your full”.   Some people just simply do not have that “full” mechanism until they learn to become mindful.  And trust me, that is a process and depending on the person they could see results quickly or as in my case of strong denial it could take much longer.

Ok, I’ll settle down now and finish reading the book this week.  If nothing more than for the sheer humor of it.

When I’m further in to Switch, I’ll let you know my “opinion” on it. Remember, we all have opinions and you are free to consider it or not.

01
Jun
12

Speed Bumps in The Road

By garagegym107 Leave a Comment
Categories: Living Fit Daily
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Thank goodness for auto insurance!  Needless to say, the boy has learned a whole lot about responsibility from his decision to not notify the police of the accident. 

Note to all of my friends and anyone that I don’t know who is reading this blog:  I assumed my child understood that no matter what, when there is an accident he must report it to the police.  Don’t make the assumption that your kids know this. 

Explain to them that no matter what, it matters when it comes down to who pays the bill for repairs.  I’ve raised my kids with the understanding that in every situation they have choices and no matter what choice they make, they must be prepared to handle the consequences   The boy is better for the experience although his summer will be spent paying off the deductible debt he owes me.

I have been sitting here thinking about the rather crazy week I’ve had.  I’ve managed to get all but one of my workouts in.  I do intend to make up that workout at some point this weekend.  I usually take both days as active rest days.  I’m going to have some pull-up skill work and 10 x 100m sprints.   That ought to work me over pretty good and then I intend to stand-up paddle board if the mound of laundry will allow for it. 

My eats have been pretty close to 90% clean which I’m ok with.   I’ve run the gamut of the eat bad, feel bad, eat bad cycle and then transitioned over to the perfectionist cycle of 100% clean 100% of the time and plenty more phases smashed between the two extremes. 

These phases I now see very clearly and understand how they came about.  It has only been since I realized the difference between 90% and 100% is minimal in terms of my results that I’ve become more comfortable.  Now my body, mind and soul are a lot happier when I selectively choose my 10% meals.  

I do believe that 80% clean eats is a good solid goal for everyone.  I’m personally not as comfortable with that being my choice.  I prefer to keep a slightly tighter reign because I am more comfortable with that structure. 

For those struggling to find balance out there, it’s doable.  Just be patient with yourself and don’t be afraid to fall down from time to time.  Just don’t stay down because no-one will come along and pick you up.  You have to do that for yourself. 

Have a great weekend!

 

 

30
May
12

Changing My Way of Thinking

By garagegym107 4 Comments
Categories: Living Fit Daily
Tags: , , , , ,

As I was working out with a trainer this morning I was discussing my loss of that loving feeling about CrossFit.  He asked me if I knew why it wasn’t fun anymore?  Very good question.  Ultimately I’m sure the whole “timed” workout stressors along with the job stressors will do that.   But what is truly the root cause?

As the morning has gone on I have pondered that question.  I began to wonder if I am putting too much mental weight on the fact that I have many weaknesses to overcome in order to compete.   I also questioned whether I will be willing to make the much-needed sacrifices.

Then I realized I’m just over thinking about things that are not even here yet.  Worrying about tomorrow.  That is such a waste of perfectly good today.

At that moment of realization I changed my way of thinking from a negative to a positive.    What does that mean exactly?   Instead of spending my time dwelling on whether I want to compete or whether I’m even good enough to compete, I need to be doing the workouts I need to do to prepare.

Getting lost in the noise of a major decision can literally paralyze us to the point of doing nothing. 

So I have put on my big girl panties and decided that I would make a list focusing on the things I can do as I move forward. 

I will note the big picture, but then narrow it back to what I can truly do in pursuit of the goal.  I’m already doing things to help.  But focused intent hasn’t been one of those things for over a month now.

I haven’t always been a list person but have found lately that the better my list, the more focused I can be.  Will that help me revive my love for CrossFit?  There is a great possibility.  I will move forward focused on today, rather than worrying about tomorrow.

29
May
12

Old Behaviors Die Hard

By garagegym107 4 Comments
Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

In the process of morphing in to the fit woman I’ve learned some powerful lessons.  One of them is that old behaviors die hard. 

It’s not for lack of will power or discipline because I have a pretty good set of both of those tools.  It’s changing what used to be a normal behavior in to a new one.  

For the most part I do really well with the newer versions of behavior.   I prefer the taste of fresh clean foods over all others.  I prefer the flavor of water or water with lemon over the taste of anything artificial.  But inevitably boredom or even lonliness kick in from time to time.

All of that being said, the old behaviors like to live dormant.  They don’t simply disappear or find someone else’s head to live in.  They stick around but I’ve had to learn to control them as opposed to allowing them to control me.  I’m not perfect. 

All it takes is a weekend of inconvenience to have those old behaviors yelling “drink me, I’m diet, I’m refreshing, you are sweating puddles, come on, I won’t hurt you!” and in all seriousness, that diet soda tasted good for a few minutes.   The next thing I know I’m bloating up with water retention when water would have been just as satisfying. 

Or the other example, those famous sandwich cookies in the golden version, which used to be my favs.  One wonders what are they doing there in the first place?  The spousal unit is still a junk food junkie no matter what I do.   Yep I reached in to the cookie jar and pulled out a couple of cookies and proceeded to test the waters.   To my delight (yes seriously), all I tasted was the fact that those little devils were processed and that I could taste that clearly!  

Part of me had that little nagging thought of “you should feel guilty for eating that” but the morphing of a fit woman doesn’t allow for guilt or shame.  Neither of those are permitted to reside here.   Only acknowledgement of eating them and analyzing of data.    I ate them, yes.  Did they make me feel bad or good, no.  Will I do it again, not likely.   I analyzed the data and it says don’t waste your food pleasure on something that tastes like crap!

Those old behaviors will always be lurking.  Usually they are lurking with temptation in an effort to lure me back to the fat person that never really cared whether something was good for me or not.    

Now I practice “love me some me” instead.  I know that sounds so cavalier, but it’s not meant as such.  It’s meant as truth. 

This life attempts to beat us down from every direction.  It keeps us confused with too much data, it holds us back with thoughts of fitness being too demanding, both in time and financially and my favorite is why bother.   

I’ve seen so many people come and go from the gym because things eventually get hard or boring and they don’t get instant gratification so then they answer the call with “why bother” instead of sucking it up.

I bother every single day because I know how much better it feels living in the light of happiness and with the ability to help others.   When you start actually looking at all of the bright spots in your life, you realize this really is a great life. 

And just when you think you’ve got it bad remember that there is always someone else wishing they could be where you are today!

 

27
May
12

Why I do What I do

By garagegym107 5 Comments
Categories: Living Fit Daily
Tags: , , , , ,

It is a hot one today!  You would think being on the lake for the long weekend would be full of fun and games. 

Today was tree removal day.   Since  starting CrossFit almost two years ago I have been the tree hauler.  Any time we need to take a tree down, the spousal unit does the cutting and I do the hauling up the steep lot to the street.

Today was a wonderful reminder of why I train.  Why I love CrossFit and why I became a trainer. 

If I can help one person become as functionally fit as I am
then I can’t really ask for more.  Today I never doubted for a moment the purpose of the farmers walk or the waiter’s carry and the 400m of walking lunges.  Going up and down the steep slope reminded me that agility and balance are taken for granted until you do a WOD like I did today.

I challenge ALL of my friends to put your CrossFit training to task and do something major, something around your home to improve it.  If you’ve been training like I have you are ready, no doubt. 

If you aren’t doing CrossFit in a box, I recommend going through a fundamentals course just to see if you like it.  If you don’t have access to a box then I highly recommend that you take a look at Cultfit.com and check out some of their workouts that can be done just about anywhere.

Get yourself started on a path to fit.  Take it one day, one workout, and one clean meal at a time. 

There is no going back for me.  I live with intention, with purpose even if at times the purpose may be a little clouded, I still focus on living today being a better person than yesterday.

25
May
12

One of Those Moments

By garagegym107 4 Comments
Categories: Living Fit Daily
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Rewind to yesterday.  I was driving home from the gym after my workout and noticed a large gentlemen slowly making his way down the walking path next to the road.  He wasn’t walking, he was doing his best to jog.   He’s heavy, really heavy. 

That little voice that gets me in trouble some times started whispering “pull over, pull over and tell him don’t quit!” but the rational side said “that man will think you’ve lost your mind” so I kept going.  But I never stopped thinking about that guy.  All day yesterday I thought about his red and black clothing and I remembered my first year in the gym.  I wanted to cheer for him.  I wanted to be his biggest fan yesterday.

This morning I was working out and I turned around and thought “OMG!!  That is the dude that was running down the street!!”.  He was there in the gym in the flesh.

I waited for him to finish his time on the elliptical and went over to him and asked if he was the guy going down the road and he said yes.   

I know he thought I was pretty close to crazy because my eyes filled up with tears and I just looked at him and told him a little bit of my story and I said “just don’t quit, no matter who or what interferes with what you are doing here today or any other day, just don’t give up because if I can do it, you can”. 

I left him to his workout and went on to finish mine.  He’s probably never going to set foot in that gym in the early morning again thinking that crazy woman might be there.  But I don’t think he’ll ever forget that. 

You know I think back on the people who have encouraged me and it humbles me every time I do.  People I have met either in the gym or online.  Many of the online friendships developed in to real life friendships.  Support groups, friends, mentors all in it to help one another along.  One of my friends said to me “Each one, Reach one”.  I know she will read this and I know she will know I’m talking about her.

Living fit daily can be challenging, but those challenges can be overcome.  Every single day I get up with the intention of being more fit today than I was yesterday, mentally, physically or emotionally in some way.   I’m not always perfect, but I am always consistent.  Consistency wins the race.  I’m living proof of that.

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