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Posts Tagged ‘Long term weight loss

Oct

Letter To My Younger Self

Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
Tags: Body-for-Life, BodyBuilding, change, Community, exercise, fitness, Goal Setting, goals, Insecurity, Inspiration, Long term weight loss, nutrition, Weight Lifting, Working out, Workout

If only I could have known then what I know now.

I’d start by telling myself at a very early age, it’s ok to be a Tom boy. It’s ok to prefer pants over dresses. No everyone seeks to be a girly girl. Mud pies and Hot Wheels with my little brother were some of the best childhood memories. So was jumping the ramp even after my dad told me not to. And yes, it hurts just as bad when a little girl hits the bar as it does a boy.

As a gangly teenager, I’d tell myself that being popular isn’t really better, it’s just different and maybe even a little harder than blending in.

As a young mother, I’d tell myself it doesn’t matter how young or old you are, being a mom is the best and hardest job you’ll ever have so do the best you can and forgive yourself the rest.

As a young woman, I’d tell myself to love everything about yourself, cherish who you are and what you are becoming. Don’t allow another human being to bring you down or steal your self-worth or self-confidence because they are on some type of power trip. Your instincts are right.

I’d tell myself to go ahead and make some mistakes, take a risk, jump head first. Be who you are. Your quirks are yours and there is no one else like you.

I’d tell myself to love my body for all it’s capable of, care for it, nurture it, feed it good, clean, nutritious foods, and it’s ok to have a cupcake from time to time.

I’d tell myself it’s a whole lot easier to take care of yourself than to let yourself go and then regroup and get fit later on.

I’d tell myself to be happy, embrace change for in change is growth.

I’d tell myself to nurture true friendships, because no matter who the love of your life is, you will need your girlfriends to nurture and to nurture you. When the lines of time appear on your faces, laughter is indeed the best medicine.

Oct

Serious Self-Defense

By garagegym107 Leave a Comment

I’ve been sitting on this topic for the last couple of weeks. Not really sure how to actually write about the topic without freaking my readers out. I decided to focus on the message at hand and not allow the tools to distract from the message.

I’ve recently attended a series of classes on basic firearms safety and self-defense. When I have broached the subject to friends or acquaintances I’ve received feedback that covers both ends of the spectrum.

This blog isn’t being written to start a firestorm about what you think is right or wrong about firearms instead it’s about the topic of self-defense.

This is being written in the hopes that someone who is on the fence can make a better judgment call about attending a course themselves. If you are considering owning a firearm, I highly recommend you take a course BEFORE you legally purchase a firearm. Notify the instructors beforehand, they will make arrangements for you to use a firearm if need be. Then you can make a much better informed decision as to whether you even want to own one.

Am I suggesting you go out and purchase a firearm? No, I am not. That is a very personal decision and no one can make that decision but you. Be responsible and educate yourself on every possible aspect from owning a firearm, getting the proper legal permits and please, get some training.

First let me start by saying I am a proactive person. I believe in taking care of myself, for myself, by myself. I don’t leave the responsibly of my health, my fitness, and my nutrition up to other people. I take full responsibility for myself and my own actions. I also take responsibility for the consequences of my actions. I.E. If I eat cake, I get fat.

Being the proactive person means I will do what I feel like I need to do to protect myself. This is usually where someone says “are you paranoid or what?” and my answer is no, not at all.

I’m also not naïve either, bad things happen to good people and I’d rather have training and never use it than to find myself in a situation where I really needed it but didn’t take the time to get it.

So here we are. I spent three separate days going through approximately 4.5 hours of training. Two of the sessions were in the classroom, one was at an outdoor range.

This was one of the best decisions I’ve made as an adult female. I learned what predators look for when targeting a victim (yes, don’t kid yourself, they look in the day time as well as the dark), and even more importantly I learned how not to look/act like a victim. Some is common sense, some is totally not.

I listened to actual 911 recordings and played through scenarios in my mind, ironically, even in a very safe environment just listening to the sounds of the caller increased my heart rate and made me put myself in the callers shoes.

For those who live in my area, the company I chose to work with is called Self Defense Solutions and I paid for my courses and he did not ask me to write this review. In fact I asked his permission to mention his company here.

There were only 2 people in the classes I attended and all instruction was given in a fashion that made me feel completely at ease and comfortable. In the firearms world women tend to get brushed off, this is sad but true. This company and it’s instructors never at any point made me feel less capable, less welcome or less valued than the man in the class with me. The instructors were thorough and attentive and made sure that I was comfortable and confident by the time my course ended.

There are non-firearms related self-defense courses and I will be taking some of those as well, sooner rather than later.

Again, to stress my point, I’d rather have training and never need it than to need it and not have it.

Oct

It’s Been So Long

By garagegym107 3 Comments

As I came to my blog to write a bit, I noticed my last blog post was July 1st. Where did the months go?

I took a mini-hiatus from both blogging and social media to the greater degree. I needed to get some things together on a personal level. It’s been a very long and challenge work year, the company I work for during the day is in what I’d call a transition stage which means 100% of the focus must be on making things happen or you might be thrown out with the mop water.

I’ve missed the motivational part of blogging. I had forgotten how much positive energy I’ve received from sharing the good, the bad, and the funny of a fitness lifestyle.

Don’t mistake the quiet for quitter or slacker or fallen of the wagon or one of 100 other descriptions other folks use to describe when they’ve totally imploded. I’ve been far from all of that. Working out is as much a part of my day as brushing my teeth, as is clean eating. Did that happen overnight? Heck no. It took a very long time, but that doesn’t matter, if it hadn’t I wouldn’t be chatting with you all right now.

I’ve had all sorts of stuff pop up in an effort to derail my fitness progress and I’ve prevailed. Has it always been the way I’d planned to get my workout in or where I’d planned to get my workout in? Negative Ghost Rider, sometimes that planned pattern is full so you need to buzz the tower instead.

I feel like I’m rambling a little bit, partly because I didn’t sit down with a specific topic to share. The biggest message I have to deliver today is simply hold on to your goals, even when times are tough. The only thing certain in this life is change. Roll with it, adapt to it, stay calm and carry on!

Jul

Reach Just One

By garagegym107 3 Comments

A little over a year ago I started working out with a woman at work, outside on the parking deck. She started coming out and working out, never questioning anything she was asked to do, only trusting in the training and the trainer. Over time another person would ask to join, then another, then another.

My friend has since left the company and her family has moved back to her home state. Today I am so vividly reminded of her joy and zest for life, her laughter ringing through the air as she pushed through the sometimes very difficult workouts. People often breeze through our lives, not to stay indefinitely, but to make an impact in a very short period of time.

I continue to teach these classes on the parking deck and each week we seem to have another person join. It’s so inspiring to me to have a new person slip up the stairs and out in the the open sunshine. Some days are much harder than others, some days they question why they do what they do but then they always come back for more.

Each one reaches one. I live by that statement. I thank my friend Michelle Treichel for sharing that with me, it was a real sticker.

I love working out, love having changed my own life. I love continuing to change it through fitness and proper nutrition. All that being said, there is one thing that takes the cake and that is helping others. It doesn’t matter the shape or size or age or whateva… they are welcome in my little world.

They inspire me. They bring me joy. They remind me of being better. They make me better.

Here’s to the parking deck crew…many, many thanks to you all! We miss you Daphne!!

Jul

Choose Wisely

By garagegym107 6 Comments

Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
Tags: Body-for-Life, BodyBuilding, Bright Spots, change, Clean Eating, Community, CrossFit, Garagegym107, Goal Setting, Inspiration, Long term weight loss, Weight Lifting, weight loss, Well-Being, Working out, Workout

I’ve learned a lot about fitness, food, workouts, etc. The one thing that applies to all is to choose wisely. In all aspects and remember that each facet of your fitness will flow over to the next.

If you are trying to find a coach/trainer to help you take it to the next level try digging a little. I’ve often felt like I was being interviewed by the trainers that I talked to. Almost as if they were trying to size up whether I was worthy of being taken on as a client. Pfhhhtt, it’s my money, I’ll do the interviewing thank you. Talk to people who know them, people who have trained under them, ask for references, call the references and get feedback. If the trainer is good, they won’t hesitate to give you the information. If they flat refuse, perhaps they are not the trainer for you.

Food is always such a hard topic to discuss because there are so many different “plans” for people to follow. Choose wisely. Simply put, the best foods you can eat are the foods that have been processed as little as possible. Fresh veggies, fruits, lean meats, things that require very little effort if you learn the basics in the kitchen. You want starches? Choose wisely, a sweet potato or squash is a whole lot better for your body than a over-sized (eye-eyeballed) serving of pasta. And remember, you can’t out train a bad diet.

Workouts can be just about as confusing as food. Choose wisely. Set yourself some measurable goals, measurable means specific things you can put a tape measure or mathematical calculation to and determine if you are progressing.

Measurable goal examples:

Reduce/increase inches: neck, shoulders, biceps, chest, waist, hips, thighs, calves.

Increase 1 rep max dead-lift to xyz.

Run 5 additional flights of stadium stairs before a x time cap.

If you struggle to go it alone, hiring a coach can be a great thing. But don’t go into it blindly, don’t trust your outcome to someone you haven’t checked up on. Ask around, if you are uncomfortable asking around the gyms, ask around the nutrition stores they usually know all of the local trainers.

Need a goal? Set yourself an appointment with a professional photographer for six months from your start date. Hold yourself accountable at the highest level. Keep a log. Take progress pictures every 4 weeks.

If you can go it alone, and you feel confident in your own ability, write down your plan and follow it to the letter. Hold yourself as accountable as you would expect a coach to hold you. Educate yourself on nutrition, don’t blindly follow along. What works for one doesn’t always work for another.

Jul

Using A Journal Part 2

By garagegym107 Leave a Comment

Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
Tags: Body-for-Life, Clean Eating, Community, exercise, food, gaining self confidence, Goal Setting, goals, Gym, health, healthy-living, Inspiration, Long term weight loss, Motivation, Weight Lifting, Well-Being, Working out, Workout

As I discussed in my previous post I began using a journal to record everything again after six months off from my workout journal and I really can’t say how long it’s been with the food journal.

I’ve been on again, off again with the LOSE IT app. I like Lose It. Another thing that requires integrity, but at least you can scan bar codes and access that app from your phone and your computer. I’m still a WRITE IT DOWN girl. Something about writing it down is acknowledgement for me. It’s personal accountability and I know that when I have a trainer get involved, that will be the first thing they ask for.

So after 9 days of keeping a daily journal, as per my expectations I see things that need to be tapped back in to place. I do very well when my meals are planned and prepared in advance.

It’s easy to sit and type about greatness. It’s easy to sit and type about rah-rah cheering people on. When you have to get down and dirty and spill the truth about things you could be doing better, it’s really hard.

A friend said once… “I’m not going to tell you this is easy because when you are screwing up you’ll think there is something wrong with you, there isn’t. It’s just hard.”

No truer words were ever spoken.

I’m sitting here typing this blog thinking of all of the not on plan foods I’ve had over the last four days. It’s not horrible. But it’s not great either. I’m not trying to be perfect. I’m trying to be better than the day before.

I’ve noticed that when I eat something off plan, I tend to scribble it down almost illegibly so. Ha! Like I think “someone” can’t figure it out. Uh…someone is ME.

I live with a junk food junkie. That’s not an excuse, that is a fact. I love Precision Nutrition. They clearly say “If there is junk food in the house you will eat it…eventually”. I’m good about steering clear of it. In fact 98% of the time I do.

The only drawback to any plan saying “get rid of all the bad stuff in your house”, well that is just not possible in every house. My spousal unit ate the same way he eats now when we married. I changed, that isn’t his fault. He’s not overweight or unhealthy. I’m jealous because I have the metabolism of a person who gained 168# in two years and proceeded to lose 125# of it in a year. I don’t care what anyone says, that jacks up your system. No excuse.

So is the 2% margin of error enough to screw up my goals?

Perhaps.

The question is not that, the question is whether the journal is helping me to stay the course.

Without a doubt.

It helps me to recognize and realize that I’m much more comfortable and relaxed when I do food prep. THAT makes me feel more successful in and of itself.

WRITE IT DOWN. You’ll learn a lot in the process.

Jun

Don’t Forget

By garagegym107 23 Comments

As I make the decision to take my training and nutrition to the next level I often forget where I started. It usually takes a conversation with someone I’m meeting for the first time to gently remind me of how far I’ve come.

I’ve got “battle scars” both mentally and physically related to all the weight gain. There will always be the potential that I will be disappointed when I get to the next level but I’ll deal with that down the road IF need be.

There is no sense setting myself up for failure before I even start. You see, I see that all the time.

Some women see photo’s like:

Mine

My friend Michelle

Lifting My Spirits

And they instantly start saying “that’s impossible”, “that’s photo-shop”, “that’s not the same person as the before” and those are nice comments.

After Lifting My Spirits recently competed in her second Body Building show placing 3rd (Congrats again), one of the FaceBook threads I subscribe to showed her before and after photo’s. Sometimes I just read through comments to get a feel for the support she is receiving and it never fails that there are some comments made about the transformation not being real. Some nasty comments are made by women that can only come from a place of misery and disbelief in themselves. So strongly disbelieving they never even take the first step to try to make a change.

I’ve seen videos of LMS and had private conversations with her and I’ve spent weekends with my friend Michelle. These women are just as real as I am. We chose not to hide our transformations, we chose to share them openly with the masses in hopes that we can inspire and reach another person who “thinks they can” but just haven’t committed to following through just yet.

The irony is that pictures do speak a thousand words of success.

What you will never see is the sweat, the tears, and the fear that we all had in the very beginning of our journeys.

You will never see the early mornings or late nights in the gym.

You won’t see the turning down of birthday cake or cupcakes so we stayed on task with our goals.

You won’t see the days where decisions were made to stay the course instead of having instant gratification in the form of food.

Thanks to the internet you can however now get a glimpse of food prep being done.

For those of you beginning and for those of you setting goals, not a single one of us will ever tell you this is easy. But it is certainly worth every last bit of it. If it weren’t? We wouldn’t so willingly keep doing what we do.

Jun

More Morphing of a Fit Woman

By garagegym107 7 Comments

As I read through a few friends blogs this weekend I realized that I could be doing some things a tad bit or even a whole LOT better.

In example over at 43 Fitness she whips out her workout log and shows all of her readers the key points and highlights that she relies on that notebook to remind her of. I love it.

I have several workout books/logs, but over the past 6 months or so I’ve gotten out of the habit of doing it daily and that has got to change. It doesn’t matter what the reason is behind not keeping up with it, all that matters is that needs to change. Today.

Keeping a journal of both food and workouts is the ONLY way a coach or trainer or faithful friends can help you figure out why you’ve hit a plateau or whether you are making excuses. Accountability.

I am weak. I need accountability. I admit it.

Underneath it all I am as normal as they come. I want to cheat on my food and so long as no one saw me eat that extra handful of nuts, it doesn’t matter right? Uh huh.

Oh last week I cleaned 95# 15 times but this week I’m just too tired to clean 85# 10 times. Uh huh.

As long as it is not written down, it doesn’t matter, right? Uh huh.

See the pattern?

While watching the video 43 Fitness did, I remembered a time way back when. Yes, a long time ago. I was keeping my very first food journal. I remember making it through the first week with everything nice and tidy. During the second week things started to change. One day I ate 4 chocolate covered Oreo cookies. In my mind they are a whole lot better than they are in my mouth these days. Now they just taste overly processed. I digress…

The day I sat with that food journal getting ready to write down those cookies, all sorts of feelings cascaded through my mind. Shame and guilt were in the front row. Followed by honesty. Honesty said “write it down and be uncomfortable with it”. Shame and guilt applauded the uncomfortable part.

That was the turning point for me with keeping a food journal. Most of the time I no longer need it. Seriously, most of the time I’m spot on with both meal planning and portions. When it is time to set a new goal, it is time to journal.

In reality, I do believe that is just what my fitness goals need to come to fruition.

A journal should be filled with all of the important details of your workouts and your nutrition. If you lift you want to keep up with the lifting progressions. Try new things that challenge your body. Sometimes they don’t work out for you. If you journal it, you won’t likely make the same mistake twice.

When keeping a food journal, you must have integrity. I promise you, strong character is built when no one else is watching. Because the only person you are cheating is yourself.

WRITE IT DOWN. You may be surprised at patterns that develop. Patterns that can help you understand whether you sabotage yourself. Patterns that help you understand if you are a stress eater. WRITE IT DOWN. Over time you’ll get stronger because you won’t eat it because you don’t want to WRITE IT DOWN.

I talked to the spousal unit last night and told him it was time for more serious goal setting and record keeping. He is the best “are you SURE you want to eat that” person on the planet. Especially when he knows I have a goal set.

As with most everything, I intend to share the new journal process with you all. Hopefully I can start making a few videos along the way.

Jun

Be A Fighter

By garagegym107 1 Comment

I read a lot of blogs, a lot of FaceBook posts, and a lot of email asking questions and for help in making lasting change. I’m honored and humbled by every email I receive because I’m just an ordinary person who has become a fighter.

What does that mean exactly? It means I have committed to myself everyday to fight for the fitness I want. It means I refuse to settle for status quo. It means even when I’m not spot on, I press on consistently. Getting knocked down and getting back up again to go at it another day. Preventing the decline, slowly creating a fit body and mind for myself.

I don’t have all of the answers, even for myself, but I work hard to educate myself on topics that will assist in my efforts to take things on to the next chapter in my journey.

Often we encounter set-backs, at times it is even possible to be indirectly set-back by another person’s decision. What do you do? Become a fighter. Stay the course, keep training, keep doing what you can with what you have. Stay true to you.

A little music motivation courtesy of Gym Class Hero’s.

Jun

My Thoughts On Being Strong

By garagegym107 6 Comments

My last blog was letting all my blogging friends know I was competing in a strongman competition as a way to honor my father-in-law who is currently battling cancer.

It’s taken me a full week to get my thoughts together and to make a picture video of the event.

Things I learned while competing. First, I’m stronger than I think I am. Second, I have some of the best people on this planet in my cheering section. Third, fear is much bigger in my head than after taking the first step in a competition.

This event has been the highlight over the past month. I watched friends PR (get a personal record) all day long. We all got dirty together, we sweat together, encouraged each other and we encouraged total strangers through tough workouts.

If I’m not mistaken, the next closest competitor in my age group was 14 years younger than me, and on average most were 20-25 years younger. Yes, I questioned my own sanity a time or two for coming out and competing with kids, but it’s not about beating them, it’s about being a better me than I was yesterday. As you will see by the pictures, I carried heavy things, flipped tires, pulled a sled 50 meters and got a personal record of 240# on my dead-lift.

The best thing I did that day was set an example for a group of young women who now see that aging doesn’t mean you have to stop doing things that challenge you. Being smart about my fitness, keeping myself healthy and injury free allows me to compete in this environment.

What a great day.

On the mornings I head out to Garagegym107 to row, I see the before pictures hanging on the wall and remember where I was and that I am unwilling to go back there. It can be done, it is being done. Day in and day out, me vs. me. I live by the mindset, there is no finish line.

Pictures courtesy of CrossFit Madison

Video: A special thanks to Jason Thompson

Song: The Script-Hall of Fame

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