mental-health | garagegym107

Posts Tagged ‘mental-health

Dec

Support Networking

I started this blog a few days ago and set it aside. After having conversations with a few people, I realized this was a topic really worth writing about. Over the course of my journey, there has been one thing that stands out on the higher level of importance scale and that’s support networking.

What is support networking? Anything/anyone that helps you stay the course long term. Anything/anyone that helps you jump the next hurdle in your journey. Anything/anyone that forces you to acknowledge when you are allowing fear to impede your progress.

Along the journey of long term weightloss, there are unexpected hurdles that most people don’t even realize they are tripping over. It could be an internal fear of failure. It could be an episode or two of yo-yo dieting, just when you think you’ve figured things out you slide backwards. It could be the unrealized truth of giving power to food. Food has no power, unless you give it power.

Build a support network. Find someone who has gone before you, someone that could be a year or so ahead of you along the journey. Anyone worth their salt will be happy to help you. I know I would. Because if it were not for the people who politely but firmly pointed me in a direction, a direction that allowed me to get out of my own way, who knows where I might be?

Build yourself a network by starting with the person in the mirror. Trusted friends, who want you to be successful may tell you something you don’t want to hear. That usually means it’s exactly what you need to hear. This person/people will listen to you and not criticize you, they will believe in you when you don’t believe in yourself. Surround yourself with people who have similar goals. People who want to take it to the next level. Offer your own support to them. You never know who wants to be where you are today. Start paying it forward and you’ll realize and respect how far you’ve already come and you’ll likely realize it’s not as hard as you are making it.

Me teaching a new found friend how to KB Swing several years back. We are still close and support one another. Everyone has set backs, everyone could use a hand. A simple message of encouragement goes a very long way.

Dec

A Mental Flush

By garagegym107 14 Comments

It has been way too long since I’ve written, which has been the trend of 2013. Enough of that.

Since we last talked, I’ve had some progress photos made. There are three things I’d like to discuss, if you would hang with me that would be great.

The BIG “50”
Body Image
Take the pictures

First the big fifty. No, not reps, but years. I turned 50 this year. It’s nothing more than a number right? Yes, right. That being said, I wanted to celebrate the year in a couple of ways. I wanted a birthday cake. A big fat chocolate birthday cake. Did I have it? Yes, you bet I did. I have had a small slice from the freezer each month since my birthday back in the spring. Ironically, after seeing the progress pictures I’m posting in the blog, the remainder of that divine, sinfully rich, chocolate heaven went in the trash.

Our lives are so filled with other people’s idea of how we should be living. I decided long ago no-one knows me better than me so I would start living like me. Authentically ME. Some people don’t like it, but really I’m not so bad once you get past this gruff exterior.

Twenty. Thirty. Forty. Fifty. Celebrate. It.

On to body image. When I first saw these pictures, the old me reared up and said “see, still not there yet”. The bells went off in my brain as if I were standing in a cathedral. What do I mean? I mean I am reminded albeit none too gently either, that my body image insecurity still has a small headspace in my brain. That being said, the strong headspace took over less than 24 hours after the insecurity showed itself. And even better, I acknowledged it, felt it, embraced it, and moved on.

My greatest wish for all women is that we stop comparing ourselves to magazine covers, billboard ads, and lastly, EACH OTHER. Be who we are, individuals with uniqueness of body, mind, soul. Learn to live in your own personal greatness.

Now we can talk about the pictures. Pictures, for me, mark the seasons in my life. I have photos of when I was younger and skinny as a rail. I have photos of when I was a young mom that didn’t have a clue what I was doing. I have photos that mark traumatic events in my life, my climb to obesity being the biggest one of those. I have A LOT of fitness progress photos that tell a story of change. Every now and then those pictures remind me I need to get them put in to chronological order. And now, I have photos marking my 50th year of my life.

Only a few people knew I was going to have these photos taken. Ironically, my beautiful sister-in-law randomly posted on Facebook the very weekend I was having these photos made that she wished she had taken pictures 10 years ago. She had no idea I was taking these photos. I simply replied to her post “take the pictures now”. So many women shy away from marking significant moments because of aforementioned body image issues.

We sit around and think we’ve got to wait until we get it all together.

Guess what? We never get it all together. We can improve, we can get healthy, we can have careers, we can do anything we set our minds to, but there is absolutely no such thing as “getting it all together” so let that idea flush from your minds. BE who you want to be now! Mark it, celebrate it.

Embrace each day and love it with all of your being. We live, we breath, it’s up to US make this life our own.

With that… I’m doing all that I can to embrace what I am doing to live!

Oct

Swift Kick In The Pants

By garagegym107 1 Comment

My last blog was about the seasonal transition and hibernation of habits. Today, it’s all about the swift kick in the pants.

I see it already, the slack in attendance during classes. The “I overslept” excuse for skipping a workout. The even bigger excuse people tell themselves “no-one will notice that I’ve gained 10 pounds under this sweater”. News flash, the only person you are disappointing is yourself.

Sure, summer is over and fall is on its way through, but your goals haven’t changed have they? Don’t allow the dark mornings keep you from being around your peers and making smack talk and workout challenges. Get your arse out of that bed!!

First the workouts go and then the clean eating follows right afterwards. The seasonal treats will be there for the next 2 plus months. Don’t get caught with the winter blues of “I screwed up my whole plan, and don’t know how I got so far off track”.

Keep your mindset positive, sure it’s colder than usual, but get up and go anyway. You’ll warm-up once you start moving. For those who workout in the mornings, it’s always dark anyway so that’s not your excuse.

Don’t allow winter to steal away your momentum. Hold yourself accountable by setting mini-goals over the next two months. Challenge yourself to maintain your current level of fitness and not fatness. You know there will be times when clean food is hard to come by so do some pre-planning and keep some jerky, almonds, almond butter, etc. on hand to get you through the feeding frenzies you’ll encounter. No sense getting caught up in the frenzy when you already know it can and will set you back a few months if you allow it to.

Own your fitness. Keep your goals in sight and stay the course!

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!

Feb

Have I Been A Slacker?

By garagegym107 6 Comments

I realized when I sat down to write this blog I’ve begun to allow too much time to pass between blogs. I’ve got way too much to talk about to not sit down and make it happen.

Anyway, one might wonder if I’ve been slacking. Fat chance on that. I work a full-time professional day job and then I step out with my favorite evening job, personal training.

I long to find a way to support myself with my first love. Eventually I’ll get there, just not while I have a kid in college.

So, enough of my ramblings. Have I mentioned lately how much I adore working out? I really do. Most people cringe at getting up at 4:30am to be at the gym around 5. Not me. I started my days off like that long before I ever allowed the fat chick to rule my world.

Back in those days I wasn’t over weight, really not even pleasantly plump. After the birth of my 3rd son, I decided that working out at 5:00am allowed me to work out guilt free. Everyone was still sleeping and I didn’t feel like I was taking away from the older boys baseball, etc.

Fast forward through the trauma of divorce and massive unhealthy weight gain, through the amazing and a times heartbreaking journey of weight loss and the release of emotional baggage I find myself now older, wiser and still loving the 5:00am workouts.

The key in all of that chatter is find what works for you and your family. It may not be the ideal time, but if this is really important to you, you’ll do it whenever you can make it happen.

I’ve discovered lately that having a fit mind is just as important, perhaps even more important than a fit body.

Someone in your life causing drama? That doesn’t make it your drama. Someone having a bad day? That doesn’t make it your bad day. Your friend decided to make an excuse not to go to the gym this morning? That’s not your excuse.

My message and one of my own personal favorite lessons has always been “Just because someone else is having an issue, that doesn’t make it my issue”. I’ve learned over the last 20 years that if you take it, someone will keep giving it to you to carry for them.

Put on mental rubber suit and let the excuses of others roll off like rain on a freshly waxed car. Take care of yourself and six months from now your drama filled, excuse making friend will be asking YOU how you did it!

You’ve got enough to handle keeping yourself fit and fabulous.

Feb

Be Beautiful

By garagegym107 1 Comment

For ALL of the beautiful ladies in my life, I write this blog. You know who you are, you are near and far. The ones who, at the drop of a hat send a kind word or do a kind deed. You are the ones that simply place a heart on my FB page. You are the ones who send a card for no other reason than you want to make someone smile.

With all of the noise surrounding the perfection of women, be it in the fitness industry, the beauty industry, the clothing industry, remember that we are each in our own way simply beautiful.

Imagine a world with no commercials or billboards bombarding you with thoughts of what you should be, how you should look, or telling you what material thing you should have before you consider yourself beautiful.

Get up tomorrow and let it all fade to black. Find the beauty you were born with, IT IS IN YOU, I know, I’ve seen it with my own eyes and felt it with my own heart. Be the beautiful women that you are!

Please take 3 minutes and 20 seconds and watch this video. A huge shout out to Karen Walrond for posting this on You Tube. And a huge thanks to my Precision Nutrition coach Jennifer Koslo for sharing this.

Please, please, share this with every beautiful woman that you know!

Nov

The Fat Chick In My Head

By garagegym107 5 Comments

Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
Tags: Body-for-Life, BodyBuilding, change, Clean Eating, Community, exercise, gaining self confidence, Insecurity, Inspiration, mental-health, Motivation, non fiction books, nutrition, Weight Lifting

Today I had a visit from my old friend, the fat chick in my head. The old me. As I stood in the gym during my lunch hour she decided to pay me a visit. She doesn’t come around as often as she used to. As I stood there looking in the mirror, she said to me “I know you can see me” and in all honesty she was right. I could see images of the old me flash in my mind. Times when I wasn’t so comfortable in the gym, times that I wept thinking I would never get the weight off.

The fat chick in my head will always be a part of me, but she will never again be all of me.

The days she shows up in the gym are few and far between. It’s doubt that I might not get where I want to be. It’s a reminder that in order to achieve what I want there must be sacrifice willingly given. It’s a status check above all else.

Perhaps it’s just the fat chick looking for the long-awaited gratitude for looking out for me and keeping me safe all of those years. So thank you for that.

I’ve got it from here, I promise you can trust me now.

Sep

The Past

By garagegym107 Leave a Comment

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.

Aug

Emotional Eating

By garagegym107 Leave a Comment

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.

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!

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