Whenever I start feeling like I'm not putting in my best effort food or exercise wise, I go and confess or "tell on myself" to one of my trainers. That's a sure fire way to earn myself a lecture and get kicked right back onto the straight and narrow.
Today after my workout I ran into one of my trainers, Marisa, in the gym and confessed that I felt I wasn't pushing as hard as I should be. Most of us sway off of our paths during the holidays and I must admit that I wasn't as good as I should have been. I didn't go off the deep end by any means, but I did allow myself more food (in particular carbs) that I knew that I should be eating.
My self-tattling had the predicted effect and she proceeded to give me a talking-to about kicking it up. It was just what I needed to hear. She also confirmed something that has been in the back of my mind for a while: that it gets harder when you get to this level. "When you work out for so long as hard as you guys have, you can't just come down to the gym and walk on the treadmill. That won't get you anywhere anymore. You've got to work harder and harder to get the results you want."
Ah! Light dawns on yonder head. I've known for a long time about muscle confusion, and I keep my workouts varied for that reason, but just like anything in life, the more you progress, the more is expected. We've worked ourselves out so hard for such a long time that our bodies won't settle for second best.
So now the road in the journey becomes harder to travel. Do I want to give up and turn around for easier ground? Not in a million years. Is losing weight at this stage any easier than it was when I first started? By no means. Am I struggling just as much as the new folks in the gym this week starting their resolutions? Yep. But we're all in this together.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Sunday, January 1, 2012
The Anti-Resolution
So it's here again: New Year's Resolution time. Gyms will swell with new exercisers. Classes will be packed to capacity. Janet Jackson, Jennifer Hudson, and Mariah Carey beckon to us from commercials to come try their preferred method of weight loss. It's a new year and the time has come when a lot of folks will resolve to make a new start on their health and fitness.
The problem with New Year's resolutions I've found is the negative stigma they hold. In the bad ole days, I'd go off Roman style during the holidays, eating whatever I wanted and telling myself in the back of my mind that it was okay because January 1 was coming for me to redeem myself with a new outlook on eating and exercise. Then, after ringing in the New Year, resolution time would rear its ugly head and I would become resentful...all that fire and fury I'd been storing up towards changing my life would pilfer out in another unsuccessful attempt.
Last year at this time I decided to not make a New Year's resolution but to instead head into 2011 with resolve to maintain my new healthy lifestyle. And let me tell you, some amazing things can happen in a year if you just keep one foot in front of the other, moving always forward. In the twelve months that were 2011, I completed my first two hour Zumba marathon, flipped a 367 pound tire in 100 degree heat 18 times, did my first 5K and was in the gym five days a week, every week. And those were just the high lights. There were many other small but amazing victories along the way that made every sore muscle worth it.
So what I'm going to do to start 2012 is to not make a resolution, but rather to move forward with resolution. It's a kind of anti-new years resolution because most of the time those don't last. What does bring lasting change is the satisfaction that putting in the work every day and doing what is good for your body gives you.
The problem with New Year's resolutions I've found is the negative stigma they hold. In the bad ole days, I'd go off Roman style during the holidays, eating whatever I wanted and telling myself in the back of my mind that it was okay because January 1 was coming for me to redeem myself with a new outlook on eating and exercise. Then, after ringing in the New Year, resolution time would rear its ugly head and I would become resentful...all that fire and fury I'd been storing up towards changing my life would pilfer out in another unsuccessful attempt.
Last year at this time I decided to not make a New Year's resolution but to instead head into 2011 with resolve to maintain my new healthy lifestyle. And let me tell you, some amazing things can happen in a year if you just keep one foot in front of the other, moving always forward. In the twelve months that were 2011, I completed my first two hour Zumba marathon, flipped a 367 pound tire in 100 degree heat 18 times, did my first 5K and was in the gym five days a week, every week. And those were just the high lights. There were many other small but amazing victories along the way that made every sore muscle worth it.
So what I'm going to do to start 2012 is to not make a resolution, but rather to move forward with resolution. It's a kind of anti-new years resolution because most of the time those don't last. What does bring lasting change is the satisfaction that putting in the work every day and doing what is good for your body gives you.
Friday, December 30, 2011
What Happens When The New Wears Off?
I've had the pleasure for the past two days of having my friend L in town to workout with. She travels for work and sometimes is gone eighty percent of the time, so her being in town and in the office has been a real treat for me.
Yesterday we did an arm workout I created that included bench presses, hitting the heavy bag, curl presses, and a routine with the heavy ropes. I was quite proud when, after we'd moved on from the ropes, to see a group of guys (who are in the gym every day pumping iron) copying the exact same circuit we had just done.
Today was beautiful and sunny so L and I decided to do our warm up outside on the riverwalk. As we trucked along she started shivering and when I asked if she was cold, she said "Yes! I used to have a layer of fat to warm me up and I don't anymore." That cracked me up and then I realized that I definitely have become cold-natured since I changed my lifestyle. It's interesting to see what happens with your body besides what happens on the scale.
As we walked back to the gym to continue our workout inside, our discussion, as usual, turned deep about our weight loss journey. We've trained together in our Transformation program and that created a strong bond between all of us.
"You know L," I said to her. "We've been at this a while; we're on the next leg of our journey and we're not newbies anymore. In some ways that's harder."
You think when you first get started that that is the hardest your struggle is ever going to be; don't get me wrong, it's tough, but the next leg is somewhat harder. Your body gets used to the initial shock of your lifestyle change and you have to constantly switch up your workout and your food. You have a tendency to plateau more often. Your initial strictness slips a little and you have to constantly reign yourself back from slipping into old behaviors. The new wears off and you have to find the resolve in yourself in order to keep fighting the fight. You have to find the gumption to keep going because this race is about endurance more than anything.
So what happens when the new wears off? For me, I draw strength from my support system, like L, take a deep breathe, and keep fighting. Bring on the next leg of the journey.
Yesterday we did an arm workout I created that included bench presses, hitting the heavy bag, curl presses, and a routine with the heavy ropes. I was quite proud when, after we'd moved on from the ropes, to see a group of guys (who are in the gym every day pumping iron) copying the exact same circuit we had just done.
Today was beautiful and sunny so L and I decided to do our warm up outside on the riverwalk. As we trucked along she started shivering and when I asked if she was cold, she said "Yes! I used to have a layer of fat to warm me up and I don't anymore." That cracked me up and then I realized that I definitely have become cold-natured since I changed my lifestyle. It's interesting to see what happens with your body besides what happens on the scale.
As we walked back to the gym to continue our workout inside, our discussion, as usual, turned deep about our weight loss journey. We've trained together in our Transformation program and that created a strong bond between all of us.
"You know L," I said to her. "We've been at this a while; we're on the next leg of our journey and we're not newbies anymore. In some ways that's harder."
You think when you first get started that that is the hardest your struggle is ever going to be; don't get me wrong, it's tough, but the next leg is somewhat harder. Your body gets used to the initial shock of your lifestyle change and you have to constantly switch up your workout and your food. You have a tendency to plateau more often. Your initial strictness slips a little and you have to constantly reign yourself back from slipping into old behaviors. The new wears off and you have to find the resolve in yourself in order to keep fighting the fight. You have to find the gumption to keep going because this race is about endurance more than anything.
So what happens when the new wears off? For me, I draw strength from my support system, like L, take a deep breathe, and keep fighting. Bring on the next leg of the journey.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Twas The First Step Class After Christmas
Twas the first Step class after Christmas,
When this afternoon at my desk
Calves were throbbing and hurting
I felt a hot mess.
My cube neighbors were busy,
Unaware of my state.
As I rubbed on my muscles,
Hoping the pain would abate.
When all of a sudden
The pain increased by two-thirds.
I bit my lip sharply
And said some bad words.
The tiger balm in my bag
Seemed just the thing.
An ancient Chinese remedy
To take out the sting.
I slathered it on
With a generous swipe
And sat back in my chair
To try not to gripe.
Thank goodness for my neighbors
It was the end of the day
Because tiger balm smells
A lot like Ben-gay.
So smelling like the elderly
And walking like a mummy,
I hobbled along
Feeling quite crummy.
But sore muscles they come
And sore muscles they go
And the benefits of exercise
Are less con and more pro.
Come tomorrow I know
My legs will be alright.
So happy workouts to all
And to all a goodnight!
When this afternoon at my desk
Calves were throbbing and hurting
I felt a hot mess.
My cube neighbors were busy,
Unaware of my state.
As I rubbed on my muscles,
Hoping the pain would abate.
When all of a sudden
The pain increased by two-thirds.
I bit my lip sharply
And said some bad words.
The tiger balm in my bag
Seemed just the thing.
An ancient Chinese remedy
To take out the sting.
I slathered it on
With a generous swipe
And sat back in my chair
To try not to gripe.
Thank goodness for my neighbors
It was the end of the day
Because tiger balm smells
A lot like Ben-gay.
So smelling like the elderly
And walking like a mummy,
I hobbled along
Feeling quite crummy.
But sore muscles they come
And sore muscles they go
And the benefits of exercise
Are less con and more pro.
Come tomorrow I know
My legs will be alright.
So happy workouts to all
And to all a goodnight!
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
The Tool Box
Last Christmas two of my favorite gifts were my pink Ipod from my husband and my cute black, white and pink gym bag from my Momma. At the time I had reached ninety days into my new lifestyle change and I guess I had proved to those around me that I was legit so to speak, that the changes in me were here to stay. These gifts weren't just some nice things to have...to me they signaled a change in myself in that I wanted things for the gym more than I wanted any other gift.
When I proudly showed my new gym bag to one of my trainers last year, she called it my "tool box". I thought that was a great analogy because (for a high maintenance girl like me) it takes a lot of tools: sprays, lotions, make up, hairspray (to make me presentable after all that sweat at lunch); the Ipod; tiger balm, band aids, and a an ace bandage (because sometimes hurts happen); workout clothes and various pairs of socks that may or may not match; the fourth pair of tennis shoes that I've burned through; and a P90X Kenpo DVD that I keep meaning to return to my brother.
Well, last year's "tool box" has seen better days. It's been thrown in and out of the trunk of my car five to six days a week, it's bounced around on my shoulder over countless miles to and from work and the gym, it's been pawed through and zipped and unzipped, its been skidded across the locker room floor as I've arrived to the gym either late or just in the nick of time, and its been flung on the floor of my desk and living room hundreds of times.
Today while shopping for a new "tool box" I told the salesman at a local sports goods store that I needed a new gym bag because my old one was worn out. "That's exactly as it should be!" he said with a genuine smile. "Congrats! Keep it up." Being that he was decked out as the obvious triathlete that he was, I took this as a compliment and left with a cute new flamingo pink gym bag (even tool boxes can be cute).
After being off for Christmas and the parade of food temptations of the holidays, I'm looking forward to getting back into my gym routine tomorrow. My new "tool box" is already packed and ready to go.
When I proudly showed my new gym bag to one of my trainers last year, she called it my "tool box". I thought that was a great analogy because (for a high maintenance girl like me) it takes a lot of tools: sprays, lotions, make up, hairspray (to make me presentable after all that sweat at lunch); the Ipod; tiger balm, band aids, and a an ace bandage (because sometimes hurts happen); workout clothes and various pairs of socks that may or may not match; the fourth pair of tennis shoes that I've burned through; and a P90X Kenpo DVD that I keep meaning to return to my brother.
Well, last year's "tool box" has seen better days. It's been thrown in and out of the trunk of my car five to six days a week, it's bounced around on my shoulder over countless miles to and from work and the gym, it's been pawed through and zipped and unzipped, its been skidded across the locker room floor as I've arrived to the gym either late or just in the nick of time, and its been flung on the floor of my desk and living room hundreds of times.
Today while shopping for a new "tool box" I told the salesman at a local sports goods store that I needed a new gym bag because my old one was worn out. "That's exactly as it should be!" he said with a genuine smile. "Congrats! Keep it up." Being that he was decked out as the obvious triathlete that he was, I took this as a compliment and left with a cute new flamingo pink gym bag (even tool boxes can be cute).
After being off for Christmas and the parade of food temptations of the holidays, I'm looking forward to getting back into my gym routine tomorrow. My new "tool box" is already packed and ready to go.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Award
Every year my company picks six employees out of thousands to receive the Corporate Health and Wellness Excellence Award and I am shocked, surprised and humbled to say that the Global Wellness Council chose me to be one of the recipients this year.
Never in a million years did I think I would win any kind of award for health or wellness. Just over a year ago I was the exact opposite of either of these words. I never worked out, I didn't watch what I ate, my body was weak and my mobility and balance were horrible. I sweated, not in the gym, but just trying to move through the daily tasks of my life. My situation was quickly becoming critical. I was a person who struggled walking one block, who would have said you were out of your mind if you told her that in a year's time she would complete a 5K. A person who could never conceive that she would be associated with anything to do with health or wellness, much less win an award for it.
I tell you about this award not to pat myself on the back, but to point out that anything is possible. No matter how dark your situation seems, no matter your injuries, no matter your access to a gym, no matter your age or time constraints or budget, you can make something amazing happen for yourself. It is totally and absolutely possible.
I still have a ways to go on this journey and sometimes it can seem overwhelming, but I am going to steal a line from Revolutionary War hero John Paul Jones who sneered in the face of defeat saying, "I have not yet begun to fight."
Never in a million years did I think I would win any kind of award for health or wellness. Just over a year ago I was the exact opposite of either of these words. I never worked out, I didn't watch what I ate, my body was weak and my mobility and balance were horrible. I sweated, not in the gym, but just trying to move through the daily tasks of my life. My situation was quickly becoming critical. I was a person who struggled walking one block, who would have said you were out of your mind if you told her that in a year's time she would complete a 5K. A person who could never conceive that she would be associated with anything to do with health or wellness, much less win an award for it.
I tell you about this award not to pat myself on the back, but to point out that anything is possible. No matter how dark your situation seems, no matter your injuries, no matter your access to a gym, no matter your age or time constraints or budget, you can make something amazing happen for yourself. It is totally and absolutely possible.
I still have a ways to go on this journey and sometimes it can seem overwhelming, but I am going to steal a line from Revolutionary War hero John Paul Jones who sneered in the face of defeat saying, "I have not yet begun to fight."
Monday, December 19, 2011
Plunging Headfirst
There's this thing in my gym, I'm not sure what it's called, but it's basically a piece of equipment that you get on and press your calves against a pad, your feet on a platform, rest your lower abdomen against another pad, and bend at the waist, head first toward the ground and come back up. Over my time working out I've watched people do this on a routine basis. It's a popular piece of equipment and most every time I go to the gym I see people routinely getting on this "thing." Some folks put their arms across their chests as they bring their upper body up and down, and some folks even hold weighted plates as they do their reps. Either way looked scary to me,
There's not many things in that gym that I haven't touched, but this piece of equipment is one that I have avoided. In my former state of being my balance was pretty much zilch. I avoided stairs, platforms, ladders...pretty much anything that involved pitting my abilities against gravity, because gravity would always win, painfully.
One of the many things that the gym has cured me of is the fear of pain because at any given moment I have something that's sore from one thing or another and my husband has gotten used to seeing me walking strangely around the house at night when all my muscles decide to stiffen up on me from that day's workout. Just comes with the territory. Plunging headfirst onto the gym floor however is one thing that I'm not too keen on, so therefore I've avoided this "thing" that everyone seems so fond of.
In the spirit of trying something new and pushing myself past not only my physical barriers, but my psychological ones as well, I decided to try this new thing. Making sure no one was watching me, I positioned myself on the equipment and after a few false attempts gripped my muscles in and lowered my head to the floor, thinking the entire time that I was certain to go flipping over my head, onto the floor and break my neck. Fear tied itself into tight knot in my stomach as I saw the floor coming closer to my face. Then a funny thing happened: my core and leg muscles engaged themselves to bring me back up parallel, over and over until I'd done twenty reps.
As I've said before, it's the little accomplishments that spur me forward and keep me going. That and the inner curiosity that says, "I wonder if I can do that?" I get so caught up with the numbers on the scale that I forget that I'm not just shedding pounds, I'm creating something really strong. I've been training these muscles hard for over a year and it's cool now to see what they can actually do.
There's not many things in that gym that I haven't touched, but this piece of equipment is one that I have avoided. In my former state of being my balance was pretty much zilch. I avoided stairs, platforms, ladders...pretty much anything that involved pitting my abilities against gravity, because gravity would always win, painfully.
One of the many things that the gym has cured me of is the fear of pain because at any given moment I have something that's sore from one thing or another and my husband has gotten used to seeing me walking strangely around the house at night when all my muscles decide to stiffen up on me from that day's workout. Just comes with the territory. Plunging headfirst onto the gym floor however is one thing that I'm not too keen on, so therefore I've avoided this "thing" that everyone seems so fond of.
In the spirit of trying something new and pushing myself past not only my physical barriers, but my psychological ones as well, I decided to try this new thing. Making sure no one was watching me, I positioned myself on the equipment and after a few false attempts gripped my muscles in and lowered my head to the floor, thinking the entire time that I was certain to go flipping over my head, onto the floor and break my neck. Fear tied itself into tight knot in my stomach as I saw the floor coming closer to my face. Then a funny thing happened: my core and leg muscles engaged themselves to bring me back up parallel, over and over until I'd done twenty reps.
As I've said before, it's the little accomplishments that spur me forward and keep me going. That and the inner curiosity that says, "I wonder if I can do that?" I get so caught up with the numbers on the scale that I forget that I'm not just shedding pounds, I'm creating something really strong. I've been training these muscles hard for over a year and it's cool now to see what they can actually do.
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