Hey! Listen to me, I'm talking to you!

One of the biggest mistakes people make when they are first starting out on an exercise program is not listening to their own body. It's one of the reasons that I think working with a trainer, when you are first getting started on a fitness program, can be a bad idea.

I'm not a fitness trainer. I have not been certified in Physical Fitness. I am a Coach. You can call me a Fitness Coach. You can call me a Life Coach. The company I work for calls me a Beachbody Coach. The difference between me and a Trainer is that I won't tell you to drop and give me 30. I will encourage, uplift, motivate, inspire, and never give up on you, even when you want to give up on yourself.

I've worked with a Trainer before. Trainers can be great for getting you into the maximum shape possible, but personally, I believe you should already be involved in some kind of an exercise program prior to working with a professional Trainer. The reason for this is because if you are not already doing some kind of exercise beforehand, you are not going to be familiar with recognizing your body's signals.

Your body will tell you a lot, if you'll only listen to it. It's quite common for people to ignore their own body's signals. That's when you end up with problems such as:

• Fatigue
• Dehydration
• Injuries, including pulled and strained muscles
• Physical Exhaustion
• Heat Exhaustion
• Heat Stroke
• Irritability
• Illness
• and even Insomnia

A trainer can't tell when your muscles have fatigued, or when you feel dizzy or light-headed. They can't tell when you have sore muscles (beyond the normal exercise soreness). Or when you have a strained joint. Oftentimes the trainer will push you harder because they think you are just being a whiner. And that's when injuries happen. And then guess what? You are down, for who knows how long, nursing a pulled muscle, or worse yet, a torn meniscus.

One thing I love about the 21 Day Fix program, that I am doing, is that the exercises all have modifications. And the trainer on the dvds not only doesn't make you feel like a loser if you're not keeping up with all of the super buff athlete/models behind her, she actually encourages you to go at your own pace. This is very smart and healthy thinking. If you pace yourself, as opposed to someone else pushing you beyond your capacity, you will avoid injury and all of the other issues listed above. You might make slower progress, but you might end up making faster progress in the long run because you took it a little slower and didn't end up flat on your back with a muscle strain or sprain.

So do yourself a favor. When your body is talking to you, stop and listen to it. Take it slower if you need to. Rest if you need to.

And go harder when you need to, as well. Your body is smart. It will tell you when it's ready for more.

Nobody knows you as well as you do.

It's About So Much More Than Losing Weight

How true that statement is.

When you first start off on your journey to health and fitness, your goals are usually pretty much the same as everyone else who wants to lose weight and get control of their lives. You are focused on the physical changes you want to see. You have a goal weight in mind. You imagine yourself being able to wear skinny jeans and walk on the beach in a bathing suit, feeling sexy and confident. You want to look in the mirror and smile instead of cringing. You're human. It's natural to compare yourself to the toned bodies you see in the magazines and on TV. We all want to feel good about ourselves and feel attractive.

But what if the healthy, toned physique is actually just a by-product? What if the most important thing you gain from all of your hard work of exercising and eating right, actually happens on the inside? Did you ever consider that along with gaining physical strength, you are also gaining other kinds of strength?


Strength of Character

Strength of Will

Strength of Discipline

Strength of Conviction

Strength of Persistence

Strength of Self Control

Strength of Integrity

Strength of Courage

Strength of Vitality

Strength of Hope

And even Strength of Spirit


Who knew that so much could be gained from a little exercise and healthy eating? And you thought you were just losing some pounds and inches! Compared to all the other strengths you gain, the physical strength seems almost insignificant. Not that it isn't important to take care of your physical body. On the contrary. It's a two-way street. The discipline it takes to forge ahead and do the work of creating that strong body is what helps you gain the other strengths. Sure, someone could have a lot of those strengths without being physically fit, but they are going to have a hard time having ALL of those strengths. Think about it. It's going to be really hard to have Strength of Discipline when you let your body go and don't take care of it. It's kind of hard to have the one, without the other.

So next time you are working out and you are noticing how strong you are getting physically, ask yourself if you are noticing increased strength in other areas of your life, as well. You might be surprised to find the answer is yes!

It's A Marathon, Not A Sprint

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I finished my first round of the 21 Day Fix this week. I had a one pound loss from last week's weigh in (four pounds total for the three weeks). It doesn't sound like a lot. “One is the loneliest number...” as the song goes. When we think of the number one, we don't get very excited. Especially when you think about how many total pounds we still have to go. But when you really think about it, a pound of fat is pretty significant. The picture above shows what a pound of fat looks like (yuck!). Think about a pound of butter. Think about how big and heavy a pound of butter feels. I burned that off my body! Wow! Of course, I still have a lot of those pounds to go, but it's best if I focus on one pound at a time, one day at a time.

You have to think of it in terms of the title of this post. Anyone who is familiar with running, whether you've done any running or you've watched the Summer Olympics, you know there is a BIG difference between a marathon and a speed race. There is a HUGE difference between running 26.2 miles and running a 100 meter dash. If you're going to lose weight the right way... the healthy way, you need to treat it like a marathon. Sure, you could do it the "speed" way. There are plenty of fad diets, starvation diets, weight loss programs that promise you 5 pounds lost in 2 days, etc., etc. But are you really losing fat? Probably very little. When you follow a fad diet, you usually do something extreme that you can only maintain for a short time. And what you usually lose is A LOT of water and most likely some muscle. So you look skinnier, but you are still a skinny "fat" person.

The last thing you want to lose is muscle. Muscle burns fat. And the more muscle you have, the more fat you burn. That's why exercise is so important to a proper, healthy weight loss program. When you combine strength building exercise with well balanced, healthy eating, you can guarantee that the pounds that you see on the scale are actually fat pounds you are losing. And besides burning fat, strong muscles are going to give you strength and energy to live your life. You'll be able to walk farther, run faster, climb stairs instead of taking the elevator, etc. Plus, you will look AMAZING! Think about how great people look when they have defined, toned muscles as opposed to someone who is skinny, yet kinda flabby. 

That kind of weight loss takes time. It doesn't happen overnight. It takes work. It takes endurance. Like a marathon. I've never run a marathon, nor do I have any desire to do so. Running 26.2 miles all in a row does not appeal to me (thank you very much). I have run 5k's and I hope to some day run a half marathon. Whether you run a marathon or a shorter race, there is always a sense of accomplishment. You feel like all of your hard work and training was worth it. I've heard marathon runners talk about how the last few miles are the hardest and you really have to dig deep and give it all you've got to make it to the end. Weight loss is a lot like that. You don't think you can keep going. You want to give up. You question whether all of the hard work is worth giving up your couch potato/potato chip eating ways. 

I can answer that in one word. Yes. Yes, it is. I've been there. I'm working on getting back there. Because life was so much better when I was on the fit side of it. There was so much more I could do and I just felt better. I felt better about myself. I felt better about life. It's worth it. Keep "running" and don't stop until you cross that finish line.

I will be there cheering for you at the end.

Weight vs. Weight

A few days ago I wrote a post in which I mentioned that I hadn't seen any change on the scale during my last weigh-in and how discouraging that can be. I talked about how important it is to keep track of measurements and to look for small victories, such as having more energy and being able to do more in your workout than you could the previous week. 

On that note, I was so excited, a few days ago, to notice a very big change in my physical fitness. I was doing the upper body workout on the 21 Day Fix program, and I noticed that the size weights I was using were too light! The instructor has you use a set of light weights and a set of heavy weights for various exercises. I had been using 3 pound weights for my light set and 5 pounders for my heavies. But that day, I was able to bump up to 5 for the light and 8 for the heavy weights! Wow! What an achievement!

It's all these little accomplishments that add up over time and give you the big results you're so anxiously looking for. Don't discount these little milestones. They are what is going to continue to encourage you when you get discouraged because the number on the scale isn't moving as quickly as you would like. 

Every extra minute you complete in a workout. 

Every squat and lunge you do more than last time. 

Every extra burpee you complete. 

Every extra sit-up. 

Every push-up.

Every extra rep. 

Every pound of weight you lift in a dumbbell will eventually add up to pounds on the scale.

Keep going. You are going to rock this. 

As long as you don't quit on yourself.

Never Give Up! Never Surrender!

I'm sure Winston Churchill has been misquoted many times as having said those words. I actually thought he did until I looked it up. He actually said, "We will never surrender". The way it's worded in the title of this blog post is actually from a movie called "Galaxy Quest". Anyone remember that? Funny, huh?

Anyway, the reason I gave the post that title is because it would be very easy for me to be discouraged and want to give up on my journey to health and fitness. I just finished week 2 of the 21 Day Fix and I weighed in this morning. Frustratingly, there was no change on the scale. But that is why we take measurements, isn't it, people?! If I hadn't measured this morning, I wouldn't have known that I lost a couple inches in my waist! So obviously something is happening. It just didn't show on the scale.

Weight is so subjective. When you step on a scale, you are weighing everything. And I mean EVERYTHING! Bones. Skin. Muscle. Water. Hair. So it really doesn't say a whole lot when I don't see a change on the scale from one week to the next. Could be I'm retaining water. Maybe I gained some muscle (which weighs more than fat, by the way). Maybe it was because I've been nursing injuries which prevented me from working out as hard as I would have liked. 

Weight loss is also very subjective. Everyone is different and everyone loses weight differently. You should never compare your progress with anyone else's. Everybody goes at their own speed and pace. One of the things I love about the workouts on the 21 Day Fix is that they have modifications so that anyone, at any fitness level, can do it. And you can work your way up and get better and better at it. Because of my injuries, I've had to take things a little slower, but I will get there. Eventually.

The important thing is that I KNOW the 21 Day Fix program is working. Maybe it's going a little slower for me than for other people, but it's working. How do I know (aside from the lost inches? Yay!)? Because I feel better. I feel healthier. I feel stronger. I have more energy. I can do more in the workouts this week than I could last week. And all of that means so much more than a number on a scale or whether somebody else lost more pounds in the same amount of time.

So, when things get hard and you feel frustrated because your results are slower than you'd like, look for the small changes. Focus on how much better you feel. Don't give the scale power over your emotions. It's an inanimate object. It doesn't care about your feelings. YOU decide how you feel! 

Just remember these words:

Never give up! Never surrender!

Does God Care About Your Physical Health?

I have this sign on the wall in my office. I look at it every day. This is my new mentality. No matter what, I do not quit. I do not give up. I keep going. Even when life throws me a curve ball. I refuse to quit.

The sign has been helpful of late. I mentioned in a previous post, that I was dealing with some injuries due to getting active again after letting myself go. And also I am old. At least the injuries made me feel that way. But staying in the "No Quit Zone" has helped me pull through. That and God. Yes, I said God. There is no doubt in my mind that there was divine intervention involved in my healing process. I woke up yesterday morning wondering if I was even going to be able to work out. I was so discouraged and frustrated. The previous day, my workout had been less than stellar. I didn't really feel like I'd even gotten much of a workout, to be truthful. My pulled ab muscle made it difficult to do a lot of the exercises without pain and I ended up sitting out several of the exercises on the 21 Day Fix dvd. Thankfully I've been doing really great on the eating portion of the program and getting my Shakeology in every day. But, still, I was frustrated. I really want to see the results of the program and be a testimony that it works. And I didn't feel I could do that if I wasn't fully able to do the workouts.

So, in my daily morning prayer, I asked the Lord to please help me heal and be able to do the whole workout. I told him that I wanted to be an example to others and an encouragement to those struggling with their own weight and health issues. And you know what? I went and did that workout. ALL of it. With no pain. And I cried. It was nothing short of a miracle. Never doubt that God knows you, listens to you, and loves you. And He cares that you take care of yourself. But more importantly, He cares that you pay it forward. And that's what I intend to do.

It's Never Too Late. It's Just A Lot Harder When You're Old.

I started doing a program called the 21 Day Fix just about a week ago. I really love it! It's simple to follow and easy to stick to. I've done many weight loss programs in the past, but this one has the best combination of exercise with nutrition I've ever seen. The eating program is well balanced and really teaches portion control like no program I've ever done before. I also include a Shakeology protein shake in my day, and I have so much more energy and no hunger or cravings. Best part of this program is I have no feelings of deprivation whatsoever! Loving it!

Unfortunately I am really frustrated with my workouts right now. My body just doesn't bounce back like it used to when I worked out 20 years ago. I know I will reach my goals, but it's just going to take a little longer to get there. <Insert heavy sigh> Thankfully I have worked out and been fit in the past. There is something called 'muscle memory' which is an amazing thing. Because I have worked out a lot over the years and have been fit before, my muscles remember what that feels like and as I'm starting back to it, they are waking up and saying, "Hey, I remember doing this before! Yeah! This feels good! Bring it on!" Unfortunately, though, being in my upper forties works against me. I have already had some pulled muscles that I've had to nurse, which forces me to slow down and take the exercises with caution.

I'm a faithful person and I believe in the power of prayer. I have seen it do amazing things in my life. In my prayers this morning, I asked for healing of my shoulder that has been sore over the last few days. I've been doing rounds of 15 minutes each of icing and heating, which has helped. But I was worried because today was an upper body workout and I really wanted to be able to do it. I know the Lord blessed me. He truly does care about ALL aspects of our lives! I was able to complete nearly all of the workout this morning. I did listen to my body and went slower and with lighter weights at times to make sure I didn't over do. It's a really good thing that I'm doing so well on the nutrition portion of the program since I'm not able to work out as hard as I would like. Guess I'm going to be praying for my abs now. I seem to have a pulled abdominal muscle, as well. It stinks to get old. All the more reason that I want to stay fit this time around so I can feel younger and have more energy going into my 50's and beyond!

And So it Begins...

So, I've blogged before. I've lost weight before. And gained it back. Many times. I've shared my personal struggles online. I've shared my weight loss journeys online before, as well. But one thing I have never done; never, EVER even considered EVER doing before -- is sharing a "Before" photo online. I'm petrified by the thought even as I write this. Even thinking about adding photos on to this blog post is making me feel sick to my stomach. I've always been amazed at people that could do it. Okay, maybe I would be alright with the idea of posting it along with my "After" picture. When I already look good. You know... "Hey, world. Look at this photo of me when I was a fat cow. But that was BEFORE. NOW look at me. I'm HOT!" Yeah, that would be okay. But that's not what I'm doing here. I've decided to post my before pictures while I still look this way. I've decided that I need the accountability. So I'm going to share my journey with the world. Maybe I'll inspire someone. And if I do, then it will be worth all of the humiliation. I hope.

     

Me at 200 lbs.

I NEVER want to see this size ever again!!