You may have caught on that I am going to be doing something called, Whole30. I put it off because of my Rodan + Fields' Convention at the end of September. I am now ready to start! So, what is Whole 30?
So what's required? Why am I doing this? I will need to cook regularly! I will need to plan my meals out. I haven't done this well for years. My joy for this died many years ago when dreams I had way back then died too, so this will be a new discipline and growth for me. I hope to rekindle my love for it. As I watched many YouTube videos of people on this Whole30 journey, there's not a doubt in my mind, that I will learn a lot about food, cooking, and my relationship with both. I will say goodbye to many foods and hello to many others. Whole30 says, "Yes," to meat, eggs, veggies, fruits, healthy oils, and nuts (not peanuts). I cannot rely so much on fruit as I have. I will need to be careful to not eat nuts as often and not as many. I do need to eat more veggies. I always knew this. A lot of the food should be the best quality if at a possibly, which usually is organic/grass fed/wild-caught. It just depends on the item. What are the rules?
Why? My doctor recommended it. When I told her I was thinking about Shakeology, she had little words. Instead, she shared about Whole30. I wasn't keen on adding in a method that wasn't all naturally anyway, so Whole30 makes complete sense to me. Plus, it will teach me what will be best for my body. More importantly, I would love to eat right to see my medical conditions vanish! They are: migraine headaches, eczema (face, scalp, inner ears), back pain, jaw clenching, acne, and occasional bloating from foods. Several years ago I started to get worse bloating and cramping from my periods also. I am being treated medically for my migraines. Thanks to my Rodan + Fields business, I no longer need to be on my steroid cream for my eczema, however, it would be nice to move into a different regimen other than the Soothe Regimen for sensitive skin. Of course I come a long way strengthening my back and core, but if food can help so I don't have the nagging pain each day, it would be amazing! It would be icing on the cake to not need any products for acne! And if I didn't feel like I wanted to be home in bed while I have my period, life would be good! The other day I felt so bloated after eating. It's not like I ate horribly, but I just got to the point where I wanted to feel good....better! I don't want my stomach to feel like that. I want to feel full of energy. Here is the good news! Doing Whole30 will:
Here's what I need!
I'd love to have your support! There is no slip up-get-a-free-day. If I decide to take a day off or mess up, the 30 days start over. It's that way, because even a bite or lick of one of those "NO" items brings inflammation, imbalances, etc. back in. It takes the full 30 days to know in the end. There are going to be tough days. There are going to be neutral days. There are going to be great days. I may blog, video, or write a Facebook message on a given day. I'd love to have you along the way. I am so thrilled that my friend, Jill, will be doing this along with me. Maybe someone else will want to join as well!! If you are the least bit interested, check out Whole30. You will want to get their books: *It Starts with Food: Discover the Whole30 and Change Your Life in Unexpected Ways (Tells you the science behind the plan) *The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom (gets you ready, recipes....just an outstanding book! What does each day look like? What to expect: Day 1: No big deal/what have I done? Day 2-3: The hangover - headache-y, a little sore, foggy (good thing I don't drink soda!) Day 4-5: Kill all things - head is clear, body feels fine, but you want to punch people for being so cheerful. Basically everything and anything annoys! The brain is not happy, because I withheld it with my previously generous reward of super-sweet, salty, fatty junk foods-and an unhappy brain is a stressed and anxious brain. Day 6-7: I just want to nap Day 8-9: No my pants are tighter! Days 10-11: The hardest days Days 12-15 I dream of junk food Day 16-27: Tiger blood - Your energy is through the roof, cravings are under control, clothes are fitting better, workouts are stronger, you feel unstoppable, Day 21: I am so over this Day 22-25: The scale (and mirror) are calling... Day 28: 28 is as good as 30, right? NO Day 29 and 30: It's almost over with. What am I going to eat now? - panic Day 30: I'll weigh myself and get measured to find out the physical victories. I was weighed and measured last Wednesday, Sept. 30. I can't wait to share my progress with you along the way. For now, you must check out some testimonials that are outstanding! There are amazing ones in the book second book as well. "Testimonials from thousands of Whole 30 participants document the improvement or "cure" of any number of lifestyle-related disease and conditions...: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 1 and 2 diabetes, asthma, allergies, sinus infections, hives, skin conditions, endometriosis, PCOS, infertility, migraines, depression, bipolar disorder, heartburn, GERD, arthritis, joint pain, ADHD, thyroid dysfunction, Dyme disease, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, lupus, leaky gut syndrome, Crohn's, IBS, Celiac disease, diverticulitis, ulcerative colitis, multiple sclerosis" (Hartwig, 3). Join in or support me! My life is going to be changed!!
1 Comment
I'd like to tell you that I am that person that handles change well - that walking into that next step which life has handed to me or God is calling me to is one that I do with ease because I know that God's got my back and has a plan for me. While I know this is all true, some change will never be easy. Maybe the change the stirs the course of our lives into another direction is the type that causes us to struggle in some way. For about a year and a half now I have worked out twice a week with two amazing women. I work out on my own around these two days, but I look forward to seeing them with our trainer and getting our sweat on as we work our butts off. Personal training as a group has definitely changed from what I knew it from my solo days, although I wouldn't trade those days. I certainly learned more about myself and gained so many lessons during those few months than I probably did in the last two years. But as a group, I feel as if we are "in it" together. We bring fun to the hard work. It's been wonderful to have the friendship of these women along the way. From time-to-time I wondered what it would be like if I had to leave the group, but those were just distant thoughts. I thought about what would happen when one of us got pregnant or moves away. I just pushed the thoughts away, because there was no point in contemplating the hypothetical. So, when the doctor said he would like me to try water aerobics instead, I just wasn't sure how to take it. His request made complete sense. Water aerobics will take the stress and pressure off my back that some of the exercises I do on land in my personal training sessions does. I asked about running. He said no to running, because it jars the body (or something of the sorts). That was very disappointing even though it made sense. He talked about why this was so important for my back and that I can't keep going with this inflammation and continual "cycle" that I do. I continue to battle and work out knots in my lower back. He said that if I keep going like this that in 5+ years the little arthritis I do have already (I didn't know I had any), will grow. I asked several more questions to help wrap my mind around the outcome before me and the change that was going to be all too soon. The doctor asked me if I needed a doctor's note, since he realized how serious it was for me to share (with those I train with) the news that I would not be training together anymore. So many thoughts swarmed my mind. I even thought, "I can't stop personal training," but there's always a reason for everything. So, of course I rationally thought about how this might be God's perfect timing telling me I have to do something different for some reason. And sitting here tonight thinking about that some other reason, I wonder if maybe my body needs something new. Maybe that type of training has run its course for my back. It certainly has strengthened my back (and my body overall) and reduced the back pain, but maybe a new method could help reduce it further. It was not easy sharing with my personal training group. After all, I view this as a lifestyle change and what our group is now will be no more. After sharing with the girls tonight, I realized just how much "doing it" on my own schedule will be if I am not doing group personal training. I certainly have working out into my schedule decent enough, but changing it up is never an easy task. It will take a few weeks to figure out my new schedule. I hope to continue personal training alone one day a week to work on my upper body and core exercises that don't strain my back. I've done water aerobics before, and I had hoped to do it again. I even bought a swimsuit for it, so now here's my chance to use it. My back pain has been a part of my product - of where I am today - and it will get me where I need to be in the future. It is that internal drive that pushes me and that without a doubt disciplined me into someone that is healthier, stronger, and fitter. I don't know if I'd ever be as disciplined as I am if I didn't have a back that needs almost daily physical exercise, however, I'd never wish to have this just to gain the good. It could have been very easy to have continued with my weekly chiropractor appointments just to make it through the week without such horrible pain. I lived in constant fear of my back going out again. It could have been so easy to let myself fall into a deep depression over my situation, because at times it did feel hopeless. But I knew that God created me for so much more than how I was living. I also knew that the body He created was designed for so much more than what it was doing at that time. Hard work produces amazing results. And so, I turn now to a new direction in this back/getting fit for life journey. I'm not quite ready to let go of some dreams for the future that I had hoped for, so I am just going to focus on this as a time for now to see what this change will bring. I'll go with what is next in the fitness plan knowing I'll making goals along the way as I've always done. To the new set of challenges and accomplishments...stay tune! One of the very best videos on change, your future, and becoming your best! Watch every second. I had an appointment with my doctor the other day. I meet with her once a month where she helps to loosen some tight muscles in my back and neck. Her technique is called, Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT). "There are a variety of OMT techniques. With these techniques, manual force is applied to the problem area(s) of the body in order to treat structural abnormalities. The physician then applies specific corrective forces to relief joint restrictions and misalignment's." ( http://www.prevea.com/Medical-Services/Integrative-Medicine/) Since she has to move my body and apply resistance as I push back on her so my muscles loosen up and other "things" go back to where they're suppose to, she has come to know how much my body has changed over the last year or two. The last few sessions she has made comments about the increase in flexibility and being able to move my body around a lot easier. Today she commented again about my progress. I told her my chronic back pain is my motivator. She said that doesn't always keep people going. I explained how I don't ever want to have the fear of my back going out again, and that I don't want to feel like I am so much older than I really am. I don't understand why people would rather give up and live with such horrible pain. She said that I should be on a billboard. I had to laugh. But really...if I were on a billboard for this, what would it say? What would it look like? If you had to sell something you did well, what would it be? Would it be good enough to affect people? It really got me thinking. Take some time. Thinking about your billboard. Seriously, what would yours say? I told my boyfriend about this. I ended up saying that I'd rather be a poster at the Y. But for kicks, here's my billboard: Tonight I made a weight loss goal. That's right a WEIGHT LOSS GOAL! You read correctly! I haven't focused so much on my weight loss, although I do monitor it regularly keeping a close eye on it weekly. It is important that I am losing weight, but it usual is not my focus. I do want being fit and healthy to remain my overall focus as I work on this goal. However, I do believe I should be losing regularly at a faster rate. I should not be yo-yoing back and forth between losing and gaining weight because of good and then poor eating habits (a binge of craptastic foods while eating good foods). So, this entire summer of losing and gaining the same 5 pounds is over! IT'S OVER! It was over last week. Tonight I was driving home thinking more about this. My friend, JR, came to my mind also. She made a healthy goal for 100 days yesterday! Maybe I should set a goal, too! I started thinking long term. When should I have all my weight off by? Hmm...that goal is too big...then this whole fit thing would become all about losing weight. Think smaller. So, I thought smaller. I thought about what my next big weight loss milestone would be - 20 pounds - and when it could be achievable. Could I achieve it by the end of the year? I do believe it is possible, BUT I do need to stay on top of my healthy eating and exercise. Eating clean really makes the biggest difference. Here is my goal for the world to know: To lose 20 pounds by January 2015. Right now I am about 44% of the way towards my weight loss goal. Twenty more pounds would be 60%. I will keep you updated with my progress along the way. Keep me in your prayers as I fast OFTEN from desserts and a lot from foods that most people eat. I'm fortunate to live this lifestyle for a while now, and I pretty much see it as a way of life. However, it still is very hard a times. I still have fighting moments within me where I just want to cry like a 2-year-old, because I didn't get my dessert for the day or meal. It is a serious defeat, my friends, when I consistently pass up Dairy Queen and Culver's (one just opened up 5 minutes from my house...for the love of God...have mercy!). I probably did this 3-4 times last week! Also, eating clean is eating foods that do not have preservatives in them. I should be eating organic foods/grass fed beef all the way, which I haven't switched over to yet. Someday I want to. However, eating healthy takes careful planning, dedication, and will power. In the end, I feel better and I see better results on the scale! So, join me for this wild ride of 20 pounds by January. I should ideally be losing 1.6 pounds a week. Everything always gets more exciting when there are goals. Here's to 114 days, to hard work, to sacrifice, to myself, to my future, and to the better version of me to come! ~Thank you in advance for all your support!~ Today was a great day! It started with a decision to make it a positive day. I posted this on Facebook: "This morning make a decision to not let one negative word come out of your mouth today. NOT ONE. Will you agree? Up for the challenge?" I was excited to do this after the last few days that seemed stressful. I know much of our attitudes can make or break our days, but getting ready for Faith Formation registration can be a trying time! lol So, today I was going to try hard to MAKE it a great day, especially by keeping my thoughts and words positive! To my surprise, the keynote speaker to the Administrator's Day today was a gym teacher! That explained why we were to dress casual and why we were going to be active. Before I knew it, gym teacher Steve had us in a circle around two ropes in the shape of a circle. One rope was inside of the other. I can't quite remember the excise exactly, but it went something like this: We were to decide where we wanted to go.
Where do you think I went and why? It felt good to go to the inner most circle. The inner most circle is new to me! It is out of my comfort zone. It is a place of risk taking, adventure, and of the unknown. On this day, it was also a place that could test my physical abilities. That was also exciting. When did that get exciting for me?!? It felt new, odd, and exciting to go to the inner circle. But here's the thing, I now have the confidence in myself and my physical abilities to go to that inner circle - a place of risks, adventure, and of the unknown. When did this happen? It happened over time, slowly but surely. It happened through conditioning my body gaining muscle and strength. It happened when I achieved goals that I never thought were possible (and I am still making new goals ALL THE TIME!). It happened when this kind of lifestyle became a way of life and started to change my life...embracing the unknown with confidence is just one change. I tell people that working out will change your life far beyond losing weight. As I reflected on what got me to go to the inner circle, it felt great knowing it was all my hard work at the gym (with and without a personal trainer...but especially with) that got me there! It has nothing to do with how I looked, but 100% on what my body is capable of achieving and my confidence. If you don't believe me, I can prove it to you! There were times that I was still self-conscious about my body image as we did physical activities. I didn't like the clothing I was wearing. Of course I didn't come in my workout clothes to an in-service type day! But that didn't matter. What mattered was my confidence, willingness to step in and try, and knowing my body is capable. When this is true, so much can happen in our lives! I came across this blogger who has shared 10 truths about working out. It is one of the best articles I've read! When I read this, I found myself say, "YES," to every single truth. More living happens the more active, healthy, confident, and happy we are. So who once said that all we have to fear is fear itself? When we don't fear the fear to the point that it stops us in our tracks anymore, but we take control and move beyond...much can happen. The "impossible" can happen. Dreams are born. We are far more powerful than we can even image goes the other saying. Check out this video: Decisions to make to reprogram your brain to overcome fear:
You can reprogram your brain to overcome fear! You can do anything you set your mind to! A few weeks ago Trainer Tyler took our workout session outside. To me these are always hard sessions and ones the fighter from within must show up for a good fight! It was a good fight... Never in all the times I've been in a tractor riding along side my dad and grandfather, did I think, "Yeah, I'm going to lift and turn one of those tires one day!" Well, the dead weight of a tire sat on the grass waiting for us - my partner and me. You don't lift these babies with your back or you'll hurt your back, so down we went into a squat inching our fingers underneath the tire. Then we counted to 3 and began to lift the tire using the strength in our arms and legs to push up. Next my knee helped push the tire more into the upright position and our arms did the rest of the work with a grunt (by me!). Here's a picture to get an idea, BUT it was absolutely necessary to squat lower. After about 8-10 of these, we picked up regular-sized tires and flung them from one hip crossing over our body and up to the opposite shoulder and released them. We repeated this many times. These are called windmills. Then we were off to the hill! Bear crawls up and crab walks down. This was the toughest on my body with a side ache. Repeated 3 times. Run back and repeated everything all over again! I can't remember what else we may have done different...dips on the tire and maybe other exercises, but we returned to the tire lifts for a total of 3 rounds. Which means we lifted them close to 30 times all together. It was tough. Was it the most painful exercise so far? No. BUT, it was very challenging and close to impossible without my partner and the determination that I was going to get the job done! Afterwards, it was pretty amazing to reflect on it. A year ago, I NEVER would have had the strength to do that. The adrenaline that kicked in to get the job done was exhilarating! That tire was going to be flipped. We were flipping them. We were strong, and we were powerful! That's the adrenaline. It is pretty amazing even when you don't think you have anything more to give! The work I do when I am working with a personal trainer is hard. It is by far the hardest work my body has ever done. My body never experienced what an athlete's does in high school and college, nor did it even experience being active on its own through running or working out regularly. It wasn't any easier from the beginning carrying more than 100 extra pounds either. I think I could safely say that most people in my situation don't last as long as I have with personal training. It ain't no gym class, and I hated gym! lol I can completely understand why after a session or two why people say they felt like they were dying and never came back. I felt like I was dying a slow death and maybe a fast one at times. Last week I had a migraine and I felt like I was going to puke. A few months ago my stomach hurt, and I was barely hanging on. A year ago was pretty rough coming back after two weeks from being sick. Sometimes the sessions are so hard that I barely making it. BUT the thing is, I didn't die. And the next day I am healthier, fitter, and stronger. "Pain is weakness leaving the body." Soon what was painful isn't painful anymore, because I've trained and got those muscles into shape. As I get stronger, I become powerful. It is powerful to know as a woman that I am fit (or on my way) - that I have toned and strengthened the muscles that God gave me, so that when I need to do certain tasks they aren't hard or impossible anymore. My body is powerful and I know it is. We can do amazing things with our bodies, but we have to take care of them. I continue to realize what I can do that I couldn't before. Today I realized for the second time that I can come into a sit-up position without using my hands. This spring I realized how easy it was to lift the large bag of ice in the store using only my arm strength. Before I would have used my back, whereas now I engage my core and lift using my arms, which has the strength now. This builds confidence as well. I don't worry about my back going out again, and I am beginning to do more things physically that I just couldn't do before. I would without a doubt recommend personal training for anyone. But you will work your butt off. You will want to stop. Saying it is hard is an understatement at times. And you might just think you are dying. However, your body will be transformed in ways you never imagined and that spills over into other areas of your life. It does get easier in someways, but there is always something in fitness that will kick your butt. I simply just recommend getting active, fit, and eating healthy. Just think if I didn't take the year off after I joined the Y like I did, I would be even closer to my goals. Here are some quotes to get you thinking... I refuse to settle for the trap of feeling old, because I am getting older. I hope that my body is faithful to me as I work at it each and everyday. I've been at it for a year now! I am going to be straight up honest here - I am tired and frustrated with people that complain that they feel old, but continue to do nothing about it. Come on people, 36, 37, and 40...are not old. It really isn't. When you think about it, people that age may live over double that in our world today. DOUBLE! My grandpa is over 80-years-old right now. His mind is sharp; he is funny; he loves his wife; he prays everyday. Now he has the right to say he is an old man, and he has been saying he is old for the last few years. He has worked very hard in his life, he has pains from real old age, and his heart hurts as he watches his wife's memories go. But when I started to feel old at 29 and 30, I was NOT going to settle and become complacent ANYMORE. But it took some time to get there. We can feel old in all sorts of ways: extra weight, injury, illness, disease, responsibility with children, children growing up and/or moving on, taking care of parents, a job we don't like, working too much, losses of all kinds (job, child, boyfriend, parent, spouse, desire to..., house, debt, a sense of purpose/drive, etc.), and so on. However, we were never made to be weighted down by this heaviness. I remember being on a retreat that talked about the seasons of our lives. It was so neat to think that we naturally go through all four seasons in our lives. The seasons change, just as things in our lives change. If something in our lives is making us feel old, it is how we are perceiving it and ourselves. The perception can be changed. I can remember distinct moments where I have said to myself and others that I feel old physically, because of the extra weight my body was carrying, my back pain, and the lack of shape my body was in. My body still wants to break free and go and do the things it is designed to do at this age, but it struggles. Just think, what can your body do if it is taken care of well? I am 32. What can my 32-year-old body do if it is in its prime shape? I am about 1/3 of the way to finding out that answer. It gets more and more exciting the closer I get away from, "I feel old" and closer to, "I feel great." So, my, "I feel old," is physical. What is yours? Maybe yours is too. Or maybe, it's one of the other reasons I listed above. What can you do so you don't feel old? I think it comes down to having goals for yourself, something to reach for that invigorates your life, makes you a better - a more whole person. We can sit around and let life pass us by, but we will continue to feel old until the "cows come home." No one can change your life except you. The amazing part is when life starts to change after the work is put in, life becomes better! As part of my fitness plan, I wanted to get a WI state sticker, so I could explore and hike around High Cliff State Park. I didn't end up getting one last year. In fact, I didn't end up going there much at all last year, because a lot of people weren't around to go with me. I was so disappointed on beautiful Saturday mornings. I decided this past Saturday, that I am not going to mope around this summer, because people are busy doing their "thing," and I have no one to do anything with. Guess what? I have plans. I have places to see. I am going to be active. Maybe you'll join me or maybe you'll see me out and about. My life is important and so is getting to what I want my age to feel like is. This past Saturday I bought that sticker. It is a present to me for my year of successes and for what is to come this summer! My High Cliff Hike (Red Bird Trail) -June 31, 2013 In the end, it was nice going alone. I had some time to think by myself, take in nature, and be quiet. Along the way, I thought metaphorically about the trail, its terrain, and life. You'll see some of that in the pictures. For example, at one point in the trail, there is a very hot, dry, rocky area that is not covered by shade. To me it can symbolize the hard times in life, the dry dessert-like times. While on my hike I reflected that I am glad to be out of my dessert times. There were rocks placed sporadically throughout this place. Each area could mean something different to a person. I love taking pictures of trails. This trail in particular looks so different along the way, just like our life. Towards the end of the trail is a more meadow-like tree covered area after you pass some camping. It is very peaceful. It is less rocky. One side of the trail almost always has the opportunity to do some rock climbing if one chooses to. I only chose to once. Rock climbing is not my strong suit. Especially being along, I sought out a small and rather easy climb. I was pleased with my progress. My "mountain climb" since 2010 has been the most difficult journeys in my life, so it does feel good to actually physically climb sometimes while thinking about that. I hope to feel I've reached the mountain top soon. I know it's close. How could I not snap some shots of flowers. They bring such joy to my life. (The pictures do not do justice here, but I hope you enjoy and reflect!) Reflective Questions:
Remember only you can change this, no one else can. I close with words from Dr. Maya Angelou. May she touch your heart today. She's a beautiful woman. May her words soak into you and inspire you if nothing I've said has. When I decided to start losing weight again, I knew I would not be sharing the details with everyone this time. The decision was and still is very intentional. Today, I'd like to share with you why I keep most of my progress to myself, my doctors, and my personal trainer. Beyond that, my boyfriend knows some, but not what I weigh, what all my goals are and what I am currently working on and fighting through. So, you see, you aren't the only one that doesn't know. You are the majority.
It took two years to lose my weight the last time. I realized that I was constantly evaluated throughout that time. At first it was hard to take in the praise. Then it was empowering, and I learned how to accept it joyfully. At the end, I just wanted to go on living life normally. For two years I was constantly bombarded with praise from college classmates, friends, and family. It didn't take long to figure out that when you gain weight the talk doesn't grow silent; it just goes behind close doors. It was painfully obvious when there wasn't anything "good" going for me at family gatherings, since the physical is such a focus with one side of my family. Either nothing was said about how good I was looking (because obviously I wasn't) or someone pointed out something that could look good despite my body weight (for example, my hair). I hate myself when I get caught up in this behavior as well. I'd much rather be into the, "I miss yous; how have you been?; it's been so long!" People don't realize it, but the "gaining weight and I'm no longer "beautiful" stage" is quite hurtful. It's hurtful, because others make it that way. It doesn't have to be that way. It doesn't have to be that way, because weight doesn't have to be the focus. Being healthy, fit, and happy can be the focus. And that is what I am choosing. When you do not tell people how much weight you have lost, it is not the focus. I believe that it is counter cultural to not share your weight loss. It is different when someone asks and my response is, "I am not sharing my weight loss." At first it was very frustrating for some. They thought I wasn't allowing them to be happy for me. Like in some way, I wasn't allowing them to join me in this journey by being happy for my milestones. But this is what I want everyone to know: I want to live life normally, day in and day out without being evaluated. I don't need praise necessarily (for motivation, for encouragement, for a good job well done, etc.). To me being healthy, fit and happy is a life-long journey, and I am going to be working on it everyday of my life. This way about things sets me free. The whole purpose for getting healthier also sets me free. Yes, I naturally need to lose weight, but I started and continue to workout and do strength training for my back and to reduce migraines. This is where the getting healthier comes in. I want to get healthier. If it were just about losing weight, like the last time, I think it would be easier to gain it all back again. I never want to experience this chronic back pain each day ever again if it does go away when I reach a point in my fitness. So, I work hard at becoming fit for life, not just thin (a possible fad). I am training myself for a lifetime of habits...a lifestyle I like, value, and understand its importance. So, if I would tell you the number of pounds I lost, what would it tell you? It would not tell you:
I'd like to share some insights I gave to someone back in August of last year when she asked me to following question about working out and going to the gym: "What are you doing and how do you stay motivated to go?"
I think this is a good follow up post after my last one. August 13, 2013 #1 I hate working out, too. I always have. It is hard. It always has been. I don't like it. Pain never feels good. They say pain is weakness leaving the body...because after all, you are getting stronger each time. What I have come to learn is this...it doesn't matter if I hate it. It is good for me. We don't always have to like what is good for us. #2 I am staying motivated first because of my back. My back went out for the second time right before last Labor Day. I was stuck in a church basement with colleagues. Two of them helped me get out of there, but it took A LONG TIME. I almost thought we were going to need to call the ambulance...no lie. There was no elevator. Every step was painful. Then there was the stairs up...and into the car. Those ladies were miracles that day. One of them took me to Urgent Care where I got muscle relaxants. Thank God they took me, rather than having ER fees (but that's where I probably needed to go). I started seeing a chiropractor once a week regularly (more in the beginning to make it through this initial back injury...from lifting something too heavy for me) for 7 months - very expensive. This spring I decided to do something more proactive than reactive... I HAD TO. I had to start working out regularly and to hire a personal trainer to work on strengthening my core and back. My chiropractor talked about how weak my core was...and essentially my back was...if I couldn't make it a week without an adjustment. I do remember a time when I felt young and without back pain. It was in college and right after college (when I was thin). I don't want to feel like I am 40+ for the rest of my younger life. I don't want to feel this back pain each day, and I surely don't want to have my back go out ever again if I can avoid it by doing what I HAVE TO DO. My body screams at me every morning to take care of it, because my back is sore every morning. This is my cross I carry, because I haven't taken care of my body. BUT...it doesn't have to stay this way....I can change it...and hopeful my body will respond positively! #3 My neurologist says that I need to be working out...having physical activity everyday to prevent migraines. So my back and head feel better when I am active. I may hate every minute of working out, BUT it is good for me. I pay the consequences if I don't do it. Part of growing up and being responsible are doing those things that we must even if we don't like to. Why did we want to grow up when we were kids? It's so much easier being a kid, isn't it? hehe I'll take the sandbox any day please! Do I workout everyday? I am better at this some weeks than others. #4 That sexy woman that is fighting to come out...will come out again. Those sexy ass jeans. Those sexy size 12 clothes hanging in the closet. I lost all that weight to gain all of it back, plus some. That was not suppose to happen. It was hard work. That will never happen again unless some of it comes back on due to pregnancy. It's harder now, because I refuse to count everything. I want it to be more natural. It's harder now, because I am older. I will not date someone that does not support a healthy, active lifestyle. I gained 70 pounds while dating someone for two years. He didn't support this kind of lifestyle. I let too many things go. I lost myself in that relationship. I am fighting for me...for me! Every time I want to give up, the sexy woman comes back for more, BUT...I can promise you this...the other motivators win each time...if it weren't for them...I don't know if I would have shown up for my training sessions each time, because the sessions kick my butt. #5 Progress is motivation...remember when you could fit into smaller clothes sizes!? That's exciting. That is just starting to happen. My muscles are getting stronger. My core and back are starting to get stronger. My trainer would modify moves and after a while, they don't need to be modified. The number on the scale goes down. Losing inches on your waist...and so on... #6 Find what works for you. I know that the gym will work for me. Tapes will not work for me. I will not come home, plug the tape in, and do it each and every day. I know however, that I will pack my bag, go to the gym, and work out. I am paying money for that membership and my motivators help me to get there. I wish I had machines at home for the times I couldn't get to the gym. I would die for an elliptical. I am on a scholarship program with the YMCA. I pay $21 a month. The regular singular membership is $40. I can go anywhere in the country with that membership. That's what I like. I worked out in Menasha the other week! Since I work north of Green Bay, I workout in that area after work, but if I work late...need to get home to eat...I'll do that and then workout later in Kimberly. You can't always do that with some of the gyms. When I was in MN visiting a friend, I almost went to their Y to workout, but I didn't end up having time. #7 Never wait for motivation. I learned that we may never be motivated, so you can't wait for it. To get things done, you just have to do them. You schedule important things into your life. You prioritize them. You plan and prepare well for them. What clothes do you need? What equipment/supplies? Am I all set to go for each time? You are important enough to do this for yourself. It was time for me to get serious. That's what turning 30 was all about for me. It doesn't have to be 30 for you. It could be something else. #8 Surround yourself with motivation. There are great websites and groups on facebook. Share what kind of encouragement you need and ask for it. Set realistic goals. I am in love with Sparkpeople right now on here. Make sure you have positive people in your life. #9 Humble yourself. I have story upon story that you would laugh your butt off with. This chubby girl tucked her shirt into her workout capris. This girl let her 25-year-old male trainer pinch her fat for the pinch test. I've been on all fours climbing all over with my butt in the air. I've done jumping jacks with my shirt going up...and I think my belly peeked out...oh my Lord...have mercy. He's probably seen my boobs in my sports bra if he's seen down my shirt a few times. The list could go on. I am humbled almost every single time. Sometimes I am working out when there are people from church there. Those are moment, too. I tell Tyler (trainer) that laughter helps get though this. I've wanted to quit almost every single time. I've wanted to call him swear words every single time. And the last time I wanted to puke. I walk strong and proud through that gym with my messy, two pig-tailed buns of a hair-do knowing I am headed to where I am going in life, and I am one step closer. If you choose a gym, you can do it alone. It is just a process to get there. You will be taught many things about yourself and life first. If you decide a different route, you will learn many lessons, too. ___________________________ I hope something here inspires and motivates you to action to take better care of yourself, whether it be physical, emotionally, or in another way. Blessings on your journey! Amy I started going to the chiropractor for the first time in 2008. I was in my second year of ministry, which was a lot of desk/computer work except for meetings, Faith Formation (Wednesday) nights, and Youth Ministry happenings. However, no one taught me good posture techniques for sitting at a desk and using a phone. I can't remember my back pain, but it was what drove me to the chiropractor for the first time.
What I can distinctly remember was my neck pain. The right side of my neck hurt so badly every night, I could have cried. I had no idea what this was from. It took careful evaluation of everything that I was doing to finally figure out that I was resting the phone to my shoulder. That simple action of tilting my head to the right to rest the phone on my shoulder over and over again day in and day out caused a lot of damage. Why did I do this? My phone didn't have a speaker option, and I needed to write while I talked. So, I went to the chiropractor, did my exercises that he gave me, and slowly my back started to feel a little better. From that point on, it seemed like I was either seeing a chiropractor or wishing I was when I wasn't. They could help to relieve the pain for a short period of time. Of course it is also so easy to get out of alignment. I can't even imagine how much money I have spent on going to the chiropractor. October 14, 2011 (written) So here’s what happened an hour or so ago. I was about to get in the shower when my back almost went out. It has done this a few times in my life no matter how much I weigh. I sat there for a while and eventually was able to move, stretch slowly, and I made my way to the bed where I continued to stretch. I sat on the edge of the bed continuing to stretch little by little, breathing, listening to my soft music in the background, actually taking time for myself for a change without rushing, and thinking. It wasn’t the first time that I felt like I was 40+ years old. I didn’t like feeling that old. I wondered how many days I had until I turned 30 and how I was going to let my life be like in my thirties. I turned 29 in April. April was a while ago and I was letting these days and months slip by where I can turn my life around and make it better. Could this be my motivation this time…my last time? I slowly made it upstairs to ice my back and here I am. I turn 30 in 171 days. I know that it isn’t all about 30 and that everything all of sudden changes in that one day. That isn’t the point. Will I have a crisis? I don’t know. Am I having one now? Maybe. This whole last year+ has been one heck of a life crisis I could say. So, how could this be called a crisis…lol. Maybe, it’s getting serious. Not too much later than that I looked into gym memberships and choose the YMCA since they have so many locations and a scholarship program. What I started to realize was the days I worked out were the days my back felt good. So, even though I should be working out to reduce my migraines, it helped so much with my back pain. I also started to lose weight. Of course I was watching what I ate as well. August 2012 Right before Labor Day Weekend, my back went out. Looking back now, I should have seen it coming. For five months, I lifted, carried, held, and danced with a four-year-old boy. Of course this activity should be ok for someone my age, but not someone with chronic back pain and then with my additional weight my body had. Even though I lifted a heavy furniture item up a flight of stairs with my dad the night prior (which I shouldn't have been doing either), my back was being worn on and down day in and day out. At least that's what I am reading - a back injury usually just doesn't come on like that. This back "injury" was by far the most painful and scary. I wasn't even sure I was going to get out of a church basement. I could barely move, let alone walk. By the grace of God and two very patient colleagues, I made it up the stairs and to the walk-in clinic. The recovery was very painful, even though they didn't find anything. I went to a new chiropractor the next day, because I couldn't take the pain. It was that or the ER. I could barely walk even with the meds. The chiropractor became what I looked forward to each week. Just short of a year by a few months, I ended up going to my chiropractor's partner in the office. He came out and said that my back and core were extremely weak. He showed me exercises that I needed to start doing. One I couldn't do, because I was so afraid of the pain in my back. (It took months to be able to do the normal plank. I had to start with the modified, and I stayed with it for a very long time.) His message that day was a WAKE UP CALL. I was confused about why his partner never mentioned this to me and didn't show me exercises. BUT IT WAS TIME TO CHANGE MY LIFE AND HABITS! I met with my doctor to talk about going back to the YMCA (I had taken time off, unfortunately, after my back injury) and working with a personal trainer. I told her that I need to be proactive to avoid another back injury rather than reactive, which I felt like a lot of my last year was at the chiropractor. However, I do not believe that all chiropractor care is reactive or unnecessary. I still do go from time-to-time, but it is only a few times a year. If I could tell you what training was like in the beginning, I would describe it like hell on earth. I can't remember all of it anymore. I think partially because time has gone by and partially because I hated it so much. The ONLY motivation that brought me back each time was my back pain. I went in a confident woman. And there were times the scared girl that had to over come her fears came out. Yes, sometimes it was far more than just a physical challenge. I was also a fighter and a whinny puppy that just wanted to give up...because it hurt, I didn't know how to do it right; I was scared; and I was exhausted. I trained for three months. I started physical therapy for my back, which taught me stretches to do. My physical therapist also does deep tissue massages, which I live for to loosen up my deep knots or tight muscles in my lower back and gluts. We both agree that my back is less tight and stronger when I am working with the personal trainer. I started back with personal training in February, but this time I am doing it with two other women to save money. I would describe it as "a slow death" most of the time. There are a few occasions where I don't feel like I want to die or where I am dying. lol I only get afraid every once in a while now. I do remember laughing a lot more the first time. I think it was to make it though. Now, I feel as though I am going into war. It is not funny (not that it was before). And it is as if I am saying, "Let's get the torture over with." Training is not a game. It is not fun. Jillian Michaels has a quote about if you aren't puking, fainting, or dying, keep going...or something like that. Yes, there has been a time I could have puked. I've been a little light headed. And I've wanted to die almost every time, but I haven't. So, why do I keep going? Because it's good for me. My back needs it. I need to lose the weight. I am a fighter, and I have goals I need to reach. So, what if I do all this work and I still have back pain? That is a fear of mine, but I am not willing to give up. I am always reading about how to make the back and core stronger. I just stumbled across Foundational training. This is my latest program I am going to try. You can read more about it here or watch their videos. They also have several on YouTube. I'll post results as soon as I have them. The reviews are excellent. It is exciting becoming more fit, although it will always be a battle until the back feels good. |
So this is me...I am a woman who lives with passion, self-reflection, and a desire to do God's will.
Archives
August 2018
Categories
All
|