Have you ever written a blog post only to log onto your website to find out they were only in your head and never actually made it to the page? Um, yeah… that’s me. I have “published” three blog posts in the past few months in case you were wondering. We will just move forward, ignoring that blatant four-month gap.
I don’t want to do an end of the year recap, because frankly, this year isn’t over and I am still working on my goals. 2018 isn’t the start of a bright and shiny new year; I will be moving on through, still chugging along from the month before. So I thought I would touch up on a few of the recent written subjects.
50 in 5: well that didn’t turn out the way I thought it would. [crickets chirping]
I have been working out with my WONDERFUL butt kicker of a trainer, Linzee, for nine months. I went into this weight loss round, totally thinking I could just do the same thing, the same old way I have been since my 20’s. Just work out for a little bit, via DVD, drop the pounds within the month and be back to normal. Nooooo way…. apparently when you turn 35, things change. Well things changed at 25… and at 30…. and now 35. Long gone were the days of just a few minimal changes to drop 10 pounds. And here to stay are the long-term, hard-working, less drinking, more focused, less vegging, everything sticks with you, days.
It probably wasn’t until last month, I finally realized I need to focus on THIS body (not my visions of years past) and stopped feeling like such a failure. It’s a process, not just a journey. You have to build muscle before being able to shed layers of fat. Looking back, I am stunned that at the beginning of this “project” I could barely hold a plank or do the dreaded walking lunge across the basketball court. But now my body is able to do…way WAY more! I may not know all the terminology when it comes to the fitness moves that Linzee uses, but I get the gestures. At 6:30 AM, it’s like trying to play Simon Says, and hoping that my body can coordinate what exercises she has in store, but I love it! I am encouraged every day to do better and work harder.
After the first six months with a personal trainer, I decided I wanted to buckle down on the nutrition and food. While I had increased my training sessions from two days a week to three, along with some random classes at the gym on the side, it wasn’t enough. I am a healthy eater, there is no doubt about it. But when it came to my stress level at work, that is a whole different subject. It was a matter of looking at the bigger picture, like what I ate throughout the day. I’m not one for fatty foods and high carbs; I enjoy fresh or blanched green vegetables, not dipped in Ranch dressing or fried in fat. To lose weight, I couldn’t go the easy route of cutting the soda or bread eating, as I already wasn’t eating that. For me, my weakness was stress = sugar. It didn’t matter what form it came in, I would take it. Pop-tarts, wine, cake, ice cream, wine, candy bars, did I say wine? All of the above. It wouldn’t necessarily be a daily thing, but more than a few times a week, which was one time too many.
I know that I am different, actually, scratch that! No one is alike. No body, no food pyramid, no metabolism, no digestive track… the list goes on and on. Each of our bodies process stuff differently and it has taken time for me to acknowledge it. Something that works for one person, may not work for another. I can’t bounce back like I could 10 years ago. My system can’t process eggs, dairy, or gluten, and struggles with animal protein (yeah, that was a fun roller coaster of a time of finding out).
So what do you do when you are finding out that your “food diary/ meal tracker” is great except for the slip-ups that happen more frequently than not? You add in other forms of exercise and solutions to being held to the promise you made to yourself. Besides the three days a week with Linzee, I have added on Yoga, Ballet Sculpt, and Tai Chi over the weekends. This is to help keep my stress level low and prepare my mind for when I go off my meds. I have a weekly weigh in and (the cringe worthy front, side, and back) photos, which holds me accountable along with seeing the physical side affects to what I am (or am not) doing. I can see the difference in my body after consuming high sodium food or wine for a day, versus clean eating and drinking only water. I’m proud of myself for admitting I needed help and grateful for Linzee to step up and take me on as a client. She has guided me from an embarrassed, self-conscious, flabby ass – to a proud, happy, and goal driven woman.
If you are interested in being whipped into shape, she’s available in Colorado and online! Check out her Instagram or Twitter for her latest photos, trends, and more information!
Surgery: It went well and I am fully recovered. I have a happy and healthy-ish uterus that is just itching for an embryo. Until then, I will keep focused on my mind and body. I need to keep my alcohol intake at basically none… and meditate more. Thanks to the classes at Cherry Creek Athletic Club, I am slowly learning yoga and tai chi or can hit up the treadmill for a quick burn or go for a swim to chill out.
I forgot: I failed to mention I got married… like 6 months ago. Completely eliminated the fear of fitting into a dress or planning the right party for hundreds of people. It was just me, my husband, and a signed legal document. Perfect.
And last but not least, because it is the holiday season, I thought I’d share our postcard this year I’m pretty proud of being able to create it during my first go round with Adobe Photoshop and in 45 minutes! Major kudos to Lisa Glanz and her portrait creator for making the hardest part easy.
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