Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Why I Choose to Push Past My Limits


It's 7 a.m. my muscles ache as usual, I'm exhausted to the point I know I could sleep hours longer, my brain is foggy and I'm wobbly just stepping out of bed.  So why bother?  I have a perfectly good excuse, any doctor would back me up.  But that has never been me.  I'm stubborn, just ask my mom. Tell me I can't do something and I'm likely to make it a point to prove you wrong.

I discovered something even before being diagnosed with MS, I love the adrenaline rush from pushing my body.  I had never been strong before, I had no idea what being healthy was all about or how to even get started.  I barely survived pregnancy.  So when I was done having my girls and had time to focus on me, I began to see the big picture.  I started trying new things like road biking, jogging, teaching Pilates and fitness classes. I couldn't get enough. I had never envisioned myself as being a fit person,  I had suffered from years of depression and anxiety.  All I wanted to do was figure out a way to happy for myself and my family.   Now I had this amazing outlet and it was working.

Then the day comes when you are told you have a disease that will alter your life's path.  There is no cure, no way of knowing what the long term effects will be, accompanied by a long list of "what to avoid".  And let me tell you the list is long! After years of trying to find a balance of working out without over doing it, I starting to feel defeated by my disease. During one of my scheduled Neurology visits my nurse looked at me and said "Your expectations are too high, you want to feel better and we are just trying to maintain your health."  I was so mad, who are you to tell me I won't feel better!?  And that became my WHY for pushing past my limits.  I lift weights so my muscles will get stronger, I continue to be a fitness instructor so my coordination and mind are challenged,  I do things I'm afraid to do so I know I'm living life not just watching it.

My best two hours of my day, when I feel the most "normal" is when I'm working out, teaching a class, mowing the lawn, walking my dogs, but doing what I love.  No one is going to want to push themselves doing something they hate doing.

 Teaching fitness and training is the hardest thing I do but the most rewarding.  I push past the tired, the pain and fear because I'm not alone.  I'm one in many.  You all are the reasons I do what I do.  I hope to build up those that are discouraged, make the imperfect know they don't have to be and show those that don't where to begin, where the start line is. Remember...Limits are only limits if you don't reach past them.   



Wednesday, February 15, 2017

The Weight Loss Fairy Tale



A woman approached me after teaching my cardio class and asked me how she could lose more weight. My first question was "who said you needed to? " Because to just look at her, I did not see a person that was overweight. I was a bit surprised to find out it was her doctor.  The urgency in her voice made it clear she wanted to lose the next 20 lbs and quickly.  My advice? Stop looking at the scale.  If you are drinking plenty of water, eating healthy, exercising and you are feeling good then you are on the right track.

I am absolutely exhausted over what society portrays as a healthy woman.  The idea that there are no flaws on a body is absurd.  I have photoshopped my own picture before I posted on social media because I was embarrassed. Im sure if I was 20 years old, no kids and was at the gym six days a week, I might look like that ad in the latest fitness magazine.

The average size woman is a size 16 as reported by Forbes in 2016.  Are they all supposed to feel overweight? Of course not.  I have an amazing six pack underneath the soft layers that show signs I gave birth to four beautiful girls. I have stretch marks, wrinkles, and cellulite, that scream "hey I'm in my 40's!"  Weight loss doesn't happen over night, it takes months and years because it is a process to do it the right way.  There are so many factors to consider, and there is no quick fix. We have to consider hormones, stress,  the foods we are eating, the lifestyle we are living, and  how much sleep we are getting.  I don't want that to be discouraging, I just want you to understand weight loss is just as much mental as it is physical.

If your train of thought is "I'll be happy once I lose the weight"  then that is a fairytale you are telling yourself.   I know because I've been there.  At first it was about losing the weight to be happy, then I wanted a flatter stomach, then I wanted to be stronger, like CrossFit Strong!,  and the list goes on.  Well I lost the weight, my abs got a little more toned, and I got stronger.  So why wasn't I happy?  Because from the beginning of this fairy tale I had told my self I wasn't  good enough unless I was all those things.  I wasn't a good enough wife, mother, friend, teacher unless I was thin.  Ladies that is not even close to the truth!

So how do we change that mind set?  First you have to get good with who you are.  Its hard to compliment ourselves isn't it?  Remember how much you weigh has nothing to do with how good a friend, wife, or mother you are.  Wouldn't it be great if we had a scale we could stand on and it would tell us "today you met your goal for amazing mom."  Be confident in yourself.  Nothing sexier than a woman that is confident.  Your reasons for wanting to be a healthier weight could include "feeling" better,  sleeping more soundly,  being more active,  you want to run your first 5K,  lower blood pressure,  these are all healthy reasons that will have life long benefits.  So ladies don't fall for that myth that skinny=happily ever after.  Happiness is knowing you were always amazing.  Life is meant to live it, learn from it, make mistakes, do better, love more and share it.




Saturday, February 11, 2017

Ugh, do I have to Run?

I'm a true believer that when it comes fitness you have to find what motivates you.  What do you love to do?  I started as a fitness instructor nine years ago.  At the time my passion was Pilates and still is but I quickly discovered other interests.   If you hate running, you will not be motivated to hop on a treadmill.   Don't get me wrong, I like running, for about three miles.  Then I start going over  my grocery list in my head and checking my gps map every three minutes.  Realizing Ive only gone 1/2 a mile and and I'm averaging a 13 min mile.  Most my friends call that walking.  Haha.  But get me on a bike and I'm in my zone!  I feel like I'm getting somewhere.  Now I'm averaging 18 mph and singing out loud to whatever Pandora is playing.  Plus if I was being chased by a bear I'd have better chance of getting away than my running skills.  (We've all seen that meme right?)

There is no wrong answer for the best workout, because its the workout that makes you feel like you want to keep going.  When I found High Fitness, I was at a crossroads.  I needed a change in my workout and in my teaching.  When one door closes, find another door.  High Fitness came into my life and BAM! I couldn't get enough.  That is what Passion feels like.

 You will find sometimes in your fitness journey that your exercise routine loses its sparkle.  That's ok, and normal.  Its a great time to explore your options.   One of the questions as a trainer I get asked a lot is "why am I stuck in a rut?" Weight loss is no longer happening, muscles aren't changing, endurance seems to be blah.  So I ask if they have changed up their fitness routine lately and the answer is 99% always NO.   If you take the same classes, follow the same routine and eat the same foods, you will plateau.   Time to switch it up and re-evaluate.   Decide is it classes you like, being outdoors, lifting weights?  etc.  All of those areas have plenty of options.  My goal this winter was to try to like it more, I hate being cold.   I bought my youngest a set of snowshoes so she could join me. It was a win win.  I get time with my daughter,  I added a new activity and I braved the snow.  Goal met.  

You will hear me say it over and over.  Focus on how your workout makes you feel, not what you look like.   You should feel energized, happy and accomplished.  That smile is what awesome looks like.



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