Changes

Life changes, usually in unexpected ways.  Mine changes often with seasonal work and moving a lot, so I'm usually pretty good at dealing with change.  I even welcome it most days.  Today is not that day.

The Trainer has decided to join the military and will be leaving next week.  Aside from the worry that comes with having someone you know join the military, I am worried about what will happen with the training.  I don't want to change.  A new trainer means a new style, personality, and outlook.  They don't know where we've been or how we got here, and they don't share the pride of that accomplishment.  It's like starting all over from the beginning but without the excited motivation to get going.  I'm worried that I will lose momentum and progress while the new one figures me out.  I'm not the type to give away the inner details of how to motivate me.  It took The Trainer months to figure it out and sometimes he still gets surprised.  I'll have to do what makes me uncomfortable and speak up.  What if the New Trainer and I don't get along?  Today I am full of worries about this change.

Time to take a deep breath and push through.  We have a plan, we've considered the options for new trainers, and we are all sitting down together to talk about all of these things that I am worrying about.  This may be an opportunity to learn new things, expand my workout routine, and see a different style that may even work better.  What if I approach this like a new lift?  Instead of fear and thinking "I cant" maybe I need to think "challenge accepted" and embrace it.  This is an opportunity to grow, become better at speaking up and taking ownership for my own development, to make a new friend, and learn.  

  Mind, Body, and Spirit growing Strong together.  I'm still going to miss The Trainer, and this is still going to be hard, but here goes!

Changing the mindset

Valentines weekend is stupid in the hospitality industry.  Ridiculous expectations, grumpy couples that need to just realize they are over, and men shelling out way too much money just because they have to.  It does not make for a pleasant experience for those of us who are at work trying to meet the expectations of women who have read a bit too much Jane Austen, while pleasing the men whose wallets are suddenly 8 pounds lighter.  I'm sorry sir, but my food quality is NOT the reason you aren't getting laid tonight.  And doing this over and over and over again as every couple, or pseudo couple in the community hits the restaurant at the exact same time on the exact same night.  "What do you mean do I have a reservation?  Why would I need one, you cant be that busy".  Actually, 103 seats and 250 people later we are still full.  Again...I'm not the reason you aren't getting laid tonight, though I have some theories for you...

As you might imagine it has been a trying weekend.  There has been one thing that has sustained me through it... fitness.

Believe it or not the thing that got me through this god awful weekend was dead lifts!

On Thursday, The Trainer decided it was time to find out how much I could lift.  I was surprised, I could dead lift 100 pounds.  Not just once... oh no .. repeatedly (for four sets because he is sadistic like that)!  Who knew that I could ever dead lift anything, let alone 100 pounds?  Well it turns out that I can and the pride that comes from that is what got me through.  Every time it got difficult or I felt like giving up the thought kept coming up... I can dead lift 100 pounds, so I can do this.  There was no logical connection between lifting and feeding 300 couples, but the idea that there was something I could succeed at kept me pushing for success throughout the weekend.

I think the biggest gain I've had from this adventure is the change in mindset that I have developed with each success that I have had in fitness.  When life gets hard, and I get down on myself, I think about how much I've accomplished in the last four months.  If I can go from weak and flabby to strong and fit then there is no reason why I cant do anything else that comes up.

We are currently working on a clean - squat - thrust move that is giving me a bit of grief... but I could never have even dreamed of doing it even last month.  We are capable of so much more than we believe we are.  It's all mental and once you realize that its your own mind that is blocking you, you start to see all the blocks you've erected for yourself and you start jumping over them.

I can do this, and so can you!

You've come along way baby...

Today in the locker room a lady stopped me to tell me that she was watching me lift weights today.  While she was watching she said to her husband that she wished her boys would come to the gym to see girls like me because they think that men are always stronger than women and she wants them to see that there are girls out there who could kick their asses.  I've been grinning ever since.  There is something completely uplifting about realizing that you are someones inspiration for fitness.  It's crazy to think how much has changed in the four months since I started this process.

I've created this blog as a way to talk about my fitness obsession without driving everyone I know crazy.  If it inspires someone else that's even better.

It all started with a dress.  I ordered a bridesmaid dress and it fit perfectly, totally perfect.  When I went to pick it up I had added some pounds and the dress wouldn't do up.  It was time for action.  A few days later I got a call from Goodlife...my friend Al had joined and put me down as someone who might be interested so would I like to come in for a tour?  One thing led to another and I joined.  I even signed up for a six session personal trainer starter thing to learn how to use the gym properly.  Turns out I have a twisted sense of fun and being tortured for an hour seemed like a good time so I signed up for more.

The Trainer has been kicking my ass for four months now and the changes are incredible.  Sometimes it gets frustrating when I cant do something that I think I should be able to already and it helps to remember what I couldn't do when I started that I can do now.  I went from zero to 150 sit ups.  Lifting nothing to dead lifting 75lbs.  I can now run a mile.  Doing squats, pull ups, weight lifting, incline sit ups, lunges, and burpees (aka the devils exercise).

I've lost 3 dress sizes, several inches everywhere, and there are ab lines coming in.  I regularly get people nearby watching me and making comments like "I wish I could do that".  I love being someones inspiration.

and that dress... its too big now.