Jesse: Mind over Matter

Mind over matter. 

You can believe it or not but there is something to be said for having your head in the right space while exercising.

As I have been training with Devon this aspect is becoming more and more clear. Before I even begin to lift any heavier weights, she says “Get your head right, get angry”. She is referring to focusing on the weight I am about to lift and driving into my head that I can actually lift what I am attempting to lift.

For me being in the right mindset plays a role in every aspect of life. If I didn’t have my mind set to change my fitness, I probably wouldn’t change. If I didn’t have my mind in a place to improve my life in all aspects, I probably wouldn’t be able to change.

What you have in your mind unequivocally translates to what you have in your life, especially in fitness. I know what I want when it comes to my physical fitness and I want that more than anything else. Therefore, it is in my mind and slowly but surely it is becoming a reality. It is also working in other areas of my life as well.

My mind is right and my drive is in full force. I know more than anything else that I am capable of succeeding. In a sense, I am unstoppable. There is never a question of IF I will reach my goals, as I keep working it is only a matter of WHEN.

So get your head right and I’ll see you in the gym!

Sandy- Change is Good

Change is good…. YES….yes it is.  I’m going to keep telling myself that.  Change is difficult.  This statement is true, and raw.  FitWorks is giving me a great opportunity to create positive changes in awareness, eating, and exercise.  Thus far I have had three awesome workout sessions where I have been pushed to my limits, and I have been using the app “My Fitness Pal” to keep track of my foods.  What have I come to realize?   I’ve been eating a heck of a lot more than I should, and that I turn to simple processed foods for a quick fix when I am hungry.  Although, this was not a mystery beforehand, I knew all of that already.  

Well, then, if it’s that simple, then it should be easy to reach my goals in no time, RIGHT?      

NO!  80% of the results you get are from what you put into your body.  Sigh!  If only my problems could be solved by just working out more. I love working out.   It’s easy, and fun.  Changing my dietary habits is neither easy, nor fun.  This coming from a person who would rather have her teeth yanked out with a rusty appliance than spend time in the kitchen.

I am suffering with hunger issues, mostly because I am used to eating to the point of being full, or in some cases overfull.  With the changes I am making, I’m working on being satisfied with small meals every few hours.  I get a little panicky and angry when I feel hungry, so this is definitely challenging.  However I have been reassured that it will get easier with time, and I’m going to take that statement with faith.

Obviously what I was doing before was not getting me to where I want to go, which is weighing a lot less, and being able to fit comfortably into my old wardrobe (a wardrobe that fit less than two years ago).  I have taken it upon myself to give up processed foods like bread and crackers, and already I have people telling me that I look better. 

Today I am faced with a major challenge.  I have two parties to go to this afternoon and this evening.  Parties that will no doubt be filled with cake, and treats, drinks and more.  Although I know that I can have a taste of these things, I feel like I should refrain from even a single bite or drink within the first couple weeks of retraining my body.  So wish me luck, cause I’m going in with my battle gear on.

I have strategies to overcome the temptations, like eating lunch and then dinner before I go to the parties, and having healthy veggie choices with me to keep my mouth busy, and water, lots and lots of water.  I will let you all know how it goes. 

Have an excellent weekend, stay strong and healthy. 

(written last week)

Sandy: My Gift

My Gift.

(Written last week) 

The alarm went off at 5:00am.  As it has many times already this year, and typically I would  just slap it off, turn over and go back to sleep.  But not today.

Today I had to be accountable.  Not only to myself and my commitment to change, but today I had an angel in the form of a friend, my blogger buddy, Jesse.  We challenged each other to make a change by waking up at 5:00 am, rain or shine, and to move toward getting something accomplished.  Today I wanted to walk.  So at 5:00am, right on the button, I received a text from my angel in disguise.

That single text not only changed my attitude about rolling out of bed, it also put a smile on my face and a giggle in my throat. 

Part of our challenge was give photo evidence that we were doing what we set out to do.   When I stepped outside the air was delightfully cool and crisp.  The birds were well into their morning concerto, which lifted my spirits and made me feel wonderful. 

My legs were a little sore from my workout the day before, but the smell of freshly cut grass, earth, and spring flowers in the air soothed any negative feelings I may have had about leaving my warm cozy bed.

Here is me, with the sunrise in the background, being the goofball that I am. 

I decided that I was going to walk for two miles; my ultimate goal was to just breathe and relax.  I wanted to think of nothing so I could just be present in the moment.

The world offers us a lot of gifts.  Sometimes we can get caught up in the negativity of the things that surround us.  Especially when it seems that our worlds are falling apart.   Negativity has a way of escalating.  When terrible things start to happen they seem to waterfall.  We have to hold on and breathe, always realizing that there will be an end.  We need to keep our eyes open, appreciating what we do have, in the forms of friendships, and the kindness that surrounds us.  We just need to be aware of it, opening our hearts to accepting it.  We live in a world of plenty, we just have to slow down long enough to see it and appreciate it.  Fill your world with gratitude and positivity will follow.

Today I had the gift of my positive angel Jesse, making me laugh, and getting me out of bed.  I had the gift of cool breezes to keep the bugs at bay, and to carry the smell of flowers and grass.  I had the gift of birds serenading me during my journey, and the sounds of the waterfalls when I stopped to listen.   I had the gift of the beautiful sights around me, and the gifts from Nature and the Heavens above. 

I am thankful for today, and every day that I am given, and for all the wonderful people in my world. 

Jesse- The Early Morning Challenge! The "No-Snooze" Method!

“It is well to be up before daybreak, for such habits contribute to health, wealth, and wisdom.”
~Aristotle

“I would have it inscribed on the curtains of your bed and the walls of your chamber: “If you do not rise early you can make progress in nothing.” ~William Pitt Chatham

“Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion, or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle, or it will starve to death. It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle. When the sun comes up, you better start running.” ~Thomas L. Friedman

 

Yawn! Streeeeetchhhh! No Mom! I don’t want to go to school today!......

Wait, what? Oh I must have been dreaming. I need to get up and get going. It’s early, so I can get to the gym and start my day off right. I’ll be able to get so much done ‘cause I am up so early.

^^^HA! If only I thought that way^^^ It’s more like Yawn! Snooze button…..Yawn! Snooze button….Yawn! Snooze button.

However, I really do want to wake up early to start my day. It has been something I have been working on since the beginning of the year. Some days I make it but most days I don’t. Having to get up early to meet Devon for training helps but that’s only a couple days a week, I want it to be 7 days a week.

So what to do to fix this? What can I do? Hmmmm. Doing it on my own seems to not be working. I have strong will power but my will power to stay in my comfy bed wins against my will to be up early.

Hmmmm. I think I need a challenge. Who should I challenge and what should that challenge be?

Here comes Sandy, you all know Sandy right? My fellow blogger, Sandy! You’ve been reading her blog too, right? If not, you better start. Just sayin’.

Sandy informed me that she too would like to start early in the day but has a hard time making herself get up and at ‘em. The she came up with a brilliant idea for a challenge…

We both have to get up at 5am and send each other photo evidence that we are awake and moving. We already started on the 20th, I sent her a picture that I was up typing this blog and she sent me one while she was taking a walk outside, all by 515 in the morning. 

Yes you read that right, she hit the road with some exercise and I…. got on my computer. But hey, we got up early instead of hitting that snooze button!

So our goal is to make sure we text each other every morning to get up early and start our days. I think this is a good challenge for both of us because we get to totally razz each other if we slack in any way and we will reward ourselves eventually for sticking with the new routine.

See you in the gym! (Bright and early, right?!)

Sandy: Taking it Up a Notch with FitWorks!

Taking it up a notch.

I made a split decision last week, it was an unconscious thought that whisked through my brain.  Perhaps it was divine inspiration. Actually,  It was more along the lines of jealousy, seeing the awesome results that my blogging buddy Jessie has had thus far through his journey compared to my own rather insignificant change (which of course has been totally my fault due to unwillingness to change my diet). 

Either way, I did it!  I joined the Fit Works Program that started this week.  My trainer is Penny, and she sure packs a heck of a punch. 

Fit Works is group training with a nutritional aspect, specifically geared toward weight loss.  I’m a little apprehensive because it’s time to really face that music on making progress towards my goals.  I am not a great at journaling especially when it comes to food journals.  Call it denial, or food amnesia, but I just don’t like it.  So I will force myself to get over it, because it is necessary.  What I’m happy about is that my workout buddy followed my lead and joined with me.  I am so lucky to have her with me along with the encouraging support from Penny.

Our first session, the first part of it anyway, was getting through the analysis so that we could build a base line, knowing where we are starting from.  I won’t share the specifics, except to say that I actually busted out 32 full push ups in a minute, which for me is amazing!  Thank you Taz for getting me to this point because before I started working out with a trainer I couldn’t do more than three full push ups before I dropped to my knees. 

The workout portion of our session was more of a half workout due to our lack of time, but I KNOW I’m going to feel it tomorrow, and I LOVE that!  Bring it Penny!

Booyah!!  Alright, so maybe up till now I haven’t been dropping all sorts of weight but check it out, I am definitely stronger, and THAT my friends, is something.

Stay tuned for the reports on my new path.  Thanks for reading!  :)

Sandy: Second Pro-Fitness Consult Done! Time to Change Approach!

I have to change my approach.  Isn’t that what its all about?  You work toward a goal, and if you are not getting the results you want, something needs to change.  I recently went in for a second check in with the Program Consultant, and was greatly disappointed by my results, albeit not surprised.

My results (which were a little weight gain, and very little change in my BMI) opened my eyes and I can see that I’ve been banging my head against the wall with making real changes in my life because I allow others to control my schedule.  I think being a mom has presented a lot of challenges for me,  having to juggle sports schedules with the kids, work, and life,  I just don’t allow myself time for me, and when I do have time, I don’t use it wisely.

I have a thousand  excuses to not get my workout in when I have any free time, filling up my time with this and that, things that I deem important, which in reality are truly not.   It boils down to motivation.  Of course there is probably deeper psychological stuff going on, and, well, for a blog article I’m not willing to pull back the scabs to reveal the raw wounds of my emotional stuff, I will say that I need to really analyze what I want, and even more importantly, WHY I want it. 

The Big WHY!  I think that this is the age old struggle for making change.  Why do we want it?  I want to share this with you because I really need to figure that out, I think we all do.  I look around my house and I see that my world is focused on my children, and my husband.  What I do seems to evolve around them, and others.  Friends who need me, or small jobs that I pick up here and there to fund my writing habit.

So what is my big WHY……..?

Hmmm….

…?

Okay, I think I’ve got it.  I want to be fit, because I remember how good it feels to be fit.  I want to be an awesome role model for my children.  I want them to see that fitness is important and fun.  I want to feel better in my skin, and walk with confidence without the feel of my pants biting into my hips, knowing that I have just as many lumps on my back as I do on my front (ha ha, which is terribly disturbing if you really think about it.) But most of all, I want to be healthy.  I want to be there for my children when they grow up, I want to have the energy to run around with them, and to show them what it means to have a healthy balanced lifestyle.  I want them to see the beautiful me, not the one who is caught up in being miserable about myself. 

So, I need to stop banging my head against the wall and shift.  I have to face the truth and use the tools I have been given to succeed.  I have to keep track of what is going into my body, and the exercise I do to keep myself balanced. 

Thank you for reading about my experience.  I think even though I haven’t had the incredible results that I had wanted (my fault completely), I have had lots of little successes, and I will not discredit how far I have come since February.   This journey has, overall been a very positive one, and an eye opening one at that. 

Jesse: Crushing it!

I've been doing it again. Gettin' nerdy and making videos of my progress.

This video is an update of where I have come since dead lifting 355 pounds. 

It shows how a lot of dedication and hard work can keep you progressing. In this video I end up dead lifting 425 pounds. 

Yeah, I know. It's wicked heavy. 

I hope you enjoy this video. I will have more very soon of me reaching and surpassing all my lifting goals.

See you at the gym!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UiR_Kruvb0

Sandy: Answering the Call to the Great Outdoors

Answering the call to the Great Outdoors.

Sometimes the days are just too beautiful.  When the mornings are cool and the birds are singing, I just can’t resist the call of the wild.  My temptation on Saturday morning came in the form of my neighbor and friend Kendra, who shamelessly swooned me with the promise of a good time on the lake.  I had planned to go to the gym to lift and do interval training, however the thought of the cool morning breeze and the sound of paddles to water won over my resolve. 

We had a lovely time, paddling out, our trip across the small lake was quick and seemed rather effortless, we smiled and laughed and talked, a lot.  One should always be weary if the ride one way seems awfully easy.  What seemed like a harmless breeze at our back became a gale force battle to make headway back.  Okay, maybe it wasn’t that bad!  The ride did take a bit more effort.  We did our own form of intervals, taking short breaks after bouts of hard paddling against the wind.  It felt great, and being with a friend made the effort of the workout fun.

The most wonderful thing about getting out into nature with a good friend is that you have the opportunity to stop, listen and connect, not only to nature but to one another. 

We were pretty tired when we got back to dry land, and I felt justified not going to the gym.  I spent the rest of the day in the beautiful sunshine, pulling up grass and planting in the garden.  My body was a big aching pile of mush by the day’s end, which was topped off by a stroll on the beach.  A perfect end to a perfect day.

Sandy: Sampling Open House and a Run-in with Jesse! :)

Bloggers Extraordinaire! 

If you missed the Open House at the Works last Saturday, you missed a great time.   What a fun filled day full of education, prizes, and mini classes.  I ran into my blogger buddy Jessie, and we were able to snap a few fun pictures together, then I was on my way to explore the open house.  

It was awesome and I was able to learn things about the Works that I never knew before, like what a Light Wall is and how children can use it in the Fit spot, I got to meet the Dietitian,  I was able to get a taste of many classes that I have yet to take and so much more.  Here is my snapshot view of my day.

I got there later than I had planned, so I missed a couple of class demos, much to my dismay.  RPM is a indoor cycle class that is fast paced and upbeat.  It brought me to my limits, and when I thought I couldn’t go any further I was pushed to give just a little more.  At the beginning of the class I felt like my feet couldn’t peddle fast enough to keep up, though by the middle of the class I was able to keep up the pace.  It was almost like I had to lubricate my joints a little by getting into the groove of the workout a bit before I could really move.  This is a great class that really got my heart pumping, bringing me to aerobic  levels that I know I would never reach on my own.

Next I popped in on the Power Yoga class where I learned all about the difference between regular yoga and the different variations of Power Yoga; from really upbeat fast paced Power Yoga, to very slow Power Yoga where poses are held for extended lengths of time.  The end result in any type of Power Yoga is the deep connection with your inner being, working on core stability and moving your muscles to strengthen and lengthen.  I will definitely try a full length class over the upcoming weeks.

I only got to observe the Body Pump Sampler, which was very impressive.  The participants had their weights set heavy and their steps set high.  The instructor was very informative, upbeat and encouraging.   She kept the class motivated and moving along, with clear concise instruction, and great cues to prepare the participants for the upcoming moves. 

I then attended the Tai Chi class, with absolutely no expectations what so ever.  I had never taken a Tai Chi class and knew very little about it.  The instructor was very kind and informative.  There were two experienced ladies on either side of me, and I was very thankful to have them there since Tai Chi is a sort of learn as you go type class that had me moving in every direction.  I was so impressed by how these women flowed together, working their way beautifully through the moves.  I was a little intimidated at first (to say the least) because I had no idea  what moves were to come next in the series.  I didn’t know the choreography and there was not your typical repetitive movements that you might see in other group fitness classes.  I will say that it was an incredible experience working through this “energy” class, and I felt extremely connected to Earth and my inner self when I was done. A great place if you need to really slow down in this fast paced world.  It takes a lot of concentration to stay calm and in the flow throughout the class, and to just push forward through the moves.  Once you eventually learn the sequence of Tai Chi (which I can imagine would take quite a while to do) then the meditation becomes deeper as you flow through moves. 

The last class that I caught the tail end of was Cardio Kickbox.  I was too shy to step in at such a the late time that I had arrived, so I sat just outside watching the work out.  I just have to say, WOW!  You wouldn’t believe the sweat dripping off these people, and the instructor was so energetic and fun, even I couldn’t help but laugh and smile while I watched.  I am definitely booking a few of these fun classes into my upcoming workout schedule. 

I look forward to trying out full versions of all the demo classes I attended, and to see some new faces around the works.

We are TOUGH! 

Ciao

New Member Returns!

The variety of classes offered at The Works keeps me motivated and committed to working out for the long term. I am a returning member after 2 years of being away, and I love it that all of the instructors are still teaching the classes I used to take. That says a lot that there is not much turnover and the instructors are just as energetic as they were years ago. Because there are so many types of classes, I feel that I am able to cross train just by attending a different class each day. I am a regular at Fortitude, cardio kickboxing, boxing, cycling, body blast, and yoga and even though my schedule outside of the gym can be busy, I am usually able to find a class I can attend. The staff is always friendly. I have enjoyed working with Sally (membership) and Rebecca (personal trainer). Jessie at the front desk has made a point to remember my name. I recommend home school swim with Cindy to all my friends. She is great with the kids and the program is affordable. My kids love it! My two year old is chomping at the bit to get in the pool and swim with his brother. I am very thankful that this type of facility is available to me and my family and is so close to where we live. The Works offers so much more (3 pools!) than any other gym I have been to. Thanks!