To change, on my fitness journey I’m always looking and listening. Okay let me clarify I look for ways to improve my current journey what can I also include in my fitness and nutrition. I’m not in any going to exclude my current workout. I had to learn the not so easy way.
To change I must
A. Be committed
B. Want the change
C. Be willing to follow the leader which means the program trainer and nutrition
E. Ask questions when in doubt instead of just quitting
F. Being committed means to not just say it but show up and do it
G. Evaluate before saying it doesn’t work for me, evaluate if I did 100% of what was required
Theses are a few assessments I learned of me to make change and see change on my fitness journey, how about you?
Now what does that sound like and how can they be related well I’m going to share with you.
Learning the not so easy way being determined to achieve a goal or goals as I am in my fitness journey is just that….. A DETERMINATION. Writing my goals down adjusting when necessary as this past week due to a slap of upper respiratory infection. But being determined means a focus a commitment and more commitments.
You can be determined to achieve a goal as I once was before I committed. I would be determined to change my nutrition and workouts as they were not working for me. I WANTED change, I whispered it, I shouted it, I even shared it and I know so many laughed and to be honest once I realized my own default I too chuckled.
DETERMINED huh, really okay. But I was not committed. Committing to one day, one week or one month is not determination its a wishful dream. I had to blast myself and still do. If I’m determined to stay on my fitness journey I MUST be COMMITTED.
So now you see how close the two are and they are ever so close.
To ending this decade and beginning a new one with determination and commitment to your goals to OUR goals.
I’ll squat and raise the bar to both
Not the age for what? Nor sue what I am bout to share, well here it it. I have colleagues, friends and relatives that have concern of AGE. Really do you think age stops you from working out, changing your lifestyle? NO it does not.
Beginning any workout regimen is not easy, especially if it has been years and you’ve been lazy or thinking I’m a bit too old for this. STOP and correct your self. Of course it is ALWAYS recommended to ask your physician especially if their or physical limits. Once you get the okay then get ready to go. Be warn you cannot start out at 100 when you are at 5. Don’t be impossible because most likely you will just stop and give return to old habits of…… doing just nothing.
Begin slowly, it takes time to build that endurance and you will just keep the focus. The focus of, well your goals and be realistic again. Don’t compare your progress with others, I made this mistake once, almost ran myself insane. Yes I wasn’t seeing the body and results I wanted in two weeks. It’s good at that time I had a coach that encouraged me to stay focused and know “change will come, but you have to believe in yourself the process”. For some this is easy other not as much so.
So its not the age It’s your mindset and it is easy to say the age because beginning any workout whether it be walking a few days a week, light weight lifting, cardio, yoga, Pilates which ever exercise regimen will get you up and moving.
Just FYI there are so many males and females 50, 60 and older building muscles to compete imagine that.
So again NOPE its not your age. NOW get ready to implement action plan to end the decade and begin another with GREATNESS- YOUR GREATNESS.
Puzzling as it sounds, I had a third leg or so it felt like. I often reflect on his to remind myself of again my transition and gains on my fitness journey. I know I’ve shared this before and it is necessary for me to reflect on.
I have a history of horrible eating disorder. Yes I’ve been through it all, anorexia- which I could go for a month or longer on water or a Sonic Route 44 once a day. Bulemia if I consumed a meal greater than 500 calories or another bulemia is to workout until my burn has 3 to 4 times greater than my intake. Oh yes I occasionally abused laxatives. I was thin shapely an VERY VERY unhealthy.
On the flip of this I went through phases of just binging and binging and yes you guessed it, more binging. I was large and angry because the manufacturers were making their clothes smaller. I was not willing to accept the fact I was eat and had eaten out of smaller sizes. I yo-yo for a minute then the third leg reality came.
I had a third leg. I had gone from XS scrubs to XL and they were getting tight. I one day put on my scrubs, right leg, left leg and I literally had to raise my abdomen up and drop it in my scrubs. Now most people gain abdominal weight all around no mine just hung like a leg. I privately cried and did not want to use the bathroom at work because of how long it took to undress and redress after doing my business. I took a look and knew I needed to change and that’s when my fitness journey begin.
Do I fall off track sometimes but guess what? I don’t have a third leg and NO I’m not back in XS scrubs but I am in M and they are getting just a bit loose but nearly enough for a small.
I eat normally, my intake fluctuates as so my craving but thanks to “ultimate portion fix and the containers” also 2BMindset my nutrition is one of health. My workouts are all on point, streamed Beachbodyondemand.
So bye,bye third leg and on with my fitness journey. To you I send my best that you can wave bye to anything in your life you are not excited about and move forward to your goal or goals as they just keep coming.
What the heck, who wants to gain doing workouts? Well that depends on your goal and it is all positive.
If you’re working out with weights there are benefits, yes you will gain muscle, heavier weights you will bulk up. You can also get firmer and toner even leaner with weights. For the females with that fear of bulk, it’s your weight lift or squat. In other words how heavy, but before you bulk you will burn so many calories. Oh yeah your nutrition will have to also change for a bulk.
But the gains I’m focused on is all personal.
1. Attitude is positive and if you’re already there then it is enhanced
2. Personal appearance, you give it a little more attention and you should because your inner beauty or handsome good looks begin to exhibit. Now I want to share that inner to outer beauty was always there sometimes being hard on ourselves we don’t always see it. But now you are feeling it and your outer vision on you begin to see a different person.
3. You feel powerful on decisions and with this just may be open to more challenges you once feared.
4. Nutrition will change and once again you feel power and energized- “come on workouts”
5. Interactions with family, friends, co-workers, colleagues totally change. They will be at a loss. It’s okay sometimes a shock is good for a few of them.
So as that scale slowly change or fluctuates just remember all the “WORKOUT GAINS”. I’ve shared only a few but there are so many more.
Say WHAT? Can you I say that again, of course, Challenges do create and motivate atleast for me.
My workouts especially the current one I am currently doing challenges me. It’s not the weights but just the routines and then weights are added and I’m trying to keep on beat before the routine changes, I’m huffing and puffing and then I get angry for a minute or three. Angry because I question why the heck am I doing this particular workout, why not just sit this routine out and see what the next one will be or just stop the program ?
Why, why, then I grasp a hold on what is going on. Why because I want change not just physical but also mental. SO what happens, I resume the workout and challenge myself on the routine and really what happens is so surprising and appeasing. Then I think, how often I have did the same thing in life.
In life it is sometimes easy to take an easier out than challenge what we think we can’t do, because of fear, or mockery from others, sometimes lazy or the fear of losing a friend. But if you as I did challenge small things and see the outcome and most of all feel GREAT then its time. TIME to unlock our greatness, mine included.
This week or days head challenge yourself in areas you thought were unreachable, goals of satisfaction and watch the greatness in you shine and will motivate you to higher goals and challenges. Just as I believe in me, I also believe in you.
Really, How often? Well to be honest I cannot not answer the question, however I can give a few tips I use . I’m a Beachbodyondemand lover, all. To say I have several trainers with awesome workouts by a calendar. The trainers do suggest when its time to increase, do I follow? Sometimes yes and sometimes no.
I increase my weights according to my strength, if I feel the current weight is not challenging I will increase prior to the trainer recommendation. On the flip if the weight is already challenging well no and no I’m not changing my weights.
Now the question is how do I know if they are not challenging, huh, have you ever lifted if not let me share. When you’re lifting and on rep 3 or 4 you gotta dig in with a face you hope no one is taking pictures or video taping and by rep 8 you;r a bit shaky but know you can maybe do 2 more reps and that’s MAYBE, the weights are challenging.
If you are able to lift and it feels like air or you can continue to lift on and on without any muscle fatigue. Just stop and increase the weights but if you like to go through the motion okay. It’s not really going through the motion because if you continue on and on the muscle will fatigue, the increase in weights cause the muscle to work and fatigue sooner, but with safe measures.
With any weight lifting make it about you, as I do, your goals, your challenge and most of all your safety as I also do. To weeks of weight lifting of fun (you have to enjoy your workout), safety and meeting those fitness goals, ENJOY.
