I have been asked this question so many times in the past weeks. First I want to say I have nothing against going to the gym, it just does not work for me for several reasons and I will share.
1. By the time I get dress drive to the gym, check in place my clothes in the locker room- my stream workout is done.
2. If I’m tired in my commute from work or just had a long tiring day and need to unwind I’m not going to stop by the gym. However if I go home and relax I can workout at home.
3. I can be dress in any attire to workout on my stream
4. My fit community is so supportive and positive and even more motivating
5. I need structure. There is a calendar for me to follow and the trainers are just awesome also motivating, encouraging and just real.
6. My trainers are available 24/7 on stream and if necessary I can DM them on IG.
7. Last for now, IT’S MY CHOICE AND APPEASING TO ME.
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.
That sounds weird as if I am a robot right? Well I’m no robot and troubleshoot is just what I’ve recently begin saying to myself. Why this term well I have to evaluate myself. Sometimes it’s my workouts and other times it’s life and the ball it tosses.
Workouts first. I sometimes hesitate maybe laziness, fatigue (which is different from lazy), stress, frustration and this list can go on but hopefully you get the picture. I have to evaluate my reason and why. The why can itself create a list. Now then it’s time to troubleshoot the why or whys. How?, well I must look at the reason for example if I am stressed about a situation. I look deeper to determine if it actually involves me (sometimes we get caught up on change or circumstances of others and it effects us). If it does involve me what can I do, or is it a situation of change I need to adjust to and move along. This usually applies to on the job. If it is personal then what do I need to implement to distress myself and immediately because stress can lead to a multitude of health issues. So there, I trouble shot.
I know some say resolved and it is but I feel I should go deeper and trouble shoot so I will not in a few weeks or month have to re-resolve. Just saying and it’s what works for me.
After resolution which sometimes take a few minutes, hours, days, a week or two and never prolonging into months. Using the example given in workouts once resolved I can give greater than 100 in my workouts and see results as well as feel better.
Life now. How do I troubleshoot that? Almost the same how am I affected and involved. Am I being a butthead and not wanting to adjust or is it a matter I need to handle? If it is the butthead I evaluate why am I being just that every reason I come up with I question it. If it an issue I need to handle personally then I implement a plan and follow through. Again resolved, resolution the same I just troubleshoot because I dig deeper in hopes of a zero return. It’s just me.
Either way I encourage you to evaluate the reason you sometimes delay your goals be it workouts or a life goal you are progressing in. TROUBLESHOOT IT.
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.
There is so much going on in the fitness world, workouts, diets, and fasting. Intermittent fasting is getting a lot of chatter and so far I’m hearing good results. I was approached by a colleague and asked if I’d ever tried it. My face went blank and I stared before I answered because I could tell by her excitement she had tried it and was doing it regularly.
Why did I stare, well I hadn’t shared my fasting days, which were really my anorexia days. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be judged. Not that it matters on this subject but the negative conversation that come up I just wasn’t feeling it. I did however share with her the details why I can’t intermittent fast purposely.
Purposely yes, some days life just keep me busy before I realize it has been 18 hours darn near 24 sometimes that I have eaten. My blood sugar is low, my attitude is not very pleasant and I’m hangry. When this happens I make certain my first bite will be either a protein, for me usually peanut butter or a protein bar or a plate of veggies. I then follow up with a glass of water, wait a few minutes and I’m okay.
Intermittent fasting is not for me due to my volleying anorexia, bulimia, and overeating I just try to do it all my way. Yep eating 85/15 sometimes 75/25 (not often) and working out and hanging onto my fitness journey in a healthy way. My eating fluctuates because I do use portion containers – Portion fix with Autumn Calabrese is good in making sure your nutrition is not lacking so you can eat almost anything. Now 2BMindset another nutrition intake on Beachbodyondemand.com with Ilana Muhlstein. Eating what you normally eat at specific times and portion make a HUGE difference. Which is my favorite, uh neither. No favorite when they both are batting 100.
To prevent myself from slipping back into unhealthy eating habits I will not test myself because I know my relationship with myself. I do applaud all doing the intermittent fasting and with great results. Keep up the greatness within you and what works for 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.
