So I will discuss briefly how is started. I have always been into some form of exercise routines, dance (ballet, belly, modern) gymnastics (my mom did it in high school and taught me the cart wheel and splits), when i was little I was a bit of a tom boi, fence jumping, tree climbing, etc. With that being said for the most part I have lead an active lifestyle. But I am not perfect. And learning to drive, getting a car, made me more lazier. Sometimes we don't see the price we pay for convenience, and You don't notice things like weight creeping up on you. Finally being on my own and in control of my own wallet, food, and having a car, i put on some weight. Never hitting 'fat' but none the less, my problem areas when i was skinny, became bigger problem areas for me. Even with just skin and bones I had a stomach. The heaviest being 149, even thought i still got numbers, and had all the curves in the right places, I hated having a stomach, my arms were a a little big and with no shape to them, and my back of my thighs had a couple of dimples for like 3 years. I started getting really depressed, hiding with more clothes. I hated it, but then never got off my 'arse' to actually DO anything about it.
A turning point came last year, I was about to graduate with my first degree. I signed up for a gym with my sisters, but none of use was consistent. With things like health and exercise CONSISTENCY IS KEY! I had/have a gym membership to Bally's Gym, but like many people I know, the money came out the bank like clock work, but it was months since I actually WENT to the gym. When I did go, i would jump on the treadmill for like 20 minutes, read the info, and get info on personal training, but never really making a commitment. Then one day, in the middle of the day i just said 'to heck with it' I got up, drove down, and asked to SPEAK to someone about trainers. Thats how i met my trainer Brent. It was like magic, he was actually going to lunch, but took a few minutes out of his break to talk. I mentioned doing Tei Bo. So he said an excellent way to get in shape and take care of my problem areas was to do a mixture of kick boxing, weight cardio, I said this would be MY gift to myself for graduation, that was a month away, signed up, and the rest was history!. Still a long way from home...
At Bally's I signed up for their smallest personal training program. It was 1 month, meeting twice a week. So basically 8 sessions. below is some pictures from my testimonial to Brent along with some numbers.
My training was 2 days a week. A warm up was done before and after each session. 1 hour sessions each that included: 30 minutes of kick boxing, 30 minutes of weights or free weight training. Finishing each 1 hour session 3 minute "Ab Blasts". The weights varied from 5lbs for crunch training and 20-40 lbs for the free weights.
Under my trainers advise, I made the following changes* outside of the training sessions:
- Drank more water :-(
- Some form of cardio for 30 minutes after the work out*
- One extra day at the gym on my own*
- Improved my eating habits (cut down on salt and fast foods)**
* These are recommended, but not always followed. My trainer advised me that cardio 30 minutes AFTER my EACH work out would ensure me not getting muscles cramps, and also kick start the belly burn. The days i actually did that I didn't cramp up or feel the pain of going about 5 years with no exercise. But in actuality, out of the 8 work out sessions, only 5 days did i do cardio (treadmill, elliptical, stationary bike) and I did 1 hour spinning class that the gym. The one extra day on my own, I was supposed to do a total of 4 (1 extra a week) and I did 2 days- one being only for 30 min, and the second an actual hour.
**With the foods. I am not really big on a lot of junk food to begin with. But I did drastically cut down on the fast foods, the pointless snacks. I switched over completely to the Silk Milk (soy that actually TASTES good!- not like the thick one I had growing up). In chips, I make sure they are kettle cooked, or 0% trans fat, started taking a multi vitamin, but haven't been consistent with pill popping (and the liquids are just plain NASTY!) Started eating a Cliff Bar before workouts, started back reading labels (old practice my mom gave me as a kid, if the words are tooo long in the ingredients, don't buy its its synthetic JUNK!) changed my butter to the Smart Balance butter (no trans fat, helps improve cholesterol, 67% natural vegetable oils, gluten and gelatin free, non hydrogenated, Omega 6 and 3, and it TASTES like butter!
I think that is important, I am not a total health nut, I eat pretty balanced for the most part. But for me, if it doesn't TASTE good, i am NOT eating it. So I strive to try different things to replace some of the less than healthy things. Like instead of snickers bar or twix, etc, I get my chocolate fix off of a few pieces of dark chocolate, that is just as healthy as drinking a glass of red wine. I try to save the 'junk' to SMALL portions of food I can't live without- just yet.
I was really proud of my accomplishments, and even thought i wasn't in PERFECT shape, wash board abs, and all, that training was an instant image/confidence booster for me. The road to a washboard stomach is a little more in reach.
I have to admit, after that program, and equipped with alot more knowledge than I started out with, I DID lapse in working out. I wanted to do it, but I let life push out the importance of getting and staying in shape, so i lost a little of the muscles, gained a few more pounds back (149 is the biggest) and went back to the drawing board. This time as an independent student dealing directly with my trainer.
I can't go back to every little detail of exercise between December of 06 until now. (Unless i get a lot of emails to). But what I will attempt to do, is to post the different work out I have done for the day. Along with a few body shots or statistics to chart my progress. I am hoping that people can either follow along, and maybe share some of their work out tips, and suggestions. I will also attempt to do a couple of videos blogs of my work out. And post different pictures, diagrams, definitions, of the various training, or eating habits or lifestyle changes on my road to a healthy and SATISFIED me.
My gaol is to share my journey, and to encourage and be encouraged by others. To help some of my friends who I have motivated into getting into the gym, and working on a healthier love of self. I don't believe in starvation, and liposuction (that causes more damages and risks that good) and most of those loose weight quick burn fat drinks. Please send me an email, or post a comment, and tell me what you think. For those of you who are sick and tiered of being sick and tiered, my advise: RIGHT NOW GET UP AND SIGN UP WITH A GYM OR GET A FRIEND, (HUMAN OR PET) AND MAKE A COMMITMENT TO YOURSELF TO GET IN SHAPE AND LIVE LONG. Its so much easier to be miserable with your current condition that we make excuses to not get up and sign up TODAY! Don't wait for your, you will NEVER have time. Make time for you. I know its easier said than done. But lets work together.....
One love
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