For The Fifth Week Of Fitness, My Trainer Gave To Me...

…A cor-a-naaaa-rieeeee…

For my fifth and final week with Angel, she gave me a rather intense cardio workout that she did (of course) without breaking a sweat, or breathing hard, but that totally…Kicked. My. Ass.

Treadmill---Speed 3.0 / 2 min 0% Incline / 2 min 3% Incline / 1 min 6% Incline
AMT---2 min Resistance Level 8 / 2 min RL 12 / 1 min RL 16

Do a power set of three.

Ah, the AMT machine…Apparently, AMT stands for Automated Mechanical Torture. This device is designed to mimic running without the damage to your joints, and it can mimic a never-ending staircase. The longer you make your stride, the easier it is to keep going (and the more muscles you use too.)

Over all, this has been a very positive experience, and I will not hesitate to do it again when I hit my next plateau. Yes, that is a “when” not an “if”. In the land of physical fitness and exercise, roadblocks and plateaus are inevitable, but you can’t let them get you down. You just have to find a different way to get where you want to go.

My nutrition coaching was just as beneficial (if not more so) as the five new routines. There were things I was eating, and thinking they were healthy, only to find out that they were putting my fat consumption, or calorie consumption through the roof. I changed my habits, started eating 5-6 smaller meals and snacks instead of three large meals each day (this was the hardest change to make). I cut back, but did not eliminate, junkie snack foods. I found alternate foods to satisfy sweet or salty cravings, I can’t say enough about the Mr. Salty chocolate covered pretzels 100 calorie packs.

When it was all said and done, I walked away from the table 10 pounds lighter, and much smarter about both nutrition and fitness.

Next time, an exploration of why you get “stuck” and don’t have any visible progress for days, weeks, or even *shudder* months at a time.

Until then….

The Backwards Slope Is Slippery Indeed

When you are trying to loose weight, especially when you have tried more than once with minimal success, failure is always looming just over your shoulder; lurking like a deformed, and most likely demented ghoul. It taunts and torments you with all those horrible memories of every time you have failed in the past. Reminding you of how you lost 15 pounds only to gain 20. How you were so conscientious of every morsel of food that passed your lips, every calorie healthy and counted, only to have a total breakdown that resulted in an entire box of chocolates, an entire frozen pizza (at least you cooked it), a two-liter jug of soda, and three packs of 100 calorie chocolate covered pretzels all gone in one sitting (technically, the chocolates were while standing—waiting for the pizza to bake—and since you were standing, you were exercising, so it’s not as bad). Sugar coat it and twist it any way you want, it still washes out the same…F-A-I-L-U-R-E. That’s how you regain the lost 15 pounds plus another five (or ten), but I learned something important last month when I was on this journey of fitness and nutrition. It’s not a failure, it’s not a total loss. It’s a setback sure, but it’s not the end of the road. These things will happen, that’s a given, but you can’t let it dictate where you go next. You can’t just give up, throw in the towel, roll over and die, crawl back into those stretched out threadbare yoga pants that you used to live in because nothing else fit, and the stretchy knit fabric was so forgiving. You have to shake it off, lace up your trainers, and get back on the treadmill. Yes, you do. I don’t care if you whine (though the other folks at the gym may give you funny looks and a wide birth) as long as you get out there and move forward. You can look back if you want, but do it with defiance, not longing for those pants (which you really should burn by the way), and make sure and give failure the finger while you’re at it.

Moral of the story: Failure deserves to get the finger. Hmmm…let me try to rephrase that. Don’t let Failure pull you backward when you stumble up the hill. Stop, catch your breath, get your feet under you, and keep going (and shoot Failure the bird, it will make you feel better).

Until next time…