"The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers." - M. Scott Peck
Before I went out to play basketball today, I shared with a good friend of mine that I was going to do so. His only comment was "First blood wins:" Interestingly enough, if that were true, then the mosquitos today won hands down.
I haven't been on a basketball court since my highschool days, but I can boast proudly that I hold the record at my junior highschool for being the first person fouled out of game having never touched the basketball. I simply went and hit anyone who had the ball so that they'd give it up. (I was 11 and had never played an organized sport before - go figure). At the end of that game, the coach came up and suggested that basketball was maybe not my sport and I should consider something like bleachers for the rest of the season. I never played competitively since that day and other than what was mandatory for highschool phys. ed credits, the only time I stepped on a basketball court was to do a half-time routine.
I had a great time today, certainly not the fastest, certainly not the most agile, and certainly not the scoring leader, but I felt like I held my own out there when I had to. A few sneaky moves that proved "I still got it" and a few moves that said "you never had it". I'm stiff and sore from stops and starts, I'm paler from blood loss courtesy the mosquitos, but really enjoyed the entire experience.
I started thinking today about my body and what change I hope to see, which of course got me thinking about the pictures they have in the Body For Life Book. You know the photos I mean, the ones that show from "Fat to Fit", where people go from pastey white, melon shaped, frowny people to thin, ripped, muscled, tanned. smiling individuals with perfectly white teeth, who if you'd met them at a fraternity, would have shiny names like Chaz or Mipsy. I pondered the concept of getting a spray tan - but even that might be too much for people who have seen me as my transluscent wonderful self for this long.
I'll wait until I can see my abs to decide...
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
"The most important thing to remember is this: To be ready at any moment to give up what you are for what you might become.: - W.E.B DuBois
By the wonders of technology I was unable to post my blog for yesterday. So I will pay you back with two today!
Yesterday was Hardcore. It was my first time attending this class and I was really worried about how I could "hang" with the rest of the hardcore group. Turns out I only had to worry about hanging with Jo. (No pressure there!). The workout was incredibly challenging.
I found that at the end though, I didn't feel like I truly "owned" the workout. I didn't feel sweaty enough, the only muscles that were tired were the jelly like strings I call my arms, and I think I gave up too soon doing full push-ups. For starters, I probably shouldn't compare myself to Jo, that's just setting me up for failure. That said, I think that she is an excellent role model to fashion myself after. She doesn't leave anything on the table when she works out, giving 110% the whole time.
It makes me wonder how many times in our lives we cut corners, do less than our best because no one is counting how many pushups we complete?
By the wonders of technology I was unable to post my blog for yesterday. So I will pay you back with two today!
Yesterday was Hardcore. It was my first time attending this class and I was really worried about how I could "hang" with the rest of the hardcore group. Turns out I only had to worry about hanging with Jo. (No pressure there!). The workout was incredibly challenging.
I found that at the end though, I didn't feel like I truly "owned" the workout. I didn't feel sweaty enough, the only muscles that were tired were the jelly like strings I call my arms, and I think I gave up too soon doing full push-ups. For starters, I probably shouldn't compare myself to Jo, that's just setting me up for failure. That said, I think that she is an excellent role model to fashion myself after. She doesn't leave anything on the table when she works out, giving 110% the whole time.
It makes me wonder how many times in our lives we cut corners, do less than our best because no one is counting how many pushups we complete?
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
“Edison failed 10, 000 times before he made the electric light. Do not be discouraged if you fail a few times.” - Napolean Hill
Suprisingly, I don't have much to tell you tonight. Except that I ran 5k faster than I ran it last time. Without Amanda at Jo Dumont Fitness Training, I would not be out running. Today we ran 5:1 intervals the entire distance. In her own way, Amanda is a walking encouragement to others, and inspires me along our runs. During our run today, I asked her who trained her, who ran beside her, and she told me that she had a plan given to her and she just followed it. I found this fascinating since I could never run alone - at least not right now while I still don't understand the point of running - and yet here she is, living proof that you can care enough to make changes, even when you are alone and it's hard.
Thanks for running with me, Amanda
Suprisingly, I don't have much to tell you tonight. Except that I ran 5k faster than I ran it last time. Without Amanda at Jo Dumont Fitness Training, I would not be out running. Today we ran 5:1 intervals the entire distance. In her own way, Amanda is a walking encouragement to others, and inspires me along our runs. During our run today, I asked her who trained her, who ran beside her, and she told me that she had a plan given to her and she just followed it. I found this fascinating since I could never run alone - at least not right now while I still don't understand the point of running - and yet here she is, living proof that you can care enough to make changes, even when you are alone and it's hard.
Thanks for running with me, Amanda
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
"People change and forget to tell each other." - Lillian Hellman
As part of my personal training - (or maybe I'm just vain and everyone has to) I provide Jo with a food journal indicating what I eat on a daily basis. The first day that I met Jo, she asked what I had eaten and I could with all sorts of confidence tell her that I had 6 Werther's caramels and half can of zero.
Today, only a couple of weeks later, I am keeping a journal that includes actual food. I find this part of my change fascinating, only because I have ridiculous food issues. When I was little I used to have rinse my plate off inbetween each food item, potatoes, rinse, veggies, rinse, meat, rinse, and I always ate my food in the order of what I liked least to what I liked best (I still do that part). As I got older (and ostensibly smarter - or lazier), I began to mentally section my plate so that food wouldn't touch. Now, even though food items can touch each other from time to time, there are some rules that I have made for myself:
1. Melted cheese is only for pizza.
2. Food shall not be covered in gravy, syrup or other liquid topping. (the exception to this rule of course is raspberries with whipped cream).
3. Each food item must be completed before moving on to the next.
4. Under no circumstances will you eat a banana.
The list goes on. What wound up happening, was to live within the rules I created, I became very linear in my food choices, so that they were always the same. It was safe, easy, I could discern my calories easily and it was ...boring.
My point, however is that even these rules, which were so important on some psychological level (some underlying need for control I'm sure), can be changed. It's not an easy process I can assure you but with enough want you can do anything. Heck, I ate cookies with bananas and nuts!
Just don't ask me about my alphabetized pantry.
As part of my personal training - (or maybe I'm just vain and everyone has to) I provide Jo with a food journal indicating what I eat on a daily basis. The first day that I met Jo, she asked what I had eaten and I could with all sorts of confidence tell her that I had 6 Werther's caramels and half can of zero.
Today, only a couple of weeks later, I am keeping a journal that includes actual food. I find this part of my change fascinating, only because I have ridiculous food issues. When I was little I used to have rinse my plate off inbetween each food item, potatoes, rinse, veggies, rinse, meat, rinse, and I always ate my food in the order of what I liked least to what I liked best (I still do that part). As I got older (and ostensibly smarter - or lazier), I began to mentally section my plate so that food wouldn't touch. Now, even though food items can touch each other from time to time, there are some rules that I have made for myself:
1. Melted cheese is only for pizza.
2. Food shall not be covered in gravy, syrup or other liquid topping. (the exception to this rule of course is raspberries with whipped cream).
3. Each food item must be completed before moving on to the next.
4. Under no circumstances will you eat a banana.
The list goes on. What wound up happening, was to live within the rules I created, I became very linear in my food choices, so that they were always the same. It was safe, easy, I could discern my calories easily and it was ...boring.
My point, however is that even these rules, which were so important on some psychological level (some underlying need for control I'm sure), can be changed. It's not an easy process I can assure you but with enough want you can do anything. Heck, I ate cookies with bananas and nuts!
Just don't ask me about my alphabetized pantry.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
“Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the hours, weeks, months and years they spend preparing for it. The victorious performance itself is merely the demonstration of their championship character” - T. Alan Armstrong
I was a cheerleader in highschool and in 1991 I was the Canadian Individual Cheerleading Champion. I always found it interesting that I ever became a cheerleader because becoming a cheerleader was something I had never considered for myself. You see, cheerleaders were always pretty, popular, muscular, athletic, coordinated individuals. I was never any of those things.
The summer before I entered the tenth grade, my brother was at a rugby match and I was cheering my head off for him when I was approached by the highschool cheer coach (she was married to the rugby coach - welcome to Anytown, Alberta) who insisted that I tryout. I didn't give it much of a thought until she stopped me infront of the school the day of tryouts. I went and actually made the squad.
My first year as a cheerleader I went to Nationals and competed as an individual. I placed 22 out of 23. Not bad right? Well if you consider that I placed second last next to the girl that broke her leg in the middle of her routine, yeah, it was bad...
But, I practiced and I perservered. Every day I would work on my cheers and jumps, I would stare endlessly into the mirror perfecting each move. The second year my squad competed as a team and I once again signed up for individual competition. In my second year I placed 7th out of 15.
Again, I practiced and perservered and In my third and final year of highschool, I competed in individual cheering and placed 1st out of 35. It was an amazing journey and I will never forget how it felt to win, but what still remains amazing to me, is that it wasn't the victory that meant so much. What I missed was the opportunity to always improve and always get better. I don't think that there is anything that I have done since as far as competition and physical activity that meant as much to me as those three years. What I discovered that was more important than a four foot high trophy, was that I was just as good as all those girls I never thought I could be.
There is no quit in me. I can be the woman I want to be.
I was a cheerleader in highschool and in 1991 I was the Canadian Individual Cheerleading Champion. I always found it interesting that I ever became a cheerleader because becoming a cheerleader was something I had never considered for myself. You see, cheerleaders were always pretty, popular, muscular, athletic, coordinated individuals. I was never any of those things.
The summer before I entered the tenth grade, my brother was at a rugby match and I was cheering my head off for him when I was approached by the highschool cheer coach (she was married to the rugby coach - welcome to Anytown, Alberta) who insisted that I tryout. I didn't give it much of a thought until she stopped me infront of the school the day of tryouts. I went and actually made the squad.
My first year as a cheerleader I went to Nationals and competed as an individual. I placed 22 out of 23. Not bad right? Well if you consider that I placed second last next to the girl that broke her leg in the middle of her routine, yeah, it was bad...
But, I practiced and I perservered. Every day I would work on my cheers and jumps, I would stare endlessly into the mirror perfecting each move. The second year my squad competed as a team and I once again signed up for individual competition. In my second year I placed 7th out of 15.
Again, I practiced and perservered and In my third and final year of highschool, I competed in individual cheering and placed 1st out of 35. It was an amazing journey and I will never forget how it felt to win, but what still remains amazing to me, is that it wasn't the victory that meant so much. What I missed was the opportunity to always improve and always get better. I don't think that there is anything that I have done since as far as competition and physical activity that meant as much to me as those three years. What I discovered that was more important than a four foot high trophy, was that I was just as good as all those girls I never thought I could be.
There is no quit in me. I can be the woman I want to be.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
“Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are.” - Arthur Golden
If I didn't date my posts, I could have called this one "If I have to do one more !@#$%^&* Step-Up!"
I learned two things today. The first is that I'm not as tall as I thought I was and two, every inch shorter that I am equals an increase of 2% Body Fat. Which means for those of you out there who are not mathletes, my current weight is 146 pounds (an increase of 6 pounds) and my actual and current height is 5'3". When we correct the original measurements taken to include my correct height, this makes my current body fat 27% (normal is 21 - 25% - it's not shocking that I'm not normal). The good news is, out of the 6 pounds I gained, only 5 of them were fat. (I know, ticker tape parade, right?)
So while the knowledge that I gained 6 pounds since I started this journey is a little disheartening, it is important and noteworthy, that this means I am doing what I promised Jo I would do. I continue to have faith that doing this her way and not resisting change will eventually find my numbers going in a downward direction. I am not anxious to have measurements done anytime soon.
Today was a personal training day with Jo. Freaking awesome abs workout, but today I found a new challenge. The Step-Up. The Reebok Deck (http://www.fitter1.com/Catalog/Items/Reebok%20Deck.aspx) is exactly 13" off the ground and was the bane of my existance today.
As Jo explained it to me, I don't need to get a Reebok Deck, but in the gym it provides a good cardio workout in a space where there isn't much room for cardio and other options are not available at the time. I may get one anyway, just so I get practice beating the machine!
The exercise was simple..do 35 step ups in 40 seconds. Easy, right? Yeah, not so much. Everytime I tried to complete this exercise, I came across some catastrophic failure somewhere around 16 that continued until 31 step ups or my time ran out. I think what I found more horrendous than not actually completing the task each time, it was the defeatest thoughts I had going through my mind, in addition to the noises eminating from my body - I made better sounds when I was having my daughter! No suffering in silence here, let me tell you. We did those effing steps I think 5 times without reaching the goal.
You see, I didn't feel breathless or even tired, really. It was just this unimagineable feeling that I could not lift my legs up 13". Jo called this dead legs and gave me this freaking awesome banana nut cookie (which is a huge step given my extreme dislike for bananas - ask me sometime about why I hate bananas). We did some other exercises and returned back to "The Step."
And what do you know, I did it. Infact, I did 35 in 37 seconds. I am so glad Jo didn't ask me to do them again starting on the other leg.
If I didn't date my posts, I could have called this one "If I have to do one more !@#$%^&* Step-Up!"
I learned two things today. The first is that I'm not as tall as I thought I was and two, every inch shorter that I am equals an increase of 2% Body Fat. Which means for those of you out there who are not mathletes, my current weight is 146 pounds (an increase of 6 pounds) and my actual and current height is 5'3". When we correct the original measurements taken to include my correct height, this makes my current body fat 27% (normal is 21 - 25% - it's not shocking that I'm not normal). The good news is, out of the 6 pounds I gained, only 5 of them were fat. (I know, ticker tape parade, right?)
So while the knowledge that I gained 6 pounds since I started this journey is a little disheartening, it is important and noteworthy, that this means I am doing what I promised Jo I would do. I continue to have faith that doing this her way and not resisting change will eventually find my numbers going in a downward direction. I am not anxious to have measurements done anytime soon.
Today was a personal training day with Jo. Freaking awesome abs workout, but today I found a new challenge. The Step-Up. The Reebok Deck (http://www.fitter1.com/Catalog/Items/Reebok%20Deck.aspx) is exactly 13" off the ground and was the bane of my existance today.
As Jo explained it to me, I don't need to get a Reebok Deck, but in the gym it provides a good cardio workout in a space where there isn't much room for cardio and other options are not available at the time. I may get one anyway, just so I get practice beating the machine!
The exercise was simple..do 35 step ups in 40 seconds. Easy, right? Yeah, not so much. Everytime I tried to complete this exercise, I came across some catastrophic failure somewhere around 16 that continued until 31 step ups or my time ran out. I think what I found more horrendous than not actually completing the task each time, it was the defeatest thoughts I had going through my mind, in addition to the noises eminating from my body - I made better sounds when I was having my daughter! No suffering in silence here, let me tell you. We did those effing steps I think 5 times without reaching the goal.
You see, I didn't feel breathless or even tired, really. It was just this unimagineable feeling that I could not lift my legs up 13". Jo called this dead legs and gave me this freaking awesome banana nut cookie (which is a huge step given my extreme dislike for bananas - ask me sometime about why I hate bananas). We did some other exercises and returned back to "The Step."
And what do you know, I did it. Infact, I did 35 in 37 seconds. I am so glad Jo didn't ask me to do them again starting on the other leg.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
"Be the change you wish to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi
I feel like I cheated you yesterday. Didn't share everything that I should share. I was hot, sweaty, pms-y? Worked out late and got tired somewhere after midnight.
So if I haven't told you enough already, Jo Dumont Fitness Training is the shit. If you have thought about your gym experiences in the past and everything that you wish you could change about it, you get JDFT.
Case and point. Last night I wanted to work out. Last night when I wanted to work out it was after 11:00pm and what gym in it's right mind, is open (unless you count 24 Hour Fitness, but then who is going to watch your children while you are there?) Instead, I was able to find a workout on YouTube (YouTube!) where Jo and Amanda greet you with a wonderful assortment of exercises for you to do from the comfort of your own room. Now I will confess that for me personally, it's a lot easier to cheat yourself on a workout this way, but to my credit, I was able to get through Boot Camp #6 quite proudly, only forgetting one set of twisty jumpy things.
Today I posted a casual posting on the JDFT Facebook page asking if anyone wanted to go for a run. ( I still don't get running as an activity, but it felt like something I wanted to do today) . I only had one responder, Amanda, who graciously took time out of her day, piled her daughter into a jogging stroller and away we went! I think it is rather noteworthy that Amanda took me on an 8 kilometer run and I didn't complain the whole time! (well there was that one moment where I thought I might die, and Amanda assured me there was only 20 seconds or so left).
It is absolutely incredible how much JDFT truly cares about your wellness and fitness goals and how they go out of their way to be available to you. You don't get that at any ordinary gym. But then, JDFT is not any ordinary gym - it's really its own community - one that I am glad I belong to.
I feel like I cheated you yesterday. Didn't share everything that I should share. I was hot, sweaty, pms-y? Worked out late and got tired somewhere after midnight.
So if I haven't told you enough already, Jo Dumont Fitness Training is the shit. If you have thought about your gym experiences in the past and everything that you wish you could change about it, you get JDFT.
Case and point. Last night I wanted to work out. Last night when I wanted to work out it was after 11:00pm and what gym in it's right mind, is open (unless you count 24 Hour Fitness, but then who is going to watch your children while you are there?) Instead, I was able to find a workout on YouTube (YouTube!) where Jo and Amanda greet you with a wonderful assortment of exercises for you to do from the comfort of your own room. Now I will confess that for me personally, it's a lot easier to cheat yourself on a workout this way, but to my credit, I was able to get through Boot Camp #6 quite proudly, only forgetting one set of twisty jumpy things.
Today I posted a casual posting on the JDFT Facebook page asking if anyone wanted to go for a run. ( I still don't get running as an activity, but it felt like something I wanted to do today) . I only had one responder, Amanda, who graciously took time out of her day, piled her daughter into a jogging stroller and away we went! I think it is rather noteworthy that Amanda took me on an 8 kilometer run and I didn't complain the whole time! (well there was that one moment where I thought I might die, and Amanda assured me there was only 20 seconds or so left).
It is absolutely incredible how much JDFT truly cares about your wellness and fitness goals and how they go out of their way to be available to you. You don't get that at any ordinary gym. But then, JDFT is not any ordinary gym - it's really its own community - one that I am glad I belong to.
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