Post by kathyskor on Jul 26, 2009 21:16:28 GMT -5
Being the new kid on the block I've been checking out the posts for a while. I figure there's no time like the present to start my own but this may be a long one. Grab a tall glass of water and let's start the journey....
Rewind to December 26, 2005... After suffering from a constant headache for 2 months straight it was time to do something. I had never really thought of myself as that overweight, "I'm just tall", "Big-boned", "I don't look that bad", until I stepped on the scale at my first meeting. Shock seems to be too weak a word to describe what went through my mind when I saw the 272 and realized the word grossly obese was where I was. If the headaches weren't reason enough all of the other associated health risks suddenly became painfully visible. I had at that point decided that I was in it for the long haul.
I began diligently tracking every bit of food that went into my mouth. Playing the points game and only eating my daily allowance, never using the extra weekly points. If I would have known now what I knew then it would have been clear that I was sacrificing nutrition but in fairness the plan did what was intended, it took off the weight. I dropped down to 157 in just a little over a year. That was of course at the sacrifice of loosing my hair at one point and becoming a borderline vegetarian. You see when it's all about the numbers game the first thing you give up are proteins and fats. Two of the most important parts of a daily balance.
After the first 3 months I joined a local woman's workout club. The circuit kind where you only work on 1 piece of equipment for a minute and then move to another. Not being very active in my younger days it was really my first exposure to a 'gym' like setting. It only took me a few months to realize I might have been doing more harm than good without the proper instruction.
After I broke the 200 lb mark on the way down around July of 06 my husband talked me into joining the local 'real' gym. The caveat was that I must get a personal trainer. Someone must have been watching out for me because my first trainer from the gym really gave me a good foundation. The goal was to get more weight off and that is just what we did. I still remember the day he brought the boxing gloves over to me and told me to put them on. "Girls don't do that!" was my response but with his encouragement I tied them up. It wasn't long before I had my own custom made pink leather gloves and higher end target mits for my partner. I was officially hooked, and still am. It's straight pugilism for me, none of that MMA or kicking stuff. I have a great respect for boxers and understand their strength and conditioning which makes it fun to watch the sport as well. All the while, still dropping the weight and hitting the lowest I had ever been in my life, 157 lbs. I had carried that extra weight with me for the better part of 20 years.
So now the weight was off, I was into boxing and going to the gym 6 to 7 days a week, and the hard part was just beginning. The motivation and keeping it off in addition to figuring out what I wanted to be when I grew up. My first trainer changed careers and went to drive a delivery truck. I lost my boxing partner but more over, I lost my motivation. (BTW - We still see each other all the time, go to matches and spend holidays together..)
I fell out of the good eating and exercise mode for about 5 months. Tried another trainer at my gym and it just wasn't the same. I didn't have confidence in the 30minute rush sessions... After talking to another co-worker I joined a corporate gym where I worked. It was there that by the luck of the draw I found someone else who helped shape my life. Starting out slowly with the new trainer I finally got my head in the right place and found myself recommitted. I had new motivation and drive. The scale bounced backup to 185 but I was inspired. Not knowing what I wanted to be when I grew up I was introduced to the world of heavy lifting. If you've ever gotten the rush from a good heavy workout you will understand what was driving me. Building some good muscle the scale climbed over 190 but the clothes still fit well and I was stronger and happier. I would be able to carry my own grocery bags when I'm 70! Working again closely with someone who is shaping your life I also got a new buddy, almost like family. I trusted him so much I would do absolutely anything he asked me to because I knew he would never intentionally let me hurt myself. We worked on food a little but with the heavy lifting your intake is totally different. In a 6 month period I went from 0 pounds on the plate loaded chest press to 100lbs. Unbelievable strength gains. And it felt good. My first trainer took off the weight and gave me boxing, my 2nd one gave me 20 years of my life back....
Then suddenly, unexpectedly my world came crashing down when my buddy passed away. My first response was to give it all up. But Bud wouldn't have wanted me to do that and I needed to continue on. Again I found myself in need of another trainer. A coach to help me through the rough parts, make sure the form is right, be my motivation and inspiration. I knew what was not good and was still dealing with the emotions when I found my new coach. Completely different style and focus. A change which was really good for me on many levels.
So here I am. (I promise I'm almost through!) Almost one month into a new plan. We're still working on setting a calorie baseline but I'm eating more calories that I have ever in the past and still loosing a little bit each week. And that's before we start the cut. We're also going down the core training path. I can easily pick up that 50lb bag of cement but to hinge from the hip on one leg and touch a bottle on the floor, that's quite the sight! But I can actually feel like I am picking up some stability and core balance. We are adding some lifting back into the routine (I am thrilled!) and I can see a huge difference with the small amount of core strength I now have.
So I'll be using this as a way to update the progress. Thanks for playing along with me and be rest assured, "I'm In It For The Long Haul!"
Rewind to December 26, 2005... After suffering from a constant headache for 2 months straight it was time to do something. I had never really thought of myself as that overweight, "I'm just tall", "Big-boned", "I don't look that bad", until I stepped on the scale at my first meeting. Shock seems to be too weak a word to describe what went through my mind when I saw the 272 and realized the word grossly obese was where I was. If the headaches weren't reason enough all of the other associated health risks suddenly became painfully visible. I had at that point decided that I was in it for the long haul.
I began diligently tracking every bit of food that went into my mouth. Playing the points game and only eating my daily allowance, never using the extra weekly points. If I would have known now what I knew then it would have been clear that I was sacrificing nutrition but in fairness the plan did what was intended, it took off the weight. I dropped down to 157 in just a little over a year. That was of course at the sacrifice of loosing my hair at one point and becoming a borderline vegetarian. You see when it's all about the numbers game the first thing you give up are proteins and fats. Two of the most important parts of a daily balance.
After the first 3 months I joined a local woman's workout club. The circuit kind where you only work on 1 piece of equipment for a minute and then move to another. Not being very active in my younger days it was really my first exposure to a 'gym' like setting. It only took me a few months to realize I might have been doing more harm than good without the proper instruction.
After I broke the 200 lb mark on the way down around July of 06 my husband talked me into joining the local 'real' gym. The caveat was that I must get a personal trainer. Someone must have been watching out for me because my first trainer from the gym really gave me a good foundation. The goal was to get more weight off and that is just what we did. I still remember the day he brought the boxing gloves over to me and told me to put them on. "Girls don't do that!" was my response but with his encouragement I tied them up. It wasn't long before I had my own custom made pink leather gloves and higher end target mits for my partner. I was officially hooked, and still am. It's straight pugilism for me, none of that MMA or kicking stuff. I have a great respect for boxers and understand their strength and conditioning which makes it fun to watch the sport as well. All the while, still dropping the weight and hitting the lowest I had ever been in my life, 157 lbs. I had carried that extra weight with me for the better part of 20 years.
So now the weight was off, I was into boxing and going to the gym 6 to 7 days a week, and the hard part was just beginning. The motivation and keeping it off in addition to figuring out what I wanted to be when I grew up. My first trainer changed careers and went to drive a delivery truck. I lost my boxing partner but more over, I lost my motivation. (BTW - We still see each other all the time, go to matches and spend holidays together..)
I fell out of the good eating and exercise mode for about 5 months. Tried another trainer at my gym and it just wasn't the same. I didn't have confidence in the 30minute rush sessions... After talking to another co-worker I joined a corporate gym where I worked. It was there that by the luck of the draw I found someone else who helped shape my life. Starting out slowly with the new trainer I finally got my head in the right place and found myself recommitted. I had new motivation and drive. The scale bounced backup to 185 but I was inspired. Not knowing what I wanted to be when I grew up I was introduced to the world of heavy lifting. If you've ever gotten the rush from a good heavy workout you will understand what was driving me. Building some good muscle the scale climbed over 190 but the clothes still fit well and I was stronger and happier. I would be able to carry my own grocery bags when I'm 70! Working again closely with someone who is shaping your life I also got a new buddy, almost like family. I trusted him so much I would do absolutely anything he asked me to because I knew he would never intentionally let me hurt myself. We worked on food a little but with the heavy lifting your intake is totally different. In a 6 month period I went from 0 pounds on the plate loaded chest press to 100lbs. Unbelievable strength gains. And it felt good. My first trainer took off the weight and gave me boxing, my 2nd one gave me 20 years of my life back....
Then suddenly, unexpectedly my world came crashing down when my buddy passed away. My first response was to give it all up. But Bud wouldn't have wanted me to do that and I needed to continue on. Again I found myself in need of another trainer. A coach to help me through the rough parts, make sure the form is right, be my motivation and inspiration. I knew what was not good and was still dealing with the emotions when I found my new coach. Completely different style and focus. A change which was really good for me on many levels.
So here I am. (I promise I'm almost through!) Almost one month into a new plan. We're still working on setting a calorie baseline but I'm eating more calories that I have ever in the past and still loosing a little bit each week. And that's before we start the cut. We're also going down the core training path. I can easily pick up that 50lb bag of cement but to hinge from the hip on one leg and touch a bottle on the floor, that's quite the sight! But I can actually feel like I am picking up some stability and core balance. We are adding some lifting back into the routine (I am thrilled!) and I can see a huge difference with the small amount of core strength I now have.
So I'll be using this as a way to update the progress. Thanks for playing along with me and be rest assured, "I'm In It For The Long Haul!"
