I caught a re-run of Oprah today that featured folks that have lost some massive weight – in particular The Woman who Lost 530 Pounds. It was very inspiring to say the least.

One of the things that really perked my ears was that Oprah mentioned she doesn’t like exercise – at all. She made that comment quite a few times to trainer Bob Greene during the show.

It got me thinking. Because I could certainly relate to her feelings on exercise.

I used to HATE “exercise”. I never did any unless I absolutely had to. You know, walk around Disney World, ride bikes with the kids (if they insisted), but no real attempt at exercise. I was a lazy ass. You get the idea.

It = Exercise…

• I didn’t get “it”!
• What was the point of “it”?
• Why did I need “it” in my life?
• “It” was HARD to do.
• “It” made me SWEAT.

Last year when I had the opportunity to workout with a personal trainer, I decided to try it. If you know me, I will try anything once – mainly because I am a rotten, degenerate gambler when confronted with a challenge. And that’s precisely what my then soon-to-be trainer confronted me with. He challenged me to change my life.

And I’m thankful every single day that I was given that challenge.

The first month or two of working out with Dean, I hated it. Okay, the first month I REALLY hated it, but as the months wore on I really started to like how exercise made me feel. Keep in mind I RARELY missed an exercise session. Most weeks I was working out 6 & 7 days a week.

I learned a lot about myself & the gym during those months…

• I learned what I do and do not like.
• I learned I am one strong girl.
• I learned that my body WANTS exercise.
• I learned that lifting weights empowers me as a woman.

Migrating through working out with Dean, a workout partner, workout groups and then changing gyms all together and working out on my own has shown me that fitness is ingrained into my being – and I’m better for it.

If you are sitting there reading this and wondering how you can get from point A (hating exercise) to point B (loving exercise) I really do not have a definitive answer for you. I can only tell you about my situation and hope that it helps you in some way.

Where I’m at now…

• I’m at the gym six days a week for 60 to 90 minutes a session.
• I rarely miss a gym workout but when I do, I’m still hitting the gym 4-5 times a week at the very least and on most of those missed days I’m hitting it hard at home.
• I usually ride my bike to the gym, to the office, to the post office, etc.
• I often go for a little jog outside a few times a week.

Hiring a personal trainer…
I’d never trade my initial exercise time with Dean for anything in the world! If you are new at exercising and can swing it, I would recommend working out with a good personal trainer. You can learn so much about the movements, exercises, equipment and reps that you just cannot put a price on.

I also advocate working out on your own too – which has some great benefits.

One of the wonderful things about working out on your own is the freedom of choice to do the exercises that you really love – and doing things your way. You all know I’m all about doing things MY WAY when it’s on my time… (Queue in the Frank Sinatra song, which is a classic.)

In working out on my own, I found what I DO like, and I have also discovered what I do NOT like.

• I do not like stagnant.
• I do not like stale or boring.
• I also do not like doing the same stuff over and over again.
• Particularly, I’ve found I do not like doing cardio and weights on separate days.
• I also do not like working out ONLY one body part (upper body vs. lower body) in a session like I used to when I worked out with a trainer previously.

Is there a rule that says you cannot do cardio the same day you do weights? Is there a rule against working multiple body parts? I’m not sure, but again, I like to push things a bit and I am at a point where I know what my physical limitations are and I stay within them – but I do try to challenge myself as much as possible!

What I do…
I try to do my best to focus on one region during the majority of my daily workout, BUT I also add in a few things to work the other regions, and always a little cardio.

For example…
If it’s an arms and shoulders day, I’ll add in a few sets of lunges and some stomach too, even though the majority of my exercises are focused on upper body for that workout.

Then I’ll go hop on the treadmill and run a mile as fast as I can (I’m at 9 min 13 sec… trying hard to break that barrier!). Then I’ll go back to the weights and lift some more. This keeps my mind stimulated and prevents me from getting bored easily. Getting in that brief run in between my weights helps keep my head clear and the sweat flowing – which to me equals a fantastic workout.

Try some new things every so often…
Don’t let the gym environment scare you or make you nervous. Don’t let the gym equipment or patrons intimidate you. I know some gals that do not like working out near the weights because it’s mostly male dominated. I’ve found the guys actually think it’s cool when gals come over and pump some iron. If you do not know how to use something, just ask!

Be careful of overhead bars…
Just last week, I was in the gym mentally patting myself on the back for pushing through a really tough set when I nailed the top of my head on an overhead bar. It was pretty bad. I actually saw stars for a few seconds and an older guy next to me gave this huge look of concern and asked if I was okay. I felt like such a moron! But you know what I did? I put all of that frustration into my next set. I worked it so hard the rest of the day I forgot that I hit my head until I took a shower and felt the goose egg while washing my hair.

How do you feel about exercise? Love it or hate it?

When I was at my fattest I would avoid the mirror. At all costs.

If I were walking by a mirror in a store or a reflective window, I would look the other way. I hated my reflection because I felt that it wasn’t a true representation of who I really was as a person. I was more than the fat that hung onto my body. I was more than the distorted, unhealthy person I had become. So the hell with all mirrors! I didn’t need them much anyway, right?

I was in fat denial, really. I knew why I was fat and I knew what I had to do to remedy the problem, but I refused to act. I wish I could say I had a grandiose excuse or a justifiable reason for non-action.

I could say I’m a busy mother to three and it’s hard to eat healthy. I could say that I had a child with special needs that keeps me on my toes. I could also say I am under enormous stress from owning a business (deadlines, demands and difficult clients) and financial issues. The thing is, all of those things are true – but I refuse to use them as an excuse for my fatness.

The true reason why I let myself go… drum roll… because I was incredibly LAZY.

I lived in a state of fat denial. I ignored how I looked by refusing to look in the mirror. I ignored how fat I’d gotten by refusing to buy new clothes; and instead I squeezed my body in the clothes I had, drastically stretching their true size. When well meaning doctors would mention I needed to do something about my weight, I didn’t listen. I’d tell myself I’m not THAT fat. I’d tell myself that I could be happy being a bigger girl because I just wasn’t destined to lose weight. Losing weight and getting fit was just too hard… Like looking in the mirror had become.

It took a mirror to truly snap me out of my denial and laziness.

It happened when I went to the gym on my first day back in November to workout with my trainer. I was mortified looking in the mirrors. That was not me looking back. That was another fat girl who I did not know. It just wasn’t me.

For the first few sessions I refused to look in the mirrors until Dean told me to “LOOK IN THE DAMN MIRROR!” so I could see what I was doing and what body parts I was working. I fought it at first, but slowly, I learned to look in the mirrors at the gym. And you know what? I didn’t turn into a pillar of salt or burst into tears. I accepted who I was at that moment, that girl in the mirror, and I owned the reflection. With determined resolve, and each glance in the mirror, I knew who I wanted to become – a fitter, healthier person.

Every morning before I get into the shower, I look in the mirror. I no longer look away as I walk past – I look at everything. I flex my arms, I suck in my gut and I do a little jig because I know my body is changing and I’m getting fit. And I remind myself that those jiggly bits won’t be jiggly for long.

I’m no longer scared to look into the mirror. I look forward to it.

I’m the type of person that gets bored pretty easily with the same old same old exercises. That’s one of the reasons why I decide to change things up a bit every so often. I suppose I have this fear that if I let things get too monotonous on the exercise front that I’ll give up on my journey to get healthy and fit. I know this is silly to fear this because I’m very determined to get fit and healthy.

I still love working out at the gym, but I’ve taken a reprieve for a few weeks, mainly due to my trip to D.C. – and general boredom with that routine. Instead, I’ve been running a lot and hitting up various workout DVD’s at home. I also have a workout bench, some small free weights and a gym ball I put to good use at home.

Several months ago I purchased the P90X Extreme Home Fitness system. Back then I was working out with my trainer every other day and I had to make a choice – P90X or my trainer. I chose my trainer of course. :)

Now that I’m not working out with my trainer as often, I’ve decided to have today be the day, and I’m ready to move forward with starting P90X. Today I will in earnest begin day one. I’m going to do it, it’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time, and it’s now time for me to do it.

For those of you that aren’t up to speed on what P90X is, here’s a definition from Wikipedia:

P90X, or Power 90 Extreme, is a home exercise system developed by Tony Horton in conjunction with Beachbody, which aims for an improved physique in 90 days through rigorous interval training. The program emphasizes full-body fitness, and consists of cardiovascular, strength training, and stretching  exercises divided into three 30-day phases, combined with a nutrition and optional supplementation plan.

P90X stresses the importance of “muscle confusion” (a term for adding variety through cross-training and periodization), so it switches the order of exercises and incorporates new movements during each phase. According to Horton, muscle confusion prevents the body from adapting to exercises over time, resulting in continual improvement without plateaus.

In my blog posts I will include a summary of how my P90X workouts are going and tell you my thoughts on the workout and how I’m feeling. I expect to be feeling very sore! And I will post some occasional videos too.

Doing P90X is more than just going through the workout DVD’s. The program also includes a Nutrition Plan. It’s not a whole lot different than what my trainer has had me on, but I am going to follow it full force. I want to do the program exactly as described and get the maximum benefits.

Yeah, I’m going to show that a big girl can do P90X – and do it as designed.

Starting today, April 18th, puts my 90 days completion at July 17th, right in the midst of summer.

Roy Cohen from Roy Cohen’s Contemplative Fitness has been kind enough to offer today’s guest post.

Roy’s blog is one of my favorite fitness blogs  – and I know once you read his post you’ll understand why.

Visit Blog ->

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Roy Cohen is a fitness trainer, and an avid fitness enthusiast who intermingles elements of art, faith, and philosophy in his approach to exercise.  He began his work in the fitness industry with Nautilus Fitness Centers in 1979.  He holds a degree in Exercise Science from Arizona State University.

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A Personal Discourse On Fitness…

There are moments in life that can define us by revealing our courage or our humility, in pursuit of growth.  Or, those same moments can haunt us, ongoing, for revealing all we are not willing to do to affect change within our self.  This might be the story of one such moment:

My daughter was 9 years old.  Chelsea had swimming pool hair, golden skin, and she had a best friend named Holly.  We lived down the street from Holly, on a greenbelt loaded with greenbelt things; swings, slides, those rocky-horse things on thick springs, tennis courts and more.  Chelsea loved the green belt, and often asked when I walked her home from school, if we could stop and play there.  I don’t ever recall saying “no”, because I loved the greenbelt too.

On occasion, we would walk home from school with her friend Holly, and Holly’s father Derek.  Holly was like Chelsea, young, full of energy, and always ready to play.  Derek – not as much.  He was perhaps 100 lbs. overweight, and though he was a few years younger than me, he was doing well just to walk his daughter home from school without sweating excessively.

One afternoon while Derek and I navigated the girls through the greenbelt, amidst the sea of red ceramic roof tops, we decided to stop and let the girls play at the playground for a while – and they did.  Derek and I sat on a bench beside the jungle gym and watched while Chelsea and Holly participated in a kids’ life.  Eventually, I was called upon to participate as a swing pusher.  Pushing swings soon merged into playing on the jungle gym and I thought nothing of it.  I was willing, I was able, and I was having fun.

Eventually, even a guy in good shape has to concede to the exceptional fitness level of 9-year old girls, and I did that also, exhaustedly rejoining Derek on the park bench.  As I approached him, I saw a small tear run from one of his eyes, and heard a sniffle accompany the tear. That’s when I recognized the impact of what I had just done – that I could do with Derek’s daughter what he could not do; physically play.

No words were spoke between Derek and I when I sat back down beside him, nothing could really be said.  I had it, and he wanted what I had; physical ability. For me, the moment  was humbling and gratifying – simultaneously.  Humbling that my friend was not fit enough to slide down a slide with his own daughter.  Gratifying, that I was.  How does one reconcile such a moment?  Internally.

If the story ended there it would be a great example of the value of exercise and living a fit life – a testament to the virtues of discipline in regular exercise and healthy eating. A man cries because he’s unable to play with his own child, but an older man is fit enough for the job.  Hooray, fitness wins!!!

But the story does not end there.  Later that evening, Chelsea and I settled in to our evening routine together – she doing her homework, me exercising in our garage gym.   When I came in from the workout, she asked me why Derek had been crying on the park  bench that afternoon.

Pretentiously, I explained to her that Derek had been saddened by seeing me playing and enjoying moments on the jungle gym with his daughter – something he could not do, though his heart clearly desired to participate.  I told her that seeing this made me sad too, but also made me feel good about my ability to be a participant dad.

Astute to a fault even at the age of 9, Chelsea immediately asked me if I ever cried –  when she’s with Holly and Derek at Baskin Robins or Hometown Buffet, enjoying wonderful treats and the laughter and the moments that go with them – moments she reminded me, that I was never willing to participate in.  She knew that in my heart I clearly desired such moments, but I regularly chose not to participate in something that Derek, Holly, and Chelsea always enjoyed.

And that is where this story really ends; at the point where I was reminded by a 9-year old that there are two sides to every story – even the story of fitness.  I have not been able to wholly embrace the concept, nor even the term fitness since that moment.

Fitness is my livelihood.  I regularly attempt to make the case that living fit, and eating healthy are important for every man, woman, and child in America.  Still, I reflect on that moment daily – and the moment still haunts me; the day fitness was exposed to me as just another sacrifice in the name of non-sacrifice. It’s been ten years since Chelsea asked me that question, and I still wonder what fitness is or, if it even is.

I might die tomorrow.  If I do, what moments will I have missed of sharing ice cream and cake with a side order of smiles?  What flavors and accompanying moments might I have I passed upon, in favor of a cardio-session or a plate of broccoli in the name of living well?  Like questions of politics, philosophy, and faith, there are no clear answers here.  But there should be some thought, a bit of discourse, some compromise and some understanding – in my case anyway.

In hind-sight, I reflect mostly that on that day, Derek had shed tears for his inability to play with his daughter on the jungle gym.  In further exploration, I reflect that I had never shed a tear for my unwillingness to enjoy a cake or a buffet with my daughter, and for that I am ashamed.  So who’s more fit now?  Be well.  rc

I was reading over at 263 and counting today and I really related to the post and wanted to talk about my experiences with this.

Here’s my opinion: outdoor running = fun times | treadmill running = general suckage

Let me give you a little history in case you have forgotten or didn’t read this here previously.

When I first started this health journey back in November, I weighed 270 lbs. That’s a lot of weight to have flopping around, jiggly, and uncomfortable. Do you think my personal trainer Dean cared about that? Hell-to-the-NO.

My first day of cardio at his gym involved him taping a hand written list of speed intervals to the treadmill and me doing it. (You can see the speeds here.) Because there are NO EXCUSES in Dean’s gym, and since I am very COMPETITIVE and did not want to look like a LOSER or a FAILURE (I know, I have issues ha ha), I knew I was going to do it if it freaking killed me or not.

Yeah, I did it. And yeah, I felt like it was going to kill me. Especially the 5.5 speed at minute 19. I remember leaving the gym red faced, out of breath, and feeling like I would never love running EVER.IN.MY.LIFE.

But I stuck with it. My endurance improved with each treadmill routine.

About two months ago, I asked Dean for a treadmill routine that would get me prepared for the 5K this summer. Good old Dean, I can always count on him to give me something tough. Love that guy! And he did not disappoint.

Dean pulled out his pen and notebook and started scribbling minutes and speeds quickly as I watched from behind the counter. The speeds didn’t dip below 5.0 and went all the way up to 8.0 for a high speed. At the time, I thought, “Dude is on crack. I weigh over 250 lbs how in the hell is my fat body going to be able to do these speeds?!” Plus, I had never gotten up to 8.0 before.

Like my new flair? I do!

But you know what? I did it. Every single interval. And yeah, it was TOUGH and yeah, I was red faced, I was drenched in sweat and out of breath. But this time I gave the paper back to Dean when I was done and said, “Piece of cake.”

Dean knew I was full of shit, I knew I was full of shit, but he let me live in my dreamland full of shit and didn’t say anything. Did I tell you how much I love my trainer? :)

Even though that’s been a few months ago, I’ve kept up with my treadmill intervals. I’m to the point where I don’t ask Dean for much guidance and I just do what feels good. I know what challenges me and what doesn’t. Lately, I’ve been focusing on endurance on the treadmill, in particular sustained running at a set speed. I’ve gotten up to 15 minutes at 5.5/6.0 speeds (which is a nice slow jog). The 15 minutes of straight running is a personal record for me on the treadmill.

I started getting into outdoor running a week or two ago, and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I LOVED it. Yes, it’s hard, it can be physically trying, and I’m still pretty slow, but I’ve developed a genuine LOVE for outdoor running.

Here’s my Nike+ graph of my run this morning. I’m averaging about
an 11 minute mile. I know that’s slow, but I’m not walking at all so I’m
very proud of myself. The dip was from running up the hill from hell.
My goal is to be at an 8 or 9 min mile by next month. I KNOW I can do it!

I love that the scenery changes, the way the outdoor air smells and hearing the birds chirp (when I’m not listening to my music). But most of all, I love that I’m running for longer and farther than I ever have on the treadmill. I mean, who would have thought I would EVER run for 22-24 minutes straight – WITHOUT stopping?

So, if you are where I was several months ago – in particular you are hating running or having a hard time with it – I implore you to keep trying and keep at it. If everyone could experience the feeling I get during and after a run, the accomplishment that washes over my body and the sense of pride that I feel from completing a run, this would be a wonderful world to live in.

Wanna live in my world? It’s not just a dreamland full of shit anymore. It’s full of sustainable progress and mutual respect for my body, my environment and my will to compete with myself. I’d love to have you be a part of my ideal utopia, so come on, JOIN ME.