Today.....

I'm a facebook fan.
I love "watching" the activity in my friends lives and I love the opportunity to
connect with like minded people through different business and blog pages.
There is a page I like a lot because the people writing and researching the posts think
like I do.... They are matter-of-fact, scientifically based, no BS kinds of people. The page is Metabolic Effect and a recent post caught my eye and I "clicked to read more".....

"If you don't get results following a "program" whose fault do you think that is? Is it the fault of the program or is it your issue? The answer to this question tells you almost everything you need to know about yourself and the chances of success at body change....." ~ME

Initially, it irritated me. Why would someone say that to a client? Why would you encourage them to move on???
I spend hours every week helping people change not only their bodies but also the way they live. I know that anyone can  lose weight, become more physically fit and improve their overall health if they are willing to exercise and eat healthy. I also spend hours wondering how many people will stay committed to the Goals program and how many will sign up for the next 9 week Challenge. I meet with Mardi and Sandy and some of my coaches to talk about ways we can be "more".
But as I re-read the ME post a few things became clearer to me...
I know...

~ It's simply not possible to begin an exercise/eat clean program and not lose weight
~ It is possible for ANYONE to participate in the programs we offer at GIM
~ It has to "fit" in your life
~ You have to be ready to change

I also know....

that includes me.

I jumped on the Challenge bandwagon with the rest of the group 4 weeks ago. While I was away on a mini vacation this weekend, my fellow challengers went through mid-point testing. They "checked in" with the scale and body comp machine and they timed their push-ups and sit-ups. Several had some great results! Some had decent results and some are kind of where they started.

Where am I?? In the middle group. I'm down 10 pounds from my start, but I know it could be more.
I know better than to blame the program, but like so many others I continue to fall into an "all-or-nothing" rut. Week one, I worked out 7 times and walked- and hurt my back. So, week 2, I took it easy and week 3 easier and week 4 went on vacation........
I've eaten as I always do (clean) but, without the discipline of workouts and a "wine free social calendar", I haven't had the results I'd like.

So.... do I change my goals? Do I make a stupid and drastic move & cut nutrient groups out of my diet? Do I go crazy on a treadmill?

NO!!!

Back to the basics for me. Today is my Monday. All day long.... and so is tomorrow and the day after that....

"Not getting results? Then change. Confused? Then figure it out. Don't blame the program, blame yourself. If you are blindly following a program without adjusting to your needs along the way, then it's not the program's fault, it's your own. Go ahead and follow another program if you wish, but chances are until you learn this lesson it too will fail you." ~ME

I've written my grocery list, planned meals in my head and my workouts on my calendar.
So, how is this different than it was before? How do I know it will work this time??
I put a backup plan in place in case I decide to sleep in or a meeting runs longer than it should.....
I have two workouts scheduled- EVERY DAY
I want this, I need this.....

Today is my Monday, how about you?

Bitten....

I love working in the health and fitness industry.

All kinds of people walk through the doors at Goals in Motion. We have people who have never worked out, people seeking cross training, people who are overweight or underweight, and people who don’t know where to start…….

I love that anyone can benefit from exercise and healthy eating and I love it even more when people catch the bug and become health addicts! It’s our goals to help people make long lasting lifestyle changes.

Yesterday I experienced a whole new kind of health addiction. I attended the USA Super Pro Qualifier and Bluffs Classic Body Natural Bodybuilding Show to watch my friend Kylee compete in her first figure competition.

Kylee joined Goals in Motion midway through her senior year at Iowa State. She works for my good friend Anne who owns Dogtown University in Ames. Kylee was a design student who spent some time in the gym, but had really abandoned cardio since she left high school sports. Ky was unsure of her career path and was considering the fitness industry. Anne convinced her to come to Goals to get a taste of group fitness.

Kylee Initial Picture



Kylee End of 9 Week Challenge

Kylee was on my team. From day one I knew she’d do well. I’ve been teaching a long time and I know the “give-up look”…she had it more than once that day but she refused to quit. She pushed through kickboxing and resistance classes day after day until it became a way of life. She quickly became hooked on the Goals way, eating right, working hard and making friends. She is perhaps the most disciplined eater I’ve ever coached. She had some great changes during her nine weeks and shortly after joined my team of instructors.

Kylee was bitten by the body building bug a while back ~ she’s been a fan of several professionals for a long time. Shortly after her challenge, she started sending me training videos from figure competitors such as Dana Linn Bailey, Nicole Wilkins and Erin Stern. I could see the hunger in her eyes and hear the excitement in her voice…. She was ready to take the next step in her fitness journey.



I didn’t know anything about training bodybuilders and knew at one point I’d have to let her go to another coach, but I was determined to help as long as I could. If anything, I could push hard enough for her to figure out if this is what she really wanted. The next few months were crazy. We read everything we could on nutrition and workouts. She spent more time in a traditional gym, lifting to enhance her Goals workouts.  She made some great progress.

In May the unthinkable happened~ Kylee was in a horrible motorcycle accident. She was weeks from her first planned show. Her bike was destroyed and her body was bruised but her spirit as never broken. It took several strong willed men and women to hold her down long enough to let her body heal. One of the hardest days in my coaching career came at that moment when we decided she couldn’t compete in the show she had trained so hard for.



Kylee April 2012

Over time, she fought through the aches and pains and made her way back to the gym. She set her sights on a new show in November. She went back to the original workouts and meal plans for a while, but eventually it became obvious that I couldn’t help her. I know how to teach people to eat healthy and reshape their body through fat loss and muscle gains, but I have little knowledge of how to sculpt a body the way she wanted to be sculpted.



She sought out the wisdom of those who had competed before and spent less time with us at Goals and more time in the gym, lifting heavy and perfecting her craft. She teaches two classes a week and still popped in for occasional cardio. Her smile and her excitement is captivating. Each time she left the studio she had a new fan!



I’m not sure of all of the details of her transformation. I had a hard time watching her dive into a sport that scares me. I have a great appreciation for beautiful, healthy bodies and I’ll believe until the day I die that bodybuilders could create themselves without omitting nutrients, if the industry encouraged it. I don’t feel comfortable with the rapid change in weight and body fat. I couldn’t bring myself to hear about the deprivation or the countless hours in the gym. I live in a world of long term life style changes. I’ve seen too many people deprive themselves for a short time to reach a desired outcome and then realize they are miserable. And ultimately, it came down to the fact that I love her like a daughter and I worry about her long term health. But, like my own children, I had to come to terms that she has to follow the path that makes her happy. And like my own children, she set out to prove me wrong…. She can be strong and healthy and achieve a goal that is important to her. I found myself watching from the outside and admiring the work she was willing to do.

So….. that’s the history.



Kylee November 2012

Today, I’m pleased to share that she successfully completed her first show last night and I was there to watch. She competed in four events and placed in 3~ winning the novice division and taking 5th in open figure and beginning figure. I found myself analyzing the competitors’ walks and critiquing their bodies. Then she walked on stage…. She was beaming, she was beautiful. She was mistake free- working the floor like she was meant to be there. I had little to do with her reaching this goal, but I am pleased to say I was there when she caught the bug…..

1st Place Novice Figure



Tonight we will be celebrating the end of another challenge at Goals in Motion. The men and women I’ve worked with have been inspiring. Just like Kylee, many of them have been bitten…. they have decided to continue with maintenance at Goals. They have decided to keep fitness in their lives. How far they will go is yet to be seen but I’m excited to be a part of it.





 

Food trials.....

I love food.....which means I love this time of year.....
The house frequently full of delicious smells wafting from the oven or crock pot.
My mom is a good cook and taught me the basics a long time ago. The struggle for me over the last 5 years has been how to maintain the flavor of the things I love with less of the "bad stuff". In an attempt to please the troops, I've learned to sear and braise and roast differently than I was taught. I've learned which herbs replicate the flavors of the sodium-heavy seasoning packets I used to use. I make my own pasta sauces and treats are made from scratch, rather than boxes. I always cook extra to get us through the week.
Sounds great right? Right....
Apparently not to everyone in my house.
This week has been really busy and I planned for it on Sunday. I have all of the typical pre-cooked staples in the fridge, so I can whip up dinner in 10-15 minutes.
This is what I came up with on Monday. Started with fresh onion, pepper and mushrooms...added frozen broccoli and finally leftover pork loin.

Tuesday, when I walked in after being beaten up by Kate at kickboxing, the last thing I wanted to do was cook! Jeff took over. He poured me a glass of wine (oh, no. He's trying to soften me up....), looked in the fridge for a minute or two, surveyed his options and quietly closed the door. He headed out to the garage, where the chest freezer lives. Honestly, I thought he was going to come back with one of the frozen pizzas he and Sam "hide" out there for emergencies. But he walked back in with a big old sirloin. I sat at the counter working and trying not to advise..... those of you who know me, know that's no easy feat, especially in the kitchen. He cut up onions and garlic and then went for the potatoes.... Yep, this is where I screwed up.
"I'm not eating those, you know..."
"yes, I know- but I don't really care. You cook what you like, I'm going to do the same...."
I could end this entry right here, because I think we all know how it went. Dinner was finished in silence. I'm sure he cooked thinking I was ungrateful and I'm positive he knew what I was thinking....

And so.... I'll move to last night. I pulled in to the driveway and he was already home!! I opened the door and guess what??? I smell onions and garlic. My heart sunk... He's cooking again.

I know, I know..... Most of you are now thinking I'm terrible! I should be happy he wants to cook! It's just that I have these goals, you know?? I have weight to lose and a dress to wear and I can't do it the way he cooks! Jeff is a good cook, but likes eggs, and oil and butter and bacon and bread. Yes bread! Most things he cooks end up in the form of a toasted sandwich. Delicious, but soooooooo bad.

Last night he made omelets and fried potatoes. I had left over chicken and homemade mushroom soup. Sam ate everything!!

So, how does a food lover, with health and fitness goals, live peacefully in a house with those who love the "old way"? 
I've been thinking about it all night..... I'm going to add to the Sunday cooking list. I'll roast potatoes and onions and garlic for them. Maybe make a meatloaf and lasagna. They'll like it, it will be ready to reheat, so we can all eat at the same time.

I'm going to make it more about the company rather than the food we're eating.....
I'll let you know how it goes.....

I'd love to hear your ideas!