Give me a boost .....

... then I'll give you a hand.
working together- that's what we do at Goals.

I'm feeling the way I always feel at the end of a 9 week session.......
I can't really tell you what "that feeling " is.
I'm happy. and excited. and so damn proud.
proud sounds like a mom word..... so maybe it's not the right word- but it's the one that keeps popping into my chest and making it hard to breath, as the emotion creeps up into my throat, making it hard to swallow until the tears finally push up, hard enough to escape.....
So, maybe proud IS the word....

A large percentage of this challenge group has remained engaged, in spite of being "resolution challengers"...they haven't let their enthusiasm fade or their discipline waiver..... some are still journaling to their coaches~ 9 weeks after they began! Others have "gotten it" enough to trust themselves..... most are hitting classes with energy and determination.
I hope that they have found their place...I hope they stay with me. Not because of obvious business reasons, but because they've become a part of me.....

No job in the world is better than mine....
what is it you do? some may ask...
Most people think I run a Boot camp.... a place for people to come sweat and talk and lift and hit things, and talk a bit about food.
But really,  I run a "BOOST" camp......I run a gym that cares....
You see people come in from all kinds of different backgrounds and experiences....some are athletes and others are active, but honestly, most of the people who come play with us haven't worked out in years. They don't like to look in my eyes when we meet and they are uncomfortable with the pictures.....
and then we push and pull and critique, but most importantly, we understand.
........... because we've all been there.

My coach/instructor team is amazing! They are a group of passionate people who were bitten by the "feel good" bug when they challenged and wanted to share!!
.......so after we push and pull and critique....we love and care and share our own stories. We lift people up... give them a hand.....
It makes things real and it makes things happen.....

Congratulations to the latest group of 9 week challengers.... you did a great job!
xoxo

Out the window.....

I woke up bright and early this morning and sat down to write. Midway through my post, I started to feel crummy, so I got some tea. Didn't work the way I planned.... By 8:00 I was pretty green.
I taught at 8:45 but it wasn't anything amazing- thankfully I had a room full of experts and another instructor there working out, who offered to wrap things up when I finally threw in the towel.
I had to go back at noon, but I'd had a bit of a nap by then and felt a little better.
Another nap, and some toast, and I'm doing ok.
So my meal plan wasn't anything worth posting today and my exercise was minimal, but I got some good sleep!
I also got to watch a little afternoon TV. I try hard to avoid the television, because it's either a brain drain that sucks away precious time or it's negative and scary. Today, it was both. One of my friends, who is a long time member, texted mid-afternoon to see if I was watching a popular talk show.  They were talking about food. I clicked on only to listen to the next greatest thing in the diet world- another," __________ is killing us" diet! I couldn't even watch until commercial. "One size fits all, take something out of your diet" diets make me crazy!!!
I believe that highly processed foods are bad for everyone. I think that artificial sugars are bad for everyone. I agree that fresh fruits and vegetables and clean grains, healthy fats and lean proteins are good for everyone. I believe that food can heal you in many circumstances and I also believe that certain foods make some people sick. But each one of us is unique- each one of us has to figure out what works for us.
I've recently pulled dairy out of my diet because I've had some poor reactions. I thought I'd test the waters for a week or two without any yogurt, milk or cottage cheese. I am eating good sources of calcium and soaking up some Vitamin D in the great outdoors to make up for it until I re-introduce. I'm not ready to walk away from some great protein sources until I know for sure that they are the problem and honestly I love it soooooo much I'm hoping my hypothesis is wrong!
I know people who have trouble with eggs and others who have trouble with wheat. At Goals, we find ways to work around food intolerance so members can still get the nutrients they need to build muscle and burn fat. No cookie cutter plans around here!!
Ultimately we need to sleep well, move often, drink plenty of water and eat the foods that allow us to thrive.
Try something new, enjoy it if it supplements your life and be willing to throw it out the window if it doesn't work for you.
Let's get back at it tomorrow........... sleep tight.