Bummer Dude

What an interesting year for me in the area of fitness/workout knowledge. I started weight lifting in college... along with doing step aerobics (with slouch socks and the thong over the bike shorts look.. but we won't discuss that now). Regardless, I have been weight lifting for a long time... and I love working out and challenging myself... or so I thought.

In the past year of studying to get my personal training certification, I realized I don't know jack crap.

• I had no idea of how the human body REALLY moves and works. I am learning more about it and its fascinating!
• My world has been opened to a huge arena of amazing trainers and programs and ideas that I never knew existed before. I can't get enough of reading their blogs, books and listening to their podcasts. (Nick Tumminello, Leigh Peele, Alwyn Cosgrove, Todd Durkin, Craig Ballantine, the Fit Cast, Tom Venuto, Chris and Kara Mohr and Alan Aragon...just to name a few).
• I am learning moves.. and I mean really learning how to do moves that I have been doing for years...squats, lunges, deadlifts. I am learning for the first time how to clean, push press, kettlebell swing. It is a bit bewildering how much new stuff I am learning about stuff I thought I knew!!

I am as fit as I have ever been in my life and yet there is SO MUCH MORE room for growth.

I wish I would have had a strength coach or a weight lifting mentor when I started. I can only imagine where I would be now. I never really progressed beyond "doing 3 sets of 10"that I read in a fitness magazine. That is where I was comfortable. That is what I knew. I did not really know about how to push my limits... how to really grow my strength, my fitness level, my capacities.

I am learning now and I guess that is better than never learning it.

I read the other day that it takes 10 years to master a certain field.

I can hardly wait to see where I am in 10 years. It should be wonderful.

Round 2 the Lessons Learned

My goal for my 2nd 12 week fat loss plan was 18% body fat and to be able to run the recent 10k here in Richmond - wearing running shorts and a sports bra to be able to show off some impressive abs.

My results? Scale is about the same; I am about an inch smaller around my waist and butt, body fat is in the 20-22% range.

Admittedly I am disappointed I am not where I thought I would be. It is a drag to set a goal and then not hit it. Who do I have to hold responsible for this? Me! It was all in my hands to succeed or fail.

Of course from failure, must come learning.

What I learned:

- Every one struggles. How quickly you get back up is the important thing.

- Fatigue - My worst enemy, keeps me from working hard in the gym and makes me feel like I am hungry. I still have more to learn around this issue. I had deep fatigue during several weeks of this plan. Was it diet? Was it over training? What else was going on? How can I best work through this obstacle?

- Lifting Heavy is fun. This marked a return to what I had been doing a while back. I hadn't been in the gym in a while so I found going in there fun and inspiring for a while. I definitely gained muscle and saw how much I could push my body

- I need change in my routine. As referenced above, the gym was fun to go in to ....until it wasn't. About week 5 , I was really struggling with getting myself there and doing the same workout routine again. There were weeks I did my best to stay the course and other times I opened it up and just played.

- Eating a non-carb centered diet feels routine now. That makes me happy. When I started 6 months ago, I was a cereal for breakfast, rice for lunch, pasta for dinner and more cereal before bed kind of girl. Now, proteins and veggies make up most of my meals. I struggle less around choosing the healthy option at meal times.

I even made it through a gluten episode with out bingeing or drinking! I was thrilled. Usually when I feel tired and depressed (when I have had gluten) I want carbs and/or alcohol in the worst way. This time I just fueled with the good stuff - veggies and protein. That made me happy.

I was hoping to be leaner by this time but I am not. I was hoping to make it all the way through my 12 week plan with out a binge but I did not. I am happy I have learned and grew through the experience.

I still want to get leaner. I do not want to give up that goal. It is so much a part of the vision of who I am. I am taking a break from being on a plan for a few weeks and stop being as focused on the body fat number for the moment. Then I will hop back in as focused as ever!!