Week 2 Progress

I am officially in my third week of getting back on track and I'm feeling pretty good about my progress. Like any journey there are setbacks for every step forward. This weekend I had my daughters and it was cold and rainy. This meant we stayed in and watched movies.... and snacked. I did my best to keep everything in moderation but it also felt good to relax for a day.

So what were the actual results of the week? Well I am 153.4 pounds as of this morning which is a 1.4 pound loss from last week. I actually ended up raising my calories this week because the weight is dropping quickly. I ate roughly 15,000 calories, or 2,150 per day. I've continued lifting heavy and set my sights on possibly competing in a power lifting competition in May instead of doing the NPC Mid-Atlantic Cup again.

Starting to see some definition again

 Abs are slowly reappearing

My workouts this week were as follows:

Monday

Squats:

4 warm-up sets of 10 reps increasing weight each set

5 x 5 increasing weight each set (I ended at 190 lbs)

Reverse Hack Squat

5 x 10 x 180 lbs (not counting the starting weight of the sled)

Leg Press 

5 x 15 x 90 lbs (not counting the starting weight of the sled)

Calf Raise

5 x 15 x 155 lbs

Wednesday

Bench Press:

4 warm-up sets

1 heavy set of 3 reps

4 heavy sets of 2 reps (I PR'd with 115 pounds)

Incline DB Press:

10 x 10 x 25 pound DB's

Shrugs:

5 x 7 x 160 pounds

Dips:

5 x 15 with 60 pounds of assistance

Thursday

Treadmill 4.0 MPH for 10 minutes

Overhead Press:

8 x 30 pounds

2 x 8 x 50 pounds

5 x 60 pounds

3 x 70 pounds

4 x 2 x 80 pounds

Lateral Raise

10 x 10 x 10 lb dumbbells

Cable Front Raise

5 x 7 x 15 pounds

Treadmill 20 minutes inclined at 4.0 MPH

Friday

Treadmill 4.0 MPH for 15 minutes

Deadlifts

5 warm-up sets

5 x 5 x 235 pounds

Deficit Deadlifts

5 x 7 x 185 pounds

Lying Hamstring Curls

5 x 10 x 80 pounds

Barbell Rows

4 x 10 x 95 pounds

Sunday

Supersets of biceps and triceps:

DB curls w/ skullcrushers

4 sets of 8 - 12

Rope curls with rope pushdowns

3 sets of 8 - 12

Incline hammer curls with bench dips

3 sets of 8 - 12

Shoulders:

Plate front raise superset with plate upright row

3 sets of 10

Facepulls

3 sets of 10 - 15

And now it's on to week 3 and planning nutrition to get me to the under-148 pound weight class by May 28th!

Grocery Haul

One of the things I keep hearing is how hard nutrition seems to everyone. The 'fitness' industry has led you to believe there are bad foods and good foods and super foods. There are expensive shakes and oils and exotic produce that you 'must' eat in order to achieve your dreams. Fats make you fat. Or is it carbs? And this is why people give up...

I decided to take anyone who is interested through a typical shopping trip for me. Let me note that I already had hit up a sale on seafood a couple weeks ago so my freezer is loaded with salmon, tilapia, and tuna. I also already had a large lot of locally sourced ground beef in my freezer. So this grocery trip is light on meat but otherwise fairly typical. So let's take a look at what I brought home.

General grocery store tips:
The outside of the store is where you want to purchase the bulk of your food. The meat/seafood counter and coolers, the dairy/egg section, and produce. Generally most things that come in a box or a can are not the best choices. The exception to this is generally coffee, oatmeal, healthy fats like coconut oil, or tuna and salmon (in cans or packets). Frozen fruits and veggies are fine.

Produce:
I typically buy about equal parts of fresh produce and frozen. I'd rather not have to make trips to the store every 2-3 days for fresh fruits and veggies. This trip I picked up blueberries (I had a coupon), grapes, avocado, almonds, spinach, frozen broccoli (I also used a coupon for this), and frozen cauliflower (buffalo flavored for something different). I usually wouldn't buy grapes but I had a coupon for them and my daughter loves them. She will also help me eat the spinach!

Proteins:

As I stated above, I have a pretty large freezer stash of meat and fish currently. So I only picked up a few things. Two packages of chicken breasts (they were buy one, get one free), two packages of turkey bacon, two cartons of eggs (I use these for cooking and baking and egg whites. I have local farm eggs for eating.), peanut butter, and tuna packets (because I had coupons and they are super convenient). 

Dairy and Snacks:

I purchased my usual Silk unsweetened vanilla almond milk (coupon) and Arctic Zero faux ice cream (because it can satisfy a craving without blowing my diet). I had coupons for the creamer, oatmeal, Greek yogurt, and cheese (the two smaller cheese packages are chevre, or goat cheese). I also bought coffee, chipotle mustard (I need flavor in my life!), and sugar-free Jell-o (because I can also snack on this when I want sweets and not blow my entire day of eating). The real ice cream I had a great coupon for, so I went ahead and got it, but I will try to stick to a spoonful or two at a time. And finally, Quest bars! These are my go-to snack for taking to the gym or work or in the car. Any time I can't have a real meal I pack a Quest bar (my favorite flavor is the s'more!).

This grocery haul was around $125 after coupons (and that includes some household items I didn't picture). It should last me two weeks or more in combination with what I already have. I'll stop at the store for fresh produce again over the weekend and that should be all of my shopping until next payday (two weeks). I hope this is helpful for anyone struggling with navigating the grocery store!

So how does this become a meal? Well, my 'dinner' (or last meal) today was two eggs (local ones, not the ones I purchased), six slices of turkey bacon, half of an avocado, and an ounce of tomato basil chevre. For a little over 600 calories I topped off with protein and healthy fats. (I didn't hit the gym today so I ate lower carbs.) I prepared burgers with the ground beef I already had and paired them with the buffalo cauliflower for the next several days. I cooked one package of chicken breasts in the pressure cooker with a honey teriyaki marinade and froze the other. The chicken was paired with frozen California blend veggies. Dinners will likely consist of fish from my freezer stash and fresh produce. Breakfast will be something similar to my dinner today or oats and berries. And snacks may be tuna packets, Quest bars, or almonds. 

Thank you for following along. If there is anything you want to know about food shopping, nutrition, or meal planning drop me a comment below! 

Week 0 - Getting Started

I wanted to start off with the basics of how I'm setting up my cutting program and some ideas of what and how much I'm eating. Everyone is different and I've found that I need to eat more than most women my size. Using a standard TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) calculator online I get a TDEE of just over 2,100 calories per day. So what does that mean? Well it means that I should consume an average of 2,100 calories per day to maintain my weight.

I track my daily and weekly calories (2,100 calories x 7 days = 14,700 calories/week) because it leaves more wiggle room to eat a little more or a little less each day as my appetite (or social engagements) demands. The common calculation is to subtract 3,500 calories per week (500 per day) to lose a pound per week. Half that to lose half a pound per week, which is my goal. So, my calculations say I should eat 1,850 calories per day or 12,950 per week (2,100 - 250 = 1,850) to lose 0.5 pounds every 7 days. But I have found this doesn't hold true for me. On 13,000 calories per week I was losing closer to 1.5 pounds every week. I'm not sure if it's because I work a somewhat physical job or if I just have more muscle or a higher metabolism than estimated. So I'm eating 'at maintenance' (2,100 calories per day) for now to see if and how my weight changes over the next couple weeks. I will adjust up or down as necessary to reach my goal loss of 0.5 - 1 pound each week.

The next step in making my comeback was cleaning out my fridge. All of the Easter candy and goodies are gone. There is no junk food in my house AT ALL. I know that I like to eat when I'm stressed or anxious so I have taken away the unhealthy options and replaced them with Quest Bars and Arctic Zero 'ice cream'. I also got back to meal prepping.

My fridge

My current food situation consists of oats, eggs, egg whites, strawberries, Greek yogurt, chicken, beef, sweet potato, rice, asparagus, broccoli, spinach, almond milk, rice cakes, almonds, peanut butter, and coffee. I haven't committed to a set 'meal plan' for this week but I did prepare meals for breakfast and work each day to make staying on track easier. 

Breakfast is usually oats and berries plus a protein shake

Lunch was a 3 oz. lean beef burger with rice and asparagus

Dinner was another burger with peanut butter and sweet potato

My snacks, or smaller meals, consist of things like chicken with veggies, a Quest bar, or 1-2 rice cakes and almonds. I also drink 3-4 liters of water each day and take a multivitamin, fish oil, vitamin D, and a probiotic. Making sure that I get plenty of protein, healthy fats, and all of the necessary nutrients is my top priority for ensuring my metabolism and weight return to normal (and stay healthy).

This is long enough (and probably boring). I will write more about my workouts in my first update post and cover how I decide what adjustments to make to my nutrition. If I missed anything or didn't explain it well enough just drop a note in the comments and I will make sure I cover it in my next post! 

Finally, thank you to everyone who took the time to read and respond to my initial post. It isn't easy to admit I'm struggling and that I don't look and feel my best right now. But I know that I can help people if I swallow my pride and bare my progress for the world. It means more than you'll ever know that so many of you have reached out and offered support and kind words. <3 p="">

Fit to Fat to Fit In Real Life

I'm sure everyone has seen or heard about the show Fit to Fat to Fit. If not, well, its basic premise is a personal trainer/fitness professional purposely becomes overweight and then loses it alongside their client. I have enjoyed the episode or two I managed to catch but I never thought I would be the 'fat' trainer. And yet here I am.

I set a goal of competing again this year in May. I worked out and ate well but in excess up until the new year. I weighed in around 142 pounds over the holidays. My goal was to put on as much muscle as possible and then cut down to stage ready from mid-January to mid-May. Then I would go through with peak week preparations and step on stage to better my standings from last year.

Warning: If you are squeamish then you may want to skip the next paragraph.

We all know the saying about the best laid plans... I became consumed with seeing how lean I could get. I averaged 1.5-2 pounds a week lost. While this rate of loss is considered safe medically it was too extreme when I was already fairly lean. I dropped down to 129 pounds around Valentine's Day and I estimated I was at 13.8% body fat. With over three months to my show date it was too early to be so close to stage ready. I started to experience problems with overwhelming cravings, extreme hunger, and then my periods stopped. I decided to put some weight back on and reevaluate my competition readiness after 4-6 weeks.

129 pounds

What I didn't expect was how hard my body would rebound. At first I assumed a good bit of the gain was water weight. But the scale kept jumping up... and up and up. My clothes got tighter and people started to notice. I was still happy with how I looked but I worried that I had done metabolic damage with my cut. I finally plateaued at 157 pounds. The heaviest I have ever been.

157 pounds

Now that my body has finally stabilized again I am ready to take off the excess weight at a more reasonable pace. I have planned out meals and calculated my calories needs to lose 0.5-1 pound a week this time. I may not step on stage in May but my ultimate goal is to be healthy and happy. Thankfully I'm still pretty comfortable in my own skin at this weight.

I decided to share my journey back to health and fitness here in hopes of helping someone else. Shows like the one I mentioned only gloss over the details. I want to share every last bit of my journey from meal planning and prepping to workouts to progress pictures. My goal is to share weekly updates for anyone who is interested but also to motivate myself. 

Please leave me a comment if there is anything you would like me to share this weekend when I post my first update! Let's get on track to our summer (and beyond!) bodies together. 

Calories In Vs. Calories Out? Not so fast!

December is here and, if you're anything like me, you've been thinking (or trying to avoid it) about all the goals you didn't meet and what you want to do better in the new year. I've talked about the problems with New Year's resolutions before and I've made the same mistakes as everyone else. So for 2016 I have been doing my homework and making a plan.

What kind of plan? Well, I kind of want to compete again if the stars align. I wasn't lean or built enough in May. My placings were disappointing and I felt overall miserable about the whole experience. Since then I have dropped the coaches I was working with and started putting in the time and effort to learn enough to be my own coach. Obviously, being a certified personal trainer, I can put together an exercise plan but I knew I had to go deeper. I need to understand how my diet, my lifting, my cardio, and even my sleep patterns affect everything down to a hormonal and cellular level.

I read every study I could get my hands on. I talked to competitors I admired and those that I didn't want to emulate. I took their advice back to the books and tried to figure out the why behind how it worked (or didn't). After learning so much (and still having so much more to go) I decided to share some of what I've found to help my fellow athletes and those who just want to look or feel better in the new year. If you're ready to throw out everything you've ever believed about losing weight then keep reading.

Every diet (I hate that word) starts with counting calories. As long as you eat less than you burn you'll lose weight, right? WRONG! Studies show that people who restrict their energy (calorie) intake long term will basically adjust to the new 'normal'. Hormones like leptin, insulin, testosterone, and T3 (a thyroid hormone) will all decrease. The 'bad' hormones, ghrelin and cortisol, which encourage fat storage, will increase. Over time you have to eat less and less to continue losing weight until your body is in a chronic state of starvation and you can no longer maintain your 'diet'. You will inevitably overeat at some point and gain weight quickly because your metabolism is in the toilet.

This is where calorie cycling and refeeding come into play. Periodic refeeding (having that cheat meal or dessert) can increase the hormones that encourage fat loss temporarily. Taking this a step further, refeeds should happen on a day that you lift weights. Why? Because then your body uses those extra calories to preserve muscle (or even build a little bit more) instead of storing them as fat. Keeping your caloric intake on rest days lower than on training days will further balance out the refeeds and keep fat loss steady.

This still doesn't mean you can starve yourself the rest of the time. A weekly loss of no more than 0.7% of your weight is ideal. So, at 140 pounds, this would be 1 pound a week. As you get smaller, the amount you can safely lose without sacrificing lean mass (muscle) will also shrink. This is why a long, slow 'cut' is much better than a crash diet. I made this mistake (well, my coaches did) during my competition prep. I lost 12.5 pounds in 25 days going into my show and I was tired, weak, and mean. It took months for me to regain the strength I lost and find my motivation again. And I still didn't look as good as the other girls on that stage. So, overall, I gained nothing from the deprivation and misery.

Any bodybuilder or powerlifter will tell you that decreasing your weight will also decrease your performance. One way to fight back against this is to consume most of your carbs each day around your workout. Carbohydrates are turned into glycogen and used for energy during exercise. When your carbs run out so does your motivation, strength, and performance. Make sure your body is supplied with enough energy to get through each workout and don't do cardio before weights. Studies have shown that cardio, especially HIIT (high intensity interval training), will leave your muscles too fatigued for resistance training. 

The summary of all of my research basically comes down to what you likely already knew. Losing fat is a long, slow process. Eat enough, but not too much, and exercise often. If you were looking for the shortcut to your dream body I'm sorry to tell you that there is no legal method that will get you there any faster than good old-fashioned hard work and commitment. So get to planning ahead for your 2016 goals and, by 2017, you'll probably be shopping for a new wardrobe.

Bro-conomics

I have been on the fence deciding between returning to the gym or the roads. Marathon training through the winter sounded terrible, especially since I would have to run in the dark before or after work, as well as struggling to fit in long runs on weekends with the kids. I printed out a training schedule, ran the first two weeks, and then decided it wasn't for me this season.

I started spending time with a fellow bodybuilder and began to miss lifting heavy (and having visible muscles). One week back in the gym and I'm reminded why training alone was so hard through my first prep. Just like the saying you are what you eat, you also are who you hang out with. Which brings me to the latest life lesson I must preach...

Bulking is evidence of trickle down economics. When one person bulks, everyone in their sphere of influence bulks. When you have dinner with a bodybuilder on a dirty bulk that dinner may consist of a pizza, two Primanti's sandwiches, a giant frosted brownie, and a couple large beers. Everything they can't have on a cut is on the menu and portion sizes are a laughable recommendation. Their food scale is getting less action than the average Comi-Con geek and their bathroom scales are hiding in terror.

This orgy of consumption slowly turns into them storing food in your fridge, insisting on making dinner (because chicken and broccoli again isn't cutting it), and suggesting horrible dining options regularly. Next thing you know you're eating right along with them. Then you're shopping list starts to look like you've never heard of macros or IIFYM. And then you're looking at the dog and thinking how he deserves some of these treats. He's looking a little skinny. And maybe the fish too... 

And inevitably, you wake up to the truth one day. You're bulking by association. And it's AWESOME!

Nutrition for Athletes

Yesterday I had an amazing opportunity! I got to speak at a UPMC Sports Medicine Marathon seminar for the DICK'S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon. The other presenters included Leslie Bonci and Dave Spell. Leslie is the director of Sports Nutrition at the UPMC Center for Sports Medicine and she also consults with Steelers, Penguins, Pirates, and the Pittsburgh Ballet. Given her amazing credentials and fun personality I paid strict attention to her presentation so I could share the wealth with all of you!

Leslie brought lots of foods for everyone to see

Of course, the first thing every marathon runner or endurance athlete is concerned with is hydration! Leslie explained that the newest research shows 70 ounces of water per day is the baseline for women. Men need 90 ounces minimum. What I found most interesting is that everything you drink (that isn't alcohol) counts towards your baseline! That doesn't mean you can just drink Pepsi or apple juice all day and be okay but even soups and foods high in water content can count towards that minimum intake. Just be sure you add enough water or sports drink to make up for your exercise habits too!

And what about that morning coffee? Or your afternoon energy drink? Maybe you take caffeinated gels prior to or during a run. The maximum amount of caffeine you should ingest per day is only 400mg! Leslie showed us a couple popular products, like Red Bull and 5 Hour Energy shots, and demonstrated just how quickly caffeine adds up. So be sure you're not hurting your body or performance by overdosing on caffeine every day!

Athletes also tend to be concerned about macro nutrients and how to balance their protein, carbohydrate, and fat intake for optimal performance. I learned that it's very personal and usually requires a consult to figure out percentages but there are guidelines that can help. Protein should consist of 0.5-0.8 grams per pound of body weight and be spread evenly throughout the day. Eating an eight egg omelet in the morning and little protein after is not optimal and will lead to muscle loss. So spread it out in little bits through each meal! Carbohydrate intake needs are around 3g per pound of body weight. Leslie also mentioned that fat intake should never be less than 20% of your diet. So no more counting every little bit as long as you hit your minimums!

Leslie also talked a little bit about the hottest trends in the diet industry lately. Gluten free anyone? You will have lower amounts of prebiotics in your digestive tract and it will be hard to hit your fiber intake minimums. Considering 70% of your immune system lives in your digestive tract this is a BIG deal. Try adding Chia seeds for fiber and Omega 3 fatty acids (keep them in the freezer to keep them from spoiling). Eating yogurt with live active cultures or kefir can help too. If you don't want to eat dairy then try taking a daily supplement.

How about coconut oil? Well it's primarily a saturated fat (read, not so great) and it does NOT help you shed body fat or lower your risk of disease. Instead use olive oil and save the coconut for your skin and hair care! Walnuts will replace that unhealthy fat too. A golf ball size serving is the way to go.

Running and other sports result in lots of aches, pains, and inflammation. Instead of popping an NSAID or pain killer you can try tart cherry juice for a natural anti-inflammatory. Drink 8 ounces of juice or a serving of the concentrate after your next run. Ginger can minimize delayed onset muscle soreness (500mg is about right). Turmeric is a tasty spice that also works as an anti-inflammatory and may help prevent Alzheimer's. Try putting 2/5 of a teaspoon in your next dish. Dried plums contain Boron which is necessary for bone health. Eating just 3-4 per day will keep you topped off and also contains those helpful prebiotics!

Finally, who doesn't want to improve their performance? Dietary nitrates can decrease the oxygen expense of an activity. This means you use less oxygen to create the energy to power your workout and tire less quickly. Bodybuilders use supplements like NOXplode but dietary nitrates can be found in some common foods. A spinach and/or arugula salad, for example. Other choices include celery (about two stalks) and beets. And lastly, replace the iron lost with every foot strike using black strap molasses. Just adding a TBSP to your oatmeal or in place of honey in homemade energy bars will do the trick.

So I hope that helps with your nutrition questions! Please feel free to click the link to contact Leslie or follow her on Twitter @LeslieBonci. And look for the next UPMC Sports Medicine seminar coming soon!

Lifting - The Basics

I'm almost 10 weeks into my first cycle of lifting. It's not easy and, as I begin leaning out, I am sore, tired, and hungry every day. I'm also two weeks away from taking my ACSM Certified Personal Training exam. My days are consumed with the gym, meal planning/prepping, and studying. This is not the life I plan to lead forever but I'm very happy I gave myself 3 months to give it my all. The changes (mental, physical, and emotional) have been more than I ever dreamed. And I'm going to take my new knowledge and strength into my next cycle with the aim to be more balanced so I can still have meals out, sweet treats, and look amazing.

Photo Credit: Tumblr

So that leads me to how I plan to design a lifting program. Is it the only way? No. Is it the best way for everyone? No. But it's a great place to start and learn what works for you so you can build your own programs that maximize your results.

Phase 1: Endurance/Strength

Everyone wants to jump right into lifting hard and heavy. But that's when you end up so sore you can't walk or, even worse, injured. Next thing you know you're skipping the next workout or two to recover and all your hard work is slipping away.

The only way to avoid this pitfall is to start slowly (note: I didn't say EASY). Building endurance starts with higher reps. I like to use 3 sets of 12 repetitions for each exercise for the first 2 weeks. It's right on the line between pure endurance lifting and strength building so it sets you up for maximum growth in the next portion. I also like to start with only 4 days of lifting so my body has plenty of time to recover between workouts.

There are several general 'target areas' that need to be strengthened each week. These are your chest, back legs, shoulders, arms, and abs. Obviously, you can't dedicate a day to each group or you won't hit them all in a four day split. A common split, sometimes referred to as the 'Brogram', is chest/triceps, back/biceps, legs, and shoulders/abs. This gives you four workouts per week and makes sure you get all of your muscles ready for growth.

After two weeks of lifting like this, I move onto a five day split. The fifth day is simply a second day of working out my weakest body part. For this first cycle that meant legs for me. I chose them because I love to run but I also want a butt and strong legs. Next cycle I think this will be my back as it is definitely my weakest link and prevents me from squatting as heavy as I'd like and I still can't do a pull-up. You have to decide what your weakness is and hit it the hardest so that it becomes your strength!

August 31, 2014 to January 13, 2015

Grow booty, grow!

Phase 2: Muscle Growth (Hypertrophy)

As an adult you can't actually add muscle. You have all the muscle fibers you ever will. But you can make them BIGGER. This is known as hypertrophy. So how do you do this? The answer is to get a little heavier in the weights, add a few more sets, and keep your reps in the 8-12 range (I prefer 8-10). I also add supersets (grouping two lifts together before resting). Lastly, I added a 6th day of lifting. In this phase, my program consisted of the following days: back, chest/abs, legs, arms/abs, shoulders, legs. I also added more cardio to increase my calorie burn and keep my in running shape. I usually aimed for 30-40 minutes with a day or two of 60+ minutes. The longer cardio days were simply to keep my running up and not related to my lifting goals.

I love my arms and shoulders now!

Phase 3: Leaning Out/Fat Loss

Once you've gained the muscle you have to shed fat so you can show it off! The last portion of a lifting cycle will be losing some of the fluff. This really focuses on diet (which I will talk about in another post) but I also tweaked my workouts.

I kept a 6 day lifting split (5 days with cardio) and added higher volume lifting. This means more sets (usually 4) with higher reps (usually 15-20). I obviously am lifting lighter weights to be able to nearly double the reps I do of each exercise but the 'burn' is killer. I have kept supersets as a big part of my programming and added active rest as well. I usually rested 60-90 seconds between sets in the first two phases. This phase the rest periods are filled with jump rope, mountain climbers, burpees, and tuck jumps. Keeping my heart rate up keeps my calorie burn high. 

After I finish my lifting workout I do 30-40 minutes of HIIT (high intensity interval training) cardio. This can be intervals/speed work on the treadmill, a spin workout, plyometrics, or even rowing. I just try to keep my heart rate up and burn as many calories as I can. 

For the final two weeks my lifting will be done in circuits. I will work through one set of every exercise before I rest for 3-5 minutes and then repeat the series 3-4 times total. After that I will once again perform 30-40 minutes of cardio. 

Working out with Shaun T and Beachbody's T25!

Conclusion:

I can attest first hand to the first two phases doing exactly what I'd hoped. I'm still working on my lean out and I have 17 more days before it's over. I hope I will love those results just as much as I loved the muscle building. After hitting a highest weight of 139.5 pounds over the holidays, I am currently sitting at 131 pounds. That is not my 'goal' weight but I'm more worried about not losing my hard-earned muscle than hitting an arbitrary number. 

So I hope this basic overview of the last 10 weeks of my life has helped you get ready to begin or build your lifting program. If you have any questions please feel free to leave a comment or find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. I'll cover my nutrition in the next few days.

Also, please remember that I am not a certified trainer (yet). So, as always, consult your physician and listen to your body! 

Fit-Phobia

Recently, I've heard and experienced a lot of comments about people's bodies. Let me start this with a question... When did it become acceptable to say anything except, "You look great!"? I am not sure what these comments say about the people who spoke them. Are they that ignorant? Are they just rude or stupid? Maybe they are jealous or even think they are giving a compliment. No matter what their reasoning, I reiterate, it is NOT acceptable in the least to comment on anyone's weight or appearance EVER!

Let's start with my awesome running mama friend. She is 5 months postpartum and running 40-50 miles per week. On her Sunday long run she passed another woman. This woman thought it was appropriate to remark, "I feel like a slug just walking. Here you are jogging and pregnant." Now let's break this down. First, my friend was not 'jogging'. She was running! Get it right! Second, she's not pregnant and she's only 10 pounds away from her pre-pregnancy weight. She looks amazing and she's going to run an ultra before her baby is even a year old. So, unless, you can see a head crowning, it is NEVER appropriate to assume a woman is pregnant. I assume this was an incident of a backhanded compliment. If something like this has ever come out of your mouth may I suggest alternatives like, "You go girl!" or "I want to be as awesome as you someday!" Weight, gestational status, and jogging comments should be caught by the brain to mouth filter if it is functioning!

Nope, not pregnant!

The next example happened to my very buff firefighter friend while waiting for some work to be done on his car. A woman in the waiting room asked him, "Do you ever feel like the world is closing in on you?" He asked her why she asked and she stated, "Because you're just so big! Your phone looks so tiny when you hold it!" Okay, I know the debate on how big is 'too big' will never end. It's personal preference, period. But my friend may have to enter your burning home and pull your limp body through the smoking ruins to an ambulance, possibly up or down stairs and around furniture and rubble. I'm sure you would be grateful for his brawn in such a scenerio. So how about from now on we change our line of thought to, "that guy/girl must work really hard and have extreme discipline". If you don't want to be that 'big' or be with someone with lots of muscle then don't. But shut your pie hole before you assume that it somehow limits their life.

She could probably pull you from a burning building

Photo credit: Violate the Dress Code

Finally, I have gotten several comments in the last few weeks about being 'so skinny' or 'tiny' or whatever. Here's the deal. I'm squarely in the normal range based on BMI. I'm squarely in the normal range based on body composition, weight, and every other metric for a woman of my age and height. Maybe Americans have a skewed view of normal now that obesity is considered an epidemic. Maybe the backlash against stick figure models has swung the pendulum too far in the other direction that we're now idealizing carrying extra weight. Whatever the cause, I don't care. What I do care about is that these folks have the cahoneys to make comments about my body to my face. If I was slightly to moderately overweight and made a statement that I wanted to lose weight my friends would rush to reassure me that I'm beautiful the way I am. No one would suggest that I eat less, join a gym, or anything else because that would be 'mean'. But thin women are supposed to be confident and happy in their own skin so comments like, 'eat another helping of _____. You could use some more weight' shouldn't bother us.

Well, to be blunt, F THAT! I have insecurities. I have cellulite, stretch marks, and body parts that I wish had more definition or shape. I love what my body DOES. I've trained it well and I can accomplish amazing feats but that doesn't change that sometimes what I see in the mirror makes me have a moment of self-doubt. On the flip side, there's a serious stigmatism to certain body shapes. There's raging debates over thigh gaps and bikini bridges and whatever else is 'trendy' right now in the eating disordered communities.

See those two lumps? Not abs. Those are my ribs.

You know why that sucks? Because I have both a thigh gap and a bikini bridge. I'm not suffering from an eating disorder. I'm not physically or mentally ill in any way that is causing me to be 'too skinny'. I just happen to be shaped a certain way and now I get to be hated or ridiculed for it and I'm supposed to just take it because our society has made social commentary on other people's bodies, especially if they are closer to 'ideal', acceptable.

Well, it's not and it never will be. Think before you speak. Treat other people, of all shapes and sizes, with respect. Build them up. Compliment them on something that isn't out of their control. Find reasons to look beyond their physical shape. Because when you finally see the person on the inside that's when the person will feel comfortable in their own skin no matter what it looks like at that moment.

Hey You!

Hey you! Yes, you. I'm judging you.

The 'fat' chick on the treadmill. The big guy on the elliptical. The skinny kid lifting an empty bar. The old guy running with the funny gait. The clumsy girl on the secondhand bike.

 Who lifts two pound dumbbells?

 

You wear baggy clothes covered in sweat. Your footsteps are loud and uneven. And your breathing... oh my god, your breathing. Everyone around you is worried that a coronary is just around the corner. You stare straight ahead. I know you're not really oblivious to the looks from the regulars. You know they think you're just another resolutioner. They feel smug knowing that you'll disappear from their realm in a month, maybe less. You keep your head down and plod on. Why? Why do you bother?

Eat another slice of cake why dontcha?

 

I know why. I understand. If you would just look up, you would see that I'm not looking at you with disgust. I'm looking at you with hope and awe. I have been fat. I have been skinny. What I had never been, before those first steps, was strong. I look at you and see potential. Unlimited, bottomless potential. You can become a runner. Or a cyclist. Or a body builder. You can be healthy, fit, or strong. Or maybe even all three. Whatever you want to attain is just a few months of hard work away.

 

If you would just look in my eyes you would see that I want to help you. I want to offer you hope and encouragement and maybe even some advice. I want you to stand tall because you won't give up in a month no matter what those stuck up meat heads think. You will soon be a regular and no one will look twice when you walk into the gym or step onto the road. And then it will be your turn to open your arms to the new guy or girl.

 

You're not even wearing 'real' running clothes!

 

So whether you're old or new or haven't even started yet.... Welcome. Welcome to my gym. Welcome to my roads. Welcome to the world of fitness. Don't give up. And for goodness sake don't let anyone make you feel like you aren't worthy. We all started somewhere and not very many of us have reached our goals. So lift your head, look around. I bet you'll find those looks are a lot friendlier than you imagined!

 

Disclaimer: I wrote this post because I am sick of the jokes and snide remarks about the New Year resolutioners. And once upon a time I was one. The pictures included here are of ME! I can say these things about myself because I thought them at one time!