I am officially the worst blogger in all of history! When I was working towards my goal of the Figure Competition is was easy to express my thoughts. The workouts were grueling, the nutrition demanded complete dedication and focus, and I needed an outlet to vent. My intention has always been to keep this blog going so that I might help motivate others, while also keeping myself accountable. I have found that I'm more likely to stick to something if I can write about it, share my experiences and track my progress by looking at the history...dorky, I know.
I've continued to run my "weight loss challenges",starting 2013 off with a group of 80 challengers. We've only lost 3. That's ok, we all go through cycles and everyone knows that if you really want to lose weight you need to be mentally prepared and committed. I never get upset when people bow out; its about respecting that everyone travels their own journey. I'm not here to do the journey for anyone, only to offer support and guidance. The challenges have kept me on track with my own weight management and fitness goals. I admit, I've gone through slumps, put on my winter weight, and many times struggle to find my own motivation to get my ass out of bed and to the gym. In all reality though, when I eat like crap and miss my workouts, I feel awful, so I never stay away very long. The challenges are important to me because watching others set goals and work towards them truly motivates me the most. I love seeing the people transform- their confidence growing week by week! However, sometimes, I need a little more motivation and a little bit of a push for myself. The day in and day out of hearing excuses, sometimes I want to scream, but I also can relate and I try and be patient and supportive. I'm not sure how many challenges I can keep it. I know I say that at the end of every challenge, but they really are a lot of work to run/organize. I've got to find an easier way of helping to track everyone without completely wearing myself out...or I need to make a career change and make this my full-time job! :o)
As of late, I've been in a major slump. My workouts are bland. I was never feeling really satisfied with the workouts. My diet is boring, my body is tired, blah blah blah. We've all that these feelings, right? I spoke with Blythe, God love that woman, and she suggested hiring a trainer. I scoped out some of the trainers at my gym and I wasn't too impressed. I think it was easy to listen to Blythe when I worked out with her because she looks damn good...seriously, I would have (and did) do anything she told me to do because I wanted to have a body like hers! It's like of course she knows what she's talking about LOOK AT HER! I don't have that same feeling about the trainers at my gym. I want someone that walks the walk, someone who understands the need for a high intensity workout; something that CHALLENGES me.
I'd been watching this group in the morning at the gym. "Early bird boot-campers" is what I've mentally referred to them as to myself. Usually a group of 4 or 5 of them. They seemed to be working hard; having fun too! I'm a pretty shy person face to face, (what is it about a computer that helps me gain confidence???) but I've been intrigued for months! I FINALLY stepped out of my comfort zone and joined them. It was a hard workout; a lot of HIIT some good core exercises too. I definitely had trouble keeping up with them, but it felt good to be pushed. I think I will add this to my weekly routine. I've been dabbling in a few new things; Bikram, Cycling... but I definitely need to keep up with my weight-training. I still do my long runs and those eat up my muscle mass like nobody's business!
I need to commit to writing/blogging more. I know that blogging alone gets me in the mental zone to focus on fitness.
