Your first mini challenge will be a record of your journey!
I know many of you are probably doing this already but the other Team Leaders and I think a written reflection is a wonderfully powerful tool for us all to be using."
What brought you to this point in your life?
I'll try to be brief. There's a lot but I'll just hit the highlights. Hotties-- if you like, you can read back through this blog to read the nitty gritty of my story.
{Umm I just finished this over an HOUR later, so no, I was unsuccessful keeping this brief. I don't wear briefs, and I can't be brief apparently. I wear bikini undies and want to look sexy in them, thus I"m here. Ah shit, I should have just left it at that! Oh well, hindsight.}
I did NOTHING fitness wise since high school. I am nearing 40. I had gained weight. I wasn't turning any heads anymore and my self image was in the shitter. I repeat, I did NOTHING. Seriously. I was the proverbial bump on a log.
And then I changed it. (leaving off much in this section for brevity! you're welcome!)
In the past 2 years I have accomplished each fitness goal I set for myself. First I decided to stop doing nothing for myself and find a way (beside reading People Magazine) to enjoy time on my own. I started attending a weekly yoga class. Aside from discovering the 2 warts on each foot I didn't even know I had on the very first day of yoga, and learning how hard it is to hold in farts during yoga, I liked it. How in the hell did I get 2 warts on each foot, that's 4 warts total, without knowing it. That's how out of tune I was with my body. I was completely tone deaf where my body was concerned.
But I took those socks off and I persevered. I could have used my warts as an excuse to stop going. I almost did. But that was the old Greta. This new Greta pushed herself out of her comfort zone. After a few months however, I was feeling restless with yoga. To my ever-loving surprise, I wanted to sweat and have a workout. Enough of the peaceful but mind blowing stretching, I finally wanted to move! To jump! To live! So I faced some fears and signed up for my first bootcamp class.
Strength training and cardio combined. After workout one I was using my son's grab bars in the bathroom to ease myself down and hoist myself up because every muscle, fiber, cell, hair of my body hurt like a mo-fo. I returned for that week's second workout and gave it my all again. The next week I didn't want to return. I was so sore I didn't know it was possible to move more. But my husband Alan pushed me out the door and said you can do it Greta! I grudgingly went. After week three, I was willingly going and getting excited about it. After a month, I was hooked! I've been in bootcamp classes for two years and have gained overall strength a plenty!
After my first 6 months or so of bootcamp I didn't lose any weight like I thought I might. I hadn't changed anything with my diet and nutrition so I said fuck it and bit the bullet. I learned how to count calories and ate at a 500 calorie deficit to lose one pound per week. I lived by "a calorie is a calorie" so I changed little about WHAT I ate, but ate less of it. I ate back my calories burned from bootcamp exercise.
As the pounds came off (one per week as expected since I followed the calorie counting to a T) I was getting hungry. Twice per week bootcamp wasn't cutting it. I needed to exercise more so I could eat more. Piddly amounts of food wasn't my thang! I love to eat! I decided to start running as a way to burn calories in order to eat more food. The first mile was a bitch. But running on my non bootcamp days gave me food --glorious food-- to eat and so I would run extra miles to drink beer, many beers! Appetizers, many appies!
I lost 25 pounds (from 170 to 145) in 5 months. I've maintained my weight at 150 lbs. since. And in the process I fell in love with running. SHOCKER. But I did. I set my next fitness goal to run a 5k, then a 10k, then a half marathon, and then I registered for a marathon to be run on June 22, 2013. I ran a marathon! I trained for 18 weeks for that bad boy and ran the shit out of that mary! My (some say) hilarious marathon recap is down a few blogs in the June area if you're so inclined.
A byproduct for my marathon training (I was running upward of 40 miles per week in my biggest mileage weeks) was that I had to specialize in running for the last 2 months prior to the mary. I had to quit bootcamp and I was bummed I would lose some of my muscle definition from all the endurance running. But I kept my eyes on the marathon prize. 26.2 miles in 4:31:37 booya!
I started running regularly again in the end of summer of 2013 but decided not to train for another marathon this year. I dealt with LOTS of injuries in my training and didn't have the patience to repeat that part so soon. I just wanted to run without a big race for which to train. Run, just run! Ahhhhh. But I floundered around for a few months without a goal. NOT a good look for me. I needed a new passion and direction for my fitness energy.
I reflected on how sad I was when I had to stop strength training when my mileage got up there. I thought long and hard and decided I wanted some motherfucking muscles! I want to change the shape of my body and chisel it into a hardcore hottie of the highest order! I want to eat healthfully and not have 'a calorie is a calorie' mentality anymore. I want to understand how food affects me and how to lift heavy. Lifting heavy sounds heavenly. I want to leave the gym feeling like a badass and I want to watch my muscles grow. My next goal was born and I was happy again!
What made you decide Hardcore Hotties was the right challenge for you?
I LOVE social community and Facebook. The Facebook group aspect was a big draw for me. Meg being a bawdy bitch was a huge tipping factor. I needed a trainer to give me the muscle-building tools. I'm very good at being coachable and doing what I'm told but I knew I might be a little fucked up in the head with all the calorie restricting so I needed someone strong-minded that wouldn't pull any punches. I've wondered off and on if I have disordered thinking about eating and food and my body image. I was anxious about gaining fat back and I knew that building muscle would involve eating lots of food. Eke. The 3 month timeline is perfect for me. I trained for my marathon for 4 months. I loved it! But knew I didn't want to further train for running. In other things too, my pattern is that 3-4 months is the time frame that I'm passionate about an endeavor. Lastly Meg seemed to know her shit about the science. Done deal.
What are some things that are holding you back from what you want to accomplish?
Worrying about gaining fat. Worrying that my body won't change. Worrying that I'll get injured. Worrying that I have a mild eating disorder. Worrying that I'm spending too much time away from my kids on my own fitness planning and activities.
How successful have you been to sticking to your stated goals each week?
Successful. I am a goal setter and goal achiever. If it's in my Google Calendar, I do it.
How do you FEEL about things?
I feel anxious that the weight isn't heavy enough on my plan and I"m not going to be good at increasing to the right point without the presence of Meg. I feel like I am eating so much protein that my stomach feels like it will explode, but it always seems to calm down and settle before I go to bed. I feel like it's harder to learn to count macros than calories and that is irritating. I feel like I couldn't love the Facebook group and the other Hardcore Hotties any more but I know I will because it's only been 4 days of interacting with them, and I have many more weeks to lean on them, to lift them up, to cheer them on, and to learn from them. The leaders make me feel supported and seem to pull no punches like I need from Meg, so that is a total bonus!
What are you most proud of?
I am most proud of still continuing to take my socks off at yoga even after I realized I had those nasty-ass warts on my feet. After a bit I nearly forgot that they were there and it was a very infrequent, fleeting thought to be embarrassed about them. Did anyone say a word about my fucking warts? NO. Did I catch anyone looking sideways at them? NO. That taught me a few things. A few very important life lessons that have helped me achieve goal after goal that I set for myself.
It taught me that no one was really looking at me like I thought they were.
It taught me that I could experience something great and not be bothered by how someone else might feel about my participation in it.
It taught me that I could choose to be brave.
It taught me that something might be horrible in the beginning but if I stick it out I will be rewarded.
It taught me that my embarrassment is nothing but my own feeling. No one shared it. So why the hell would I still spend energy on it. I'm too old for that shit.
What are you scared of?
I'm scared of failing. I'm scared of being public about my quest for muscles and then derailing somehow and falling short.
Share with us all a bit in the form of your mantra, your best tips, your ah-ha moments.
My mantra is "I've got moxie!" I also chanted to myself "Everything I need is within me" when the going got tough during the marathon. I got through some tough tough spots with that mantra.
When I don't feel like running or doing the workout, I remind myself it's one hour out of my day. That's all I get is one hour so I am going to push it my hardest and work hard for those 60 minutes. Then I have the rest of the time to relax and be there for everyone else and live life.
Another strategy I use if I'm not in the mood to workout but it's on my calendar "I am able to work out". I have some near and dear to me that aren't capable of working out like I can, so I damn well better not waste my gifts of ability. It would be a slap in the face to those who want but can't.
Lastly, I get into my workout clothes early. If they are already on I'm much less likely to skip a workout. I'd rather do the workout than face myself changing out of my workout gear without getting sweaty. The horror.
After EVERY workout and run I've ever completed, I've always been thrilled I did it. I've never regretted a workout. Sweating makes me feel alive!
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