Moody, Anxious, Tired? I Didn't Realize I Was Until I Wasn't.

I want to share a little bit about my health in the hopes of reaching just one person.  I have six sisters. One of my sisters had Thyroid cancer when she was in high school.  She beat it and she's doing great, but at that point my mom had us get our thyroids checked.  I started taking thyroid medicine when I was 17 years old.

Basically once a year at a physical, I'd have a blood test to tell me if I was at the right dose of medicine.  This has been rote, routine, by the book, for many, many years.   About a year ago, I started working out at MARS (Martial Arts Research Systems).  This is where Ryan went to work after Gold's Gym and before Boston.  While at MARS, Toni the owner and I would get into discussions about thyroid.  She would ask, do they check your T3?  I always answered, "No, just the T4 and TSH - as I silently rolled my eyes at her."  Basically I heard her and said, blah, blah, blah. I mean come on, I've been taking the medicine for over 35 years.   After about the 10th time of her asking me AND her telling me that checking the T3 had become more popular lately, I asked my physician to check my T3.

Couldn't find a picture of Toni - but here's Jenna and I
at Kickboxing.  If the only reason I went there was to find out
about T3 it was worth it. (But there were plenty of other reasons too.)

Guess what?????  My T3 was virtually zero.  (Just another example of being in the right place at the right time.  Meeting Ryan was like that.  Talking to Toni was like that.)   My physician prescribed the proper medication to get T3 back into my body.  After about two weeks, my husband said to me - You have been so much happier since you started that new thyroid medicine.  I was like, I am?   Hmmmm, I am.  It's one of those things that you don't realize until you feel better, if that makes sense.

I decided then and there it was time to see an Endocrinologist.  I was seen July 18th and since then have been going back regularly as we try to get my thyroid within the correct levels.  My T3 is within range, but now that I am getting T3, my T4 meds can keep decreasing.  You have to stay at one dose for 6 weeks and then get rechecked via blood test.  Today, this was the gist of our discourse:

Nurse Practioner:  You've lost weight again, haven't you?
Me:  Yes, I've lost 12 pounds since I saw you 12 weeks ago.
Nurse Practioner: You know if you keep losing weight, we will need to keep reducing the dose of T4?
Me:  Sounds like a great problem to have.

Checkout girl:  Hey, can I have what Patty has?  I want to lose weight too.  :)

My Nurse Practioner is actually very happy I am losing weight.  It's just a sensitive matter to get the dose right, and that means blood work every 6 weeks.  But I told her I planned to lose weight for awhile and I am fine with checking it every 6 weeks.

My hopes in writing this post are only this.  If you deal with thyroid issues, have you ever had the T3 checked?  Just be aware that there is a T3 and a T4.  And apparently once my T3 came back to normal, I became nice and happy.  :)   Let me tell you that there is a retired endocrinologist that I swim with on occasion and she told me that there is no use whatsoever in checking the T3.  She told me this before I saw my current Endocrinologist.  So there is an "old school" that does not believe it's worth it.  But I just want to say from experience, correcting my T3 has changed my life.

I am not a doctor.  I am not giving medical advice.  I am only stating what someone tried over and over to tell me about a year ago.  Has your doctor checked your T3?

A Harvest of Memories - Thanks Living

It's that time of year again, where I like to reflect back on my year and remember all that I am thankful for.  I thought about just re-posting what I wrote last year in my Thanksgiving = Thanks living post, because I feel much of the same way this year.  But you know me, I have too much to say to just re-post.

My husband of 26 years and me.

I am thankful first and foremost for my husband and my children.  Dave has been reaping many benefits of "fitness" in this year of 2017.  I have complete support from him and all three of my children which makes meal prep and finding the time to work out pretty easy.  We look forward to many years together reaping the benefits of the seeds we are sowing now.

Tori, me, and Stephannie

I am thankful for Tori and Stephannie.  We are a fierce threesome when it comes to obtaining our goals.  When one person is ready to throw in the towel (because of the many changes we've experienced in the past year), the other encourages and reminds why we will not give up.  They are available morning, noon, and night and they are FUNNY.  We send hysterical snapchats to one another and we also are able to just talk about life together and help one another.

The above picture is a true depiction of how my year has gone.  For the NLP program at Golds I am on the 4th trainer in one year.

Number One - Ryan - I am forever grateful for the day I met him.  He has completely changed my life.  And although he left Grand Junction in May of 2017, he continued to work with me from South Dakota and now from Massachusetts.  A lot of our year was spent figuring out some health issues with me, but once they got stabilized and I got back from vacation (August 2017) we started a 20 week plan.  Currently I am just finishing Week 15 and I have lost 15 pounds.   I really can't thank him enough for all he has taught me.

Numbers Two and Three - Semaj and Misty - I am grateful for the short time we had together too.  Lots of laughs and fun.

Number Four- Paul - I actually did NOT like Paul when I met him.  AT ALL.  So I'd say we have come a LONG way.   My husband Dave worked with him all year.  Dave would come home and rave about Paul and about how Paul was helping him get stronger.  It was pretty cool to watch happen actually.  And now, I couldn't be happier to be his client.  He's done an amazing job with his clients at Gold's Gym and his clients have had great success.  If you are local, I highly recommend Paul.  At least go have a sit down and see if he can help you meet your goals.  We certainly hope he stays for awhile so we do NOT have a Five.  So in all seriousness Paul - thank you for all you have done for Dave and for me.

Swimming a Masters swim meet and swimming in general.

I am thankful for swimming which will bring me back to Ryan.  Ryan thank you for encouraging me to get in the pool no matter my weight; but get in the pool because it is something I love to do.  One of my 2017 goals was to swim a Masters Swim Meet which I did!  Right now, I am in an arthritis flare up AND my right wrist and palm have tendinitis.  So I cannot lift weights with my right arm for a few more weeks.  BUT my swimming has become so much stronger because I got in the pool a year ago.  So with the help of a GREAT app - MySwimPro - I am able to complete intermediate level  workouts and get a great cardio / and upper body workout.

2017 - A Year to Remember

2017 was INCREDIBLE.  Jessica graduated from college.  Joe graduated from high school. Ben is almost 16 and driving soon.  Dave and I went to the Grand Canyon, a Nascar Race in Phoenix, and to Bermuda.  Our family went to Branson, Missouri and I went to Ohio to visit my family.  Before January of 2016 these events would have completely exhausted me.  Not only was I NOT exhausted, but I ziplined for the first time.  I did the iFLY for the first time.  I jumped off a cliff for the first time (since I was a teenager.)  I climbed up this rubber slide contraption and slid off with my son, Joe.  So, so very thankful for the weight I've lost and the strength I've gained.

Last but certainly not least I am thankful for all my friends, supporters, and readers.  There are many times, I consider not writing publicly anymore.  I would say when I get a thought like that, someone will message me and tell me how I am inspiring them.  Someone that I had no idea was even reading what I write.  So THANK YOU!  ALL OF YOU!  May God bless you with a wonderful Thanksgiving.

I leave you with the following:

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." ~ Melody Beattie

When Life Gives You Lemons , Make Orange Juice and Leave the World Wondering How the Heck You Did It

My sweat sister!

I have spent a good portion of my life "chasing perfectionism."  I did not start out this way, but there was a period of my life where this was being promoted and it has kind of stuck.  Especially so with not feeling well.  I was taught to never "show" that, to put on a happy face and face the world. I think you have to be very careful if you are counseling someone this way, because everyone interprets things differently.  Spending my life chasing perfectionism is exhausting.  Vince Lombardi said "Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence."  I'd agree with that.  But it has also been said that "Perfectionism is self-abuse of the highest order."  and "Chasing perfection won't attract those you are meant to serve, sharing your vulnerability will."

It is with that in mind that I write this post.  I have not felt well for awhile.  But having been taught to never show that or talk about it, I've kept it quiet.  However it has affected my mood big time and I actually was hating my workouts for awhile now.  My crappy mood is usually what my trainer will pick up on as we are no longer in the same state and that is the case here.  I told him a few of my aches and pains, but not all and he cut me back some.  After one week of being cut back, I already could tell the difference.  My body needed that rest.

This past week I went to see my Rheumatologist for a routine appointment.  But I made a list of all the things that were hurting on my body and I asked her to help me sort them out.  Was it arthritis, was it tendinitis, was it carpal tunnel, was it a broken bone.  I would say that I do believe my doctors will help me if I am honest with them.  So I laid it all on the line.  Turns out that I have three different things going on.

A Motrin free hand for 36 hours - shows the swollen knuckle
of arthritis.

One - the rheumatoid arthritis is back - after leaving me alone for 7 years.  This I kind of knew, but was really afraid to say anything because I figured once it was back, it was back for good.  OR I would need to go on a
 steroid.  But here's the thing.  My doctor has been with me on this journey of mine and she KNOWS that a steroid would work against my progress.  She is aware of many other ways to attack the RA before ever having to suggest a steroid.  AND it can go away again.  This is not the beginning of the end.  So we made some adjustments to medicine and I will go see her again in 2 1/2 months instead of in 6 months.  Unfortunately this affects my hands, my elbows, my ankles, and my feet.  But I feel confident we will nip it in the bud again.

Two - my right wrist has tendinitis.  I need to rest it for four weeks.  When she told me to rest my right arm for four weeks, it was like a ten-ton brick was lifted off of my chest.  I almost cried with relief to know that it wasn't going to hurt every time I tried to pick up a weight.

Ring finger wouldn't straighten.

Three - my ring finger on the right hand.  I think it got jammed when I fell off the stability ball and I am having trouble making my finger straight.  We did an x-ray (I do not know the results) and I have an appointment Monday with an Occupational Therapist.  But this needs to be rested for four weeks as well.

Now, having said all of that, let me state that she has NEVER told me to stop exercising.  EVER.  She suggested swimming, elliptical, leg day, abs, and anything I wanted to do with my left arm.  So even with all that going on, I can still get my exercise in.

Now here's the really cool thing.  I started swimming again a little over a year ago.  I've become a lot stronger in the water.  And get this, on Monday I got in the pool and my ring finger was bent at the middle knuckle.  I began swimming.  The pain ran down my finger into my hand into my wrist -- for about 200 yards and then the pain stopped.  When I got out of the pool an hour later, I could extend my finger completely.  Also when swimming, no joints hurt.  And swimming is one heck of a workout.  It's the only thing I do that actually makes me hungry (starving actually.)

This is not a "pity" post.  I want you to know that you can do it too.  I'm going to keep doing the things I can, letting the right arm heal, and continuing with forward progress.  I know it's working because I have to go clothes shopping again.  The treatment we started for the arthritis has provided MUCH relief and the rest I have given my wrist has helped too.  And I'm enjoying myself again.

This is me - enjoying myself again!

And if my trainers have made it this far into the post, please know that I am working on making sure you know how I feel, because I know you are not mind-readers.  It's a personal problem with me from years of chasing perfectionism and thinking that I cannot show others my weaknesses.

Life is full of choices.  When life gives me lemons, I choose to make orange juice and I will leave the world wondering how the heck I did it.

To Become A Champion, You Must Love What You Are Doing!

Winning is not the most important thing.  Winning is a byproduct of having your life in balance and keeping what's most important in perspective........     To become a champion, you must love what you are doing, and have fun when it counts the most.  Happy swimmers are fast swimmers........ Be happy!!!!!!!!!!!

That is the sign on the wall at the CMU pool where I swim.  Sometimes I forget to have fun and to be happy.  Life is meant to be lived and enjoyed!

Be happy!

A quick update on me.  I know that my wrist is NOT broken and that my wrist does NOT have arthritis.  Two really good things to know.  I am taking two weeks off of "lifting" anything with my right wrist.  I just completed week one.  I see the Rheumatologist for a scheduled appointment next week and then I should know more after that.  I am still on course with my 20 week plan.  I've added an extra day of swimming in these two weeks.

I love swimming for a variety of reasons.  It brings back really happy memories.  It reminds me of my college friends.  I enjoy the solitude of swimming.  It's easy on my joints.  It's one heck of a cardio workout.

Ten years ago I swam one Masters swim workout.  The coach said I had a great breaststroke and would I like to join the Masters team.  I said, "No, but I will once I hit a certain weight."  That weight number was 175.  It is now ten years later, and I have still not hit that weight. 

Me swimming breaststroke (today.)

I made this same argument with Trainer One in the Fall of 2015.  His response was along the lines of "If you love swimming, you should be swimming.  Don't let your weight stop you from doing something you love!"  So I found a suit big enough and I got in the pool at Gold's Gym -- all 250 plus pounds of me.  I could swim 100 yards without stopping and then I was POOPED!  I kept swimming but only one length at a time.

October 2015 - if you love swimming - SWIM!  (Trainer One)

Today I am swimming faster and much further than I was when I started.  I'm always smiling when I swim (well except for when I need a breath.)  The pool just feels like home to me.  I love the smell of chlorine - many happy memories with that smell.  I was thinking today had I waited until I weigh 175 to get in the pool, I still would not be swimming today.   So the take away from this post today is don't let your weight hold you back from doing something you love!  You may have to start slow and you will not be as fast as your younger self, but I bet you'll love what you are doing!

Me today - Butterfly (without fins).  This means my abs are getting stronger!

Photo cred for the today pictures goes to Whitney Robison

Be a Fighter Jet!

Are you frustrated?

Are you not where you want to be in life?

Do you feel like no matter what you try nothing seems to help?

If so you need to be more like a fighter jet!

Let me explain.....

As you probably know there is no magic pill or "positive-thinking" method that can get you there. It all comes down to your habits or lack thereof.

As John Maxwell says " People have uphill dreams, but downhill habits"

Another way I've come to look at this that I've adopted from one of my mentors is the difference between a fighter jet and a crop-duster plane.

Obviously there is a BIG visual difference you can see in these two planes. But I believe we can learn a lot more than meets the eye between these two aircraft.

Start adopting these three "habits" of a fighter jet if you want massive success that you can sustain.

Be a fighter jet!

1.) Pre-flight Routine

In order for a fighter jet to take off and get into the air, a lot of special clearances and operations need to happen. The pilot must go through a lengthy checklist and there is a whole team on board to make sure everything is cleared and the flight goes smoothly. However, anyone who can fly any ol' plane can walk outside and jump in a crop-duster and off they go.

​If you want to be a high performer and get the most out of each day, you also need to start getting into a routine. For starters get 7-8 hrs of quality sleep each night. Wake up at the same time everyday (yes even on the weekends). Your body thrives on consistency so doing this sets your sleep/wake homeostasis cycle and circadian rhythm biological clock properly so you're operating at maximum efficiency each day.

Just like it takes a whole process for a fighter jet to even take flight, to consistently achieve your goals it requires the same. You need to plan and prepare for the week ahead. Look at your schedule, what events are coming up? Make sure you've gone grocery shopping and that you have some meals and snacks prepped for when you know you'll need them. Be sure you've made time to get in 3-4 workouts for the week as well.

Now you're cleared for take off and ready to dominate your week!

​2.) Maintenance

As you can imagine the maintenance and upkeep of a fighter jet and a crop-duster is drastically different. It's the same way with underachievers and high- performers.

So fill your body with high quality foods (mostly unprocessed) and drink plenty of water throughout the day. A fighter jet requires a higher grade fuel than a crop-duster and your body is no different.

​If a crop-duster were a person it would be the kind that skips meals, powers through the day, and then picks the easy, cheap, and unhealthy option for dinner. The fighter jet on the other hand can't afford to miss any steps that haven't been take into account beforehand.

You only have one body, so take care of it!

Again, think about the fighter jet.....it's stored in special hangers or on aircraft carriers guarded by military personnel.

The crop-duster?

Crop-duster.

It's just out there beside the old barn underneath a tarp exposed to all the elements.

So don't overeat, don't drink too much, don't smoke, or hold grudges.

​Keep your body and mind in pristine condition by watching what you do, what you think, and how you let things affect you.

Remember, you may not be able to change your circumstances but you can always change your attitude. Control what you can, cope with what you can't, and concentrate on what counts.

3.) Your Fleet

If you visit an aircraft carrier full of fighter jets, you aren't going to see any crop-dusters around.  Why?

Because fighter jets don't hang out with crop-dusters ;)

In all seriousness the people you surround yourself with will always have a massive impact on your life and what you're able to achieve. As a fighter jet you'd never go to battle with a crop-duster because it simply can't go as fast, can't fly as high, and is content with staying closer to the ground and doing ordinary things.

Who is in your fleet?

Instead, surround yourself with other people who want more out of life. People that are givers not just takers. Folks that don't gossip,who look to serve others, and who have a positive attitude.

If you can't remove certain negative people from your life (like family), then just limit the amount of time you spend around them so you can you be out and about making the world a better place.

You were made for more in this life.

Are you going to put in the work and effort to be a fighter jet which will allow you to have and sustain success, or are you going to settle for being a crop-duster and just get by?

The choice is yours.

I hope you'll choose to be a fighter jet!

Happy Hump Day!

Trevor (Blacksburg VA Fit Body Bootcamp)

But It Wasn't My Idea -- Week 12 of 20

Here is my reality.  I am not Super-Woman.  Surprising, right?  Yeah surprising to me too.  Sometimes I think I'm still that 19 or 20 year old athlete, but my body says NO.  My reality is I have two auto-immune diseases.  They call these invisible diseases because when people look at you, you look completely healthy.  But you don't always feel completely healthy.

Week 12 - Control the Mind

Week 11 I was a bit of a cry baby and everything hurt and this sucks, etc., etc., etc.  Week 12 I was told to cut back on certain exercises and swim more or do the AMT more.  I KNOW that was the right decision.  Hell I was thinking of suggesting it myself.  But to have it told to me instead of it being my idea, didn't go over well.  Does that ever happen to you?  Come on, be honest.  What is that?  Pride?

AMT with friends - makes time fly by.  (Well sort of.)

My RA (Rheumatoid Arthritis) seems to be flaring up.  However, it's not something I am real familiar with.  I had the original pain seven years ago and then the diagnosis and then a steroid treatment for a year and then really no pain since.  But when you have to take Motrin in the morning and the evening just so your fingers won't swell and if  you try to make it without Motrin your knuckles look purple, you might be in a flare up.

Honestly this is where I am very thankful to have a trainer that has stuck with me and knows my moods and my aches and pains and who can point out to me when I need to cut back.  Like I said, I wasn't happy, but I am at the end of that week now and feeling WAY better.  I'm going longer without Motrin.  So next step is to figure it out on my own (when to cut back) before going cray cray.

I have an appointment in two weeks, so don't worry about me.  I'll figure it out with my rheumatologist.  I downloaded an app that allows me to input a lot of information daily about symptons and quality of life.  I'll be able to bring my doctor this info and we'll be able to come up with a course of action (hopefully without steroids.)  In the meantime, I swim more and weight train slightly less.

Sometimes I am hesitant to write to you about my aches and pains and/or my autoimmune diseases, but I feel it's necessary.  The absolute worse thing I coud do would be to stop exercising.  Movement is great for the RA.  Swimming has been awesome for it, especially in a colder pool (as opposed to a warm therapy pool.)

Swimming does not hurt any of my joints - at all.  This week I have swum PRs (personal records) all week.  PRs for me since I started swimming again a little over a year ago.  Not PRs from when I was 20.  One workout I swam 3 - 1000 yard swims with 30 seconds rest in between each one.  That's 120 lengths.  Today I swam 2 - 1000 yard swims and beat my time from the Masters Swim Meet in March by one minute in the 1000.  That was pretty exciting for me.

Let's not let our pride get in the way when someone suggests something to us that we know is the right decision, yet it wasn't our decision.  Let's be bigger than that.   There I'm done preaching.

Just know that if I can do this, you can too!

If you need a laugh, enjoy my epic gym fail on the (unstable) stability ball.

Week 11 - Thursday, 10/19/17 - Note to self: "The trainer needs to think he's the boss."

Today I got good use out of the Urban Dictionary/Dictionary.  These young trainers and their lingo sometimes.  Thank God for google.  Today I looked up Tabata, cake walk, perceived exertion, and functional training.  More on that in a bit.

Paul wanted to see if we could lift our arms after
the Tabata of shoulder presses.  YES we can!

I'm not going to lie, Thursdays are my most challenging days.  I'm tired by Thursday.  But I WANT this, so I drop my son at school and head to Golds Gym.  I'm 30 minutes early for the training with Paul so I get in some core work and some shoulder stretches.

I meet Tori at 8 and we start our "upper body" workout with Paul.  Today we are blessed with deadlifts (6 sets of 10), and pullups (5 sets of 10).  Paul gives us the statistic of how many people can do a pullup.  (I don't remember the number but it's really low.)  I say, you know Ryan used to say that and we had to do pullups almost every day when we trained with him.  However, we've never done them since so I'm actually happy we are doing these.  Tori- are you happy?

Deadlifts and pullups

Back to the "fun room" to do kettlebell rows (see the towel on the kettlebell?) and TRX pushups.  I have an injury on my right hand so I am unable to do regular push ups at this time.  But if I use the TRX I can shift my weight away from my palm; however today my palm hurt more than usual.  But I got them done.  Also for the rows, when I did them with my left hand, Paul gave me a dumbbell to hold with my right hand.  Again that took the weight off of my palm.  It's not pictured, but we did that on the second set.  I have no idea how many we did.  I think after five I asked if we were done and he replied, Oh you want to do another round?

Kettlebell rows with a towel (I'm sure there is a fancier name.) and
TRX pushups

Our finisher was overhead press with dumbbells in a TABATA.  Back story:  While I trained with Ryan (in person), I simply did what he told me to do and never asked questions.  When I realized he was going to move away I started asking more questions, so I could learn the why of things.  Because I ask questions I know a TABATA is 8 rounds of 20 seconds of work/10 seconds of rest.  So Paul is keeping the time, I am counting the rounds.  I say, "Okay, just 8 rounds then, right?"  He replies, "No, as many rounds as I want."  I say, "A Tabata is 8 rounds."  He says, "A Tabata is 2 to 1."  If you ever worked out with me, by now you would be screaming, "Patty, shut up!"  We finish 8 rounds.  I say, that's eight.  He replies, I know.  Keep going.  The kicker?  I would have let you stop at 8 had you not questioined it.  (OK - so the Urban dictionary says I'm right.  I looked it up later.  But my being right, got me 2 extra rounds.)

tabata

tabata

We finish with Paul and Tori says, I can stay and do cardio with you.  I am supposed to do 70 minutes on the AMT (elliptical) steady state (keep going - no rest) and get my heart rate to 141.  I'm already angry and I haven't started.  So I shoot Ryan a text off to Boston -- "It would help me mentally if you would tell me why I have to do 70 min steady state on the AMT and not intervals."  I don't wait for a reply, and Tori and I start chugging away.  About 10 minutes in I receive the following reply "Get on that AMT and bust out 70 min.  That's a cake walk for you."  What's a cake walk?  I've heard of a "walk in the park."  and I've heard of "a piece of cake."   After we are all done I look up "cake walk."  Basically it's a combination of those two terms.  Well I'm glad he thinks it's a "cake walk" for me.  I didn't feel that way.  (By the way - thank you Tori for sticking with me.)

At the end of the day, let's get real.  I asked for this.  It's working.  I just need to shut my mouth when I'm tired and not let the complaining out. 

Week 11 - Wednesday (October 18, 2017) Training by Teal

I love Wednesdays because when the workout is done, I am done with the Training by Teal for the week and that, my friends feels FANTASTIC!  Teal for those of you who don't know is Ryan's last name.  And Ryan is my original trainer with whom I still work.  He sends me two workouts a week that I do on Monday and Wednesday.  Today was no exception!

Let's just say a friend who knows me real well
bought me this shirt.

I started the day with 30 minutes on the AMT Elliptical - 35 seconds sprint, 25 seconds recovery for 30 minutes.  Today I was alone - no trainer, no friend.  So it's 100% mental all the way!  I am my own cheerleader.  I got to the AMT and the gentleman next to me says, "We've got to stop meeting like this."  It was actually pretty funny.  There are at least 10 AMT's, but there are maybe 2 that work well.  So there we were side by side.  Guess whose headphones didn't work again today?  Yeppers!

After my 30 minutes, I had 5 minutes rest to get to the "Fun Room," and set up my next exercise.  The "Fun Room" was actually quite full this morning with three trainers and their clients.  I set up a small box, two 10 # kettlebells, and a 40# kettlebell.  I had 20 minutes EMOM (Every Minute on the Minute).  I was to do 20 kettlebell swings (which I did with the 40#).  Then you can rest until you hit 1 minute.  And then I was to do 10 step ups each leg on the small box.  If you've been following me, you know this is a huge mental challenge for me.  Paul (aka 4) was in the room and noticed my perplexed face.  What's up?, he asks.  I'm supposed to do 10 step ups each leg and within a minute.  I don't think I can do it in a minute.  He replied, "Awe, I have faith in you.  You can do it."

Speaking of Paul, I'm a little beat up from yesterday!

Well I wouldn't know until I tried.  I got started 20 Kettlebell swings in about 35 seconds (so I got 25 seconds rest), then 10 step ups each leg.  That took about 55 seconds, so I got about 5 seconds rest.  But I did it.  I am NOT one to back down from a challenge, so I kept going for all ten rounds and I did it.  I was ambitious thinking I could do the step ups with the 10# kettlebells in each hand, but I did not attempt that.  Maybe next time.  20 minutes later (200 kettlebell swings and 200 step ups later), I got 5 minutes rest.

Sometimes there is this college young man who is a diver (I'm a swimmer) in the room at the same time as me.  Today Stewart was training him.  He (the diver) always encourages me and he did so again today after 9 rounds.  He's like, "Keep going.  You're doing great."  When you don't have a trainer in the room or a friend in the room, these little bits of encouragement help you keep going.

Last 20 minute round was another 20 minute EMOM.  20 wall balls and then sprints.  Just Monday I had an EMOM and I only had to do 12 wall balls.  Why 20 today?  Good question, right?  There was just no one there to ask so guess what, I just did 20 wall balls.  I literally had about 5 seconds rest until it was time to sprint.  Good times!  At about #5 on, I felt like I was dragging my legs along in my sprints.  But I did it and NOW Training by Teal is DONE until Monday!  Hallelujah!  And Tori said she would join me Monday.  YEAH!

The rest of the day is spent at work and yet another doctor appointment.  Today in my Facebook memories was a picture of me 2 years ago at the Denver Rock and Roll.  So for fun I took the shirt (which now belongs to my husband) and took a picute today.  Below is the result.  So although I still see doctors for health issues, my health is 1000% better than it was two years ago.  You can do it too!

Yikes!

Week 11 - Tuesday (October 17, 2017) AKA Tuesdays with Tori

Tori, Four (aka Paul), Patty

It was Week 9 of the 12 week Challenge.  I was still over 250 pounds.  We were in a semi-private workout, and there was probably six of us that morning.  We were doing a circuit of exercises and one of them was jump roping.  Well, in the past I had bought myself a jumprope because I could do that on the front or back porch and get myself some exercise.  However, when I actually tried to jump, I couldn't because I was so heavy and out of shape.  So this particular morning, I started jump roping and my smile was ear to ear, because I was doing it.  I was pretty damn happy with myself.  On the third round of the circuit while I was jump roping, I heard (and felt) an audible POP from my left knee.  My leg buckled and that was the end of the jump roping.  This was in March of 2016.

Many Dr. visits and physical therapies later and some set backs, I am back to squatting.  The biggest thing I need to do is speak up if something is hurting.  So far though so good.  So today, Tuesday, is Leg Day with Paul.  This begins at 8:00 a.m. and Tori always joins me.

Front bar squat (aka Mummy squat)

Here we are starting out with a front bar squat.  Tori is holding the bar differently than me because I have a "wrist" issue.  So I "hugged" the bar lightly and she "held" the bar lightly.  Here we did 5 sets of 10 squats with the bar (45 #).  Most times Tori can handle more weight on the bar than I can, but honestly just the fact that I can do these really does make me happy.  For me I am always working on keeping the weight on my feet off of my toes and getting low enough (they call that depth.)

More leg work.

Next we did a circuit of 3 exercises and 5 rounds.  20 TRX squats (really working on form), 10 stepups each leg (Tori with 30# kettlebells in each hand, me with 20#), and sled push (no idea how much weight was on there.)  I tend to be a little slower when it involves legs so this was the extent of our workout today, but it was a great one.

On to cardio for me.

From there, I went to the AMT (Elliptical) and did 70 minutes.  My headphones had died so I did it without headphones.  Let's just say a lot of you were prayed for today.  Today I did steady state which meant I just kept going for 70 minutes straight (no intervals) while trying to maintain a hr of 141.  

The reason I am doing so much right now is because I asked for a 20 week plan.  In order to lose weight, there must be a deficit of calories in versus calories out.  I am trying to make that deficit larger during these last 10 weeks.   With every pound lost, I feel better, I receive positive news from blood tests that I'm required to take (for Rhuematoid Arthritis and Underactive Thyroid.)  I can keep up with my kids.  I have a ton more energy.  The list goes on and on.

So there is my Tuesday.  For the rest of the day I have a teenager who has his last "drive time" after school today.  Then in about a month he can get his driver's license.  I will make sure again that I eat well and eat enough.  Between the leg day and the elliptical I once again have over 1000 calories burned, so this will be helpful in reaching my goal.

Some people have asked me what a typical week looks like - that is the purpose of these posts.  That's my Tuesday.

Week 11 - Monday (October 16, 2017)

So I hinted previously of "a week in the life" type of posts so let's see if I can actually get it done.

It's not always easy.

I've had two weeks of "de-load" or "taper" as I like to call it.  Now I am starting my second ten weeks of my 20 week plan and it's time to hit it hard again.  I still work with my original trainer, Ryan.  But he lives in Boston now.  So he sent me the "plan" last night.  I looked at it, wasn't thrilled with it, but I do not like to message him on the weekends, so I was like--Let's just DO IT!

My youngest son has had a week off from school, but today we both had to get up at 6 am to get him to school by 7:10.  From there I head to the gym.  So I get up and make sure I eat.  My go-to breakfast is 3 eggs, 1 cup of oatmeal with a few raisins, and a banana.  Oh AND a cup of coffee which I have decided to drink black.  I grab my water, my after-workout shake, my headphones, and my coffee and we head out the door.  I drive directly to Golds after I drop him off at school.

This morning's workout from Ryan was 72 minutes of work with 15 minutes of rest.

Hr= 141bpm
Work out 1
20 Min AMRAP
25 mtn climbers each leg
10 step ups each leg use 20-30lb kb if doesn’t bother knee
10 box burpees
Rest 5 min
16 Min EMOM
20 kb swings
12 wall ball
Rest 5 min
Rinse and Repeat both work outs

In some ways it works great not to have a trainer in the room overseeing the workout (like when you pause for a drink of water, you don't get yelled at.)  But other times it would be really useful.  For instance I feel like I stink at mountain climbers and to top it off they hurt the palm of my hand pretty fiercely.  But I'm so darn OCD, I won't substitue an exercise - I have to do what's written.  (So I did them all, but I wrote an e-mail when I got home asking what would be a good substitute exercise.)

Where it might be good to have a trainer in the room is when you start your 16 min EMOM (Every Minute On the Minute).  So I do 20 kettlebell swings, rest until the minute mark, 12 wall balls, rest until the minute mark, back to swings, etc.  For some reason I was thinking 16 minutes was 6 rounds.  I guess because they are both sixes?  Anyway I do six rounds, decide to go fill up my water (because I have a five minute break), go to the bathroom, come back and my "round" timer is still going.  Oops! (6 rounds is 12 minutes not 16 minutes)  Not to worry - notice he says Rinse and Repeat.  So when I got to the 16 min EMOM the second time, I changed it to 20 min.

After both rounds I did 4 rounds of core strengthening exercises and then I called it a day.  I drank my after workout shake and headed home to see my college son Joe off.  He had been home for the weekend for his Fall break.

Headed back to college.

The rest of my typical Monday will be to eat correctly and to eat enough.  And then every Monday I send Ryan an e-mail with my food summary for each day (calories in/macros) and my Calories out and what exercises I did.  This is a great tracking tool too.  He sends back any feedback needed.

I burned over 1000 calories with my workout, but I tend to go do my "desk job" afterwards.  So my goal today is to get up each time the FitBit beeps (hourly) to get 250 steps (at least.)

My workout partner invites me to come back at 4:30 p.m. to lift weights.  I can't ask Boston, so I check with Four (my local GG trainer.)  I tell him, I don't think it's a good idea because I already have a pretty full week of workouts and generally every Thursday or Friday, I'm pretty dang tired.  He agrees. (Which actually is pretty cool.  Because if he was doing it for the money, he would say - oh yeah, come tonight.  But he does it because he cares about each person he trains and whats' best for them.)

So how was YOUR Monday?

Me, My Scale and I

Judy's transformation

I met Judy at Gold's Gym a little over a year ago.  She was aware of me and my journey and I was aware that she was hitting the gym every day and that she loved to play racquetball.  I remember last Christmas wanting to give my supporters a thank you card from me. I didn't know her name so I had written "racquetball girl."  I gave her the card, asked her name, and then wrote her name in my locker so I would never forget.  That's Judy - a pretty unforgettable lady.

Today I want to write about the scale and my relationship with it.  But I want to handle a couple of things first.  Oftentimes, people ask me if I'm writing about them?  I am not!  What I write about is what I am dealing with or what I have figured out for me.

There's a story about a young preacher who always prayed for the town alcoholic to come to church.  Finally the alcoholic came and the preacher put aside his planned teaching and taught about the perils of alcoholism.  At the end of the sermon, the preacher was shaking hands in the vestibule.  The alcoholic said, "I came to church today to learn HOW to get out of what I was into.  All you did was put me further in.  I can tell you anything you want to know about alcoholism."  From then on the preacher decided to teach the HOW of living abundantly.  I would never want to write anything to make you feel worse about yourself.  I would hope that what I write might help you learn how to handle a similar situation and prevail.

Secondly, I like to show you pictures of me or my friends - REAL people with REAL results.  Not stock photos that are used to promote gyms.  Hence, the photo of Judy above.  She's lost well over 100 pounds.  She did it by way of proper nutrition and exercise.  AND it took time.

 My relationship with the scale is complicated.  When my trainer first told my husband to get rid of our scale at home so that I would only weigh once a week at the gym, I thought about the scale about 30-40 times a day.  Now, I only weigh in once a month and my non-weigh in days are actually excellent days.  But when it gets to the day before the weigh in day I am filled with anxiety.  And that's even with all the times I have encouraged others that "It's only a number." It still gets to me.

I was talking with someone the other day who is unable to exercise right now.  Their number on the scale has not changed, yet their pants wouldn't fit around their waist anymore.  She needed larger pants.  And I said, I've only lost 2 pounds in the past four weeks, yet my pants are falling off my waist and I need to go down in size.

Shouldn't that be something to rejoice about instead of the number on the scale!  (The answer is yes.)

Survey I took on the "weight" number

Thank you to those of you who took your weight five times in the same day.  What we see is that in the course of ONE DAY our weight can change by 2 to 4.5 pounds.  I think when you look at it that way, you have to see more clearly that it truly is JUST a number.  It also helps you see that perhaps you pick the same time of day to weigh yourself (if you are tracking.)  My time is first thing in the morning after breakfast but before coffee and it's at Gold's Gym (and it's only once a month.)  I used to get so disappointed knowing that my weight was a certain number and then going to a doctor appointment mid-day.  I'd be fully clothed but no shoes and my weight would be 2 to 3 pounds heavier than I knew it should be.  That used to really bum me out.  However, seeing my little social experiment above, I now see that's pretty par for the course.

So again, I tell myself do not let the number on the scale "get to you."  Use it instead as a measurement.  Do you want to know what is an even better measurement?  Judy and I have both had recent blood tests.  Judy was "shouting from the rooftops" that her cholesterol was in the normal range.  A first for her in a very, very long time.   The same thing happened to me.  My latest victory is that it is taking less and less thyroid medicine to regulate my thyroid.  I'll take LESS medicine ANY day.

Do not weigh every day if it steals your joy away!

I Want to Target My Belly Fat First

My fitness journey began in January of 2016.   When I first started working with Ryan, we took starting measurements.  My waist was 52".  I'll let that sink in a minute.

In order to use the locker room at Gold's gym, you have to walk by an entire wall of mirrors (or so it seems).  To my right were the mirrors.  To my left was this poster of this girl and her before/after photos.  It didn't even seem like the same person.  The girl was/is a trainer and I would stare at her and then stare at the photos.  But then I would see myself in the mirror (thank you GG) and YIKES, I made my very first goal.  I want to lead with my chest - not my stomach!!!!!  (and was it even possible to lose weight like the girl in the poster?)

(The picture in the poster.)  Tina's amazing transformation
(over time - not overnight.)

First of all, I did NOT believe Ryan would be able to help me.  Let's just get that out there right now.   I had ZERO faith or confidence.  But sure as shit every week, I was seeing weight loss.  So after about the third week, I said (boldly I might add) "Ryan.  I want to target my belly fat.  I want to lose weight there first."  He just looked at me and said rather matter-of-factly, "We don't decide where the fat is going to disappear from first.  Every body is different."   Well, geeze, why don't you just burst my bubble?

I understand completely the desire to "target" a troublesome part of our body, but the truth is that's not available.  However, within the first 12 weeks of weight loss, I reached that first goal where I was no longer "leading" with my stomach.  All together I have lost a "ruler" off my stomach (12 inches).  But I have much more to go.

12 week challenge measurements - Waist 52 to 43

One of my least satisfying statements that I am told nearly every week by my trainer is "Slow and steady wins the race."  It happened again today.  It can be frustrating to me that others lose weight faster than me (Like way faster.)  It gets to the point where I think something may be wrong with me.  But you know several things are wrong with me (underactive thyroid, rheumatoid arthritis, tendonitis....)  What really helps me is the simple children's story of "The Tortoise and the Hare," which he reminds me of often too.

It may take me longer, but I am going to get there and I am going to stay there.  When I "get there," will my belly be flat?  I don't know.  I don't think I have the genetics for that to happen, but we will see.  Besides I housed three kids in that belly.  I think it's ok if it doesn't quite look the same afterwards.  I'll take the kids any day over the belly.

Ben in my Belly - 8.5 months pregnant (for the third time.)

So if you too want to "target your belly fat," just begin.  Get started.  Make healthy choices with your food, start moving and exercising.  Watch your body change and give it time and your belly will diminish also!