This is who I was…

In one of my first  blog entries, I made a post titled “This is me now,” which highlighted who I am and what I am setting forth to do. As I thought of that entry, I couldn’t help but want to share who I was (since I have been sharing who I am now quite often) and why I will NEVER, EVER get back to that low point again.

Who I was:

Here why I was who I was:

Pizzas, cakes, desserts, dining out- you name the food, chances are I ate it an then some! Everything processed, everything lacking in nutrition I consumed when I had a “pig out” day and imagine that! I gained nearly 150 lbs since my lowest weight 7 years ago.

Back in 2009, Stasi had counseled me on everything I needed to know when it came to diet and nutrition. At the time, I was consuming protein, fruit and vegetables in addition to foods that are marketed as healthy like Subway and restaurant made wraps. I was on a healthier path but needed some fine tuning, which is where Stasi came in. She laid out an extensive diet, complete with set macronutrient grams that I needed to follow to make weight loss more of a mathematical equation that would give proven results if adhered to. If I followed those numbers, I was guaranteed success and success is what I achieved. I went from 200 lbs to 160 lbs (counting the muscle gained from training as well!) I was stronger, leaner, and healthier. 

But as we all know I didn’t sustain this success, with my failure to do so leading me to the heaviest I have ever been in my life skyrocketing to 310 lbs.

I couldn’t sustain this lifestyle because I was more worried about pleasing my significant other through a fit and active lifestyle at the time than I was in achieving monumental results for me and myself only. He really tried to push me to be the greatest I could be and I worked hard at it, but when he and I parted ways, I was left with myself as my sole motivator and because I struggled with such a transition, my motivation decreased. Once again, a thing called LIFE happened and I fell away from the lifestyle that once made me so happy. But, put those tissues away and dry your eyes! 😛 No need to fear the same thing happening again because …

I AM BACK

& there is only one person I am looking to satisfy this time around. 🙂

Now with that being said, it doesn’t mean I don’t have other motivators in my life (Stasi being one of them), it just means if I lose anybody who motivates me, I will never stay down for long because I have everything in myself to keep going. When I say that I found a fire within myself, I really mean it. There are many things I have yet to accomplish but I am a work in progress and my choices will never again be based upon whether or not someone will be disappointed in me. This is for me and that is the only reason you should ever embark on a weight loss journey. 🙂

Pushing Forward

I took this photo earlier this week and was surprised at what I saw (since none of us can really see our backs! My chiropractor was right when he said he felt more muscle in my back! I definitely did not have this look a couple weeks ago. My back is really shaping up and to think it happened in 11 sessions! 🙂 You can accomplish a lot within a couple workouts.

If you can do anything if you put your mind to it, then why is my mind not thinking STRICT, MEASURED DIET? 😦

Honestly, my diet needs cleaned up. Yesterday while at a party at Fiori’s, I had two plain salads (some mozzarella, olives, onions, green peppers and an olive oil dressing). I was hungry since it was about 8pm and I hadn’t eaten since 3pm and must have been feeling adventurous and tempted and pulled off the cheese from 3 slices of pizza.

The mutilated leftovers from my topping eating binge 😦 

Yep, that was a high fat, low carb choice. It happens, life goes on but the problem is that the cheese and the toppings that I ate aren’t going to feed the muscle and make me lean. That is a choice I made that will not be progressing me to where I want to go. Any step off my desired path is not going to give me the results so the question to ask myself is why did I do it? And that’s not it… I went above and beyond when I got home and got 3 more toppings off of the pizza! Then, I reached for the sweet potato chips bag (Ingredients: Sweet potatoes, salt) and topped off this cheat with 2.5 string cheeses. Does that sound like someone who wants a killer figure? Nope. Did I try to make the best choices considering the circumstances? Yep. Am I going to have to work harder… uh YES! I don’t have crazy cheats anymore but I do make food choices that pull me away from the physique I want to have and that needs to stop.

I have to get it down to a science to achieve the success I want, which is where I need to follow Stasi’s nutritional advice. Since I started with Stasi back in 2008/2009, I learned so much about how you should fuel your body to achieve maximum results. Her system has the fat melting, that is, if you follow it. She gave me the fat, carb, and protein grams that I need to follow in a given day to get proven results. With every package, Stasi will sit you down and have a 2 hour nutritional consult with you, this is where she makes the magic happen for each individual. No one person’s numbers are the same. It is calculated and fit to you- specific to your goals! 🙂 No gimmicks, no extras you have to buy, just getting back to the basics of nutrition and dieting. You can also pay separately for this in depth consult if you are interested in diet changes versus personal training. If you are struggling and yoyoing on a diet, sitting down with Stasi may help you get over those hurdles that you just cant seem to push past. Her diet is the REAL DEAL. Every single time I trained and followed what she told me to do, I produced results. And I am producing results now, but I want better results in less time. Lean meat and vegetables, much?! Stasi needs me to record EXACTLY what I eat and how much so that we can have my weight loss down to a science. I cannot eat more than I am burning is what it comes down to and right now, I am eating healthy foods but eating too much of them. Stasi has me following a high protein, lower fat and moderate to lower carbs diet. I am doing great but I need to be doing excellent. I am working too hard to blow my hard work on substandard food choices. I have Vegas in 2 weeks and my cousin’s wedding in 1, I need to start measuring and meal prepping. The time is now!

---

September 24, Saturday workout

We only took a few photos to give you a glimpse of the workout! I am feeling sore, rundown, and beat up! But it all makes me stronger as I push through and continue my journey each workout at a time. Eyes are on the prize.

 

The no makeup thing isn’t really working for me, but might as well snap a mirror selfie

Since the 1+ hour of training and nearly 2 hours of walking wasn’t enough… I decided to give the pups some exercise and give myself extra calorie burning credit points.

The shadow legs I wish I had! 😛

 

10 session UPDATE

The measurements are in! 

In 10 sessions:

*Lost 7 pounds

*Lost 9% of my body fat

*Gained 20 lbs of lean muscle and lost 27 lbs of fat.

Progress Photos:

Some of Wednesday’s Workout Photos (9/21)

Stasi and I did the measurements and discussed diet, exercise and how I can achieve optimal results before the workout so by the time I was ready to lift, I was completely pooped. My workout consisted of moans, groans and the general feeling that I had a mental/clarity block and that my body was exhausted. Another day that I was running on empty but I kept pushing. (Oh and the faces are completely indicative of how I was feeling- drained, but I’m sure you already noticed that!)

Here’s to another workout that made me stronger than I was the day before.

Stronger than Yesterday

For the first time in a long time, I feel accomplished and excited to show off my hard work… 

Do I look perfect? No. I could pick out numerous things I see and want to change, and that is the beauty of the process. It isn’t always perfect but you can still be damn proud of how far you have come. So maybe I’m not perfect but  I am a far cry from 310 lbs, what I was back in February! I am not going to hide my body because it is a work in  progress- I’m showing it off. I am proud of where I have come and I know I will be proud of where I am headed.

Welcome to the process of progress, not perfection. 

Well, I’m going to be honest. I’m not doing all of my homework. I know that to get the results I want it will take more than the killer sessions with my trainer. I am so proud of the results I have accomplished by leaning on training as my number one consistent weekly ritual, but I need to step it up. To get the results I want means a CLEAN diet, like we are talking cleaner than clean…high protein and leafy greens all day every day kind of clean, BUT I am struggling! I am surrounded by friends and family who love to go out to eat and though I try to make healthy decisions when I go out, the temptations are there (I sometimes sample everyone else’s food- hidden calorie galore though it keeps me sane) and the hidden calories seem to be stashed into even the cleanest foods. I ordered broccoli the other night and it was smothered in butter! By the time it gets to your plate on one of those days that you foolishly didn’t eat enough, forget it! That broccoli is entering my mouth, butter and all. 😦 I have kept my diet paleo based but that doesn’t mean I have perfected it. Instead, I’ve made it very fluid and at times enjoy too many nuts, sushi, dairy, beans and other foods that cause inflammation in the body and have deviated from the strict paleo way. Now, I have not forgotten where I came from, which was a highly processed yo-yoing diet and I appreciate the strides I have made, but I need to get to a more serious stage because I’m feeling like as of now, I have only scratched the surface. Not only do I need to buckle down on how to properly eat paleo- healthy fat, vegetables, and meat always together in a meal but I also need to keep my numbers down so that my trainer, Stasi can figure out what I need to change in order to get better results. I have been food logging, just not measuring (more like eyeballing), so the time has come, as Stasi has counseled me time and time again to get serious. Did I mention I have a wedding I am going to first week of October and I am going to Vegas the week after ?! HELLO! This is the time to get serious!!! I need to make the next 2-3 weeks count! Here is a list of the things that I will work on the upcoming weeks to achieve even more glorious results:

1. Less dining out
2. Paleo way– meats, healthy fats, vegetables every meal (minus when I have my protein shakes)
3. PORTION CONTROL/knowing my exact numbers (Grams of fat, protein and carbs)
4. CARDIO! Since I got sick around Labor Day, I haven’t been motivated to do the more intense cardio I’m used to. At most lately, I’ll walk maybe 3 or 4 days out of the week. I need to step up my game on the cardio front!

---

Here is a some of Saturday’s, September 17’s workout starting with a “suicide” drill:

Throw in sets of mountain climbers…

& some modified push ups

Here’s my lifting face, can you tell I was getting mad? 😛

450 lbs on the leg press! 🙂 😉 Woo!

Variation of the Lat Pulldown

Side Step Ups

Honestly, I was worked to failure at this point, I was ready to call it a day, as you can see the expressions on my face. 😛 Maxed out

After every workout, I leave knowing I am stronger than yesterday. No matter where I am at in my progression I have to realize that this is what really matters. Any workout that makes you better than yesterday is a always going to be that workout that takes you a step further. ❤

 

Dead lift difference

Deadlift Difference- increasing strength/weights, decreasing body fat. 

Wednesday’s workout was heavy lifting and boy did I struggle. My dead lift seemed above and beyond heavy but I did it and got stronger in the process. Yep, even have the calluses to prove it… 

& the results are coming in fast:

9/14 Wednesday workout 

• After 8 hours of work…
• + 1 hour, 30 mile commute
• + 1 hour shopping =
  • One late night hour heavy lifting routine followed by 30 minutes cardio on the treadmill.

It didn’t matter that I was tired, that I had a long day, that my gas tank was on E… I showed up, I gave it my all and completed every task that I was given. If you want to know the truth- without a trainer, I honestly think I would’ve blown this workout off. I was tired, down and did not feel like pushing myself to engage in a workout that would bring me up. I would’ve more than likely went home and skipped a strength training, power pushing, calorie burning workout and would’ve gained fat in the process. But that’s okay because I’m human and we all have our downfalls and our days where we don’t feel like doing anything. What I learned is if you just show up, you will be motivated to move, and that is all we really need to do. So to quote Nike, “Just Do it.” Here’s me doing it…

 

 

 

“Train INSANE, or remain the same”

I know what many people think when they think of having a personal trainer- “I can’t afford it. I can’t get there. I’m too busy. I  can do it myself.” And this all may be true. Maybe you are motivated enough to wake up early, hit the weights section of the gym only to nervously stare at your bodybuilding.com workout long enough to try exercises you probably aren’t executing properly. Or maybe you really are low on money.. you still have money to drop on the bar, going out to eat, buying miscellaneous things you don’t need, but after factoring in these fun things, you don’t have money left for something that will change your life. Okay, I get it… kind of. But you also need to see where your priorities lie.

 

I have people asking me what I do to lose weight. When I tell them paleo, they shake their heads and say they have to have bread and pasta. When I tell them I have a trainer, they quickly respond by saying how they would love that but that they don’t have money for it, yet these are the SAME people who say they want to lose weight, achieve their goals and have a better diet, but they really don’t. The reason they don’t is because they obviously don’t want to break through barriers. You have to be willing to abandon every old notion you ever had about fitness and health and create a new prototype of everything you desire and will work towards. And yes, for some, it means cutting out bread or sacrificing going out every weekend and spending money on drinking and putting that money on a trainer. It is literally putting your money where your mouth is. You could spread a a 10 session package out over 3 months working out once a week for about $150/month. What would that require for you to be able to afford it? Less frivolous spending, less bar and restaurant bills and an overall awareness of what you are really looking for in life. 

This is my 3rd round of personal training with Stasi Longo and every dollar I ever put into Sonshine Fitness, I got much more of a return on my investment. This time around, I feel so STRONG. Everything I am given, I complete without feeling extremely fatigued and I always want more. That doesn’t mean I don’t moan and groan when I’m given something challenging- because I do, but I also push through it with my body coming out in first place. My body has been working so hard, crushing every exercise I am given it and as much as I have posted about my body resisting my new lifestyle (ankles sore, getting sick)- I am so proud of it. Every time I have a set back, be it my ankle, a pinched muscle in my foot or a cold, my body comes back healthier than ever and surprises me with how much it completes.

A HUGE reason for my recent success is because my muscles have memory from every investment I made in personal training in the past. Every time in the past that I broke through a challenging workout, I did something I thought I couldn’t do, I poured sweat and barely completed the last rep is ABSOLUTELY and DEFINITELY why I am doing so good now. You never fully lose what you accomplished in the past. That is why I am saying what a HUGE investment personal training is- your body WILL NEVER forget it. Your muscles will retain that memory of lifting and you will get back on the wagon sooner than when you started from scratch how many years ago. What you build on today will make you stronger years from now, even if you have fallen away from it. What kind of an amazing investment is that? You don’t have to work at it as you gain weight throughout the years, and your muscles will remember your success from the past! AMAZING! So even if you fall off the wagon, you will never fully lose what you achieved in the past.

Also, as upset I am that my weight skyrocketed to 310 pounds, it made me stronger. If you think about it, I weight lifted EVERY SINGLE day I walked around with 150+ extra lbs on my frame. This is me looking at the silver lining of a negative of course. I am not proud of who I had become at 310 lbs, but I am proud of the woman within me who was willing to work hard to get where I am at now. No matter where you are it, if you have the motivation, dedication and willingness, you will get there. I am choosing to get there with Stasi Longo because she has gotten me there every other time I signed up with her. She is committed to helping me achieve results that are tailored to me and what I want for my body. She helps me to achieve things I WOULD NEVER do by myself. Here is an example of that…

---

9/10/16 Workout 

We started off in the heat, in the parking lot behind the building. The time had come that I had to lift some rubber! 😀 😉 🙂

Greg Stanko- This one’s for you! -Stasi

Then I did lunges up and down hill…

Then I jogged…

Incline bench press

Hack Squat

And honestly, when I got home, I took a nap. That’s how you know you had a great workout!

 

 

Getting knocked down

Things aren’t always going to perfect. You aren’t always going to get the 6 days/week heart pumping cardio your body needs, you may miss training, you may overeat, you make get sick like me, or injured. There isn’t a rule book for all of this, because like I mentioned in my past entries, there is a thing called life that will always be throwing you off target. All you have to do when this happens is be able to pick yourself up. From last Monday to Labor Day, I got knocked down with a sinus infection. I had been eating high amounts of protein, training hard, doing more cardio and I was ecstatic to be seeing results. But then, I found out early on into my training that I am not invincible, which came to me like a punch in the stomach. Talk about a high turning into a low. My immune system got hacked and so did my fitness regimen! I had to help my body heal by doing nothing at all, which really threw me off after 2 weeks of wonderful progress, work and dedication. I thought of the old adage “feed a cold” and that it all I wanted to do while I sat around doing crafts and watching TV all day. I snacked on calorie dense, paleo-ish foods and didn’t do a whole lot because I knew working out would make me worse like it did last Wednesday. I felt so run down that relaxing was my only option.

So , I caved. By Labor Day, my 7 day cold was not going away. Each day I seemed to be getting slightly better but the problem was that it lingered. I had had enough, I couldn’t kick it without some help- call in Med Express + antibiotics! No natural healing for this girl, I filled that prescription as soon as possible and let the medicine work its magic on my body. My only regret is that I didn’t go sooner. I originally figured it would run its course naturally and it did until I trained Wednesday and made my sinus infection worse, so the only option in being able to pursue my fitness goals and keep pushing was to get some help from the outside. With training and the goals I have that I want to crush, I just could not be down anymore!

The only exercise/cardio I did since last last Wednesday when I lifted while sick was a walk Sunday thanks to the encouragement of my older sister! And even then, I was worried I could potentially make myself worse. This is before the antibiotics of course, since I’ve had them I feel like I can’t get worse and am on my way to being fully healed!

By Monday evening and 3 doses of antibiotic in, I was ready to get down with some kickboxing! Finally, I am coming back into my own! I bought my sister and I a Groupon to try kickboxing a year ago and of course didn’t book it until the very last week it expired so I kind of had no choice, I had to go! I was a little apprehensive to go because I wasn’t 100% and was worried I would weaken my immune system by working out too hard while not being fully healed but it was the only day my sister and I could go there together and I decided to just do it. We started by doing some laps around the gym, burpees, push ups, crunches, etc. Then, we worked on the bag, which was a blast! I could not, for the life of me, figure out what placement my body should be in for the different styles of punching and kicking but I gave it my all in a hot mess, 2 left feet kind of way 😛 ! After class, a consistent cough came on and I thought “Uh oh, here we go again!” I worried that I made myself worse, but turns out, it is just the virus working it’s way out (or so I think!).

Then Tuesday rolls around and it is time to train with Stasi

(Definitely feeling better and in go mode but not 100% healed):

360 on the leg press is not too shabby for taking it slow this past Wednesday

---

Today, I also felt motivated enough to do a quick walk during my lunch break. I’m going to be taking cardio slow until I fully heal but whatever I can get in will work. If I stress that I am not being perfect, I am going to go crazy, I have to remember in times when my immune system is down like now- slow and steady wins the race!

Oh and the other reason for the walk: International Potluck at work. I did not touch the various high calorie dishes, banana pudding or the tiramisu desserts, but I did eat 4 pieces of spicy California roll, chicken gumbo with rice- not paleo 😦 and couscous, also not paleo! Oh yeah, and I had a bunch of plantain chips! Yeah, a walk was mandatory at this point. Once again, this theme of life and life’s choices comes into play, it happens, dust yourself off and keep going.

Moral of this very long story- don’t give up. You are going to get knocked down and thrown off your game. What will matter is how hard you come back when you are well and ready. 

…

As a side/end note, I got distracted 100x while writing this blog… main culprit: my furry other half.

Motivation from the Outside

Sometimes, on weeks that our immune system, body, etc is compromised, we just need to be content with relaxing, spending time with family (& pets!) and trusting our body’s natural healing process!

I haven’t done cardio or lifted since Wednesday and most of my Thursday through Saturday vacation away from work was spent indoors on the couch, cleaning makeup brushes or doing crafts.

Halloween craft 🙂 

DIY burlap wreath // Cleaning makeup brushes

I realized on Wednesday after lifting, doing cardio and making my cold 3x worse afterwards that the only way I would get better would be to do nothing at all. This method of healing works!!! 🙂 I am feeling much better after 3 days of relaxation. Thursday, I left work early, relaxed at home and went to bed early. Friday, I did crafts most of the day and watched movies. Today, I started feeling a lot better but remembered that same feeling last Wednesday and realized that even though I felt better I still had to take it slow. I couldn’t workout and go go go, my body still would need rest. My sister wanted to walk, and Lord knows I needed it, but in the heat and with what happened last time, I was so worried that I would do what I did last Wednesday and keep myself from healing, so I stayed in and slept. My body is still letting me know I’m not over the bridge yet and I still need to take it easy.

I figured I would sit in the house again today doing crafts and taking it easy until we got a phone call about my grandma. Her dementia has worsen, medication has been increased (which we knew was happening) but is now in a wheelchair due to a fall. I decided a visit was the only way I would feel at peace seeing the new facility she is at and how she is doing. We had a wonderful visit. She said my name without being prompted, which was so touching (she hasn’t done this without being prompted in years) and was matching shapes, recognizing the names of colors and overall was having a wonderful day. I could have stayed at home and visited her next time but I am so glad I ended up going. I didn’t think I would overexert myself leaving the house, but I didn’t want to risk getting anyone sick or picking up anything from going out. Mind you, I’m real paranoid that I am going to relapse and get sick again! With my new training, I really don’t need anymore delays.

My mom, sister and I ended up going out to a Middle Eastern restaurant to eat. I had some babaghanoush, Mediterranean dip, and an eggplant based appetizer and ordered a chicken salad with olive oil. I skipped the pita (VICTORY!), though I did sample my mom’s pita wrap with spinach, feta, and mozzarella.

Sampling is something that I’ve really enjoyed doing- taking a taste of a “cheat.” After a couple bites, I am satisfied. Plus with sampling, even if you wanted more, it is someone else’s meal so you are going to slow down no matter how good it is. I highly recommend sampling from time to time- get a taste without the guilt. I only recommend this if you have been succeeding on a healthy diet because it can totally throw you off track otherwise.

The owner gave us some free dessert just because! 🙂

After we ate, my sister wanted frozen yogurt. I was tempted to get my very own bowl and was sure I would go through with it, until I got an email. A woman reached out to me saying that my blog has inspired her and she would like to set up a consultation with Stasi. It was at that point that I decided that that FroYo was not worth it. Instead, I opted to try my mom and sister’s FroYo and got just as much satisfaction from this alone. 

I have goals I am trying to reach, people who are tracking my weight loss, and a p   ersonal paleo conscience that would remind me just how bad of a choice it would be to go through with a whole dessert to myself.

When I titled this entry “Motivation from the Outside” I was referring to the email I received and the other friends who have reached out inquiring about training and bettering themselves. I am motivated by them, their will to change, their desire to train, and their choice to do better. We all can do better, sometimes we just need an extra push. Training has been that extra push for me and I am so excited with it, I just want everyone to do it so they feel as good as I do! It is wonderful that people are already inspired to take the first step! And I am above and beyond excited to see their amazing results before they even started!

Even on weeks when I’m down on fitness like this week, I can always look to others to be brought back up. Maybe I couldn’t do a lot of training or cardio this week due to a cold, but I certainly made better food choices due to the people who are influenced by this weight loss journey and who are looking to transform themselves. We can always build each other up and make sure we never stay down… for long! Thanks for inspiring me girls!

Attack on the Immune System

Here is me feeling like a TRAP queen Sunday

Little did I know, the next day would start the immune system breakdown that would throw off my whole week’s fitness goals.

I posted last week about my ankles and how they were sore and needed iced every day, but this week has presented itself with a new obstacle: the attack on the immune system. As much as I want to go out there and give it 110%, I learned that your body will always reel you in and let you know when you’ve done too much.

Coworkers have had colds recently. My sister caught a cold. And here I am, thinking that I somehow was going to defy all odds and not catch anything at all. I thought that being on the paleo diet meant I had some sort of super immune system where I couldn’t catch a thing, no matter who I was around and what they had already caught. I knew that getting sick was a possibility but I was riding so high on my horse that I figured it would always bypass me because my diet was fairly clean. (A non processed food diet keeps your immune system pretty healthy, especially if you are getting the right nutrients). I was knocking on wood as I went around saying: “I haven’t gotten sick in a long time, I don’t even know what it is like to get sick. My diet keeps me so healthy I cant get sick.” And BOOM…

What I should do more of when I’m sick, cuddle the dog and do nothing! I did the opposite of that Wednesday…

 

I’m sick. Great. A couple weeks of training/lifting in with some tremendous progress and not only did I battle ankle issues last week, but now my body has been attacked by a foreign invader and is working hard to get rid of it. It is like my body is resisting my new change of life! What do I do? Well a normal person rests, but I am so motivated and dedicated to creating a physique I am proud of, that I decided to I work out and here is the breakdown as to why…

 

 

 

 

 

Monday I had a sore throat. I was scheduled to train with Stasi but she said it is best for me to rest and take a leisurely walk if I choose to do cardio, but mostly to lay low, get a lot of vitamin C, get good rest and drink lots of water.

By Tuesday, I had congestion and felt pretty run down, but after sleeping well Monday and Tuesday night, I was feeling much better and thought I was kicking those foreign invaders to the curb.

On Wednesday, I still wasn’t 100% and had more allergy symptoms plaguing me- sneezing, coughing, etc. but generally felt much better. I told Stasi that I  really wanted to squeeze a session in though I wasn’t fully healed from my cold because I figured the cold was on it’s way out. So, we set it up and I was ready to get to work. Now when I say get to work, we are talking already congested breathing in addition to needing to wear a medical mask to prevent the spread of germs within the smaller gym area, so yes, work was what I was ready to do and I really didn’t care what I had to do to achieve it, I wasn’t missing a session this week. I was going to show this cold who was boss.

During my lunch break at work, I walked 30 minutes to get my body moving. I didn’t do cardio Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and needed to get some form of movement in for the day. Then before my training session, I walked 45 minutes with a mask on, which is really challenging when you already are congested! And for the finale- I went in for the fat kill and muscle burn for an hour (and I later realized that my body was not ready for that).

Bench press

Lunging

Leg curl

Dumbell and squatting work

Leg press

I felt very accomplished after my workout but by the time I woke up Wednesday morning, I realized I had done too much. My chest was congested, I was coughing, and I felt weak. Not only is my body working overtime to release these bacterial beast, but I had just forced it to train while it was on overtime. I had outdone myself and my body was letting me know it! I left work an hour early and came home and did nothing. When you are sick, you owe your body the respect of letting it rest. It works hard for you. As much as I want to push it to the limit, this week was not the week to do that, it was already being pushed by trying to keep me healthy and bacteria/virus free. 

As I proceed on this weight loss and muscle building journey, I am always thinking of how I can go harder, get better results, push through discomfort, but sometimes you just need to step down. This week, I’ve learned that stepping down isn’t a weakness, it is a way of listening to your body so that you don’t get hurt.