Over the past 19 months, I have been on a journey to lose weight (and now keep it off) and become healthy and fit. Here, I share my journey with you. When you lose a lot of weight, there are a lot of unexpected benefits and a few side effects, that you learn to deal with. This is part two of the things NO ONE ever tells you about. You can read Part One here.
Gym Hands
I got my first callous last fall after I had been training
with Mike for a little while. I was
appalled. I bought gym gloves, but they
get dirty fast and are just nasty. You
can wash your hands after working out, but are you going to put your gym gloves
in the wash every time you work out? You
should! When Dmitriy started having me
do pull ups (and hanging leg extensions), my hands got numb and turned
white. I said to him, “I really wish I
had my gloves on.” He said, “You don’t
need them.” But my hands hurt!! So when I was by myself trying the pull ups,
I used the gloves. Worse thing
ever!!! They seriously cut off the
circulation to my hands and I felt like string was tightly wrapped around
them. I haven’t worn gloves since. I do treat myself to a manicure about twice /
month and I use lots of hand cream, but the callouses are simply part of gym
life.
 |
| Calloused, sore hands after doing pull-ups |
Gym Attire
Because I was fat, I did not want to wear anything tight
fitting. When I worked out, I wore grubby
sweat pants and an over-sized t-shirt. I
didn’t even necessarily pay attention to what I was wearing to the gym. One time I was working out with Mike and I
had one of Mitch’s swim team t-shirts on and he asked if I was the swim
coach. I was like, “What are you talking
about? I’m wearing this shirt because
it’s my son’s senior class t-shirt.” I
didn’t even know what I was wearing!!!
He must have thought, “This chick is a real dummy.” After that, I bought a couple of shirts to
wear just to the gym and recycled them with my t-shirts. |
| This is the t-shirt I thought I was wearing when Mike asked me if I was the swim coach. I actually had on the boys' swim team t-shirt, but I didn't even realize it. I used to just grab whatever was at the top of the drawer, throw it on with sweat pants and go. I don't have the swim t-shirt to show you and this one is like a small tent on me, but it holds sentimental value. |
In December, I brought my gym clothes to change into at work
and the girls stopped me on the way out and said, “Tracey, you need some new
gym clothes! Look at you! You look ridiculous.” So, I threw out the worn out Adidas yoga
pants and bought three new pairs of yoga pants, but kept wearing my t-shirts
and the couple of gym shirts I had. In
February, I had started shedding weight quickly and added a couple of Patriots
shirts into the mix after they won the Super Bowl. I needed new clothes for work, so every time
I bought some, I bought new clothes for the gym.
This was a real treat!!!
I got rid of all my sweat pants, bought some tank tops and a couple of
new sports bras. I use the mirror when I
lift to make sure I have good form. With
the new clothes, I began to like what I saw.
Instead of wearing clothes that were baggy and loose, I wore clothes
that let me see my body. As I began to
see some definition develop in my shoulders and arms, I bought MORE clothes to
wear to the gym. In the spring I bought
a couple of tank-tops with built in bras, which were great. But new problem – they don’t provide the best
protection, so I had to add my own inserts.
I see a lot of women double bra with those tank tops, but I don’t like
the added restriction. We are women, we
do whatever we have to make it work!! |
| One of my new tank tops. |
 |
| For the ones with a built-in bra, I've improvised and added some protection to keep the girls from showing everything. I only have one that came with its own built-in protection. I wonder who actually designs these? Certainly not a woman who works out! I've tried to double-bra it, but that's way too uncomfortable. |
ALL THAT WATER
One of the things that has been hardest for me to adjust to,
is drinking enough water. For whatever
reason, I don’t have a taste for it. I
tried everything to get myself to drink it.
Lemon wedges didn’t work. Buying
special water bottles was a pain to always have to wash them. I started buying cases of bottled water and
keep some refrigerated at all times, which has helped. It wasn’t until I got my 20 oz. Wonder Woman
Tervis cup last month that I finally started drinking enough water. I love being able to keep track of exactly
how much water I am drinking (it has measurement lines) and the insulation keeps
the water cold for a long time. I still
have to consciously make myself drink water, but it’s so much easier now. I only drink coffee, water and tea (when it’s
cold), so that makes it easier to consume enough water.
 |
| If I fill this with ice, it will keep my water cold all day! |
Here’s the one thing they don’t tell you: when you drink a lot of water, you constantly
have to pee. The urge to pee is
constant. When I’m working out at the
gym, I drink a lot more water, so I take at least two trips to the
bathroom. If I stop at the grocery store
after working out, I have to pee. When
we are on a long drive, I’m the one who says, “Honey, we need to stop at a rest
stop. I have to pee.” Any woman who has given birth knows that when
you have to pee, it means you have to go now.
All that water has added an interesting twist in our travels.
 |
| At a rest stop in New York on our way to my cousin's wedding. |
Probably the best part of my weight loss is what it has done
for my marriage. My husband and I are
closer than we ever have been. He has
always been the love of my life, but since I feel so much better, we have been
able to really connect through this journey.
In Part 1, I talked about my energy levels and how they have
improved. This is largely due to the
improved balance in my hormones. The
excess body fat doesn’t only bring down your energy levels, but it messes up
your hormones. My mood has improved
drastically and my anxiety levels have been largely in check, although I do
still worry. There are other hormonal
benefits as well, which pair nicely with the increase in energy and improved
affect (mood).
 |
| Me and the love of my life |
I’ve done some research on this and it’s relatively
complicated to explain. But I will
tell you this – if you are overweight, your hormones are out of wack, which
affect just about everything. A proper nutritional plan, coupled with
exercise will improve your overall physical well-being – body, soul and
spirit. It's hard to explain unless you've been through it yourself, but you really feel like a new person!
 |
| These are just three of hormones that become disrupted when you are overweight and have an excess of body fat. An imbalance of estrogen, testosterone and progesterone will wreck havoc on just about everything. |
Final thoughts...
I have talked with many people about how I lost weight. Most think doing cardio to get their heart rate up will do the trick. Unfortunately, cardio alone is not enough. Nutrition is the biggest factor for weight loss and choosing the right plan for you is critical. Be very skeptical of any plan that promises a quick fix.
Your workout must include weight training, which is essential for building muscle, strengthening your bones, and increasing your
metabolism. Don’t expect rapid results
and be willing to take the first step to start your journey. It took me 19 months to get to where I am now and I'm not finished yet. I'm not trying to lose weight anymore, but I can't stop where I am and expect to stay here. It's an ongoing, lifetime commitment.
Follow me on Instagram @tracoleman99
Questions for you...
What do you wear when you exercise?
How do you drink enough water?
What do your hormones say about your health?
Leave your comments below.
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