It's just about 2020 and almost 16 months since my last post.
Merry Christmas! and Happy New Year! (and New ME)
A lot has happened. My son moved out of the house. New job. I turned 50. Those are the major highlights. To sum up the past year+ would be impractical and would sound like I'm making excuses to why I stopped blogging and why I landed back. in. the. fat. seat.
Moving forward, that's what it's about....2020 is going to be all about becoming a healthier me. I've set some goals to work on. Here's the short list:
Lose weight. AGAIN. Optimally and realistically I'd like to lose 25 lbs. If I'm dreaming big, I really think 30 is a better goal, but 25 is more manageable for me.
De-Stress. I'm not sure how to measure that, but I do have a relatively solid game plan in place. The trick will be seeing if the plan results in actual outcomes.
Deadlifts: 10 reps at 200 lbs.
Pull-ups: 10 reps (unassisted)
Middle age and stress have wrecked havoc on my hormones. I've decided to reset my nutrition to help bring balance to my hormones.
I've been reluctant to write, to come back to the blog. To be honest, having fallen off the wagon, I haven't been able to figure out how to get back on it. My weight has been on a gradual increase and my efforts to address it have failed. Stress and age have brought with them more aches and pains. Already I feel like I'm whining and making excuses for being where I am and that's not what I want to write about.
Slowly working my way back to my goal... Here's 165 lbs. for six reps.
When I first started Tracey's Getting Fit in 2015, it served as a tool for me on my journey towards losing weight and getting fit. I used it as a way to reflect on what worked and what didn't. It held me accountable to myself and to my readers. But somewhere along the line, I think I felt like I couldn't measure up to myself and my expectations and I just let it go.
I'm resurrecting the blog to serve as a way for me to track my successes AND failures as I endeavor to become a healthier, new me. AGAIN. I'm okay with putting it out there, although with my new job, I've decided to have my name less in the focus. So instead of "Tracey's Getting Fit," I've renamed the blog "Getting Fit...AGAIN."
I'll probably write more often, with shorter posts and more frequent check-ins. I hope you'll share the journey with me.
You better watch out, 2020, I'm coming after you!
Raise Your Glass by P!nk
So raise your glass if you are wrong
In all the right ways, all my underdogs
We will never be, never be anything but loud
And nitty, gritty, dirty little freaks
Won't you come on and come on and
Raise your glass?
Questions for you: (Answer in the comment section below.)
Do you have any resolves for the New Year? What do you hope to accomplish in 2020?
Over the past nearly five years, I have been focused on my journey towards health and wellness. It's been a total transformation of body, mind and spirit.
This means, when what you've been doing isn't working anymore, you really have to sit down and say, "What's wrong?"
Back up. Like thirty steps.
I haven't posted anything in months, so I feel bad jumping in like this without some background.
In June, 2016, I hurt my shoulder. I continue to struggle with the pain which comes and goes. That October, I had surgery on my varicose veins, from which I developed several superficial blood clots that kept resurfacing. To correct that, had more extensive surgery in December. That was 2016.
In February, 2017 I hurt my back. In March, I slipped on black ice at work and re-injured my already compromised back.
The pain was so bad, I had to go to the e.r. I could not walk.
Followed by MONTHS of recovery...
For days, I pretty much just laid flat on my back on the floor.
Fast forward to November, 2017 and I was feeling frustrated by the lack of progress in my training, my now significantly weakened body, and a slow increase in my weight and change in body composition. My pants weren't fitting anymore. I was still watching / counting my calories and macros, but I wasn't seeing any results. In fact, I was going backwards from where I wanted to be.
I was introduced to my trainer, Pat who is AMAZING. A completely new focus on my training meant injury recovery and strength building, which meant I had to EAT! And so I ate... pretty much whatever I wanted. Days went by where I would log my food, but I didn't care if I went over my calories. On days when I splurged (which became far more frequent), I logged breakfast and lunch, but left dinner and snacks out. MyFitnessPal kept telling me I'd be super thin in 5 weeks, but the reverse is what I witnessed.
Come spring and the weather finally turned warmer and my bike came out of hiding. And I struggled. Pat would say something like this: "Tracey, you have to eat. You can't lift heavy, ride your bike for 30+ miles and lose weight without a compromise. Something has to give." Uggh. I don't want to get fat again. I want my clothes to fit. I want to ride my bike and I want to lift heavy weights. I want it all.
Literally, I wanted my cake and eat it too!
When I started this journey, one of my goals was to complete the Ride to Remember. This year was my 4th year doing the ride. Each year has been a unique experience. I trained so hard for it the first year that I actually felt easy. That said, in the years that followed, my training waned slightly each year, on top of struggling with chronic pain. This year was going to be different. I was NOT going to let pain interfere with my ride. And, I was determined to train hard for the ride without obsessing like I did the first year. This new mindset and focus paid off. I will write more in another post about the day, but to sum it up, this year's Ride to Remember was an amazing ride!!!
BUT...Friday night when I was packing my clothes for the ride home on the bus, I was looking for a comfortable t-shirt to wear. I took out both of my favorite Wonder Woman shirts and neither fit. Too tight. I took out another Wonder Woman shirt and IT didn't fit. WHAT THE HECK!
While I could put them on, they looked tight and I looked ridiculous in them.
Now, I had already been talking to Pat about changing the focus of my training after the Ride to Remember. And I knew that clearly, while counting (and eating) calories and macros had been helping me to build strength and train for the ride, it wasn't helping me to stay lean. I asked him what he thought about the Keto diet. It scared me. I am carb dependent. I really am. I've tried low carb before and it's always been a complete disaster. I am such a fan of flexible dieting that I really struggle with the mindset of restricting / eliminating food groups. Flexible dieting allows you to eat cake! Not all the time, but on occasion.
In all seriousness, I knew that was used to work for me wasn't working anymore. I'm getting older. At 49, the pre-menopausal hormone fluctuations mess with my body and ability to sleep. I live with fatigue and have aches and pains where there were none before. Sleep often daunts me, so I live with fatigue. I have aches and pains where I didn't used to have them.
I knew change is necessary and I believe it starts at the core. Nutrition. This is why keto intrigued me. I had read how good it is for people who have certain medical conditions, as well as for burning body fat. And that is key to me. While the numbers on the scale haven't changed that much over the past year or two, my body composition has changed and I want to lean out. To see definition in my muscles, even on days when I don't work out!!
This week, I jumped off the cliff, into the deep and and began my KETO journey. The keto diet is a way to transition your metabolism from using carbohydrates for energy to using fat. Today is Day 7 with my new food plan. It has NOT been an easy initial transition. I am carb-dependent, so the severe cutback really got to me for the first several days. AND I still want to ride my bike, so I am going to have to figure out how to carb-cycle on days when I ride. I tried to ride yesterday and it was not a good ride. Despite the rocky start, I am committed to make this work. I know seven days is not enough time to fairly say this is or is not working for me.
I am focusing on the positives. I don't feel or look bloated anymore. I don't look like I'm pregnant anymore!! I still feel like I'm in a caloric deficit, I'm already past the cravings and the feeling like I have to eat all the time. The scale is not the sole guideline for success, but I have lost 5 lbs. so far. And Pat put together a new training plan for me that focuses on both strength building and fat burning. I start that today, so I'm looking forward to that!
I'm also taking some risks with my cooking, like these pan-seared scallops and roasted asparagus. The scallops don't look "seared" because I'm new to this and figuring out how to blacken them without them sticking to the pan is a work in progress, but they were SOOOO good!
I'll be writing more as I endeavor to be successful on this new segment of my journey. I'm looking forward to sharing with you both the ups and the downs. The measure of success for will be how I feel mentally and physically, as well as how I look in the mirror / how my clothes fit. Stay tuned.
I want to look good in a sports bra and short shorts again!
This was taken yesterday. It's my new before shot!
Stay tuned for more, including all about this year's Ride to Remember!
Meanwhile, be the champion of today!
Questions for you: (Answer in the comment section below.)
How is your nutrition going? What food plan do you follow? Have you ever tried keto? Any tips to share, let me know!!
Follow / Contact me
Want information about personal training?
Contact Pat! He's AWESOME and you will really like working with him!
What does it take to lose weight? How do you do it? What's your secret?
I'd like to tell you it's easy, but in all seriousness, it's a process.
If I were to narrow down to just three things to make it work, this is what I would tell you.
The NUMBER ONE most important thing is
Drum roll, please.
Nutrition, Nutrition, Nutrition!
You really have to learn how to eat right and stick with it over time. Don't think about going on another diet. Diet is a four letter word. Think "nutrition." Food is fuel, it's what your body needs to function, for muscle growth, for healing and recovery, for energy. Food.
In a nutshell, you want to cut back on calories, but not much. You want to DRINK lots of WATER, increase lean proteins and vegetables. You can pretty much have all the vegetables you want, plus one to two servings of fruit each day.
The kinds of food you eat really matters. Severely limit your sugar intake, especially refined sugars. Limit your intake of saturated fats (cream, butter, bacon, beef), but don't cut fat out. Avocado, nuts, nut butters, and healthy oils like olive or canola oil in small quantities are good for you.
Reducing your carbohydrates will help, but remember fruits and vegetables are carbohydrates and you should consume those. As far as other carbs go - appropriate portions of whole grains like oatmeal, brown rice, legumes or quinoa are good. Just remember 1/2 cup of brown rice is 124 calories and 26 g of carbs, so if you are eating 1+ cups, the calories and carbs go up. Only have bread once in a while and make sure to eat 100% whole grain bread. As far as potatoes go, one or 1/2 of one isn't going to hurt you. I often have 1/2 of a sweet potato. My question is who eats a plain white potato? I need butter and sour cream on mine, which means LOTS of fat.
NUMBER TWO is
MOVE your body!
Moving your body, including strength training, will boost your metabolism so you burn the calories you eat better. Consistent exercise helps you deal with stress and helps to improve your mood.
The best way to start is to walk, then add in some body weight exercises into your routine, such as squats and push ups (or desk push ups). Check out my post 10 Minutes for ideas on how to make the most of the time you have and ideas to get yourself moving.
Move Your Body by Sia
NUMBER THREE is critical to long term success.
Cognitive / Emotional Shift
Changing the way you think and feel about food is critical. It takes time and honestly, I can't give you a road map how to do this.
Here are some suggestions...
Read about nutrition and exercise from reliable sources. I subscribe to several online newsletters and blogs that talk about nutrition. I am always wanting new recipes because vegetables are great, but eating salad every day is... BORING.
Keep a food / exercise journal. I track ALL of my food in MyFitnessPal, good and "bad." If I have honey in my tea, a glass of wine, a piece of cake, a chocolate cookie - it's all there. Bad days show trends. Did I sleep enough the night before? Where was I emotionally that day? Did I work out a LOT the day (days) before? I log my workouts in the Notebook on my phone. I do this so I can see progress from week to week. My goal right now is strength training, so I follow a program every week and want to see an increase in the amount of weight I lift from week to week. I also write notes like, "Remember to give yourself time for recovery" or "The last set was super hard." I insert emojis to show how I feel about that particular exercise or set. Doing this helps me feel better about my workouts. I can see progress and that makes me happy.
Talk to like-minded people about your journey. What do I mean? Join a fitness group, get a buddy who wants to lose weight with you. Have a friend who is already fit and in shape? Ask them for suggestions, work out with them, do meal prep with them. Like-minded people will help you to think differently about dieting in general. It's not a diet. It's a life change. It's nutrition and exercise combined.
Identify your triggers. What makes you "go off the wagon" so to speak? Are there certain times of the day? Stresses? Sleeplessness? Spending time with a toxic person can derail you, do you find yourself raiding the refrigerator afterwards? Again, it takes time to recognize your triggers.
Remember, don't let a bad day or a series of bad days derail you.
I had a super bad day Saturday, which lead to a sleepless night, leaving me completely deplete the next day. I went to church, but I usually sit with my father and he wasn't there. I stayed for a few minutes, but all I wanted to do was cry and sleep and I just couldn't keep it together, so I went home. (That sounds so bad, but it's just what I needed at the time.) I took a nap and then my niece and I did a great workout at a track near her house. Talking with her and literally working it out helped restore me. When I got home, I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I think that is the one food that cures everything... because carbs and peanut butter. Took another nap and felt restored.
I recognized my triggers. Sleeplessness and stress and being super emotional.
I talked to my niece about what was going on. She is a like-minded person. She loves to workout and eats super healthy all the time. She helped me to process.
I worked out. Working out helps to manage your stress. I don't know the science of it, but somehow it literally takes the weight off your brain and lets you put perspective on your situation.
I ate. I didn't overdo it. I ate what I felt my body needed and limited the quantity.
You really can lose weight if you want. Remember, it's a process. There are no quick fixes. It's a journey, not a sprint.
My new mantra: Be the Champion of Today!
You've got this!
Questions for you: (Answer in the comment section below.) What did you do this weekend?
We started a Biggest Loser Competition at work again this month. It's a fun thing to do together as a collective - to all be on the same page with health and wellness as our common goal.
My focus right now is on building endurance and strength, so I'm not trying to lose weight. We have quite a few new people in our school who didn't know me "before." So they are surprised to hear that I lost a lot of weight. The question of the week has been, "Tracey, can you help me?"
This post is for you! I'm going to share the key things I did and continue to do to keep the weight off. So, how do you get started? What do you do? Can you take control over your yo-yo dieting? Well, the last one is up to you, because you do have to get started first, but the yo-yo dieting stopped for me when I started doing these things.
TRACK YOUR FOOD!
As I have shared before, I track all of my food in MyFitnessPal. Everything - good and bad. If I'm trying to lose weight, or burn fat, I adjust my daily macros and caloric intake. (Macros is short for macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates and fat.) If for whatever reason, you can't do that or aren't ready just yet, start by writing down everything you eat. Use a notebook (even try the one in your phone) or something more structured like this food journal I found below:
The reason you want to keep track of what you eat is so you can see trends. When you eat really light one day, are you super hungry later at night or the next day? If so, adjust your daily food intake.
DRINK MORE WATER
This is something I still struggle with the most, maybe that and my sweet tooth. But getting enough water is so important. If you keep water by your side all the time and sip it throughout the day, you will be less likely to want to eat when you're not really hungry. How much should you drink? Everyone has a different answer. I've read to drink one ounce for every pound you are, 8 glasses per day, or at least a gallon of water per day. I've even read several times that your coffee and the liquid in your food count towards your daily water intake. (This I don't believe at all!) I think there is a fine line. Drink enough so your urine isn't yellow and your mouth isn't dry. Just DRINK!
INCREASE VEGGIES and LEAN PROTEIN
One of the people who asked me for help told me that she eats salad for lunch and dinner when she's trying to lose weight. I don't mind salad, but I don't eat it every day. In fact, I can't remember the last time I had salad. Every day I eat plenty of steamed vegetables, veggie omelets, soups with lots of veggies or fresh cut veggies like tomatoes, cucumbers and raw zucchini. I ALWAYS include protein with my vegetables. For dinner the other night, I had left over sirloin steak with steamed green beans, steamed asparagus and some cut up tomatoes and cucumbers on the side. It was very satisfying and tasted great. I couldn't even eat all the veggies because I was so full.
If you want to eat salad every day, there is no harm in that, but try to spice it up a little. Try different dressings and proteins with your salads. One of my favorite salads is shredded carrots, cabbage, and chopped broccoli with left over teriyaki chicken thighs cooked in the crock pot. I use Ken's Light Asian salad dressing and sprinkle a few sesame seeds over the top. Try spinach, tomatoes and shrimp or make your own taco salad. There is a lot you can do to change things up with your salads.
Make sure you eat PLENTY of protein ALL day. I recommend at least 25 grams of protein for every meal and a protein rich snack in the morning and again in the afternoon. For breakfast, try something like this:
2 large eggs, scrambled (12 g protein)
1/2 cup of egg whites (10 g protein)
One slice of whole grain toast (4 g protein).
For lunch, think PROTEIN:
3 1/2 oz. chicken breast (30 g protein)
with home made Vegetable Soup or
make your own salad (hold the cheese, please)
Protein rich snacks:
Protein Smoothie (*protein depends on your brand of protein)
Protein bars (with at least 20 g protein)
Greek yogurt with two tbsp. granola (12-18 g protein)
3/4 cup Cottage cheese with tomatoes (20 g protein)
1/2 cup Oatmeal (5 g protein) with protein* added
2 hard boiled eggs (12 g protein)
1 scoop protein powder* (your favorite flavor), with 1 Tbsp. peanut (or nut) butter and a few drops of water (Mix together until it makes a thick pudding type texture. The peanut butter makes this extra yummy.)
Note, there are a lot of other healthy snack options, I'm just brain storming the ones that are protein rich.
These are just a few ideas to get you started.
CUT OUT (or SEVERELY BACK) on SUGARY SWEETS
This is much harder said than done, I understand. But for those of us with a sweet tooth, this is our demise. By increasing your daily protein and healthy fats, you can stave off hunger better. I keep Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches in my freezer in the basement for the times when I really need something sweet.
MOVE
You need to increase your metabolism so it burns the calories you eat. To do that, you need to eat, but you also need to move your body. Pick up a new hobby for this year...try riding your bike, hiking, or swimming. If you are stuck inside with poor weather right now like I am, just figure out a way to move your body. Walk around your office every hour, go up and down the stairs as many times as you can. Make a point to increase your movement. Using a fitness tracker, such as the one on your phone or a FitBit makes it easier.
Your goal should be to include 1 hour of exercise every day. I know that seems like a LOT and probably completely out of reach if you are relatively sedentary. But that's the end goal. You don't have to start out that way. I tell people to increase their movement by 10% each week. So if you're averaging 5,000 steps per day, that's an extra 500 steps each day for next week. You want to make the most of the time and space you do have. Check out my post 10 Minutes for some suggestions.
Lift Weights
To increase your metabolism, you want to improve your body composition, by decreasing your fat and increasing your muscle mass. To do that, add resistance training into your routine.
If you don't know how to lift free weights, try the machines at your gym. A lot of gyms have them set up like a circuit, where you move from one machine to the next. If you're not sure how to use the machine, ASK someone. Before you move from one machine to the next, complete 3 sets of 10 repetitions each machine. That means you would do one exercise for 10 times on the same machine. Give yourself 30 seconds to two minutes to recover and repeat that two more times, for 3 total sets. Then go onto the next machine. Keep in mind, you want to start by keeping the weight LIGHT. You want to do the exercise with good form or you will not benefit from the exercise and can hurt yourself. Gradually add weight each week so you can complete the 3 sets.
If you want to learn how to lift free weights properly, try some classes your gym offers or work with a trainer.
Can you do it? Of course you can! Come up with a plan. How will you do it? What's your strategy? Then follow through. You GOT this! Start by downloading the MyFitnessPal app or use a notebook to keep track of your food. Then go shopping and load up on all the colors - lots of fruit, vegetables and lean protein options. Finally, look at your schedule and plan your workouts. If one day looks busy to you, plan to move your body for at least 10 minutes in the morning, again at lunch and later in the day. Last but not least, keep your water bottle filled and drink, drink, drink.
Stop the getaway car and take hold of your health today! You got this! You do!
I posted this a couple weeks ago. When I started this journey on January 1, 2014, I weighed 232 lbs.
I've kept the weight off too. You just have to stick with it!
Tune for your play list:
Getaway Car by Taylor Swift
Questions for you: (Answer in the comment section below.) Are you trying to lose weight? Have you been on one yo-yo diet after another? What's different this time?
When you're stuck or feel like you need an extra push, sometimes it helps to have a personal trainer. Here I will share the successes and failures in working with a personal trainer. It's worth the investment, I promise.
Having a personal trainer is a huge part of my story. It is the key factor that helped me to change the way I think about nutrition, exercise and sticking with it. I have worked with four different trainers. The first trainer and I were not a good match. However, I can't say enough about the others. You can read about Mike and Dmitriy here: Mike Made Me Do It and Dmitriy Made It Happen. I'm working with Pat now. I'll tell you a little about him and why I decided to go back to training with someone again in this post.
So, why have a trainer?
It's different for each person. For me, originally it was to lose weight. For others, to build strength, to get in shape, to help recover from an injury after physical therapy is complete, to train for an event or something else.
When I first decided to work with trainer, I had been obese for so long and tried everything under the sun with no success. A couple of my friends had personal trainers and were finding success with that, so I decided to follow suit. The person I was originally matched with was not a good fit for me. She was super nice and listened to me and all my woes, but I didn't need that. (I broke my thumb while I was training with her, had a bad knee, started going to grad school for my CAGS, and was miserable at my job.) I needed someone to be like, "Yeah, so what. Do you want this or not? Enough with your excuses." I realized that when I started training with Mike, so I made the decision to NOT share with him my woes and stopped all the excuses.
I started training with Pat last month because I was stuck. After my back injury last year, I could not overcome the fear hurting myself again. I was not pushing myself. My brain said, "Ok, that's enough," and I listened. With the head aches I've had, I was all over the place with my training. I had no real direction and was not seeing any progress on my own. I felt like what I was doing wasn't enough, but I didn't know what to do because I didn't want to hurt my back. I was referred to Pat by someone I know from the gym and couldn't be happier.
What's the investment?
Different trainers / gyms charge different rates, depending on the type of training you want, as well as the amount of time you train (e.g.: 30 minutes or 60 minutes) and the frequency you train with someone (e.g. once, twice or three times per week). Most providers don't tell you the bottom line up front. They want to meet with you, discuss your goals and let you know which type of program they think is best for you based on your needs. It depends on your own motivation and what you can afford. The rates vary from gym to gym. If you hire someone privately, their rates will vary as well.
Typically, you are looking at anywhere from $40 to $100 (on the high end) per session, depending on the gym and your level of need. You should know, when training with someone who works for a gym, you are paying the gym, not the trainer. If you think you are paying $45 for a session with your trainer, that trainer is probably only getting $12 - $20 for that session. The gym keeps the rest. The sad fact is, trainers are not paid well by their gyms and if you don't show up for your session, they don't get paid.
So the investment is two fold. You are investing your money and your time to train with an expert. They are investing in you as well, they take pride from your success. Don't forget, this is their livelihood, so be respectful of that. Make sure to show up for every session. If there is a conflict, then let him/her know well in advance so you can reschedule your session. You shouldn't cancel unless there is a dire emergency.
A personal trainer is different from having a fitness coach
Fitness coaches typically work independently and provide online or over the phone fitness coaching. They may provide you with nutritional information, with a detailed diet plan and workout plan you follow on your own. They often have groups on Facebook for you to share successes/ failures/ and support with their other clients. Typically they schedule email or telephone check ins with you to see how you are doing and what you may need.
Many competitive body builders work with coaches or may be coaches themselves. Their rates vary, depending on how often they check in with you and what type of support you may need. I have seen rates go from $100 per month to $1200 for six months. I don't like this kind of "training" because I like the one on one interaction with a trainer. I want to work with my trainer in person, have a face to face conversation with him. But this kind of training/coaching works for many people.
So, you're thinking about working with a trainer, now what?
You should ALWAYS start with a meeting to talk about your goals. WHY do you want a trainer? What are you hoping to get out of personal training? What are your unique goals?
When I started training with Dmitriy, I had very specific goals:
Do push ups without assistance
Lose weight
Do the Ride to Remember (a 100 mile bike ride)
When I started training with Pat, my goals are simple:
Regain/ Improve strength
Improve my endurance
It is important to know what your goals are so you can be successful in your training.
How do you know if your trainer is right for you?
This is probably the hardest thing to figure out and is definitely where things went wrong with my first trainer. So be smart about this.
If you can, check out their online presence before your first meeting.
Follow them on Instagram, which is a very popular place for body builders and fitness experts to promote their work. Do they promote a healthy lifestyle? What are they about?
At your first meeting with your trainer, this is your opportunity to check him/her out.
Ask LOTs of questions.
What is their experience?
How long have they been doing this?
Tell him/her your needs, your story.
Ask them if they can help you and how.
Do they like their job? If there is any indication that they don't like their job, if it's too stressful or they don't like management, find a different trainer. This is NOT someone you want to train with.
If you can't tell, find out if they workout themselves. If they don't, find a different trainer.
Will they provide you with support about nutrition?
Will they provide you with personalized workout plans?
How do you stay in contact with them? Do they want you to check in with them? How often?
How long is the commitment? Is there a contract? For how long?
Ask yourself a few questions...
Do you like this person? Can you talk to him/her? Do they seem to have a good sense of humor? Can they help you with your unique needs? Are they serious about their work?
Don't forget to ask
What is their availability? Does it match yours?
MAKE SURE you get their cell phone number and they get yours!
Benefits of having a trainer
Besides the most obvious reason to have a trainer (working with an expert to help you obtain your goals), there are a lot of benefits.
A trainer pushes you past what you believe you can do on your own.
I hurt my back last February and have recovered from that injury, but was holding myself back. When I started training with Pat, he basically made me start all over. My favorite exercise is deadlifts. A year ago, my personal record was 210 lbs. A month ago I was able to do a single rep maximum of 175 lbs. I was excited because I was approaching my PR. But Pat said, "No. Don't do that, do this instead." He has me lifting lighter weights with 10 repetitions for each set. Sounds easy, right? Well the first time I did it, I thought I would die. This week, I worked my way up to do four sets of 10 reps at 145 lbs. On Thursday when I trained with him, he's like, "Ok, so you did 145 lbs. on Monday, let's do 155 lbs. today." And I was like , "What?" Then he brought the weight down to 135 lbs. and had me do 15 repetitions. 15 reps. I thought I was going to die. I didn't, but I thought it was the end. That's what a trainer does. They push you.
You have a cheerleader
Seriously, your trainer should be your biggest cheerleader.
Pat posts his clients achievements on his live Instagram story all the time. I am so impressed with that. It's one of the reasons I knew I could work with him. It's not about posting about you in social media, it's about saying, "Look at that!" Look what you can do. When I did 15 reps of deadlifts at 135 lbs. with him the other day, he was like, "Wow! That's really impressive." Of course, I wanted to die and was cursing at him for making me do it, but that pat on the back carried a long way for me.
When I did the Rugged Maniac for the first time in 2014, I texted Mike and thanked him for his support. He was like, "That's incredible Tracey! Way to go!" He asked me to post a picture and tag him in it too. I had no idea what Instagram was at the time, but I did do that on Facebook.
You have someone to answer your questions
As I am working out during the week, I always have questions I want to ask Pat. While I started training with him because I wanted to regain the strength I lost after my back injury, I've found my back isn't really the issue. My shoulder is. So I always have questions for him. While he doesn't necessarily have all the answers, he is super about helping me figure things out. "Try this," he'll say. or "You're doubling up on these exercises and that may be what's aggravating it." He is my personal expert and I trust him. So I ask him lots of questions. (I so hope he's not overly annoyed with me for asking so many.)
Working with a trainer is personal.
It is very personal and can break your heart.
Mike was incredible. Training with him made me take my workouts seriously. At one of our sessions, I remember him telling me, "You did a great job today, Tracey. I'm proud of you." That single statement has stayed with me. After that, it became so important to me to make gains so I could do better next time. He motivated me. I cared about him, so when he died, I was devastated.
Dmitriy and I were very close. I considered him my friend. While at times he listened to my complaining, he didn't put up with any of it. I trusted him and learned how to move past my obstacles. He helped me accomplish every one of my goals and pushed me past them to achieve things I didn't even realize were possible. I miss him.
Having a trainer means you have a personal relationship with this person. You make it what you want it to be.
What to look out for
They are not psychologists. Remember, your trainer's background is in fitness. While you definitely have a personal relationship with them, try not to dump all your personal problems on them. Keep your relationship about fitness. Don't mistake them for your personal therapist or you won't see the gains you want to make. This happened with me and my first trainer. I had every reason for not being successful. She listened to me and this is how we seemed to spend our sessions. Don't do that. If you have personal problems, seek professional help from a licensed therapist. Your time with your trainer should be focused on your physical training.
Your trainer should like his/her job. Don't waste your sessions with your trainer listening to them gripe about management, how little they are being paid, or about how their other clients missed sessions. This is a major danger sign. I get it, you become friends with your trainer and want to support them as much as they support you. But if they don't like their job, they should seek other employment. Redirect them if you can, keep the focus on you and your training sessions.
Are they on time for your sessions? If you are on time, so should your trainer. If you are paying $50 for a 1/2 hour session, that works out to $1.67 per minute. If you are waiting five minutes for your trainer, that's $8 you are paying to stand and wait. Your trainer should be mindful of the time, ending sessions with other clients on time so you can make the most of your session.
Keep track of your sessions. Know how many sessions you have paid for each month. Keep track of them and make sure you use them. If you miss a session because you have to reschedule, due to inclement weather or because of an unexpected cancellation, keep track of that. When I started training with Dmitriy, I had over 10 unused sessions I had never used because of sessions missed when Mike died and a collection of unused cancellations with my first trainer. (She was in the National Guard and was gone a lot.) You paid for them, use them.
Is it worth it?
YES! Having a trainer literally changed my life. If you can work it into your budget, do it.
Meanwhile, if you are or are not in the area, check out out Pat's website: PatriotBody.com.
Pat does one on one training in the Connecticut / Western Massachusetts area, as well as online coaching. He has over 10 years of experience in the field. He is unbelievably knowledgeable about fitness and nutrition. He offers very reasonable rates for the different programs. I really like Pat and can't say enough about him.
New entry coming soon:
10 Minutes. For those who want to make a change, but are still stuck in first gear. Making a 10 minute workout count. This has been ready to post, but I'm having trouble uploading my video to YouTube. Watch for it soon!
Tune for your play list: This song has a mellow beat, which is for strength training sessions.
Starboy by The Weeknd ft. Daft Punk
Questions for you: (Answer in the comment section below.) Do you work out with someone? (A friend? A partner? A trainer?) Do they push you or do you push them?
