Dr. A basically says in the Habits of Health to wait until
your weight is off FIRST, then think about exercise.
But...I respectfully disagree. At least in my case.
And for that matter, in EVERY case where 'Stress' with a
capital "S" is a factor in your life. (and it seems to me we all deal
with a lot of stress just living in this day and age, right?)
Because I am here to tell you, I could not have succeeded to
the point where I am at today WITHOUT exercise.
Now, it's not because I wanted to become some super athlete.
That is NOT me. Growing up I was super-uncoordinated. The last to be picked in
gym class. That fat girl in the back, trying to hide. Nope. Not for me.
It's not because I was determined to twist myself into a
pretzel and learn advanced Yoga moves, or become a 'Zumba Queen' with the best
of them.
Or because I wanted to shout from the rooftops that I just
participated in my first 2K or 5K or whatever that is (I finally figured out
that a 1K = 1 kilometer which is 0.62 miles).
(and by the way, I had to look that up on the internet LOL).
It's not even because I want '6 pack abs'. (although I
wouldn't turn them down if someone was handing them out for 'free' LOL)!!! (sorry couldn't resist)...
Nope. It's because I have learned -- through trial and error
-- that there are specific BENEFITS to exercise that help ME in my life, with
my health, and with ....even....(gasp)...staying OP!
Yep. You heard right. Working out helps me to stay OP.
For those of you shaking your heads right now and swearing
'Maybe you, kiddo, but not me...I'll get too tired, and when I'm tired I get
hungry, and then I'll go off-program...' or 'Nope, it HURTS too much' ... or 'I
don't have the time' ... or 'I don't have the money for a gym and I can't walk
in my area, it's too dangerous' or 'I am a total clutz and would feel like an
idiot' .... let me reassure you.
I made all those excuses, too.
And I have fibromyalgia! Talk about a built-in
"excuse"! My muscles hurt ALL
DAY, EVERY SINGLE DAY. I am on painkillers, for pete's sakes. (so don't talk to
me about it 'hurting'....) And I have
fatigue 'built-in' to my condition. Afternoons are murder (which is why it's
unusual to see me on this site from like, 12 noon to 3-4 pm, by the
way...that's my 'downtime'....) I even
have to LIE DOWN most days for at least an hour, sometimes 2!
But guess why I started working out? (even before I joined
Medifast).
Because my DOCTOR, a Specialist in Fibromyalgia, by the way
(and there aren't many of those, it takes a lot of patience....because FMS is complicated
and what works for one person won't help another...and there is literally no
cure at this time) recommended it! He
said if I TRIED to work out, just a little at a time (and at the time I was
well over 200 lbs...headed for 300, actually...again, this is several years
before MF), that my muscles would get stronger and be better able to support my
weight and I'd have LESS fatigue and LESS pain overall.
I didn't believe him at first...but I tried various
exercises to 'make him happy' (because he wouldn't let it go, either...thank
GOD...!)
And I was so frustrated...!
I HATED running. With a PASSION. How runners can say they reach a
'runner's high' is beyond me. I thought I was gonna DIE!
And walking? ... can I just say 'B O R I N G'...(even with an
iPod and tunes in my ears). Plus there was the weather to contend with, angry
dogs (scary stuff), cars on the road who couldn't see me or weren't paying
attention, all kinds of dangers. Even in my quiet, rural area! NOPE. Walking was out.
OK, so a treadmill! In my home! Easy, quick, not subject to
the weather.
OMG, that was even MORE boring. And to make matters worse,
my DH insisted it had to go in the basement (ugh). No windows, nothing to look
at but concrete walls...so OK, he put a TV up for me. Nope, not helping. Now I
was out of breath and wishing I was on the couch watching my favorite show, not
stuck on this treadmill! Music? Again, it just didn't do it for me. Not enough,
anyway.
OK, how about a weight machine? Those Bowflex ads looked
pretty good...WOW look at that body...and she said she didn't have to diet!
(yeah, RIGHT...)....read the fine print kiddo....Anyway, so we invested (too
much) money in a Bowflex. And it took up half the basement (again, God forbid
we have it upstairs...'people might see'....like it's Grand Central Station
around here...when in reality we NEVER get company, it's just the 2 of us and
our cats! I mean, who CARES!?)....
But he wouldn't relent. OK, so I tried it in the basement.
Lasted maybe a month (and I really TRIED this time, since I knew we'd spent so
much money on the stupid thing).
Then I tried a women-only exercise facility. And NOW I was
getting closer. I started to look forward to it! Wonder of wonders! And I
enjoyed the 'male bashing' (sorry, guys) that went on, and the camaradarie of
the other women, many of whom were just like me, overweight, NOT young, NOT
coordinated, etc.!
But the club went out of business (and nearly took DH and I
down with it, but that's another story).
End of that 'experiment'.
So I did nothing for awhile. And I kept dieting...that was
my life...diet, lose, regain. Diet, lose, regain. Over and over. Like many of
us here.
And then I reached an all-time LOW when I thought (honest to
God) that I was having a heart attack and DH had to take me to emergency. And
the nurse made some callous remark about my weight (I was nearly 300 again) and
having to get out the 'big scale'.
And FINALLY, finally....I reached my 'low'.
By the way I think everyone 'needs' to get to their low
point before they take action, don't they?
Anyway, in desperation I tried Medifast...and the rest is
history.
BUT....I really 'missed' my exercise! Honestly! Because I
realized that I WAS calmer, I DID sleep better, my stress level DID go down,
and my muscles WERE getting a little stronger when I had been working out
before.
So I took a deep breath....realizing that at this point I
had tried 'everything else' (oh - including a period where I bought all these
exercise DVDs and was going to 'work out in my living room'....but again,
without more motivation I just made excuses and didn't do it and they collected
DUST)....
It was time to join a gym. A REAL gym.
And that was my turning point.
Because...along with the Medifast program of nutrition,
being able to work off my stress is a huge huge HUGE help. OMG it is so huge.
I cannot TELL you how many times I've gone to the gym to
work off my anger or frustration...and how CALM I feel afterwards. I've been on
the treadmill with the iPod blaring away in my ears (thank GOD no one else can
hear) listening to loud pulsing ROCK music, and angrily pounding out my steps
because I'm furious with my husband. (for whatever reason). Or I'm feeling
frustrated because my mother is trying to take advantage of me. AGAIN. Or we
have money problems. (doesn't EVERYONE nowadays? Sheesh...) or 'whatever'.
And I always, always, 100% of the time, emerge tired yet
'energized' (can't describe it unless you've been there), and MUCH calmer and
better able to handle whatever life is throwing at me.
And there's more!
Not only does my stress level go down....allowing me to
'calm' and 'center' myself (which also is not only a big factor in being able
to stay OP but a huge factor in managing my fibro)....but my 'body awareness'
jumps up by leaps and bounds.
Because the scale may not be rewarding me lately. We all
have those days/weeks...sometimes months, unfortunately, when the scale seems
to laugh in our faces. No matter how hard we struggle it's just NOT MOVING. Not
as quickly as we'd like, anyway.
BUT!!!....if you work out, I can almost guarantee you that
you WILL see improvements in your body that you never expected. Suddenly you
will be able to do a sit-up. Or you can lift your legs a little higher in the
air during Pilates class. Or you can lift slightly more weight during your
weight workouts.
And I DEFINITELY recommend a 'mix' of exercises. Because
it's not just about getting 'leaner' and stronger. It's about BALANCE. As we
get older we become more susceptible to balance and equilibrium issues. It's
about being able to do the 'little things'...like bend all the way over that
dresser to reach something that dropped on the other side (when before you had
to ask DH to help you move the dresser to recover it!). It's about being able to reach without pain.
It's about learning how to BREATHE properly to 'de-stress' your body and your
mind.
It's about 'centering' yourself. Tuning INTO your body. And
the scale may be 'stuck', but you find that you can move 1/2 inch lower in your
leg stretches. Or you can actually GET TO that position in Beginners Yoga that
you used to feel like an idiot trying to do.
And believe me, there's nothing like EXCEEDING your own
expectations, and trying new things that you 'never' in a million years thought
you could do before, for your....EGO!!!!!
Couldn't you use an ego boost? (especially when the scale
isn't cooperating?)
Of course you could!
We ALL could!
What if I told you that you could do a chin-up? (Stop
laughing. It IS possible!)
What if I told you that you could work out for 2 hours and
feel WONDERFUL afterwards?
What if I told you that instead of tossing and turning, you
could hit the pillow and be 'out' in 15 minutes flat?
Or that your TEE number could be like, incredibly high?
Or that you could balance on one foot and lean over with
your back straight and then put both arms out, 'Superman style' (still on ONE
foot!)
You'd think I was nuts, right?
But I can DO all those things now. And I look in the mirrors
at the gym and instead of 'hating' what I see (thanks to MF/TSFL of course) I
LOVE what I see!
But it's not ALL diet. It's also POSTURE. OMG all my life
I've hunched over, ever since I was 12 and found I was taller than all the boys
in my class! (and from that day on, Mom was always telling me to 'stand up
straight').
Then I got to the gym and my trainer said 'Wow, you have
quite a C curve in your upper back!' and she was right....when they had us
'keep our backs straight' and lean over, I couldn't DO it!
Guess what. I CAN NOW.
Now I walk tall and proud down the Main Street of my town
and I have to STOP sometimes I look at myself in the window...is that really
"ME"?
But it sure is! And it's not just from the weight loss. NO
WAY. I still would be hunched over if not for the exercise, the concentration
my 'form' during every move, the intense amount of work I've put in, week after
week, month after month!
Just like Medifast, it gets easier with time, with
experience, and with practice!
And just like Medifast, I learned 'healthy habits' in terms
of my exercise, too. I learned to hydrate, constantly (I carry a water bottle
with me in the gym at ALL times). I learned to listen to my body and STOP when
I reached the point of pain (it is NOT true, that thing about 'no pain, no
gain', by the way...that's for the guys building muscles...! If you are REALLY in pain, I mean not just
sore but in pain, then guess what? You're DOING IT WRONG!)
I learned to correct my form on every exercise. And I'm
still learning. I still get it wrong sometimes. But thank GOD for the gym, and
my trainer (and the other instructors), because they help me. They correct me.
Do I feel stupid at times? Yes, sometimes....but I remind
myself -- especially in exercise classes -- that everyone ELSE is worried about
the same thing!
It's hysterical. Every class...we fill up the sides and back
of the room, but NO ONE wants to be 'front and center'! Not unless we're in fabulous shape and look
like we don't even 'need' to be there. So it's always the 19 year olds in the
front LOL. But that's OK! Who CARES?
We're all human. We all make mistakes. If we knew how to do
it all perfectly how could we grow and get better, right? We're there to learn,
and to push ourselves just a little bit further this time.
And YES, I've had days when afterwards...I'm sore. Really
sore. I've had to soak in a hot bath. I've had to take an extra pain pill.
BUT...I'm also, by and large, getting OFF the pain pills between MF and the
work-outs! (with a doctor's help, of course). Because my muscles ARE stronger,
and because I've learned how to RELAX. FINALLY finally finally I've been able
to find ways to de-stress and stop 'tensing up' all the time. (personally I
think that leads to FMS, but that's my opinion....take it for what it's worth).
But I make sure I listen to the instructors and I try really
hard to get my form right, so I haven't turned an ankle or hurt a knee or done
any damage to myself. And if I feel pain, I STOP. I know I must be doing
something wrong. (and I am...!)
If I work out to soreness, well, that's what I
want...because that builds those long lean Jennifer Aniston muscles I want so
badly.
But exercise requires ‘baby steps’. Over a long period of time. And some days it feels like ‘3 steps forward,
4 steps back!’…..but other days you improve.
Flexibility improves over time.
So does Strength and balance.
(Balance = Strength; Strength =
Balance).
I work out for all the reasons you read
about….cardiovascular health, prevent osteoporosis, improve my balance and
posture, get stronger so lifting those grocery bags isn’t such a chore, and
above all, firming and leaning and creating long lean muscles (NOT bodybuilder
muscles LOL)….
But most of all I work out because it reduces STRESS
overall, helps me SLEEP better, and I can SEE the results over time and love
what I see in the gym mirrors….especially with the help of the 5/1 program.
One good thing leads to another! So I’m a ‘gym nut’ now. I do Spinning, Pilates, weight lifting,
Zumba, Body Flow (combo of Yoga and Tai-Chi and Pilates), the weight circuit,
AND the treadmill. I work out 4x a
week. But I worked UP to this
schedule….I started out just once a week.
CONSISTENCY is more important than INTENSITY with
exercise. Which again, is a totally
different mindset than the 5/1.
And I do NOT weigh in until AFTER I’ve had a full day
‘off’. Because I know that my body will
retain water and glycogen and that can make the scale go up.
I lost over 70 lbs….but I’m NOT saggy anywhere, because I
exercised from Week 3 on!!!
JUST DO IT. Take it
slow but sure, work up….but DO IT!
Linda Leiby
Certified TSFL Health CoachAngiecat6@comcast.net
Read my blogs: http://www.lincoach.blogspot.com
I have a binge eaters Facebook group (closed group, you must
ask to join)….if binge eating is
a problem for you please ask to join:https://www.facebook.com/groups/bingeeaters/
YOU CAN DO THIS!
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