Getting Real and Getting Results

I went in today for my one month check in at the gym today to monitor my personal training results, and although I was feeling like I hadn't made much progress, I was happy with the results I have achieved so far. I explained my reasoning behind getting a personal trainer in a post last month. It has been a great experience so far with both physical and mental ups and downs as I continue on my path toward living a healthier life.

I know that I am a stress eater. Because I know that about myself, it is something that is a continuing war in my head, and this month I won some battles and lost some battles in that war, but the important thing is that I continue to fight for myself. And when I lose a battle, it doesn't mean I get to beat myself up about it, but I have to accept my failures and do better next time. I've said before that I have realized that I get to choose how I live my life, but I have to choose to be healthy, and not just once. I have to choose every day.

I have also been working hard to begin eating several small meals a day, which has forced me to be more organized and prepared each week. I work at a job where I do not have access to a fridge or microwave, and I work during normal lunch and dinner hours. I have accepted the fact that I need to just adapt my diet to that situation, which means being prepared, and packing a lunch and snacks. It also means knowing what's for dinner and preparing ahead as much as possible so that there is no guessing when I get home because guessing leads to going out to eat. I give some ideas for things I do to be prepared in another recent post.

So, where am I now physically? Overall, I have lost 6 inches. That's not my waist people, it's my overall body measurement of hips, waist, shoulders, neck, thighs, calves, chest, and biceps. I already have more definition in my arms and legs, but I am excited to see how things progress for me with even more work. My body fat percentage went from 30.2% to 27.5%, which I am excited about improving even more. That was one of the saddest realizations from my initial evaluation. And I saved the things I am most excited about for last. I can tell that I am getting stronger, and it showed in my strength test. My max upper body strength was at 65 lbs, and it is now at 85. My lower body strength was at 295 lbs, and it is now at 315 lbs.

Watch List

First, I am still holding off on doing lots of running, but I am really looking forward to seriously training for my spring half marathon, which I am sure will come with both insightful and funny experiences for me to share with you.

Secondly, I am going to try a Zumba class today for the first time despite my knee still recovering. Thanks to my handy KT tape I am going to give it a try for charity to support the Augie's Quest campaign from MDA. As I am not the most coordinated person, I am sure this will be quite the experience to share.

Lastly, I am still working on getting everything together to start fundraising for a charity that I will be running my marathon for in memory of my grandmother. I will probably be getting all of that together and ready to share later this spring or early summer.