So you are going to use a trainer eh?

So, you have decided that you are going to use a personal trainer? Maybe you are just going to use the couple free sessions that came with your new gym membership. Or, perhaps you need someone to push you out of your plateaus. Maybe you see the "gym rats" have something you dont have, but want. Whatever your reasoning behind getting a trainer, they are paid for thier services, but like a waiter, or anyone else. They are paid in your results, you are a walking advertisement for them! They are also paid in your returning to suffer thier company (continue to allow them to train you.) Much like buying a car though, you do want to make sure that you have the trainer who is best suited for you. Here, I just wanted to list a couple things you need to know about trainers: what do they do? What they should not do? And what they should be doing! Most of this is common sense, but still nice to remember!

The trainers job is definitely to acquaint you to the gym. It is thier office, and it could be yours. Approach the gym like you would a job. Or in gym terms, "go hard!" The trainer should show you where the equipment is, but also how it works! This step will prevent yourself from getting hurt! They should show you the proper form which will prevent most injuries. Working out is just 20% of what it takes to lose weight and  tone your body. Your trainer should have some sort of background in nutrition. Just like working out, your nutrition needs should be individual to your weight loss goal. For example, my trainer taught me how to eat when I lost weight, and now that I am trying to bulk up. Your trainer should be mapping out your workout and nutrition. And that map should be individual to our own goals. Your trainer has evaluated where you are, and you let them know where you want to be. Together you create a plan. Deviating from that plan will make your end goals that much harder to accomplish.

I didnt want this section to be a "fire the trainer that does this" section, but its just words of caution if you catch your trainer doing this. Your trainer , like we said earlier, is a hired hand- a professional. You are not paying them to be your friend. They should not be absent during your session! They should be watching you, making sure you are being safe and will be able to use the equipment to perfection even in thier absense. They cannot train you if they are not observing you. They should not treat every client the same. Every client is not the same. They have different needs and different goals. That being said, they should also incorporate different types of fitness into your workout plan! I knew my trainer was a winner when she incorporated free weights, body weight, machines, and cardio into every workout!

I have had a couple different trainers. Some good. Some bad. Here are some of the things that the better ones had in common with one another. They realized I was a walking ad for them. They made sure my form was to the peak of perfection. They knew my progress was like a resume for them. They took pride in my progress. We established short and long term goals. There was not a time where goals were not close to being met and more goals being established. They used the proper form of motivation at the proper time. As for myself, I am a complicated individual, sometimes  I need positive cheeers when I do good. But, for the most part negative reinforcement helps me to improve! As you gain confidence and do more reps, form may be sacrificed. Your trianer should make sure that progress and form stay together, not sacrificing one for the other. Your trainer should also be very good about keeping things fresh! Mine recommended a couple classes including a spin class I fell in love with, and TRX training which wooped me big time! But most of all, the best trainers are based on your needs and thier stregnths. I am so thankful for all of mine!

In short, your trainer should compliment your life. Because, after all, fitness is not jsut one part of your life, its incorporated into every area of life! Your trainer could also be called your Life Coach! Respect them and take in what they have to teach you!

How I did it!

"Attitude is everything, is your worth catching?" This all too familiar maxim has so much truth to it. Its no secret I have a completely different body from just a year ago. Rather than drop stats on you, or tell you what I can do now that I couldn't before, I would much rather tell you how it feels to be in the best shape of my life. I find myself with a different set of "problems." Before, I struggled to find clothes that fit. Today, clothes still don't fit, but now, its because the collar swallows my much smaller neck and the pants bunch up at the waist from all the excess material. It is the price I am willing to pay for the new me. It is not just a physical change. My confidence is up- and without the assistance of "liquid courage." People used to just give me a side hug now fully embrace me! I no longer look like I am in my third trimester. Even my relationship with God is the best it has been in a while too! Namely, I have something people want.

I hear an awful lot of "what's your secret?" and "just how did you do it?" I give them the typical answers (which happen to be true.) Took up running, got my portions under control, and began counting calories, among others. I began a decent exercise regiment. Thanks, to my influence, a few people have told me that they are beginning their own journeys. How exciting for them! Experience has taught me to add a few words of caution for them.

For me, a huge problem was portion control. Though my height always hid it, I almost always never got full. I would be done when my plate was clean or I finished what I ordered, not when I was full. I tried frozen meals for a while, but they left me still hungry. I tried the Subway diet but that doesn't work when you order the wrong kinds of sandwiches, and multiple foot longs at that!Chipotle is healthy food, but is also calorically dense. My average bowl or burrito was as much as 1400 calories. After indulging, I often tried to starve myself, which just forced a heavier indulgence later. So, I would definitely say to pace yourself. I cannot stress how important it is to count calories. It is real easily to find your AMR and BMR online, then you will know how many calories you extinguish every day. Then subtract that from what you ate and drank. You cannot do this without counting calories.  Since one pound is equivalent to 3500 calories, an average daily deficit of 500 calories would mean the scale moves to the left one digit. So don't stress if you don't do well one day, you have 6 to make it up! I know, it can't be that simple- but it is! This is how I was able to eat out and lose weight! My parents would cooking things with one servings being 700-1000 calories. So I would skip out and grab a 6" from Subway (typically less than 300 calories.) The nature of my job allowed me to snack throughout my shifts, allowing me to be satisfied quite often, so I rarely gorged myself.

I'm not Catholic but when Lent came, at the suggestion of a friend I gave up soda. Then after that very rough Lent, I never picked it up again. That was ten months ago. mostly because of the High Fructose Corn Syrup and artificial sweetners. We all have our vices, Mountain Dew was mine! I was going through several 2 liters a day- more than the average person should be drinking water! But why not just switch to diet soda? Those who know me best know I have two speeds, all the way or not at all! I don't do well with exceptions! If I had allowed diet soda I would not have stuck it out. Taking away the fact that though you don't have to worry about calories, diet sodas come with another worry. A big one. The sweeteners. The artificial sweeteners have been thought of as worse than sugar. The sweeteners send a message to your brain making you crave something sweet, which usually ends up with more calories than a soda would have. The sweeteners have also been the link between "dieters" and man-made diseases such as colon cancer. Our livers were not made to cycle the sweeteners. As one health professional called it, high fructose corn syrup and other artificial sweeteners are worse on your liver and kidneys than alcohol. Take how many sodas you drink in a day (or anything with artificial sweeteners in it.) Would you replace each one with a shot of jager? Glass of vodka? Bottle of beer?

I also did workout DVDS at home. At least 30 minutes a day. Lots of people walk, but in order to walk enough to cut calories- that is a lot of walking! Who has time for that? It was easier for me to run or do resistance and circuit training. It burned more calories in a lot less time. Plus, I could do it anywhere, including the laundry room at work! When you exercise, my number one tip is to do something that will either challenge you, or that you will enjoy. Those two things will lead to you doing it more consistently. You could just diet, and given the formula above you could lose weight. You'll lose water weight, fat, and even muscle. Plus, if you don't do something to stay toned, you will get flabby and loose skin. Push ups were my thing. Now its pull ups! I used to be so upset that I couldn't do any! So each time I did it, I would try my darnest to beat my previous! Now I can do 50 push ups and 8 pull ups without stopping. Different types too!

You are bound to get tired or burnt out. So, I publicized my results. Then people would comment and ask how it was going. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. Either way, for me, their asking was an extra kick in my pants. An incentive to keep it going!

Well, there you go! Just a couple tips to tell you how I kick started my weight loss and redesigning my body. This is what worked for ME! Everyone is different.

Goal Setting, A How To

I am not sure if I should even be writing this little note. For starters, I don't know that I have the time to dedicate to it, and give it the full attention that it deserves, but I can always edit it later. I can, but I know I won't. That is quite the parallelism for goal setting, don't you think? Another reason is I just wrote a blog on my own personal goals. So maybe I should have written this one first? No matter, here it goes!

There is no write or wrong way to handle conquering your goals, but this is what I do. Before starting with a goal (wish I had another word), it is important to decide what that will accomplish. Then we will know that we have the right goal down. Is your goal to fit into your skinny jeans? Is it to be able to drive the 2012 Sportscar? Is it to be a published writer? This goals, as with many are actually results from other goals. For example, I want to wear slim or tappered shirts, so my goals are to have abs and to have broad shoulders. You want a new house or car? What do you need to make in order to afford the payment? And the insurance? and maybe the escrow? Use concrete and tangible goals. Don't use vague terms like "healthy" or "weathly" or "well off," you came up with thsoe terms and you don't even know what that means. Its a true story that small victories lead to big accomplishments, if you don't know how far you have come, how do you know how far to go? 

That leads me to another point, small victories. Sure you are all gung ho now, but your motivation may start

 to fizzle soon. Small victories will keep you motivated! Weight loss is the easiest example of this. If your goal was to lose 10 lbs this month and the month is almost half over, your eyes may not see the change, but one step on the scale and you will see that yes indeed, whatever you are doing is working! This may even motivate you more than when you first started! I am a visual person so I use my small victories to accomplish my bigger ones! With paper I do a time line of my long term goals. Such as school, which the fall semester starts in August, so by May I need to have my student loans under control, so I need so much income by March. Little victories lead to big ones!

Publicize it! Whether you are a public or a private person let people know about it! You know the praise will encourage you to keep going. And now, therre are several people to hold you accountable. Perhaps you are trying to lose weight and a big bowl of ice cream sounds REAL good. Then out of nowhere you get a facebook message from a friend who wants to lose weight to but doesnt have the desire you do. You say good (based on earlier smaller victories) and then she asks how you did it? Ice cream doesn't sound as good anymore, your motivation is re-energized, and you have inspired someone else to do something that could change or even save thier life! Facebook is a great place for that! But also tell other people, they may have success stories. Only word of caution, get an actual support system, not people who tell you you are doing good but have destructive behavior, like offering you things counteractive to your goal. You know what I mean. They see you trying to not be the 2 out of 3 obese Americans yet offer you a second helping at dinner, they know you are trying to get that niecr car, but ask if you wanna go out drinking.

Clear goals, small victories, and a true support system. These are the thigns essiential to hitting my goals. HAve they worked? In the past year I have dropped 70 lbs, went from 24 to just over 11% body fat. Went from gasping when running about a mile to running over 7. A year ago I couldnt do 10 pushups, yesterday I did over 110, and then lifted weights. So, yeah, these methods have worked for me.

Goals for 2012

Every year seems to come with a lot, and not just the New Year’s Day hangover! Last year seemed to be quite a roller coaster, especially at the end! Joanna and I cemented ourselves as the true on again off again couple. Eminem and Kim would be proud! That being said though we are not an official couple she has been my main support system, and an amazing mother to my daughter Alexandria. It sort of goes without saying but, my first goal for 2012 will be for us to come up with a name for our next daughter, which is due in April. So though I have many goals for the following year, April will be the magic month! Being as that is when the baby is due, I would like to be “baby ready” by then. Baby Ready has a lot of meaning to it. It is going to be no easy task. That would include being in a position to move out of my mother’s basement by then. Also, a working vehicle for at least a month prior (so by March) is a priority.

It seems that every other goal for the coming year flows second to these. Since I have lost the 70 lbs that revolutionized my life (everything from how I see food and exercise to how I am with my kids to my relationship with Christ), many people have either mistook me for or suggested I become a trainer. After much prayer it seems evident that I belong in school training to become a trainer. It is January and the new semester has already begun, so by the time this semester ends in May, I will have everything ready to attend the August semester. Financial aid seems to be the biggest road block so my loans will have been caught up by then. It was also suggested that I try my hand at modeling so by April I will have my first modeling job! By Valentines Day I will have a professional shoot done!

Last year, I began a blog called Crawdiddy Fitness about total fitness (mind, body, soul.) Writing this blog has reignited my love for written word, both reading and writing. Years ago I had planned on writing a book based on a round table discussion with notable philosophical greats on today’s debates. I recently learned that Amazon, along with small publishing houses in Kansas will help you get your work published for a cost. So at least one chapter a month will be written to a book that I will have ready for publishing by Christmas 2012. I also recently became very much into running. In 2011 I ran my first sponsored race, a 5k. In 2012 I will be running a marathon, sort of, I plan on running 2 half marathons! I will also be part of one of the Warrior dash or Tough Mudder or Spartan Races.

I currently have three tattoos. A cross on my left arm, a basket of bread and fish on my right, and when I became a father I had ABBA (greek for father) put on my left ribs. This year I plan on having a couple more added. On my write leg I want the races I plan on running (5k, 13.1, etc) then lines put through them as I cross them off and get them done! I was once going to have a raven carrying bread (as God had them do for Elijah) tattooed but I have decided on Moses striking a rock on my right arm (Exodus 17:6.)

I find it difficult to have a goal about my relationship with God. Really I just want to keep growing, every goal I have mentioned above seems to be twofold, it accomplishes the main goal but it also will bring me closer in my relationship with God. It has been pretty amazing the fitter my body has become, the closer I feel to God. I have also had very many inspirations including but not limited to Jimmy Pena, Jamie Eason, Allison Earnst, Bry Jensen, Courtney Cozier, Cara Castronouva, Bob Harper, Jillian Michaels, and Brett Hoebel among others. I want to either speak with in perosn, or on the phone with those who without direct contact have continued to be an inspiration for me!