Last November, I walked into Flow Training Centre with one target in mind…get my shit together.
Like I said in My Fitness Journey: Better Than Yesterday, I didn’t have a target weight loss. I didn’t have a target lift goal. I was only armed with a list of Why a Personal Trainer Now and Why I Can’t Do this Alone.
I didn’t know then but my trainer, Marcus, (@barefoot_trainer👣) would be the one person that changed my life. I took the Inbody Scan (they still feel like a test I studied hard for but the questions aren’t what you studied at all), downloaded the Trainerize and My Fitness Pal apps, and was ready to do whatever it was going to take to change my life.
It’s now 365 days later.
A changed life.
My life changed.
My life forever changed.
My original 2 training sessions a week with an occasional weekend run has now turned into 3 training sessions a week , at least 1 strength class, 2-3 yoga classes a week, and an occasional run plus a lot of meal planning.
I’ve only hit one or two plateaus and knock on wood, have had no major set backs.
This Saturday, for the FIRST time in 365 days, I was a no show for my Saturday IRN class and the impromptu yoga class I signed up for earlier that morning too. I was devastated that I slept through my alarms and missed both classes but then I realized out of 365 days, I fucked up once but I showed up for the other 364 days.
That counts for something.
My once really bad and goddamn expensive habit of spending too much money drinking whiskey & eating out are rare treats now. Long gone are my days of over indulgence.
My muscles are constantly sore and ache and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I joke that muscle soreness is MY hangover now but it I prefer it to the other and hitting the iron bar is my favorite bar now.
I’ve become what I should have always been, a strong woman and human not only mentally but physically and spiritually too.
In the last year, I’ve seen myself hit personal best after personal best that I didn’t know I wanted until they were completed and if you had asked me one year ago if I thought I would be able to deadlift 72kgs (158.73lbs), barbell front squat 50kgs (110.23lbs) or do a pistol squat with my right leg I would have laughed in your face.
Some of my goals have been crossed off (deadlift and back squat my own body weight) and some I still have to master (pistol squat) and some I still gotta work on (push ups, pull ups, buddha belly) and I’ve added goals (deadlift 100kgs, be a 5’2″ ball of muscle with an Inbody score in the 90s, gain 1-2% of muscle every 4 to 5 weeks) and there’s still more I want to do once I achieve some of what I’ve listed.
As I’ve said before, I’m motivated by 2010 Fat Shelia and I will always see her in the mirror because she motivates me to be a better me now. I can proudly say, I’ve got the guns to show for her motivation.
Some sessions have been harder than others and there hasn’t been once easy session at all but the last 365 days have been the best even if I didn’t feel the best or do the best.
I was consistent and I gave it my all even if my all didn’t produce a success.
I learned that failure is progress and that sometimes it’s okay to not be able to lift something heavy THAT day. It was okay to try again tomorrow and lift it then.
I learned that if you approached the bar (or life) like it was heavy, then it is going to be heavy.
But if you approached the bar (or life) like it was light as a feather, then it isn’t so heavy after all.
I’m approaching 2020 like it’s light as feather and I can’t wait to see what happens in the next 365 days
Top Left: 2010 Shelia
Top Right: December 2018
Middle Left: Jan 2019
Middle Right: Feb 2019
Bottom Left: May 2019
Bottom Right: July 2019
