Fitness Your Way

 

 

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Ok, so my question is “Do you ever get tired of going to the same gym to work out all the time? Do you wish that you could go somewhere new and fresh? Somewhere less expensive. A gym where they have different selections of workout equipment and classes that actually come with the membership. I mean why pay extra for yoga, Pilates, or Zumba classes or whatever catches your eye. In my opinion, classes should come standard with memberships overall. 

Anyway, none of this would be possible if you have months left before you can get out of your gym contract. Unless you want to end your membership and pay the enormous cancellation fees attached to most early terminations. 

Well, that was me some months ago. I was coming to the end of my gym membership and wanted to change it up a bit. I mean I had the confidence to workout now, no longer intimated by the equipment or the people.   I wanted to go somewhere new and different. A place where I could get more for my money. 

My husband came home one morning telling me of a co-worker who was talking to him about this very same thing. And that’s how we learned of about it. What is Fitness Your Way? Well, I’m glad you asked, its access to thousands of participating gyms for a monthly fee. And no I’m not being paid to promote this. And yes the fee was $50 dollars less than what I was paying every month. There is no need to stick with one location. Membership gives you a variety of choices, to experience something new and fresh, whatever works for your lifestyle and fitness goals.

To sign up we had to call our health insurance company and tell them we wanted to enroll in Fitness Your Way. Everything was done right over the phone. And after talking to the fitness representative she sent us an email with our membership number and we were set to workout that same day.

Some of the locations are LA. Fitness, Planet Fitness, Anytime Fitness, Golds Gym, some YMCA Locations, also Curves and Snap Fitness. Am I happy we made the decision to join Fitness My Way?  Yes!!! Best decision we made. Oh and yes the classes come with your overall membership. In case you were wondering.

As always,

Thanks for reading, and God Bless.

 

Nutrition at 40

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Nutrition at 40 is a follow up to my previous post. Where I explained the physical journey, going to the gym and exercising. But a person could exercise until they pass out. If you are not eating the right foods, then you’re defeating the purpose of it all. Because nutrition and exercise go hand in hand. I just didn’t really understand the dynamics of it all at the time, but I was desperately trying to learn. I remember a friend saying that abs were made in the kitchen, and she was right.

One day I was strolling through Instagram looking at random workout pictures. And one, in particular, caught my eye. It was of a lady working out. What I liked about her was that she was just like me. She didn’t seem fake, didn’t have on a ton of makeup,  you could actually see the fatigue and sweat. She was just being herself, getting her exercise done. If I had to describe her, the words I would use would be genuine, someone who I could relate to.

Anyway, what she was offering actually captured my attention.  “Meal Plans”, so yes I knew that I was disciplined with my workouts. However, I needed help with the nutritional aspect of it all. So after talking and getting what I needed, I started to understand so much more of what I was and wasn’t doing right, or shall I say eating right.

My first priority was to understand my caloric intake.  Which is understanding how many calories my body needed to achieve my nutritional goal. My second priority was to actually get a list of healthy foods that I could eat, and yes there are foods that you could enjoy, that are not loaded down with fat, salt or sugar.  And last I had to learn how to meal prep my food.

My meal plan consisted of protein, fruit, veggies, healthy fats, carbs, and a lot of water. Did I say carbs? Yes, I did and to me, that was the best part. That I didn’t have to give up everything that tasted good to me. And yes I still struggle with drinking water, but I haven’t given up yet!!!

So one Sunday I went to the Costco armed with my new grocery list and got started. I bought most of my foods in bulk, which is something that I have always done.  I tried to get just what was on my list so that I wouldn’t waste money, and come home with unnecessary things that I didn’t need. Made sure I had enough water and I was well on my way. That evening I cooked enough food that would last me for a couple of days.  And in the mornings for breakfast, I always had a protein shake with fruit. Which I could just grab on the way out the door. Below is a picture of my first attempt at meal prepping.

What I liked about meal prepping was the fact that there was always something healthy, that I could just pull out the fridge and eat when I was hungry. It kept me from snacking on unhealthy foods, getting unnecessary calories, and yes adding unnecessary weight to my body. To me, it was the key to the missing piece of the puzzle.

In the beginning, I was a bit overwhelmed by the idea of meal-prepping. But as time went on, like everything else. With enough practice it became easy. It has now become something that I actually look forward to doing.

If anyone has a question about meal plans or meal prepping and would like to know more about how I got started. Just leave a comment. Thank you and God Bless.

 

Fitness over 40

 

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My Fitness over 40 was started on an ordinary day at work sitting at my desk. And I was just uncomfortable. I remember having on my work uniform, which was a standard button-down blue shirt. Why was I uncomfortable? Well, I’m glad you asked, the shirt was tight and yes it was a size large. I didn’t like the way I looked, and to be honest I wasn’t feeling my best.

Symptoms, when I looked the word up the definition stated that “It was a sign of the existence of something, especially of an undesirable situation.” And an undesirable situation it was, let me tell you. I remember one day just doing ordinary stuff around the house. And I started to notice my heart pumping really hard, and I was having headaches these were my first few symptoms. This went on for a while so I set up a visit with my doctor. After having the standard test done, I came back a week later for the results. I was told that I had high cholesterol and Hypertension. That it was hereditary and I most likely was going to have to stay on the prescribed medication for the foreseeable future. I was told to take once a day, given patient education about sodium, and heart disease and to call if I wasn’t feeling better or if I had a bad reaction to the medication.

I tried the medication for a few months, and yes it helped with my blood pressure, however, the side effects were terrible. I was always tired, always in the bathroom, due to the BP meds, and I started having bad leg pain, which was a result of taking the cholesterol medication. So at this point, I started doing some research looking up different alternatives, because I just knew anything else surely had to be better. I stopped taking the medication, and I joined the gym.

And that’s what led me to Woman’s wellness center. I remember talking to this very nice lady who set me up for my assessment. Explained to me the process and told me what date and time to meet with my assigned fitness specialist. Walking in for my first assessment was also my first time ever stepping foot in a gym, and yes it was only for women, and yes I was extremely nervous, and to be honest I was intimidated. However, when I meet with Tanya she put me at ease.

The assessment consisted of her asking me what it was that brought me to the gym, what were my goals? I told her about my recent doctor’s visit, how I had been diagnosed with hypertension, and high cholesterol. I explained to her about the weight gain around my stomach area. And I told her that I didn’t want to take nor rely on medication. I was in my 40’s but up until this point, I was medication free. And I wanted to keep it that way. I also told her that my 18th year anniversary was coming up, and I wanted to look and feel good about my body.  I asked her was this really possible? And with confidence, she stated yes, that it would take hard work, determination, and I added the prayer. However, she was certain that I could reach my goals.

Two days later I arrived that morning for my first appointment. She explained that she had a workout plan for me, and we started the workout on machine #1. She explained in detail how to adjust and actually work each piece of equipment. She also stayed with me as I completed my reps, and answered any and every question I had. I was impressed and also thankful for her patience and guidance.

 

 

So I committed to working out 3 to 4 times per week. Arriving at 5am leaving at 6 and was at work for 9.  I set an early schedule for myself because  I knew it was something that I could stick to, and I liked the early morning atmosphere in the gym with women getting it done, no excuses, then heading off to do whatever.

After a few weeks, I was totally comfortable in the gym, no more intimidation. And after about 90 days I started to see my body changing. Noticed that I was developing muscle. I remember getting ready to go on a date with my hubby. Putting on my favorite pair of jeans, and around the waist, they were too big. As a matter of fact so was the shirt. I remember Tanya telling me that I would lose inches first instead of pounds.

Fast forward to my six-month mark. I received an email from my fitness trainer. Stating that it was time for me to come in for my 6-month assessment. And yes I was nervous about having the weigh-in and all the measurements rechecked. But at this point, I knew that I  had done my best. So I met with her and we got started. My weight had gone down by 8 lbs. My waist was smaller, and when she measured my arms and legs with the Pollock, which is a machine to pinch the fat around particular areas. That in itself even decreased. Needless to say, I was over the top happy. She told me that every measurement that she originally charted, had decreased. How proud she was of me, and that I was a model client. 

 

My next step was to go back for my 6-month checkup. Repeated the test and came back in a week for my results. My doctor came in and asked me to tell her what it was that I had been doing. She told me that my cholesterol levels and my blood pressure were perfect. She even took me off the medications. Not knowing that I had already stopped taking them.  And told me to keep up the good work. So yes !!! I had reached my goals. My stomach area had gone down. No, I didn’t have a six-pack, but I knew it was a goal that I could reach if I wanted to. Yes, I didn’t have to take the blood pressure medication or the cholesterol medication and deal with the side effects. And I thanked GOD for the turnaround in my body and being in good health. 

I feel that I need to say for anyone who has been diagnosed with these conditions and has to take medications. Then I would say do whatever your doctor tells you to do. I am not stating that I’m against medication. However, It just wasn’t something that I wanted to take for the rest of my life.

I know that I left out a really important part of My Fitness at 40 Journey. The Nutrition, what I did and didn’t eat. But I will write a post on that real soon. For those of you who actually read to the end of this particularly long story. I Thank you for taking the time, and hopefully, I have inspired a few.  God Bless.