Let's get MENTAL!!!

...Lol, that makes me think "Let's get physical, physical, physical"!!!

(emailed myself while at gym)

There's this skinny chic at the gym I was watching run. Had to be 110-120 lbs. She ran a 13 min mile. I thought her tiny body could've gone much faster, my sister does!! (Go Jennypoo!) But she had super perfect form. Her arms and shoulders never faltered, go her! Seriously though, I think she was running on her tip toes, I'll have to try that. Hehe! THEN this hot, hot guy gets on a treadmill and sets it at 6.0 (!!) For his warm up! Damn it man!!!! Yes, I am a people watcher...keeps me entertained! :P




(after gym)
Running: So I couldn't run on my toes. Did my best to run my 1 mile (to check my speed) and I did it in 14.2 minutes. Not awful, but I did struggle. Maybe the leg soreness…


Cycling: Then I did 6.3 miles cycling and I swear I thought I was gonna die!!! (Half way thru!) But I had a glorious finish with an average of 4.7 min/mile, hooty-who!!!!!


Elliptical: I did 70 minutes to get through 4.6 miles!


I DID A TOTAL OF 11.9 MILES TODAY!!!


Somewhere amidst all of that, my lower abs started killing me (still are) and I don’t know what I did. But I like it!!! After my c-section, those lower muscles were cut thru and shot to hell-o, and have never been strong since. So I'm stoked for ‘em to be sore, just wish I knew what caused it so I could REPEAT!


FOOD:
9am McDonald's hash brown and Sausage Mcmuffin (the way I eat it)
2pm cliff bar (peanut butter, delish!)
2 liters of water so far
4:15pm a little Cheddar Cheese stick
4:30pm the dreaded monster
5:45pm Jack-in-the-box (!!) Chicken Teriyaki, broccoli, and white rice.
Another Liter of water…
730pm Carnation Breakfast Shake (choc powder, added vitamins and nutrients, mixed in whole milk)
3 total liters of water today. In ounces? I have no clue, I just carry this 1 liter bottle w/ me everywhere now.

Thought...this is all a mental game

Someone (sorry I can’t remember which blogger you are) said that exercise or physical activity is 80% mental and only 20% physical capabilities. I soooo believe that, and I have for a very long time. Let me explain…


I have always…ok, take that back… before surgery I talked a ton of crap to myself. I’d tell myself how awful, stupid, fat, and undeserving I was. But I did throw in a few “You can do it” and “Find the motivation” and every so often “You rock”. The problem with the few positive things I said is this…I did not believe myself. Because I just disliked myself sooo much that I felt like I was a failure and incapable of accomplishing anything. That is a very awful mental state to be in. When I got banded, I slowly began to feel more positive. I also put a lot of effort into NOT talking down to myself mentally. So my point in bringing this up is because today while working out I was thinking about how your BRAIN gets you through physical hardships.


Back-story: The first time I set foot on a treadmill post op was about Aug-Oct of 2009 (2-3 mths post op) and I decided I’d JOG and walk and see how fastttttttttttttttt vroom…I could do a mile. I remember this number because I thought it was decent. I did a walk (mostly) and job for 1 mile in 17.95 minutes. I still don’t think that’s awful. But I do push myself and compare myself to others. When I did my half marathon, I had been training on the treadmill for long distance endurance and NOT speed. So I was very happy when I completed the Laughlin Half Marathon in March, but it took awhile. FIRST, Ms. Aimme JO and I couldn’t stop talking. We had to literally split up to focus on our own running so that we were too far apart to physically talk (we’re just rad like that!). So I think (the number is on the right side of my blog) but I think it was an average of 18.something minute mile to do the whole 13 miles. So THEN after the half marathon I wanted to commit to upping my speed and how FAR I could run w/o stopping. I think before I was doing ½ mile to ¾ of a mile straight (in training for the half marathon) then I’d walk a bit, and repeat. I had told my sister I was going to get on the treadmill and RUN as long as I possibly could, and I did. I cannot explain the joy you feel when you feel genuinely PROUD of yourself for pushing yourself to your physical limit. I ran 3 ½ miles straight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can’t remember how long it took me, I’m sure I was slow and steady. If I recall I was listening to Michael Jackson and I kept starring at my reflection on the tv screen with this super intense look starring INTO myself telling myself “You got this”. I also told myself “I’m an athlete” and “I have tight toned skin” (that’s me using The Secret) and “Nothing can stop me”, etc. Now over time I have become my biggest cheerleader. I love it! I love telling’ myself, lol, how GREAT I am! And how strong I am! And how much of a warrior I am!!!!!! Just love it!


So today when cycling and it got HARD, I thought of Pie or Draz (sorry I can’t remember which Super Lady it was) told me to say “Dig Deep” and “Workout smarter, not harder”, etc. So I thought of those things today and the quote that it’s 80% mental and I want to tell you all a huge, fat, juicy secret!~ …..


Ready?



If you are 290 lbs… you can jog! If you are 250 lbs, you can jog! If you are even 180 lbs and think you can’t… You can jog! Anybody can! I started out w/ the band around 270 and told myself I’d wait until I was 250 to start workin’ out that way I didn’t injure myself. But you know what, that was fuckin’ stupid! And do you know what people AROUND me told me when I weighed 250 lbs and I STARTED working out….. They said “Liz, be careful now.” “Liz, just walking is fine, you don’t wanna hurt yourself.” (<-that even came from my MD himself) and just all these other lines of people basically INSENUATING that I was too fuckin’ fat to workout. Well fuck them! That’s what I say. You know your physical limitations. If you are at 290 lbs and scarred to death, get your ass on that treadmill and do the best that YOU can do. Not what anybody else can do. Get going. The more you move, the more you feel stronger and empowered. Everyday, back then, when I got on the treadmill I thought “I’m proving those bitches wrong.” I knew I wouldn’t push myself to the point of hurting myself or having a heart attack. You just be careful, and listen to your body. But YOU can do it, anybody can do it. If I can get on a treadmill at 250 and TERRIFIED that everybody in that gym was watching “The Fat Girl” then you can do it too! Some people in the gym MIGHT look at you and think “Gee, she’s fat, hope she doesn’t hurt herself, ew!” BUT I will tell you the majority of the people in the gym look AT you as inspiration. They see you, bigger, trying your best and it motivates them. They think “IF she can do it, then I can.” So to get over MY personal gym fear, I tell myself all the time that all those skinny people in there look at me and think “wow” b/c who really knows what they’re thinking anyway. So why not assume the best?

Jillian Micheals says "There is no try. Either you do it or you do not." True that sister! True that! OH, and when you think may be too big to workout, first episode of her show on day 2 with a woman weighing 290 lbs, she made her run at 6.0 for 1 min. I have never even tried 6.0, that let's you know how damn fast it is. AND....the woman did it!!!

xoxo,
Lizzle