Finding Myself in Me

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neonlady

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Some of this is from my "newbie intro" thread, but it works here too. This time with visuals..

I have struggled with weight and with what John Q Public Media thinks women should look like since I understood that my build/body/life didn't fit the norm.

I used food to hide because hey... I wasn't "acceptable" so why bother..right!?
How many others have been down this road...& some are still on this journey


Due to poor eating habits, birth control drugs, and just being a lazy ass, I had ballooned up to 300 pounds and was on the verge of being the cause of a funeral my children really did not need.




So, at 38, I had the gastric bypass/rouen-y procedure done because I HAD good solid reasons to live.. kids, family.. bills (haha)... and in a year, dropped 150 lbs.

Skip to current.

So.. the weight loss.... YAY for the weight loss.. bad for the skin. It didn't have time to "shrink".. & now, 5 years post-op - and I'm back at not being happy with my looks (thanks again Mr John Q Public Media)... Imagine a cross between the Michelin Man & a sharpei dog..LOL and without the $30K for the surgeries to remove it all.

Plus, with a sedentary job, I've put back on 30-40lbs which just flat torqued my chain so I decided to change a few things:

Thing 1. I added running
Thing 2. I added weight training
Thing 3. I added WATER & MORE WATER
Thing 4. I modified my diet
Thing 5. I added supplements, & the vitamins & calcium my body needs
Thing 6. I added a COACH/TRAINER. Smartest move I've done yet! :)
Thing 7. I adopted the "SAVE YOURSELF FIRST" mindset - all else will follow

This is where I'm at now. Obviously, there is more work to be done, but hey... I'm here... doing it.



"The journey is what brings us happiness, not the destination."
 

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Wow!!!

This type of motivation is inspirational stuff Neonlady, you've done a cracking job! :)

Those changes seem very good, vital in fact.

Wish you the best of luck, will be watching this.
 
Hi Neonlady -

I love the changes you have made so far and you will definitely reach your goals :)

I will definitely be watching you as well. together us ladies will succeed in a land of boys right?:rofl:

GOOOD LUCK! And I love the photos that show your change in your thread!
 
Back to the groove

ok.. so for the last 2 weeks, I've been taking an additional college class that really ate into my time.

It's now done so I can get back to focusing on me again.

Have any of you had setbacks and how did you get back into the groove?

neon
 
transaparency!! NICE

DO this one thing... it applies whether you are in the groove, or are trying to find the groove..

"SWEAT DAILY"

once you are "going to sweat" then you have fitness choices. If you try to make plans to accomplish this or that, then motivation, and pop-psych, comes into play, and it is mostly B.S. Do not get a self help book, get a sweat wiping towel, and soil it.

Keep it simple, to the grind, and raw! JUST SWEAT!

So then- ONCE you have decided that part, then comes what to do and how.

even if it is sex, just sweat.

Then you will get the "investment" down- SWEAT EQUITY... at that point, the quality of sweat starts to matter, then proper fueling will matter. BUT, and this is a BIG BUTT- having been involved in fitness myself for many a year, if I think fuel, then activity, and then try to put the work in, I get lost in "planning"

SWEAT, move, drip, dirty some clothing daily, and the rest will come together.

P.S.
thank you for posting, I will follow my own advice "TODAY"

Sweat Daily
FF
 
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I've had some set backs, mostly from having a schedule that is way to hectic and busy - In the end I realized that I was only screwing myself over by having such a lifestyle.

I stopped working out last Christmas and have re-gained 10-15 pounds and I regret it soo much. :pain7: I don't want to regret things like that anymore...

As for getting back into the groove, IMO, the best thing to do is not thinking about any sort of "way" to do it and just do it instead. It's a routine, when you are out of it it's hard to get back in but once you are in, boy, are things fun!

You either do it or don't do it!

And you're doing it all right!

How do you feel after such a change? I want to hear it!
 
5/19 wo

dumbell press: 15# 3x8
single arm row: 20# 3x8
dumbell pullover: 20# 3x8
machine seated fly: 40# 3x8
machine reverse fly: 25# 3x8
leg curls: 70# 3x6
leg extentions: 70# 3x6
 
5/21

treadmill - incline 2, 3.8 rpm 15 min (distance 1 mi)
abs w/ 6# ball: 2 x 5
leg ext: 50# 3 x 8
hammies: 40# 3 x 8
back squats (bar + 5): 3 x 8
front squats (bar only): 3 x 8
treadmill (goal 1/2 mi in 5 min): 5 min - did not meet 1/2 mile; met 1.3 laps
hip adduction: 40# 3 x 8
hip abduction: 40# 3 x 8
trap single arm pivot: 3 x 8 each side
calf raise (on bench): 3 x 8
elliptical: 15 min

legs felt like jello (ha!), but the workout was SOLID!
oh yeah... sweat like a pig too.. hahaha
 
Keep it up, neon...

A couple of suggestions I have are to wean away from the machines and go to free weights (bars or dumbbells) and to drop the leg extensions and leg curls. Add stationary bike or, even better, real cycling to take care of leg extensions and leg curls.
 
g8r80 said:
Keep it up, neon...

A couple of suggestions I have are to wean away from the machines and go to free weights (bars or dumbbells) and to drop the leg extensions and leg curls. Add stationary bike or, even better, real cycling to take care of leg extensions and leg curls.
Click to expand...

Thank you. I'll take that into consideration.

keep pedaling.. LOL
 
Isolation equipment has it's place.

you will find this thought alot-- machines are bad. BUT THEY ARE NOT. Improper use of machines is "common"

with the extension as an example- this isolates the quad very niceley, and if you will embrace the heat, control the lift, do not swing the weight, it can hit the quad and build you a nice foundation muscle

FORM MATTERS!

stasy controlled and feel the burn.

Sweat Daily!
 
5/24 wo

3 min run (4.7 rpe) incline 2

single arm dumbell: 10# 3x8 each side

dumbell curls: 10# 3x8 each side

tricep reverse ext: 10# 3x8 each side

leg presses: sled + 45# plate (each side) 3x8

3 min run (4.3 rpe) incline 2

weighted side bends: 10# 3x8 each side

lunges: body weight only 3x10 each leg

tricep rope pull down: 30# 3x10

long bar curls: 20# bar 3x10

20 min spin bike moderate speed

neon
 
BMI: Good to use or not?

A few years ago I kept a log of inches lost following my gastric bypass.

I started it again in February this year to see how much damage had happened since I last measured. It made me sad followed by being pissed at myself.

In Feb I started my list:

Neck
Chest
Waist
Lower Ab
Hips
Thigh
Knee
Calf
Upper arm
Lower arm

To date, I've dropped 14.25 inches from all of these areas combined.

I thought this was pretty good so I decided to run my weight/height info into a BMI calculator..... I got pissed again.

So far -- since I decided I needed to get my ass back in gear, I've dropped 21 pounds and along with the inches..PLUS.. I've gone down 2 sizes..

But...according to the BMI calculator... I am STILL freakin obese.... dammit!!!

I know I'll never be "Barbie".. I don't want to be, but man... you work and sweat and try and try and still... it's not good enough...

sorry for the rant...

neon
 
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5/27 wo

15 min elliptical - intervals flat (level 4)/uphill (level 8)

dumbell shoulder press - 10# 3x8

Lat pull down - 40# 3x8

dumbell flies - 10# 3x8

dumbell row - 15# 3x8

vertical bench press - bar 1x8
bar +5 1x8
bar + 10 1x8

reverse fly - 25# 2x8
1x6 (failed to keep form & stopped)

15 min treadmill - incline 2, speed 3.8/4.5 (walk/run)

pec deck - 25# 3x8

pull-up initiation - body weight only 3x8**

upright row - 40# 3x8

5 min elliptical

(**) Which Rocky movie shows him in a freezer pounding on a side of beef? I feel like the beef when I'm done with these. hahaha
 
I think that was the first Rocky movie.
 
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