Bonnie's Journey to Fitness
It might be hard, but I'm proving it can be done at any age.
Saturday, October 9th was a beautiful day for the annual TWR Soldier Field Charity Hill Challenge. Although I did not break any records for trips up and down the hill … I still did it!
In 2 months I have lost 16 pounds. But I have discovered the more fit you become, the harder you must work to get your heart rate up and those calories burned. There was one day I was working out with my trainer, DB and he was trying to get my heart rate up over 130. It seemed to take forever!! I’ve got myself one strong heart!
My trainers Ron, DB & Matt are now pushing me to step it up. I workout every day and do a double training session every Saturday morning. Usually they’ll break it up where the first hour will be cardio, and the 2nd more weights and core. This past Saturday … both hours were heavy on cardio and weights. I ain’t gonna lie … it was dang tough. But I did it. Went home, ate breakfast and by mid-afternoon I went out for a 4 mile walk. Endorphins rule!
I am hoping to lose another 16 pounds by January 1. I know … November & December are the two toughest months of the year to diet. But as Bob Harper would say “Motivation has to come from within that part of your soul that truly wants change.” So it’s on!
I now have a couple of new goals. I still want to lose another 30-40 pounds, but would also like to:
1. Try a triple training session at TWR (yes, folks … that’s 3 hours of blood, sweat & tears).
2. Run a half marathon in September 2011 with my nephew, Bob. Why? Why not? It would make a really sweet 55th birthday present to myself.
The diet has been more of a challenge. After finding out you CAN eat too much fiber, still struggling to keep the fat, carb & protein in check without consuming over 45 grams of fiber a day. Calories - I seem to be happy with 1300-1400 a day.
Need to send out a big thank you once again to Ron, DB & Matt from TWR. Without your support and encouragement I’d still be sitting on the couch.
This is a picture from the very first TWR Soldier Field Charity Hill Climb. The 3rd Annual event is next Saturday, October 9th and I can’t wait!!!
Not only did I put in 10 hours each day at the office, but I worked out every day. Five of those days with my trainers at TWR (a double session on Saturday). Ron, DB & Matt have a way of putting a workout together that not only challenges you … but may even have you laughing.
Ron came up with one he calls “The Assignment”. What is that, you may ask? Well, in one hour you must complete a 20 wall walk/run (carrying a 25 lb plate), 3000 meters on the row machine, 3 miles on the Airdyne bike, 200 low pull-ups, 200 push-ups, and 200 squats (while holding on to a 25 lb plate). You could break them up - do 25 pull-ups, 500 meters on row machine, 1/2 mile on bike, etc. until completed. My attempt at it was last Saturday and I was so close … only missed 25 of the squats, pull-ups and push-ups.
But wait … he added a Part 2. I faced this on Tuesday … and oye is all I’ve got to say. This time you could not break them up … if you started with the row machine you had to get in all 3000 meters before you moved on to the next one. It was the pull-ups that slowed me down … but I completed the workout with one second to spare! What an accomplishment.
DB found a way to get me running again. He had this great circuit where I would do 3 upper body moves (like the one-arm pulls, shoulder press, bench press, tricep extensions) and in between each round would hop on the treadmill and run first 1/4 mile, than 1/2 mile, back to 1/4 mile and ended with 1/2 mile. Each time I was able to beat my prior time. What a rush! He also has this thing with squats. One day he even put a tight band around my ankles and had me squat a total of six walls …. but he assures me I’ll have a J-Lo tush, circa 2002 very very soon.
I think Matt’s favorite “toy” is the new heavy workout ropes. The big one is very intimidating. The smaller one is a little easier … that is until Matt has you balance in a squat position on the Bosu ball while thrashing the rope, 100 times each arm. What a cardio workout! But what he had in store for me today took the cake. I walked in and there was a board, which he had split between strength and cardio. The strength side consisted of a 30 push-up walk, 30 pull-ups, 30 squats while holding on to a 25 lb plate, 30 curls (15 lb weights) and 30 shoulder presses (15 lb weights). The cardio side consisted of 100 jump ropes, 2 wall sled pulls, 2 wall tank push, and 4 wall plate run/walk (25 lb plate). You would do all the strength moves, in between each one the first cardio move - like the 100 jump ropes. You would keep repeating the strength moves until all the cardio moves were completed. Once I got over the initial shock of the push-up walks … I became focused … found myself in the zone until I completed it. And I must give myself a special Kudos … this was the first time I was able to jump rope since I cracked my ankle back in May. And I did a total of 500!!! I love the jump rope!
So as you can see … this was a great workout week. One which I plan to repeat for another 4 weeks.
My nephew is coming into town on Wednesday for a visit! Thursday morning I am taking him with me to TWR. Hoping he can keep up with me!!
August 6-8 was the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk for the Cure. This is my team … Teresa’s Ta-Ta’s. Could not have asked for a better group of women to walk with. Even with the heat and the blisters, this was an experience of a lifetime. One I hope to repeat every year.
My bump in the road … right before the walk I was diagnosed with Vulvar Cancer. The good news … it’s only Stage 1. But it also meant 4 weeks of daily radiation treatment. I continued to workout at Train With Ron (TWR) during this 4 week period and I am so glad I did. The only time I had any energy was when I was working out. Ron, DB & Matt were great in working with me; understanding my limitations, yet knowing how hard they could push me to do more.
And the support I got from friends, family and other clients at TWR was amazing. It kept me going during those times I wanted to give up.
My treatment is over (for now) so I have embarked on a rigorous training schedule at TWR. I go Monday-Thursday at 5:00 p.m. and than I do a double session on Saturday (8:00 a.m. & 9:00 a.m.). Each day I can feel my strength and energy increase. The weight has been slow to come off (only 7 lbs in 4 weeks) but know that number will increase as I get stronger.
TWR has gotten some new toys. One is the Airadyne Bike. It looks like it would be an easy cardio workout, but when your trainer asks you to do a certain distance in a certain amount of time … that heart really starts pumpin’. And just introduced this week … the heavy rope workout. When you see it laying on the ground, you think “that doesn’t look like much”. But let me tell you … that sucker is heavy! And boy is it a great cardio workout. Can’t wait for Ron to bring out the ski machine!!!
I promise I’ll be better at posting …
I can’t believe that the 3-day, 60 mile Susan G. Komen Walk is only 9 days away! I’ve had people ask me why I’m “training” for a walk. Think about it. Could you honestly walk 20 miles a day for 3 days straight? I think I’m ready, but my ankle is still misbehaving. Took a 21 mile training walk on Sunday. I made it, but with blisters due to the ankle brace. So I’ve decided to try it without the brace (although I’ll have it with me if I need it). And I am now part of a walking team … Teresa’s Ta-Ta’s! So exciting!
As for the weight loss … WTF is going on!?! I burned a little over 4000 calories last week, kept my calorie intake at 1400 and only lost 1 pound!!! Granted I’m not on my normal workout routine. I’ve only hit TWR’s on average once a week. The other days are spent walking. After the 3-day walk is finished, I think it’s time to give the ankle a complete rest so it heals … and than it’s time to get back to that routine that worked for me … which is getting my butt kicked … working every muscle in my body!
My next post I’ll be sharing my experience walking this 3-day, 60 mile walk for the Cure. From what I hear, there’s nothing like it.
And the journey continues …
So much has happened in the two months since I posted last. Had my groove going. Training was on track for my 3-day, 60 mile walk coming up in August. Was walking on average 25 miles a week and working out with Ron, DB and Matt at Train With Ron. More importantly, was burning over 3000 calories a week. Participated in the TWR Charity Stair Climb for Chicago Run, a local, non-profit organization that facilitates running programs for youth in Chicago (www.chicagorun.org). And volunteered at Chicago Run’s Spring Fun Run and 3K. Here are pictures from both events!
And than it happened … Joined a few women on Sunday, May16th, for a 10 mile training walk. Hit a crevice in the path and the ankle snapped right over. I could hear the snap. By the time I hobbled back to my car and drove home, the ankle was the size of a softball. Grade 3 sprain, chipped bone, stress fracture …. talk about pain! Stayed off my feet for one week, than moved to a walking cast for 2 weeks. Am now using a fancy, lace-up ankle brace for the next 4-6 weeks.
Needless to say, my physical activity dropped considerably and I gained weight! Just goes to show you how important physical activity is!
I not only convinced myself that I couldn’t workout with the injury. But was crazy busy at work … that’s always a good excuse, right? Enough is enough. I told Ron to badger me if he had to, so I at least made it to TWR once a week. Ron, DB & Matt have been able to design my workout where I can still get in the cardio I need to burn those dreaded calories. I can’t say this enough … if you live in the Chicago area and want to try working out with a trainer, you’ve got to try these guys! www.trainwithron.com Check them out!
Now the ankle is starting to get stronger. I’ve started walking again, slow and easy. Hoping to build up the distance and speed over the next several weeks. Nothing is going to keep me from participating in the 3-Day, 60 mile Susan G. Komen Walk for the Cure.
The journey continues.
One of the advantages of living on the lakefront is this wonderful playground.
I’ve been training for the Susan G. Komen, 3-day, 60 mile walk. Having such mild weather gave me the perfect opportunity to get in some major walking. It’s 8 miles from my home to my office. So walk I did. Just walking to and from work, I logged in 48 miles by Friday. But that wasn’t enough. My biggest challenge came on Saturday … 20 miles. It took me 5 hours and 5 minutes. Sure, I got my first blister and my legs felt a little like jello. But what a great feeling of accomplishment. It’s amazing how much more energy I have.
But walking isn’t enough. I find I really need to compliment my walks with strong interval training like I get at TWR. I was able to fit in two days of training. Monday I worked with Matt. He found ways (as always) to hit every muscle in my body. This was the first day in quite awhile I was able to run the stairs. TWR is on the 3rd floor. After each specific move (and those were 50 each of curls, one-arm row, chest press, squats), the cardio would be running up and down those stairs twice, and than running the straightaway four times. To end the workout … crunches were in order. And not just 20 … try 100!
Friday morning I got to do one of my favorite 30 on 30 off workouts with Ron. Everything we did was for 30 seconds on and 30 seconds off. We had 4 different moves (shoulder pulls, shoulder press, leg press, and push-ups off a bar). There were 3 of us, so we each got a specific move. We would do 30 seconds on, 30 off - 5 times. At the end, we would run the straightaway for 30 seconds, and rest for 30 seconds. Again, we did this 5 times. Than we would switch moves. We than had 3 different squat moves - 5 each doing the 30 seconds on 30 off. To end the workout, Ron gave me a 25 lb weight (the other 2 used a 15 lb weight). We had to hold the weight up with one arm above our head and walk the length of the straightaway 4 times. We would than switch arms. The last move would be do a shoulder lift (with the same 25 lb weight) as we walked up and down the straightaway 4 times. Ron said I “owned” that 25 lb weight!
For the week I worked out a total of 18 hours, burning an incredible 5904 calories!!!
The journey continues …
The weather in Chicago this past week, couldn’t have been better. We averaged temperatures in the 70’s … even hitting a record high of 83 on Thursday! Perfect for my long-distance walk training. Logged in 36 miles this week!
I complimented this with a kick-ass workout at TWR. Matt was my trainer and he had a great combination of cardio and weights. We started out doing something I dread, even though I know it’s a great way to warm up … to one wall you would do the high knees, than the butt-kicks, and than the skips. Next came the weights … he had 3 sets for each of us. For me - 20 lb, 15 lb and 10 lb. We started with the heavier ones first …. you would do 10 reps of the one-arm row, curls and than shoulder press. Followed by 20 dips. End this with a 4 wall run. Come back and you would have 30 reps with the 15 lb weights, ending with a 4 wall run. Finally, 50 reps with the 10 lb weights and the 4 wall run. You’re tired aren’t you? Well, buck-up, it’s not over. He than wrapped a band around our legs - just above the knees. With 10 lb weights, you would walk/squat sideways to the end of the wall while doing curls. Once you got to the wall, you had 25 burpees (yes, with band still wrapped around your legs and with the weights). Than you would repeat this going back. There’s more …. now we would walk sideways, keeping legs straight (still with band and weights) as we did shoulder presses. At the end we would do 25 mountain climbers (with a push-up between every 5). Than repeat this going back. Legs starting to get a little shaky at this point, but it’s not over. We went back to the beginning. Only this time we started out with the lighter weights. And at the end of each wall during our 4 wall run, we did 25 jumping jacks. To end this workout, we did 100 mountain climbers (with a push-up between every 10). Okay, now you can start breathing again. Thanks, Matt! Another great workout!!
As for my diet …. when I first started this journey, I found that I was spending way too much money on produce. And than the majority of it would go to waste. This is why I find it so important to plan out my meals for the week, and stick to it! Don’t try to buy such a big variety of veggies or fruits. I have core list I use. And I try to buy what’s in season.
I’m a creature of habit when it comes to breakfast & lunch. It makes it easier to stick to a plan. Breakfast is always oatmeal, with 1 Tablespoon of Almond or Peanut butter (gives me a little extra protein) and a cup of blueberries or strawberries. I eat a salad every day for lunch. One week it will be spinach and arugula. Another it will be spinach and romaine. Than I pick a couple of veggies to add in. Typically I like cucumbers (and you only need to buy one), green and red peppers (again, just buy one of each), and red onion (a thin slice goes a long way), and than maybe a tomato. My protein is usually a 3-4 ounce chicken breast. And I always end the meal with an apple. My 2 snacks of the day are typically baby carrots & celery, 2 oz of edamame, or a small handful of nuts or seeds (almonds, walnuts and pumpkin seeds). You can get these in bulk almost anywhere now - just remember to get them unsalted. My dinner is also planned - usually it’s brown rice or a whole grain pasta, with a veggie (like broccoli & cauliflower, asparagus or green beans), and 4-5 oz of protein (chicken, tilapia, and salmon are my favorites). If I need something sweet than it’s usually some strawberries. The trick is - plan ahead. And Saturday is usually the day I save as my “free” day. So if I want to join friends for dinner, or I want to have popcorn at the movies … I can do it without feeling guilty.
Here’s another great website you can use as a tool … http://www.nutrientrichfoods.org/index.html
So, another week over and a 2 lb loss with it. It may be slow, but it’s a steady weight loss.
Spring seems to have put the “spring” back in my step. Finally! We all have our bad days on this arduous weight loss journey. You know … those “I-hate-my-life” days when all you want to do is just curl up someplace and die. I went through that for about 10 days. Too much work, too much stress. Not enough moving. This week I was able to shake it off and dug myself out of this rut and embraced all of life’s endless possibilities. Most importantly, reflected on what I’ve learned so far in my journey.
This journey is not just a number. It is so much bigger than that. The changes I’ve made so far … eating less, eating healthier, exercising more have changed my life for the better. That’s the true magic … reclaiming your body and your health.
Losing weight vs Getting Fit. With losing weight, you typically reach a finish line. But getting fit is the race you’ll run for your lifetime.
There’s no end. I’ve lost weight before only to forget what got me there … forgot myself. Will this time be different? I like to think that it will be. I appreciate what I’ve been able to accomplish so far. I appreciate how healthy I feel. And I want to continue.
Once again I am focused and have a purpose. In August I will be walking in the Susan G. Komen 3-day, 60 mile walk for breast cancer. Some have asked me if I was crazy … 60 miles? 3-days? Maybe it is a little crazy … but what a great accomplishment it will be. And knowing many women who are fighting breast cancer …. what a great cause. Training has begun. With the help of my trainers at TWR, I’ve come up with a training schedule that I willl follow until the walk in August. It will consist of 2-3 days with my trainers (and their workouts are what some called circuit training … incorporating cardio, core, and strength training). I will than have 2 days of what they call “easy” walking with a goal of 3-5 miles, and end with 30 minutes of core moves and some weights. Than 2 days of “power” walking, striving for a distance of 8-15 miles. And as a bonus, this should help kick start my weight loss again. A recent study published stated that women of my age (yes, I’m over 50) need to workout 1 hour EACH DAY just to maintain their weight. If trying to lose weight, they suggest adding 30 minutes, along with cutting calories. So … my training schedule has no day off.
Several people have complained that they can’t afford to eat healthy. So next week’s post will be to share ideas how it can be done. And for those of you wanting to hear more about my workouts at TWR …. don’t worry, I’ll be logging those in too.
So … the journey continues.
What a week. I started the week proud of my 3rd place status and excited to continue on. Than work became a little more stressful each day, and I let it take over. The workouts were just a fraction of what I’m use to doing. And as for the diet, I admit there were times I forgot (or just didn’t bother) to eat. Dread sending my logs to DB.
The few workouts I did make …
Monday - Worked out at TWR with Ron as my trainer. There were 3 of us in the group. We started out with cardio. One of us was on the recumbent bike, one on the treadmill (speed of 4.0, incline of 12) and the other on the row machine. We were on our respective machines until the Rower did 20 pulls - than took a 30 second break. We would do this 5 times, and than we would switch machines. While I was on the rower, my best was going 165M in 20 pulls. Basically this was a 30 on 30 off workout and really got the heart rate up for a great calorie burn. We than moved to the upper body. Ron gave us each 6 different moves/machines in groups of 2 - one pull one push. Our goal was to get to 50 repetitions or to failure (whichever came first). Between each two we would run 2 walls. I think Ron underestimated how strong I’ve become … I was able to get to 50 on each, although I admit the last one got much more difficult and the muscles did start to burn a little. But that wasn’t the end of our workout. The “Leg Massage” was next. Sounds nice, doesn’t it? Surprise! It consists of doing 30 seconds of lunges, than you would immediately go to a low bouncing squat for 30 seconds, back to 30 seconds of lunges, and than 30 seconds of a low squat hold. Did this twice. Your legs feel a little like jello afterwards. To end the workout we did 10 walls - run one as hard as you can and walk back. The walls at the end are very important. You need to maintain the same speed on the 5th running wall as you had with the first. If your speed is down, than you need to walk back slower. It was a great workout, don’t think there was one muscle that didn’t get used.
Tuesday - the stress at work was starting to creep up. When I got home I walked 3 miles. Typically I would than do some squats and sit-ups. But not this night. I didn’t even take the time to eat dinner.
Wednesday - stress even worse today. Ended up not working out at all. Instead joined two friends from work and drank 2 beers (don’t tell my trainers). But at least I ate something for dinner thanks to the Happy Hour offerings … and they were actually healthy offerings. Was able to have a mixed greens salad, some asparagus spears, a roasted portabella mushroom, a few pieces of boiled shrimp, and must admit to a tiny portion of their pasta with pine nuts & veggies.
Thursday - didn’t realize you could get this stressed! I did go to TWR. My attitude sucked. When you have people yelling at you all day, or complaining all day, it’s very hard to maintain that positive, cheery disposition. Ron even asked me why I was so angry. He assigned DB to take me on, with two other gals (one being Ron’s wife, Kedra … who I think was a little freaked out by my best Negative Nellie impression). I didn’t want to workout - but I just focused (maybe too much - my facial expressions came off a little hostile … sorry DB). The workout started with various moves/machines that targeted the back in different ways, the biceps, the legs and the abs. We had to do 50 of each move/machine and for recovery we would run 4 walls inbetween each. There was a new move introduced … the jumping pull-up!!! At first I thought … “Are you on crack, I can’t do that”. And Kedra made it look so easy! But I focused and actually did it … and did it well. The bar was above your head, but you could actually reach it by standing on the ground. The trick was to jump up and than pull yourself up so your chin came above the bar. Once I got through the first 10, I had the confidence I lacked going into it. I want to do it again! We ended with abs … 50 regular sit-ups, 50 suitcase situps (which I find difficult because I can never get my legs to stay straight) and 100 bicycle situps (Kedra had to do the reverse sit-up, where she held on to a pole that was behind her head and than had to lift her legs up and touch the pole). One day I’ll have that 2-pack. Another great TWR workout … but unfortunately the mood stayed dark!
Friday - I’m taking the night off!
Not a bad week, but not a good week. Lost no weight, but didn’t gain weight either. I have to make sure that I don’t let stress take over. Next week I have quite a few meetings that may interfere with my going to TWR as much as I’d like, but promise to find a way to get some workouts in on my own. Whether that be a quick 30 minutes before work, during my lunch hour or a good hour on the treadmill when I get home. The workouts may not make the stress disappear, but sure helps making it easier to deal with.
And this journey continues.
Today was our final weigh-in for the TWR Biggest Loser Competition. My stats … down a total of 19.8 lbs, lost 4 inches in the waist, and brought my Body Fat % down 8.6%. I ended up in 3rd place, and what a great start!
Of course, I really kicked it into high gear this week. I worked out a total of 12 hours (most of those with my trainers). And I burned 3646 calories resulting in a 5.8 lb loss this week alone. But now it’s back to the normal weight loss goal of 1-2 lbs a week.
I can’t say it enough … find a support system! I’m not sure I could have accomplished what I have so far, if it were not for my trainers (Ron, DB & Matt), and my friends who have encouraged me on this journey. When I want to quit, they are more than happy to give me that kick in the butt I need.
Several people have asked me how I handle the temptations we all face when it comes to snacking … especially in a work environment where there always seems to be bad choices surrounding us. I’ve become very diligent. I make sure I always have my own snacks with me every day. I measure out portions and have them ready in handy snack size bags so I can grab what I need each day. They include raw veggies like baby carrots, celery, cucumber, peppers, radishes; nuts like pumpkin seeds, almonds, walnuts; dried fruit such as dried apricots, raisins, cranberries; slices of turkey breast; cottage cheese; and fruit such as blueberries, apples, pears. And than if someone offers you that 1/2 pound chocolate chip cookie … just grab your nuts & dried fruit! Be strong … if I can say no, so can you!
I found a great product! It’s called La Tortilla Low-Carb Whole Wheat Wrap (7 in). It’s only 50 calories, with 2 g Fat, 11 g Carbs, 8 g fiber and 5 g protein. Add 2 oz of turkey or chicken and this is a great low-calories snack!
Now for the next phase of my journey. I have committed to the Susan G. Komen 3-day Walk for the Cure. It’s a 60 mile walk … yes, 60 miles (20 miles each day). The walk is August 6-8 so I have 22 weeks to train for it. This training alone should help me take off some more pounds. But that’s not all. Now that Spring is almost here, shot putt training starts!
So as you can see, the journey continues!
