A personal training & food journal. Read about our weight loss progress at Train With Ron in Chicago, our nutritional habits and the life changes we're making to get in shape and stay healthy!
April 21stThis week I’m back to the gym four mornings and next week I’m adding a fifth day. I’m ready for it. It’ll be tons of hard work but I feel that I will be able to push myself hard 5 times a week. Summer is making it’s way around the bend and I’d like to reach my goal before it’s over. What is my ultimate goal you ask? Or maybe you didn’t but I’ll tell you anyway. I don’t really have a hard number in mind or a certain body % or any of that. I have a range I would like to land in between. Since I was a pre-teen I have never been super skinny and it is not a goal of mine now. I do want to look great in a bikini etc …. but we’ll leave that for a couple of months down the road. Right now the ultimate goal is of course to be healthy so that means low body fat. I still have a ways to go on that, probably just a bit over 10% I should lose there. Weight wise, I want to loose another 30 – 40 pounds. Once I accomplish that I should be at around 135 – 140lbs with a body fat around 22-26%. Now, with the training I’m doing I’m also gaining a lot of muscle and muscle weighs more than fat so that messes with the numbers a bit especially if you’re just watching it to go down (like me). Make sure that if you want an accurate measurement and you do not know how to properly do it, you get a personal trainer that knows how to do it for you. The personal trainers at TWR know how to do this and educate you in this as well. It’s vital info to your workout.
Train With Ron Charity Stair Run - April 25th
A little sore still this week from just getting back into it after vacation. The guys are easing us back into the routine and we’re also going to the TWR Charity Stair Run this week end. It’s to help TWR raise money in the fight against childhood obesity! (All proceeds go to Chicago Run, a local, non-profit organization that facilitates running programs for youth in Chicago.) TWR holds many charity events each year, and Dan and I finally get to be apart of one. We missed the previous one in October so we’re really looking forward to this one. I’m not a big fan of stairs as you may have learned from previous posts but I am a fan of children getting in shape. So I will walk and run stairs for the little ones. I think kids should get more exercise in school and also better nutrition. Exercise should be mandatory and so should team play. It’s so important for being fit but kids can benefit so much from team play and competition.
Stairs – Here I come!
March 16thThe little things like stepping on the scale yesterday and noticing another pound disappear. Good riddance I say, I hope I never get to see you again … ahem, pound. That officially puts me at 30lbs lost since October!!! That just makes me oh so happy!! I tried so many things to lose weight prior to joining Train with Ron and I was at a point where I thought nothing would take it off and something was wrong with me. 5 months with TWR and I am 30lbs lighter. (This makes me tear up a little.) Before, I would’ve yo yo-ed 10 pounds a couple of times within that time. So, this journal entry was going to be just that, my excitement over this extra pound, but then I got to thinking. I thought about all of the other ‘little’ things that have made me happy lately.
My overall attitude has certainly changed towards a more positive, open and happy one. I have tons of energy during the day and my mood is good the entire day. The latter benefits those around me as well 
Don’t get me wrong, things still do frustrate me sometimes. I am human after all. How I handle it and how I recover matters here.
When I went clothes shopping the other day I didn’t feel some of the anxieties I used to. The feeling of inevitability that I will ultimately walk out of the store depressed, upset and in-adequate were nowhere to be found. I actually had to leave the fitting room and get a smaller pair of pants than those I tried on. Thrilling!
I am happy that I am eating healthier foods and hardly even crave junk. I’m a night owl and snacking at night was always the norm. No mas!
There are so many other little things that go on throughout the day that I feel better about today than I did even just a month ago. I can’t wait to feel what it will be like after my next 30lbs. I believe that will reach my optimal weight. I’m working out harder now so I think these pounds will move along faster. Maybe that’s just wishful thinking. Regardless, I am savoring all of the little things within this process and making sure I retain it so that I can keep the weight off and not have to go through this huge process again. We’re talking life changing stuff here people!! …. OK, I have to share this. A facebook friend said something brilliant the other day. The first part I’m quite certain has been uttered numerous times in the past. it’s the twist at the end that sets this apart. Here it is: “When one door closes another door opens, but the hallway’s a bitch.” Anyway, I thought it was good.
I’m so happy that we found TWR. Such a great team of personal trainers. To give you an example, throughout this process I’ve been continually wanting to and have been thanking them for helping me with my goal. After one of my many thank yous the response was “Of Course, that’s what we’re there for!” I thought that was so fantastic, because lately, I see a lot of people be ‘there’ for things but not actually show up for it. These guys show up 110% for us, push us, motivate us and it’s just the normal thing. I’ve belonged to quite a few gyms from LA to Chicago and trust me it’s not the norm everywhere. TWR is a fun, productive and encouraging environment with a team a guys that know their stuff, love what they do and genuinely want to see you succeed.
A final note in this journal entry that was intended to be really short but then got out of control …. Got my new shoes, I had to go out right after my last entry and get a pair. They’re a cute blue pair of Nike’s. Worked out in them last night and they felt pretty good too.
Back in the gym Wednesday morning, update you after and let you know how I do in my week two of March Madness.
And oh yes, Ouch! My legs are sore
March 11thWell, it’s been a while since I made an entry – I’m long overdue… life has been busy and I’ve been doing a little hiding out too. Anyhow, The Biggest Loser contest at TrainWithRon ended on March 5th and of all the participants, I came in 8th – having lost 14.5 pounds, which is 5.78% of my body weight when we started. It was quite an accomplishment for me, although I would have liked to have done better, I did pretty well and any progress is good progress! I worked hard on it, I ate very well for most of the time (the main exception being my birthday weekend – I kind of pigged out that weekend).
Since the contest ended, I’ve stepped up my efforts while working out. I realized sometime after my birthday that I put a lot of effort into things that I’m really not as invested in as I am in my own well-being – the truth that every moment I spend trying to keep or get things which cannot inherently belong to anyone – youth, possessions, children, favor with others… is a moment wasted. When I am discontent, the source is usually the fact that I am chasing or clinging to things that aren’t ‘ownable’. I appreciate the people and things around me, but when I wake up to the illusion of owning anything other than my own dignity, it makes me feel a bit empty. When I feel empty inside, one of the ways I used to deal with it was to eat a lot. So, I made a point of working harder at TWR and focusing on the idea that the only thing standing between me and feeling good about myself is my own brain telling me I don’t deserve to.
In a couple of weeks, Monika and I are going to Hawaii and I really need the break from life. I will still work out and eat right while on the trip, but I will relish not being at work, not being beholden to answer the phone or check emails, and just enjoy life for a week. I will recharge my batteries on the beach and the golf course, and I will spend some real unadulterated time with my wife, whom I’ve grown so much closer to during this change in our lives. I will also be able to take my shirt off on the beach! The trip is a reward for all the hard work we’ve done, but I’ve so much further to go… I’ve lost about half the weight I want to lose.
That’s all for now… more soon! I promise not to take such long breaks from writing from now on.
March 2ndI’ll start by saying that the last few times we’ve gone to workout in the evenings, I’ve taken a short cat nap just prior to leaving for the gym. About 20 or 30 minutes. I’ve found that it helps me a great deal. I stare at a computer screen for most of the day and even though I may not be exerted physically, mentally, I am. Some days more than others …
Our workouts during the week are in the evenings at 7pm and when we go Saturday mornings I’ve found that I have more energy. Of course, nothing ground breaking there, a person is much more refreshed after a full night’s sleep. Anyhow, since my cat naps, I’ve had a lot more energy during the workouts. If you workout in the evenings and time permits it, I suggest giving it a shot, especially if you’ve stopped drinking coffee or other caffeinated drinks as I have tried to. Dan and I talk about the foods we eat on here a lot and that certainly does make a huge impact too.
All of this is to be able to work out as hard as I can when I’m at the gym for the hour or so. It has been paying off a great deal. I’ve felt being able to push myself harder and longer, taking less time to recover, less breaks and definitely a lot less than just a couple of months ago.
Each workout is unique and challenging. I think everyone has certain moves that make them cringe just a little bit. Well, for me they are running up and down stairs and ‘push up walks’.
For those not familiar, ‘Push up walks’ consist of doing a regular push up and then walking one step left or right without getting up. You’re just walking side to side with your arms and legs while keeping the pushup position, then doing another push up and so on. Either you count how many you do or by distance.
Now, back in October, when we started, I could barely do a regular push up so I did knee pushups everytime we had to do pushups instead. Back then I was barely able to step over 2 times before falling to the ground. Those things are tough! You try it! That was October 2009. Yesterday, one of my exercises was to do push up walks for about 30 yards, and each time that I had to stop because I could not continue I had to run up and down 4 flights of stairs. Of course when my trainer DB described this task to me I immediately made a joke because that is what I do. (If not always out loud, at least in my head.) Then I started to mentally prepare myself for the task. I knew it was going to be tough but I also knew that I wanted to get through it and not let it beat me. I started out by telling myself that “I can do this“. “My goal is to do as many push up walks as I can so that I’ll have to do less stairs. And I am going to do ALL full pushups and no knee pushups.” I started out strong and continued to talk positively to myself in my head. If I had the thought of quitting I immediately started thinking about pushing through it and motivating myself. I had to stop a few time in between and run the stairs but I never quit thinking that I could and will do it. On top of that, DB was encouraging and pushing me. When I finished I felt like the toughest workout to date that I’ve gotten through.
On top of that and a few other exercises I was also proud of myself for cranking out 50 sit ups while holding a 15lbs medicine ball without stopping. Man, it felt so great! Especially because I didn’t really feel that I was struggling with it. I was done and thrilled to have accomplished it. On to the next one!
Our trainers offer so much vital information, support, motivation and experience that it is invaluable. Our personal trainers at TWR don’t just go through the motions; they bring a new level to working out that I wouldn’t trade for anything.
You have to work hard, sure, but hey, that’s what you go for. I’ve so far lost 25lbs and March is going to be a strong month for me. I can feel it.
Till next time … Monika
February 18thFinally I have a progress picture to share! Taken in our lovely hallway (where it’s not 20 degrees) 
Pictures Notes: I am really critical of myself and I put that aside to post this progress picture.I love my progress, don’t get me wrong. I haven’t felt better in years and I knowthat I am doing the right things. I just have hated taking pictures of myself these last few years and it’s really difficult for me to post it up for all to see. Especially the before picture below. Ugh! If that doesn’t motivate me to keep going to the gym and working out with the guys, I don’t know what would!
The picture on the left was taken in April 2009. We started working out at Train With Ron in October of 2009.
Birthdays & Valentines Day Notes: February is like the ‘perfect storm’ for us. It has been forever for me, but being with Dan it just upped it a couple of notches. Let me explain. Here are all of the birthdays I have going on in February; my older brother Gabor’s, 2 of my cousins’, Dan’s, our friend’s daughter Brooke’s. 3 friends and my own birthday. Add to that Valentines day and all I’m seeing is swirling & twirling cupcakes in my head. It’s hard not to with all of the celebrations. Oh and thanks February for the short month to squeeze all of this into!
The key is to be strong and think of the damage that could be done with going over board.
With that being said, Dan and I did celebrate my birthday with a nice sushi meal at Japonais. I love sushi! I added a couple of glasses of champagne and we split a dessert. That was the splurge. It made working out a bit more difficult the following evening but the motivation to erase any small amount of damage I may have done with my birthday meal was certainly my drive.
DB frequently talks to us about how changes in our diet can effect our workout and energy levels. This is so true. Smaller changes are harder to notice but it’s crazy how my body cannot handle the foods I used to eat a few months ago. Just having a slice of pizza or a soda will send my body into shock and I can even feel ill.
Closing notes: Dan and I are going to Hawaii at the beginning of April and we are looking to really shed some extra pounds over the next month and half. Not that I haven’t so far but if I can push myself even more at the gym, I will. It’s great to feel that now when I do pull ups on the bar I can actually do 6 in a row properly rather than the sloppy one I used to when I started.
Talk to you soon!
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