If you've ever had something, anything, that put a kink in your plans for the "what's next" in your life, then you may understand what has been going on with me. As I've said in previous blog entries, I'd been really looking forward to competing this Fall. Well, with a hysterectomy just six weeks behind me and the laryngoscopy with biopsy just two days behind me, it's obvious that there has been a change of plans. I'd also been hoping to finally have my NASM CPT certification (I'm a certified personal trainer, but I really want this next one). I was convinced that I would have all kinds of time and focus to study and prepare for the exam; however, with the body recovering and an active house of kids and school activities, I'm not so sure I will have that certification as quickly as I wanted to. I also thought that, in just about three and a half weeks, I would be seeing my oldest son graduate from USMC boot camp. Well, administrative headaches have put that off for him (which means he is experiencing what it is like to make big plans and have things out of your control make you take a big step back--waiting game). With the many unexpected things in life, I'm learning what it really means to not give up.
As a personal trainer and life coach, I have had countless individuals hire me for various goals and then allow life's difficult challenges completely derail them. Sure, many of my clients reach and even exceed their goals. But I would be a liar if I did not mention that there are those who back away from their dreams for physique transformation, better health, better time management skills, improved communication in their relationships, or more consistency in their parenting. I do not believe that this is because they do not have what it takes to overcome; as a matter of fact, I am convinced that everyone who has ever hired me has what it takes. The tough thing is getting people to believe that they are worth it and that the challenges that are sure to be encountered are worth overcoming.
See, when it became apparent that taking a step back from my competition and professional goals was a necessity while taking care of my long-term health, there was a sense of urgency. With so much going on at the time, I initially just ran on auto-pilot, not even thinking about what I was about to experience emotionally. It really hit me the first time that I returned to work just a couple of weeks ago. Deep inside, I really wanted to get that first workout in. But just a light workload of training very few clients and being on my feet was just all that I could safely handle. Then, starting the first few safe workouts meant lifting less and with less intensity. With a very reduced appetite, my strength had been temporarily but significantly reduced. To many, this may not seem like a big deal. But to someone who is a natural bodybuilding figure competitor with big aspirations, this was a bit demoralizing.
Admitting how discouraged I felt was something I really did not want to do. Fear set in that perhaps I needed to put my dreams aside and just find a way to create new ones. Do you know what fixed that? Time to think! Just two days ago, I had the laryngoscopy with biopsy to remove a cyst which left me very hoarse and at times with absolutely no voice whatsoever (especially in the evenings). Not realizing how serious this could become permitted me to put it off until I faced the truth that I must deal with it. The greatest benefit has probably been the many hours left to my thoughts and silent prayers.
I've got another couple of days (today and tomorrow) with no talking. What most don't realize is that a great deal of my day is actually just talking to others about their workouts and then sitting in silence by myself planning workouts or planning what my kids or husband need me to do at home. An exclusive focus on husband, kids, work, and errands that must be done made me start to forget the value of having my own aspirations. Not being able to give all of me to them while recovering from the hysterectomy made me feel so guilty. So, I spent weeks thinking of all the things I needed to do to make things better for everyone but me. Now, sitting in silence while everyone is pretty much good to go, while I have very few clients (starting over again), and while being banned from talking has done wonders for me.
This is probably the most amount of time I've been able to think and pray in my life. One thing I prayed is this, "Lord, please remove the desire to compete if you want me to focus on something else." Immediately, the thought (perhaps from my Lord) came to me, "Why on Earth should you not want to compete? You've been a source of motivation and inspiration every time you took on the journey to the stage? Your kids love it, your husband loves it, your clients love it, and your friends love it when you come back with life insights. Don't quit! You have so much to offer and so much to gain!" Then the thoughts filled with doubt, "Well, with weeks of not lifting, do you think you really could make up for the lost time? What about that crappy diet? You can hardly stomach food and you can't even swallow solid food." But then the seeds of doubt are killed by more positive thoughts like this, "Quit that negativity. It's really only been a short period of time and your metabolism is responding great to all it has been through. In a few days, you'll be back in the saddle. You are strong and there is no reason to think negatively." I can feel the spiritual warfare of the mind and am loving that doubt and fear are being killed by believing in myself again. My God is an awesome God and He will help me overcome my personal battle with doubt.
Admitting that I struggle with this can be tough. There are some who may feel that I am being too "open" with this. Well, if you are that person, you can know this. I will be honest! With so many who trust me with their health, with personal goals, with the battle of believing in themselves, I want them to know that I struggle to and that I understand what it is like to battle the demons of discouragement, derailment, and self-doubt. I want them to know that I know what it is like to sabotage myself because I did not believe in myself.
And now I am putting it out there. I will compete in 2014! I will step on stage and smash my personal best! There are big differences this time. This time, I will have taken care of my health first. This time, I will not wait until I'm near the end of a competition prep and feeling depleted to admit that it is tough from the very beginning. I will do as one of my favorite bodybuilders, Ryan Doris, says, "Grind it Out." When I want to quit, when I doubt that I have what it takes to overcome and win, when others tell me that I am just not cut out for this, I will get back to the grind and outwork. I'm putting it all out there now.
I know it'll be a feat finishing up my college degree, getting the NASM certification that I want, continuing to be the best mom/wife I know how to be, rebuilding my personal training business, and getting stage ready... But it can be done! It can be done without compromising my priorities!
I believe that I have what it takes to compete in the Spring/Summer of 2014. I must wait until November to really get into stage-prep readiness. I will not allow myself to be discouraged by the "Well, my delts are too small," "My glutes are not tight enough," "My symmetry may not be on point." NO! I'm going to outwork every single day. Whether it is in recovery or in work! With Team Norton, my family, and the most awesome group of encouraging friends a woman could hope for, there's no reason that I cannot win! Let's roll...
Showing posts with label figure competition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label figure competition. Show all posts
Friday, October 11, 2013
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Change...
Sure, sometimes change is fun and exciting, but more often than we may desire, it can be very difficult. Whether it is a change in relationship, career, a big move, even a new baby. Whether the change is big or small, wonderful or emotionally challenging, it can rock the status quo that you've grown accustomed to. At times like this, emotions can start to take over reason. Feeling scared, excited, overwhelmed, discouraged, exhausted, disappointed, unsure, or even elated can cause us to make decisions that are not the best for us or our loved ones. This has been my challenge lately. Fortunately, some past life experiences have prepared me to reign in my emotions, step back and think things through, and trust that things will all be okay.
"Gretchen, what on Earth are you talking about?" Wow, where to begin... Let me start by saying that I really do not like change! As a matter of fact, there have been seasons of my life when I felt that I must have done something horribly wrong to have unexpected, almost devastating changes happen in my life. I would question God, "Lord, things were going so well. I have lived life as I thought you wanted me to? Why are you doing this to me? Why are you allowing my life to become unraveled?" It just did not seem fair! What I didn't know is that during those trials, I was growing to become the person that I am still becoming, and that person that I like!
If you have been following this blog then you know that I had really been hoping to get back on the figure competition stage sooner than later; as a matter of fact, I was hoping that I could compete this Fall. My metabolism was on-fire in the best way ever, my upper body strength gains were unreal, and my focus was impenetrable. What changed? Well, I quit procrastinating on some routine healthcare issues that a lot of us tend to take for granted. Some health concerns that I had became things that my husband refused to allow me to procrastinate on anymore. From my persistent hoarse voice to my extremely difficult menstrual cycles. Oh yes men, I AM going there--unapologetically too! When I finally addressed those concerns, I had to accept the fact that long-term health problems would happen if I did not set those competition dreams aside for a little while. The emotional me wanted to justify ignoring those concerns for short-term gratification of getting on stage again. I was tempted to do as I'd done before as I said to myself, "It's okay. Just one more competition season and then I can take care of those things." Thankfully, reason was the victor and I immediately decided to put my health first.
In July, I made long overdue medical appointments with my dentist, my gynecologist, and my ENT doctor. My husband must have been shocked that I made all of those appointments because he had been asking me to for years. The last time that he asked me, my heart ached as he expressed his concern for me. I do not know how many moms are reading this, but I doubt that I am alone in my reasoning for the procrastination. I just did not see how I had the time! Between running five kids all over the place, to commuting to and from work to train my beloved clients, to working on my college assignments, to trying my best to accomplish at least some household tasks, I did not see how I could afford to spend the time going to the doctor.
First stop, the dentist... Those of you who know me well know that it has been the one thing that I hate more than anything. I used to get really freaked out by the thought of someone putting their hands in my mouth. As a kid, I actually bit my dentist (my dad probably remembers it better than I do). I cannot tell you how happy I was to learn that I had no cavities and that overall, everything looked excellent! It was the single best dental experience I have had in my entire life. If you are in Frederick, check out Kopit Dental; you will absolutely not regret it! I sincerely believe that my dental phobia is completely gone thanks to that dental experience.
Second stop, the gynecologist... Unlike going to the dentist, I did not have any phobias regarding the gynecologist. No doubt, giving birth to five children (the youngest by C-Section) has something to do with that. Dr. Martin, commented that I had not been there in three years. Three years ago, we had discussed my difficult menstrual cycles and he wanted to do further tests. Stubborn me wanted to compete. So, I put it off. That first season of dieting down actually caused my menstrual cycles to go away for about ten months. I do not recommend this sort of thing at all; as a matter of fact, it can be risky for your health. It was not until I hired my coach, Dr. Layne Norton, that my diet became less extreme and more balanced. When my cycle returned, it was not long before the periods were bad again. Being stubborn and wanting to compete again, I put off going back to the gynecologist to address my problems with this. Bad choice! I tried various dietary and homeopathic remedies but nothing helped at all; as a matter of fact, I often felt worse. By November 2012, my periods were lasting almost two weeks and by June 2013, they were lasting even longer. I would not sit down at work for days because I may embarrass myself, I drove sitting on towels, I slept on towels, and I had to change clothes several times a day. Intense fatigue plagued me to the point that I actually fell asleep at the wheel one day on the way to work. The discomfort was honestly so bad that it would compare to early stages of labor (no exaggeration whatsoever). Dr. Martin examined me in late July 2013 and determined that a hysterectomy was my best option. Because I had adenomyosis, other alternatives were not things that I could consider. I would be able to keep my ovaries thereby avoiding going into early menopause. The sooner the better because every month was worse than the previous month. We scheduled surgery for August 29, 2013.
Third stop, the ENT doctor. On my way to my appointment with Dr. Hart, I was certain that I was going to be told that the cause of my hoarse voice was something like acid reflux or maybe even unresolved allergies. But that was not the case. No acid reflux whatsoever and no sinus problems. He discovered a sizeable cyst on my vocal chord which would have to be removed. When I told him that I was having a hysterectomy, he recommended waiting until I was well beyond the initial recovery stage for the sake of my health and pain management. That surgery will take place on October 9. The biggest inconvenience will be not using my voice in any capacity whatsoever for a few days and then limited talking for several days later. No talking, whispering, coughing, laughing, grunting, bearing down, straining, eating solid food for four days. Then I will slowly resume talking to allow the surgical site to heal properly. The likelihood is that the cyst developed back during a bout with strep throat while I was still working and teaching indoor cycling classes before I was fully healed. The lesson learned is this: Sometimes quitting is the right thing to do, especially when your health is at stake.
Okay, I am going to back up a bit to when I learned that I needed to have surgery. Just days before that, I had spoken with the fitness director at North Frederick Sport Health about the possibility of transferring there from Bethesda. I felt a bit like a traitor to my Bethesda Sport & Health family. Yes, I do mean family. Never had I worked with so many individuals that I genuinely loved and felt that it was reciprocated. That being said, my increased exhaustion was taking a toll not only on me but also on my marriage and children. There was no energy to spare when I was home. Additionally, I had no time or energy to invest in building friendships and growing in my faith. When I learned about the hysterectomy and the vocal chord issue, I knew that I needed to make the change sooner than later. Literally, I cried off and on for days. I prayed that God would strengthen me and be with me, that he would give me peace as fear regarding these changes began to consume me. I did not want to tell my boss and friend, Lee, that I needed to make the move. I did not want to tell my clients that I would be leaving them. I became worried about the transition from one club to another after I had so comfortably settled into the other club. When I did tell Lee, my other co-workers, and my clients it was not without a lot of tears. What I was ashamed to admit until now is that it also was not without self-doubt. Would I be able to rebuild a client base? How would our family make it without my income for no less than a month? Would those I was leaving behind feel upset with me? It was easy to admit that missing those I was leaving was hard; admitting fear was not!
Ok, so, I had the hysterectomy. Silly as it may sound, I really did not realize how quickly it would take the wind out of my sail. Thanks to meals provided by my church family at Frederick Christian Fellowship and my very supportive friends and family, I made it through those first difficult weeks. As much as I could, I followed my doctor's orders (maybe for the first time ever) by not doing the lifting and other physical activity. It was intensely difficult to lean on others as I felt guilty for not being able to do much. Once again, the financial impact of this was weighing heavily on my mind and I was determined to get better so that when I returned to work. That being said, I was also determined to recover so that when I did start working again, I would not be putting my health at risk. After the hysterectomy, I learned that when they sent my uterus to pathology that the very earliest stage of uterine cancer was detected. Had I put off the hysterectomy for another season, it is possible that it could have spread. The hysterectomy did not only get rid of the adenomyosis, it also got rid of cancer that I did not even know that I had. It was contained to my uterus; nowhere else! Wow! What would have happened if I had decided to put this off until just one more competition season?
In about a week and a half I will have the vocal chord surgery (laryngoscopy with biopsy). There is really no fear or anxiety over it right now. The greatest lesson that I have truly taken to heart is that I have to be my own priority sometimes in order to keep doing the things that I am needed for at home and to keep striving toward my personal ambitions. Humble pie actually tastes pretty good when you are willing to digest what you are taking in.
Financially, not going to work is difficult. If any of you reading this earn a salary versus an hourly pay wage, imagine losing your entire salary for a month and your salary dropping to less than half for several more months. This has taught me to learn to count my blessings, to take note of how much I actually do have, and to be content in whatever circumstances I may find myself in. It is a difficult part of the journey, it is a change I would have certainly not chosen for myself, and it is humbling in the best of ways.
Personally, the time I have had with my family over the past month and a half has been the greatest of rewards. I realized how much I missed having the time and energy to stay up to spend time with them in the evenings, how nice it is to help get them ready for school in the mornings, what a blessing it is to sit and just watch a movie on the couch together, or to play an impromptu game of UNO. Now that I am starting to work again, I will remember to keep space in my schedule so that I do not risk neglecting my family and so that I can invest in the friendships I have longed for.
Professionally, I'm starting over. Balance is going to be my new norm. Just three days ago, I started working again. My first day at the new, closer gym was Wednesday. My body is still recovering and I can feel it as my energy levels are a little low. As hard as it was to leave the gym I was training in, I was a little nervous about starting over with new coworkers and rebuilding my client base. There's no denying that I really miss the training team I was blessed to be a part of in Bethesda, but I'm looking forward now. The staff at North Frederick is great, they're young and friendly, and the facility is the best I have ever seen. I can't deny that driving 450 miles less each week will be blissful; that alone buys back thirty hours a week. Whether I am doing mom-taxi duties, going to voice therapy, sleeping in past 4:00AM, or just hanging with the hubby and kids, I'm sure that I can find good use of thirty additional hours a week.
Physically, the body reminds me to take it easy if I'm tempted to overdo it. This time, I'm listening. My appetite is only just now starting to return since the hysterectomy. I was able to do light workouts this week with no difficulty. I am not able to lift even half of what I was lifting before as this body is working toward recovery right now. I'm not doing high intensity cardio yet because the impact would be a bit much on this healing body; however, I intend to do that about two weeks after the vocal chord surgery assuming that my ENT doc gives me the go-ahead. From what he has told me so far, that should be fine. If it was just the hysterectomy and no other surgeries, I'd be waiting until then anyway.
Competition goals are in limbo for now. I will wait to see how my metabolism and overall strength is after the recovery from vocal chord surgery. In the meantime, I am looking forward to hearing more about your health and fitness journeys. Living a fit life means putting your health at the top of your priority list. If you happen to enjoy the competitive bodybuilding lifestyle ( or any other competitive sport), remember that listening to your body when you need to slow down is important. There will always be another bodybuilding event, another race, another MMA fight, another game. But you only get one body! If this blog is a blessing to you, please share it with others and leave feedback.
"Gretchen, what on Earth are you talking about?" Wow, where to begin... Let me start by saying that I really do not like change! As a matter of fact, there have been seasons of my life when I felt that I must have done something horribly wrong to have unexpected, almost devastating changes happen in my life. I would question God, "Lord, things were going so well. I have lived life as I thought you wanted me to? Why are you doing this to me? Why are you allowing my life to become unraveled?" It just did not seem fair! What I didn't know is that during those trials, I was growing to become the person that I am still becoming, and that person that I like!
If you have been following this blog then you know that I had really been hoping to get back on the figure competition stage sooner than later; as a matter of fact, I was hoping that I could compete this Fall. My metabolism was on-fire in the best way ever, my upper body strength gains were unreal, and my focus was impenetrable. What changed? Well, I quit procrastinating on some routine healthcare issues that a lot of us tend to take for granted. Some health concerns that I had became things that my husband refused to allow me to procrastinate on anymore. From my persistent hoarse voice to my extremely difficult menstrual cycles. Oh yes men, I AM going there--unapologetically too! When I finally addressed those concerns, I had to accept the fact that long-term health problems would happen if I did not set those competition dreams aside for a little while. The emotional me wanted to justify ignoring those concerns for short-term gratification of getting on stage again. I was tempted to do as I'd done before as I said to myself, "It's okay. Just one more competition season and then I can take care of those things." Thankfully, reason was the victor and I immediately decided to put my health first.
In July, I made long overdue medical appointments with my dentist, my gynecologist, and my ENT doctor. My husband must have been shocked that I made all of those appointments because he had been asking me to for years. The last time that he asked me, my heart ached as he expressed his concern for me. I do not know how many moms are reading this, but I doubt that I am alone in my reasoning for the procrastination. I just did not see how I had the time! Between running five kids all over the place, to commuting to and from work to train my beloved clients, to working on my college assignments, to trying my best to accomplish at least some household tasks, I did not see how I could afford to spend the time going to the doctor.
First stop, the dentist... Those of you who know me well know that it has been the one thing that I hate more than anything. I used to get really freaked out by the thought of someone putting their hands in my mouth. As a kid, I actually bit my dentist (my dad probably remembers it better than I do). I cannot tell you how happy I was to learn that I had no cavities and that overall, everything looked excellent! It was the single best dental experience I have had in my entire life. If you are in Frederick, check out Kopit Dental; you will absolutely not regret it! I sincerely believe that my dental phobia is completely gone thanks to that dental experience.
Second stop, the gynecologist... Unlike going to the dentist, I did not have any phobias regarding the gynecologist. No doubt, giving birth to five children (the youngest by C-Section) has something to do with that. Dr. Martin, commented that I had not been there in three years. Three years ago, we had discussed my difficult menstrual cycles and he wanted to do further tests. Stubborn me wanted to compete. So, I put it off. That first season of dieting down actually caused my menstrual cycles to go away for about ten months. I do not recommend this sort of thing at all; as a matter of fact, it can be risky for your health. It was not until I hired my coach, Dr. Layne Norton, that my diet became less extreme and more balanced. When my cycle returned, it was not long before the periods were bad again. Being stubborn and wanting to compete again, I put off going back to the gynecologist to address my problems with this. Bad choice! I tried various dietary and homeopathic remedies but nothing helped at all; as a matter of fact, I often felt worse. By November 2012, my periods were lasting almost two weeks and by June 2013, they were lasting even longer. I would not sit down at work for days because I may embarrass myself, I drove sitting on towels, I slept on towels, and I had to change clothes several times a day. Intense fatigue plagued me to the point that I actually fell asleep at the wheel one day on the way to work. The discomfort was honestly so bad that it would compare to early stages of labor (no exaggeration whatsoever). Dr. Martin examined me in late July 2013 and determined that a hysterectomy was my best option. Because I had adenomyosis, other alternatives were not things that I could consider. I would be able to keep my ovaries thereby avoiding going into early menopause. The sooner the better because every month was worse than the previous month. We scheduled surgery for August 29, 2013.
Third stop, the ENT doctor. On my way to my appointment with Dr. Hart, I was certain that I was going to be told that the cause of my hoarse voice was something like acid reflux or maybe even unresolved allergies. But that was not the case. No acid reflux whatsoever and no sinus problems. He discovered a sizeable cyst on my vocal chord which would have to be removed. When I told him that I was having a hysterectomy, he recommended waiting until I was well beyond the initial recovery stage for the sake of my health and pain management. That surgery will take place on October 9. The biggest inconvenience will be not using my voice in any capacity whatsoever for a few days and then limited talking for several days later. No talking, whispering, coughing, laughing, grunting, bearing down, straining, eating solid food for four days. Then I will slowly resume talking to allow the surgical site to heal properly. The likelihood is that the cyst developed back during a bout with strep throat while I was still working and teaching indoor cycling classes before I was fully healed. The lesson learned is this: Sometimes quitting is the right thing to do, especially when your health is at stake.
Okay, I am going to back up a bit to when I learned that I needed to have surgery. Just days before that, I had spoken with the fitness director at North Frederick Sport Health about the possibility of transferring there from Bethesda. I felt a bit like a traitor to my Bethesda Sport & Health family. Yes, I do mean family. Never had I worked with so many individuals that I genuinely loved and felt that it was reciprocated. That being said, my increased exhaustion was taking a toll not only on me but also on my marriage and children. There was no energy to spare when I was home. Additionally, I had no time or energy to invest in building friendships and growing in my faith. When I learned about the hysterectomy and the vocal chord issue, I knew that I needed to make the change sooner than later. Literally, I cried off and on for days. I prayed that God would strengthen me and be with me, that he would give me peace as fear regarding these changes began to consume me. I did not want to tell my boss and friend, Lee, that I needed to make the move. I did not want to tell my clients that I would be leaving them. I became worried about the transition from one club to another after I had so comfortably settled into the other club. When I did tell Lee, my other co-workers, and my clients it was not without a lot of tears. What I was ashamed to admit until now is that it also was not without self-doubt. Would I be able to rebuild a client base? How would our family make it without my income for no less than a month? Would those I was leaving behind feel upset with me? It was easy to admit that missing those I was leaving was hard; admitting fear was not!
Ok, so, I had the hysterectomy. Silly as it may sound, I really did not realize how quickly it would take the wind out of my sail. Thanks to meals provided by my church family at Frederick Christian Fellowship and my very supportive friends and family, I made it through those first difficult weeks. As much as I could, I followed my doctor's orders (maybe for the first time ever) by not doing the lifting and other physical activity. It was intensely difficult to lean on others as I felt guilty for not being able to do much. Once again, the financial impact of this was weighing heavily on my mind and I was determined to get better so that when I returned to work. That being said, I was also determined to recover so that when I did start working again, I would not be putting my health at risk. After the hysterectomy, I learned that when they sent my uterus to pathology that the very earliest stage of uterine cancer was detected. Had I put off the hysterectomy for another season, it is possible that it could have spread. The hysterectomy did not only get rid of the adenomyosis, it also got rid of cancer that I did not even know that I had. It was contained to my uterus; nowhere else! Wow! What would have happened if I had decided to put this off until just one more competition season?
In about a week and a half I will have the vocal chord surgery (laryngoscopy with biopsy). There is really no fear or anxiety over it right now. The greatest lesson that I have truly taken to heart is that I have to be my own priority sometimes in order to keep doing the things that I am needed for at home and to keep striving toward my personal ambitions. Humble pie actually tastes pretty good when you are willing to digest what you are taking in.
Financially, not going to work is difficult. If any of you reading this earn a salary versus an hourly pay wage, imagine losing your entire salary for a month and your salary dropping to less than half for several more months. This has taught me to learn to count my blessings, to take note of how much I actually do have, and to be content in whatever circumstances I may find myself in. It is a difficult part of the journey, it is a change I would have certainly not chosen for myself, and it is humbling in the best of ways.
Personally, the time I have had with my family over the past month and a half has been the greatest of rewards. I realized how much I missed having the time and energy to stay up to spend time with them in the evenings, how nice it is to help get them ready for school in the mornings, what a blessing it is to sit and just watch a movie on the couch together, or to play an impromptu game of UNO. Now that I am starting to work again, I will remember to keep space in my schedule so that I do not risk neglecting my family and so that I can invest in the friendships I have longed for.
Professionally, I'm starting over. Balance is going to be my new norm. Just three days ago, I started working again. My first day at the new, closer gym was Wednesday. My body is still recovering and I can feel it as my energy levels are a little low. As hard as it was to leave the gym I was training in, I was a little nervous about starting over with new coworkers and rebuilding my client base. There's no denying that I really miss the training team I was blessed to be a part of in Bethesda, but I'm looking forward now. The staff at North Frederick is great, they're young and friendly, and the facility is the best I have ever seen. I can't deny that driving 450 miles less each week will be blissful; that alone buys back thirty hours a week. Whether I am doing mom-taxi duties, going to voice therapy, sleeping in past 4:00AM, or just hanging with the hubby and kids, I'm sure that I can find good use of thirty additional hours a week.
Physically, the body reminds me to take it easy if I'm tempted to overdo it. This time, I'm listening. My appetite is only just now starting to return since the hysterectomy. I was able to do light workouts this week with no difficulty. I am not able to lift even half of what I was lifting before as this body is working toward recovery right now. I'm not doing high intensity cardio yet because the impact would be a bit much on this healing body; however, I intend to do that about two weeks after the vocal chord surgery assuming that my ENT doc gives me the go-ahead. From what he has told me so far, that should be fine. If it was just the hysterectomy and no other surgeries, I'd be waiting until then anyway.
Competition goals are in limbo for now. I will wait to see how my metabolism and overall strength is after the recovery from vocal chord surgery. In the meantime, I am looking forward to hearing more about your health and fitness journeys. Living a fit life means putting your health at the top of your priority list. If you happen to enjoy the competitive bodybuilding lifestyle ( or any other competitive sport), remember that listening to your body when you need to slow down is important. There will always be another bodybuilding event, another race, another MMA fight, another game. But you only get one body! If this blog is a blessing to you, please share it with others and leave feedback.
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