Tag: strength

Next week looks different

Posted on by fywfit

Next week looks different has been rebounding in my head for the past 24hours. You see a few weeks ago God told me it was time to move on from Twisted. It has been like the long goodbye this week. It has been the first of many lasts. The last Tuesday night I would teach, the last 5am’s I would teach, the last class with a co-worker turned close friend. Friday 5a is where it all began 3 years ago. I think I’ve only missed 2 Fridays since taking over that class. It was hard….I mean really hard. There were flowers, kind words, cards, so many sweaty hugs…the good Amanda hugs (minimum of 20 seconds). I found myself clinging to our members that have become family a little extra tight. I’m not a hugger you see, but on Friday I was, I was an Amanda hugger, I had to tell myself to let go. I just adore these people, and it has been such an amazing season of life. Being a part of their fitness journey has been so cool. I don’t know what is next yet, but knowing God has a better plan that lies ahead, it must be pretty great.

I haven’t done a very good job taking care of myself the past few weeks. Finding balance in life has been hard, coupled with a new injury and some nagging old ones. Putting off getting adjusted has wreaked havoc down my kinetic chain on the left side. So don’t delay get adjusted today! hehe. For serious though, it’s been a weird month, but next week looks different. Next week after I teach my last 2 classes it’ll look different. I’ll have more flexibility in my workout schedule. My routine that has been so full will be a little lighter. I don’t know how long it’ll be like this, but the words from my mom echo in my head. “Take care of yourself in this down time”. I laughed because having down time isn’t so likely. Yesterday P said to me, mom you work so much you never have time to play with me, because you’re always working. Well now, there’s that. We are always together she and I, and it looks like it’ll be that way for the foreseeable future. I do take her statement with a grain of salt, as it’s never enough. Any moms out there relate?? You can spend all day playing and doing what they want for them to look at you and say at bedtime, we never did xyzy today. I also hear here though. Next week looks different. Next week I will adjust my workout schedule to get it back on track. I will continue to figure out how to work around this new injury as I’ve done with all the others through the years. If I’m really on my game I will get my eating back in line. We will find more time to play. I will take care of me so I can take care of we.

One other thing that leaving Twisted has shown me is how bad I am at letting people in my life know how they impact me, and how I feel about them. This will also be something I take away from this season of life and strive to be better at.

Next week looks different. Different can be scary. God has told me it was time, He has not told me what is next. I’m a creature of habit, He knows this, He created me, I don’t like not knowing. What doesn’t look different is His love and promise for me. His will for my life and this next season may be unknown in this moment, but He is not. He is love, He is faithful, He is hope, He is with us. His voice is known. I choose to seek Him and His will, to listen to and for His voice. The Bible says the sheep will know their shepherds voice. Robert asked me if I was having second thoughts. How can you second guess your creator? I’ve been there and done that, it never goes well. Point a to b becomes a half way around the world treck vs. a straight line. He told me to go to Ninevah and I did. I’m not trying to get eaten by a big fish. He has been so good at confirming things to me almost as the questioning thought was crossing my mind. He’s so cool. The way He communicates to and through others. Walk the path, the narrow path, don’t fall into the ditches on either side of the road. Satan doesn’t care which one you fall in, so long as you fall. Find your people. Next week may look different, but God and His promise to us do not.

You’re looking small today…

Posted on by fywfit

Not long after walking in from teaching the 5a my husband said the words “you’re looking small today”. Having eaten pizza last night and taking note of my chins this morning, I thought hmmm…really? When I looked up I realized he was speaking to the dog and not to me. Upon looking at the dog I thought, no, no he’s not…and seriously?? The funny thing about the whole interaction is I don’t care to look small. I don’t know why it was even a thought in my brain. The brain is funny like that. Y’day something VERY out of character came out of my mouth and hurt someones feelings. As I reflected on it I truly have no idea where the statement even came from. Maybe a defense mechanism to avoid the feelings I’m feeling about moving on from the gym? Not sure, I just know that after I apologized and hugged this sweet soul I still can’t figure it out. Point of that story being to emphasize again, the brain is a funny thing sometimes. It can hold us back or allow us to propel forward, and sometimes spew out things that make no sense.

Now back to this whole small thing. I talk about often how peoples journey in the gym almost always starts with weight loss. If you stick with it long enough it shifts into something so much bigger (and better imo) that can really stick with you for life. I don’t care about being small persay, I do care about how I feel, and sometimes I feel big, sometimes I feel fat. Often times I still see that girl who couldn’t run a mile in high school, or made horrendous food choices for years and it showed. The brain is tricky ya’ll…I mean that. Right before I turned 40 I made the decision to switch gyms so that I could focus on bone density and muscle growth. As we age we lose both, and I knew that it needed to be a focus. One of the things that has developed from that switch is the love for lifting heavy things. I always had it, and I toyed with it when I was at orange, but it has really ignited in the past couple years. Really the only reason I should care about looking small is if I have some “big boy” weights in my hands! I want to look strong. More importantly I want to FEEL and be strong.

If someone has lost a lot of weight I will NEVER start the conversation with wow you look great. Here’s the reason why, sometimes a cold hard truth if you will. You have no idea why/how they have lost weight, it may not be the result of a healthy action. Just because they’re hitting the gym doesn’t mean that’s why. When you start discussing these things, often times you may find there are other reasons. Here are a few that I have experienced or heard of as an example. Diabetes (and other diseases), weight loss shots, waaaayyyy under eating, eating disorder relapse, fad diet…the list goes on and on and on. So when I see someone who has clearly lost weight you will likely hear me say “wow, you must feel great”. This journey that may start with aesthetics is truly about so much more. For me personally I want to feed the “so much more”. As an upside the aesthetics will likely follow.

So today as you set out about your day, try to get your brain in check. Look at those goals and see if they’re healthy mentally and physically. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to lose weight and pursuing that, after all the body is a temple. We should seek to maintain it as such. Clear out the cob webs in the corners, set out the fine china and linens, eat the cleaner food, drink the water and pick up those heavier weights. If you’re like me your brain needs as much training as your body, maybe even a little more. Set up those good daily habits, get in the Word, surround yourself with those who will lift you up, serve someone else. Be the light. Seek God and His will. Share the good news. If you don’t know Jesus lets have coffee.