Fitness Savant

Oh my! I just got back from a trip to my grandparents’ for my grandfather’s 90th birthday! I am so grateful that my son and I have been able to have this time with them. Although my longevity will depend on my own efforts, it doesn’t hurt to have some good genes in your gene pool. My grandmother has had her share of heart troubles, though. Still, I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family!

What I wanted to write about today was what happened to my nutrition this past weekend. Let’s just say I made a valiant effort, planned my cheats, but ran into a huge problem that I just could not overcome without insulting my grandmother. If you know anything about grandmothers and their cooking, you know to never insult the cook or you’ll be feeling that guilt for a long time.

We arrived just in time for supper which consisted of spaghetti and salad. Now, I love my grandmother’s spaghetti and felt no problem about chowing down on some. But the salad… First of all, there were teensy bits of onions and celery, two of my most loathed foods. They were so small it was impossible to pick them out. Next, the salad dressings offered were full octane fat! The choice became what would be the lesser of two evils.

The rest of the weekend was pretty much like that. The refrigerator was chock full of food that was like kryptonite for me, yet exactly what they needed to be eating. I was already dodging the brownies and mocha cupcakes, but my worst problem came down to making choices from foods that I never eat, including the milk. Sunday was the big family get together, and I had planned on eating that day since birthday cake (my fave!) was being served.

Now, there are some hardcore fitness professionals who would have said I should have run to the nearest grocery store and stocked up on good food. But let me tell you, in the grand scheme of things I think there’s time to be fanatic and a time to just work with what you have. Seriously, I was not about to buy my own special food because my grandmother’s feelings would have been hurt badly. I don’t know how much more time I’m going to get to have her around, and I’m not about to ruin any of those moments because I refuse to eat her food treating like it’s poison. In my humble opinion, sometimes we can take things too far when it comes to healthy living so much we forget to actually enjoy the life we’re trying to actually keep healthy.

I make no apologies for eating spaghetti, cupcakes and birthday cake this weekend. It made her happy to see me eat her food, and I enjoyed the break from eating well. The moral of this story is you have to enjoy this life! You eat healthy and exercise to increase your longevity, but what’s the point in it all if you can’t let it go for a bit and enjoy your grandmother’s cupcakes? It makes her happy, so I’m happy.

Spring Ft. McPherson Power Lifting Challenge

Life is about many things, most of all enjoying the time we are given. The best way to be able to enjoy that time is by keeping our bodies and minds in great condition. Health is about the whole person, not just separate pieces that exist in exclusion of one another. No, life is about making it all come together by understanding how all areas of our lives are connected and the synergy between them.

I lived my life too long in ignorance of this, and I am now dedicated to educating myself and teaching others the keys to a healthy, sexy and strong life.  Happiness comes from within ourselves. We can build our esteem through pushing our bodies and minds to the limits, making them stretch for growth. There is nothing like setting a goal and making that accomplishment even if you might think it small. Passing on a chocolate dessert is a major accomplishment for me, so don’t think your goals must be some earth shattering achievement. If it makes you proud and makes you smile, you have done well.

There’s a saying that says if you shoot for the moon and miss, at least you’ll land among the stars. I believe this is so true, because sometimes we don’t get exactly what we set out for, but we always get what we need. Maybe you want to start a fitness program to look good naked, but a year down the road you developed great new healthy living habits, or vise verse.  I can promise you that whatever reason you begin your health and fitness journey, many wonderful things are in store for you.  I will do my best to provide you with information that will help you survive attacks of the regrets, laziness and defeat. I will provide you tools to get through your days in a smarter, healthier, happier way. Promise yourself time and patience, and devote time just for yourself each day. We can do this together.