Welcome to the Fitness Roller Coaster Ride, please enter the ride quickly, secure all lose articles and carry ons and fasten your seat belt tightly. During the ride you will experience ups and downs and a few dreaded plateaus along the way.
And so it goes with weight loss and fitness. There will be days when you hit a personal best and you feel like a million bucks. There will also be days when you just don't feel like going to the gym or the scale goes up and you feel like all the hard work you've put in has been for naught.
Today, I just experienced one of those down moments after my weekly weigh-in. Despite having what I thought was a good week, I didn't lose any weight. I stepped on and off the scale at least 6 times, hoping to see at least 1 pound come off but each time the scale stopped, it still read 194.
Stepping off the scale for the last time I felt dejected and wasn't looking forward to my morning workout at all, what was the point? But even as I wallowed in my self-pity, I knew that going to the gym was exactly what I needed to do. The scale may not show the progress I was expecting, but I know I'm getting back into shape and can feel the tone of my muscles getting firm again.
This is the part of the roller coaster ride where it's almost too easy to get off, when you don't see the progress you expect. But, with a little mental toughness, this is also the point of the ride where you can cinch your seatbelt a little tighter and say to yourself "I'm going to make it through this." And when you do get through it, you'll experience the exhilaration of reaching a new personal best or weight loss goal and the ride will be fun again.
I tightened my seat belt and made it to the gym. The workout wasn't my best, I still was thinking of my weigh-in. But, I still made it to the gym and that's the important thing. I didn't give up and I've re-focused my energies on working hard and eating right. I know that this ride isn't automatic, I have to do my part to pull out of the lows in order to reach new highs.
So this week, my personal roller coaster is starting a new climb. When I weigh-in next week I plan on being higher up that hill than when I started. Between my personal motivation, and that of my family and friends in the Turbulence Training community I have all the support and encouragement I need to reach my next peak.
Don't let the scale be your guide! As a personal trainer I see many clients come in and complain about their weight on the scale - what many of us don't realize is that weight loss and muscle loss are very different in how they appear on the scale. They both show as a lower number, but one reduces your metabolism and kills your ability to workout and burn energy during your exercises.
If you are doing Turbulence Training then you are likely gaining muscle weight - so you should expect your weight to take an unstable path - the most important factor is how your pants feel - does it really matter if the scale stays the same as long as your pants feel looser?
Jamie Atlas
http://jamieatlas.wordpress.com
Ok so today is Monday 20th of October and the start of a 'potensially' successful week!
Write down some workout goals and diet goals for this week and then tell someone about them that can help you be accountable to them.
This is what I have tried in the past when I came off a bad previous week with bad results.
I know you can do it Steve, keep going!
Take care,
Andrew
...I disagree. making it to the gym is not the most important piece.
actually doing the working properly is the most important piece.
I dont care whether you work our at home, in the gym or in your bathroom, you must have a good workout.
I dont think it is repsonsable telling your readers all you have to do is make it to the gym.
In the context of this post, just winning the mental battle and actually getting to the gym is the most important achievement IMHO.
I agree that doing the workout with enough intensity and with proper form is also important and should not be minimized.