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That is, everyone except for the good-for-nothing spammers that hit here an average of 20 comments a day. You are officially NOT invited. 
I got in “trouble” the other day with my trainer. I’ve been having a hard time getting through the workouts lately, and one day last week, he was even afraid I would pass out. He must have told me at least six times before leaving…”Go eat!”
On Monday, I was pushing through another tough workout, and kept having to pause. He asked me if I ate before the workout. “Yes,” I proudly stated.
“When?”
“About 11″ (the appt was at 12:30)
“What did you eat?”
“A Clif bar and 20 ounces of water”
*silence, with head shaking*
“That’s not enough, Angie. You’ve got to eat. What did you have for breakfast?”
“An Odwalla bar and coffee.”
*more silence*
He then proceeded to tell me how I was practically starving myself and that I was not getting near enough food. OK, I’m fine with that…eat more. But therein lies the problem…I’m not HUNGRY!
I’m not a morning eater, never have been. In fact, I only started eating breakfast after I started working out regularly. My typical breakfast this spring was coffee. Period. Now, it’s an Odwalla Bar or a 1/2 cup-bowl of cereal with my coffee.
So, I meet with Joe again today. We’ll see if I’ve improved. I feel like I’ve eaten all blasted day, but if I’m not hungry, the best I can do is graze. As of now (about 11:15 am), I’ve had an Eat Clean smoothie (oatmeal, flax seed, peanut butter, banana, soy milk, applesauce, and protein powder), which took me about an HOUR to drink, it’s so filling, and I just finished a snack of a whole wheat english muffin with peanut butter and an apple. Will have a Clif bar at 12, workout is at 1:30. I don’t want to eat lunch until afterwards…don’t like to go to the gym on a full stomach.
So, let’s compare…
Monday: Odwalla bar, coffee (soy milk and truvia), and Clif bar, 20 oz water — about 475 pre-workout calories.
Today: Coffee, smoothie, english muffin, peanut butter, apple, Clif bar, 40 oz water — 796 pre-workout calories.
Almost seventy percent more calories…Joe should be happy; but I feel like a pig.
I worked out again with my trainer yesterday, and it was another killer…but not until the end. The session started out easy enough; we worked on what he called “half legs”. We went to each of the Nautilus machines and did half of my weight with each leg, then full with both. For instance, on leg extension I am at 55 pounds, so we did 27.5 with the right (15 reps), 27.5 with the left (15 reps) then 55 with both (15 reps). Through leg extension, curl, press, and calves, I did very well, hitting about a 6 or 7 on each on an exertion scale of 1-10, which actually means we’ll be moving up in weight, again. Leg abduction and adduction were harder for me, especially abduction (outer thighs), but they tend to be my weaker muscles, too.
So, we’re crusing right along, and head over for some ab work. I never saw the brick wall coming. I was flat on my back, legs and arms extended out, and the exercise was to take a 2.5 kg medicine ball and lift it over my head, while simultaneously lifting one leg so that the ball and leg touched, lifting my shoulder blades off the floor. 25 reps each leg…barely made it through. Nine on the 1-10 scale, easy. Next move was to do it with BOTH legs. I think I got through three reps. So I rested a bit, tried it with no ball…and couldn’t even get in one rep. Total muscle failure.
I have a love-hate relationship with total failure because, well, it can make me feel like a failure, even though I know it is only my muscles that are failing. I know that it is a good thing…I’ve worked hard and pushed hard and made my muscles give all that they can give. So, I’m proud of that. But the feeling of defeat is hard to shake!!!
Today, I’m tired…so very tired. I really think the workout was harder than I imagined. I got to bed at a decent, though not optimal, time of 10:30 pm and could hardly drag myself to work this morning. I have my gym stuff with me, but don’t know if I’ll make it or not. It may be a self-imposed rest day, which gets me back to the total failure and feeling like a failure. Ugh!!!! Mind games. *sigh*
