It takes a village...

... to get me in shape.

You know how fitness magazines recommend working out with a friend?  The idea is that if you grab a workout buddy, you'll be held accountable to going to the gym, and you'll actually get in shape!  In some ways, it does sound brilliant, but I've never managed to coordinate with/coerce friends or family members to join the same gym or to get together for a workout.  Alas, I guess I had to create my own support network.

And that's exactly what I did, and that's part of why I think I've been able to stick to this exercise/eating plan out for the past eight months.  (Oh, and also because I now crave it and love it.  But it takes time to make something part of our routine, and that wouldn't have been possible without a community to support me).

Over a year ago, I was going to the gym on my own, and working out about three or four days a week.  I usually schlepped on the elliptical for 45 minutes, and maybe I did the stairmaster for another 10 or 15.  Then, I'd probably do some crunches, and if I was ambitious, the occasional walking lunges.  Or maybe I'd run a mile or two on the treadmill.  I'd exercise for at least an hour and a half, but nothing I did seemed to make a difference.  I needed help.

It all started with finding the right trainer.  I had worked with four other trainers before, but I felt like a) they either weren't in great shape themselves and weren't committed to a serious, physically active and nutritiously healthy lifestyle, b) didn't take me seriously and just wanted my money, and c) didn't think women could be physically strong.  (One trainer I had was committed to getting me to do push ups, but he left the gym to become a consultant.  His loss!)

Enter Melissa.

 She's the first trainer I've met who said that I could be strong and physically fit, and that I didn't need to spend hours in the gym to do it.  Even though I was a girl, that didn't mean that I couldn't lift weights and do pull ups -- in fact, I should be doing all those things, and that I could and should live by "I am woman, hear me roar!"  With Melissa, I untapped the idea that I am strong, I am amazing, and I can do anything if I set my mind to it.  She's the perfect match for my feminist self.  Plus, she lives and breathes what she preaches.  She is crazy strong, and she's always finding ways to push herself even further.  My guru, indeed.
She's also the first trainer I met who sat me down and said that I needed to change my diet if I truly wanted to be successful at getting healthy and in shape.  And being "healthy" didn't mean Diet Coke and 100 calorie packs -- it meant eating actual, real food that wasn't highly processed and packaged.  She challenged me to check out Primal/Paleo foods and to try it for "just a month."  The great thing about it? Melissa encouraged me to make changes as I saw fit, and to read as much as I could to see what I thought about it.  No coercion, but realistic.  If I wanted "my insides" to be healthy and not to just be skinny, I had to eat foods like fruits, veggies, and fats to actually be healthy.

(Photo courtesy of TopNews New Zealand -- check out the article above!)

I'm never one to back down from a challenge; plus, I was desperate.  After tracking my calorie intake for months on livestrong.com (eating anywhere between 1400 and 1600 calories a day) and not losing any weight, I knew I needed a better plan of attack.  So, I read about Primal foods, made changes over time, and told Melissa about the foods I ate -- the good and the bad.

What also made Melissa exceptional is that if she ever saw me at the gym, she would always come over to check up on me.  And if I'd ever be working out when she would, she'd have me join her workout.  Seriously, I think there are few trainers in the world who would basically train a client for free.

And through Melissa, I began to meet other trainers at the gym.  If I ever worked out and Melissa wasn't there, Erik, Rob, or Meng would come and check up on me.  They'd check my form, give me tips, or maybe a hard time if they hadn't seen me in a few days.  Steve taught me how to kip and helped me on my pull up form.  Phoebe would create work outs for me and work out with me on those days when I just didn't feel like doing anything.  And slowly, I began to meet their clients, and we'd talk and touch base.  We'd share a tough day, sing each other's praises, or give exercise tips.  Sometimes, we'd even work out together.

All of a sudden, I had several work out buddies.  I had other people who understood the food changes I had made.  I had people who wanted to be as healthy as I did.  Over time, I had made my own network to help me through.

And now, with Charles River CrossFit, which Erik and Melissa opened this past Tuesday, I will always have that community.  My first work out was yesterday, and it was fabulous!  I made a new exercise buddy, and  I worked to conquer those pull ups.  I cheered on others while they rowed and was complimented on my box jumps.  To me, that is happiness.  Making CRCF my new home gym is perhaps the best gift I can ever give myself -- I have the support and assistance I need to take on any food or fitness challenge.

My tips to you:
1.  Find the right trainer.  Don't just settle for anyone.  Watch them train other clients; talk to them about their fitness philosophies, and try an intro session or two together.  Don't pay for someone you don't like!  Training is a great way to get instant support and help to kick start your journey to healthy living.
2. Vary your workouts. Add weight lifting.  Weights are your friend.  Cardio alone won't cut it.
3. You cannot change your health and body with exercise alone.  Eating real foods (fruits, veggies, protein, fats, and in my case, certain dairy) is what will make the difference.  You cannot be healthy eating chips and cereal.  It's not going to give your body the fuel or nutrients you need, even if you consume the "appropriate" amount of calories.  Remember, 100 years ago, people didn't eat foods made from soy lecithin and corn syrup.  The foods we ate today are not helping us to be healthy or lead a healthy lifestyle, and we need to change our mentality of viewing them as a normal part of our food habits.
4.  Join me at CRCF if you're in the area!
5. Build your community.  Say hello to other gym members in the locker room.  Ask trainers for tips (part of their job is to be on the gym floor to help you).  Take a class and chat up the people there.  Over time, you will build a network.
6. Make changes as you can.  You aren't going to change your diet overnight, and it's unrealistic to think you'll whip into shape in 30 days.  It's a lifelong journey, and I'm still trying to figure it out.  Be realistic, be honest with yourself, and over time, these changes will be easier and feel more natural.

What keeps you motivated?