Beating the plateau

I haven’t written in MONTHS so I thought I’d give an update on what’s going on with me….

Unfortunately I’m still at the same crappy job I hate, and it’s gotten worse. BUT I’ve taken steps towards my dream. I found a training program at a gym in midtown Manhattan that would not only prepare me for the exams I’ll be taking to get my personal trainer and fitness instructor certifications, but could possibly get me a job at the gym as well. I had an audition the other day and I was totally terrified!! I had to learn part of a class and then teach it back. Fortunately I did awesome and the woman really liked me. Now I have to meet with the owner for an official interview on Tuesday. If all goes well I’ll complete the training in June and hopefully end up with a part time position there.

I’ve also been keeping my eyes open for other fitness positions and today I found another one. It’s also at a small gym in midtown and is a front desk job. I’m definitely qualified for it and it’s full time. The pay is low but I don’t care!! It would be my foot in the door and if I was hired maybe they’d let me teach some classes after I get certified. I could also work at the other place at the same time because it would only be 15 hours a week and I think it’s in the morning.

The only scary part is that I’d be leaving a high paying job with excellent benefits to start a totally new career making $10 an hour. My hope is that I could pick up some classes to teach or do some personal training as time goes on and up my income, but my main goal is that I’m doing what makes me happy. So it’s scary but EXCITING!! I’m really keeping my fingers crossed that one (or both!) work out for me. I’ll know more next week so it’s just a waiting game at this point.

I hope that this is a turning point for me and I can finally take my life in the direction that I want it to go!! 

This is off-topic from the usual complaints about what junk food I’ve eaten or missing a workout. 

As I’ve mentioned I am moving out of NYC to a small town in NJ in March 2010. I’m SOOO excited because the NYC lifestyle just isn’t for me. I’m currently working at a stable well-paying job in midtown Manhattan that I HATE!!!!!! It’s not so much the job as the people that manage my department. I won’t get into details but other than the horrible management style and the way people are mistreated, my job is insanely busy, I put in a lot of hours, I’m ALWAYS stressed out and it’s affecting my health. I constantly have migraines, I get depressed, I cry a lot and I dread getting up in the morning (unless it’s a day off). I even get stuck working from home because there’s just not enough hours in a workday to finish everything they dump on me, and I refuse to let my personal life suffer by staying very late. So I’ll leave by 6, do what I need to do at home, then sign on later and do more work.

So what’s my point?? My goal for the first half of 2010 is to become a certified personal trainer and also get a nutrition/wellness coach certification. I’m considering leaving my job around the time that I move to NJ to focus full time on studying for my certifications and making a career change for myself. I know it won’t pay well but I’m so passionate about it, I don’t care about the money. I’ve always wanted to do something fitness-related as a profession. I have NO debt, a lot of money saved, and I’ll be living in an area where I can probably get a part time job pretty easily (making minimum wage, I’m sure, but it will be good to supplement my savings). In the meantime I will also be looking for a “real” job in NJ just in case this doesn’t work out. My hope is that it wouldn’t be as stressful as my current job and I would have time to study for my certifications. Unfortunately the job I have now won’t allow for it. If I stay there, I may never achieve my other goals.

Am I a CRAZY person to consider leaving a decent job in a bad economy?? This is my dream and I feel like if I don’t do it now, it might never happen. I think I’m in a good place (financially) to do this. OH, and a new gym is opening in a few months just down the road from my new apartment complex. So maybe I could do personal training there and try to get myself started. I need advice!!! My friends and family say to GO FOR IT! (even my super conservative mother!). I think it’s what I should do but I tend to overanalyze things and play it safe. So far it has gotten me nowhere in my life. I think I need to shake it up a bit!!

Sorry for the long post so if anyone out there has managed to find this and actually read all of it, please leave comments and let me know what you think of my crazy plan!! Thanks!! 

It’s been a while since I’ve posted…. since my last post I’ve finished CLX with GREAT results. I’ve started Insanity this past week, and I swear I can already see results. It’s  been kicking my butt and I’ve had to take a rest day in between workouts even though it’s not on the schedule. I’m SOOO sore today from Thursday’s workout but I did the cardio workout today anyway. I’m surprised that I’ve been able to keep up, for the most part. I have to take short rests but he says to do that anyway. My weight is down to 124.5 (as of this morning) and supposedly I’m at 20% body fat, which I’m very happy with. I’m using one of those electronic analyzer things so I’m not sure how accurate it is, but I’m fine with an estimate.

I managed to get through Thanksgiving without any crazy weight gain and I might actually skip my office holiday party in order to avoid excess food. It’s the only party I’d be going to all month but I don’t feel the need to go. It’s a really nice party and an excuse to dress up and show off my new toned bod in a dress so maybe I’ll change my mind. 

I’m very excited for the holidays this year! I decorated the apartment today and I’m hoping to get my tree tomorrow. My new roomie is going back to Ireland for a few weeks for Christmas so I will really miss her. She’s like my new BFF. It won’t be the same around here without her but that means my boyfriend will have more freedom to come and go while she’s away.

I’ve been thinking about becoming a personal trainer and/or weight loss coach for quite a while. I think it’s something I’d be good at. I know what I have to do to get certified, but I have a demanding high-stress job that doesn’t allow me the time to pursue anything else. I’ve been looking for a new job anyway, but all of a sudden I have an opportunity to take a 3 month temp job at a company i used to work for. It would give me the opportunity to get my certifications while I’m still making some money, and then at the end of it I would be done with the certification and could pursue a new career. Am I crazy to consider leaving a good paying job (that I hate) in a bad economy? I feel like I have a good opportunity to do it now and if I don’t do it, I will regret it and never have the guts to try. I have some money saved up so I’d be ok for a while and my boyfriend is supportive in every way (including financially). But I don’t want to put him in a bad situation and I don’t want to rely on him for everything either.  Am I crazy?? Does anyone have any thoughts?? This has been a dream of mine for a long time!!

It’s been a while since I posted. So what’s happened in the meantime….

I planned on counting calories and sticking to 1500 a day for a few weeks. I accomplished that goal, and made it down into the 120s. I think I’ve been staying with a lower calorie diet now that I have a good idea of what my portion sizes are supposed to look like.

I’m in the final week of the Lean phase of CLX. This isn’t my favorite month but I’m seeing good results.  I’m excited to finish up with Lean for Life and then start over with heavier weights.

I went shopping yesterday and I’m down to a size 2!! I never thought I’d see that again. At the moment I’m really happy with my weight so hopefully I can keep it here! 

Last week I broke into the 120s! Huge accomplishment for me. I was 129.5 so its only half pound in, but I don’t care!! I was at the same weight today so I don’t think it was a fluke. I’ve been eating 1500 calories a day and planning my meals ahead really helps me stick to a plan.

I started the Lean phase of CLX today. SOOOO hard but I loved it! I was lifting a couple lbs heavier during the Push phase, but since the exercises she does are more complicated this month AND she goes back to 12 reps, I find that I had to go down a couple lbs. But it’s all good because I definitely feel the challenge. My muscles are shaking and I definitely fatigue by 12. And once I’m finished I will start the whole thing over again and use heavier weights!!

Today was biceps and triceps and I could really see/feel the difference in my arms. It’s such a great feeling to be STRONG!!!!  

I’m getting very frustrated that I haven’t lost any significant weight in MONTHS. Today was supposed to be day 1 of my “starting over” and getting strict with my eating habits again. My short term goal is just to stick with it this week and then take it from there.
Things started out ok. I had 2 hard boiled eggs, an apple, a whole grain granola bar, half a turkey sandwich on whole grain and a salad, and chicken with a TON of veggies and a little bit of potatoes. And only one up of coffee, which is a huge accomplishment. All of this spread out over the entire day is pretty good, in my opinion. BUT… at 4:30 I caved and ate 3 (thats THREE) mini candy bars. I’m so disappointed with myself, because I was so close to having a “perfect” day.

Starting over again tomorrow…

It’s been a while since I’ve posted, but I there hasn’t been much to report. I’m still going strong with CLX. Halfway through the Push phase, and I’m still seeing results. I had a few setbacks with my diet this past week but I’m getting back on track. The scale is up a pound or two but I’m trying not to freak out about it. And I’ve been working out even more than usual so it’s all good.

I’m definitely noticing some muscle tone on my body. My arms actually look STRONG!!! I’m really surprised at how much weight I’ve been able to lift. I do what Chalene says and lift more than I think I can.  And I’ve discovered that I can lift even more than that!! I’m hoping to get out this weekend to get some more dumbbells. I absolutely cannot afford the selecttechs that she uses, so I’ll have to decide how much I want to get for now. In a few months  I’ll need to get even more and I’ll end up spending almost as much as I would have on the select techs, LOL. What I really need to do now is take control of what I’m eating so I can get my abs more defined! I can see them under there, peeking through. A tiny layer of fat removed will be a huge help!

A friend of mine that I havent seen in almost a year visited last weekend,and we had a great weekend together. Makes me homesick and even more eager to move out of NYC in the spring. Just waiting patiently for the time to pass. 

And I bought some delicous new coffee flavors last week. A little early, but I picked up a box of the holiday blend for my Keurig. Spicy Eggnog, GIngerbread, French Toast, and holiday roast. They are ALL delicious!!! So glad I found them.

My boyfriend got promoted to Entertainment Coordinator AND Sous Chef!!! Two awesome titles sounds like lots of work.  

After my first 30 days on ChaLean Extreme, I lost one inch from my hips, 1.5 from my waist, and .5 an inch from my arms!!! The rest stayed the same but I don’t really care! SOOO excited!!!  :)  Very exciting things happening for me this week!!  Looking forward to the next 30 days…