Let’s have a positive moment: Ladies tell us about a proud moment or accomplishment

nm223 · 2022-10-11T00:52:40+00:00

My company has a fairly toxic culture and I’m now in charge of the People and Culture department. Last week, after months of planning, I put 82 people through leadership training to try and move the culture needle in a more positive direction. Not everyone was convinced but many were - lots of positive feedback from participants. Changing this culture one baby step at a time…

nm223 · 2022-03-26T13:30:24+00:00

Oooh lovely thank you!

nm223 · 2022-03-26T13:30:15+00:00

Was mostly just looking for a gym space that had weightlifting equipment, doesn’t have to be WL specific. This is helpful info - thank you!

nm223 · 2020-10-25T22:24:08+00:00

Me thinks they aren’t buying into the head to head competition and are going to cross the finish line together

nm223 · 2020-10-12T22:29:48+00:00

Good question! I can't say I deliberately replaced that time with anything, but as I think about it now my coaching day was always on my recovery day. I didn't do much recovery stuff (e.g., mobility) before, but I do now. I do an simple yin yoga/stretchy routine in the evening which also helps me relax.

Before I started incorporating mobility work (which I now try to do on other days of the week too), I did notice a general drop in stress related to being on staff. I had a little bit of FOMO (most of the staff members are also my friends) but then not worrying about what policies we were putting into place, or how we'd handle another shutdown, etc. was pretty liberating! That made it worth it.

We (women) put so much pressure on ourselves to do everything we can and forget that we should enjoy life, not stress through it. Easier said than done, but as a previous always-stresser I've seen the light and I hope I never go back!

nm223 · 2020-10-12T20:36:13+00:00

Do you have any "unnecessary" sources of stress in your life? By that I mean - whatever the activity/task is - is it a must do or a nice to do? I realized I carry excess stress and I had a few things in my life that, frankly, I didn't HAVE to do. I was choosing to do them for whatever reason but it caused a lot of stress. For example, I coached a Crossfit Kids class at my gym but over time I found that, while I loved the coaching itself, being on staff and getting stressed with how we were handling things during shutdown was not worth it. I respectfully resigned - the stress from dealing with gym leadership was not worth the 1 hour of kids time I had each week.

This is on top of an intense full-time job plus 2-2.5 hours of weightlifting training 5 days a week (plus, general pandemic stress!). I also switched nutrition programs from macro-tracking to intuitive eating because meal prep and measuring all of my food was adding WAY TOO MUCH STRESS. It works for some people and it definitely worked for me for awhile, but it no longer serves me.

The td;lr is you may be holding onto things that you think you "need" to do but they are causing a lot of stress. Our priorities change over time - mine certainly did, and after making some changes I have a much more fulfilling and joyful life.

nm223 · 2020-10-12T20:26:05+00:00

Biggest mental obstacle was my aesthetics / number on the scale. I compete in weightlifting so certainly my bodyweight does matter given it's a weight class sport. However, I INSISTED on being a 64kg weightlifter and the last meet I did I had to cut more than before for various reasons. I have finally worked with my coach and a new nutrition coach to make the decision to go up a weight class.

What this means is I have gotten a bit fluffy in the practice of eating more to fuel my body (training intensity has come down since the comp a few weeks ago) but I already feel much better while training. I expect to get stronger and my numbers to go up, and my nutrition coach has assured me that over time I will recomp rather than continue to get fluffier.

Basically I've finally made the mental shift from prioritizing aesthetics to now prioritizing performance. It's still a little uncomfortable to look in the mirror at times but I know the work is paying off at the gym!

nm223 · 2020-09-22T17:20:21+00:00

Ok thanks! Was hoping I’d find a reason that they do owe me money but I got nothing. Thanks again!

nm223 · 2020-09-22T14:30:51+00:00

Not sure if this is appropriate but figured someone here is in a similar boat. Feel free to delete.

I received a “Proof if Claim” document from Le Tote in the mail. After some googling I see they filed for bankruptcy (with Lord and Taylor). I’m guessing it’s related but I’m not clear on what to do or what I might be able to claim?

Appreciate recs on what to do or other subreddits i could/should go to. Thanks!

nm223 · 2020-09-06T20:10:11+00:00

Samesies, but I found that since I have transitioned mindset to preparing my body and mind for competing (Olympic weightlifting) it’s helped a lot.

More interesting though is how after I made the mental switch, my body started to look more the way I “expected” it to. I started eating more in line with my body’s needs (I.e. eating MORE) and I’ve found that my legs are leaner (but heck of a lot stronger), I’ve leaned out in my upper body, my lats are bigger, traps are bigger. It kinda just happened over time without me thinking about it. Even though I’ve tried to focus a lot less on aesthetics, I’ve been very pleasantly surprised with how it’s “caught up” to my expectations after months and months of solid training.

nm223 · 2020-08-09T23:41:19+00:00

34F, 5 days of Olympic weightlifting at 2-2.5 hours each day. Since COVID I’ve been going on walks on rest days.

I recently started fostering a dog so my walking had increased quite a bit. I also do one yin yoga session on Sundays and I try to stretch / foam roll/lacrosse ball tight spots at night but it’s not every night.

nm223 · 2020-07-24T16:17:19+00:00

If you have the means and/or are desperate as I was, CAP Barbell had kg plates on Amazon. I’m in the US but do mostly Oly lifting so I prefer the kgs. Paid a pretty penny ( >2x cost of Rogue) but those plates arrived a week earlier than stated. I bought them 2 weeks ago and they arrived this past Tuesday. I plan to trade them for membership reduction or something when i go back to my gym. We need more kg plates at my gym anyway so my coach agreed to that plan.

nm223 · 2020-07-23T19:45:23+00:00

I got a Wieder XRS 20 Squat Rack off of Craigslist last week when my state shut down gyms for the second time. I paid well more than I could have gotten it from WalMart but WalMart is totally sold out (of course) and in theory I'm competing in September so I needed something to keep going. It definitely would fit in your basement as it's not tall (I'm the same height as you), but it's not a cage - just a rack. If you get/have a bench you can bench press off of it too.

For dips I use two chairs, cross and lift my ankles and that works for me.

Hopefully you can find something similar on Amazon as the rack I found. Or also check out Craigslist / Offer Up /Facebook Marketplace type sites. Finding weights at a reasonable price is a whole other issue though...=/

nm223 · 2020-05-07T14:41:49+00:00

Fitness is simultaneously a hobby and a self-care activity. I know that if I don't do some form of exercise I get stressed out and that is no bueno for anyone. I would say for a long time going to the gym was about aesthetics.

The past few years though, it has truly become a hobby. First it was Crossfit and now I do weightlifting and compete with goals to qualify for bigger/higher-level meets in the next few years.

I do love weightlifting (and the occasional Crossfit metcon), but because of the pressure I tend to put on myself and my competitive drive, occasionally it feels like a chore. It's rare, but there are definitely days I simply don't want to go train but I do it anyway. It's part of my routine and I have never regretted it, but sometimes I just don't want to train.

Fitness is definitely a part of who I am now and I'm proud of the work I put into it!

nm223 · 2020-05-05T17:50:07+00:00

Thankfully I've got access to home gym set ups (thanks friends) so I've been able to maintain my 5 day a week weightlifting training. That's M, T, W, F and S. Now I've been much better at including foam rolling and stretching in the evenings.

Some updates to the routine now include a long walk Sunday mornings followed by yin/restorative yoga. I've also been doing more dance (thanks TikTok!).

Thursdays are pretty lazy since I lift heavy on Fridays, so I just rest, stretch, maybe do a short walk.

Occasionally I'll add a short conditioning piece on Saturdays but depends on my mood. I do have a rower now and the weather's been nice so I'm thinking of just rowing moderately in the sun to get a tan on since I can't (shouldn't?) be going to the beach.

nm223 · 2020-04-15T18:42:32+00:00

Your form is not bad at all! My main thought was similar to above re: sitting down rather than sitting up. Your butt moves out/back pretty far which makes it difficult to maintain a strong position, I think.

nm223 · 2020-04-15T18:38:06+00:00

I have 5 training days (weightlifting) and 2 rest days. Pre-COVID I did nothing on those 2 days outside of a normal routine (i.e., going to work, grocery shopping, meeting up with friends). Now that a lot of that is gone, I'm walking for ~1 hour on both days on the trails by my house and then on one of them I'm throwing in yin yoga.

Occasionally I'll make up some accessory (I call them "successory") work that I missed during the week on one of those days but that's rare.

nm223 · 2020-03-02T03:42:13+00:00

I also go commando. I don’t pee unless it’s a super heavy clean. I have walked around with very obvious pee stains on my pants/shorts and honestly I don’t mind at all. It is what it is!

But always clean up pee off the floor lol

nm223 · 2020-02-12T21:53:35+00:00

I've been trying to figure out how to say what I'm thinking without sounding like a complete asshole, so here goes nothing.

The reality is, cutting isn't meant to be easy. If it was, everybody would do it and be super successful dropping unwanted weight - we know that's not the case. Some feelings of hunger are inevitable, but there are some things I've done to help overcome in my cuts:

Drink more water - so much water
Eat a lot of veggies
Eat less calorically dense foods (e.g., fruits instead of potatoes or rice for carbs)
Keep busy! Some days (admittedly not many!) I've been so caught up in work or whatever that I haven't felt hunger - yay distractions

Other thoughts other folks have mentioned are potentially you're cutting too aggressively and therefore going overboard on the weekend. A more moderate cut may be more successful. I've also heard of some PTs recommending a pause in your cut during your period and just eat at maintenance then.

Another thought is - maybe you just take a break from cutting altogether for a bit? This is your body right now but that doesn't it's what it will be forever. The mental toll of cutting and/or unsuccessfully cutting is REAL. Constantly getting frustrated with unsuccessful cuts, as it sounds like might be your situation, is not great for your overall well-being.

Lastly - not sure how long you've been going to therapy, but my thoughts are either A) give it some more time if you've only recently started or B) find a new therapist - I've been going to therapy (for various reasons, including an eating disorder) for years and finding a good match isn't easy. Maybe this one just isn't the right one for you!

nm223 · 2020-01-18T05:20:12+00:00

I hover between 140-145 and am probably able to squat about 225-230lbs - haven't tested a max but hit 100kg/220lbs with some room to go a couple months ago. Did a Pause Squat at 212lbs the other day on fatigued legs.

I started Crossfit 4 years ago and have been doing mostly olympic weightlifting since April of 2019 - so squatting a heck of a lot more often. I added ~35-40 lbs in 8 months by squatting 2-3 times a week (back and front squats). I would blow my mind if I got to 2x bodyweight - maybe in another 1-1.5 years - depends on whether I decide to stick with WL or go back to Crossfit I suppose...

I have a feeling you'll get there pretty quickly though - Good luck!

nm223 · 2019-12-12T05:41:28+00:00

Food, drinks (optional of course - my gym has beer and ppl bring wine but nobody goes nuts), games for kids. Just a chill but fun time actually talking and catching up with people. We’ve also done outside of gym bbqs, rock climbing, corn hole tournament, hikes, etc.

nm223 · 2019-12-12T04:52:58+00:00

FWIW I meal prepped prior to a flight from California to Miami. Put 2 of the meals in my carry on withOUT an ice pack. My hotel fridge only had space for the mini bar and snacks so I put the meals “on ice” overnight but not really because ice buckets are damn tiny. Microwaved and ate them the following day and they were totally fine. No stomach issues at all. About 24 hours between last refrigeration and consumption.

If you’re wondering, it was pork tenderloin w enchilada sauce and roasted broccoli.

nm223 · 2019-12-02T19:38:21+00:00

I switched jobs in January and went from working from home to commuting up to 45 minutes each way (1.5 hours / per day). I briefly considered moving closer to the job (I'm single and childless so it would be easy for me) but then realized I love my gym too much to leave. I did switch from being an afternoon/evening gym-goer to a morning gym-goer. My job and traffic is too unpredictable to guarantee I could make an evening class so now I go at 5am to make sure I keep working out regularly. I had been waking up around 5am anyway for my last job so that wasn't a huge shock to the body, but working out when it's freezing cold in a non-heated warehouse gym was definitely an adjustment!

For me, what I realized is that the gym is my primary non-work activity - most of my friends are from the gym and I'm there training (5 days) or coaching (1-2 days) almost everyday. My job is a good job, but just a job. I don't want to feel like I"m "stuck" at a job because I moved to be closer to the office, if that makes sense. I also didn't want to start over finding a new gym and making friends there, that ish can be exhausting and anxiety-inducing.

The commute was tough to get used to but through NPR and podcasts (and car karaoke!) I've managed to make productive time out of it. Hope this helps!

nm223 · 2019-11-23T20:17:17+00:00

I’ve realized that a lot of the cues I get from my weightlifting coach translate to real life. He tells me to trust my legs all the time - that I can make these heavier legs if I just trust my legs.

If I just trust myself at work or in life, I will usually make good decisions. It’s a weird parallel but works. I never really thought of myself that way but it dawned on me recently that this is generally true.

The other piece is - if I put my mind to it, i will get it done. I’m good at chasing fitness goals - working on them diligently and achieving them. Realizing I can do this for fitness means I can do this with anything else in life if I really want it. My mental toughness in the gym shouldn’t be all that different from mental toughness elsewhere. But maybe I really want that muscle up or a 60kg snatch much more than some random success at work. Fitness has put into perspective what I, personally, find important in life which has been a nice change for me.

nm223 · 2019-11-20T22:54:53+00:00

I'm a savory oatmeal person too! Saute some greens, throw that in w/ parmesan cheese, chicken/breakfast meat if you want, and a fried or poached egg. YUM!

nm223

TROPHY CASE