Doing some kettlebell swings during some down time in Goblin Valley.

Normally I would take a reprieve from training during our family’s spring break. After all, I was getting some exercise. We hiked every day. But the hikes were fun and enjoyable — not “training” efforts.

The fact that in less than four weeks I will be hiking from North to South across Zion National Park — about 50+ miles including sidetrips — in a day — means I needed to get some training in during my trip.

No problem. Following our adventuring in Goblin Valley State Park, Jerry, and our 4-year-old son, Fin, took a nap. Wolf and Hayden, our older sons, explored a slot canyon while I did a core and kettlebell workout. In all, it took about 12 minutes to get pretty well worked over, with no sacrifice of family time.

Another day, after our hiking in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, I did some body weight exercises in our campsite while Jerry and the boys built a fire.

On the final day of our trip, at Coral Pink Sand Dunes, I raced my sons up and down a huge sand dune. We ran, all out, up and down, only a handful of times. It was fun, and a heck of a workout to boot. (I think I’m still sore from that fun, “little” effort.)

I share this to prove that you don’t have to go to a gym, or deprive yourself of family time on a vacation, to get some high quality training in. (Thanks to my trainer and friend, Steve Bechtel, of Elemental Training Center, for influencing me in this regard.)

Kettlebell throws.

Goblet squats in a little slot canyon.

Racing our sons up a giant sand dune. (The winner gets extra s'mores.)

I did a Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim in May, 2010.

Today marks The End to something that has been very significant to me: My weight loss journey.

Just under two years ago, I weighed almost 160 pounds and was chubby and pretty lazy. Today, I am smaller than I’ve been since high school and yet stronger and more capable than ever. I weigh 129 and am not soft or lazy anymore.

My trainer and I recorded data during the journey. Here’s the proof in numbers:

Baring it all. (It took courage to reveal my numbers early on)

What a difference 22 months and a bunch of hard work, sacrifices and commitment make.

Near the end of March 2009 – 22 months ago – I found myself in the office of friend and personal trainer Steve Bechtel, at his Elemental Training Center, in my hometown of Lander, Wyoming.

I was at the end of my rope. In a health and fitness rut, I weighed almost 160 pounds and had just ordered a pair of size 12 pants from the Eddie Bauer catalog. The first time I ever did that.

Every night for about three years, I would retire to bed with this same, deep, nagging feeling – let’s call it what it was, REGRET – that didn’t just speak to me, it yelled, angrily at me: “Another day went by and you did nothing about it. You didn’t exercise. You didn’t eat the right things and you ate too much. You’re lazy. You feel like crap. You have young children. You’re operating a business and trying to expand it. You need more energy. You have to change things. As soon as possible. But another day went by and you, well, once again did nothing to change things.” Self-talk like this went on probably every night for three years. It was ugly.

In fairness, I should point out that I did have a lot going on in my life. My husband, Jerry, and I had two young sons at the time, and a third on the way, we owned a business, of which I was the CEO. The business was going great and I was busy innovating and capitalizing on what was abundant opportunity. I loved my work and was passionate about our business’ potential. At the same time, I was pursuing prospective partners to help put wheels on the company’s expansion plans. I was probably investing 75 hours a week toward work, plus trying to be a great mother and wife.

So if I needed excuses for my getting soft, chubby and lazy, I didn’t have to look very hard to find them. And they felt like plausible excuses, until each night when that nagging regret kicked in.

I should also point out that most of my life, up until the space between March 2006 and March 2009, I was probably in above-average health. I played basketball in college, and after that, got into mountain biking, snowboarding, snowshoeing, backpacking, trail running, distance day hiking and cross country skiing.

Hell fire, even while I weighed almost 160, I hiked the Shoshone Lake hike above Lander, which is a difficult, 21-mile hike. But I paid dearly for it for days following and certainly it was not the fantastic experience it is when I’m fit and have energy to spare and a “lighter load” to carry.

Skiing on February 23 of last year.

Outside of operating our business, I was no longer confident either. I was chubby and felt lazy, because, well, physically I was. My self-esteem tanked. We’d take family trips and I wouldn’t swim with Jerry and the boys at the hotel pool because I didn’t want to put a swimming suit on. I found myself turning down speaking invitations. I didn’t “go out” as much – meaning even to make simple trips to the grocery store, etc. I “hid” myself as much as possible while focusing on business and trying my best to be a good mom and wife.

So, in March 2009, shortly after I ordered the size 12 pants, and upon encouragement from my friend, Sharon, there I sat on Steve’s couch in his office at Elemental Training Center.

I won’t rehash everything here because I’ve covered my weight loss and fitness journey pretty thoroughly right here on this blog. (I’ve compiled a list containing all 33 posts with links to each here. Please check them out and feel free to share them if you think they’ll inspire others to get off the couch and add vitality and years to their lives.)

Family hiking photo at Blue Ridge Lookout, August 2010.

But let me say this. Basically I let three years, at least, slip by in my life that – from a vitality and health quality standpoint – were less than extraordinary. Frankly, from a health standpoint, those three years were, at best, mediocre, and it bothered me then, and now, that I can’t get that time back to do over in a more healthy body and mind.

So as I sat on the couch confronting my overweight and sloth-like status with Steve, I committed to losing weight and getting in excellent health.

Summiting the Grand Teton, August 2009.

One of the most important realizations I had early on that was probably more instrumental than any other thing in my weight loss journey’s success, is that there is a (huge) difference between deciding and committing.)

I have a poignant memory from that day that marked The Start of my weight loss journey: I was on my way home from my meeting with Steve and I was at a red light on Main Street waiting to turn left on S. 5^th Street to head home.  I thought first of the brevity of life. How short of time we have and all that’s important to me and how best can I live it to the fullest while honoring those I love so much and who love me. I realized at that time that the changes I was about to make were gigantic. They would be changes I would make for life. For eternity.

Sure, I would have to eat more vegetables. Drink more water. Eat less junk food. Exercise harder and on a regular basis. (I eventually made the decision, on my own, to give up all grains/complex carbohydrates, which for the first few weeks required monumental will power.) I would have to get up super early in the morning.

As I sat there at that red light thinking about all this, it may sound cheesy – and extreme – but I remember thinking: I am giving up frozen pizza not for a month or a year but probably for the rest of my life. The commitment was that big. I was signing up for changes that were to last a lifetime.

The change I was committing to meant more than taking a few difficult-but-temporary steps.

And, I was all in.

So, in a nutshell, yesterday, Jan. 31, 2011, The End of my weight loss journey was met. On March 20, I weighed 158 pounds and my body fat was about 27 percent. Today, I weigh 129 pounds and have 10.9% body fat.

More significantly, though, my life has gotten so much fuller and richer – on all fronts. I’m a better mother. I can not only play and romp with our three young sons, I have a fighting chance of keeping up with them on the slopes, in our wrestling matches and in foot races. I’m a better, happier, more loving wife. I am more confident in my work. I have enjoyed countless, awe-inspiring outdoor experiences during the last 22 months that I would have absolutely missed out on had I not embarked on my weight loss/fitness journey.

Family ski outing.

Among other things, I climbed the Grand Teton, completed a Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim in a less than 24 hours, I placed third in my age group in the Rendezvous 25k Ski Race last year, I went on a dozen or more “epic” day hikes in my beloved Wind River Range that were 21-32 miles each.

I also learned a lot about fitness and training. Steve Bechtel is a brilliant trainer who knows his stuff. As many would agree, he could be “a trainer for the stars.” He set the bar high and drove me hard, both things I required in order to push myself. He introduced me to high intensity and metabolic training. He helped get me strong without “bulking up.” The latter is proven by the reality that while I’m significantly smaller than I’ve been since I was in high school, I’m stronger than ever. I did 21 consecutive pull-ups, 30 dips, bench-pressed 132 pounds five times, dead-lifted 135 pounds 39 times, did 26 back squats of 135 pounds, and did 16 front squats of 135 pounds.

Today, I often find myself close to (happy) tears when I think about how full and rich my life is. This is in very, very large part the result of my weight loss and fitness accomplishments.

My weight loss journey has ended, but my pursuit of staying in great fitness will never end. I have arrived at a particular weight but I know it’s an ongoing effort to stay healthy. I can say this: I’ve tasted the Koolaid and I’m never going back. I’m saying yes to vitality, great health and a full life. I’m saying no to mediocrity and to just getting by when it comes to my health. Life is too short. And I love it too much.

As some of you are aware, I am training to become a life and leadership coach, and was also recently certified by the American Fitness Professionals and Associates as a nutrition consultant. Many of my coaching clients have weight loss as a major goal in their life.

I, for one, don’t underestimate weight loss as being something that’s of significant importance in one’s life. It’s not something to toss aside as a vanity item – quite the contrary. Everything in my life is better as a result of weighing less and being more “able” to live my life to the fullest. Being the best person I can be for those who love me and for those I love is absolutely related to the condition of my health and well being. (And okay, sure, it’s also great to fit into my designer jeans.)

During the last 22 months I’ve often told people I was reinventing myself. But what happened during the last 22 months was a transformation.

My sincere thanks to my husband, Jerry, and our sons, Wolf, Hayden and Fin, who were especially important in this journey; to my parents and other family members, to my close friends, to Steve Bechtel and his team at Elemental Training Center, and to all of you who have read this blog and/or support me with your friendship and positivity. I don’t take any of it lightly, and I am grateful to all of you.

Thanks for following this journey. I will be happy to share any specifics about what I did during my weight loss journey with you, including tips and tricks. If you wish, I will also light a fire under you, if that’s what you’re needing.

My main team.

———————————-

Elemental Gym has a fantastic gym, some terrific programs and classes that will help you achieve better fitness. And, I might add, some great personal trainers: Steve Bechtel, Ellen Bechtel, Jagoe Reid, Sophie Mosemann and Lee Brown.

Thanks to all of you who have followed my journey. I love you for your support, readership and love!

Please see my more complete “end of weight loss journey” blog post just published. But in doing so, I first wanted to get this list of complete links up in one place so I can reference it from the aforementioned blog post.

MY WEIGHT LOSS/FITNESS JOURNEY BLOG POSTS

POST 1: A MID-LIFE TRAINING PROGRAM (May 9, 2009)

POST 2: MY FITNESS JOURNEY, SWITCHBACK #2 (June 10, 2009)

POST 3: HAVE WORKOUT, WILL TRAVEL (June 23, 2009)

POST 4: I’M HAVING MY CAKE & EATING IT TOO (June 29, 2009)

POST 5: COMMITMENT, THE DREADED THING (July 12, 2009)

POST 6: 4-MONTH FITNESS UPDATE: –18 POUNDS, –9.3% BODY FAT (July 28, 2009)

POST 7: MY FITNESS JOURNEY: WHAT’S NEXT (Aug. 17, 2009)

POST 8: SPOT REDUCTION: WE CAN STOP BELIEVING (Sept. 1, 2009)

POST 9: 6-MONTH UPDATE: –23 POUNDS, –12.4% BODY FAT (Sept. 15, 2009)

POST 10: THE DOWN-SIDE OF LOSING WEIGHT (Sept. 23, 2009)

POST 11: EXERCISING AT DARK-THIRTY A.M. (Oct. 2, 2009)

POST 12: GOT MOTIVATION? (Nov. 7, 2009)

POST 13: VIDEO BLOG: HOW I LOST 24 POUNDS & 12.5% BODY FAT (Nov. 14, 2009)

POST 14: WHY ACCOUNTABILITY IS MORE VALUABLE THAN SUPPORT (Nov. 24, 2009)

POST 15: I (MOSTLY) LIKE KATE MOSS’ QUOTE (Dec. 1, 2009)

POST 16: FITNESS JOURNEY: WHAT HIGH INTENSITY MEANS (Dec. 13, 2009)

POST 17: WHAT I ATE TO LOSE 26 POUNDS IN 8 MONTHS (Dec. 23, 2009)

POST 18: 2010 FITNESS GOALS VIDEO BLOG (Jan. 5, 2010)

POST 19: 10-MONTH FITNESS UPDATE — OR, DEBUNKING A MYTH: GIRLS CAN GET STRONGER AND SMALLER (Jan. 13, 2010)

POST 20: DECIDING AND COMMITTING ARE DIFFERENT THINGS (Jan. 30, 2010)

POST 21: COWGIRL TUFF JEANS OR A 1,200-FOOT PARASAIL? THAT IS THE QUESTION (Feb. 5, 2010)

POST 22: I DID 19 PULL-UPS — JUST 1 SHORT OF MY GOAL (Feb. 16, 2010)

POST 23: RENDEZVOUS 25K SKI RACE: A GREAT EXPERIENCE (March 10, 2010)

POST 24: ONE YEAR AGO, I WAS LAZY AND CHUBBY (April 1, 2010)

POST 25: NEXT UP: 50-K TRAIL RUN (May 3, 2010)

POST 26: MY PERSONAL TRAINER SHARES HIS KNOWLEDGE (May 12, 2010)

POST 27: SHELLI: 1; KRISPY KREMES: 0 (June 15, 2010)

POST 28: FITNESS JOURNEY BLOG POST, NO. 28 (July 12, 2010)

POST 29: DON’T EAT JUNK FOOD JUST BECAUSE YOU’VE EARNED IT (Aug. 23, 2010)

POST 30: MY UPCOMING FITNESS GOALS (Sept. 18, 2010)

POST 31: STRONGER, BUT SMALLER (Nov. 7, 2010)

POST 32: I’M CHASING 2 RABBITS. WISH ME LUCK? (Dec. 13, 2010)

POST 33: THE END — OF MY WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY

A SAMPLING OF ADVENTURES ENJOYED ALONG THE WAY:

32-mile epic Wind River Day Hike

Another Best Wind River Hike, Ever

Hiking the Bears Ears Trail

Biking to Frye Lake

Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim of Grand Canyon: 46 miles, 23,000′ of gain/loss, 1 day

Snowshoeing above Lander, Wyoming

Trail running The Bus Trail above my town

Rendezvous 25-k Skate Ski Race

Skiing the Continental Divide/South Pass, Wyoming

Climbing the Grand Teton

Hiking Deep Creek & Ice Creek Lakes, Wind River Range

HOW TO WAKE UP AT 4:30 AM TO WORK OUT

How to Wake Up Early in Morning to Go to Gym

————————————–

Elemental Gym has a fantastic gym, some terrific programs and classes that will help you achieve better fitness. And, I might add, some great personal trainers: Steve Bechtel, Ellen Bechtel, Jagoe Reid, Sophie Mosemann and Lee Brown.

So, I’m recycling a video blog I did some months ago. Thanks to my good friend, Sharon Terhune, (a fellow athlete at Elemental Training Center) for interviewing me about a distinction I made between deciding and committing that enabled me to lose significant weight and get myself into good health.

Almost 3 months ago (on Sept. 17), I set some new training goals with my personal trainer and friend, Steve Bechtel. (A short video of our discussion, is here.)

With the end of the calendar year fast approaching, I’m chasing down my last two goals. I would like to get these goals checked off the list and behind me. I miss my endurance training, and I want to go full throttle into skate skiing.

In summary, I had 6 goals. The first 4 listed below have been accomplished – at least for the time being.

1. To set/establish a gym record in number of repetitions of front squat at body weight. I did 16 reps.

2. To set/establish a gym record in number of repetitions of back squat at body weight. I did 25 reps.

3. To set/establish a gym record for number of reps of bench press at body weight. I did 5 reps.

4. To set/establish a gym record for number of dips. I did 21.

5. To beat my pull-up record of 19. I’m still working toward this. This is hard work. I hope the end is in sight, but not sure. I managed 16 today. I really don’t want to be doing so many pull-ups in January. I’m getting tired of them.

6. To weigh 129 pounds. I’m still working toward this. I weigh 132 today, down from the 133.5 I weighed in September. This one is the hardest for me. I’m trying to believe it’s possible, but it very well may not be. It doesn’t feel super realistic right now, to be honest.

The problem is that the two remaining goals are at cross purposes. Or, as Steve would say, “If you’re chasing two rabbits, you’ll catch neither one.”

In fact, at the gym today, Steve looked me straight in the eyes and said “You can’t get both of these by the end of the year. You need to make a decision.”

Here’s his explanation:

Well. I like the “impossibility” factor of achieving both of these divergent goals at once.

But I do have some sense, and the risk of getting neither seems greater to me than is the chance of getting both. So for now, I choose pull-ups.

While it’s no fun being reasonable, this does mean I can eat the homemade pecan sandies and drink the egg nog over the holiday. Which is no small thing.

So, already, I feel better.

Elemental Gym has a fantastic gym, some terrific programs and classes that will help you achieve better fitness. And, I might add, some great personal trainers: Steve Bechtel, Ellen Bechtel, Jagoe Reid, Sophie Mosemann and Lee Brown.

For backstory — and links to all of my fitness-related blogging — see Post 1,
Post 2, Post 3, Post 4, Post 5, Post 6, Post 7,Post 8, Post 9, Post 10, Post 11, Post 12,Post 13,Post 14, Post 15, Post 16, Post 17,Post 18, Post 19,Post 20,Post 21, Post 22,Post 23, Post 24, Post 25, Post 26, Post 27,Post 28 Post 29, Post 30, and Post 31.

Some of you may recall that I came up with several short-term fitness goals on Sept. 18. As of Oct. 26 — about 5 weeks later — I had achieved three of them. I was able to do 21 dips. I squatted slightly more than my bodyweight (135 pounds) 25 times, and front squatted 135 pounds 16 times. It should be noted that while these squat stats are gym records, neither had any data in their place so it doesn’t necessarily mean I “own” these records. Furthermore, we only “went after” these “reps at bodyweight” exercises/records once for front squatting and twice for regular back squats. (The first time I did 21 reps on the back squat)

For practical purposes, it appears these three goals can be checked off my list as being accomplished.

Me, on Cyclone Pass.

What you hopefully recall from my goal-setting video in mid-September is the end of it. Specifically I was quite concerned about “bulking up” while pursuing so many ambitious “strength” goals. I thought/think this was a legitimate concern given my training would inevitably shift to low reps and lifting very heavy loads. This is what everyone thinks. But it’s actually all wrong, according to Steve, who shrugged off my concern, emphatically stating that I will not bulk up.

Another concern, which I still have, is getting my weight from 133-135 down to 129. For the record, this is a goal mainly because there are a pair of jeans I really want to wear and they require losing some weight. I’m kidding! Sort of. The weight loss goal represents a weight that I honestly cannot recall ever weighing. Suffice it to say if I was ever 129 pounds, I can’t remember when it was. I like the “impossibility” of this goal.

First, let’s address the bulking up concern. Steve was right. I have not bulked up. In fact, I’ve gotten leaner and smaller. This fact still boggles my mind, although Steve’s knowledge about getting stronger without getting bigger has been supported previously in my numbers. (Several months ago I deadlifted 135 pounds 39 times and did 19 pullups to the same result — no weight gain or body size increase; if anything, the opposite).

Since I hired Steve as a personal trainer and joined Elemental Training Center in March 2009, we have kept good data on my weight, body size (measurements) and body fat percentage. So, don’t take my word for it, or even Steve’s. Look at the data:

Part of the way Steve explains my getting stronger while getting smaller has to do with the fact that muscle is more dense than fat. Steve attempted to explain this to me by saying that a pound of muscle may resemble in size a small apple, whereas a pound of fat may resemble in size a grapefruit. Okay, that helps.

So here we are today. It’s Nov. 8, and I’m having a challenging time. Last Thursday, during my session with Steve, I was telling Steve I was disappointed in my pullups ability during our Tuesday session a couple days earlier. Being whacky, I punished myself for that by doing 100 pullups (and what the heck 100 pushups) in addition to my usual cardio/high intensity intervals on the elliptical trainer, stepmill and air dyne on Wednesday morning. Steve was not happy. I showed up to Thursday’s session — gee I wonder why — tired and sore.

It was at this point Thursday that Steve took me over to one of his beloved whiteboards and charted how I should be working out right now. What he charted didn’t look anything like the self-prescribed workouts I was choosing to do on my own time. In so many words, he said: “If you don’t follow this plan (pointing to his strategy on the whiteboard) and we don’t achieve your goals, it’s your problem. If you follow this plan and we don’t achieve your goals, it’s my problem.”

Once again, Steve’s wisdom is compelling. So, I will let it be his problem and do what he instructs me to do. After all, he is my hired coach and trainer. And somehow, as a result of this little chat we had, and the data like that included in the image above, I feel confident I will achieve my goals. Including the weighing 129 one.

If all goes well, it will be nobody’s problem.

Elemental Gym has a fantastic gym, some terrific programs and classes that will help you achieve better fitness. And, I might add, some great personal trainers: Steve Bechtel, Ellen Bechtel, Jagoe Reid, Sophie Mosemann and Lee Brown.