Thought about being a Mom and an Athlete

Since becoming a mom, I have decided that moms are literal superheros… to take care of kids, manage a household, make sure everyone is fed, socialized, and healthy all while taking care of our own bodies and relationships and pursuits is literally *nearly* impossible! I have learned a lot (and am still learning) about assessing priorities and allocating appropriate time and energy to those priorities!

My training has been something that has been very important for me to prioritize. It has become my few moments of the day to escape, clear my brain and focus on something concrete that I can control, and has been a saving grace for my mental health. It is also super important to me for my daughter to grow up seeing me do something I love.

Before you read any further… If you are a mom, do not read this and compare yourself to me. I am writing this to share some wisdom and hopefully some inspiration to you to fight for your health and fight to make time to do something you love.

While I know life is ever-evolving, I wanted to share a few tips on how I am currently prioritizing my training!

Always assessing my capacity: this has been a skill that I have had to learn and will continue to learn. As a mom, it has become so much more apparent that I only have so much time and energy in my day and I have to decide how to allocate that time and energy and be very clear about my priorities. The truth is, I can handle the amount of training I am doing right now, but that may all change as life happens, and that is okay.

Schedule but be flexible: Kevin and I sit down at the beginning of each week and schedule what times each of us are training (amongst other things). The hard truth of training in my life is that I am up at 5am most days of the week doing my workout before Keely wakes up. If not, then I am having to get creative to fit training in during naps or after she goes to bed at night. And sometimes… it just doesn’t get fit in!!

What I can give is enough: You cannot compare yourself to pre-baby you. What your time training looks like now probably looks a lot different than it used to. Your in a new season with different stressors, so you have to understand what your new normals are and practice being okay with those new normals! If you are like me and have certain ideas of what training should look like because it was engrained if you for years, open yourself up to the new possibilities of the season you are in. And accept that your new training volume/style/amount is ENGOUH!

Time is fleeting: Not to be a downer… but… your time with your kids is always fleeting. And sometimes that means you skip a run to eat pancakes with them instead, and that is okay!!

The reality is, you can be both a mom and an athlete. You don’t have to choose! But, you do have to choose to step into the discomfort of “balancing” them both! And, I hope your journey is like mine in the sense that both being a mom and an athlete got better once I realized both could be true!!

Metabolic Testing: What It Is & Why We Care

Metabolic Testing

What Is It

Well, in short, it is a test that helps us determine how many calories you burn at rest.

The method we use is indirect calorimeter, which is the gold standard field test, and the MOST accurate way we can determined your metabolism outside of a hospital or lab. The device we have measures your oxygen to carbon dioxide ratios (the inputs and byproducts of metabolism), to determine how metabolically active your body is.

Why does it matter?

This number becomes the baseline of determining your caloric needs.

If you burn 1500 calories at rest, then we use that plus your daily activity to determine your total caloric expenditure. Having this number is crucial for performance, weight loss, weight gain or any body composition goals you have. It is also important to know, because chronically eating under this number will cause your metabolism to adapt down.

Whether you are interested in tracking calories or not, this number helps us educate you on how much to eat based on your goals.

What determines my metabolism?

A lot of factors! Some of the most significant factors are gender, muscle mass, dieting history, hormone levels, medications, and stress levels.

But can’t I use a calculation?

Sure, but these aren’t always accurate. These don’t take into account the above factors. I always compare the number I get from the test with the calculations AND In-Body scan results. I can honestly say in most cases, these numbers can all vary 100-400 calories. If you were to use an inaccurate number to determine your needs, you may not reach your goals due to under or overeating.

Can my metabolic rate change?

For sure!!! Depending on muscle mass changes, weight changes, recent under or over eating, changes in hormones, changes in medications and stress levels, your metabolic rate can change.

What is the test like?

It is pretty simple. You just need to breathe into our device for 10 minutes. Your nose will be plugged with a nose clip so that all your air is coming through your mouth. You have to be fasted and avoid caffeine and exercise prior to the test.

Guys, I promise this test worth it! I am so not into gimmicky stuff, so I wouldn’t utilize this tool if I didn’t trust the science behind it!

A Client Success Story: a testament to consistency!!

This is an example of everything we believe in at Fuel to Thrive… progressive lifestyle change over time! Notice how this client did not do a drastic diet or jump into a whole new fitness routine. He build habits over time and stuck with them. Also, notice how his journey started in early 2021 and he reached his goal weight in May 2022.

LONG TERM LASTING CHANGE TAKES TIME & CONSISTENCY!

Please read that again….

Ready to feel motivated?! Heres the success story….

Background

I’ve always had a “large” frame and been overweight since I was probably 12 years old. During high school and my first two years of college I was probably at my healthiest. I was part of the WSU football team and played as an offensive lineman. As part of that role I weighed up to nearly 300lbs by the time I graduated in 2004. After graduation I lost a lot of weight in the first two years and was able to reach 240lbs fairly easily as that’s where my body naturally seemed to balance out at.

Before My Journey Began….2015 - Oofda

I didn’t really work out with resistance training in any form or fashion and did very little cardio but I have always been active and spent a lot of time hiking, kayaking, or being up and around on weekends as part of my hobbies. This level of activity took my body weight to about 230lbs but my cholesterol was high, my energy levels started lagging, and I just didn’t feel like I was living up to my potential or setting the stage for the next couple chapters of my life.

Motivation

I turned 40 in January of 2021 and over the course of the year started really thinking about what the rest of my middle age years and after would look like (midlife crisis perhaps?). Lisa (my wife) has worked for Fuel to Thrive since late 2020 and had been sharing stories of the successes Fuel’s principals and training were having with their clients. While I wasn’t overly out of shape, I wasn’t making any progress and was steadily gaining weight and losing what little muscle tone I had left. In late 2021 I decided that I was finally tired enough of the way I looked and felt to take action.

The Beginning of My Journey… Summer 2021- Dad bod status achieved!!

Actions Taken

Using Fuel’s principles and training I started working out in January of 2022. I had a general idea that I wanted to get “fit” but I wasn’t sure what I even wanted that to look like. I use the term “working out” in the most general terms which involved doing three sets of 10 push ups and 3 sets of 30 crunches 3-5 days a week. This was the most I could do at the time and I was pretty sore for the first couple weeks. I kept up with the pushups and crunches and added lunges and a little bit (20 minutes twice a week) of jogging. I started to see weight come off after the second or third week and was able to add the number of pushups weekly until I was doing three sets of 50 by early February. By mid-February I had dropped about 15lbs and was really starting to get motivated. At that time, I ordered a simple collapsible weight bench, some resistance bands, and started using a set of concrete filled vinyl dumbbells (you know the ones) to do bench exercises and add weight to my leg routines. I also started really paying attention to the Fuel to Thrive principals of exercise balance and training and using MyFitness Pal and tracking calories to achieve a goal bodyweight of 200lbs.

Seeing results leading to motivation…March 2022

By early March I had dropped from 235lbs to 203lbs and could really see the results. I had the beginnings of a six pack, and my man boobs were looking more like pecs each week. Furthermore, the increased weight training was leading to an increase in my metabolism which was making the weight loss/maintenance almost easy. In addition to looking and feeling better I was realizing that the lifestyle and diet were going to be totally sustainable. I didn’t have to completely eliminate any of the foods/drinks I love and just had to keep track of what I was consuming. After mid February, the weight loss slowed for a couple weeks but it wasn’t discouraging since I was really close to my goal and could see physical changes taking place on a weekly basis and by early May I reached my goal weight!

May 2022….Goal Weight Achieved!

At that point I started setting new goals for muscle gain and body composition and started incorporating more cardio (30-45 minutes 2-4 times a week) and using a wider variety of resistance exercises to reach the whole body. At this point my goal is to continue to add muscle mass and just see how far the journey can take me. I’ve never felt physically better in my life, I’ve got a six pack for the first time ever, and I have 100% confidence that I can maintain my fitness and nutrition indefinitely without having to eliminate things I love eating or drinking. Fuel to Thrives’ approach to a sustainable fitness journey have made the changes sustainable so I can see the progress without being miserable in the process!