Are you a former jock or jockette?

CaliforniaRower

I was SO athletic when I was in high school and college. <Insert bad marriage and 3 kids> Then I was athletic for several years after my divorce - 20 years ago. <Insert growing my company> Then one day, I woke up 25 lbs overweight. Can anyone else relate to this? What the HECK happened? I used to get such a thrill from being lean and strong. I'm trying to get that person back...at 50! <Insert don't want to be crippled in the nursing home>

urloved33

nice post. i can understand your journey. welcome back!

Camo_xxx

What the heck happened ?

Pretty sure that is a rhetorical question. Simply put your priorities changed. Sounds like they are changing yet again. Welcome back.

louiseyates1

I was super athletic in school and college and then life hit and I became lazy and cocky. Fast forward 8 years, I have 2 kids (3 yrs and 7 months), I'm a law student and self employed, currently renovating our house and I'm realising that if I don't sort myself out now (I'm 27) I never will.
Anyways started back at the gym 2 weeks ago and my fitness has turned around and I look forward to my hour- hour& half alone with my thought just thrashing it out at the gym. And I've realised I've missed it!

Lou x

Bugdude54

Right there with you. Super active played 3 sports in school. Avid adventurer. Then one day car accident. Didn't walk for a year. Stuck in pain every day. Gave up on life. Flash forward 11 years and I'm 75lbs heaver. My 6th generation fat clothes were getting tight and its like I woke up from a sleep and didn't recognize myself. Working hard to get back to that moment I lost it all 11 years later.

azulvioleta6

Yep, I have always been athletic and outdoorsy...except for the years when I was too sick to get out of bed.

In my case, brain aneurysm and pituitary failure is what happened. I am back to being very active again, but still carry around an extra 20 pounds...better than the extra 110 that I once had!

jmurray90

nope... I've been fat forever lbvs

dbienz

I completely understand! I was a volleyball player competing at the national level. When I went to college I tried to continue sports and school but with two Bachelors degrees in my plan it and trying to keep my academic scholarship it was hard. When I quit playing competitively (I kept playing for fun at school) things got ugly. I couldn't just stop my lifestyle which included intense workouts, training, meal planning, and high caloric intake. I removed the intense workout and training but kept eating like a competitive volleyball player!

Now I'm learning how to eat in relation to my workout regimen and things are looking much better. The leaner I get the more addicted I get to being fit. The high I get after a good workout is something I miss. When trainers tell me they love clients like me, former athletes, because we don't have to be pushed as hard, we push ourselves, and already know good form and technique I take pride in the compliment. I'm not where I used to be, but being competitive with myself to get back to that point has been a great journey

Liftng4Lis

The great news is, you can get it back!

runnrchic

I ran cross country for 4 years in high school, and it was my favorite sport. I've been running ever since (going on 19 years now), some years more than others, but my weight has fluctuated from 114, and no muscle, when I went on my first diet (counting calories) in 2011 to 138 in 2013 because I stopped counting (I'm 5'6"). Now I'm at a muscular 118-119 and I don't consider logging a diet anymore. I actually really enjoy it because I'm a numbers person, and I keep making little tweaks here and there to slowly phase out the processed foods. I've never felt better, and logging is one of the reasons I enjoy what I eat now so much.

rybo

Life happens, then you get a spark and want to change directions.

Gska17

I'm the opposite. I hated PE and all sports. I was once excused from a semester of PE in high school because I was in marching band. Yet I was one of the thinnest people I knew. Fast forward 10-15 years and to my horror I realized I have to move around and watch what I eat. I'm now doing C25K much to the horror of my 35 year old knees, tendons, and ankles.

Good luck with your journey!

brynnsmom

Yes - I initially gained weight during my senior year in high school when I stopped playing competitive sports. Luckily I was able to get back down to a healthy weight while in college, but it wasn't until I discovered MFP that I started focusing on improving my athleticism again.

CaliforniaRower

dbienz wrote: »

I completely understand! I was a volleyball player competing at the national level. When I went to college I tried to continue sports and school but with two Bachelors degrees in my plan it and trying to keep my academic scholarship it was hard. When I quit playing competitively (I kept playing for fun at school) things got ugly. I couldn't just stop my lifestyle which included intense workouts, training, meal planning, and high caloric intake. I removed the intense workout and training but kept eating like a competitive volleyball player!

Now I'm learning how to eat in relation to my workout regimen and things are looking much better. The leaner I get the more addicted I get to being fit. The high I get after a good workout is something I miss. When trainers tell me they love clients like me, former athletes, because we don't have to be pushed as hard, we push ourselves, and already know good form and technique I take pride in the compliment. I'm not where I used to be, but being competitive with myself to get back to that point has been a great journey

WOW! That's exactly what my rowing coach said! I thought she was just being nice! And yes, I am highly competitive with myself. That's the biggest asset from my athletic past. THANK YOU. I found this really encouraging. (My daughter played varsity v-ball. Great sport!)

CaliforniaRower

These are AWESOME everyone! I am pleased that other athletes had the same "WTH" experience when we woke up one day and looked in the mirror. Makes me feel a lot more normal! A few years ago, I used to date an Ironman winner who is a few years older than me and 90% of the time he was talking or thinking about his own fitness. I thought he was obsessive but now I envy his dedication.

ElizabethKalmbach

I was a dancer until I was 29. Then my thyroid quit and that took some time to sort out. I became a runner to lose that weight. Then I got pregnant and there were complications that caused me to gain 80 lbs. I swam to take that off. Then I developed pernicious anemia and lost a bunch of weight without knowing why, so I started lifting weights to put on muscle mass. Then I developed ASIA and was gaining a pound a week until we figured out that I was having a reaction to silicone and got all that out of my system. So now I'm fencing and running again to take off all the extra weight. AGAIN. :P

CaliforniaRower

Oh, Elizabeth! Fencing is SUCH a great sport! I was competitive in epee for 4 years...never in better shape! Good for you.

ElizabethKalmbach

Right now, I'm frustrated with all my random flailing and lack of muscle memory, but the only way to get past it is to keep on keeping on. I look forward to being able to repeat things I just did ON PURPOSE.