Nothing left to do but DIET!

Wow that's brave to post that I admire you remember what made you be a trainer in first place find that determination and you'll get there

Hang in there!

lunafoo,

I was an elite athlete cycling long distances, swimming for hours, running marathons and 1/2 marathons on a regular basis until a wicked hip injury sidelined me during a marathon last April. The injury occurred half way thru, anyone else would have pulled over and dropped out. But I pressed on, limped and staggered the rest of the way, finishing the race in severe pain. Thinking back, that may have been a stupid thing to do...we'll see as I continue to get medical attention.

My lower body was once a roaring engine...not any more. For a long time, I relied on my lower body to maintain my strength, cardio and excel at all types of sports. All I can do now is some light to moderate cycling, and that made me gain 20 or so pounds. So I've started to exercise more of my upper body to compensate but it takes longer to burn the calories and shed the pounds.

My struggle now is that I was once able to eat anything, anytime, anywhere, and as much as I wanted. The high level of activity never made me gain a pound. Now that the activity had dwindled, I need to re-adjust my eating habits...I can't have it all any longer.

So...new eating habits, new ways to get active, pounds to shed....triple whammy.

My physical condition took a downturn but I didn't let it drag my soul down with it. When I look at how my legs are no longer my prized possession, I say "that's not who I am".

When I look at my wall of medals....that's who I am!
When I look at my racing photos....that's who I am!
When I think of countless hours of training I put in....that's who I am!
When I think of my determination and drive that got me to that level...darn it, that's who I am!

I suggest you surround yourself with reminders of exactly who you are, your accomplishments, your wins, how hard you trained, the hardships you conquered, how you never gave up.

You have "IT" in you as an athlete and you know it. It's now time to channel it towards a new challenge and a new goal.

That's my story and my 2¢ : )

Keep your head high and shoulders up, we're all in the same boat here...all with our own individual stories and challenges.