Major ego check!

dnalorr
dnalorr Posts: 9 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Had my first session with a personal trainer today. Major ego hit!

couldn't finish some of the reps i was assigned.. PT was great at adjusting sessions given my injuries, but still!
I can't believe how far i am from being 'fit' .

I have reached a weight loss plateau! in the last 7 month i have lost 26kg/58 pounds and i am not losing anymore. so Gym/exercise is a must. I am happy that i started, and intend to keep at it till i get back to being healthy/fit. But i must admit, major ego check..

I had the idea of going everyday to the gym, but that will only worsen my existing injuries and i need to stick to what the PT is advising me to...

How do you guys deal with this ?

Replies

  • mkculs
    mkculs Posts: 316 Member
    What are your current injuries?
  • Karen_can_do_this
    Karen_can_do_this Posts: 1,150 Member
    By working with both my Physiotherapist and a PT, I got over the fact that I was waaaaay less for than I assumed by busting my butt at each workout. My stubbornness eventually prevailed lol. There are no shortcuts.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    I guess I'd think that if you were already in great shape and could do all your reps--and then some, you wouldn't need the PT. Isn't that the idea of a PT, to challenge you wherever you're at? If he or she is good, just follow their advice for several months and then evaluate. Best of luck.
  • 0ysterboy
    0ysterboy Posts: 192 Member
    You don't really need to exercise to lose weight, that is all about caloric deficit so don't expect it to break through a plateau without being careful about what you are eating. With that said, it will help you burn calories and improve your overall health. As snowflake stated, I would work with your trainer to design an exercise routine that works around your injuries.
  • Ardael
    Ardael Posts: 244 Member
    If he is a good trainer ( as in qualified not just a self proclaimed fitness nut ) he should know how to design a routine that works for you.
    And if that's the case follow the routine. It is so common to see people trying too hard, adding to much weights or going too fast with bad movements. Sometimes work outs are slow and easier for a reason. :)

    Hope you get better soon !
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,741 Member
    "How do you guys deal with this ?" - by regularly reminding yourself that everyone started out as a "beginner". That's how you learn and progress.

    Be patient with your injuries. Frustrating yes, but by not allowing your body to fully heal you'll only delay your progress.
  • dnalorr
    dnalorr Posts: 9 Member
    mkculs wrote: »
    What are your current injuries?

    I have 6 herniated discs, neck/back. And a knee problem plus a recent Achilles tendon issue
  • dnalorr
    dnalorr Posts: 9 Member
    Mari22na wrote: »
    Swimming, swimming, swimming. There's a water bike, water weights, water treadmill if I want to use it but mostly I swim with a tiny pool radio and before you know it, two hours have passed. It's not zero impact but lower impact. Will you lose body fat. Oooo, yeah. Research it, you can lose 1 pound a week of body fat if you work it like the Flying Fish, Michael Phelps. I don't know if it's just me but I don't think about food in the pool. It's so liberating for your mind. I feel really free and I never want to get out and go home. Lurve it.

    michael-phelps-1.jpg.

    That's a great advice!! Thank you !
    My physical therapist encouraged me to do the same so I started swimming lessons last month . It's going slowly given my injuries but but hopefully soon I'll be using swimming as maiin form of exercise
  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member
    Oorah! Last night, I talked to a man from Hungary in the pool. I made a joke and told him I was from Hungry, too. Eye roll. Cringe. He was in his early 40's but he told me he had so many injuries from mountain climbing, skiing, running and extreme sports that swimming is all he can do now. His accent was so strong but I listened closely. 'Hungary' told me that it doesn't matter how old you are - when you have too much mileage on the body it gives out. He's had knee, back and shoulder surgeries and when he sneezes he has to be careful because of the pain.

    He said that pain is the one thing you cannot rationalize away in the middle of the night. It's the thief of joy. He told me he cautions young people who are gung-ho to do and be extreme everything to pace themselves. Think it through, a day of reckoning comes from wearing everything out. The body can only have so many surgeries.

    I listened and watched his face. He was suffering and he was sad. He has so much he wants to do but can't. But he was swimming and I was swimming and for that time our minds were free.

    You learn how to swim. You won't care about the super ego when you're in the pool.
  • VUA21
    VUA21 Posts: 2,072 Member
    edited June 2018
    By reminding myself that I am not a PT.

    Also, if you overwork yourself and screw up recovery, you can ruin months or even years of hard work. By making sure you recover better, even if it seems like slower progress, you'll do better in the long run.
  • darreneatschicken
    darreneatschicken Posts: 669 Member
    edited June 2018
    VUA21 wrote: »
    By reminding myself that I am not a PT.

    Also, if you overwork yourself and screw up recovery, you can ruin months or even years of hard work. By making sure you recover better, even if it seems like slower progress, you'll do better in the long run.

    Yes, don't weightlift or exercise unless your PT says you can... You have 6 herniated discs, neck/back... a knee problem, plus a recent Achilles tendon issue.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    jenilla1 wrote: »
    Mari22na wrote: »
    Oorah! Last night, I talked to a man from Hungary in the pool. I made a joke and told him I was from Hungry, too. Eye roll. Cringe. He was in his early 40's but he told me he had so many injuries from mountain climbing, skiing, running and extreme sports that swimming is all he can do now. His accent was so strong but I listened closely. 'Hungary' told me that it doesn't matter how old you are - when you have too much mileage on the body it gives out. He's had knee, back and shoulder surgeries and when he sneezes he has to be careful because of the pain.

    He said that pain is the one thing you cannot rationalize away in the middle of the night. It's the thief of joy. He told me he cautions young people who are gung-ho to do and be extreme everything to pace themselves. Think it through, a day of reckoning comes from wearing everything out. The body can only have so many surgeries.

    I listened and watched his face. He was suffering and he was sad. He has so much he wants to do but can't. But he was swimming and I was swimming and for that time our minds were free.

    You learn how to swim. You won't care about the super ego when you're in the pool.

    This post is so depressing! It almost sounds like being active and fit will wear out your body and cause you to suffer. I'm older than that guy and I'm still running, backpacking, mountain biking, etc. with no pain, major injuries or surgeries. I've been doing it for decades, my entire life really, and I'm active every day. I don't believe in "too much mileage" causing the body to give out. It wasn't the mileage that wrecked him. It was the abuse he put his body through.

    My activity keeps my joints lubricated and my body looking and feeling young. I know when to slow down and take a break and I don't take stupid risks. Maybe this Hungarian guy was just too extreme, and made some bad choices that resulted in a ton of accidents and injuries, and/or he is just genetically more prone to wear and tear. But being active and fit over the long-term isn't as dangerous as this guy makes it sound. Yikes! :o

    So I guess maybe the lesson here is to not necessarily avoid vigorous and challenging physical fitness activities, but to not go overboard to the extreme? Take it easy to start or when you're in recovery, but don't sit on the sidelines just because you think you're gonna turn into that guy suffering in the pool...that's an extreme case.

    Yes, I agree with you. She did say that he had done "extreme" sports. I think that therein lies the risk.
  • aokoye
    aokoye Posts: 3,495 Member
    There are, of course a lot of sports that most people don't label as "extreme" that care a lot of health risks. American football, soccer, and hockey are coming to mind pretty easily.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    Congrats on getting started! The main way to "deal" with it is to accept that everyone starts somewhere, few people are as fit as they "think" or "want" to be, and EVERYONE can improve.

    If you had been able to complete all the reps asked by trainer, you would likely be concerned whether trainer was going to "challenge" you enough and help you move forward and whether he was worth the money. If trainer had pushed you to the point of aggravating an injury, you would rightly be concerned about that.

    Since you had the "idea" of going to the gym every day, clearly that "idea" is not accurate. So you learned something today. Honestly, few beginner programs and even some advanced programs do not call for a heavy work out every day.

    Also what does "going to the gym everyday" mean? What did you have in mind to do? Find something else you can do to stay active on those days, even walking, a short bike ride, light cardio at the gym, yoga, stretching, etc.

    Life and fitness and health is a constant process of tweaking and adapting. Just when you think you've got it figured out, it's time to make adjustments. That is probably the most important lesson of all.

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