I suffered from my very first stress fracture at the beginning of 2015. I was pretty upset by it at first and was very worried that this injury would derail my quest for a healthy and active lifestyle that I embarked upon at the start of 2015. It definitely did not derail my quest for health, but it ended up being a really good thing. Here's why: I was always the cardio queen. Cardio was my go-to for being physically active. In the fall of 2014, I was even doing two-a-days where I would get up and run in the morning and then go to Zumba at night. Or I would go to a spin class and then go to Zumba. Or I would run to my gym (about two miles away) and then go to Zumba. You get the picture. Yet, I would hop on that scale, and nothing would really happen. I wasn't really losing weight, but I kept up the cardio. Then in October and November, I traveled a lot for work and gained about 15 pounds because I was having a high time sampling local cuisine and not working out. In the middle of December, I really started to revaluate my life and decided that enough was enough. I was going to get fit in 2015.
If you follow my blog, you know that I started off with a different approach by really trying to address the mental issues behind my unhealthy habits. However, I was doing the same thing in the realm of physical activity- cardio. I took a Body Pump class where we lifted very light weights (2.5 to 5 lbs) for 50 minutes, but I still shied away from weight training. I wasn't comfortable doing it, so I didn't. Then I was diagnosed with the stress fracture. I had to wear a boot and my doctor said no to any high-impact cardio. WHAT? What was I going to do? He did say that I could weight train while healing and ride the stationary bike.
I started off doing low-impact cardio (again, too scared to go outside of my comfort zone), and then I realized that I really enjoyed Body Pump and lifting weights during the class. I wandered up to the weight room with my workout pal, Watts. At first we would eyeball machines and pick one that was empty and looked do-able. We'd randomly choose the amount of weight and do three sets of 15-20 reps. You know, the standard. After doing this a couple of times, I wanted more.
I started to research about weight training and settled on a beginner plan that I thought was both reasonable and effective. I ran it by Watts, and she seemed pretty into it too. I've stuck to that plan pretty consistently since the early part of March (about two months to date) and increase my weight amounts by 5 lbs as the reps get easier over the weeks (roughly an increase once every two weeks). I practice a split body plan Alternating ABA on week one and BAB on week two. I lift heavier now than I ever would have considered being able to do. I do squats on the squat rack, bench press, bent-over rows, deadlifts, lat-pulldowns (working up to a chin up someday), shoulder overhead presses, and am building in tricep pulldowns, calf raises, and bicep curls. I try to do ab work at least three times a week too. It seems to work. I feel stronger and definitely more confident.
I was once the girl who would max out with a 12 lb dumbbell and was too intimidated by the weight room at the gym. Now, I sashay my way in there and feel strong after my workout. I'm really proud of how far I've come. Lifting weights has really changed my perspective. More than ever, I want to be fit, not just less fat. And I'm getting there, little by little. I stay off the scale for the most part and concentrate on how my body is positively changing. I feel unstoppable, even on days that I don't want to work out. And for that, I guess I owe my stress fracture a thank you.
PumpUp member @mel_bourne's transformation has been two years in the making. It didn't happen overnight, and it wasn't all about the scale. "That's how I looked in a dress," she confided. "I didn't feel very confident at that time in my life, but now I'm so happy about my progress! I feel much more confident in clothes." Mel's happiness is palpable in all of the photos that she shares with the PumpUp community.
You can always count on her to have a big smile on her face after a difficult session at the gym. No matter how exhausted she feels after a weightlifting session, Mel always expresses how content she is with her strength. "I don't want another girl's body," she insisted. "I want my body: leaner, stronger, and healthier. I love the support from my PumpUp family. I'm pretty proud and I only hope to inspire more people." Through healthy eating and a consistent exercise regimen, Mel lost over 15.1 kilograms and gained a world of confidence since she began her journey. Keep her pumped!
Can you relate to Mel's non scale victory? Share about it in the comments below and remember to post your transformation photos on #TransformationTuesday! We welcome every story, be it a scale-related accomplishment or a non scale victory.