when did *I start training? or training actual people? lol
I got my cert in NOV '08, but just started ‘working,’ in August…I’m happy for this, but it takes a long time to build up clientele…in other words I’m seeing how hard its going to be to make a career out of this, which my family NEEDS right now…
we’ve been living off the hubby’s measly military pay FOREVER! I’ll have my Associates in Sports management in FEB, but probably going back to school in the fall to start work towards an associates for a physical therapy asst. degree…
My point is, is that I didn’t have a plan B…no job, just going to school and hoping to get lucky as a PT…ehhh, no such luck!!
[quote]shaunar25 wrote:
I was so pumped and excited after my first meet that it is only now that reality of where I am in my life and what has to take priority first. Honestly I am happy to be able to direct my focus to other things for a bit.
[/quote]
Reality sucks ass.
But you sound like a smart girl and your thinking seems sound. Go get 'em.
I haven’t been around these parts lately, but I am still in the gym (although I took a fair amount of the holidays off). In all honesty, I have taken a bit of a step back from training to focus on some other things in my life and the world.
I have decided to transition into a plant-based diet which I hope will eventually become a full vegan diet. Now this may sound crazy for someone who loves lifting heavy…and it probably is. But I truly can no longer live (eat) like I don’t know the truth about how harmful eating meat and processed foods is not only to my body, but the world. I will not support global warming through meat-eating, as it is the highest contributing factor, even more significant than every form of transportation (18% vs. 13%). I absolutely cannot support the factory farming industry and its abuse and cruelty towards animals and its workers. And I will do everything in my power to not dehumanize myself to capitalism, which makes us nothing more than workers and consumers. Honestly, besides training and animals, I have never been more passionate about anything in my life.
But completely changing my diet, the principles of my daily ideology, and my life takes some planning. So that is where I have been. I am also focusing very strongly on finding complete sources of protein through pea, hemp, rice, and moderate soy sources. Right now I have stopped all white and red meat consumption and most dairy. I have yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese, eggs, and fish that will slowly but surely be eliminated as well. I got a juicer for Christmas (best gift EVER), so I have been juicing 2-3 times a day. We went to our local farmers market and got a 15 lb bag of carrots, kale, beets, apples, and I top it off with broccoli, spinach, and lemons from my co-op. I can’t believe how many veggies I have gone through already! I am also focusing on beans and whole grains, although I will save the grains for PWO meals. I am utilizing as many principles from Precision Nutrition as I can, so I can successfully integrate my training life and my moral life together!
Overall, I am extremely happy and excited about my decision. I know it will take a lot of work, research, and trial and error, but it just feels right. Aaron still eats meat, but has decided to only buy meat from local farms that is humanely raised, grass-fed, and hormone free. I vow to not become one of those veggies who harps on others about their choices, but I will encourage people to get educated about what they are eating, where it comes form, and what it means to the planet. Here are a few sources that have informed, encouraged, and supported me in this life change…
Documentaries:
Food, Inc. - everyone in this country must watch
Meat the Truth - the REAL Inconvenient Truth
Food Matters
Earthling - narrated by Joaquin Phoenix, an avid vegan
I Am An Animal - all about PETA and its founder Ingrid Newkirk
No Impact Man - awesome website also
Articles/Books:
The End of Food - Paul Roberts
The Kind Life - book/cookbook by Alicia Silverstone
Eating Animals - Jonathan Safran Foer
Unhappy Meals - Michael Pollan
The Idols of Environmentalism - Curtis White http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/233
Not Another Pretty Face - about animal abuse and corporate manipulation in the beauty industry
For now, I will be back here and there. I still enjoy catching up on everyone’s logs. Also, I just ordered my study materials and exam package to get working on the NSCA-CPT exam, so that will take up a fair amount of time if I do it right. I am still working at my gym 2 days a week and am hoping to get a part-time job at my co-op down the block…this would really help my food budget!
As always you’re such an inspiration! About six months ago I started thinking about going vegetarian again, and then two days ago I put together a diet for my vegetarian client (which really made me understand how possible it would be to go vegetarian and still make good gains in the gym).
Are you planning on including coconut oil and flaxseed oil in your diet? I think that I’m going to focus on making sure I get those, in addition to cycling creatine, and making sure I’m getting the B-vitamins.
hi Shauna. you have made some very profound decisions and i applaud you for making changes that reflect your beliefs. i definitely try to leave smaller ‘footprints’ here on earth, but there are certainly many more things i’d still need to change. i’d like to see how this journey unfolds for you, so please be sure to check in here when you can. good luck with your certification and the job at the co-op.
a great book i recommend:
Michael Pollan “The Omnivore’s Dilemna” (not extreme, but a good look into the corn industry and how it’s shaped the meat and other food industries) MIM-corn info here…
i haven’t read another of his “A Natural History of Four Meals” but i’m sure it’s worth a read.
Hey Shauna! I was talking to a friend who just switched to a plant based diet for your exact same reasons. I found his argument very compelling and I’ll pass along the info you’ve provided to him - he’s a soccer player, but I’m sure all of it will be useful.
Like T said, big props for making life changes to better reflect your ideologies and for taking in the big picture. Definitely keep us posted on how everything goes!
Hey ladies! Haven’t been here in awhile, so I figured I give a little update. From my brief scan it is cool to see new ladies around. I admit I have been avoiding posting on Powerful Women as of late, simply because …should I say it?..strength is not my goal at the moment. There, I have said it…let the mockery begin.
Actually, it is more like I am not training specifically for strength at the moment. I basically have taken close to a month off from the gym, simply to acclimate to this new way of eating, try to formulate some kind of workout to partner with it, and evaluate where I am in life in general. So here’s the run down…
I love being vegan. Yes, I am totally vegan and have been for about a month. Every once and awhile I will have a bite of something with cheese or dairy, but normally no eggs, meat, dairy, or any other animal product. However, in contrast to what many people think vegetarianism is, I am not a muffin vegetarian/vegan. To me, being veggie means just that…EATING MAINLY VEGETABLES. That skinny fat or just fat fat “vegetarians” seem to give the the word a bad name. Vegetarianism does not mean french fries, baked goods, and maybe some fruit here or there…those are just people who don’t eat meat. To me it means completely changing everything about your diet so it consists of mainly veggies, legumes, whole grains (quinoa, amaranth, oats, brown rice, etc.), nuts, seeds, some fruit, some tofu, milk alternatives if necessary, and occasionally fake meats (tempeh, seitan)…I can make a mean BLT (Bacon alternative). I juice every morning, make huge soup batches every week, cook my own beans, go to the farmer’s market every week (where I still buy Aaron local, hormone free, free grazing, antibiotic-free ground beef and eggs…thank you Skagit River Ranch…we are thinking about taking a day to go visit and tour the farm), and have energy up the arse. Some things are harder and some things are easier. I buy mostly in the bulk section of our Co-op which is amazingly cheap, but the organic local produce is where all the money goes. For me, it is worth it. But it does not have to be for everyone. It took me a bit to get used to the diet, but I no longer feel bloated, sluggish, etc., which I did the first week or two I went vegan. I also take a multi-V and a B-12 supplement which has really helped. And again, I am doing this for ethical and moral reasons. I am doing it because I literally CAN’T eat meat anymore, not because it doesn’t taste good. I still have seconds of looking at a burger or something and start to salivate, but all too soon the things I know pop back into my head and I am disgusted. However, this is my decision, not anyone else’s, and I do not believe myself holier than thou. Just doing what I believe in.
I am on a month long vegan cleanse (28 days starting Feb.1). This entails 50/50 raw/cooked eating, dairy-free, gluten-free, alcohol-free, caffiene-free, daily green juicing (usually spinach, kale, celery, cucumber, lemon, lettuce, and green apple), tons of water and green tea, and a once a week juice fast in which I eat one whole food meal at the end of the day. It has been hard and I have had a few slip ups with chocolate and wheat, but I feel AMAZING. I am having detox symptoms right now, including being tired, irritable, breaking out (including a little on my back which means I know something is working since I never have that), but when I wake up in the morning, I f-ing spring out of bed. I will say that I look forward to the end when I am going to eat like a million sandwiches and drink as much booze as possible. But so far, so good.
Training has been all over the place, unstructured, and kinda frustrating. I do feel like I have a grasp on workouts for the rest of the month at least, before Aaron and I leave for our roadtrip.
3 days circuit training
1 day HIIT with recovery work
1 day complexes with recovery work
I heart foam rolling and I am trying to pre-/re-hab my ankle and shoulder injuries.
I assume my calories are probably lower than normal (not counting or calculating anything). I am really only hungry on juicing fasting days, but I still have amazing energy.
I also just began the initial stages of preparing to study for the NSCA cert…meaning I just got my shit in the mail. The road trip Aaron and I are taking for 10 days in early March is to go to Costa Mesa so he can get Cert 1 of the Charles Poliquin certification series. Super pumped. While he is in class, I am spending the weekend with my old friend I haven’t seen in years, so even more pumped.
So yeah, that’s whats up. I realize this cleanse thing sounds a but drastic…and it probably is, but it really is doing something to my body that is awesome.
But I honestly can’t wait to up my calories and get back to some heavy lifting!
glad to see ya posting again. who cares if you aren’t chasing strength goals at the moment… ur one strong bitch and more than worthy of posting here ANYTIME, no matter what the hell you’re up to. =+)
best of luck studying for the NSCA cert. did you buy the text book?? sadly, i read that thing for fun all the time. haha
[quote]dejavued wrote:
glad to see ya posting again. who cares if you aren’t chasing strength goals at the moment… ur one strong bitch and more than worthy of posting here ANYTIME, no matter what the hell you’re up to. =+)
best of luck studying for the NSCA cert. did you buy the text book?? sadly, i read that thing for fun all the time. haha[/quote]
Damn Deja, one strong bitch…that may seriously be the nicest thing anyone has ever called me. Makes me all warm inside:)
Yeah, I got the text book. What a beast. I went to work at my gym yesterday and my other co-worker had left his NASM textbook there…the NSCA is like 5x’s the size. Good times.
[quote]dejavued wrote:
r u taking the cpt or the cscs exam?[/quote]
Just the CPT right now. When I first decided to pursue PT, I got really ambitious and wanted to do everything at once…figured I would bust out the CPT and dive right into CSCS. But all these new things have fallen into my life, including working 6 days a week (two jobs but under 30 hours), volunteering, trying to train consistently, spending more time cooking, shopping, researching, blah blah blah, I now realize trying to fit the crazy high amount of studying into my schedule will be tough as it is.
So after making a short answer too long, eventually I would like to…but not for awhile.
How about you…I didn’t know you trained! What was your study process like for NSCA?
Just the CPT right now. When I first decided to pursue PT, I got really ambitious and wanted to do everything at once…figured I would bust out the CPT and dive right into CSCS. But all these new things have fallen into my life, including working 6 days a week (two jobs but under 30 hours), volunteering, trying to train consistently, spending more time cooking, shopping, researching, blah blah blah, I now realize trying to fit the crazy high amount of studying into my schedule will be tough as it is.
So after making a short answer too long, eventually I would like to…but not for awhile. [/quote]
good choice… absolutely no reason to rush it. =+)
oh no… i don’t train. i’ve been a nsca member the last few years and have been kicking around the idea of taking the cscs test later this year. like i said i tend to read both texts for fun. haha who knows… still trying to make a decision on what the hell direction to take mah life.
Well, it is commendable that you have such passion and drive that learning more and more about strength training and everything that it involves is what you do for fun! You already run circles (no cardio pun intended) around your basic everyday trainer. But I understand making a decision about what career road to even start tiptoeing down can be very hard and confusing…I am on it right now.
But I also like to realize that most people have at least a couple different careers throughout their lives, so I feel assured knowing that while this is right now and I love it, it may change and that’s ok. Nothing is ever permanent…
…except herpes.
Didn’t see that comin did ya?
If you do the CSCS I may ask to rent your study material from you later on!
But I also like to realize that most people have at least a couple different careers throughout their lives, so I feel assured knowing that while this is right now and I love it, it may change and that’s ok. Nothing is ever permanent…
…except herpes.
Didn’t see that comin did ya?
If you do the CSCS I may ask to rent your study material from you later on![/quote]
hahah nope didn’t see that one coming.
yeah i feel ya on realizing how quickly interests can change. i thought about taking these certs three years ago… but figured the whole fitness thing was just a phase. finally this last month i’m realizing it really is what i love. it’s the first thing i think about in the morning and the last thing i think about at night. i just can’t get enough of it.
i’ll definitely send anything i have ur way if i pass the damn test! =+)
