Trusting the Process: UBX Part II

This post is sponsored by UBX Omaha.

UBX Omaha

UBX Part II

I have been participating in a fantastic workout program at UBX Omaha. After two months of focusing on my health, I have learned to appreciate the challenge of this kind of fitness. With my trainer and my workout group by my side, I have seen a change in these last two months.

Old Habits Die Hard

As with anything, fitness and nutrition habits can be tough to break. That was definitely my struggle this month. The first month, I easily followed the nutrition plan that Luke Shook at UBX Omaha set out. Chocolate, eh, I could pass that up without issue the first month. By month #2, boy did things change.  I had a much more difficult time staying away from ALL of the poor nutrition choices. 

Finally, in desperation, I texted Luke one evening (feeling like an absolute failure). My text read something like this, “So, I have 300 calories left on the day and seriously all I want to do is eat chocolate. I want nothing healthy. This keeps happening. I refuse the craving, but then the next evening it just returns…UGH. Sigh. Just venting.” Luke’s response was not only supportive, but enlightening.  “Get yourself some chocolate coconut or almond milk ice cream, or some Ghiradelli pure dark chocolate and practice moderation a day or two a week.” I didn’t have any of that on hand, but decided on apple slices with chocolate hazelnut almond butter. (Luke approved). 

The next day I went and bought some dark chocolate and ate the bar over the course of about 10 days. My cravings have decreased, and I feel more balanced again. This has been the message from Day 1…find a balance, but sometimes my competitive spirit kicks in, and I decide that the more hard-core, the better. In this case, balance wins.

Strength in Numbers

Support has come from many places during this journey.  The program has been designed so that we go on Saturdays to an AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) workout. One terrific part of this feature is that we work out with other trainers and other clients.  Each trainer has something different that they add to the mix, and it is never boring. 

During this specific workout, we also see other clients we never see during our weekly workouts. It is inspiring to see everyone exercising together to accomplish these goals. Many of the trainers pop in during the workout to offer encouragement, motivation, and humor along the way. I think I may have missed one Saturday workout. I just don’t want to miss.

In fact, last Saturday, I was exhausted (the kids and the dog hadn’t been sleeping) and defeated that number on the scale hadn’t budged in a week. I drug myself out of bed and went in. After some serious sweat equity, I felt recharged, rejuvenated, and restored. (And I even dropped a bit on the scale after a few weeks of stagnation.)

The other group that has been incredibly supportive is the group of women with whom I train.  Watching each of them fight through their own demons is absolutely inspirational and makes me better each time we workout. I hadn’t ever trained in a true group training setting before, and to be quite honest, I wasn’t sure how I’d like it.  It has turned out to be one of my favorite pieces of the puzzle. 

We started a group text thread. It began as a, “I’m running late,” kind of thread and has morphed into SO MUCH MORE. We share our challenges, our struggles, and our successes.  Once someone posts about having done cardio for the day, or whatever the piece is, suddenly each of us is motivated to tackle the challenge. We also may throw a little harassment Luke’s way. I do have a bet with him, and I’m so close that I can taste it. I’m pretty sure he can too!

Interlocking Puzzle Pieces

Something that I’ve only recently discovered and learned to embrace is to trust the system.  I am a former marathoner (but I’ve really always been a sprinter at heart) and I really struggle to get the cardio in. I just haven’t found my cardio motivation. So, I’ll be honest, the first six weeks or so, I slacked on my cardio portion.

Luke said, “Food is your fuel, your muscles and the weight training are your engine and the cardio is the spark that ignites the fuel to run the engine.” I finally decided to trust the process and do some cardio. Once I did that, I broke through the wall and the pounds started coming off again.  At our last session, Luke reminded me that cardio is what tipped the scales in my favor once again.  So, I was sure to wake up bright and early this morning to get my cardio in before work.  Do I love it now? Nope, not yet, but I am starting to despise it a little less and I feel that “liking” cardio may be in my immediate future.  

My time at UBX has been exactly the challenge I need. I can see all of the pieces of the puzzle coming together, and my trainer, Luke, has played a major role in my motivation. Stay tuned for update #3 as I get closer to achieving my goals.

If you are ready to get in shape, check this out!

UBX Omaha’s 12 Week Weight Loss Challenge Kicks Off on Monday, April 16th.

Early birds can save $50 by pre-registering by April 6th.

If you would like to learn more click this link or the image below and fill out the contact information. We will be in touch within 24 hours.

 

Erica
Erica is an Omaha transplant from Northern California and has lived in Omaha off and on since 1993. She is mom to two wonderful children who fill her with love and joy. Because her husband’s career requires him being gone for long stretches of time, she has learned to streamline being a career mama while flying solo for months at a time. Her middle school reading students add some excitement to her days, and her kids keep the humor going strong into the evenings. Erica also manages to have a Mary Kay business in her "free time". She has many tips for traveling with small children as well, since she travels internationally with the kiddos at least once a year. She enjoys reading, and belongs to the best book club ever; being active; and sharing an occasional cup of coffee or wine with friends. You'll find her out and about on weekends and evenings embracing every drop of motherhood.