Category Archives: Gym

Weighty matters: Battling inner conflicts

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As I barrel to the official retirement age of 60, I find myself still not having a handle on maintaining weight loss. I have had a few good weight loss years – 1983, 1992, 2010, 2016 and 2021 are ones which come to mind. But they are always followed by me slacking off….taking my foot off the gas, and then of course, the weights creeps back on.

Since about November last year, I have been unable to fit into my company-issued uniforms. Truth be told, it was a few months before that…..I was squeezing myself into the ones I had made the seamstress take in. At the time the uniforms were delivered in late 2021, I had been on a really good eating pattern which had led to steady weight loss. I had reached to 199 lbs. So I had asked her to take in 2 of the 3 sets of uniform that were noticeably baggy. “Leave 1 set….just in case.” I guess I know myself.

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Old Habits Don’t Go Away Easily

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I just threw away 2 batches of cooked Steel Cut Oats which I had had in the freezer for about 2 years. A few years ago, I used to eat Oats often, especially in 2016 when I was working out like a beast with Caribbean champion body builder, Grenada’s Damion Daniel. See evidence below!

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Gym episode 20/03: Last chance workout…on my own

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Damion Daniel was unavailable to train me on Sunday. Although I was accustomed to working out on my own all these years, I have come to rely on him pushing me to, as he told me, where my body has never gone before. Let’s see what I could put together for this “last chance workout,” still under his watchful eye as he was in the gym.

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Gym stories 19/03: In the home stretch

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I’d jumped on the scale at physio on Friday so knew that I’d lost some more. Would it be enough? Will I meet my target for the 40 days? These two final days had to count.

Not sure I was up for the hard workout today.

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Gym episode 13/03: I want to make magic

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The heat was being turned up. We were coming into the final stretch of the 40 day weight loss challenge. One week from today, to be exact. Normally my Sunday workouts consist of calming yoga and tai chi. But when the Trainer is available for a rare Sunday session, you ditch those, but in favour of what? Continue reading →

Gym episode 11/03: Skipping

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I had kept forgetting that I had a skipping rope. So Thursday night I made sure to take it out and message Damion Daniel that I would be bringing it in Friday.

After my warm up, we did exercises inside. Can’t recall what we did (second note to self….do blog posts immediately after). He then took up a bar and told me to come outside. There is gym equipment out in the car park. No AC. Sun did hottttt. We did lat pull downs and the hated squats.

Next there were sprints, then skipping. I used to see my mother skip during training when she used to play netball internationally. Her knees went higher than mine. I also always remember my dearly departed friend Nelisa, who would always mention skipping as a good workout when she was motivating me to exercise even though I couldn’t afford to go to the gym back then. Her mom also played netball. Maybe that’s where she picked it up.

I was so engrossed in the training that it wasn’t until Damion looked at his watch and said he had to go, that I realized the time. I too had a meeting.

The time during the training sessions with Damion goes by without me realizing how long we are working out for. Well, that’s except if he is making me do the hated squats or lunges and I ask him “yuh doh have somewhere to go??”

Gym episode 09/03: No excuses

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Wednesdays during the 40 day challenge is usually when we go walking in the business park. That did not happen. If I didn’t exercise on Wednesday, I would only be doing 3 days for the week and my minimum is 4 days. Decision made….I would go to the gym.

But instead of leaving pronto and going straight, I idled at work then went to the bank. The result? I only had 15 minutes to exercise before I had to meet a friend for dinner. Yes….I carried clothes to bathe and change at the gym.

Busted my tail on the elliptical. Proud buck! Why? In the old days, I would have said since I only had 15 minutes, it didn’t make sense. Since I discovered High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), even 5 minutes is enough. Continue reading →

Gym episode 08/03: The opposite of the drop set is the pyramid! Eegad!

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It was with glee that I packed my gym bag Monday after getting the go ahead from my physiotherapist, Garvin Taylor from Grenada Physiotherapy and Pain Relief Centre.

Four p.m. was the gym time as my trainer Damion Daniel had to train at 5. Did my 10 minute warm up on the bicycle.

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My thigh was still a bit sore and I also had to pay attention to my back. But I managed to finish.

I can’t recall the first part of the session. Must have been upper body. The sprints outside consisted of one called “suicide” where you ran to a near marker, then back to the start then to a farther marker and back to the start etc. etc. It was for a very short time but I was breathless when I was done!

To finish up was pyramid exercises on the lrg extension and leg curl machines. I didn’t think too much of what a pyramid looks like and how that is related to gym exercises. I soon found out.
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My 4 day lay off

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I looked on with envy last Friday as Bambi took my colleagues through a Zumba class. :|😭😭 But it served me right…..don’t?

On Saturday, I enjoyed being able to sleep in a little bit later, since I didn’t have to rush to the 9 a.m. Pilates class. When I finally got out of the house, I headed straight to a fundraising fair which was featuring food from various countries……with an empty stomach. Why? Continue reading →

Gym episode 03/03: Grounded!

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Isn’t that what happens when you misbehave? You’re grounded? Pleasure activities are taken away from you? Here’s the story of Thursday and how it turned out.

Yet another late night Wednesday, this time because I had work deadlines to meet. In this job, the concept of ‘homework’ is real. So I went to bed upset….and got up in the same mood. In my mind, I steupsed all the way on the drive to the gym. But sometimes along the way, positive thoughts crept in. ‘Miss Foot, what you complaining for? You have a job. You can get around with ease. You have a great Trainer. You know how many people got up this morning, wondering how they’re going to make it?” Ok mind. Be quiet!

Aye. Arrived late, so did 5 mins warm up. Upper body work today with some new exercises. Yay! I like that Damion mixes things up. Mi get bored very easily. 😐

In between the weights, he took me into the exercise room. The task? Run up and down the length of the room 5 times while he timed me. The first time was 45 seconds. The second was 43. After both times I was out of breath! Happily too. Heart working. Fat loss happening. And most importantly, I did not crash into the mirrors!

Completed the weight training then quite unusually, we had a long chat. His discipline is incredibly inspiring. Between now and his first show next month, I will be able to witness first hand, how he trains and how he eats. We spent a lot of time talking about the latter. I was again urged to read labels and had to send this to him for vetting. It passed the test.

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Thursday afternoon is where things took a turn for the worse. Continue reading →