Opposite of what I thought

At the beginning of the month I had the opportunity to speak to a certified USA track and field coach, certified athletic performance trainer, certified nutrition consultant with a degree in exercise sports science. I had a very informative 30 minute conversation with him that gave me more confidence in my abilities and made me think about a few things.

The biggest is that I should focus on my workouts first and that nutrition will follow. You see, I always thought it was the opposite. I always would say, I can get the workouts in. I know what classes I want to take, I know how far I need to run, I know I should stretch, I have back-up workouts if my plans fall through. I always felt that I needed to concentrate on how I ate first since that's where I am the weakest.

Instead he said I should work on my training. Get in my workouts. Because by doing so I start doing something positive for me and eating healthier will follow. I will want to eat better to make the most of my workouts. I will carefully look at what I put in my mouth in order to make the most of the time I've spent training.

While I can't say for 100% it is working, the past two weeks have definitely made me look closely at the foods I eat. I started training for The Love Run last week and while I haven't been perfect in what I eat, I have been trying to eat the healthier options. Hubby went out twice last week with friends and I stayed in. Rather than buying hoagies or pizza, I stopped at the grocery store and picked up Lean Cuisine, Amy's, and Weight Watchers frozen meals. I was pretty proud of myself for that. Sure, the sodium might be high, but it's better than fast food. I didn't pack lunch one day last week because I was running late, so I grabbed a salad and fig newtons (as a side, this really was the healthiest option after the salad).

Do I have work to do? Yup. Lots of it, but I am seeing the wisdom in his comment and thoughts. Following my training plan has made me want to eat healthier just like he said. It's really strange how I always thought I needed to get my eating together in order to do my workouts well.

While I would love to have this gentleman as a trainer, I sadly cannot afford him. But, I am grateful that he reached out to me for a phone conversation. He is a genuine person and even for 30 minutes really listened to my situation to helped me. Thank you sir. I am working on putting that 30 minute conversation into action!

Have you had someone with experience and knowledge help you? What have you learned to put into practice?

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