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August 21st, 2015 In the fall of 2012 I discovered Koko FitClub and began a whole new way to exercise and stay fit and healthy. In the fall of 2013 I began working for Koko and traversed the cape clubs 5 days a week. In the fall of 2014 I became the manager of the Mashpee club. During that year I have come to love my members and so enjoyed helping them navigate their fitness lives.
Now, the fall of 2015, once again brings change. Due to our plaza being sold and the circumstances surrounding that occurrence, the Mashpee club is closing. My members and I must move to the Centerville club and leave our beautiful space where we have not only made wonderful memories, laughed and cried together over the past year, but we have also, together, changed all our lives for the better.
Change is hard for everyone, but it’s necessary to grow and not become stagnant and complacent – even in your exercise routine. We all have to drive 20 minutes further to get to the gym. We are looking at the drive time as an extension of the relaxation that the exercise affords us. Also, Centerville has some great plazas to explore, the mall just a few minutes away, and, of course, it’s across the street from The Centerville Pie Shop – that in itself is an incentive to explore a new town.
Some of my members have severe logistics problems and cannot join us in blending our new family. I will miss them. The majority are coming with me and are bringing their smiles and positive attitudes toward change with them. I thank them for that. We are going with the hopes of another upper cape club opening in the future so everyone can return and we can all be together again.
And so, as another fall season begins, it’s a time to put our energy into the things we can control, such as the way we react to the sudden changes that upend our lives, instead of focusing on things that are not within our reach.
I want to thank all my members for their support this year in all the games, races, and charity drives we took part in. You are a great group of people that made my days fun. The more I worked to teach you, the more you taught me. Each and every one of you are near and dear to my heart and I’m looking forward to seeing most you in September at the Centerville club.
August 13th, 2015 Today when I woke up I was 62. Going about my morning routine, having a great workout and starting my workday made me very thankful that at 62 I am alive, healthy and have a big life.
This past winter, just before the blizzard, I slipped on black ice on my porch and thought it would be a good idea to catch myself with my right arm on my railing. Not a good idea. A better idea would've been to fall on my bum and have a sore tailbone for a few days. My brilliant decision plunged me into 7 months of a painful frozen shoulder.
The first month I was bummed out and didn't know how I was going to handle not being able to workout, sleep, or even sit comfortably in a chair. I fought this thing. Every time it started to feel even remotely better, I would plunge in and try to use it and re-injure it. You would think I would've learned the first time. No. I must have re-injured that shoulder 5 or 6 times before I relented to what my body was saying – which was STOP ALREADY. I finally succumbed and settled down to the task of healing.
Healing is a wonderful teacher. I learned to keep my right arm tucked by my side and figure out how to modify my workouts to accommodate it. (After all, there was nothing wrong with the rest of me.) I stopped trying to push it. I reduced my weights to 15 lbs – almost an embarrassment to my pre-injured self. I learned to drop the vanity and concentrate on the healing and wonderful things began to happen. My members watched me practice patience with an injury and not just quit and not work out while I healed it. They watched me modify the Smartrainer to accommodate my one useful arm. They watched me not be afraid to lower those weights. They watched me slow down and be gentle with myself. I had members with similar injuries and was able to help them adjust and not get frustrated with what our bodies sometimes deal out to us to wrestle with.
Physically I watched my left, non-dominant arm get stronger. In the beginning I could only do the left arm exercise and have to skip the right arm. Seven months later I can do both with my left arm. I couldn't even do the chest press with one arm in January and had to take it out of my workouts. Then one day I was able to do it with my left arm with 15 pounds. Today I am up to 17 1/2 lbs. I gained 2 lbs of muscle in the last seven months – more than I gained in my first year at Koko. This taught me that you don't need heavy weights to build muscle if you are consistent and let it take the time it needs – I now know the ins and outs of muscle building.
Time spent in the cocoon of healing has shown me I have much to give gratitude for and increased my appreciation for everyday activities that I often took for granted. With each Facebook message I say a prayer for the poster because friends are an important part of life. With each texting conversation among our family members I laugh, cry, lament, encourage, and cheer on the people I am so thankful to have in my inner circle. With each glass of wine poured out by the fire I sink into relaxation and truly appreciate where I live. With each workout I pay attention to the working muscles and find joy in finally being able to begin working out my injured arm again – sensibly and slowly introducing movement and weight back into it. Healing truly is a wonderful teacher.
And so, as another year commences to go by, injury brought healing, healing brought patience, patience brought a whole new perspective to the way I now approach and value my daily activities. I would like to thank all of you for the precious birthday wishes. Each and every one of you brings meaning and value to my days. Thank you so much and tonight join me at Bartosik's Backyard in raising a glass to just being alive.
 * Yes, it does say “Pinapple Express” – I made the mistake and then the drink was so good, my daughter kept calling it that instead of Pineapple Express, so Pinapple Express it is! lol!
May 3rd, 2015 I got the alert on my phone at work that it was delivered. I couldn't wait to get home. There it was by the door. I brought it in and put the box on the counter.
Then I texted my family: Merry Xmas! I'm opening my present now!
My husband and daughter gave me the money for an Apple Watch for Christmas, and of course, I had to wait for Christmas to come in April. It's beautiful. I couldn't be more pleased with it. It's the first time I ever had a watch that actually fit my small wrist. It's not heavy – I hardly even know it's there until I feel a small pulse that tells me I have a notification. If it's junk email, it's easy to touch and trash it on the spot. If it's a text, it's easy to send a pre-made response or just talk into the microphone and hit send. Very efficient, which is how I like my life to be.
I had so much fun texting the kids and calling my husband on it all evening long. My husband asked me if it could cook. I responded:
Having your phone on your wrist may not be a big thing to everyone else, but to me it is. Not having to have my phone out at work or on a table in a restaurant is great. Not having to constantly take it out of my wallet in the car or in a store, especially with packages in my hand, is the best.
And so, as another day goes by, it's the small things that make my days go better that keeps my heart beating, and …I have written.
April 15th, 2015 In Beth Donovan’s Spark People blog I came across just a few good thoughts for a Tuesday morning – just a few, but boy do they speak. Here they are:
1. Don’t take water pills to lose weight because you can’t pee out a pizza.
(Need I say more?)
2. Don’t put your thoughts into what might have been. Put your energy into what is possible.
How many of you are like me and take many trips down the “If I only” road? What a finite statement. After all, you only get so much energy to use everyday. Putting it into the possible seems to be the smartest choice. Close that garage door on the past and look ahead.
3. Never treat your body like a garbage disposal for leftovers.
Hating to waste anything, ever, I never thought about it like that before. Enlightening.
4. Don’t wait to be thin to act thin. Life is happening now, not 10 pounds from now.
This really rings true with me. Whenever I have a goal or a “wannabe moment”, I always begin acting like I already achieved it. Act thin. I like it.
5. Get healthy like it’s your career.
Stop and think about that one for a moment. Imagine where you’d be.
And so, as another day goes by, there they are, 5 tiny Tuesday thoughts that pack a punch, and …I have written.
April 12th, 2015 In March Kelley Clarkson's new album Piece By Piece came out. Downloaded it and spent some driving time getting ready for her tour beginning July 11. Got our tickets for the concert on our 40th anniversary July 12 at the Xfinity Center. (See how much my hubby loves me? Lol)
The first single hit the radio a few weeks ago and as soon as I heard Heartbeat Song, I knew we had a new Kelley. Up until now, her music was filled with a lot of anger. Until she met Brandon Blackstock, now her husband. Heartbeat Song was the first happy song she ever wrote. Its bouncy, playful, and gives us a glimpse of a life completely turned around.
I'm two thirds of the way through the album and the title song Piece by Piece caught my attention. “Men can be kind and a father can stay” is a line from the song. Piece by Piece is Kelly's answer to Because of You, a video that tears your heart out. Song by song Kelly tells us how she has evolved and become whole by her marriage to Brandon and the birth of her daughter, River.
I like the concept. Usually the important changes in us take place over time, piece by piece we are dismantled and rebuilt again. Whether we are talking about letting go, weight loss, changing our diet for the better, adopting an exercise routine, etc….it all happens piece by piece.
And so, as another day goes by, thank you for the insight, Kelly, and I'm looking forward to the concert this summer!
April 10th, 2015 At Koko FitClub we now have a new parameter to our program. It's called Koko Plus and it's exactly what people who sign up for gym memberships and never go, need. It's scheduled time with a Master FitCoach, such as myself, to help them stay on track and actually make some progress to motivate them to stay and work harder. I do a FitCheck with them on a bio-medical machine that reads their body composition and lean muscle level. We discuss what those numbers mean. Then I choose a specific cardio program I want them to try that is in line with their fitness goals. We monitor and measure their Heart Rate Recovery together, raising their awareness of why they need to do it. Then I go through their entire strength workout with them, tweaking their form and remeasuring exercises that were difficult for them. Before they leave we spend some time on their website discussing the food plan Koko built for them. All in all, Koko Plus has helped a lot of people since it's brief inception this winter. Koko Plus has been a real “spring reset” for a number of our members.
Today while reading Spark People Daily in my email I discovered a wonderful 30 day spring reset that they provided for everyone who wants to get on a new track this spring and bust some old habits. It's a 30 day calendar with an awesome article for each day that will help in many ways. I just finished the one for Day 6 on procrastination. I started reading the articles because it seemed like there would be some great information I can share with my Plus members, along with my new trial members who are just getting started on their fitness journey, and then I thought it would be a great start to my resurrecting this blog if I shared it with you.
And so, as another day goes by, here is the link to Spark People Daily, and…I have written. Happy Spring Reset!
April 9th, 2015 Hi. It’s me. You remember, the keeper of this blog. I know, I know, it’s been awhile. AWHILE. But I work full time now and manage a Koko FitClub here on the Cape and it takes up all of my time. Wait. That’s not quite true. My job just doesn’t take up my time. I truly do something worthwhile everyday helping people jump start their fitness lives and become healthier, happier people. I used to write this blog daily to achieve the same goal – help people have a better day by realizing something in life’s path that they had never thought of before. Either way, my time is still spent each day helping people and it’s exciting and exhilarating when someone tells me their fitness story that I helped write.
I still write this blog everyday. I write it in my head while I’m cleaning up around the club. I still have ideas that I want to share, products I have tried that are truly great, and experiences that have taught new life lessons. Lately this blog and the non-writing of it have been on my mind. That is a good sign. That is a good sign that the time to record my thoughts and experiences again may be coming near. I’m almost ready to commit to posting everyday for another year. I’m hoping my hiatus will bring me back with a new, fresh style and approach.
And so, as another day goes by, and another spring wreaks of new beginnings, I hope to see this blog bloom again, along with the landscape, and… for another day, I have written.
February 14th, 2015 Yes, today I had it all – the 50 Shades date, complete with roses, chocolate and dinner. Roses are always beautiful, chocolate – well we all know there is no real word to accurately describe that, and as far as the date goes – any of you who know us, know our dates are always fabulous. So. Let's get right to the movie.
50 Shades. I powered through all three books (See my post – Christian Grey – Today's The Day) in a weekend the first week they were out. I loved them. What I didn't love was all the hype about them being “mommy porn”. Granted, they were not literary masterpieces, but there WAS a story there. An incredible story. A story of a heart encased in concrete, cold, impenetrable, resulting in a narcissist who cannot love and refuses to be loved. If you've ever known one, you know that they always lash out in some way – be it alcohol, drugs, or in this case, a red room. They also draw the person they love in, then when the person responds, they just as quickly push them away. Not many hang in there with these people, but Anastasia is a trooper and Christian Grey has no clue how lucky he is.
As for the sex – the scenes occured in the book over and over, so many times I actually got bored and skipped over them. While reading the books there were moments I actually wanted to shout Okay! I get it already! But in the movie? Oh wow. When professional screen writers do it right, I fall into the story and all I see is Christian Grey saying You can't love me. I am unlovable. What does Anastasia do? Does she hang? Does she bail? And that, my friends is the story. It is deep and emotional and by no means over – there are two more books to go, after all.
Should you go see it? Yes! Go! It's well worth the ticket price. The two actors were well suited to the parts they played. The amount of words said in looks and gestures was riveting. The red room? Tastefully portrayed to insert the block that is essential to the story. The ending? You. Will. Want. More.
Oh, and my hubby? He loved it too. He is at a major disadvantage because he didn't read the books, but he heard me soapbox about them for months because everyone, news media included, completely missed the incredible story because they were so enamored by the red room, so he just had to see what the hype was all about. And my man, the sensitive, heart-felt, people person he is – he got it. He agrees with me that the red room is a symptom, a side-action of the incredible story unfolding on the screen. When the movie ended I had to pat his arm and say Don't worry, dear, there are two more books, so it's not over yet.
And so, as another Valetines Day goes by, it is the ability to give and receive love that is truly the crux of life, and…I have written.
February 1st, 2015 This post is for those of you who have spent some lazy summer days lounging on East Sandwich Beach. This morning my husband and I took a beach walk to see the havoc wreaked on our beloved beach by last week's blizzard. Here is some of what we found:
Those of you here this summer for the wedding had no idea these steps were buried under the beach path:
The jetty that hasn't been this visible in almost 20 years. Juno moved about 30 feet of sand that kept it buried all these years:
The beach further down and on the turn going around Scorton Creek look like a war zone. Juno picked up all the decks and steps and scattered them like matchsticks:
To the Goncerz clan: remember drinks on this deck the night before the wedding?
Hey sis, remember your morning coffee spot? A bit chilly there this morning!
And finally, our buried house as we round the corner onto our street ending our walk:
And so, as another day goes by, more and more I realize how much I love coastal living because it is never boring to living on the ever-changing shore, and…I have written.
Life begins on the edge of your comfort zone:
January 22nd, 2015 Yes, Day 19 of the 21 Day Fat Burn Booster, the home stretch. Where do I find myself? Well, let’s start with the exercise component, since that where my success lies. The strength workouts were excellent! I had a sore shoulder/bicep from catching myself from falling on an icy day. The exercises were spaced out enough so those particular muscles were not stressed, and combined with skipping some right arm exercises, I was able to continue working out, while healing the arm. On the flip side, it is only because of the muscle building I’m doing in Koko that my muscle was able to sustain and injury and not be worse than it is. As far as being good workouts, I have to say I felt awesome after every one. I had energy to start my workday and power through until 6pm.
The cardio is really where my success story resides. When I started this program 19 days ago, I was stuck on the elliptical, doing the same one or two programs for almost a year now. The treadmill scared me, as well as bored me. I was afraid of shin splints and a pain I used to get on the side of my left foot when I did the treadmill. Being the risk-taker I am, I plunged ahead anyway. Not once during this entire 19 day period did I experience any shin or foot pain of any kind. Why? The program varies your workouts with both elliptical and treadmill sessions, with rest days in between. At no time was any part of my foot or leg stressed. Now, ending the program, I am going to continue the same pattern and explore the myriad of programs Koko constantly updates on our cardio equipment.
The rest days in the program slowed me down. I used to feel extremely guilty about taking a day off of exercising – I wanted to do cardio everyday and strength every other day. In listening to the advice Michael Wood gives in the cardio programs, I began to realize the rest day is not a day off. It IS an integral part of any good exercise regimen. During the exercise periods the muscles are being pulled, torn, and stressed. During the rest day they are healing, building and becoming stronger. I learned that if you don’t take those rest days you will keep your muscles in a constant state of stress, which, over time, will sabotage and thwart your progress toward becoming stronger and increasing the speed of your metabolism, ultimately keeping you from reaching your fitness goals. And this wasn’t only me. A few of my members mentioned that over the rest days was when they actually lost weight. Whoo hoo! Three cheers for rest days.
Now comes the part that is making me decide I will have to do this program over – ah ha – those of you who follow this blog already know the answer – yep – the food part. I made an honest effort – really I did. I have been off of packaged protein diet food for all 19 days. That in itself took a humongous amount of effort, because I am all about speed and efficiency. I have brought my food to work every day. I chose three breakfasts I could handle putting together at 6 am. I chose 2 snacks and one lunch I could manage to compile quickly before I go out the door each morning. But that’s where my progress stopped. It’s just like the elliptical story – I find something I like and that works and I get stuck there. I tried to search the food plan and incorporate something else, I really did. I think I just need more time. It took a full week to just get in the habit of going to the store next door and learning where everything was. Next I had to use a list. I usually love lists, just not where food is concerned. Somehow instead of making it look doable, it makes it look overwhelming.
My conclusion at the end of this 21 days is to congratulate myself for overcoming my cardio woes and learning to embrace and see the value of rest days. My food shortcoming isn’t really that bad. It takes time to learn new things and we all do it in different ways and at different speeds. I was plenty envious of my members who are cooks and took this food plan and ran with it effortlessly. Me, not so much. But I’m willing to give it another go and build on what I did accomplish. I think if I do it again, I won’t have the exercise and cardio part to be concerned with and I can totally concentrate on the food. We’ll see. Wish me luck.
And so, as another day goes by, our shortcomings are the seeds of our growth – learn to love and relish the challenges they bring, and…I have written.
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