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Have Workout, Will Travel

April 21, 2011 by Shelli

Doing some kettlebell swings during some down time in Goblin Valley.

Normally I would take a reprieve from training during our family’s spring break. After all, I was getting some exercise. We hiked every day. But the hikes were fun and enjoyable — not “training” efforts.

The fact that in less than four weeks I will be hiking from North to South across Zion National Park — about 50+ miles including sidetrips — in a day — means I needed to get some training in during my trip.

No problem. Following our adventuring in Goblin Valley State Park, Jerry, and our 4-year-old son, Fin, took a nap. Wolf and Hayden, our older sons, explored a slot canyon while I did a core and kettlebell workout. In all, it took about 12 minutes to get pretty well worked over, with no sacrifice of family time.

Another day, after our hiking in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, I did some body weight exercises in our campsite while Jerry and the boys built a fire.

On the final day of our trip, at Coral Pink Sand Dunes, I raced my sons up and down a huge sand dune. We ran, all out, up and down, only a handful of times. It was fun, and a heck of a workout to boot. (I think I’m still sore from that fun, “little” effort.)

I share this to prove that you don’t have to go to a gym, or deprive yourself of family time on a vacation, to get some high quality training in. (Thanks to my trainer and friend, Steve Bechtel, of Elemental Training Center, for influencing me in this regard.)

Kettlebell throws.
Goblet squats in a little slot canyon.
Racing our sons up a giant sand dune. (The winner gets extra s'mores.)

Filed Under: Family, Fitness, Frontier Life, Life and Leadership, National Parks, Travel & Tourism Tagged With: Fitness, goblin valley, kettlebells, training, travel, utah

The End — Of My Weight Loss Journey

February 1, 2011 by Shelli

This is Post 33 of my fitness/weight loss journey blogging.

I did a Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim in May, 2010.

Today marks The End to something that has been very significant to me: My weight loss journey.

Just under two years ago, I weighed almost 165 pounds and was chubby and pretty lazy. Today, I am smaller than I’ve been since high school and yet stronger and more capable than ever. I weigh 129 and am not soft or lazy anymore.

My trainer and I recorded data during the journey. Here’s the proof in numbers:

Baring it all. (It took courage to reveal my numbers early on)

What a difference 22 months and a bunch of hard work, sacrifices and commitment make.

Near the end of March 2009 – 22 months ago – I found myself in the office of friend and personal trainer Steve Bechtel, at his Elemental Training Center, in my hometown of Lander, Wyoming.

I was at the end of my rope. In a health and fitness rut, a week earlier I stepped on the scale to see what I knew but what hadn’t been verified with real data – I was overweight. The scale indicated I weighed 164.

Every night for about three years, I would retire to bed with this same, deep, nagging feeling – let’s call it what it was, REGRET – that didn’t just speak to me, it yelled, angrily at me: “Another day went by and you did nothing about it. You didn’t exercise. You didn’t eat the right things and you ate too much. You’re lazy. You feel like crap. You have young children. You’re operating a business and trying to expand it. You need more energy. You have to change things. As soon as possible. But another day went by and you, well, once again did nothing to change things.” Self-talk like this went on probably every night for three years. It was ugly.

In fairness, I should point out that I did have a lot going on in my life. My husband, Jerry, and I had two young sons at the time, and a third on the way, we owned a business, of which I was the CEO. The business was going great and I was busy innovating and capitalizing on what was abundant opportunity. I loved my work and was passionate about our business’ potential. At the same time, I was pursuing prospective partners to help put wheels on the company’s expansion plans. I was probably investing 75 hours a week toward work, plus trying to be a great mother and wife.

So if I needed excuses for my getting soft, chubby and lazy, I didn’t have to look very hard to find them. And they felt like plausible excuses, until each night when that nagging regret kicked in.

I should also point out that most of my life, up until the space between March 2006 and March 2009, I was probably in above-average health. I played basketball in college, and after that, got into mountain biking, snowboarding, snowshoeing, backpacking, trail running, distance day hiking and cross country skiing.

Hell fire, even while I weighed almost 160, I hiked the Shoshone Lake hike above Lander, which is a difficult, 21-mile hike. But I paid dearly for it for days following and certainly it was not the fantastic experience it is when I’m fit and have energy to spare and a “lighter load” to carry.

Skiing on February 23 of last year.

Outside of operating our business, I was no longer confident either. I was chubby and felt lazy, because, well, physically I was. My self-esteem tanked. We’d take family trips and I wouldn’t swim with Jerry and the boys at the hotel pool because I didn’t want to put a swimming suit on. I found myself turning down speaking invitations. I didn’t “go out” as much – meaning even to make simple trips to the grocery store, etc. I “hid” myself as much as possible while focusing on business and trying my best to be a good mom and wife.

So, in March 2009, shortly after I ordered the size 12 pants, and upon encouragement from my friend, Sharon, there I sat on Steve’s couch in his office at Elemental Training Center.

I won’t rehash everything here because I’ve covered my weight loss and fitness journey pretty thoroughly right here on this blog. (I’ve compiled a list containing all 33 posts with links to each here. Please check them out and feel free to share them if you think they’ll inspire others to get off the couch and add vitality and years to their lives.)

Family hiking photo at Blue Ridge Lookout, August 2010.

But let me say this. Basically I let three years, at least, slip by in my life that – from a vitality and health quality standpoint – were less than extraordinary. Frankly, from a health standpoint, those three years were, at best, mediocre, and it bothered me then, and now, that I can’t get that time back to do over in a more healthy body and mind.

So as I sat on the couch confronting my overweight and sloth-like status with Steve, I committed to losing weight and getting in excellent health.

Summiting the Grand Teton, August 2009.

One of the most important realizations I had early on that was probably more instrumental than any other thing in my weight loss journey’s success, is that there is a (huge) difference between deciding and committing.)

I have a poignant memory from that day that marked The Start of my weight loss journey: I was on my way home from my meeting with Steve and I was at a red light on Main Street waiting to turn left on S. 5th Street to head home.  I thought first of the brevity of life. How short of time we have and all that’s important to me and how best can I live it to the fullest while honoring those I love so much and who love me. I realized at that time that the changes I was about to make were gigantic. They would be changes I would make for life. For eternity.

Sure, I would have to eat more vegetables. Drink more water. Eat less junk food. Exercise harder and on a regular basis. (I eventually made the decision, on my own, to give up all grains/complex carbohydrates, which for the first few weeks required monumental will power.) I would have to get up super early in the morning.

As I sat there at that red light thinking about all this, it may sound cheesy – and extreme – but I remember thinking: I am giving up frozen pizza not for a month or a year but probably for the rest of my life. The commitment was that big. I was signing up for changes that were to last a lifetime.

The change I was committing to meant more than taking a few difficult-but-temporary steps.

And, I was all in.

So, in a nutshell, yesterday, Jan. 31, 2011, The End of my weight loss journey was met. On March 20, I weighed 158 pounds and my body fat was about 27 percent. Today, I weigh 129 pounds and have 10.9% body fat.

More significantly, though, my life has gotten so much fuller and richer – on all fronts. I’m a better mother. I can not only play and romp with our three young sons, I have a fighting chance of keeping up with them on the slopes, in our wrestling matches and in foot races. I’m a better, happier, more loving wife. I am more confident in my work. I have enjoyed countless, awe-inspiring outdoor experiences during the last 22 months that I would have absolutely missed out on had I not embarked on my weight loss/fitness journey.

Family ski outing.

Among other things, I climbed the Grand Teton, completed a Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim in a less than 24 hours, I placed third in my age group in the Rendezvous 25k Ski Race last year, I went on a dozen or more “epic” day hikes in my beloved Wind River Range that were 21-32 miles each.

I also learned a lot about fitness and training. Steve Bechtel is a brilliant trainer who knows his stuff. As many would agree, he could be “a trainer for the stars.” He set the bar high and drove me hard, both things I required in order to push myself. He introduced me to high intensity and metabolic training. He helped get me strong without “bulking up.” The latter is proven by the reality that while I’m significantly smaller than I’ve been since I was in high school, I’m stronger than ever. I did 21 consecutive pull-ups, 30 dips, bench-pressed 132 pounds five times, dead-lifted 135 pounds 39 times, did 26 back squats of 135 pounds, and did 16 front squats of 135 pounds.

Today, I often find myself close to (happy) tears when I think about how full and rich my life is. This is in very, very large part the result of my weight loss and fitness accomplishments.

My weight loss journey has ended, but my pursuit of staying in great fitness will never end. I have arrived at a particular weight but I know it’s an ongoing effort to stay healthy. I can say this: I’ve tasted the Koolaid and I’m never going back. I’m saying yes to vitality, great health and a full life. I’m saying no to mediocrity and to just getting by when it comes to my health. Life is too short. And I love it too much.

During these past two years, I also reinvented my professional self, and became a certified life and leadership coach, and was also recently certified by the American Fitness Professionals and Associates as a nutrition consultant. Many of my coaching clients have weight loss as a major goal in their life.

I, for one, don’t underestimate weight loss as being something that’s of significant importance in one’s life. It’s not something to toss aside as a vanity item – quite the contrary. Everything in my life is better as a result of weighing less and being more “able” to live my life to the fullest. Being the best person I can be for those who love me and for those I love is absolutely related to the condition of my health and well being. (And okay, sure, it’s also great to fit into my designer jeans.)

During the last 22 months I’ve often told people I was reinventing myself. But what happened during the last 22 months was a transformation.

My sincere thanks to my husband, Jerry, and our sons, Wolf, Hayden and Fin, who were especially important in this journey; to my parents and other family members, to my close friends, to Steve Bechtel and his team at Elemental Training Center, and to all of you who have read this blog and/or support me with your friendship and positivity. I don’t take any of it lightly, and I am grateful to all of you.

Thanks for following this journey. I will be happy to share any specifics about what I did during my weight loss journey with you, including tips and tricks. If you wish, I will also light a fire under you, if that’s what you’re needing.

My main team.

———————————-

Elemental Gym has a fantastic gym, some terrific programs and classes that will help you achieve better fitness. And, I might add, some great personal trainers: Steve Bechtel, Ellen Bechtel, Jagoe Reid, Sophie Mosemann and Lee Brown.

Filed Under: Family, Fitness, Life and Leadership Tagged With: diet, exercise, fat loss, Fitness, lifestyle, nutrition, personal training, training, weight loss

Are You Deciding, or Are You Committing?

December 21, 2010 by Shelli

If you’re like me right now, with only a few days until Christmas and with homemade sweets at every turn, you might be thinking about New Year Resolutions. Most of us are indulging, justifying it by saying, “Once the new year gets here, I’ll make changes.” For now, pass me the fudge. And the pecan sandies. And the egg nog, and while you’re at it, the Irish creme and everything else that’s full of yummy.

So, I’m recycling a video blog I did some months ago. Thanks to my good friend, Sharon Terhune, (a fellow athlete at Elemental Training Center) for interviewing me about a distinction I made between deciding and committing that enabled me to lose significant weight and get myself into good health.

Filed Under: Family, Fitness Tagged With: commitment, dedication, elemental training, fat loss, Fitness, training

I’m Chasing 2 Rabbits. Wish Me Luck?

December 13, 2010 by Shelli

This is Post 32 of my fitness journey blogging. Here are links to all of my fitness posts: Post 1,
Post 2, Post 3, Post 4, Post 5, Post 6, Post 7,Post 8, Post 9, Post 10, Post 11, Post 12,Post 13,Post 14, Post 15, Post 16, Post 17,Post 18, Post 19,Post 20,Post 21, Post 22,Post 23, Post 24, Post 25, Post 26, Post 27,Post 28 Post 29, Post 30, and Post 31.

Almost 3 months ago (on Sept. 17), I set some new training goals with my personal trainer and friend, Steve Bechtel. (A short video of our discussion, is here.)

With the end of the calendar year fast approaching, I’m chasing down my last two goals. I would like to get these goals checked off the list and behind me. I miss my endurance training, and I want to go full throttle into skate skiing.

In summary, I had 6 goals. The first 4 listed below have been accomplished – at least for the time being.

1. To set/establish a gym record in number of repetitions of front squat at body weight. I did 16 reps.

2. To set/establish a gym record in number of repetitions of back squat at body weight. I did 25 reps.

3. To set/establish a gym record for number of reps of bench press at body weight. I did 5 reps.

4. To set/establish a gym record for number of dips. I did 21.

5. To beat my pull-up record of 19. I’m still working toward this. This is hard work. I hope the end is in sight, but not sure. I managed 16 today. I really don’t want to be doing so many pull-ups in January. I’m getting tired of them.

6. To weigh 129 pounds. I’m still working toward this. I weigh 132 today, down from the 133.5 I weighed in September. This one is the hardest for me. I’m trying to believe it’s possible, but it very well may not be. It doesn’t feel super realistic right now, to be honest.

The problem is that the two remaining goals are at cross purposes. Or, as Steve would say, “If you’re chasing two rabbits, you’ll catch neither one.”

In fact, at the gym today, Steve looked me straight in the eyes and said “You can’t get both of these by the end of the year. You need to make a decision.”

Here’s his explanation:

Well. I like the “impossibility” factor of achieving both of these divergent goals at once.

But I do have some sense, and the risk of getting neither seems greater to me than is the chance of getting both. So for now, I choose pull-ups.

While it’s no fun being reasonable, this does mean I can eat the homemade pecan sandies and drink the egg nog over the holiday. Which is no small thing.

So, already, I feel better.

Elemental Gym has a fantastic gym, some terrific programs and classes that will help you achieve better fitness. And, I might add, some great personal trainers: Steve Bechtel, Ellen Bechtel, Jagoe Reid, Sophie Mosemann and Lee Brown.

For backstory — and links to all of my fitness-related blogging — see Post 1,
Post 2, Post 3, Post 4, Post 5, Post 6, Post 7,Post 8, Post 9, Post 10, Post 11, Post 12,Post 13,Post 14, Post 15, Post 16, Post 17,Post 18, Post 19,Post 20,Post 21, Post 22,Post 23, Post 24, Post 25, Post 26, Post 27,Post 28 Post 29, Post 30, and Post 31.

Filed Under: Fitness Tagged With: Fitness, strength goals, training, weight loss

My Upcoming Fitness Goals

September 18, 2010 by Shelli

This is POST 30 of my “fitness journey.”For backstory, see Post 1,
Post 2, Post 3, Post 4, Post 5, Post 6, Post 7,Post 8, Post 9, Post 10, Post 11, Post 12Post 13,Post 14, Post 15, Post 16, and Post 17,Post 18, Post 19,Post 20,
Post 21, Post 22,Post 23, and Post 24, Post 25, Post 26, Post 27,Post 28 and Post 29.

Elemental Gym has a fantastic gym, some terrific programs and classes that will help you achieve better fitness. And, I might add, some great personal trainers: Steve Bechtel, Ellen Bechtel, Jagoe Reid, Sophie Mosemann and Lee Brown.

Filed Under: Fitness Tagged With: Fitness, goals, training

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About Shelli

Hi. My name is Shelli Johnson. I live on the frontier in Lander, Wyoming. I’m a wife, a mother, an entrepreneur, certified life/leadership coach, wellness coach, keynote presenter and inspired speaker, leadership development facilitator, personal development strategist, writer and adventure guide. This blog mostly includes stories about adventures and travel, but other passions are reading/books, technology, fitness, nutrition, and national parks, so you’ll find a wide range of articles here. I am founder of Yellowstone Journal and YellowstonePark.com, and NationalParkTrips.com, which was my first business. My current company, Epic Life Inc., is in its 7th year, and going gangbusters. If you’re interested in learning more about my current work, I hope you’ll jump over there and learn more about that. I have a more personal blog, more directly related to life and living and leadership, at YourEpicLife.com/blog. I’d love it if you’d also check out that collection of my writings. Thank you for stopping by! Finally, if you’d like to connect with me directly, please email me if you’d like to connect.

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