Friday's first meeting went well. My trainer from 5 years ago is a little more calm, and a bit heavier. She's about 5'8 and when she's competing, she's 150 and ripped. These days she has drifted away from competition and is being more "photographer" at her husband's wrestling tournaments.

She said that she's put on about 30 lbs since we've worked together. She did look "softer" than I remember, but she is still working out and is in a healthy weight range. More important, I can from our first hour together that she has grown as a trainer.

I remember our first meeting together back in 2002. She asked a lot of questions but didn't listen to what I said, because she thought she knew the answers. This time, she talked less, and listened more.

Number One...
The first question Rebecca asked was "Tell me about your life, now..." Sometimes all it takes is an outsider's perspective on your life to help move you in the right direction. (Especially an outsider who knows who you are and how you work.)

I gave her the snapshot of my typical day.

Wake sometime in the middle of the night between 2am and 4am. Try to get back to sleep but can't. Fall asleep when I should be getting up at 5:30am. Wake up again at 7:30. Take the dogs out. Wife gets the kid up. Eat. Shower. Dress. Grab kid and drive him to school. Work for 9-10 hours. Assuming I don't have an insane day, I eat throughout the day. Come home. Have dinner. Walk around the block with the family. Crash on the couch for 20 minutes while wife puts kid to bed and stare at the ceiling. Go upstairs, study for an hour or two. Fall asleep.

I told her about my successes between December and February, and how I dropped off completely. "I'm trying to work out in the mornings, but I find myself sleeping in - not because I'm tired, but because I'm overwhelmed by my life right now and don't want to start my day." I also told her that my foods during the day are fine -- I have 4 healthy meals, one "okay" dinner, then I blow it afterward by stuffing my face with junk between 8pm and 10pm before I go to bed.

"Why is that?" she asks.

Er... Well, lately its because I'm hungry. Most of the time its because I'm still having a problem with sugar.

She didn't even skip a beat before she suggested an obvious solution.

"How about working out at night?"

"Well, I've got homework to do..."

"How long are you planning on working out?"

"Good point. Won't that wake me up when I should be winding down?"

"You'll be awake enough to do your homework, and then you might just be tired enough to sleep through the night; and working out will get your appetite under control."

"Okay. Good point, again. Let me see if I have any other arguments you can defeat... Uh... It's more crowded at night than it is in the morning."

She rolls her eyes and plays a weepy tune on an invisible violin. "Next?" she says.

I just laughed and said, "I think I'm done."

That's why I love Rebecca. No BS.

Never take more than two days off in a row.
Her last bit of advice was something that reminded me of a Tom Venuto tactic. She said, "I want you to work out 4 days before I see you again; but here's the thing... Don't do them all in a row, and don't kill yourself. I want something left when you come in on Friday." She followed that up with: "Here is something to add to your mental library of training tips. Don't take more than two days off in a row - that will kill your rhythm. Try to keep it to one if you can help it."

Interesting.

That means I have to get in to the gym Sunday or I'm already behind!

Great first meeting.