Really been excited with my gains, noticing a huge improvement in my physique and strength
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Looking good man! I can definitely see the gains too 
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Thanks man, I appreciate it 
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Day 193 sober and decided to hit the gym on our honeymoon in thailand!!! Its not much but i made it work and got a good sweat ad pump on!!! Took a good rest from gym since October 23rd and was itching to get back after it!
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You are rightfully proud! Gotta go fast!
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Tuesday felt terrible
vs
Thursday (today) actually feeling good and seeing small progress
It’s so stinking hard coming back from injury and surgery. I knew it was going to be but the reality of it just keeps hitting every day. I hate having to be a beginner at something again, being weak, and keeping it slow even when I feel good.
Been following Peloton run + walk interval guided audios and liked the quote in the one from today with Kristen Ferguson
Don’t compare your chapter one to someone else’s chapter twenty.
This also reminds me to stop comparing my current self to my past self.
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This must be so hard. I’ve been thinking about you a lot ever since your advice on the belt. I didn’t know your history. I’m super afraid of accidents, also cycle a lot. I don’t know what I would do w/o lifting, I depend on it with the mental health so much. Really feel for you Jess. And really admiring your strength and patience starting all over again. 
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Yaahh I’m real good at keeping to myself and not sharing details of my history. Otherwise I tend to lean towards over explaining and trying to prove myself. I’ve kept things on TS as simple as possible and tried to keep that vibe out. And it’s hard to let myself take up space outside of a few select threads but I’m trying.
I wish I had been more afraid of accidents…my mental health also depended on lifting (and cycling and hiking and running) but I never realized just how much until I lost it. I appreciate your response 
And I will also say my patience is less and is rather ugly irl lol it’s a good thing no one is around to hear my frustration during my workouts. 
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I’m still working back from my spine surgery, even though I’m doing pretty well now. The first 3-4 months I felt like I was never going to be near my old self, how I used to feel, and what I could do. Towards the start, I couldn’t even walk a quarter mile without needing to sit…and then sitting hurt, too. Me – 33, healthy, active – shuffling and hunched like a broken old man. I couldn’t fucking stand it.
But every day I walked, working on a little more, a little faster.
Now 6 mos on and I’m running again, and at speeds faster than my avg pre-surgery, metal in my spine and all. Lifting heavier than I could risk before.
I had a similar feeling for 4 yrs leading up to surgery where my symptoms kept getting worse, I kept losing more physical ability, and no doctor could tell me what it was. I was terrified of losing my ability to lift etc. I had already had to give up playing soccer which was horrible.
Coming back as a “beginner” is tough. But that’s only physical. You’re not a beginner mentally. Once you start to see that upward progress continue back to old form, it’s exciting. Surgery out of the way, you’re now positioned to be even better physically than you once were.
You will get it back. Just keep working and be sure to listen to your body 
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Beautifully done girl, and love the quote as well. Very inspiring
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I can only imagine how hard it must be. Remember Jen’s thread?
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Deads… went a little heavier today but not all the way up.
@Faugxh I wore my belt on my last 3 heavy lifts. The belt really won’t make much of a difference in lifting capacity but it helps keeping tight. I would just watch/ read what actual experts in the field on and see what they say (not people like me or even a personal trainer at a local gym).
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Happy sunday from the d&l half!!
Wet race, almost dreary if it werent for all the unusually optiminist runners 
still had a good time, smiled and accepted the situation. Missed my goal time of 2hrs, but now my dry, warm bed n blankets feel better than they have in weeks!
Still a cool trail too
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Working my way through that post breakup anxiety and lowness and back from my bad back situation, doing some heavy lunges, bridges and deloaded deadlifts to find that sweet spot again. Injuries always do a number on my form. Diligently warming up and stretching down always now. Earned my dinner for sure.
Stay strong friends!
@Kdog this looks like a lot of fun! Congrats!
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Congratulations on your half!! 
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“Why do we have to train in the rain, coach?” It might be raining on race day!
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I used to be a gym rat. I lived off of an insanely healthy diet and strict workout regiment for 2 years straight. Then the alcohol took over. I’m happy to say that I’m back in the grind but not focusing so much on how strict everything is and just enjoying every gym session. Since becoming sober I have felt like I’m walking around in someone else’s body and the gym is the one place I feel normal 
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Way to go on getting back to the gym! I can relate all to well. Like urself, I also lived at the gym. 2 hours every single day (sometines twice a day) with the odd day off here n there. Strict eating regimen also. But then drugs took over my life and that practically went all downhill. Since getting clean, my gym routine is good right now but my diet on the other hand lol not so good lol
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