Ouch! Why Am I Paying For My Workout 2 Days Later?

It's OK to be sore; just not destroyed

“What on earth did you do to me Friday?” my client texted. As my boyfriend and I dove into our traditional Sunday night Chinese takeout, I felt my cell phone vibrate. I don’t usually take weekend calls from clients, but she and I had been friends for years so I felt obligated to answer.

“It started this afternoon,” she began dramatically when I called her back. “I felt a dull, aching pain and stiffness in my upper arms. I think I might have torn a muscle or two and might need to see a doctor. Everything just hurts. Why is this happening now, when I have a first date tonight?”

I recalled that past Friday’s workout, where I introduced pull-ups and a few other eccentric exercises into my client’s already-intense routine. We had been training for months, so I felt confident she could handle those more advanced exercises even as I warned her the aftermath would hurt.

7 Strategies to Solve the Calorie Debate

To count or not to count?

“I barely made it under my calorie quota yesterday, but I succeeded!” my client proudly said, handing me a very itemized daily food journal providing total calories, macronutrients, and certain micronutrients. 

I knew just how detailed the $10-a-month website that itemized these foods could be, and all those numbers made my head spin. “Just eat real food and stop counting,” I replied, perhaps appearing a little snappy dismissing her journal.

For what felt like eons, I had made “Calories count, but hormones count more” my clients’ mantra. Why wasn’t this woman obediently heading my hard-earned advice?

Except more recently, something changed. I’ve been carrying about five refuse-to-vacate pounds around my midsection for a while. You would never know it unless you saw me naked, and, well, you’re not going to see me naked. Regardless, as a fitness expert, those extra pounds felt unacceptable.

Never one to leave any stone unturned, I addressed food intolerances. I

The Doctor Makes House Calls Again, But It Isn’t Cheap

Concierge medicine brought to you by our healthcare crisis

Thirty minutes into my scheduled appointment, I walked up to the receptionist, busily immersed in computer solitaire, and asked how much longer before I saw my doctor. She appeared accustomed to this request and brushed me off with a standard “Just a few more minutes” reply.

Trouble was, I’d allowed myself plenty of time for the doctor and then scheduled a client (to, uh, pay for that specialist visit).

I was ready to reschedule my client when an assistant called me into the back. Once my doctor actually saw me, he hurriedly perused my files and brushed off my request for specific tests. I think I even got a How dare you question a doctor’s authority! stare.

Clearly, my doctor had these things timed: No more than 15 minutes per patient.

When I mentioned I had been having some trouble sleeping, he promptly