So I already mentioned this on Facebook - but I did not document it here. Last week we joined the Y. It is something that we have wanted to do for quite a while and without getting into all the excuses/issues, we didn't, but now we did, and I am glad.
There were many reasons I wanted to join. First - a selfish reason - clearly Biggest Loser was not going to be calling (for back story see here and here) and I was going to have to fight some demons on my own. This summer when I was working on the show, I was very active and happy. A month or so after the show closed,I noticed my heels were starting to hurt, I was sleeping on a heating pad for my back and my headaches were coming back.... well it doesn't take a genius to realize that action = healthy ... sedentary = pain.
A second reason for joining was that I wanted something the whole family could benefit from. I had thought about Curves for a long time because it seemed easy and safe, but I always hated the fact that I would be the only one benefiting from the money spent. Now - the boys have programs and play groups and Mike has his weights that he loves. It is just a win/win situation all around.
So... we joined... great.... now what. Well, I will tell you what. They have a great starting program there that I started immediately. It is a 12 week program were the trainers slowly introduce you to the gym. You meet with them 4 times and each time they assess and adjust your personal program. I love it. I love the fact that I am not bombarded with 40 machines all at the same time. I love that I am going to be held accountable to someone for 12 weeks.
So I meet with the trainer for the first time. Clearly I was motivated to start because I made the appointment during the season premiere of Grey's Anatomy without even realizing it. I get there and we sit down for 15 minutes and have a mini-therapy session. What are my goals, why hasn't it been successful in the past, and what plans can we come up with to make this time different. I like it.... good - therapy talk - AWESOME!!! When I sit down and write in on paper, I realize that in the past, all my plans get started really good but then fizzle out because I get bored. The other major issue I run into, is that I keep trying to make this my personal journey and by doing that, my family unconsciously becomes an obstacle. This time - when I come to have "my time" - they are are having their time. The first time I dropped the kids off in their zones, I had terrible feelings of guilt - until I picked them up and they didn't want to leave. Then the next day - "Mommy - when do we get to go to the YMCA again?" It was then that I realized - they love it as much as I do.
Back to the trainer session - okay - enough talk - time to hit the pavement - "Okay, Rebecca - let's get you started with a really great cardio program... let's start with 15 minutes on the elliptical!" (PANIC PANIC PANIC..... Dude.... REALLY?!?!?!? We are gonna START on the ELLIPTICAL?!?!?!? Isn't that something that we should work up to?!?!?! What the hell?! What the HELL?!?!??!).... of course none of this came out of my mouth ... "Sure, let's give it a try!"
Okay.... the devil created this machine right?
I get on and it takes a while for me to even get my coordination to find a groove. The trainer is standing there talking about the machine and how to check my heart rate and where we should be and yadda yadda... and in my brain I am thinking - don't gasp for air - that would be rude! So around the 6 minute mark - he looks at me and says, "Okay - I can see you have your headphones and your tunes, I'll let you get plugged in for a while and I will see you at 15 minutes!" Oh Dear God...... he really is gonna make me do this for 15 minutes..... Well, actually, somewhere between 8 and 9 minutes, a switch clicked in and my legs got the groove and I actually started to enjoy myself. And I did it... 15 minutes. We did other things and then I walked my jello legs and sweat drenched body to my car, took a hot shower at home and slept hard that night.
It has been nice. In 8 days I have worked out 7 times and lost 4 lbs. Now, those aren't Biggest Loser numbers - but they are my numbers and I am proud of those numbers. I haven't even adjusted my diet, because that is another mountain and we will take one mountain at a time. It will come very soon - but today - we focus on moving.
And dude.... if you people had told me that you get your very own TV at each station - I might have started this ages ago.... A little Oprah does wonders to help you forget about the searing leg muscle pain around minute 12.
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