A New Relationship

I'm excited to tell you about my new relationship. While it's still relatively new, I think I'm prepared to introduce you since it's now been about two months. And I think that's enough time to know that it's serious. The commitment has been made and we've been really good about trying to see each other almost every day of the week. I thought, based on previous history, it might not work out. Maybe the time investment was more than I was looking for. Maybe I just would get bored (or lazy or both). Maybe something else would catch my attention. Maybe a million things.

But something else happened over the course of the past two months. I fell hard. Maybe because it's fresh. And exciting. Maybe because I am over my nerves and wondering how I look or if I'll fit in. In fact, it's probably because I just look forward to the time we spend together and how great it makes me feel afterwards.

Yes, my new relationship is with my gym. I've been a proud and hard working member of Equinox for two months now and have been really happy with the results. (Tomorrow I will be posting an update on the EIGHT inches I've lost over the course of these past two months). With the exception of when I was sidelined with a bronchial infection, I have been going to the gym 5-6 times a week.

As I've also posted on here before, I'm still working out with my kickass trainer, Britt. In fact, I signed up for another 12 sessions of personal training. I purchased 12 and they kicked in five free sessions. The manager of the personal training department, Franklin, said he really wanted to work with me and have me keep working out there. So he really made it worth my while and I really really appreciate it.

When I'm not working out with Britt, my workouts consist of cardio sessions- mostly on the elliptical trainer. I typically do interval training to get my HR up there. So it's something like, 40, 45, or 50 minutes with 1 minute normal and 1 minute sprinting. Or 2 minutes normal and 1 minute sprinting. The other day I did 20 minutes on the stairs where I did 1 1/2 minute normal and 30 seconds as fast as I could. By the end of 12 minutes, I thought my heart was going to pound out of my chest. So I went and did 30 minutes on the elliptical and then went and finished the last eight minutes on the stairs doing the same intervals.

When I do work with Britt we do all sorts of crazy things. Lots and lots and lots of legwork. Squats. Lunges (there seems to be about 100 different variations). Stair sprints. Step ups (which also has a lot of variations. Today the step-ups I did was after doing a sumo squat, I stepped onto a workout bench, brought one leg up and then stepped back down, repeating that 10 times). Lots of ab work- crunches on the bosu ball, crunches on the regular balance/exercise ball, plank, plank and more plank.

Today I did squats, into a curl and then an overhead press- first with 12 lb. weights, then 15 lb. weights and then finally, on my last set, 17 lb. weights because a man wanted the 15 lb. weights and I figured, why not try and see if I can lift the 17 lb. weights without wanting to die. Side note, in case you were wondering, I survived!

In all the time I've been working out with Britt, I've rarely done the same exercise twice. It's amazing and exciting at just how much I'm doing. My body is strong and it's in the process of becoming stronger. I'm grateful for how much my body is able to endure after how poorly I've treated it over the past decade.

And I'm proud of myself for sticking with the gym- both the cardio and especially the personal training- for as long as I have. I have made a huge change with my exercise routine and I have seen great results and progress. Although the weight hasn't come off as much as I'd like, the inches are coming off and I know with even more focus and attention on my nutrition, bigger changes are going to come. And this is very very exciting.

Go me!