I had my first meeting with Kristen, my personal trainer at the Y. Not only was she fun to be around and positively motivating, but she also didn't think I was weird, which is a bonus since I was Binging* all over the place. We started with the elliptical machine and I quickly realized that nice gyms have equipment with TVs attached to them! I hardly have time to watch my shows during the week, so this realization provided exercise inspiration in its own dysfunctional way. It's slightly sad that I have to fill out the application for payment assistance, but forget pride, give me the discount so I can virtual cycle and sweat while watching Maury!
As we rotated through the various machines, including one that looked kinda like a spider and made me feel like I was gliding on air, I began to sweat and didn't even realize I was working out. Kristen kept me focused on talking and as soon as I started to get that mind-numbing feeling, it was exercise-switch time and she would say something to make me laugh - very clever. I now understand why the rich and famous have personal trainers on their payroll - it's like having a Fit Genie that hangs around and makes you healthy. Exercise didn't seem so bad with Kristen - her voodoo was bewitching.
This meeting was also monumental because for the first time since I started this journey, an avid exerciser actually admitted that in order to find the time to truly commit to exercise, something has to give or be put on hold. Even though I don't know his name, I wanted to kiss this Siskey sage because he conceded the very thing that many exercise aficionados keep denying. Yeah, running at dawn before a breakfast of grains and walking till dusk is admirable, but is a messy house and a lessened dedication to work worth the priority of working out? This is what I've been trying to figure out, and thanks to Kristen and some technologically savvy treadmills, I may be welcoming exercise into my life after all...of course, I have to actually join the gym first.
* This is a reference to the character of Chandler Bing from Friends. Known for "his wise-cracks and sardonic attitude," I am similar to Chandler Bing in that I use humor at inappropriate moments as a defense mechanism.
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16 comments:
Nice post...but felt something missing :( I think I just need to stick to @charliesheen
A persistent them in your blogs is you desperately want to find or be told some reason not to exercise. Yes, exercise and events can take away from family time. Yes, you get less sleep. Ok, there you have it. But, the flip side is vastly better than not exercising. And, most fit people I know also train and compete with their spouses and often kids also, which is vastly better than sitting on the couch getting plump watching TV.
Here's a great WSJ article on exercise and family:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703439504576116083514534672.html
The real question is how sore are you today? Those first few weeks of daily exercise for obese people can be terribly painful from a soreness perspective.
Do it Melissa!!! I just told someone over the weekend, that I don't care if my dishes pile up during the week because I'm working out. I can always take care of them on Saturday!! Hope all is well and would love to hear your progress.
Boring blog today! Reference to "Chandler" just ruined it...
You'll see the weight just drop off if you keep up this plan! Exercise just has to come second in life. Work is first, then exercise, then fun, and if there is time left, cleaning. You can save that for the weekend. Good job Melis!!!
What was the "speaking in tongues" part? Someone once told me to "rip my lats" and I said no, I wanted to use them later.
You are doing great. Don't let the negative Nellies get you. I work out regularly and have for years. Since I hit 50 and blew past it, I struggle to keep my weight in control, and don't always do the best job of it. The main thing is to keep plucking along. Being skinny for most of my life never prepared me for this. (I was the misfit who failed PE) But keep at. Don't be intimidated by the gym. And weight training is your friend.
I'm sorry, this is absurd. People keep saying "you are doing great." What in the world does that mean? Has the term "great" been reduced that much? The blogger hasn't joined a gym, may have lost 5 pounds, hasn't seen a nutritionist, has, by her own accounts, worked out 3-4 times in the past six weeks, hasn't had a physical. What is great about this in the least? I'd say a lot less "great" and a lot more "big whoop" so far.
Is the blogger doing a few minor things that might lead her in the right direction? YES. Is she doing great? Hardly.
You either change your lifestyle or you die at an early age and then what good are you to your family then? People are absolutely ridiculous with their excuses for why they are not physically fit. Frankly, you don't need a nutritionist or a personal trainer or a gym membership. There's plenty to do to stay active and stay out of the fast food drive thru. It requires focus. If your family is important to you, then that is motivation enough to turn your life around. Otherwise you are simply another selfish narcissistic (fill in the blank). Quit blogging or facebooking and get busy.
Why are you so uptight Annoyingmoose 7:01 PM? Perhaps you should focus less on your weight and more on your mental health.
Lent begins tomorrow...maybe you could give up the sweets and bad food, and add exercise and better habits, but like with everything else positive, make it carry over after the Easter season. Good luck!
winning
Good job! Wish my gym had tv's attahced to the treadmill, i would want to stay on them longer!!!
still winning
Anonymous...You are constantly NEGATIVE about this entire blog!! Why in the world do you continue to read it? Maybe putting Melissa down CONSTANTLY makes you feel better about yourself. Maybe YOU are the one who should quit reading/responding to this blog!!
Love the Chandler reference...and, still winning ;)
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