They Know My Name at the Gym

 

Oh, my word!!!! What have I become? THEY KNOW MY NAME AT THE GYM!!!! That's right. I have officially gone to the gym so much, that they know my name. Who in the world would have ever thought this strange turn of events would happen? Even stranger though, (dare I say) I LOVE going to the gym! I know! I know! Craziness!

The fact is, that when I started going to the gym, I was terrified. No, I was not afraid of the gym, I was afraid that my body simply couldn't cut it anymore. I was afraid I wouldn't last 10 minutes on the treadmill and that I would never be able to be truly healthy again. I swallowed my fear though and I took my first step which was walking into the place. Then I got on the treadmill. I made it 20 minutes. Then I made it 30 minutes. Soon I added the elliptical and then the bike. Before I knew it, I was working out 45 minutes to an hour most days of the week. I would pop in my headphones and turn on my podcasts and away I went. It has truly been surreal. 

There have been a few short hiatuses, like when my blood pressure medicine decided to kick my butt and almost made me fall off the treadmill. It took me a few days to figure out that my working out was causing my blood pressure to go down and because of the meds I was on to regulate it, my bp was dropping too low. The result? One medication is gone and one to go. I also had a few days where life got in the way and the gym wasn't possible and then days like the other day when I couldn't put on my tennis shoe because of a blister on my heal. Added speed, equals added friction in my shoe, which equaled a nasty blister. It's been flip-flops for me until this bad boy heals. 

While I have been doing great at the gym, and my bp is very good, I haven't focused on my eating like I should.....or at all. I just hate thinking about what I eat and when I feel I have to think about it, I go into a rebellious state in which cookies are eaten at will and bread (which I am not even that fond of) becomes a three-meal/day staple. Thus, the weight loss has not been as good as I would like. The upside though, I have lost some inches. I have cut myself a bit of slack though, as I have stayed consistent going to the gym for months now, so I figure that healthier eating will come. In fact, my step-daughter has started Trim Healthy Mama (THM) and she is doing very well, looking good, and turning into a bit of an inspiration for me, so perhaps I will give THM another go. Who knows?

The greatest parts of all of this for me have been my ability to stay goal-oriented and consistent and the fact that I conquered my fear on that first day, and proved that I could still work out and work towards a healthier me. Oh, and of course, going off one of my bp medications was pretty awesome too! 

Going forward, as soon as this heel heals (see what I did there?) I plan on branching out from just doing cardio, to adding weights. I no longer have the arms and legs of a twenty-year-old, but adding some firmness and definition might not be a bad thing. Also, some strength training could really help, since David isn't getting any smaller and chances are, I will be lifting his hefty tush for many years to come.  

So I am taking my wins where I can and realizing that there is still much I can do in this life. Of course, I still have fears from time to time, but each one that I am capable of conquering so that I can move on to the next challenge is huge for me and the fact that I have not allowed myself to give up or quit has been amazing. Dare I say, I am proud of me? I think I just did! 

Well, this whole gym journey since last November has been truly unbelievable for me. I have faced my fears, worked towards my goals, and best of all.....THEY KNOW MY NAME AT THE GYM!!!!

So until next time, stay safe, stay healthy and be fearless. You are never too old or out of shape to try!