Oh, I felt "The Burn"

Remember how I joined a new gym with the corporate membership, and learned that a free orientation and personal training session were in store?

Well, I met Edward The Trainer at 5:30. He told me we were first going to discuss some general nutrition information, work out, then discuss their "program options." I immediately knew this meant personal training sessions and $$$. I say to him "Oh, I can tell you right now I'm not going to want any of that stuff." He says, "Ok, no problem, let's just talk about your general health right now, where you want to be, and what you want to get out of this gym." Fair enough.

His discussion was actually interesting and I learned a lot...specifically, I learned that I need to lose exactly 36 pounds to be in excellent health. Yes, I had my body fat analyzed and it wasn't pretty. But the more I talked to this guy and listened, the more I felt excited and really into it. He puts me on the elliptical to warm up for only about 7 minutes. Now, I am a runner, and the elliptical is something I've never really used. I thought it felt awkward at first, but it was definitely getting my heart rate up there.

Then we start the workout. Edward wants to concentrate on core-strengthening exercises. He teaches a ONE-hour core class...I didn't even know there were that many core exercises out there. I was wrong. It's not just abs, but literally your core. And what an eye-opener it was for me. I.WAS.DYING. We begin with some ab exercises on the mat which include 1 minute planks. No problem, right? I mean, my own strength training workout at home includes 3 30-second planks. But these were 1-minute planks...believe me when I say 30 seconds makes a huge difference! I was sweating profusely at this point, my forearms literally sliding on the mat.

Let me interject an important side note here: My total fuel prior to this gym session was one small bowl of oatmeal, a banana, some grapes, an orange, another banana, and loads of water. Work was busy and I had no time to eat anything substantial. But, hey, at least it was healthy. However, this is not nearly enough food to sustain a good workout. Needless to say it was a dumb thing to do, and I was dizzy, lightheaded, and got a headache as soon as we started.

BUT, I kept pushing myself. The moves were difficult, but to be honest, I LIKED IT! I was having a great time. I was dripping with sweat and probably pretty stinky, and I couldn't speak in complete sentences because I was gasping for air, but this personal training thing was pretty nifty. All I had to concentrate on was holding the correct position and my breathing. We worked muscles that I haven't moved in a long time. He actually had to cut the workout short because he was afraid I was going to faint (insert an embarrassed me here--it was obvious I was pretty light-headed and shaky). But I appreciated his concern. He had worked me enough to feel more than satisfied that I had burned some serious calories.

I loved the machines, I loved the moves, and I loved having someone train me. It's a whole new concept for me and I just felt invigorated (albeit starving and wobbly). It was like another door had opened up in my life and I felt guided to step through. Granted, I lost 40 pounds on my own last year by running and eating right. But the next 36 are only going to get tougher...I need all the help I can get. And it's not just about losing  weight. Changing your lifestyle is a difficult and tedious challenge, and it doesn't happen overnight. BUT I'M READY.

So, this formerly-skeptical chick signed up for an entire year of personal training sessions, 3 days a week. Crazy, huh? I'm so excited and although I know it's going to be hard, and that I'll have good days and bad, I know this is going to help me achieve my goals. Tomorrow I have an appointment for a full physical assessment, including all of my measurements (yikes). I received a book that my trainer will use to enter all of my workout information each session, and each month we will track my progress. My sessions will include 30 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of strength training. I am free to keep up with my running throughout the week. My trainer is Jonathan, and although he is 10+ years younger than me and disgustingly fit, I really like him and feel comfortable with him. When Edward had to get me a towel during my workout (have I mentioned how sweaty I get?), Jonathan happened to be near and promptly had me get into another balanced plank (Bosu ball anyone??) for 15 seconds...he was so supportive even in just those 15 seconds. I knew he was the one. :)

The gym was filled with all shapes and sizes, and I saw a lot of women working out with a trainer. I had a completely different attitude when I walked out compared to when I had walked in. I drove away feeling more confident in myself than I had in a long time.Then I drove to Subway and scarfed down a healthy sandwich. When I got home I took some Advil and got in a hot shower. Getting up this morning wasn't so bad...but by the time lunch rolled around, my coworker (Karlie--more about her later) made me laugh and my abs nearly screamed at me. It was wonderful and painful at the same time.

So join me on this new journey to a healthy mind and body. I'm thinking I'll post about some of the sessions--what moves I do and things I learn along the way. It's going to be a long road and I've already started towards a new life...no looking back now!