Getting back to it

SO - I joined a gym.  LA Fitness to be exact. 

On this break of mine, I want to get back to the shape I'm familiar with.  As I watch everyone's posts on facebook about their daily workouts, and I see people around me getting skinnier; I have found myself more or less stagnant at my desk.

The problem has been finding time.

It amazes me how I can lose 52 lbs with 2 years of hard work and determination; keep it off for another 2 with no problem....and then start sinking into very old habits...  And I let them sink back in.

Now, as a Weight Watchers leader, I see people coming back all the time.  And their answer is always the same about why they gained their weight back, 'I thought I had it'. 

Translation: I thought I was cured!!!!

I can honestly say, with as much as I would like to eat ALL DAY LONG, I know I will NEVER be cured of my weight issues.

I see it so clearly in my kids. Aspen has NO issues like me.  When she is done eating - satisfied if you will - she wants nothing more to do with food. 
Where Avery has my tendencies....  If she see's food, she'd like to take a bite. 

I have said it before; I am raising me and my sister.  Somehow there was a lesson in my life that I didn't get and God has sent me our Mini-me's to learn a lesson or something.  And I'm sure Dad is laughing his tushy off in heaven every time Avery screams a fit at me.

But I digress..... 

Though I haven't fallen that much off track; it has been showing a pattern.  And THAT is what I am concerned about.  Because that is how it starts.

One pattern was, "I don't have time to exercise" or "I will do it later today".  And "later" never came.  THAT was an old pattern.

I used to think I was active and so then it was no problem.  But when you are jogging 3-6 miles a few times a week and doing strength training in between.....there is no daily activity to catch you up to that unless you are a waitress or door to door salesman.

I was fooling myself!!!

And in the process, I was watching my body lose its tight shape and start to get looser.....  (*heavy sigh).

My sister has always "JUST" done things.  She did jazzercise and then decided to become an instructor.  Same with Pilate's.  Then she took up running and now tours Europe to do Marathons.  (I'm rolling my eyes and shaking my head as I write....).  For her it's a "Just do it" mentality.

YA...... totally didn't get that gene......

(*look of disdain on my face).....

SO..... What does that mean for me?

I have to work me ARSE off to even THINK about getting my shoes on to exercise.  And I have to talk myself all the way through it. 

I decided that IF I join a gym; I will go there every day for at least 30 minutes.  And I will try classes to see what they are like.  My first class was SPIN.

Have you ever taken a Spin Class???  I don't even ride a bike on a regular basis.  But the bikes look cool and they do the class in the dark so no one can stare at my butt (which is what they all do, right?).

Now just to qualify....part of taking a class is not knowing what to do or why to do it.  I'm a "why" person.  If you want me to run up a hill full boar in 30 seconds or less, you better tell me some amazing benefits I will get from it, or I will just run it at my own pace.

So when I tell you this Spin teacher was amazing - you'd better believe it.

I knew spin was going to suck.  I did it once before and I yelled at myself in my head for the first 20 minutes about "how'd I get here?"  Then muddled through the class.

This time as I took a spot on my bike, the instructor was already started and was explaining how this is the time to make sure the bike is set properly for each body.  She explained how much my leg should be extending; she explained the monitor on the bike and what each number meant and where we should target as we were peddling.  This girl talked us through every single minute of the class.

I knew why I was doing it, how long I would be doing it, what RPM my bike should be at and most importantly that, 'It's really easy to cheat in Spin, but you should know you will get out what you put in and you should push yourself to feel uncomfortable to get the best benefits from the class....."

And just like that; I was in love!!!

I don't know if other instructors are that way, but I now know what I can look for in an instructor.  I know my Pilates teacher is the same way and I adore him. 

Why is this such a big deal?  Because I spent a whole year with an instructor that forgot to mention where my weight should be shifted for certain moves and my body is still recovering from that....  :(

Good instructors make all the difference in the world.  That goes for WW leaders too.  You should always find someone who can guide you, build you up, challenge you and inform you.

With this awesome first experience at the gym, I'm looking forward to more classes; both in Spin and others.  I'm going to explore as much as possible.

And though I will never be like my sister; I will always have to push myself harder and talk more to myself to constantly remind me that I will never be cured.  But if I want results, I have to put the work in.

I'm glad I realize the difference between me and my sister.  For years I thought something was wrong with me.  Now I realize that she was adopted.

(not really).

It's all good.  I'm glad that I'm pushing myself again.  I have exercise scheduled every day this week.  And next week will be the same.  I will try some night classes (probably spin with same instructor).  I have to make sure I have options at all times of the day.

It's not easy, but it is necessary.  Obesity is a real problem in this country.  And I do NOT want to be part of the problem, I'd rather be part of the solution!!

Happy Wednesday!!!