The first weigh in; I was nervous to see the results. I have a scale, but the battery died nearly a year ago so I have no idea what I really weigh. I step on the machine and am embarrassed and shocked at the number. How could I let this happen? What is wrong with me? Why haven’t I found the courage to fix this until now? As I look around at the other contestants I realize that I am the largest; a depressing reality, but also a familiar feeling.
Today I get to meet my trainer. As I approach the door I am so nervous and scared. Will I like him? Will he be disappointed that I was selected for his gym? What will he think about me? I literally feel sick to my stomach! Once I finally enter the gym my new trainer greets me with a smile and is so welcoming. He asks me how I am feeling and reassures me I have nothing to fear, which was exactly what I needed to hear. We talked for over an hour about why I entered the contest, what my goal is, and where I am currently with diet and exercise. Then Terry Gatewood, my trainer, shared with me his background as well as a treasure trove of diet information. When I left this meeting I felt empowered to make the necessary changes to improve my life.
The next time I went to the gym Terry worked exclusively with me and my workout partner Stephanie. We were taught how to use the different machines in the gym and shown proper form for all the movements which was so important to me because I had never been to a gym before to workout! I couldn’t believe how tired I was when we finished! This was just an introduction to show me how to use the equipment and allow Terry to assess my abilities and I was exhausted! Fast forward to the next day…oh dear Lord… I can hardly move! What have I gotten myself into…can I really do this? Somehow I have to try, so I decided that I would give 100% to my diet and exercise. I will have no regrets. If this doesn’t work at least I gave it my all every minute of every workout. Everything I eat will be to fuel me instead of bury my feelings or reward me for something. I CAN do this…I WILL do this…or die trying, anyway. LOL ;0)
As the days have passed I am getting stronger and I can do more than when I began. I am not as sore either. I am also noticing that my clothes are a bit loose and it is a bit easier to do everyday tasks. A few people close to me have begun to tell me they are starting to see a difference in my appearance. All of these things are giving me a boost to push myself even more every time I am in the gym. While I want to win the contest, it is not my focus. Each day I try to work harder than the day before. Every time I walk on the treadmill I try to go a bit faster, and every time I use weights I try to increase the weight a bit and/or complete my reps faster than the previous time.
I am feeling excited for the next official weigh in to truly see my progress. I am flabbergasted by the fact that I am starting to look forward to my workouts so I can see what I can do. I have surprised myself with what I can do now. My trainer is amazing and my partner in this journey is wonderful. I am blessed to have great people teaching me, encouraging me, and challenging me. I can walk over a mile now without stopping! That amazes me because in December I got winded and sweaty walking one flight of stairs. I can’t wait to write the next page in my journey.
