Return...

Looks like being caught up with the blog was a very temporary thing. But worry not, after a six day hiatus, I'm back to tell you more about my experiences being a fat person at the gym. And for the record, today is Saturday.

It has been three days since I've been to the gym and it is almost four, but the idea of leaving poor Best Friend Rachel alone during Pilates is too much for me. I have a wicked bad cold and to tell you the truth, I'm worried I may have trouble breathing and I do not want to die while I'm sweaty and in unflattering workout clothes. I'd much rather go in a full tuxedo reclining in an arm chair while people place gifts at my feet.

I get to the gym in just enough time, trying desperately not to talk more than I have to because I sound like an 80-year-old woman who has been smoking since she turned seven. I didn't see Kiki for Thursday Pilates (because I was working at Target) so we say brief hellos before the workout begins. We begin with the breathing and light bridging. This seems doable. But from here on out is where I start to struggle. Not so much with the ability to breathe thing, but more so with my muscles. I feel weaker. Now, I'm choosing to blame it on the fact that I'm sick and so my body is weaker than usual. Hopefully its not because I've digressed in my physical conditioning.

I'm happy to notice that Rachel is also struggling (I'm awful, I know). But she excels in a way I do not. She is really good at continuing despite something being difficult. I tend to give up a little sooner than needed. And I've now find my challenge for the week: go until I can literally go no more, and then go for another 3 reps or 2 minutes or whatever. Just keep going.

Rachel is also a continuous source of encouragement throughout the entire workout. She's constantly saying things like 'I'm so impressed with you' or 'you're amazing' and that gives me the extra push that I need to keep trying. By the end of the workout, I feel better than when I started, which seems contrary to what I would have expected. Apparently exercise is helping my sick body, but I don't feel confident in that enough to tell any of you that when you're sick you should workout. I'll leave that to the medical professionals. 

After Pilates, I go for a meeting with Ryann to see what she, as a nutritionist, can recommend for me. She asks what my goal is and I tell her I don't want to feel like a lazy slob. She also asks what I have been doing and I tell her I've been doing my best to eat healthier, including more fresh fruits and vegetables in my diet and watching my caloric intake, but that I could do better. I tend to make bad decisions when I'm sitting at home because in the past, food was something I ate when I was bored.

She gives me a list of foods that should comprise my diet, and I'm pleased to see normal foods on it. To tell you the truth, I had been nervous that she would require me to eat a lot of bizarre foods that are hard to find and are really expensive, but thankfully Ryann is awesome and I won't have to swap too many foods. I will have to be more strict about my calorie counting. In the past when I've tried, I've used an app that keeps track, but I always forget to log dinner and therefore make awful decisions for dinner. It's especially difficult when dinner is a meal out. Hopefully I'll learn better ways to watch my calorie intake when I dine out.