my Member Success story for the gym

I first walked through the doors at 24-Hour Fitness having lost 150 lbs. with walking as my only form of exercise. I was terrified of the gym, not really knowing what to expect and under the impression that I’d be the most out-of-shape person in the room. But I sucked it up, joined in late May 2009, and bought three sessions with a personal trainer so that I could start some sort of strength training routine. I had no intention of buying more than those initial three sessions, but here I am, eight months later, working out with Milos at least twice a week.

Working out with a personal trainer has changed my perspective on exercise completely. In Milos, I have a partner who pushes me to go beyond what I think I can do without intimidation or insult. Showing him that I can do whatever he challenges me to pushes me to get to the gym even when we don’t have scheduled sessions. And the whole “I have to pay for it if I don’t show up” gets me there when I’d rather stay in bed. When I’ve had a long day at the office, I know that a trip to the gym calms my frustrations and pumps up my energy level, and is an emotional outlet that is not food-related. In 8 months, I’ve lost about 30 lbs., 10% body fat, and more inches than I could have ever imagined with the help of Milos and 24-Hour Fitness. Watch for me – I’m not giving up my membership any time soon.

some things never change

i love going back and looking at my old posts. and then laughing because some things never change. the last time i posted, i was in the middle of a food frenzy, prior to the holidays even setting in. now i'm here, on the other side of the holidays, and feeling like i'm in exactly the same place i was 6 weeks ago. except about 5 lbs lighter. and i'm not complaining about that.

i went berserk with the food consumption again last night. can't pinpoint a trigger, but do know that i was craving something. i couldn't put my finger on what exactly it was, so i started with a bit of ice cream, and ended up with cereal, cookies, cheese, and countless other things. feeling guilty, i did my best to track what i ate, but i'm sure i missed things. i'm through my WPA, and into my APs for the week, so i have to be good. i'm on plan for today - i have to resist the chocolate at grandma's for dinner. and stay out of the kitchen when i get home.

i have a weird new mindset that's popped up - basically, i feel like if i've earned APs in a day, i'm justified in going over my daily allotment. while this is okay, and almost actively encouraged by WW, this is not an okay justification for my binging. especially because i'm almost always NOT hungry. i'm eating to eat - and frankly, that's what got me in trouble in the first place!

seems like i've reached a place where it's time to start really delving into the psychology behind my eating, especially my snacking. eating to live is one thing, and enjoying a snack or two isn't a problem. but it's time to find something to do other than eat when i'm watching TV. some high quality self-monitoring needs to happen!