Water is my friend

I had a nice run this morning. Nothing too crazy. Nothing too fast. And it felt good. The feeling didn't last long. When I was getting dressed for work, I pulled on a pair of pants and had to shimmy my way into them. Not good. Water diet from here on out.

Hmm...Maybe it's broken?

Every year, right before Thanksgiving, people start talking about their holiday weight gain. Some joke and say they're building their "winter coats" while others will describe delectable treats that contribute to their overindulging. For me, I never really bought into the idea of weight gain during the holidays. Probably because my weight never really changes—year round, I usually weigh about the same—and because I don't really like a lot of the traditional holiday foods. (Please note: It's actually quite frustrating that my weight doesn't change because who doesn't want to drop five, ten, or fifteen pounds, right?) Beginning on Wednesday of last week I made the conscious effort to curb my eating. I was focusing on veggies, minimal carbs, less salt—I was still hitting up the gym and running. So, imagine my surprise when I arrived at work this morning and weighed myself (my coworker and I have a weigh-in on Mondays). I weigh four pounds MORE than I did two weeks ago. What's up with that? I'm practically starving and yet, I weigh more. Yeah, I know that whole muscle weighs more than fat nonsense. But really? I'm annoyed. And I need a diet intervention ASAP.

Whoops!

It turns out my trainer knows a thing or two about this whole exercise bit. (Yes, I still have a trainer—can't afford to eat, but one-on-one training sessions are a must!) Yesterday during our session he kept telling me I was leaning over too much while doing squats with the kettlebell. Squatting is hard. Squatting with a 15-pound kettlebell that has to touch the ground each time is even harder. So when I would bend at the waist instead of going straight down, it felt a little better...at the time. Today, not so much. My back is aching and a I feel like an old maid. Luckily, I have happy hour plans which should ease my pain. Cheers!

Remember: The towel is your friend

I'll be the first to admit it—I'm a bit of a prude when it comes to certain things. One such being: the women's locker room at the gym. When I'm there, I like to get in, get out, and get on with my day, all while keeping my eyes down and with a blind eye. Other women...not so much. I find it so interesting (translate: disturbing) that some women can walk throughout the locker room naked and without a care in the world. Blowing drying one's hair in the nude—no biggie. Lotioning up from head to toe—eh, we've come across some dry. Yeah, yeah, I understand it's a locker room. People are showering and changing and it is all women, but still. Come on, how much does a towel weigh that a woman would opt out of wearing one while weighing herself?

It's on!

Well, it's official. I now have my very own personal trainer—at least for the time being. A friend of mine gave me the name and number to her trainer and I had my first session last night. I tend to get a little anxious when I start a new gym class or workout and apparently there was reason for concern...this trainer is tough! Not unbearable and he was very nice, but I can definitely see this is going to be a good challenge for me. I can't wait!

Is One-on-One the Way to Go?

I had my first and perhaps only personal training session this week (a free session is given to new clients of the gym). After failing my fitness test, I wasn't sure what to expect. Actually no, that's not true. I was expecting to be destroyed by the trainer. But that didn't happen, and I'm a little bummed by it. We did some basic weight machines and stretches and I felt good throughout the hour-long session. I did not feel like I was in "fair" shape as my fitness assessment concluded unless the trainer wasn't really pushing me as hard as she should have been. Whatever the case, I survived and I feel reinvigorated. And a little smug.

Friends of Fat

Last week I enrolled at a new gym and as a new member, I was given a free fitness analysis. I'm always a sucker for free things so, why not give it a try? This is basically how the meeting went.

Trainer: Your body composition (i.e., body fat) is too high. You're obese.

Me: Oh, bummer. But I work out a lot.

Trainer: You're doing the wrong types of workouts. You need a personal trainer.

Me: Oh, okay.

A lovely way to start the day, don't you think?