Monday, May 21, 2012

Eat Less, Move More.

Sounds fairly simple, right?

I know it's been a few months since I've written, but I want to be CONFIDENT in what I write regarding health (plus we've been SO BUSY here!). These past weeks have been completely geared towards exercise and diet research by yours truly. :-)

I walked in to my ($5 per month) gym one weekend and commented to one of the front desk staff about how intimidated I was by all of the equipment, AND I can't afford a personal trainer, which deters me even more. I've literally been immersed in youtube.com videos about how to properly use each machine, just so I didn't look like a fool when I finally got the guts to try some out.

The guy behind the desk was completely sympathetic to my irrational fears of the equipment! He said to come back and he would not only show me a few machines, but he could also give me some diet tips. Um, OKAY!

I went back the next week, and here is where the stars aligned for me.

The front desk girl said the guy I spoke with would be an hour late. I didn't have too much free time that morning, so she casually said "Have you used your free personal training session?". I had actually signed up MONTHS ago, but I didn't expect a call. I used to work the desk at a Gold's Gym in Virginia, and the trainers there would roll their eyes and complain about how people just wanted them to quickly show them every single machine, all the while whining about how they can't afford any more sessions after the free one.

I agreed to meet with the trainer that was there, who just happened to have free time on her schedule RIGHT THEN. She sat me down (and she was actually very kind), asked me about my goals, and I burst into tears.

I explained my neverending quest to be strong, HEALTHY, and knowledgeable, and my misery with myself is taking a toll on my marriage, and sob, sob, sob...

She just smiled and wrote one simple phrase onto a piece of paper.

Easy. Ha.

She then told me that I was one of the most open and genuine people she had ever met with. She asked me if I wanted to come back in during HER exercise time frame, and she would teach me the things I've been aching to know.

Since then, after we exercise together, she casually takes out her planner and pencils me in to come in and work out at the same time as her. Again. And again. I feel like I could cry as I'm writing this, because I really CAN'T afford a personal trainer. This girl (a STUDENT, nonetheless) is taking time out of her high intensity exercise regimes to HELP me.

I'm still juicing, but I also want to be strong. And healthy. And while I get used to rewiring my brain and changing my body, I will leave you all with this; JUST ASK.

Ask for help. Be real and genuine. Most people working in that kind of environment are there because they love exercise, being healthy, and they truly want to pass that along to people like you and I.

Just ask, and keep moving. :-)

P.S. The first day I met with the trainer, she gave me some homework and told me to bring in a printout of an exercise regiment. This is what we've been doing ever since: IT'S REALLY HARD.

5 comments:

  1. I'm so happy for you! I also attend a gym (Fernwood Ladies) and having someone show me the equiptment and tell me how many to do of each made working out so much more enjoyable! I used to only do cardio/step/zumba classes.

    p.s. that exercise regiment is WHOA. I guess you're back into eating lean meats and healthy carbs now to stay concious for that!

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  2. I'm definitely still learning about eating. I assumed after juicing I would just KNOW how to eat, but that obviously isn't true, and I'm definitely not perfect about my diet. My biggest hurdle is salt. Most people have normal habits like coffee, sweets, or even fruit. I don't crave sugar EVER, which is a plus, but I really have to watch my sodium intake. I've been loving fish meals, black bean recipes, and eating more often throughout the day. The trainer also told me to splash lemon juice in the water I drink as it helps muscle recovery. I LOVE learning about this stuff, and I can't wait to share what I've been learning! :-)

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  3. Hey Kristen!

    Dave from Share It Fitness here. So excited you're using our Total Body Blitz program and thanks so much for spreading the word! If you find you love it and are getting great results, please do give us feedback on our contact form from the blog or comment on the article itself! We love hearing what our followers love and don't love about our workouts and THIS one is our most popular at the moment. Congrats on the road to a healthy, strong body and we're here to help if you stumble along the way!

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  4. Thanks for writing, Dave! I absolutely LOVE it! I've never worked so hard in my life, and the trainer is impressed and really excited about all three parts to it. I can't wait to share my progress, thank you so much for putting that kind of information out there for people like me!

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  5. How wonderful! Congratulations on your bravery and strength on your journey! How wonderful to receive such blessings and guidance on your way. You're an inspiration. I love your goals of being healthy and strong. I long for the same things. I'm only 26 and currently in a body I cannot control. Literally, I am facing testing to determine if I have multiple sclerosis. Fatigue exacerbates my symptoms and while I want to just jump in and go hard, I know I can't. So I'm researching ways to exercise, strengthen my body, release stress, get healthy and hopefully lose weight. Thanks for sharing your story!

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