Working out — Wishing I was still doing it
Nov 11th, 2005 by Jordan
Not sure where I came across this, but it sure makes me feel like a lazy fat slob. Let’s reminisce…
In May of 2004, I decided that it was time for me to lose some weight. I’ve always been a little overweight. My whole life I’ve spent with an oversize belly. Nothing overtly embarassing, but just enough extra weight that I never want to take my shirt off or participate in sports. But, then again, I’ve always been a couch potato of my own accord. And, of course, I’ve spent most of my time in front of a computer.
I had a few motivators. The first was my friend Stacey, who was at that time well on her way to losing 100 pounds (she reached her goal in October of 2004). My second motivator was the upcoming trip to Europe. I didn’t really plan on spending any time on beaches (I was going in September/October), but I did want to at least have the stamina for the long days of walking and maybe even pick up a cute Italian boy while I was there. My third motivator was the fact that the gym was free. My dad had a family membership to the West Little Rock athletic club, and had, at one time, volunteered to pay for a personal trainer (more on that in minute, though…). And the fourth, and final, motivator was the fact that I was working nights and didn’t have much to do during the day. So I figured it’d be good to get up, work out, and feel a little more healthy and productive.
So I went to the gym and got a personal trainer. He set me up with a weight-lifting plan, and suggested if I was really looking to lose some weight fast that I do spinning classes. Now, the sidenote mentioned above is that my dad had, apparently, forgotten about the offer to pay for the personal trainer. Luckily, I was living at home anyway so I had plenty of extra money to pay for the dude (Jeff).
I remember these days fondly because my working out did a lot to change my outlook. By the time I left for Europe in September, I had lost about 25 pounds, which was pretty impressive considering I didn’t really change my diet at all. I didn’t actually start working out until early July, I think, so I had July, August, and some of September. I didn’t lose body fat as fast as I wanted, but my weight loss was healthy and steady. My mood also changed, and I was feeling better right off the bat. I slept better, too.
Of the two activities, weight lifting and spinning, I definitely enjoyed the spinning a lot more. For those of you who aren’t in-the-know, spinning classes are basically like group stationery-biking. It’s usually done in a dim room and the “ride” is set to a soundtrack picked by the trainer leading the class. During the ride, you adjust the tension on the main wheel to make it more or less difficult to pedal. Anyone who has done group excercise classes knows that they can be invigorating, but spinning takes it to whole new level and really requires some inner motivation to complete the class.
The first time I went, I barely made it back to my car. It was hotter than hell that summer, and I just remember sitting in my car with the a/c on full blast for about a half-hour before I could even move without wanting to vomit. It was great. After that, I went three times a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday at noon). My trainer didn’t even realize I was going so often, and when he found out he barely believed me — he had assumed that I was only going once a week. But the buzz you get off a workout like that is incredible!
Anyway, to make a long story short, after I got back from Europe my dad moved about 45 minutes from the club and I started looking for a new job. My schedule changed, and when I moved out my dad cancelled the membership to the club. The club that we were going to costs way too much for me to pay on my own, but they’re the only place in town that offers spinning classes. I had lost about 35 pounds by the time I came back from Europe, but I’ve gained all of that back now. *sigh*