A Change Of Habit

A great deal of things haven’t been happening in my life lately. That, and a general sense of laziness, plus the near-instant gratification from Facebook, results in blog-drought.

Life Changes
Not what it sounds like. I haven’t met the woman of my dreams, nor have I changed teams, nor have I had a sex-change operation, nor have I let Jesus back into my life, or Miguel, for that matter.

I’ve been working out. I know I’ve trumpeted that mundane fact about my life in this space before, but I think this time I really have gone about it in the right way. My attitude has changed toward my workouts: I no longer consider George, the Personal Trainer, to be Satan Incarnate; he’s still evil in ways, but not the Prince of Darkness himself...maybe a lesser demon. My workouts have been less dreadful and more productive, and I feel myself trying harder to push, pull, press and lift more weight more times.

And I think the one doing the work is always the last to see real change, but George has commented that I appear to have developed a little bit of definition in my arms and shoulders. I can make myself believe I see it in the mirror, but I’m pretty good at fooling myself. A former co-worker who came in to prospect for some freelance work, someone I haven’t seen since December or January, saw me and, upon our greetings, looked at me a little strangely and asked, “Have you lost some weight?” and, as a matter of fact, I had lost weight. Just that morning I checked myself on the scale. Ever since I started with George in that first week of February, I felt mild frustration at the fact that I had not lost one bit of weight. I had started at 210 pounds, and I maintained that weight for weeks, fluctuating between 208 and 210. I had commented to George about it, and he said that, since weight loss wasn’t my primary goal, my weight wouldn’t come down very quickly. He even asked me how I would feel if my weight went up five pounds, but I lost an inch in my waist! Then he said that, with increased fitness would come weight loss.

Then, on the very day I would meet my former coworker, I stepped on my scale at home: 201 pounds! I had dropped seven to nine pounds in a week and a half!

I have been very faithful to the rigors that George has set out. There are the workouts with him every Saturday, Monday and Wednesday. There are my cardio workouts at the office every Tuesday and Thursday, and at my apartment complex fitness center on Sundays. On the road I make every effort to use the hotels’ fitness centers, if available (as a matter of fact, in Atlanta last week the fitness center was so crowded at 5:15am that I chose to do my cardio by walking the complete loop around the atrium for 20 minutes. That was about 12 times around!). George has factored accountability into the regimen, expecting me to provide him a daily food journal to track what and how I eat, and to give him a tool to help me tune my diet and make it more balanced and healthy.

I have been eating more whole foods and less fast food. I haven’t had — or missed — a McDonald’s hamburger since February. I avoid french fries entirely. With the exception of breakfast, the only potatoes I eat are baked or boiled. Alcoholic drinks are few and far between; water and fruit juices are now the norm. My coffee intake has remained at one to two cups a day.

I haven’t been perfect; I still have occasional munchie attacks, with chocolate at the head of the cravings pack. But I feel I have totally turned my eating habits around, and George’s food journal assignment keeps me on track...and guilt-ridden if I stray (and I am freakishly honest about it!).

I have already decided to sign up for another 16 sessions with George when this current string ends. I want to feel confident about my self-guided workouts when I leave his tutelage and make it my own responsibility. I feel that, despite the fitness track-record of my life to this point, I will stick to it.

Wish me luck!



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