I started going to Gym in February of 2011. At the time I was, in my mind, grossly overweight due to medication I had taken shortly before. 189 pounds did not look all that great on a six foot frame. I felt terrible about the way I looked and terrible about myself. I decided to do something about it.
I went on a diet to begin with and lost a fair amount of weight that way. But my physique was still decrepit and it became clear to me that dieting alone was not going to solve my problem. This is said of people in their fifties but I had not heard that then.
I had recently moved to Hayes Valley. I noticed a local gym while meandering around the neighborhood to familiarize myself with it. I passed by it several times but never dreamed of going in. It was almost on a lark that I just went in one day and asked about a membership.
The person who helped me at the desk was friendly and unassuming. I found out that the membership cost was $59 a month which seemed reasonable to me. He suggested that I take a tour of the facilities. A young woman who worked at the gym showed me around. I was completely baffled by the wild array of machines and the facilities in general.
Bewildered I returned to the front desk. I was hesitant. I think the young man there sensed this and suggested that I hire a trainer to get me started. It didn't occur to me that I might need a trainer. I asked about the cost and although steep was nevertheless within reach of what I could afford. I bought 25 sessions with the young woman who had given me the tour. Her name is Tess (not her actual name).
It started out slow at first. I was wise enough to not expect overnight results. Tess patiently scoped me out in our first few sessions to determine my level of fitness at the time. She asked me what my goals were. I told her I wanted to lose weight and to get healthy. She made a mental note and so began my regimen. I told her I expected to be working out for six months before I noticed a difference. She cheerfully told me that I would be seeing results in three months. I took this with a bit of skepticism.
She was right. After three months I had dropped about ten pounds and was feeling stronger and more healthy. She also put me on a diet that was both nutritional and filling and good tasting. I've not been very good at the diet part. Instead I just cut out sugar, fat and carbohydrates. This made a big difference and to this day I eat very little of those types of food. I had quit drinking some time earlier and this helped with losing weight, too.
It's been about eight months now and I still can't believe the results. I have dropped down to about 165 and lost three inches off of my waistline. None of my clothes fit anymore. I bought new clothes when my waistline had receded to 34 inches but now I am swimming in them. I need to once again buy clothes.
Tess takes measurements of various parts of my body about once every month as a benchmark to illustrate my results to me. It's been a steady decrease in body fat and increase in muscle growth. It's late September now so I expect to have measurements taken in a week or so. Given my recent weight loss I expect to see another dramatic change.
I've reached a point where I am losing weight too fast, I think. My change in eating habits has become something of a disorder. This has been pointed out to me by my analyst in the context of my medication. This needs to be taken with 500 calories of food at a meal or it is ineffective. I am now in the peculiar position of having to eat more. This is difficult for me because my stomach shrunk. I can't eat so much food now. It is also difficult because I have trained my psyche to reject food as part of dieting. It's unhealthy and I need to change my eating habits.
I've noticed a change in my mind, too. It's not just better self-esteem but also something else. I have a mind-body connection I never had before. I am keenly aware of my body. I know how to breathe correctly. My posture has changed. I now walk upright. I sit up straight. I am stronger physically, too. I am able to exert myself better. I know the limits of my strength and how to use the force of my mind to use them to their fullest.
Tess is an absolute charm to work with. She is always cheerful and encouraging. She monitors my progress and takes me a step further when it is time to do so. She laughs a lot and kids me, saying that she is a slave driver. I am besotted with her and trust her entirely. I could never have done this without her.
I bought another fifty sessions after the first twenty-five were exhausted. These will last until October. I am straining my mind to decide whether or not to buy another fifty. I need to save money to live on after my Liberty Mutual disability payments run out at the end of this year. I am agonizing over what to do. I want to keep working out with Tess but may decide that it's time to "fly solo" to save money. I still haven't decided what to do.
What a difference gym has made in my life. I am slimmer and healthier to be sure. But it has also gotten me out of my apartment and out of the hermit existence I hitherto lived. I am in the world again. This scared me at first but I have grown used to it. In fact, I look forward to my gym sessions. I look forward to having gym as a permanent part of my life for now on.
I went on a diet to begin with and lost a fair amount of weight that way. But my physique was still decrepit and it became clear to me that dieting alone was not going to solve my problem. This is said of people in their fifties but I had not heard that then.
I had recently moved to Hayes Valley. I noticed a local gym while meandering around the neighborhood to familiarize myself with it. I passed by it several times but never dreamed of going in. It was almost on a lark that I just went in one day and asked about a membership.
The person who helped me at the desk was friendly and unassuming. I found out that the membership cost was $59 a month which seemed reasonable to me. He suggested that I take a tour of the facilities. A young woman who worked at the gym showed me around. I was completely baffled by the wild array of machines and the facilities in general.
Bewildered I returned to the front desk. I was hesitant. I think the young man there sensed this and suggested that I hire a trainer to get me started. It didn't occur to me that I might need a trainer. I asked about the cost and although steep was nevertheless within reach of what I could afford. I bought 25 sessions with the young woman who had given me the tour. Her name is Tess (not her actual name).
It started out slow at first. I was wise enough to not expect overnight results. Tess patiently scoped me out in our first few sessions to determine my level of fitness at the time. She asked me what my goals were. I told her I wanted to lose weight and to get healthy. She made a mental note and so began my regimen. I told her I expected to be working out for six months before I noticed a difference. She cheerfully told me that I would be seeing results in three months. I took this with a bit of skepticism.
She was right. After three months I had dropped about ten pounds and was feeling stronger and more healthy. She also put me on a diet that was both nutritional and filling and good tasting. I've not been very good at the diet part. Instead I just cut out sugar, fat and carbohydrates. This made a big difference and to this day I eat very little of those types of food. I had quit drinking some time earlier and this helped with losing weight, too.
It's been about eight months now and I still can't believe the results. I have dropped down to about 165 and lost three inches off of my waistline. None of my clothes fit anymore. I bought new clothes when my waistline had receded to 34 inches but now I am swimming in them. I need to once again buy clothes.
Tess takes measurements of various parts of my body about once every month as a benchmark to illustrate my results to me. It's been a steady decrease in body fat and increase in muscle growth. It's late September now so I expect to have measurements taken in a week or so. Given my recent weight loss I expect to see another dramatic change.
I've reached a point where I am losing weight too fast, I think. My change in eating habits has become something of a disorder. This has been pointed out to me by my analyst in the context of my medication. This needs to be taken with 500 calories of food at a meal or it is ineffective. I am now in the peculiar position of having to eat more. This is difficult for me because my stomach shrunk. I can't eat so much food now. It is also difficult because I have trained my psyche to reject food as part of dieting. It's unhealthy and I need to change my eating habits.
I've noticed a change in my mind, too. It's not just better self-esteem but also something else. I have a mind-body connection I never had before. I am keenly aware of my body. I know how to breathe correctly. My posture has changed. I now walk upright. I sit up straight. I am stronger physically, too. I am able to exert myself better. I know the limits of my strength and how to use the force of my mind to use them to their fullest.
Tess is an absolute charm to work with. She is always cheerful and encouraging. She monitors my progress and takes me a step further when it is time to do so. She laughs a lot and kids me, saying that she is a slave driver. I am besotted with her and trust her entirely. I could never have done this without her.
I bought another fifty sessions after the first twenty-five were exhausted. These will last until October. I am straining my mind to decide whether or not to buy another fifty. I need to save money to live on after my Liberty Mutual disability payments run out at the end of this year. I am agonizing over what to do. I want to keep working out with Tess but may decide that it's time to "fly solo" to save money. I still haven't decided what to do.
What a difference gym has made in my life. I am slimmer and healthier to be sure. But it has also gotten me out of my apartment and out of the hermit existence I hitherto lived. I am in the world again. This scared me at first but I have grown used to it. In fact, I look forward to my gym sessions. I look forward to having gym as a permanent part of my life for now on.
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