The "before" pictures were taken, holding today's "USA Today". It was a poignant moment for me -- I am holding a newspaper with the headline "JFK Jr. Believed Dead". I watched him grow up, and followed his adult life. I am a charter subscriber to "George" magazine...
First free weight workout today, and I was the only woman in the gym. Talk about facing my anxieties head on! During my only other fitness center experience, which lasted a whole 4 months, I had stayed out of the free weight area and used the machines. That's where the women were, and that's where I felt safe. I was afraid of looking foolish in front of the men because I didn't know what I was doing. Well, this time it had to be different!
With my trusty copy of "Body for Life", and my fitness journal, in hand, I took a deep breath and walked in. I scouted out the only empty bench, and proceeded to gather five sets of dumbbells in ascending weights. I knew which were the dumbbells because I read it in the book! What I had not known was the weights they came in. I had planned my first upper body workout using invented weights, figuring I would find out when I got the gym. So my actual workout varied from my plan, but that was fine. Putting the sweaty beefcake around me out of my mind as best I could, I grabbed a set of 5 lb dumbbells and got to work.
I consulted the book often, for the right way to do the exercises. During the breaks between reps, necessary to recover for the next set at a higher weight, I dared to look around. I discovered that some of the guys in there did not know much more than I did. I could see some of them were actually doing things wrong, based on what Phillips says in the book!
I felt so excited walking out of that gym. I knew I could walk into any gym now and do at least what I had just done. I need never feel anxious about free weights again, and all it took was ONE visit to the gym, armed with proper information!
Phillips says "if you fail to plan, you plan to fail", and I am not failing! I made a list of the foods he recommends and headed off to the grocery store. Each day I map out six small meals in advance. I haul all the food I need during the day to work with me. I find I am eating more often, which is nice. I feel something like hunger, but I prefer to think of it as the fat burner being ignited. Burn, baby burn!
I keep visualizing the body I will have 12 weeks from now, and also the one I would have if I never did this program. I could look like I do today, or I can become different. I choose to be different. I will not let any more of my life go by without doing something about my body fat and flabby muscles.
By making it through week 1, I have proved that I can do this. It takes surprisingly little time to work out, and no more energy to eat correctly than it did to eat poorly. I feel excited and energized. I can do this. I am committed and I will follow through.
[fitness page]
[week 2]