This blog entry is about my body. There will be photos of me in my
underwear. If that offends you please do
not read further. If that excites you,
why haven’t you hit on me yet?
I will also preface this entry with the statement that it is
very difficult for me to give myself praise.
It is much easier for me to point out my own faults. I think that holds true for most of us.
I also think most of us have had many a toxic session while
looking at the mirror. I know, I have
beaten myself up with a pint of Ben & Jerry’s a time or two. I have battled with my weight, and body shape
for as long as I can remember. Really
though that should be stated, I have battled with accepting my body for as long
as I can remember. (In fairness and full
disclosure etc… I came to accept my
body, long before I put things in motion to change it.)
Anyway, enough of the negative, let’s get onto what I
intended to write about. About 18 months
ago, I asked a friend to help teach me how to work out. We went to dinner and discussed gym habits,
and eating habits, and life habits, and all kinds of other stuff. I told myself, I was going to put all of this
new knowledge to use. I was so
excited. I was going to use that gym
membership that had been lying dormant (but still being paid for) again.
One week passed. I hadn't had time to go to the gym, because I was busy.
Two weeks passed. I still hadn't had time. Now I was getting mad
at myself for wasting my friend’s time.
One month passed. I
just gave up, and figured I would try again later.
Around May of this year (2014), I went to brunch with the
same friend I had asked for help. The
topic shifted to health and the gym. I
mentioned my earlier failure, and talked about the fact that I felt lost in the
gym, because I felt like the fat kid that didn’t belong there. I felt like everyone would be looking at me
and judging me. I felt like everyone
would be wondering what the fuck I was doing there. I felt like everyone would be cranky that I
was just ‘playing’ with the weights and machines that they needed to use.
I needed support. I
needed a gym buddy that knew what they were doing. My friend volunteered to help me. He told me when he worked out, and to just
show up and he would work with me. Again
I was stoked! I was about to change my
life.
The next day… I went
into work early to make sure I would be home in time for the gym. So then I got home early, and promptly fell
asleep. I woke up about 15 minutes after
I was already supposed to be at the gym.
I was furious at myself. I had broken
my word. I was wasting the time of
someone that offered to help me. I had
failed yet again.
I sent him a message apologizing, and he responded almost
immediately with “I’ll be here for another 45 minutes or so. Just come join me now.” I threw my clothes on and was out the
door. Near the end of that week, he
asked me to promise him 1 month in the gym, which I gladly did.
We worked out together for about 3 weeks when he mentioned
he had found this 12 week program online that he wanted to do. I was intimidated, but I agreed. We just finished week 12/12 and are currently
taking a week off before we start the program over again. The 12 week cycle consists of 63 separate gym
session. Of those I missed 3. So I had a 95% attendance. (I even did one of the days without him,
which filled me with pride.)
I did not really adjust my food consumption that much, so my results are from just heavy lifting, with the dancing I do as cardio.
I took
pictures at the start (269 pounds), after week 6 (263 pounds), and after week 12 (255 pounds). Here they are:
Front:
 |
| Start |
 |
| Week 6 |
 |
| Week 12 |
Profile:
 |
| Start |
 |
| Week 6 |
 |
| Week 12 |
Back:
 |
| Start |
 |
| Week 6 |
 |
| Week 12 |
Things I have discovered:
- I am an extrovert, and
need to do things with other people.
- There are days at the gym,
when I have NO desire to lift that damned thing even one more time.
- Pull Ups are from the
devil.
- Most people in the gym are
there to do their own thing. They’re
not paying you any mind. (If
anything they are self-centered and unaware that you exist)
- Personal trainers make
their clients do some bizarre shit.
Messages for you, dear reader:
- If you want to lift
weights. Do it!
- If you need someone to do
it with you, that’s okay.
- If you can do it on your
own… Do it!
- If you are afraid of what
others are thinking about you… Don’t
be.
- Perseverance works.
- Weight training is just
like learning any other skill. You
have to do homework, and spend time figuring out how and what to do. You are not expected to be perfect from
day 1 (or ever).
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