Portland Breeder's Cup

 

Eventhough the contest officially ends tonight, I will not say the final weigh-in, the end, or anything of the sort. For Char and I, our beautiful journey is still very much in process. Together we have lost 19 pounds, with 64 remaining to reach our goal.

 

We have started walking again like we used to when training for races, and it is a welcome and comforting addition to my new routine.

 

While I will miss the support and accountability that the biggest loser community has provided, I feel thankful and blessed to have Char continuing on this new path with me.

 

I wish all of you well, and am excited for all of the effects the changes we are making will have on ourselves, our families, and the world around us.

 

 

I hurt. Thanks to my new trainer, after only two sessions I have almost a complete workout routine, I am motivated, and I am going to the gym. I have learned how to properly use different cardio machines, weight machines, and how to do some basic core exercises using the mat and exercise ball. She is tough- almost brutal- and I love it.

 

I am sad that I will only be able to afford a few more sessions, but I feel like what she is giving me is the final piece of the puzzle, and that I will be able to continue on my own after our time together is over.

 

I have gotten so excited now about getting in shape that Char and I are renewing our evening walks. Char and I used to be a part of a walking team that did races throughout the year in Oregon and Washington. While I won't have the time to do a race soon, walking again on a regular basis is going to feel so good!

 

What a blessing!

 

 

So, my husband talked me into giving the training another chance. So, I went down today and met with a woman who is a Master trainer at a different location. So far I like her, but am still entering with caution. Today she did a free fitness assessment with me- talked about goals, what I want to get out of training, and did measurements so we wouldn't have to waste an actual session doing them.

 

We will see how it goes.

 

 

So, the negative experience with the trainer has really taken the wind out of my sails, but I am trying to forge ahead. I am also frustrated that just like always, the second I get back to exercising regularly, I gain weight. I have always attributed this to my athlete days. I build muscle quickly, and the older I get, the harder it is for me to burn fat. Since muscle weighs more than fat, I came to the logical conclusion that I build faster than I burn, resulting in weight gain.

 

The lame trainer told me this was not true. He said that because you feel hungrier when you first start to work out again, you eat more. But as he was obsessively tracking my calories, we know that this theory isn't true either. Ah well.

 

I went to the bookstore to check out some books on exercise balls. What I ended up purchasing (prepare for shameless plug here folks) was the Biggest Loser Fitness Program. I had initially avoided even picking it up, but I couldn't resist. And you know what? If you can get past the interviews, clips, and quotes, it actually provides multiple fitness routines tailored to multiple levels!  Really great ones that can be adjusted for use with or without an exercise ball. I was pleasantly surprised and impressed. It restored a little hope for me.

 

My husband wants me to give training another chance. Our gym just launched a sale- the $350 pacakge is currently $280. I'm considering, but still feel pretty burned. I might go in and ask if I can have a free interview session with the trainer Cesar recommended and see how that goes. Sometimes this getting healthy thing just feels so hard.

 

 

Two different gyms, two different trainers, two VERY different experiences.

 

My husband and I signed up for the $99 introductory package at two different gym locations. The package was to include five 25 minute work-outs. The trainers don't like to do work-outs that short, so they lump them together to form two 1 hour sessions and 1 half hour session. My training experience with Robert felt like a waste of time and money. My husband's experience with Ceasar was great.

 

While as I previously wrote, I was hopeful after the first session, it never really went anywhere from there. The second session was spent with the trainer adding up all of my calories (which I had already done), giving me a second nutrition lecture, and showing me two exercises- both on machines. The third and final session involved another nutrition lecture, more talk about how only people who buy the larger pacakges see change, and 1 more exercise- also on a machine. I would also like to mention that after our first session, the trainer shared very private health information about me with another client. He figured out that we knew each other and shared information with her that was previously only known to myself, my family, and my doctor. This person that he shared it with is the cousin of a friend of mine (I used to work with both of them) and she told my friend. I was horrified. The trainer brushed it off when I tried to talk with him about it.

 

My husband had three fantastic sessions. He said he felt listened to and was given entire work-outs worth of helpful information. He actually asked his trainer for a recommendation for me. Unfortunately their next cheapest package is $350 for 5 50 minute sessions, which I simply can't afford.

 

It did at least help me get my butt to the gym 4 times this week, so I guess it wasn't a total loss.

 

Plan B: Ask my husband to show me the exercises he learned, and purchase "Exercise Balls for Dummies".