I have never been a person that would be considered “healthy”.  I have never worked out and never really ate well.   Unfortunately, neither did my parents. I lost both of my parents to heart failure.  My father was 58 and my mother was approaching 68. Your own mortality starts creeping up on you when you are about to turn 38.  You start wondering, “How much time do I have?  Will I see my children all grown up? Will I have the opportunity to be called Grandma?”

I never started working out and eating healthy because I never really had to.  Food has always been good to me. And I never had to worry about the effects of eating unhealthy and not exercising. I was a smoker and my thought was I didn’t have to worry about dieting or exercising because cigarettes would be my appetite suppressant! Nice thought.

So, the first step I took to becoming a healthier person was quitting smoking.  I thought I would feel better. Instead, in the 5 months I have been smoke free, I have gained several pounds.  For the first time, I have to try to lose my weight.  And as every woman approaching 40 knows, it is HARD.  I have tried just changing my diet; that worked for about a week. I was finding it harder to walk up stairs but real easy to eat everything in my snack drawer.

So I decided that I would introduce myself to this “healthy lifestyle” people have been speaking of so fondly.  Everyone I am friends with on Facebook seems to be eating healthy and exercising. So I went to my local Club Fitness in North County and signed up.  The staff was very friendly and proceeded to take my information and set me up for my first appointment with a trainer, to introduce me to the facility.

I met with my trainer Tyler.  He was not your typical over the top trainer.  He spoke with great knowledge about healthy living. He seemed very excited about helping me reach my goals and change my lifestyle.

I told him I wanted to lose 30-35 pounds before my Florida vacation in June so I would not be mistaken for a beached whale. He laughed, and then asked me what my real reason was.  I told him I wanted to outlive my parents! He really seemed like he wanted to help me make that happen.  My total time meeting with him was only 90 minutes, but I learned so much about what to do and what not to do with not only exercising, but eating and living. If you want motivation to do your best and succeed, you need to meet Tyler at Club Fitness.

I will tell you I am 37 years old, I am 5’4” and I weigh 167 lbs.  After being measured, I was told that 36% of my body is fat.  That will make you put down that slice of pizza.

This journey is going to be a hard one, but one I am ready to take it.  I hope to check back in at 3 months 35 pounds lighter, but more importantly, I hope to be around a lot longer for my family. If I can do this, I know anyone can!

I would love to hear any suggestions or advice from anyone who has been successful in beating the bulge, getting healthy, and staying that way. And as I gain more knowledge, I’ll be sure to pass it along.

 

 

Brought to you by Mills Apartments