Wednesday, August 03, 2011

The Numbers Don't Lie

For the past few weeks I have been doing really well with my eating plan and have abstained from alcohol and caffeine for longer than ever before - in my whole life! I've been doing Pilates on the weekend (which I love) and I've joined a gym where they do Barrelates (ballet Pilates) and cardio work. As I stare headlong into baby sister's wedding I feel like I'm doing the right things.

So I was feeling nervous but optimistic about tonight - my first appointment with my personal trainer. I get two complimentary sessions as part of my gym membership, and tonight was just about taking vital statistics and doing a couple of strength and endurance tests.

Fortunately I was honest when it came to answering questions about my health and fitness history and habits. We talked about my problem areas and my short and long term goals. The trainer was happy about my Pilates work, as she is a certified instructor herself. She said my posture was great and the exercises I do in the classes will help with core strength, but I would need to supplement them with weights training. Fair call, no worries. So then we retired to the little room out the back to take measurements. Du-du-duuuuuuuuuh.

Quicker than I could say "I don't really feel fat, I just want to tone up", I had the results of my Body Fat Index test. Silence from my trainer and then she finally said "Yeah, we'll work on that - it's fine". Oh man.

Stepping on the scales, the numbers went up, up and then up some more. Deducting some pounds for my sneakers and the fact that at the end of the day we're all a bit puffy, the numbers were still higher than I would want. "Something we'll work on?" I asked, quietly. My trainer nodded.

As anxious as I was by this point, I aced the blood pressure test and then I got my body circumference measurements. I believe we will be working on my 36-24-36 body for a little while.

Then we went over to the floor to do some strength and endurance tests. We determined that I can squat prodigiously, and I'm a very good walking lunger. Thanks to my Pilates, I am also very good at abdominal crunches and can do the arm-chest-pulldown-thingy pretty well too.

After our floor workout was over, I agreed to meet up with my trainer for my proper workout next Tuesday. She left me doing some cardio work on the eliptical. I had no idea how to work the machine so she showed me and I was COMPLETELY uncoordinated. I felt like I was walking on the moon - and then when I thought about that, my legs got self-conscious and refused to work together.

Having spent 7 solid minutes on the eliptical, flailing around like a frog in a blender, I daintily alit the machine and headed for home - knowing full well that I have a lot of work to do.

1 comment:

Helenbeee said...

if only choclate, beer, wine, chips etc etc were as hard to swallow as truth and reality. I think we would not have weight to lose and body's to hone on a global scale....just keep going take it day by day do your food logging on mfp and keep active you will see results soon.