I had a little bit of an athletic streak in high school. I attended a summer camp one year that involved running for roughly ten hours a day, no exaggeration. There was also a great deal of manual labor involved, so I was really lean during that time. I was still at my same height (5’7) but was hovering around the hundred-pound mark. Far from looking good, I felt like this time made me look like I was seriously ill or on drugs, mostly from the fast weight loss. Of course, when the summer was over, I stopped being so intense and went back to my teenage diet of pizza and illicit wine coolers.

Fast forward to now, and I’m making New Year’s resolutions to get back in shape and to eat better. For the past year or so I’ve been living a really sedentary lifestyle and it was time to change that.

Now, I don’t think that you should change for your boyfriend or girlfriend, or anyone else, but I was definitely inspired by Ben to get in shape. We have since broken up, but I appreciate the little kick that he gave me to be where I am. He didn't pressure me in any way, and was encouraging of my choices.

So in January, I signed up for a gym membership. There happens to be a gym close to my house, and it was at an affordable price, so it made sense for me. I know lots of people who can work out without a gym, but that is not me. I need a gym membership to motivate me to get out of the house and exercise.

Since then, I go to the gym six days a week, taking Sunday off. Each day has a different routine.

Monday – Leg Day 1

Tuesday – Biceps

Wednesday – Cardio 1

Thursday – Leg Day 2

Friday – Triceps

Saturday – Cardio 2

In January, my goal was to lose weight, and it’s become apparent to me that it isn’t going to be as dramatic as I hoped. I’m down a size, and my clothes are fitting better. I feel healthier and better about myself. I’m not winded when I take the stairs, or after running for a short time. But I’ve also gained almost ten pounds. I think that this is because of the weight training. I’m putting on a lot of muscle, and I’m sure that’s the reason, given that my size is decreasing but my weight in increasing. Because of this, I’ve decided to stop looking at the numbers on the scale. Instead I’ll just focus on the things I like about the way I look now.

I’ve also signed up for a 5 mile run in May, and a 5k run in June, which I’m currently working on getting ready for. This is a huge deal for me, and I can’t tell you how great it makes me feel.

The secret for me is to stop making excuses. It doesn’t matter how crappy I feel, or how busy the day is, I need to carve out that hour and make it to the gym. There is no excuse. You still have to get up and go. And no matter how hard I try to make excuses, once I get to the gym, I feel so much better and wonder why I was feeling that way in the first place.

I wrote this post to give you the heads up that there will be some more fitness posts, but probably not many. But this is a big part of my life now, so it will definitely seep over into the blog. Coming up in the next few weeks will be my gym favorites, a what’s in my bag, and my tips for new gym-goers (because my first time stepping into a gym was on January 4 ^th). If you have any requests, let me know!

Have you started a new fitness routine? Any tips?