*ominous theme music*

First of all, after weeks of stressing and worrying and several icky and invasive tests I have been given a clean bill of health.  This is great news, and not so great news.  Great in that I do not need any more tests (unless in 6 months I'm still having pain) and I don't have cancer or cirrhosis etc.  Great in that what I need to do to fix it is keep doing what I've been doing - diet and exercise.  Not so great in that I was hoping for a clear answer as to why I've been feeling like poop on a stick.

But that's not much of a not so great eh?  :)   And I weighed in at the MD office and I am down 10 pounds since I saw the doctor last.  I'm telling you I nearly did a tap dance.  If ever was a question, Medifast WORKS.  Yes it does.  I've gone walking with K 4 or 5 times in the last couple of weeks.  A mile and faster each time.  I'm still very tired so I'm still getting better.  But I'm getting better.  :)

And today I went and I signed up for a gym membership.  Yup.  That's where the ominous music comes in.  Normally I loathe gyms.  I went to a Curves for a little bit, it was very small, loud and bouncy.  NOT my style.  I felt like a cow in the middle of a stampede.  Not at all my style so I quit.  Then I signed up for 24 hrs fitness, at least 2 different times.  And I did go a few times.  Mainly stuck to the treadmill.  It was loud, bouncy, but I could just go and be anonymous on the treadmill.  But the big hangup was that the closest one was at least 15 min drive from my house... and not on the way home from work.  So, I quit after a while.

A few months ago I noticed that an old abandoned grocery store up the hill from my house, next to the Starbucks that we have walked to (MtSnoBB you and I met there) had been turned into a gym.  I thought "huh, should check that out".   But never did.  Last night I saw the sign after coming home from Sweet Tomatos where we celebrated my good news and I said "I'm looking that up tonight."  And sure enough, Planet Fitness is a nationwide chain and they specialize in what they call "judgment free zones".

Today we went and took a tour and signed up.  K got a $10 a month membership where you get unlimited work outs and no commitment.  And I got a $20 a month membership that also includes unlimited guest pass, tanning and massage chairs etc.  $20 a month to get healthy.  And it's close to home (and coffee).  I CAN and will be doing this.  It's a great big open space (see: grocery store) FULL of treadmills, free weights, resistance weights, an area that has the circuit that Curves did where you do 1 minute of as many reps as you can and move to the next - without the cattle caller.  And it was quiet, the treadmills have iPod docs and headphones if you want to watch tv.  It's great!  They have free fitness training classes - where you can meet with a personal trainer to set up a personal training program.  Other gyms charge for this, but on this program there are only 5 people per class and you pick a time that works for you and meet with the personal trainer - discuss your goals and set up a plan that will help you get to your goals.  AND you can then go back for more feedback after you set up a program.  Sorta like a personal trainer, but a little less one on one, which is fine with me.

So, I'm starting to put it together.  And this time feels like it will stick.  Without the fear of some dread disease looming over my head.  No excuses when it comes to any different type of gym exercise I might want to do.  And a change in what I've been eating and drinking that feels lasting.  I am still working on telling my brain that cheese is gross and not incredibly delicious.  It's not good for me.  In fact part of what's been my problem is possibly a burgeoning gluten intolerance and lactose intolerance.  So I'm embracing the non-dairy life (there is always frozen yogurt for dessert) and I will go to that big purple and green gym at least 1 time a week for 1 month, then move the expectations higher (2 times a week etc.)  I've even got a guest pass - so if you wanna go with me...let me know.

I'm doing it.

One step.  One pound.  One day at a time.

~N