Call Me Transformed


I joined the gym three years ago because it was cheaper than paying by the class for Zumba. My membership included weekly sessions with a personal trainer. He gave me a workout plan, expected me to follow it, and since he was really hot and more than a little intimidating, I tried to obey.

In addition to two or three Zumba classes, my weekly exercise plan consisted of a thirty minute training session plus three more trips to the gym to workout on my own. I hated the weightlifting, but kept at it, knowing strength training would boost my metabolism. My prescribed workouts took thirty or forty minutes — tops — which I thought was an awful lot to of time at the gym.

Ninety days came and went — the magical time required for a complete transformation according to commercials for every bodybuilding program, pill, or device ever created. As far as I could tell, however, my body was unchanged. Talk about disappointed.

I was paying too much for my membership to quit going to the gym, but my heart was no longer in it. When I didn’t cancel my training sessions, I’d fill the time asking questions to avoid having to exercise. On my own, I did well to get to the gym once or twice a week — rarely three times — and often didn’t finish the planned workout.

A year passed, and I was surprised to see results from my half-assed effort. My clothes fit better, and, if not quite muscular, at least I was no longer so flabby. Encouraged, I threw my whole ass into weightlifting, redoubling my efforts to get to the gym three times a week to workout on my own. Instead of thirty minutes, I worked out for an hour — even longer sometimes. Until life got in the way, I was doing great.

Setbacks from abdominal surgery, a shoulder injury, and more recently, a killer summer cold were frustrating, but quitting never crossed my mind. The weeks I wasn’t able to do anything were the worst of all. I missed running and working out! Who is this person?

My body has changed. But the bigger change — and more important — is the way I’ve transformed my life. I’m not exercising to lose weight, lower my cholesterol, or reduce my blood pressure anymore. This is just how I live now.

Talk about a transformation….