I am NOW sweating like a fat girl!

Did you make New Year's Resolutions this year?

Have you already broken them?

Don't feel bad. Most people do.

I resolved NOT to make any resolutions this year!

I'm doing great at keeping that resolution, by the way!

But I DID decide this is the year I'm going to get healthier.

Yeah, I know, I wasn't happy about it either. I was downright cranky about it. But hey, I sure enjoyed putting the weight on, you know?

While we are in AZ, I usually go to my water aerobics class. It's a nice, "easy" class. Mostly stretching. I do get my heart rate up, but only for a few minutes. It's still better than nothing, and the gossip session at the end of the class makes it all worth while.

We have a pretty good gym here in the park, which I have avoided for years. Jim goes there M-F.

You might have wondered what happened to the Zumba DVD I bought or the one class I attended. Humph.

Parts of me were shaking that haven't shook in years.

And they hurt.

My bones couldn't take all that jumping.

I probably have to wait until I'm down about 50 pounds. Then I'll try it again.

But I spoke to a woman from the Zumba class, Gloria, who I also know from the park. She talked to me about joining the gym. She told me that she had hired a trainer (available through the park) to teach her about the different equipment in the gym and to make up a fitness plan for her. Gloria's husband told her that HE could show her how to work everything in the gym. Her reply? "I didn't want HIM telling me what to do!"

Exactly! Because Jim had offered the same thing! Last year he showed me a few things; I worked on some of the weights and he put too much weight on one of the machines! I was so sore the next day!

SO, a couple of weeks ago there was a program called, "Get to know your gym" (NOT: Get to know your JIM *wink, wink*), and a friend of mine, Viv, and I attended, along with like a gazillion other people (who's New Year's Resolutions I'm sure was to lose weight!)

It was so crowded that we couldn't see all of the demonstrations. So Viv and I decided to hire the trainer for one hour (I felt like a movie star - I have a personal trainer!) She designed a program for each of us; mine varied a little from Viv's because of some issues I have with my joints.

This looks like me. Only I'm older, fatter, I have shorter hair, and it's blond. But otherwise it looks EXACTLY like me!

This is what I have learned so far:

1. That saying, "You sweat like a fat girl"? Now I know what that means! I didn't sweat until I started working out. Huh.
2. The industry must be against fat girls working out because I can't find an exercise bra in my size. And believe me, fat girls NEED exercise bras. It's downright DANGEROUS to be bopping around with my girls flopping around. I mean, seriously, I could get a coupla' black eyes!
3. I'm embarrassed to exercise, but if I wear earphones and blast my music, I won't hear any snickers like "Look at that fool!"
4. When they say that you feel so much better and have so much energy after exercising? Yeah, I'm waiting for that to happen. Right now I'm pretty exhausted. 
5. I have no sense of balance. Some of our workout routine is on the yoga balls. First we sit on the ball and then lift one foot up and then put it down, then switch to the other foot and do the same, like we are marching. Easy peasy, right? Wrong. Or try doing upper crunches by sitting on the ball, then leaning back, WITHOUT MOVING THE BALL BACK, then move forward again. I almost fell off the ball. I looked over at Viv and she was going back and forth like there was no tomorrow. WTF? I obviously wasn't clenching my buttocks as firmly as she was, because I was saying, "Whoa!" and the trainer had to "spot" me. Seriously. How embarrassing is that?

My second week of working out is done. I'm alternating doing my water aerobics and working out 3x a week. Something's gotta give, right? Now if only I can stop my partying and drinking......


This looks like me when I'm done exercising. Only I'm not green. Oh yeah, and I'm not a FROG. But otherwise it looks EXACTLY like me!