Dear Gym D,
There is a large mass of belly fat between me and you as I type that I do nothing about forgetting about my own health as I compare myself to others who are fit and not so fit. Its about you. Its about diligence and dedicatation to a choice and with every bite of food, or work out moderation is key. There are radical extreme measures of excersise and eating that seem to work but in reality it is hard work dedication and diligence that may get us through the changes of what we know, and don't know, and learn on the way.
The smell of buttered toast and eggs in the morning, coffee and the warm sunlight bright in my memory of thousands of thousands of these wonderful blessings I am truly thanful for. Walking in and out of wonderful friends and family homes who sit us down with them to eat and drink all the while watching and waiting for the next yawn from a sugar low or high.
The greatest job Ive had is sitting in a gym for hours watching others and learning to sit still, break through barriers of quitting or never starting the life of fitness and the lifestyle of moderation. Healthy is what I believe in being, and happy. Although sitting on a bike in a cycle class and feeling the feelings of change is awesome, it takes consistant dedication, diligence, and a thousand days of sweat just as those bright sunny mornings growing up to the majestic impact of buttered toast, scrambled eggs, coffee, and jelly.
I mean to say that lifting those cold metal bars can feel cold and unpleasant at first. It is work to get the weights on the bar, get the spotter, and then lift three sets, then do it again for what seems forever, and yet if you wait for the silver lining you will overcome those barriers such as societys no time to work out, and all the discouraging distractions that slow you down such as the ones I use: I'm enjoying the benefits of my work outs and taking a break from the gym and good food for us.
What happens then is the pull of peer pressure sets in and before you know it you become a teacher of gym, rather than a doer of gym. Theres always the discouraging saying that its too late, but its nver to late, you can go back to the gym anytime and jump on that treadmill where you left off and money or work will not mind because its your body that gets you that job and money.
Sluggish tired, or reaping the gym benifits you will go to work and spend your money anyway so do it right and gym time is the right time. I'm at home working out with whatever I can find to lift with resistance whether its a bag of ice from the freezer or a basket of laundry. You can make your own gym. I went to a gym for thirteen years from the age of 21-34, and before in my late teens I used light dumb bells in my room with a fitness magazine as my guide. Pictures of lean svelt women working out all muscle groups lead me to Chicago to see my sisters job as a trainer in a gyms career sykrocket into her own business.
When she and her gym friends landed me a job in their gym, the sky was the limit, beyond that the gym equipment, music, and friends did my work outs for me. I didn't even think twice. All I had to do was breathe. Sometimes I turned the news on above my treanmill, or tried new classes to see what I could do and I was amazed with my muscles, with my body.
Working out is a life long journey into a love relationship with what you know it true about dlilgence, and dedication to something that brings out the best in you. Work schedules, family time, and gym time balance and moderation squeeze out a shit load of beneifts you and your loved ones will reap from.
KR
Dear Gym Diary
Its Jan 27th just a few days shy of another month that no one defines as anything but Valentines Day. F that. Cute it seems to me to think of the days of old when flowers and chocolates were a surprise before I turned 20. Then for me it was the decade of complicated love compromised. Woe is me. So at the end of my twenties I skipped through a few years of celebrating this holiday in the same way commericals seem to do. I don't want to entertain the thought of candy so I have been munching on celery sticks. Mom has packed baggies of carrots into my lunch bag and this is the one of few times I have made my own lunch for each day of the week. Maybe unhealthy, PBJs. I started a new bench press by lifting a large bench over my head that has my right shoulder in pain through the day since I set the bench down to the right side of my body as it twists to put it on the floor.
This is my updated entry. I don't drink enough water, and I sipped coffee today mostly. I drank two days in a row three electrolyte filled vidawaters drinks. I don't drink reg water because it taste like I'm drinking melted snow and I am nauseated by all the snow I see outside. My room in the basement is cold and even smells like cold snow. This smell is the smell of cold water if you haven't noticed you will maybe now after reading that I think it has a smell.
I sat today on the weight machine and pulled the cables back some for my shoulders. Hint: There is much working out in just prepping to work out. Its very costly if you don't see that putting the body on the machine and adjusting to the resistance of the weight lifting is a work out in itself. Later.
The Chicago winter is unbareable. The car is frozen in the snow, and the streets are to icy to go anywhere. Its Saturday morning and fly yoga starts at 11:ooam. Its already 10:30a how will I ever make it on time. By the time I get to class it will be too late for a parking spot let a lone a spot in the class.
This happens every Saturday and usually the treadmills at the gym are plan B if I'm late for fly yoga. Usually I make it on time though and hop on the treadmill after class for extra cardio kick. Two hours on Saturday morning at the gym in Lakeview, Chicago, IL, I wouldn't have thought of it if I didn't put it down here in my diary. Great memories there at the gym. What great experience with exercise.
As I reflect today at the end of the year on the work outs, locking my keys in my car rushing to get into a class, paying $60-100 bucks to a lock smith the pay off on the health and muscles overcomes the consequences.
Love KAT
Dear Gym Diary
Moving out of the city back home to the region changed everything. Boom. It was a like shutting the volt door of a bank with one of those wheel knobs. Anyway, holding it in, you know the good and the bad mixed gracefully from the city chapter to the suburb chapter. I couldn't understand the difficulty of taking responsiblitiy and making my own choices when it was easiest to blame something or someone else. God that is hard! One word: desolation. Just pitiful. Ten months without a gym. No sweat, no heart rate increase, and no endorphins. So this entry isn't the rant of the new year or anything like that. I don't want to mention that real estate class sorry or the team work I bumped into on the job and in class. What a culture clash from city to suburb.
One word: time machine. Two words: No gym. Its so embarassing to admit with honesty that being home is a course in gravity. I'll talk about that later. Bottom line, for over ten months I gave my body a break from five long years of dehydration, malnutrition, and fatigue from you gym and you don't know what you have until its gone. Its sad but true. I was living the motto of no pain no gain at the gym, and burned out maybe probably. I chomped on protein bars, agulped those protein milks, and my body was humming happy tunes.
None of this had nothing to do with change, moving, or environment. Out of mind out of sight. I wish it was that. I went from 1-2 hours a day at the gym to fifteen minutes a day putting on a few pounds and not caring. I ate what I wanted, and overate too. Then I picked up smoking, and dragged myself across the race track for a few laps a week. I gotta break it to you, the suburbs suck. At least in the city theres 10-20 runners, bikers, or walkers every approx. five min outside rain or shine 24/7.
Hell, I seen a young femail jogger in the city once at 4am when I was driving to an early morning workout at the gym. Please God no more kidnappings at any time of the day or muggings!
Only God knows where opinions come from and what to do with them. How easy it would be to save my life and get a new gym membership in the burbs if only I could get moving on that. Months have gone by already and I've only picked up a jump rope for a lousy fifteen minutes a day in the basement. The cigarettes remind me of being social, and the little pot belly I have has helped me gain a sugar habit of awesome sweet treats.
The new change could be because of the year of desolation I call it. I stayed inside reading Real Estate 101 cover to cover twice and couldn't pass that class. How did I pass the travel agent test ten years ago and bar tending test, and couldn't pass the Real Estate test? Never give up and jump in where your at my friends. Anyway, I'm so disgusted right now I will write you later. Its the second day of the new year and what a blur, not to mention this bleepin blizzard whose name should be Grace rather than the name in the news they gave her. Grace for keeping me inside to hide my face, Grace for keeping me off the road and spending money I don't need to spend.
Dear Gym
Its been so long since we've seen each other. I have nothing to hide nor do I anything to brag about. In fact I am not proud of my weaknesses of fast food french fries or sweet breads. Worse yet the vanity that engulfs me from the serious needs to excersise. Slowly with age and weight gain I cannot be without your help. Lord come rescue and deliver me from my foes. There is no comfort or sympathy. In fast they offer me the worst of foods an actvities of great amounts of sedentary choices in which I'm accustomed.
I'm on all sides attacked by the life style of moderate to no excersise and malnutrition from my irresponsibility. God knows when I'll take more action from this small point my day. I was doing sit ups and new ab holds, crunhes, upper arm stuff at home. jump roping and yoga too. Its not the same without you.
Love KR
Love Kat
Jan 20
Dear diary
I haven't eaten large amounts of anything but moderation I thought I could go without physical excerise and rely on natural movement as enough and maybe Im right. From five years of gym work, I can pick up a bench at home and safely use it as a careful lifting press for muscles. Stronger I feel today by the use of the jump rope I pulled out from storage. I don't work up a sweat or wait until pain of muscle.
Before I assume a couple minutes feels as a million years, I push to hold on to the pose I hold that requires my stomach muscles to hold me up.
KAT
Dear diary of gym,
Plum. Sweat. The separation from gym is challenge. No body around who works out cares to get healthy. Including me I'm not into the gym without gym presence.
Disgust of this reverse gym mood. I'm so disgusted with myself. There's nothing else to do. Errands and movie shows blah. All the sitting. Blah. Working out from 2-4 hours a week to natural activities put me in the books.
Dear Gym
Your one of a kind never leaving and waiting there for me. Heart breaking out of sight news of jump rope blues. Gym we sweat together and bled through it all. Body and all shaped and tamed by your call.
I went in my own pace leaving at my own pace and marked by your gym heart there's no down only up, gone is the hardest part.
I thought and gym taught bringing out my pleas for ease to body need realities. Thank you God for gym time from the bed and dress to the bench press.
My heart soars today, mind humming a great fuel tuned to happy muscle friends worthy.
Thank you
KR
Dear Gym
Its beenore than a yr. I love cooking in olive oil. Butter loto butter. Ten min on bike feels a hundred years longer at each second that passes. Its a second more away from diabetes. Heart disease.
I miss you. I quit drinking for you. The impact you put on me has me in bed early. Ice cream daily is my hobby and cigarettes.
I remember you well. Nothing can separate us and what you've done for my health. My resume and the unknowns fears.
The people there are family. The mirrors are my best friends. The music in you gym is my heart. The seconds and weeks on my home bike change everything. Goodbye to years of vodka on the rock concoctions. Goodbye to years of cheap wine filled to the rim. The fitness world has changed my life.
See you soon
KR
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