Good Days and Bad Days - Day 8

It is no surprise that there will be good days and bad days when you are trying to make some dramatic changes in your life. The same is true for workouts. This past Sunday I went to the gym to do 30 minutes of cardio on the elliptical. I was the only one in the cardio 'studio', I had my iPod, and I was ready to rock! For the 6 days or so that I had been working out, this was by FAR the best workout. Lots of energy, lots of drive, and LOTS of sweat!

So, I was feeling pretty good about my workout and looking forward to working out my upper-body on Monday. Now, I should've known that Monday would be different, because I wake up at 5 am to go to seminary. The drive to seminary is almost 2 hours, then I sit for 3 hours in class, go to lunch, and sit for another hour to two-hours for another class, then I drive home for another 1 to 2 hours. All that sitting and driving and concentrating wore me out! I finally got home a little after 5 pm and was determined to go to the gym, even though I DID NOT FEEL LIKE IT! However, I was mooching off of the memories of the work out the day before, so I wasn't that hesitant.

I got to the gym and realized that the demographic had totally changed. I usually work out with the 'Older Friends', but not at this time. I guess all the beefcakes in Brenham need their beauty rest and like to go to the gym after work or when they get up at 4:30pm, but the weight area was pretty busy with college guys and the ultra-buff. So, not feeling like being overly social (I know, not very missional of me, but it had been a long day...), I decided to use the 'HAMMER' machines (machines that use real plates, etc.). I went to get a 45lb plate off of the machine next to me, and I dropped it on my foot. Fortunately, when it slipped out of my hand it was only about 6 inches up, but it hurt so BAD!

By this time I was grumbling, frustrated, tired, cranky, and not feeling like working out. But, I once again remembered the great success I had the day before and decided to rock the weights hard core. 8, 9..., 10......., 11.............. (shaky arms), 1....2.. nope.... No dice. Grr... At this point I just wanted to get off the 'machine', lie in the fetal position, rub my foot and say 'owwww-eee!'... However, not wanting to expose externally the pansy I was internally, I opted for another set...

I went through the workout, did 20 minutes of cardio, and went home. At this point, I had self-talked myself enough to be at the lowest, yet hopeful point, "At least I did something. That's better than nothing. Etc..."

Today, I went back to the gym, did 30 minutes of cardio without incident. There will be good days, there will be bad. There will be days where you wonder if that next pound will ever come off, or wonder where in the world those extra 2 pounds came from. However, we must remember that our pursuit of this new life is not a sprint, but a long marathon that requires commitment and consistency.

WEIGH IN: 231 lbs
WEIGHT LOSS: 7 lbs