Hitting the Gym for Fun, NOT the Scale

Growing up I was not sporty in the least. I never participated in group sports. I would try my best to get out PE. When it was time to run the mile in PE I could only run for about 30 seconds before I had the walk the rest of it. I wasn’t over weight as a child or teenager, just very out of shape. I always thought I hated working out (although in my head “working out” meant running for some reason).

I have referred to my gym membership a couple times on my facebook page. I joined the gym in the middle of February. We have a gym near my home and that is very affordable and doesn’t require a contract so I thought I would just join the gym, it would be fun for a while and then when it got old (I figured it would take about a month) I would quit, no harm done! Well here we are in the middle of April and I find myself becoming addicted to the gym. I think about it several times and day and look forward to the time of night when I get to go. My husband has been very supportive of my going and happily takes over the kid responsibilities while I go.

While I could stand to lose some weight, my gym attendance is more for fun and getting in shape. The last time I weighed myself was in January at my 6 week appointment after having my baby. At that point I needed to lose 5 pounds to get to my pre-pregnancy weight (which is about 15 pounds from what I would consider my ideal weight). I do not own a scale. I do not want to be ruled by numbers. I figure that by going to the gym I will eventually notice a difference in the way my clothes fit and that will be results enough for me. I also know that just because I lose weight, does not necessarily mean I’m going to fit into smaller size clothes, I need to be losing inches for that, so that is what I am more concerned with. I also know that muscle weighs more than fat – another reason to not be obsessed with my weight. There are times when I am curious about my weight, but what if the number is the same as my 6 week appointment? I don’t want to be disappointed and lose my enthusiasm for hitting the gym. Going to the gym is the only thing that has changed in my life. I still eat cookies and other yummy, but not so healthy foods. I do try to be better about how much of the junk I eat. Also, since I go to the gym at night, I come home and drink a protein shake and then I’m done eating. That is a big change from my previous habits. Before the gym, as soon as the kids went to bed my husband and I would break out the candy or goodies. Now I don’t want to ruin what I just did, so I drink my shake and hit the showers. Still results are slow. If I were to cut out sugar, or at least be more disciplined, I would probably notice a bigger different in how I look.

Image courtesy of http://www.cybexintl.com/

My favorite machine at the gym is called the Arc. It is similar to an elliptical, but has a more fluid gliding motion. It doesn’t create stress on your joints and burns more calories quicker than a treadmill or elliptical. I spend about 30 minutes on this awesome machine before moving on to weights. It has been fun coming up with a fun routine, although sometimes the gym is packed so I have to improvise.

I love that I love the gym! I honestly didn’t expect it, but I’m so glad that this love affair has happened. My daughter’s impression of my is for her to put her hands on her hips and say “I’m Mommy, I’m going to the gym.” We all laugh about it, but if that is what she thinks of when she thinks of me, I don’t mind. Better that than her thinking I’m a couch potato. I’m glad to be setting an example of exercise for my children and I encourage them to also exercise in their own little ways. I’ve been very pleased with our forward progress on the health front at our house in the passed couple months and even more glad it is fueled by fun and not the scale!