Nickels and Dimes. . .

I went to the gym today for my next appointment and signed up for a “Team” program designed to lose weight.  I agreed to the price for the next three months, and then all the little “others” started trickling in.

The guy handed me a heart-rate monitor and told me that I needed this one.  He immediately takes it out of the box and starts programming it for me.  I stopped him and asked, “How much does THIS cost?”

“Oh, it’s $160 with tax.”

My jaw dropped.  I politely refused the heart-rate monitor because I’ve been looking around I’ve seen them for a LOT cheaper on ebay and amazon.com.  And when I say cheaper, I’m talking at least $50 cheaper.

And then he pushed for the stupid breathing test again.  I did agree to that ($140) and then when he told me that I get to keep the mask, I leaped into the air and clicked my heels!  Okay, not really.  I think I rolled my eyes instead.

So I walked out of the gym, several hundred dollars poorer, but hoping that this will turn into being profitable (health-wise) in the long run. 

Yes, I do know that I’m able and capable of doing it all on my own — after all, I’ve already lost 20 pounds.  But I also know that I need a push right now and that this program will keep me on target with set appointment times and eating right.

I have goals – both short and long-term.  My long-term goal is to be at 135-140.  My short-term goal is to lose 10 pounds in the next 10 weeks. 

I worked out on the treadmill today for about an hour.  We increased our inclines periodically, used the dumbbells and resistance bands while walking — all while monitoring our heart rates.  I have always had a rapid pulse (resting is over 90), which is why I decided to go ahead and take the stupid breathing test.  Otherwise, I would have just followed the American Heart Association’s guideline.

But I am still psyched up about all of this.  The initial excitement has faded somewhat, but it’s being replaced with determination.

My husband asked me last night, “What brought all of this on?  I’ve known you wanted to lose weight, but I’ve never seen you like this.”  I thought about it for a few minutes and I can’t really say for sure, but I think my birthday has a lot to do with it.

I never thought that I would be starting out my 30s at almost 200 pounds.  When I was younger, I was thin.  Even in college I never weighed more than 140 (I’m 5′7″ so this weight was perfect for me). 

When my birthday finally came around and I looked at myself in the mirror — I realized some things.  I had kept to my promise and quit smoking by the time I was 30 (actually, I did this 2 years ago).  But I had never made a promise about my weight.  It had never been an issue before.

So now I have new promises that I’m making to myself: 

1).  I will be healthier every day.

2).  Exercise will now be a priority.

3).  I will make healthier and more nutritious choices when eating.

4).  By the time I’m 35, I intend to be in the best shape of my entire life.

Those are my promises — and I’ve never broken a promise.  Ever.