To Gym, or Not to Gym, That is the Question

As I mentioned before the "diet" portion of all this is going well. I don't feel like I'm making the "choices" that I used to. No sacrifices, No hunger, No missing out on good food. And dieting alone got me (for the most part) to 30 lbs down. I didn't join the gym until mid March. It was a hard decision for me.

The Concerns:

• $40 a month + annual and sign up fees 
• no real history of going to a gym, 
• not a great track record on that whole get out and be active thing outside of horses... 
• I was really afraid it would be a waste of money. 
• Not to mention feeling out of place... I'm fat, they're thin, I'm lost, they know what they are doing, I'm going to be struggling, this is what they "do". 

Lucky for me, my friend, "Sweetest Person Ever," was also considering joining a gym. There was one next to her work, that was also on the way home for me, and we signed up for a tour.  SPE (Sweetest Person Ever) had done the gym thing before, and I felt better having "an insider" along. The gym is small, not too crowded after work, and convenient. With a mutual accountability promise we signed up. The first couple of times my workout was a brisk walk on the treadmill for 30 min. That was it. lol. But I'm in Texas, and we've had a cold (for us), wet winter that I wasn't going to get out in and the summer is wicked hot. Thus, I figured walking even just 30 min a day 2-3 times a week was a good start and better than nothing. After Week 1, SPE and I decided to add machine weights, arms and legs 3 cycles of 12 reps. It only takes about 20 minutes or so, and that bumps my total gym time to right at 50 minutes - an hour. I started listening to the podcast No Such Thing As A Fish, and that gives me a fun mental diversion that I can enjoy on and off the treadmill.

I have been bumping my speed/incline on the treadmill to increasing intensity with some interval intensity type workouts, but always at a walk. I don't run. I've never run. I just assumed that sharp-shooting would save me in the zombie apocalypse... not cardio. But, last week I decided to download the Couch to 5k app and give it a try. It came highly recommended, notably by SPE, and so I decided to start "running". It took me three days to complete the Day 1, Week 1 jog/walk combo!! Talk about depressing! The app designer's understanding of "couch" was WAY more capable than I was! On the third try I was able to finish Day 1, Week 1 in time without cheating (walking every other run time). That was this past Monday 4/6/15.

Things I Am Learning:

• There is a difference between running and walking shoes, and investing in decent running shoes was the BEST thing I could have done. 
• I got these: http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/gear/running-shoes/shoetopia-the-best-sneakers-for-every-workout/?page=13
• Breathing makes a difference. 
• Running sucks. 
• Couch to Whatever Apps are Not really designed for TOTAL beginners. They assume you already have an ability to walk/jog. You should be prepared to work your way up to the Day 1, Week 1, and be prepared to repeat difficult days/weeks until you can proceed. It's not really Days, but rather than ability levels. 

The other thing I should point out is that AFTER I started working out I hit my longest plateau yet. Before my weight was a fairly steady drop... now it seems to stick, stick, stick, and then whoosh a loss of a few pounds. The whooshes are GREAT, but the sticky days are REALLY frustrating when I know I've been watching my calories, I know I'm working out, I know I'm drinking my water, and nothing. My measurements are what saved my determination. I was losing inches even if the scale was stuck. 

Whew, well you now know 3 months in 3 days, and soon I guess I'll start my more normal, and hopefully less wordy, posts.