Getting in Shape

I've wanted for a long time now to loose weight and be fit and "fine" again. Wanted it, but not bad enough to do anything about it... just want. Well, wanting doesn't really do anything for you. You can sit on the couch eating and wanting to be fit and "fine" all you want, and it isn't going to happen. You actually have to do something about it.

At one time I was out country dancing 5-6 nights a week, so I was slim, trim and in good shape. Then I quit dancing. Just got really tired of the whole bar scene, so quit going. I never was a drinker, in fact drank water all night, but I danced and danced. I loved being out among people and I loved line dancing and two stepping the night away. When the DJ started turning the music up... and up... and up, and it got so you could scream into the ear of your friend and they still couldn't hear you, I figured it was time to stop going. And once I quit dancing I started to gain weight... about 60 # in fact, and got very out of shape in the "cardio" department.

Recently I got a flyer in the mail for a women's gym we have in town now. The first 2 months for only $4 plus tax. I ended up going and talking to them for more info, and found out you have to sign up for a one year membership which is $50 + tax ($53) per month. I guess in the world of fitness that's not at all bad, but being on a small fixed income (disability pension because of my back) that's a big chunk of money.

I told the gal that I couldn't commit to any membership without first trying it out to make sure I can do this with my back problems, so she gave me a 1 week free pass. I thought that was nice of her. So okay, I've gone twice now and I really like it. Not that I did a huge lot on those two times, but I did some. There are many things I want to try out yet and only have 2 days left on the free pass, so plan to go again tomorrow (Wed.) and maybe the next day too. I want to try some of the strength training machines and one or two of the group training classes.

So far this is what my workouts have looked like:

Sunday Feb. 18
recumbent bike - 22:33 minutes, distance 6.0 (but is that miles or kilometers? No one seems to know), burned 101 calories. (Yes, these machines tell you your heart rate, calories burned, and other cool stuff).
treadmill - 8:00 minutes, distance 0.17, 25 calories burned. (On this, if your heart rate goes over the "target", it slows down... it kept slowing down for me and got a bit boring. I know after doing this awhile all will get better).
Both of these are "cardio" exercises. Total today of 126 calories burned.

Tuesday Feb. 20
recumbent bike - 30 minutes, 10.8 distance, 137 calories burned.
elliptical - 10.22 minutes, .51 distance, 82 calories burned
some light weight lifting - with 7.5# dumbbells I did what she said was called "21"... 7 curls from right down to half way up, then up to shoulders and do 7 curls from shoulders to half way down, then 7 all the way from top to bottom. Hope this makes sense to you... I'm not sure how to better describe it.
ab workout - sitting on exercise ball, roll forward to legs at 90 degrees. Holding that position do 15 body curls (crunches?) kind of like a half sit up.
weights - another set of "21"
treadmill - 10 minutes, .26 distance, 34 calories burned.
That's 253 calories burned today on the cardio machines, plus whatever good I did on the weights and ball. Gotta love that.

379 calories burned in those 2 days, and it takes burning 350 (or something like that) to loose 1 pound. Of course, after each workout I went for something to eat, so likely took in more than I burned, but I would have gone to eat anyway, so I'm still ahead of the game. Today I was to meet Andree for supper at 5:30 before we went to a board meeting at 7pm. I called her on her cell to change the time to 6 because I didn't want to leave the gym, didn't want to stop working out. It feels really good.

So now the dilemma...
1- I don't know how I will come up with $53 a month to pay for this.
2- I wanted to go visit a small town in the Kootenays this spring. I was there for under 3 hours in the fall and fell in love with the town, so want to go back and spend some real time there to see if I want to move there. If I have a years membership in this gym there is no moving for at least that year, and no money to go visit to see if I want to move to this place I can't seem to get out of my head.
3- I know this would be very important, beneficial, positive for my health. If I continued to love it and stick with it, in ten months (by their figuring) I could be down to my target weight and in great shape. Even by my brother's wedding in May I could be a lot better than I am now. And this could help to some degree with my back problems. Oh, so much benefit and so little money.
4- I told my friend Dan about this. He said no way, I can't afford it. Then he said no one ever sticks with these gym memberships blah, blah, blah. I think (hope) I would stick with it. So far it feels great... but would I? or would I fail? Only one way to find out.
5- the only way to get out of paying each month for a year on this membership would be if the workouts cause me added back pain and my Dr. writes a note to get me out of it.
6- there is the hope (there's always this hope) that if I can improve my health maybe I can get a job... even a part time one to help out, to add a bit to the disability income.
7- what it really comes down to is... WHERE, OH WHERE CAN I FIND $53 A MONTH FOR THE NEXT YEAR?

Imma Desperate
a.k.a.
Imma OpenToDonations (LOL)