Thursday, August 6, 2009

I heart the gym

Yesterday was a weight-focused day in blogland for me. I wrote here about body comparisons, and then I wrote over at Bodies about why I don't tell anyone my weight.

And then I went to the gym and swam for an hour, as usual. And my arms were extra sore because the night before that in water aerobics, we used weights for almost the whole time. And I felt really good after.

And this is period week for me. And yet, again, no PMS, and I've lost 2 pounds so far this week. This whole exercise thing is fabulous. And I've reached the point where I actually miss the gym if I don't go. Not that I love it when I'm in the middle of it--though swimming is by far the most tolerable form of exercise I've ever found--but it feels so good after, and on days when I don't go, I feel heavy and slow-moving.

I'm definitely thinner, not just in pounds lost but in inches and in the way clothes fit. Only a few weeks ago I started wearing a pair of jeans that had previously been too tight. Now they're too loose, and I can pull them off without unbuttoning or unzipping them. I can feel muscles, especially in my arms but really everywhere, that just weren't there before. I have more stamina. I've gone from swimming 40 laps in an hour to swimming 60. And this no PMS thing is one of the best perks of all.

So, yeah. The gym = great, and totally, totally worth it.

I'm still not sharing my weight, though.

22 comments:

  1. Congrats! You motivate us all.

    I'm with you on the weight telling thing.

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  2. I'm glad with your progress and your motivations :) It's what keep us going so it's the most important thing :)

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  3. Awesome job!! I should try to exercise more because my PMS is ridiculous.

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  4. congrats! it sounds like you are making progress towards a healthier you!

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  5. I love the gym too. I got back into movement again yesterday, walking two miles with a friend, and I feel so good today.

    I forgot to stretch, though, so the charley horse that woke me up at 1:30am? Not so good. Lesson learned for sure!

    So, so inspiring, Jess!

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  6. We don't have to hear a number to know how great you are doing! I enjoy swimming too - I feel like I use parts of my arms that don't get a lot of exercise.

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  7. Awesome! Your progress is motivating.

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  8. that is sooo awesome!!!!

    your motivation is so incredibly inspiring :)

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  9. So happy for you! Who needs numbers anyway when you have obvious results? :)

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  10. You don't have to share your weight! That's totally personal and up to each person. (I am still kind of amazed I did but I think I wanted to prove something to myself because of my intense fear of rejection around that number.)

    It's SUCH a great feeling to like working out. GO YOU!

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  11. given how angry my knees and ankle have been recently, i WISH i had a larger pool available to me so that i could try my hand at laps to give my joints a little breather. unfortunately, our pool is about 10 feet long.

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  12. This is really motivating for me to read - thanks, Jess!

    (finally - I'm all caught up!)

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  13. Congrats!! I also have have no PMS (and no cramps) when I exercise. You'd think that'd motivate me to do it more often but I don't...haha I'm definitely going to have to get on that.

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  14. Love your thoughts on this. And you comment about Oprah vs. Michelle Obama cracked me up!

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  15. Love your thoughts on this. And you comment about Oprah vs. Michelle Obama cracked me up!

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  16. WHOO WHOO WHOO!

    You are totally kicking ass and taking names, Jess.

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  17. I'm impressed with your swimming skills. I can't even swim five laps without collapsing with exhaustion!

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  18. Ditto on the weight telling. And I must carry my weight a heck of a lot differently than other people, because when people who seem about my size share their weight, it's always much less than mine. But it doesn't matter. :-)

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  19. Yay for the losing inches! Although losing pounds is easier to see on the scale, fitting better into clothes/ having to buy new ones is even better! :-)

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  20. Great work! Your body is telling you it loves the new(er) routine!

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