Exercised till I was sick....LITERALLY!

So since joining 24 hour fitness a couple weeks ago I have been doing pretty good on my exercise. So far I’ve exercised at least every other day and have made it to the gym at least 1 time a week. I signed up for 3 sessions with a personal trainer and finished my last session last Monday. It was a pretty good experience. Most of all I like how I feel like I’ve been given “permission” to use the gym equipment or at least feel validated that it’s ok for me to be there….the gym is SUPER intimidating. However, I think my first session should have been free because it was more of an assessment instead of a “training” session my trainer Emily mainly just talked to me about my goals and took my measurements and stuff. The 2nd and 3rd sessions were a lot better and I felt like I got a work out- I was sure sore the next day. I loved learning how to correctly use the machines and how to position my body so that it is actually working the correct muscles.


The other thing I didn’t like about the 3 training sessions is that they were pretty much “teaser” sessions. I felt that I was being sold on having to buy more sessions. It kinda felt like I wasn’t getting the full information on what to do so I would be reliant on the trainer forever. But I really liked having someone help me and especially push me which I don’t do on my own. So after Emily’s sales pitch I found myself wanting more personal training but not wanting to pay a lot. So I decided to return back to my friend Megan’s boot camp at the beach.

I met Megan when she moved back into the Makiki Ward a few years ago. She was super intimidating as she is a really up-front kinda girl. She is also super fit. She got a degree in exercise physiology and is a personal trainer. My friend Becky joined her boot camp and has lost a lot of weight and has toned up a lot after having her 2nd baby. Becky completed her very first marathon a few weeks ago and I have been so inspired by her because her weight loss story has been a huge struggle but demonstrates what you can accomplish when you stick with a goal.

Any way I first joined Megan’s Boot Camp last year shortly after visiting my mom in the hospital. My mom always had a lot of health problems due to a heart murmur and illnesses she had as a child. She passed away last year due to complications from recovering from emergency heart surgery which has been devastating for our whole family. Even when she was very ill, my mom has taught me a lot. I realized when I visited her in the hospital that I have had the blessing of pretty good health my whole life and I have not done all that I could to maintain my health. If I continued on the path that I was on, I knew I was headed for bigger health problems and so I joined Boot Camp. It was the hardest thing I had ever done physically in my life and it was painful and very sore. But most of all I learned of the limits I placed on myself mentally. Unfortunately, I didn’t finish the 6 week session as my mother passed away and I returned home to help with the arrangements.

In the short 4 ½ weeks I participated in the boot camp I lost almost 10 lbs and several inches. It was a huge blessing as I returned home and dealt with the stress of preparing for the funeral, late nights, early mornings and helping with the cute nieces and nephews. I really was a lot stronger and had more energy. 2009 was a tough year, shortly after I returned back to Hawaii I learned my grandfather – my mom’s father passed away and I returned home again. Needless to say, I didn’t go back to the Boot Camp.

Fast forward to 1 year later it’s November 1st 2010 and I’m beginning Megan’s Boot Camp with SOHI Fitness  all over again. It feels good to be proactive about getting healthy. Even though I’ve been pretty active the last few months with walking with Scotty and exercising at 24 hour fitness Megan’s workout totally wiped me out! I didn’t know I worked out so hard until I was feeling nauseated and actually threw up! Ugh! Megan and Becky felt very sorry for me and it got me out of having to do the final crunches to end the 1 hour work out session. Nevertheless I am very proud of myself- today I’m VERY sore but am looking forward to class tomorrow morning. BTW- Scotty thought it was cool that I threw up- so I guess I’ve had my right-of-passage like all the guys on his High School Football team! Ha!