[Beholden]

Well I have a good story:

On Monday I had my first appt with a personal trainer to help me with preventing my pre-diabetes from becoming diabetes! I've also started taking a nutrition class which is on Mondays. So when I finish the nutrition class, I go to see the trainer.

Okay. I'm a 62 year old female who has thought that my physical condition is poor. SURPRISE!

He, 'R', had me do 6 evalution tests, a Fitness Profile.

1 Cardiovascular
2 Flexibility
3 Muscular Strength-Bench Press
4 Muscular Strength-Leg Press
5 Muscular Endurance-Sit-ups/Curl-ups
6 Muscular Endurance-Push-ups

I scored High Superior in both flexibility and Leg Press! I leg pressed 300 pounds! That means I have the strength in my legs of a 20 year old female of my weight, 146!!!!! And the flexibility of a 20 year old blah, blah, blah!

For the sit-ups, I scored a Mid Excellent, if I'd done just 5 more, I'd have been in the Superior group. What I did was as many sit-up as I could in 1 minute. I concentrated on my form the first few more than speed, so I think I really could have done the extra five.

But at Mid Excellent, that is where females of age 25-(I think) score.... The other areas I still scored in the Mid Good scale.

I did good.

Now, R and I will work up an exercise plan/routine for me on Monday next week.

I have filled out a short term (2-4 months) and a long term (5-12 months) goal form. One of my short term goals is to look HOT for an up-coming family wedding I have to go to in late June. I haven't seen my family since 1997, so this is really special for me.

At my present weight of 146 I'm still about 25 pounds over weight. I'm small, or used to be anyway, and my BMI is still in the obess column.

I don't know why I'm so surprised that I have more strength that I "thought", but it makes me feel so good to know I'm not weak. Although I did fail on the push-ups, I didn't even complete one! So I have something to work on now, and I like it.

It is a lot of our thinking that gets us into trouble when we are depressed or anxious. I know, I've been there and back a few times.

For me I know I do my 'work' better if I have someone to be accountable to besides myself. Not in a bad way, but I lack the motivation a lot. Going to the nutrition class for 12 weeks, and a personal trainer and I joined a 6 week (or 12 sessions) of an aerobics class - where I'm with other people, I hope to gain the will power to go it alone when I need to.

I'm not working and have tons of time on my hands. I don't have to pay anything for the once a week nutrition class or the personal trainer. That is provided to me because my husband is retired military and it is something that the base here has going on right now.

They know that medical costs go down when people are fit, healthy, active. It is wonderful to know about such support groups that are available. The aerobics did cost, but not out of my reach. And I have met a wonderful group of women of all ages at the community based aerobics class.

Being connected is what is going to keep me working onmy own fitness and health.

[DivideByZero]

Awesome! Keep up the good work!

Good for you, Beholden.

[Perna]

That's great! If you want to do further work online, http://www.sparkpeople.com is free and has awesome tools to help with weight loss, fitness, and general health. They have special interest teams (like pre-diabetes and retired folk (I'm in a couple of those, I'm 59) and there's even a push up team :-) for socializing and lots of fun things and great articles by professionals to read. If you join, PM me here if you'd like and I'll give you my nick there.

[Beholden]

Originally Posted by DivideByZero

Awesome! Keep up the good work!

Thanks muches or is that bunches? I'm staying motivated! Last week I lost 1.8 pounds, this week I gained 1.2 pounds, but I did more exercise, so I'm still ahead!

I'm actually skipping my aerobics class tonight, I really did a good work out with weight training this afternoon and I don't feel like my body is ready to do 1 hour of jumping all around.

Weather is sunny right now and in the 50's, so I will walk the dog extra time tomorrow to get in my 'at least 30 minutes' of walking. I won't skip my aerobics on Wednesday......

[Beholden]

Originally Posted by Perna

That's great! If you want to do further work online, http://www.sparkpeople.com is free and has awesome tools to help with weight loss, fitness, and general health. They have special interest teams (like pre-diabetes and retired folk (I'm in a couple of those, I'm 59) and there's even a push up team :-) for socializing and lots of fun things and great articles by professionals to read. If you join, PM me here if you'd like and I'll give you my nick there.

Thanks Perna! Hey, I know that website! I just looked at it this week for the first time. The nutrition class I'm taking on Monday's for 12 weeks gave that site as well as www.CalorieKing.com to use for checking on different things.

I sort of joined, and right off the top of my head I don't recall my username, but when I get the time tomorrow sometime, I'll look it up and we can PM each other with our nick names, Okay. That would be great.

The nutritional folks at the class are really great with the group with explaining just little bits at a time about becoming "fat detectives" and all that....most of the 'facts' I really already know, intellectually", but it is the "behavior" stuff, like following through - staying motivated - having support outside of myself - finding people in real life who 'share' this common problem-

I'll see you later.