Pain is just weakness leaving the body!

Week 10

Weight: 20st 5lb.
Loss this week: 2lb.
Total lost: 34 1/2lb

I'm writing this entry ahead of today's weigh in so I will come back and add the weigh in result later!

I have just come home from the gym and I am absolutely flying - those endorphins are certainly very potent! So I thought I'd harness all that feel good factor and get it on paper. Oh, it's not paper! Well, you know what I mean anyway!

I went along on Saturday to meet my instructor and have him devise my personal programme. We began with a chat about health, diet, previous exercise and goals. I told him I wanted to lose around 10st and he laughed, I said "no, really, I weigh about 20st so I need to lose about 10 of 'em!" and he looked a bit surprised - I guess I should be flattered! So "To lose 10 st" is what is written on my training card under Goals. I may refine that - it isn't all about numbers on the scales for me, although clearly that's a big part of it. Scott (the instructor guy)has recommended drinking green tea in addition to the litres of water I already drink. Apparently it is good for fat burning. But tastes like a tree. Nice!

So then onto the machines - lots of cardiovascular stuff as I expected. My fear here was not having any stamina - I know I can do anything for 30 seconds, as at Curves, but keeping going on one piece of equipment for 10 or 15 minutes scares me.

Anyway, the first machine we went to is a weird cross breed between a cross trainer and a treadmill. And my goal for that machine is to burn 250 calories. It's OK though, I've got 4 weeks to build up to that! I think I may have got close to death while I burned 50 cals on Saturday while I learned how to use it. But, on the bright side, I used it today and managed 100 cals without dying. It took me 10 mins to do the 100 cals and you're only allowed on it for 20 mins at a time, so I'm going to have to pick my pace up to the 250 in the 20 mins.

The next step is to relearn how to walk on a floor that isn't seesawing.

Onto the exercise bike - the type where you are sat on a comfy seat, not a bike seat. I told Scott my legs may not be ready to go again quite yet, but actually, after the seesaw treadmill thingy it was a walk in the park - I have to do 5k on that and did 3k today so I guess I can expect to achieve that by the end of 4 weeks.

My old friend the treadmill was next - I used to be able to run for a couple of miles on the treadmill when I was much much younger and thinner. Now I am merely required to walk at a reasonable pace for 15 mins, with a 3% incline. That's OK, I only did 10 mins today but I'm not worried.

So have you heard of a Power Plate? Amy Winehouse has one and I believe Madonna likes them too, so they must be good! I have to do a series of squats and lunges on the power plate and I cannot believe how hard it is! Holding a deep squat for 30 seconds is quite hard anyway, but with 30 or 40 vibrations per second rocketing through your legs and into your brain is just hell! This is pretty much the point where Scott told me that pain is just weakness leaving the body. He should be careful, the dumb bells were right by my side, I could easily have reached one and thrown it at him....;-)

Talking of dumb bells, the next step is some bicep curls with the 4kg weights and some side arm raises with the 2kg weights. Ouch. Really, just ouch!

Nearly done now - 25kgs on the chest press machine, 3 sets of 15...I can't quite do all the sets yet, I may reduce the weight a bit. And then 2 or 3 mins at a low level on any of the cardio machines to cool down. I've chucked in the stretches I learnt at Curves too because I like doing them and I think I should!

I look forward to reading this post back in a few months and thinking "God, is that all I could manage??"

I didn't realise I had the endorphin thing going on until I was driving home feeling like I was bursting with joy! I was laughing out loud at one point. Well, it's either endorphins or insanity. You decide!