New Transformations Begin

Today the next round of the Transformation Program began with a new group of folks. This is the program that saved my life.  This is the program that truly transformed me from a person who could not walk the simple distance from her desk to the gym downstairs at work into a person who has done a 5K and works out every day and has a pretty decent set of "guns". Walking into the gym today with my fellow members of the first Transformation Program, it made my heart swell to see the new group on the tread mills, beginning their warm up before getting their butts kicked by Jeff and Marisa for the first time.

I remember how it felt to be excited and scared at the same time (I used to actually get a "pit of fear" feeling on the way to the gym to meet Jeff) and to step forward bravely into an arena where you are definitely out of your comfort zone.  As Millie, Jenn, Flo and I kicked our own butts through a challenging circuit I'd created (insert evil laugh here) I saw them on the other side of the gym making it through their first workout and felt everything I knew that they were right now experiencing.  In the locker room afterward, I recognized the red face and "I just got hit by a train" look that they had. To them and anyone else just venturing out (or maybe venturing out again) I say this:

• You are a rock star for showing up and getting through that first workout.
• It's okay to feel out of breathe, sick to your stomach, and jelly-legged.  Your body just went through a major shock. It will get better.
• You're going to be sore, but if you keep at it, you eventually won't be satisfied until something hurts everyday.
• There will come a day when the gym switches from a place you might dread right now into the place you look forward to going to.
• There will be something that you are sure your body will never be able to do, you will struggle at it, you will feel frustrated, you may even shed an angry tear or two but if you keep going, one day like magic you will be able to do that very thing.   This has happened to me countless times along this journey and still continues to happen.  Just this week I was able to finally do one handed planks. 
• Nothing can make you feel more frustrated or more elated, but the good far outweighs the bad. 
• You can do it.  You can do it. You can absolutely, positively do it! And I am here on this journey with you and for you.   

Me before

 

Me now.