So if you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, at some point (or probably more than just one point) you’ve seen me laugh about/complain/despair/bitch about/at least mention my weight. I want to be a strong, self-confident woman who just doesn’t give a damn about not being physically perfect, but let’s face it, I’m not. I’m fine with being crazy, opinionated, weird, witchy, and occasionally even a bit wild, but when it comes to flabby arms, I’m just not able to let it go.

In high school, many moons ago, I weighed in at 135 pounds, and was skinny fat – no muscles in my upper body, eating whatever I pleased, not really working out much other than half-heartedly running track in Sophomore and Junior years. Back then I wore JNCOs & midriff-baring “baby tees” with a belly chain when I went out. Yup, it was that kind of party. When I got to college, I gained 20 lbs within a year, just eating everything I could get my grubby little paws on and not exercising at all. A few people told me I looked better than ever, and since I wasn’t interested in changing my lifestyle, I chose to believe them. Fast forward to four years ago, when I tipped the scales at 168 and decided I need to change. Ever since, I’ve been losing and gaining, never getting back to 168 but also never making it below my college weight of 155. I keep trying, but nothing I’m doing on my own is working. My ability to push myself to achieve a fitness goal is just not there, and I’ve started and stopped fitness plans so many times now that I can’t even list them all. I can’t do it on my own, and I accept that I need help.

So I’m getting help. A month ago I was put on a new nutrition plan by an award-winning bodybuilder, and haven’t stuck to it religiously over the holidays, but I’m back now. When I first went on before the holidays, I dropped weight and felt better pretty quickly. Now, after a few days back on, I’m dropping weight again and feeling a lot more energetic than I felt for the better part of the last month. But that’s only half of the battle (OK, I’ve heard that it’s actually 80% of the battle, but you know what I mean).

That’s why I’ve started training with a personal trainer. Lucky me, I was just hired to handle the marketing for a well-known personal training company in town, Pro Fitness Trainers, headed up by the amazing Eric Capers (Side note: Yay – go me!). Part of me getting to know the company and really be part of the Pro Fitness Trainers team is to get in shape with them, see how they work, and hang out at their gym on Freret Street. So on Saturday, I went in early in the day for what Eric calls a “fitness assessment” (and I call “intro to torture”). Despite my fear, Eric was amazing and really cool as he pushed me to my physical limits to see where my muscles needed improvement. The answer: everywhere. After 30 minutes, I was beat, and he had a good idea of my fitness levels. Today I went in for a full training session and learned that the fitness assessment was child’s play in comparison to what’s really going to be happening for me in the gym from now on.

My body is in serious trouble, so I’m glad that I’m still young and going to Eric now before I fell apart too much more. I worked for an hour today, sweating buckets, heaving mightily to lift five pound weights, grunting like a sad little piglet during the second minute in plank position. While struggling with (hydraulically assisted) pull up #7, I asked “So have I EVER used these muscles?” Eric gamely replied, “Nope, doesn’t look like it.” He’s transformed hundreds of people over the course of his career, and inspired thousands more in his college football career and throughout his time in the gym, and his kindness and optimism are contagious. He told me today that in three months, he’d make me a brand new woman. I believe him, and can’t wait to start seeing results.

Right now I’m certainly already feeling results. I can barely walk – poor little ol’ me 🙂