Beginning week four -- Nine

Nine. That's the number. Nine. Nine-nine-nine. I have lost nine pounds and, yes, that is on Korezone's own Ikea scale, the one I used to loath and today, like the fickle woman I am,  love! (Ikea people, put your logo on my blog, sell more happy scales).

I can't write much today because there is too much other stuff going on, but I do want to say a word about time and money. First of all time: You have to make it happen. The Korezone gym folk are on the other side of town from me. It's a drive, well, a 20 minute drive sans traffic. It's not that far. And I do make time because everytime I go through those doors, I'm greeted by a friendly, fit person who knows my name. Yes, they are young, yes, they are lovely, no they don't have too much in common with a chubby, middle-age lady, but they are kind, compassionate people who care about my fitness and strenght. In fact the Korezone mottos are "Strenght from Within" and "Share the Love," which they are good at doing.


There is some confusion, too, around the timing of this blog update. I've pledged to write once a week but, in fact, I've been writing more often. I write when the spirit moves, I write when there's news (did anyone notice the number at the top?) but that doesn't always correspond with the calender time. Am I three weeks into this gig? Is it four? See, I don't really know...and it doesn't really matter.

And about money. Yes, the Korezone owners have very generously waived my gym fees but I am still paying for any services I require. A members rate for pert, personal trainer Ashley, is sixty bucks an hour. I will likely have to see her at least twice a month, maybe more. I have to see her when my program changes (as it will every four weeks) to get a feel for the new exercises. I have to see her during crash week because she helps me make sure I'm doing the triple repetitions correctly. But this old Scottish gal, raised by Depression parents, has clumsily vaulted over that financial barrier mostly because Ashley had the courage to ask me how much money I (read we, as I do have a husband) spent on wine each week. "Now that you won't be drinking so much, it will go twice as far," she perkily pointed out. And you know what? She's right. With the cost of a latte moving into the five dollar range, it's not too much to consider pocketing that money instead, cutting out those milky sweet calories and rather, spend it on something good, like strenght training.

I've got my head around spending money on my health. I won't say it hasn't been a struggle. Spending money on one's self -- indulging, some may call it -- is not easy, particularly if you are socialized to look on the needs of others. Yes, I've had a praticularly generous hand-up with the gym sponsorship but I know there's a lot more to say on women and how they view their own bodies.
My friend Rita calls it the "I'll suck on the pit syndrome" when a Mom divides a mango among her children. More on mothers, mango and money later, right now I'm going to revel in that opening number and try not to think about the fourty-one others that need to vanish in the future.
M