Progress

I've been thinking a lot about a lot today. :) Mostly about how far I've come. I did a spin class today at my new gym. I wasn't sure I was up for the intensity yet, but I was excited to try it out. I LOVED IT. Was I pushing as hard as some other people in the class? Probably not. Does it matter? NOPE! My heart rate was sky high when it was supposed to be, I knew I was pushing my limits, I was sweating buckets, and I was loving it! And I did everything the teacher asked us to do. When I did my first spin class about 2 years ago, I couldn't stand up and pedal for more than 15 seconds. I was literally incapable. My first 2 classes I left half way through in tears. I haven't done a ton of spin classes since. I have done a few, and I knew I had improved, I mean I did spend a lot of time on a bike last year, but spinning is different! I really didn't know what to expect, especially after surgery. But I went, and rocked it, and I felt like a super star! The teacher was awesome, as was her playlist. She was very motivating and empowering. I bought into everything she said about us being more capable than we believe, about the fact that our legs will do whatever our brain tells them to do, and about the fact that I AM AN ATHLETE. She told a little bit of her story, she didn't step into a gym until she was 33, she walked on the treadmill for 5 minutes and thought she would die, but she kept coming back, and 1 year later she ran her first marathon! That is amazing to me! So often I get down on myself, I feel like I got into this living healthy thing too late in life and made it a lot harder on myself. But, who cares?? Its hard, yes. But its worth it! I teared up on several occasions as I was pushing hard, standing up out of the saddle, legs on fire, listening to the teacher cheer me on. I have come so far!

Before the class I met with a trainer and did what is called the "MyHealthScore" test. It went over my weight, body fat, water levels, cholesterol etc etc. I knew there would be a few things that I need to work on, but I'm happy to report I score a 92/100! The only deduction was for a higher than optimal body fat %. I knew that. That is my goal this year! Get my body fat down and my lean body mass up! For my own sake, I'm going to list a few of my numbers here so I can reference back as I work on these things.

Body Fat: 31.7%
Total Cholesterol: 158
HDL: 39 (needs to come up)
LDL: 102 (could stand to go down a bit)
Triglycerides: 85

I'm glad I can look back and see how far i've come. I'm glad I can see a healthier me in my future.

 Proof that I worked my tush off in spin today!