After 25+ years, doing some form of exercise or another (give or take some indiscretionary time periods), I decided to take the plunge and hire a personal trainer. I'm a 47 yr. old woman in fairly good shape, I eat right and exercise consistantly, but I just can't get that last bit of weight off. Mind you, I have spent most of that time being told that I don't need to lose weight and that I look good for my age -gee thanks, that's just what a woman nearing the 1/2 century mark wants to hear. Anyway, my first appointment was inciteful. Come to find out that I've been working out too much and eating too little?? Sign me up I said! Next step - measurements -- oh joy! Not bad I thought as my trainer is calling out numbers. The final measurement - body fat testing. A little plastic box with handles that looks like a video game controller is now going to tell me how much body fat I have. I held the box out in front of my and squeezed (and I think I was praying a little too). 26%!!! what? but I'm only 115 lbs. That calculates roughly 30 lbs. Where is this 30 lbs anyway, because it certainly isn't in the places that I would like it to be if you know what I mean. Ideally, I need to be at 20% or less which you would think means about 5-7 lbs of weightloss. But, not so fast, if I build lean muscle mass, I could actually gain. Okay, never mind about my weight as it apparently doesn't matter. I'm just glad I'm here to let the experts take over.

So, now it is time for my first training session. How hard can it be? She'll show me a few exercises that I haven't done before, and I'll shock my body, right? Sort of, but not exactly. She started me off on something I'd done before. Uh-oh, now I'm thinking, maybe I don't really need a trainer to do something I already know how to do. Not so fast. It's apparently not the machine that makes the difference, it's the method of delivery. 12 pull ups sound easy, but on the 12th, hold for 5 seconds. 1-2-3-4-4 1/2-4 3/4 -5. Apparently, personal trainers have a special counting system that doesn't correlate with the actual time on a clock. Okay, now immediately on the floor for push ups. Not just any push up. 5 push ups, 5 seconds up and 5 seconds down and hold - 1-2-3-4-4 1/2-4 3/4-5. Now let's get back up and do it all TWO MORE TIMES. Next, on to walking lunges with dumbells. Did I mention I have terrible balance and weak legs. Oh, it doesn't matter, do it anyway. On to the next routine, then the next, then the next if you get my drift. As I was huffing and puffing and thinking of running marathons and childbirth, I realized that this wasn't like anything else I'd ever done and that I was actually paying money for this experience.

After the workout, my trainer handed me "my homework assignment" for the next month that I am to do 3x a week. She said "good job", now it's time for 20 mins. of cardio of your choice. As I shakily walked toward the stair master, I thought, this is exactly what I have needed for a very long time and if this doesn't work nothing will. Thank goodness for short-term memory loss. Results are expected in the next month, I'll keep you posted.