What Have I Done???

Billie and I had our free one-hour session with the personal trainer at our new gym tonight.  Well.....that one hour turned into two hours and before it was all over, we signed up.  I can't believe it.  I've never hired a personal trainer before, mainly because I can't afford it.  So why did I do it tonight?  For one reason really.  I'm desperate.  I want to reach my goal, I've been struggling for quite a while, and I need to be pushed.  So I'm paying someone to push me.

The cost is $30 per session.  At one session per week, that's $120/month.  He's letting us split the cost, so my half is $60 a month, or $15/week.  That will buy me one session a week with the trainer, and an exact plan laid out for us on what's expected of us to do on our own the other 2 days in the week (we're supposed to do 3 workouts a week w/ strength and cardio....and I imagine we'll just do cardio on the other 2 days a week, so that we're working out 5 days/week still).

We're also required to write down everything we eat EVERY day.  My accountability level just rose 100%.  That's exactly what I need....kick my a$$ in the gym and monitor every bite of food that goes in my mouth.  Hmmm....maybe I'll actually lose the weight and get fit!!!  This could be worth $15 a week.

Many of you asked the logic behind doing the weights before the cardio, so I told him tonight that I have a weight loss blog, and I want to know the science behind his plan.  He explained that he wants us to do a 5 minute warm-up of cardio (we chose the elliptical).  Which, by the way, he told me tonight that I'm the most graceful person he's ever seen on an elliptical machine.  That embarassed me, but that's cool.  At least I don't look like I'm having seizures up there anymore.  That gets your heart rate up, and then you move to the free weights, and weight machines. 

He said doing these first burns through the crap in your body, and he listed off a bunch of stuff like glucose, sucrose, fructose, etc.  He said you do weights for 30 mins, and then you do 20 minutes of cardio, which is strictly fat burning.  I didn't argue with him....but I know that you can do it in whatever order you want.  Different people are all going to tell you different things.

The trainer at my last gym does cardio first, and then weights, and never told me the science behind his idea.  However, he did tell me to never eat before you do your cardio.  If you do, then you have to burn through that food first.  If you don't, then you go straight to burning through the stored fat.  But the trainer I met with tonight said that's stupid logic.  He said you have to have energy to fuel your workouts, so you should absolutely eat before you go to the gym.

The trainer tonight also said protein repairs muscles.....always have some after a workout.  And he said carbs provide energy.  Then he said what kind of energy do you need while you're sleeping?  None.  So never eat carbs for dinner.  I asked him what he had for dinner and he said a grilled chicken breast and asparagus.  Alrighty then, lol.  I challenged him and asked him if really NEVER has carbs for dinner.  He said of course he does....he even went so far to tell me that sometimes he has pizza and beer, saying that he's human...not a robot.  I'm going to like this trainer.  :)

Obviously, there are plenty of people who can't get to the gym til after they get off work, so does that mean they're not doing themselves any good because they've already eaten all day?  Of course not.  I think it all works, no matter what order you do it in.  Also, both of the trainers at both gyms are in prime shape...full of muscles, hard-bodied, without an ounce of fat on them.  Yet they do opposite routines.  That's proof to me that it all works.  Since I'm paying this current trainer, I'll do what he tells me to do.  Makes no difference to me....I just want this fat gone.

I also asked him to tell me my body fat percentage tonight.  I knew it would be hideous, but I felt like I really needed to know exactly where I'm at.  I was praying it wasn't 50%.  He tested it and said I'm at 37.6%.  As I said...hideous.  He said he's going to get me down to 24%.  I was surprised.  That sounded high to me, because Sean had his checked recently, and is at 16%.  He said that his personal trainer said a guy should be between 10-15%.  Now I'm curious as to what a woman's should be.  Does anyone know?  Is 24% too high? 

I'm not looking forward to this Friday's weigh-in, but I'll be looking forward to the next one.  Our first session is this Saturday.  They'll do all of our measurements, go through all of the machines with us again, go over our food sheets, give us a small workout, and lay out our plan for the other 2 days during the week when we won't have the trainer.  After the workout we had tonight, I feel pretty positive that I won't be able to move when I get out of bed in the morning.  But we're supposed to have one more day of sunshine this week, so I'm going to try and grab my sister Amy and go on a hike.  My niece is spending the night with me tomorrow night so I won't be able to get to the gym with Billie, so I want to make sure I get in some kind of exercise.  A hike in the sunshine sounds perfect.

The weather is supposed to turn bad Friday....they're calling for a little snow Fri night/Sat morning.  As long as there's not ice on the roads, then I'll be at the gym at 9am on Saturday for our session.  I'm kind of scared, lol....but I'm excited, too.  I think this is exactly what I need.  I did it.  I bit the bullet.  I hired a personal trainer.  God help me, lol.  :)