About six years ago my best friend and I set off on a new adventure. Up to that point we had gone thru quite a few pregnancies…a couple of adoptions…and many hours of teen drama together. It was now time for us.
My friend was bent on having surgery to remove all the fat that life had brought her way…I was scared to death. I knew that her blood presure was high and all I could think of was…what if she dies?????
I have to admit that it was a purely selfish thought. I had come to rely on this friend. It was a support system that I was not going to let go of without a fight.
I begged her to give me some time to help her lose first. She agreed and then we did something that I never saw coming…we joined a gym.
Soon our days were filled with much laughter…and much pain …as we embarked on this journey.
I laugh just thinking back about how little we knew about our own bodies. Muscles were hurting that we had no idea even exsisted.
We went thru our free trainer days that the gym provided quickly and then stumbled along making the best with the little knowledge that we had.
Then Tom walked into our lives. This little 5 foot nothing of a man started telling us how to do each exercise…how many we should do…and what to eat. Over the years we have discovered that Tom knows his stuff…and he believes in us.
With Tom’s help my friend lost 80 lbs and I lost 30. We were feeling better than we had in years. The gym had become our life…our therapy. Early in the morning, before the phone could start ringing to pull us away, we would meet on the treadmill to laugh and to encourage each other. Then over to the free weights we would go…these once obese middle aged women were befriending body builders.
Tom would be there by our side, not wanting to hear our excuses, just wanting to see our results.
Then it all ended. Life had become too hard…parents were sick and dying…deep depression…grandbabies to babysit. Soon we had fallen into our old trap…worring about everyone else more than ourselves. It wouldn’t be long before all that fat that we had worked so hard to get rid of came back.
How can we get motivated to do this again?
Well my friend and I went back to the gym the other day and there was our trainer…our friend…Tom.
He looked at us and said…so how is the weight doing? How much do you want to lose? I think you should plan five more pounds than that….yep this guy pulls no punches. He doesn’t want our excuses…he just wants results. But he believes in us and it makes us want to believe in ourselves.
With Tom’s help I know that we will succeed again…why?
When we saw Tom at the gym the other day he was doing inverted sit ups….after having 5 stints put in his heart 6 days before. Oh and did I mention that Tom is 82 years old?
No….. Tom doesn’t want to hear our excuses, just our results.
inspiredwife
inspiredwife
inspiredwife
inspiredwife
inspiredwife
inspiredwife
inspiredwife
inspiredwife
Love that story! Too cute that Tom is 82. Good luck on your journey. I can relate, too, as I worked hard a few years ago (both on my own and with a trainer) and lost about 15 pounds and got in good shape. Then I developed plantar fasciitis (foot problems) and was forced to modify and cut back. I’ve since gained back my 15 plus another 10 so I am trying to get myself back on track. I know it’s going to be a lifelong committment but it’s a challenge some days. Thanks for sharing that cute story.:)
Oh!!!!! Had had that plantar fascititis too…That hurts soooo much! Someone finally told me to take Aleve. I guess it is an inflamation of the muscle that goes over your heal. I didn’t think it would help but it really did. That and good shoes. When your feet hurt it is hard to do anything…Work on your diet…that is where must of us really blow it and try the Aleve. Let me know if it helps.
This is awesome! I read it and admit, outloud, this word came out “fan-crapping-tastic”. I wish I could find a Tom to inspire me. I’m ashamed and embarrassed to have gotten here, and I find everyone I meet, the trainers especially, really intimidate me and I “hide” from them which does me absolutely no good. They make me feel even more ashamed and embarrassed. (I know they don’t make me feel this way, I make “myself” feel this way. I don’t think I’d be intimidated by Tom, only in an inspiring kind of way I suppose. Can you clone him?
Trust me I have been hiding from Tom for the past year…I knew what he would expect from me and I wasn’t ready to give it. I really hope I’m ready now because I do know that I feel so much better when I feel good about myself physically.
Yes, life gets in the way of taking care of ourselves. 2 years ago I had back surgery, and 6 mo. later a ruptured bicep and rotater surgery! Finally able to do some walking and working full time! 6 mo. after that a fractured pelvis! Spontaneous – I did nothing to cause it! Now 8 mo. later I struggle to climb stairs but I’m determined to get my strength back! I have things to do and more grandchildren on the way! I hope you continue to get healthy and strong – you have a house to decorate!
Wow Becki! God bless you…you have really had your fill. Do you have somewhere that you can swim? I would think that might really be a good option for you.
I can’t swim!! I took lessons and tried many times and almost drowned in a public pool! I can float on my back but that’s it!!! Thanks for responding and the encouragement. I once went to a trainer that was my age (at the time, 52) and she was great and so easy to work with – I was in the best shape of my life!
I can’t really swim either…I could save myself or my grandchild but I am not very good at the lap thing. But around us they have a lot of arobic classes in the pool. You don’t have to swim to do it…it just makes the movements a lot easier on the body.
That’s something I’ll check into – but I don’t even own a swimsuit anymore and that is a shopping trip I do not look forward to! LOL! Our last few trips to the beach I wear shorts. Are you familiar with Anna Maria Island? Our favorite place in the world!
Tom is a rock star! You hang on to him and work toward this goal! You can do it! We’ve all been in this place before. When will we learn that our health should always have a place in our lives? Here’s a quote I read on Twitter yesterday from Bob Harper, one of the trainers on The Biggest Loser… “Get up and finish what you’ve started!” Love this. It’s not starting over…it’s just finishing what you set out to do…even if it was six years ago
Let it go and carry on forward!
Thank you for the quote …that is great!
Wow! What an inspiration Tom is!