So this buff bride managed to get through her two appointments at Fitness Together last week.  After the second work out, complete with squats, free-weights, and all kind of crazy "core" exercises, I was sore.  Imagine this, I bent my knees to reach down to pick up something I had dropped, and I basically needed help to get me back up.  Ow.  Big Ow. 

Not that I was overworked, or hadn't stretched out enough, I just felt the muscles in my body basically "coming back to life" (sorry if that sounds dumb.)  Yeah, it hurt, but at least I could feel the strength coming back into my legs.  Even slipping on my jacket the other night, I could feel a bit of a throb in my biceps.  But, at least I know that the muscles are working, and I'm on my way to being a buff bride.

I worked out again this morning, doing many of the same strength building exercises of last week, but also incorporating some new ab exercises. I thought that today would be easier than last week, and parts of the exercise routine was, but it was still hard work.  I did have to push myself though, from set to set. My trainer kept encouraging me, saying I was having a "gold star day", and keeping my motivation in check.  I did have a moment when I was doing these crazy leg extension step things that I got a bit lightheaded, and my trainer responded very quickly.  I took a minute to drink some water, put a cool towel on the back of my neck, and took some deep breaths.  I was fine a few minutes later, and I was able to finish the workout.

I'm not losing weight yet, and I really don't expect to be this soon into the program.  Weight loss is relative, if you think about it.  Considering that we are made up of mostly water, your body can do things to trick you into thinking you've lost weight right away.  Most weight loss, in this quick case, is due to dehydration.  I have always had a problem with drinking enough water, ever since I was a kid (my mom basically had to beg me to stay well hydrated when I was a small Kris.)  I'm  making a big effort to drink twice as much water as I usually do.  I try to remind myself that the weight I am trying to loose "needs to come out of the body somehow."

So, my goals for this week.  Keep a eye on portion size (I notice I am so much more hungry with the exercise), drink more water, and take longer walks on my days between the workouts (lucky for me, my dog loves this idea too!)  

Most important, I remind myself that this is hard for a reason. I have never had a regular workout routine, and so this kind of exercise is completely new to me.  I was one of those gals when I was younger (who I hate now) who was always thin and never had to exercise. It's a much different story now, I'm older now, and this is a big change in my life.  But, I'm determined.  Yeah, I want to look good on my wedding day, and in all those wedding photos.  But, more importantly, I want to have pride in a body and in a physical sense of self.  The most difficult projects in my life have always been the ones I have appreciated the most.  The dress that took me almost a year to finish is still the pride of my design portfolio.  But, I don't have to wait for the finished product to be proud in this case; I am proud of myself for making this change, taking the step towards being more healthy, and I can't wait to see the subtle changes in my body.

Cheer me on folks.

BTW.  I'll have some better pics of me up soon, so we can see some "before and after" pictures.