I only talked with a personal trainer there once, when he was instructing me on the seated leg press, and then was like “are you trying to build muscle?” (in a way that kindof said–you can already press like 200 lbs, fatty), but I just cheerily said “yes!” and he didn’t say word one to me about weight loss. Word.

And the owner has a gorgeous dog and pops by all the time with her.

I’m in the process of getting myself to the point where I can ride my bike to work every day — it’ll save me a ridiculous amount of money, and I can ride the lakeshore path almost the whole way, so it’s gorgeous to boot — and I’ve been cutting myself short at the gym.

Because — gasp — I didn’t want to be one of those obnoxious, sticky, sweaty fat girls, gobbing up the equipment.

I always keep my head down at the gym because I don’t want to see people staring at me, critically or laughing at me, as I’m always told people will do when I work out. Except, today I actually lifted my head and looked up.

What do you know? Everyone in the gym is all sweaty and red-faced and puffing. Every size, every shape.

Gee, maybe because they’re -exercising-? It was a revelation, honestly. It made me think of this post.

So rather than pulling back when I got hot and really got into my workout, I just let myself go.

I passed two — yes, TWO — of my workout goals for myself. I have the endurance to go for an hour, and I did it on one higher resistance level than I ever have before. And I still walked home, wasn’t overtired, and I’m feeling damn proud of myself. Sweated the whole damn time, and that’s the point.

Expecting to take the stairs effortlessly because you work out several days a week is like thinking you should be able to be a long-distance runner easily because you swim nearly every day- the training is completely different!

I take the stairs about once or twice a week, usually after my mum calls and asks me, “Have you lost any weight?”

I’d like to tell her to shut up, that I walk two miles a day minimum just from going to and from class, and that I take twenty-thirty minute walks in the morning and evening, and that I’m eating healthier than I EVER did at home because there’s actually decent vegetarian options for meals here and yes, I’m still fat.

I also have horrible asthma and those stairs make me want to DIE. Fortunately, after three fire drills in one week (!?), I figured out that EVERYONE on my floor has a hard time with the stairs. :D