Exercise .. groan ....

I think exercise should be a 4-letter word! I've recently come to the conclusion that in order to lose weight as a middle-aged, menopausal woman - I have to excercise. And not the piddly walking I did this summer - I mean intense, make-my-body-hurt kind of exercise. I'm not saying this is true for everyone, but my body seems to love its fat, and won't let go if it easily. Sigh. And I've been resisting exercise, as I was hoping just eating better would make the fat melt, but it's not. Darn it!

So, last week I took a 'class' at the gym. Boot camp. 60 minutes of sweating, lifting weights, jumping up and down keep my heart rate racing. And while I certainly couldn't do everything, I was very proud that I was able to keep up with most of those skinny young things sweating along side me, lol. Of course, the next day was a bit rough, but not as bad as I thought it would be. So, today I decide to take 2 classes. I figure if those people on the Biggest Loser show workout for 6 hours a day, 2 little classes at the gym won't kill me. I think I was wrong! Yikes!

First class - SET Class- 60 minute class. Starts at 6am. Alarm goes off at 5am, I am up and dressed, animals fed and out the door by 5:30am. This class involves the use of a barbell and handweights, combo cardio and strength training, all done in 3 minute sections (sets). I can do anything for 3 minutes, right? Well, apparently not. It was hard! It was the ab work that finished me off - I have no abdominals, they are buried way too deep under all that fat. Yow! But, I endured and finished, sweaty and glad to survive ;) And, surpisingly .. really liked it, made me feel powerful.

Second class - BOSU Circuit - 60 minute class. Starts at 9:30am. So, I drop car off at shop for a tune up, then take bus to gym. All the time congratulating myself for being so hardcore ... but really, I had no way to get home anyway as my ride home was meeting me at the class. So don't be too impressed, lol. All I wanted to do was nap! This class was billed as being "Athletic, intense and more fun than a three-ring circus, this circuit class uses the BOSU® Balance Trainer to burn calories, tone muscles and shape your body head-to-toe.". Okay, whatever. The BOSU trainer is basically one half of those big balls they use in gyms ... and they expected us to stand and balance on it, while doing various movements (lunges/squats and such). OMG! It works your core (which, if you don't know - is a fancy way of saying abs, lol ) and since my abs were sore from the previous class ... all I can say is OUCH! I was only able to do about half the movements (poor balance here) and I don't think I've ever sweat so much in my life, it was dripping in my eyes. Did ya'll know that sweat dripping into your eyes burns? I didn't, since I'm fat and lazy - I've never sweated that hard before!

Anyway, here it is - about 5 hours later ... and the sore muscles are already begining. I can't even imagine how I will get out of bed tomorrow, I can barely bend over now to pick up something off the floor! LOL.

However - on a positive note ... I'm too tired to eat, so maybe that's why you lose weight when you exercises, shear exhaustion keeps you from eating! ;)

And you know what? I'm doing it again on Wednesday! ;) LOL Pray for me!