Day 38 (9/21/2016)

First day at the gym.
The last year or so I've been trying to move my body more. Join my parents in hiking, workout to Fitness Blender videos, go for a walk, head to the beach for some sand activities -- the list goes on. Since the beginning of sophomore year I've lost 35 pounds which I'm very proud of, but there's still more that I want to do.
I used to base my goals off of a certain look or weight, and at first that was good. At 190 pounds getting down to 160 was a reasonable and healthy goal. However, being 155 with large legs it's hard to pinpoint a weight goal from this point because I'm already healthy but I'd like to lose some more fat and gain some more muscle. Also I can't look at another person's picture and say "I'm going to look like that" because I'll never look like 'that'! I'll always look like me, just maybe smaller in the middle. That's all. My goal is no longer fixated on a number or a look. My goal is based off of ability. I want to be strong. I want be able to hike for hours. I want to increase my lung capacity. I want to increase my heart's strength. So. What am I going to do? I'm going to be strong. I'm going to hike for hours. I'm going to increase my lung capacity. I'm going to increase my heart's strength. And it started last night.
When I first moved to New York I wanted to join a gym but I decided to wait until after I got a job. My rationale for this was that I wanted to spend as little from my savings as possible. Then I got a job. This is my 3rd week. I decided that I was going to wait until I started school to join a gym. My rationale for this was that until school started I wouldn't know how much free time I'd have in my day. Then I realized that even after school started I'd find another excuse: after the holiday's, once it warms up more, once my allergies are gone, and so on and so on and so on. I realized that I would never join a gym if I made it conditional to another circumstance. So last night. I didn't go home right after work. I went to Planet Fitness. Got a tour. Gave them my info. And became a member.

I get home around 6:40pm and once I'm home I like to make dinner, watch some TV or read, then head to bed, so I didn't want to workout in the afternoons. Plus once I get home and kick off my shoes, I'm less inclined to put them back on. So the mornings it is!
I decided that 6:00am was wake up time. I woke up at 6:00 this morning as planned and IMMEDIATELY thought "nahh, I can go after work, or I can go tomorrow morning." My first day at the gym! After all those motivational thoughts!What was I thinking? I dragged my sorry butt out of bed and got to the gym around 6:20. I hit the treadmill for a quick warm up them hit every single leg machine available. I'm not really a cardio bunny. I do enjoy running but not for long distances and not very often. I like to walk to loosen my muscles and get my blood flowing. I'm more of a weights person. I want muscles. I want to be able to walk a staircase that goes on forever -- or a hike with tree roots as stairs that go on forever (Cascade Head, Neskowin, Oregon).
I stayed for about 45 minutes and cooled down with the walk home. I got ready for work, had my smoothie and realized that I needed more. I had a protein bar with breakfast and packed a piece of bread with peanut butter for an extra snack. I'm not trying to lose weight, I'm trying to gain muscle and add endurance; this requires fuel. And food is fuel. I've been eating very clean and I feel good.
I almost fell asleep on the train to work and was a little pooped when I got to the office, but this is only day one. I'll hit the gym again Friday morning no matter how much my body doesn't want to.
It's all mind over matter -- or so I'm told.