Confession is Good for the Soul

Every good Catholic knows that confession is good for the soul. Before I take any more credit for the succes in my weight-loss journey, I must stop and share a secret. I've been working with a personal trainer since Day No. 1 of this journey. The first day, which ended with my talking myself out of working out by about 2 p.m., included a phone call to my local gym and setting an appointment to work out with a personal trainer.

I needed accountability to stay focused in the early weeks of getting healthy. And I knew that. I've worked with several trainers throughout my storied weight-loss career and have had the most success in working with trainers who are also body builders. Weight training has improved my cycling experience and certainly has accelerated my weight and inch loss.

My trainer has also helped me work through plateaus and encourages me daily to mix up my cardio and to eat clean. My cardio in the gym rotates between an elliptical machine, the metal climbing staircase (man is that hard), running on a treadmill at an incline and rowing on a rowing machine (if I close my eyes I am back home on the Pasquotank River in my hometown of Elizabeth City, N.C.). When I walk, it's always as a supplement to my daily cardio.

My weight-training workouts are limited to intense, 30-minute sessions three times a week and sometimes four. I weighed the cost/benefit of this expense and decided after watching a Biggest Loser episode in which the contestants learned about the high cost of obesity that I could give up a few meals out a week to make this expense fit into my budget. One of the biggest things that I do to make this affordable is to do my own cardio before and/or after weight training. No need to pay a trainer to watch you run for 30 minutes on a treadmill.

I was dumbfounded when I learned how much more people who are obese spend on everything. Take my Prilosec, for example. I take 40 mgs per day and have for years. That's a $40 a month habit. I also used to take a prescription sleeping pill (don't have to do that any more). I had an inhaler plus an Advair diskus ($70 per month with insurance). My weight caused me to be rated higher for my life and health insurance premiums. I was sick and injured more often, which meant more co-pays and out-of-pocket expense for necessary and helpful visits to my chiropractor. Extra weight is hard on the backbone. I have 4 herniated discs in my neck, and I have spent a bundle to keep those in line as an overweight person.

I'm happy to report that I am now inhaler-free and that I haven't been in an MRI machine for my back or seen a doctor in 73 days. I also figured out tonight that my math is wrong. It's actually Day 71. This is the first day of Week 11 on my program.

Time for this skater fan to go to sleep. Skateylove and peace out.

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