Author: Guest Blogger & Ridge Member January H.
I am sure many of you have seen the new Special K commercial that sends the message “it is not about losing weight but what you gain.” When I first saw this on January 1st it really hit home for me. Sometimes I get so focused on the numbers that I forget about everything else I have taken away from this awesome weight loss journey.
I began my adventure September 2011 when a friend suggested I check out the 20lb Challenge at The Ridge. I was skeptical and really had not even stepped foot in The Ridge before. I didn’t think it was the place for me but being 20+++ lbs overweight I decided I really didn’t have anything to lose. That first day of orientation I was so scared and nervous. The following morning at the first workout I was shaky and wanted to cry but it wasn’t that bad. It was actually pretty amazing and it was the first time I have ever stuck with a weight lose program, reached my 8 week goal, and became a “gym rat”. I will talk with anyone and everyone that wants to hear about the 20lb Challenge and The Ridge.
After the Challenge was over, in 2012 a gym friend suggest I try Zumba. Zumba?! I don’t dance. I can’t do arms and legs at the same time and I have no coordination. I remember being so nervous and scared the first time I walked into Ruth’s Saturday Morning class. What are they going to think of me? Will I get in people’s way? Very silly because really no one cares. Everyone is there to exercise and have fun, not to judge. Then I went to Tara’s Cardio Party class. I had heard about Tara’s intensity and how crazy her class can be; I was scared but I did it anyway. It was crazy but crazy fun! I was really awful but I had so much fun it didn’t matter. With practice, the steps come, and the workout is amazing. According to my heart rate monitor I can burn anywhere from 450-700 calories in the hour! I have the best time whenever I go to CP on Tuesday and Thursday with Tara and then I always try to catch Ruth’s class downtown on Wednesday. These ladies are just two of the amazing team members at The Ridge.
Now it is 2013 and I started it out with a bang. My good friend Wendy (my first gym friend) and I took Cross Country Ski lessons for the first time. Again I was a bit nervous but it was so much fun. I look forward to many more outings. In the last 18 months I have really been trying to get out of my comfort zone. Trying new things has been amazing and I really have nothing to lose. I also decided to try a new program. I LOVE the 20lb Challenge and the trainers (Josh and Krista) but needed something different. I had my first day of Lana’s Boot Camp yesterday and it was tough! I am tired but looking forward to tomorrow and everything the next six weeks has to offer.
Last week at 6:30 a.m. I was scared yet again. I was a little shaky during my short drive to The Ridge. I was on the way to my first swim lesson with Mary. I am nearly 35 years-old and have never had a swim lesson. I am self taught, which equates to I can prevent myself from drowning in a pool. I can flail around a bit and convince myself I am swimming. I need technique and I need to know how to breathe. I walked into the pool area and actually had that lump in my throat, a little tear in the corner of my eye, but I just took a deep breath and everything was alright. Mary was just as amazing as the rest of the staff at The Ridge. I am very excited to get back in the pool and practice what I have learned.
I just wanted to share with everyone all of the GAINS I have gotten as a result of that first day I stepped into The Ridge. I am going to stop worrying about the losses and really focus on the gains. The number one thing I have walked away with is that it is ok to step out of your comfort zone. It has brought more happiness, better friendships, and more opportunities to my life then I could have ever imagined.