It's now or never...

Today was day 1 of my new exercise routine. This is a really good thing because over the years I've had a love-hate relationship with exercise. I've never really been a fan of running or going to the gym. Lifting weights is ok but the free-weight section (aka the testosterone zone) intimidates me. Swimming is great, but not in the winter. Mostly, I prefer to be "tricked" into exercising by fun diversions such as playing sports, dancing, walking or by taking group fitness classes. Notice one key theme in all these activities: other people. The main element that keeps me going when exercising is people! So of course I was so excited to learn about a free group circuit training class lead by one of the personal trainers at the fitness center in my workplace. Even more exciting was that one of my co-workers was interested in going with me too (accountability is a good thing)!! So Katie (my co-worker) and I have been semi-faithfully attending the class for about a month now and just 2 weeks ago we learned that Peter (the personal trainer) is going to be conducting a study on any willing circuit training participants. To be a study participant, one must attend the class 4 days a week (it's only 30 minutes long) for 8 out of 10 weeks. He is measuring the difference in our fitness level before and after the 10 weeks. Last week we enrolled in the study and had our beginning fitness level measured (height, weight, BMI, percent body fat, flexibility, back strength, number of sit-ups in 1 minute, resting heart rate, and recovery heart rate time). That was an interesting time. My percent body fat is too obscene to repeat and I was shocked to find that I had shrunk 1/2 to 3/4 an inch in height! The dorky dietitian in me immediately began recalculating my ideal body weight and calorie needs based on this new information. Both figures are frighteningly low and would definitely be difficult to maintain during this, the most calorie-dense time of the year, without some semblance of an exercise routine. No matter what the numbers say, I'm happy with my new-found routine with its built in accountability and I'm excited to see the results!

Thankful Reflections

A little of my comings and goings and things to be thankful for over the past month: * My brother, who is in the Army, returned to the states from Iraq on Nov. 20th and my family and I got to spend time with him at his new post in Kansas over Thanksgiving * Established initial contact with places to move to * Shared my story with folks in the med center fellowship * Had the opportunity to talk to some families from India and China during the Family Fall Festival held in the med center * Developing new relationships with people in the med center * Learning about perseverance and waiting ... and beginning to see - piece by piece - a vision of where in the world I'm headed to