Feeling the Burn

I met with my trainer, Ashley, last night for Round 1. I had a trial run with her a few weeks ago, so I assumed that this time would be like the last. Boy, was I wrong.  After ten minutes on an elliptical trainer, we began to "kick tail" (Ashley's words) for half an hour.

Lunges. Push-ups. Mountain climbers. Shoulder presses. Squats. Planks. Down to the floor, then up on my feet, again and again.  Having eaten small meals and only one bottle of water throughout the day was definitely not enough. Needless to say, I was red-faced, shaky, and I felt like I was spinning around and around in circles. Ashley advised that I eat something before working out and drink plenty of water next time. I think I'm going to take that advice to heart.

Regardless of my long list of ailments, I made it through all of my first session! It was HARD, but so worth it! Today, though, my body is like a wet noodle. My legs, arms, shoulders, back, and abs were begging for mercy this morning; this afternoon, they have quieted down to a dull roar.  I'm taking the day off from the gym and will be nursing my muscles to prepare for Wednesday's beatdown. To be honest, I am a little nervous. At the moment, this is much harder than I anticipated. I am down today, but most definitely not out. The encouragement I receive from Ashley on a daily basis is motivation enough to keep it going.

I pick up my first batch of food tonight; tomorrow begins the strict diet regiment. Yesterday and today, I have been closely monitoring my caloric intake and portion size so that I am not thrown for a huge loop when I am given meals the size that a restaurant would deem too small for a young child. Learning about these portion sizes have brought to light exactly why it is so hard for Americans to be fit, healthy, and maintain a healthy weight. I admit, this will be something I will have to get used to since I have been partaking in these gigantic meals for years. All it takes is a little adjustment period.

So, for tonight, I'm going to pop a couple Aleve, soak in an Epsom salt bath, and mentally and physically prepare myself for tomorrow. It can only go up from here!