Monday morning–4:45A.M.  The twinkle-toned iPhone alarm I had chosen to “calmly wake myself up” seemed unbearably shrill, especially when I remembered why it was going off: my first 5:30A.M. appointment with my personal trainer. After trying to feign a hamstring injury brought on by an impending Charlie horse… I reluctantly rolled off of my half deflated air mattress and into my fleece lined running tights.

But, wow…am I glad I did.

Several weeks ago I decided that just going to the gym a few times a week really wasn’t getting me the results I was hoping for. (I wanted to see “Beyonce” but instead I was getting “Young mom who’s stopped drinking diet coke.”) After talking with several of my friends, who I consider to be professional gym rats, it was clear that a personal training program would be my best bet.

I was nervous. “Personal trainer?” I thought, “He’ll kill me. I’ll die. I’ll lay right out on the weight floor after leg day and take my last living breath.” Within the next few days I grew some balls and then nervously approached my soon-to-be torturer/trainer at the front desk. After about 20 minutes of discussion and signing papers it was official: for 3 times a week for the next three months I’d be seeing Andrew for lifting days and going an additional 2 more visits for cardio sessions. I walked out of the gym and promptly grabbed a snack to ease my stresses.

Fast forward to now–8A.M. on Friday, January 2, 2015. Sitting at my kitchen table recovering from this morning’s shoulder + core + cardio session, sipping on an almond butter + berry protein shake concoction (that I call The PBJ) and feeling 100% sure that I have made one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

After 1 week of personal training I feel awesome; I’m sleeping better, I feel stronger (even if just a little), I’m driven to eat well, I’m drinking so much water, I’m happier, My brain is clearer and I have so many more opportunities to brag to my co-workers about how much I lifted at my early morning PT sesh. Andrew has really encouraged me to not just seek fitness, but also nutrition (full wellness). I’ve been dipping my fork into the key Paleo diet principles but with a few tweaks of my own.

With the arrival of a new year, I’ve also adapted a new mindset: investing in myself is just as important as investing in other things.

My fitness goals (not resolutions because those are for the weak) for 2015:

• Know what it means to actually feel healthy and reap the benefits of that lifestyle.
• Learn from my trainer how/why/what I need to do to work my muscles correctly and continue to do that even after training is over.
• Feel strong, capable and empowered.
• Become professional at feigning minor injuries so my break between ab sets can be longer.
• Blog about fitness/lifestyle changes so other people can learn something/feel my pain.
• Really try to contain biscuits to once a week (do the vegan ones count? Leaning towards no RN).
• Oh right…and those Beyonce/Nicki/Azalea booty curves.*

*Andrew asked me what my fitness goals were and maybe that was my answer, but who really knows?

Speak to you guys soon! Happy new year!

x