Proof

As someone who is a bit on the OCD side, I'm awfully fond of numbers and hard data. It just makes me happy! (Yes, this particular part of me puzzles a whole lot of people.) Today, I'm very pleased to be able to report on my final assessment with my personal trainer. We did our initial assessment on July 6th. Since then, I've:

1. Lost 12 pounds.
2. Reduced my BMI by 2.6 points.
3. Increased my bicep strength by 10 lbs.
4. Increased the number of sit-ups I can do in one minute from 0 to 24.
5. Increased my push-ups from 15 to 40.
6. Increased my sit and reach flexibility (which, to be honest, was already really good) by an additional 5.5 inches.
7. Reduced my body fat percentage by 5%.
8. Increased my lean body mass by 4 lbs. (Meaning I lost a total of 16 lbs of fat!)

There are things that aren't really measurable, though, and they include:

1. I'm sleeping a whole lot better on a regular basis.
2. I have a lot more energy for the girls.
3. I LOVE running again, and am happily looking forward to a 10K next month.
4. I've discovered how much I truly enjoy working out in a gym - setting goals on the treadmill and watching my strength training numbers improve steadily.
5. My overall attitude about life is better.
6. My depression has lifted entirely.
7. My anxiety levels have dropped to normal, manageable levels.
8. I feel more "Plugged-In" with the world around me.
9. I've entirely beaten the sugar bug. I now have a very small treat (either a cafe mocha or a small bit of high-quality dark chocolate) about 3-4 times/week, and that's it! I can't even begin to tell you what a relief it is to be off of sugar!
10. Best of all, I've been able to do all of this without any of the crazies/obsessive behavior that has traditionally caused problems when I've tried to make healthy lifestyle changes.

I'm very grateful to Meghan for all of her help, and to all of my friends and family who've supported me in my new endeavors! I truly believe that this opportunity came along at the right time, and I have every intention of continuing on. In fact, I do plan to sign up for more training just as soon as I am able.