September 21, 2007

Happy to Hurt

I am working harder than I have ever worked. I am sore for days after each class I attend, and then pile on more soreness with each subsequent class. I am loving the hard work and the learning. I also have a feeling I’m going to love putting a swimsuit on next year.

We have one of those Tanita body fat scales at home. I personally have hated the thing for all the years we have owned it. You program in that you’re a man of my height, stand on the scale and it says your body fat percentage is about 2%. You program the same height, but now also program in that you’re a woman, and you’re suddenly a third fat. It’s not cool. I know it programs it differently for a man and a woman, but when both sexes have two feet, legs, arms, and one head, then what’s the deal with that?

You’ve seen pictures. I’m a skinny girl, so thin in fact that I was frequently accused of having an eating disorder during high school and even into adulthood. I once told my Mom that I was going to tell my aunt who is always quizzing me about my weight that "Yes, I am a bulimic. . . (wait for her shock and horror to set in). . . I just forget to throw up." I love food entirely too much to avoid it and or barf it. Plus, it’s not healthy and stuff, but this isn’t a public service announcement, so moving right along. . .

The other day as I was getting into the shower, I thought "why not?" and hopped onto that scale. I usually just kick the 5th option and have it give me my weight only. Body weight has proven to be much less depressing than body fat percentage. Anyway, a number flashed back at me that almost made me fall over (I won’t say it because I don’t want to brag or anything). I will just say that it is the lowest body fat percentage that I have EVER recorded on that scale; and I attribute it entirely to the hoards of kicks we’ve been doing (seriously-like at least an hour and a half of kicking tonight), the insane amount of jumping jacks, the push-ups, the crunches and everything that comes before, after, and in between.

I have been trying to soak up everything I can during the past few weeks. I know that in time it will sink in and be absorbed completely. Right now though, I’m just kicking this body back into shape the old fashioned way, with lots of sweat and hard work. Feels good.