Day 1 — 239.6

Sloan Johnson
Jul 10, 2017 · 3 min read

Those are two massively depressing numbers. I’ve lost count of how many “day ones” I’ve had in my journey to getting healthy. I do great for a while, but then life gets in the way and I just stop. I’m not going to make an empty promise to myself and say this is the last day one I have, but I will promise that I’m going to do my best to stay on track, and that is going to include posting here. Who knows if anyone but me will ever read it, but it’s not for the world, it’s for me. I want to look back at some point and realize how far I’ve come.

Which brings me to that other number. I really hate that one. It’s not my highest weight, but it is dangerously close to what I weighed a year ago. It’s insane to realize that just a few months of life getting in the way erased all that progress. Every day I stepped on the scale and felt damn good about getting closer to the first goal (199#)…gone.

But I can’t change it now. All I can do is record the anger and let that fuel me today, tomorrow, next week, and most importantly, next month. Complacency is a dangerous thing.

Now, how about something not quite so negative? I did it! I got my ass back into the gym today. Yes, it’s Planet Fitness, which some people seem to think isn’t a “real” gym because of their rules about certain exercises, weight limits, etc. Well, those people can kiss every inch of my ass, because their prejudices don’t negate the fact it’s been a great place for me! And today proved why I love it there.

Our location is newly renovated and what I thought was going to be the 30 minute circuit class was actually a PF360 class. The last time I tried PF360, I punked out because I felt like I was going to either puke or pass out, neither of which sounded like a good time. I’m happy to report that, other than having to stop and fix my damn shoes a few times, I made it the full class!

But then something happened… I was going to leave, happy as hell with myself for getting out of bed despite every excuse that tried to keep me there this morning. Unfortunately, Tye, the trainer, had other ideas. He razzed me (playfully) into staying for the arms class. And all the other women who’d been so welcoming during the first class were staying, so I decided to see if I could keep going. I did it! Barely, but I finished TWO classes on my first day back.

When I got ready to leave, the other women asked me when I’d be back. They wouldn’t take “probably” for an answer, they wanted a commitment. I walked out of there feeling like I’d not only gotten a great workout, but also that I have people who are cheering me on, pushing me harder, just like they do for everyone that’s been going religiously for months.

I told them I will most definitely be back tomorrow! I may only do the 30 minute class, but the key for me right now is to make this a routine. I’m looking forward to seeing them. Tye… well he’s a decent guy, but he’s mean. I’m not sure when I’ll forgive him for pushing me to switch to heavier weights.

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