Chezon vs. the Low-Tech Highs

On Mother’s Day, my father asked me if I would be free to hang out with him next week. Reminiscent of our Daddy Daughter Days we would have when I was younger, he asked if I could make some time to hang out with him. “Sure” I replied eagerly.

When we connected today, my dad inquired about my exercise regimen and I explained about the different types of cardio workouts I did outside of my gym time. He suggested we head over to Ikea and “walk around”. Seriously, that’s the thing I love about my dad. He’s so “low-tech”. All we needed was to keep it simple: let’s talk and walk.

We covered the Ikea showroom floor at a brisk pace. My dad’s always walked quickly, so I had to keep up. He’d ask random questions -- everything from schoolwork inquiries to dieting to comments about Ikea’s inventory -- which kept the conversation flowing. When we got to the stairs, I slowed down and asked if he’d prefer to take the elevator. He looked at me and said “You can handle this. I know I can!” And off he went jogging up the stairs. By the time we hit it a second time, no need for questions, I was already two steps behind.

Hanging out with my dad was the best kind of exercise I’ve done since I’ve started this journey. We walked through Ikea numerous times and when we were done, walked around the neighboring shops. Walking around with him, the time flew by, and before I realized it, more than 2 hours had passed.

Back home, my dad and I collapsed on the couch. Laughing and being silly all day with my dad had put a wide smile on my face. He turned to me and said he’d be headed back to his house soon. He got up to leave and turned to give me a hug. “You’re a good kid! You gotta keep this up! Okay?” Hearing him say that brought tears to my eyes. “I will dad, thanks! Thanks for everything! I love ya!”

I gotta be honest. My father’s comments today were worth more than any pounds I could ever lose!

Coffee, Bliss & Motivation

I ran into the sweetest woman at Starbucks today. She struck up a conversation regarding the look of bliss on my face after I took my first sip of coffee. I explained, "Usually when I come in here it's for a frappe or something…anything that leaves room for whipped cream. But today I made a better choice." She asked if I was on a diet. Suppressing the desire to move my fingers into a cross to shield my face, I corrected her. "No, I'm making better lifestyle choices." I stirred my coffee. I HATE the word "diet".

She told me she had been going to a local gym for 4 years. (She's in great shape.) She was explaining it took her roughly a year to find the right trainer. She would talk to different ones about her concerns but the majority of them ignored her comments. She said, "I'm well over 50 years old. I can lift a lot of weights but my doctor doesn't want me to. And the trainers kept going higher & higher with the weights." She went on to explain her fragile bone condition and her concerns with them breaking.

Pretty intense conversation before your first cup of coffee, huh?

It reminded me of those doctor commercials that encourage you to ask questions. Why do we feel more comfortable at Starbucks perfecting our beverage orders than we do at the doctors or at the gym?

Diet Low: Everything under the bakery glass tried to seduce me! (I kicked mass! None for me!)

Diet High: When I'm over 50, I wanna look as good as my Starbucks pal. You can find motivation everywhere!

Introduction to my Battle of the Bulge!

I’m not afraid to admit it.  I’m a loser!  Even my best friend knows it!  He’s the one who entered me into the “Are You in Love with a Loser” contest over at Body Solutions.  When they called to tell me I was a “loser”, I thought, “Great!  Now everybody knows it!” But that’s not necessarily a bad thing, is it?

According to my best friend, I’m smart, talented and fiercely loyal.  If you ask me, I’ll tell you I’m a ninja warrior…. at least I am in my head.  So now I’m trying to get my body aligned.

Going into battle, I need to make sure my weight loss equipment is intact:

• Weight loss goals? Check
• Body Solutions philosophy? Check
•  Knowledgeable personal trainer? Check
•  Support system? Check
• Baby carrots? Check
• Heart rate monitor? Check
• Will power? Check
• Motivation: Check

Stay tuned as I chronicle my weight loss journey; the ups, the downs, the sizes, the pounds.  Trust me, I’m well-prepared.  I have my sports bra on and I’m ready for battle!

*Trainer Talk: Hello, internet!  My name is Dan McGrath and I am Chezon’s personal trainer at Body Solutions.  Although this blog will mainly be about her weight loss journey, I will be sprinkling in some tips, rationale and general witty commentary along the way.  I’m very excited to be working with Chezon – as you can already see, she’s quite the character!  Having a motivated, upbeat, funny client always makes my life easier!  Lets all cheer Chezon on.. she’s going to do great!