The Journey Continues...

This morning I showed up promptly at 7:50 for my 8am stress test the cardiologist insists I need along with an ultrasound tomorrow.

Yuk...

However this test will be better because I don't have to go into the cylinder like last year and when they shot me up with something that would have been banned at Woodstock. All to make my heart race...

Hated it....

This time I was taking my act to the bike and I was confident and caffeine free! I didn't drink any diet coke or take an excedrin. I was ready....

Ready, Set....Stop.

I took my medications which includes a pill I cannot pronounce to slow my heart rate. I was not supposed to and when they asked if I read the papers they gave me, I had to say....Papers? Nope.
I heard no caffeine and filed everything else away. I mean no caffeine for 24 hours...what would you hear after that?

Regroup and reschedule....sigh, so dumb not to read the instructions, but whatever.

Off to the gym, but on the way I took time to think about my last 8 months and the journey it has been.Whenever I spend time in the cardiologist's office I go into a mental tailspin. There are people from every walk of life sitting in the waiting room with me. Some very, very ill, some on walkers, some on oxygen, some so overweight they can hardly move, some so thin they look like they will break in two...and some that look perfectly normal just like me that have scars only they know about. We are all equal there, none of our equality the same...but equal.

I drove to the gym without the radio...just alone with my thoughts on the journey and I went in to the gym happy because every person there cares about me. They are all invested in my success. They know how hard my road has been because they have my medical records! They see me 3 times a week trying so hard to lift that kettle bell, bang those heavy ropes and sprint on the elliptical. There have been times I really didn't want to go, times that one last circuit was just too much. I have done so many squats, so many sit ups, planks and leg lifts. But getting up from a chair is easier and not being able to made me feel so old.  I can lift things, I can lift really heavy things.

I am doing things I thought I would never do again.

I do admit I have called my trainers Caligula

I am the biggest complainer....

And I often  I feel like Sisyphus. But I am better than I was 8 months ago

Joanne!!!

This is Joanne one of my workout buddies....not only is she doing a minute plank, but she has a huge weight on her back. Her core is going to be made of stone!! I waited until she did it again and took her picture because she has to keep this near her always as a reminder of how amazing she is.

There are tons of success stories at the gym. My friend Brian is sticking his finger in the eye of age and has recorded 18% body fat. 18%! When he left the gym the other day he went straight to hockey. He can do that because he works out. There is my friend Crystal who is on her feet 10 hours a day, she works out so she can work. When I first started working out my core was nonexistent because of my surgery....today my posture is so much better, my endurance is better, and I know I'm not as worried about getting older. My blood pressure goes from 144/83 before I work out to 119/77 after I work out. (For me lower blood pressure is key -high blood pressure will cause big problems with my aorta.) A combination of lifting weights and cardio is the key....and your life will be so much better!

Then there is Gene Carrejo the owner of the gym...He is a happy, effervescent man in his 60's who is there every day. He doesn't ask anything of us that he doesn't do himself so he works out right along side us, sweating and hoping to make it through the circuit. Our trainers,  Caligula (Sarah, Anthony and Joshua) treat him and his lovely wife Lisa, just like us.😓 I asked him today to share his fitness journey. And what a star - he sent it right over!

From Gene:

We have been in business close to 18 months in the beautiful city of Las Vegas. Xuberance has evolved into a home for people who are looking into establishing longevity and vitality to their lives as they move forward in this hectic world we exist in. Lisa and I are not only invested in the financial and operation aspect of our business, but are totally involved in the actual process of adding vitality and longevity to our personal wellbeing. My journey to anti-aging began after the holidays in 2018, I have been very diligent in following the fitness protocol that Sarah and her team have built for me and thoroughly enjoy the creativity and thought that goes into my MWF workouts. Once I established a baseline through the formal evaluation process and realized I had plenty of room for improvement, I made a personal commitment for fitness. The sense of accomplishment in the gym is very important but if you are not entrenched in the rest of the process the results you are looking for will not materialize. (He is so right, food is my nemesis)
Our doctor suggested hormone balancing to help with metabolism enhancement and energy along with mental focus. Jeremy (the nutritionist) and I have regular dialogue on what I should be eating also he adds a very creative twist that doesn't not become tedious. I am a sugarholic and have substituted fruit as my sugar fix. I have watched my cravings go away as I watch my energy improve. Simple fixes and a commitment to listen and implement are the keys to success.
I started the process at 209 lbs with a 28% body fat ratio, I am now 178 lbs and 20% body fat ration and I added 6 lbs. of muscle. It definitely works and the bottom line for success is a personal commitment. We need that same thing from our clients which gives us the opportunity to guide and counsel them through the process. 
I'm proud of what we are accomplishing and our clients are reaping the rewards with our recovery methods. Yes, massage and ozone therapy are also part of the process!
Thank you Gene....

This process has been such a blessing to me; hard, hard work but a blessing. With so many people invested in my success I know I will eventually get to all my fitness goals. I have achieved a great many so far, but as they say, "Life isn't a destination, it's a journey!" So Wherever you are on your journey please keep moving and don't stop. For me getting older is a blessing that was almost taken away so I don't mind the aging process at all. I also know for a fact that working out is a price I am willing to pay so I can have a few more birthdays. I can validate every excuse you may have because I have used each one, but working out is better, lifting weights is better......it's a better way to live. 

Now get out there and move!!!