2/19/15 First Day

Hey, nothing like starting out this brand new blog with a nice, dorky durp!  This is my first day "video" outside my very first Fresh Step class at the YMCA:

Yes, that is right, this is me hitting the camera button twice on my cell phone, instead of starting and stopping a video.

If I'd actually recorded myself the way I intended to, you would have heard me telling you that my name is Jamy Gearhart and as an unfortunate consequence of taking antidepressants and living a sedentary life for about 8 years, I'd gone from weighing 150 pounds to about 210 (according to what they told me today).

Up until eight years ago, I had never had to worry about my weight ...though I always used to put on a new outfit and say "Oh I'm too fat!" in that annoying way thin people will, when they should be able to see that they aren't fat at all.

You would have heard me say that I am a reporter with Kernersville News and while I was interviewing a lovely woman named Joan Joyce at the YMCA, I learned about the Fresh Start program and got the idea that maybe I should try this thing.  Also because I'm a masochist, I decided that not only should I try it, but I should make it into a newspaper article and blog for our loyal readers to track.

I said that I was excited that I might finally be able to lose the weight and also a little afraid that I would fail.

Which I am.  I love challenges, but am terrified of failure in any form.

So there it is.

But enough about me, the class was wonderful. Twenty-five people from the community are invited to participate in this free program.  They all seemed just as excited and nervous as I was, which helped me actually relax a little.  During the course of the next eleven weeks, we will be getting nutrition counseling, a personal trainer, group sessions, a well check that will include things like cholesterol screenings, blood pressure, etc. and full access to the YMCA.  I am really looking forward to the pool and Zumba classes and getting to know these people better.

After being introduced to the peppy and vivacious (but not in an annoying way) Bridget Wilkes who identified herself as our "person," we were weighed in, measured, photographed, and did a short cardio session.  I was okay with pretty much everything we did except the exercises that had me on my knees.  All of this weight I have gained makes my knees hurt all the time.  I'm hoping this won't be the case in a few weeks.

Everyone was so easy to talk to and I even made a friend when we quickly discovered that we both had teenagers of about the same age.

I have named this blog "Walking Across North Carolina" because my ultimate goal is to walk across North Carolina along I-40 from the beach all the way up to the mountains.  Originally I had thought I'd do it as a birthday present for myself, but there's no way I'm going to walk I-40 in the middle of July, so instead, I'm aiming to do it in May.

That's my long-term goal.  These are my short-term goals just for this class.  If they are too lofty, I'm sure Briget will let me know next time I see her:

1. Drink more water.
2. Cut back on the Cheerwine (my one big weakness).
3. Be able to make it through a vigorous Zumba class without dying.
4. Do ten real non-girl push ups
5. Do 100 sit-ups or some equivalent exercise
6. Lose one pants size.

I think that's enough for now. 

Stay warm and safe everyone!  I hear it's going to snow again.  *sigh*