MAKING PROGRESS

I'd say it's a good step forward when after exercising, you have the will to do something other than eat a very cold dinner and sit on the couch for 4 hours afterwards.

A while back, I began an on again/off again thing with Cardio Barre.

During the first class I nearly passed out because I wasn't breathing right, I felt like Jell-O afterward, the music was awful, and the instructor kept using the word "booty" and talking about bikini season. If you had asked me at 8:30 that night, while I was eating sushi on my couch, watching Glee, I would have told you that there was no way in HELL I was going back.

But then the crappy feeling subsided and I realized that a) not going back would be defeatist and quitter-esque since b) I had paid for 10 classes. (On LivingSocial, but whatever, I still had 9 more.)

The next class went better, only I had eaten a garlicky turkey burger 3 hours before class and ended up with CRAZY garlic burps after class. I had a smoothie afterward and sat on the couch, watching the Glee finale.

The next class was even better, except I had eaten a hard-boiled egg 2 hours before class and ended up with psycho burps afterwards and, thanks to the burping and excess water in my stomach that I slugged back mid-workout, had a near-vurp situation in my car. I had a smoothie, went home, and thought about how much I was gonna miss Glee. (Not that much.)

Tonight, after a couple weeks off for various reasons (I don't have to explain them to you!), I went back. I was scared that I'd regress to my fainting, vurping ways, so I didn't snack for 3 hours before class and breathed like my life depended on it (which, you know, it did). I was fine. And to my surprise, I didn't feel like I was going to die if I didn't get food in me ASAP, so I went home and made myself a lovely dinner of pasta, fresh peas, and arugula in a yogurt-blue cheese sauce with anchovy bits.

"Where was I?"
"You were growing."

BTW, I haven't heard that instructor use the words "booty" or "bikini season" since. And tonight's music was a lovely Michael & Janet Jackson mix.

I guess those kids in elementary school were right: First really IS the worst.