The Game Changer

Posting early today because I already know I’ll be passing out early tonight. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you my very first gym selfie. I have been to a gym before, of course, but I have never wanted to take a picture.

I started water aerobics this morning! My beautiful grandmother and I had so, so much fun. Not only was it a workout, but it was also a wonderful way to bond with this amazing woman in my life. I could write an entire post about her, the way she has been my rock, filling in for all the voids life has left me with, and how she is a real-life superhero, but just take my word for it: she’s the greatest woman in the world.

Got up at 7am feeling good (blood sugar is almost back to normal!), even beat my alarm clock! I had a grin on my face before I even rolled out of bed. I’ve been so looking forward to this day since my grandmother asked me if I wanted to start taking these classes. I drank a bottle of water while I got ready and hurried out the door to hop in her car. I shrieked a little sound of joy as I had to tighten the top on my bathing suit. My chest and boobs are getting smaller! Joy of joys, can’t wait to have less of these sandbags pulling my neck down!

We pulled into the gym and my gracious grandmother asked me if I wanted to be dropped off at the door, like I usually have in the past. I wrinkled my face and playfully said “nah, we don’t do that no more, lady!” I told her park where she wanted to and I would make it. And by god, I did. Almost 1000’ from the parking spot, through the building and the wrap around to the pool. My back was ANGGYYYY by the time I made it to the pool, but that pain almost instantly disappeared as soon as I got in the water.

The relief, the happiness, the absolute freeing feeling of having that weight lifted off of me. Indescribable. It blew me away at the pool a couple weeks ago, but it still made me tear up again. It just felt so -good-. I was the youngest person there, but I usually feel more at home with older people anyway, old soul that I am, so I had a nice time talking with all the lovely women there before the class started.

Now, the class. Let me tell you, I CRUSHED it. I made modifications…to make it HARDER. I did the entire class with the heaviest aquatic weights they had. If they said hop on one foot, I jumped like I was shooting hoops. They said leap, I became a damn bullfrog. It was… oh lord, it was amazing. My grandmother said every time she looked at me, I had the most vibrant smile on my face, and it gave her joy. I did an hour of water cardio and I felt it, the muscle burn and the stretch, but not. one. back. pain. I killed it. Getting out of the pool, I had to fight back that deflating sadness that I knew would come as my weight returned to my body, but I kept the smile on my face and marched to the shower and took a standing shower. I had to sit to dry off, but I bet you by the end of this round, I won’t need that seat anymore.

On the way home, I decided I wasn’t done conquering this day. I wanted more. As you can see from below, I decided to reattempt my Dollar Tree shopping. Y’ALL. I did it. The entire store. The ENTIRE store. ON MY OWN TWO FEET!! I can’t even express how accomplished I felt. That was my goal for Sunday, and I beat it already. I AM IN BEAST MODE. After that, I even went grocery shopping.

Come at me, life! I’m back, and I’m living, and I ain’t stopping. I looked in the mirror at the gym and said “damn, I’m beautiful, and I’m here, and nothing is going to stop me ever again.”

Choose life. Choose health. Choose happiness. Choose confidence. CHOOSE YOURSELF.