“Girls in belly shirts and hot pants who glisten”

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This title does not describe me. I have not EVER shown an inch of stomach at the gym (or anywhere else for that matter), my yoga pants don’t even count as yoga pants because they’re so baggy (covering my little extras) and my sweat surely does not glisten. I am not that cute, attractive girl at the gym who looks like she hopped straight out of a magazine and onto the treadmill for a light jog. I get the dripping-down-your-back, slicking back your hair, and inevitable butt-sweat ring kind of sweat. I huff and I puff, and I feel nauseous and light-headed, none of which look good on me. I have seen those girls at the gym, though. The ones whose yoga pants don’t show off their extra weight and who sport bare arms with no fear. I’m just not one of them… yet.

I see Trainer Tim at Sports and Fitness Lake Norman once a week. Most weeks I leave thinking I may pass out or vomit, and I always have to take time to remember the ‘why’ of this intense physical discomfort. I have flashbacks to watching ‘The Biggest Loser’ on television, where they are constantly throwing up and falling over. Before Trainer Tim, I wondered how they could possibly be so out of shape that they couldn’t manage a ‘little’ workout. After Trainer Tim, I completely understand. You see, Trainer Tim is an MMA fighter, and sometimes I think he forgets that I’m a worn-out chunky girl with a 32% BMI. I will say, however, that Trainer Tim has helped me lose more than three inches from my waist and a full inch on my arms in two months. Therefore, Trainer Tim is also a saint!

I’ll be honest: I have battled the gym my whole adult life. In college, I loved spending all my spare time working out at the rec center, never having to worry about being older, fatter or gigglier than the girls next to me on the treadmill. Now, I would love to pretend that I don’t ever look around and wonder what I’m doing in the gym crowd, and how much I must stick out… but that would be lying. I started my journey by going to classes at the gym. Zumba, spinning, yoga, lifting/resistance training, I’ve tried it all. I enjoy those classes, but never really saw results and felt as though I was spending more hours than I had in the week at the gym. I knew at the beginning of this year that I needed to find a new solution, and decided to try a trainer. I’ll be straight with you -- it’s not cheap, and it’s never easy, but I have seen results! I go to the gym to meet Trainer Tim once a week for half an hour (ye -- ONLY 30 minutes) and he runs me through a circuit workout that burns about 800 calories. Then he writes me independent workouts to do three to four more times per week (a half hour each) on my own. I add 25 minutes of cardio to these workouts at least three times a week, and voila! Results! I’ve never felt better about my tight hamstrings, and have lost more than of inch of that flap-in-the-wind arm fat that keeps me in long sleeves all year.

My other secret weapon is my bridesmaid and friend, Erin, who suffers through these weekly workouts with me. We both see Tim on our own, then meet up to do the independent workouts. When I’m feeling lazy, it pays off to have someone to challenge me. A workout pal is a definite must!

If you’re looking for results and don’t have endless hours to spend at the gym… I’ve found the trainer to be a well-kept secret. Like I said, you will have to pay for the outcomes, but it is worth it! I will also warn you that a good trainer (like Tim) won’t let you complain or play around, so leave the whining at home. Trainer Tim has been known to warn me that I better not break anything when I pass out, and that throwing up is sometimes just part of a good workout. He doesn’t let me quit, and refuses to let me anticipate during the workout. I actually need to congratulate Trainer Tim on his own upcoming nuptials this weekend, and even more so for helping me be the ‘glistening’ girl I want to be for my own.

Wishing you a week where your workouts knock you flat (I know mine will)!

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