The post about a summer vacation, gym stuff and the "new sexy"

Summer fun:-)

• This past week I was off on holiday from work. The beginning of the week had just the three of us doing stuff together. Then I went to get my dad on Friday and we had fun with him over the weekend. We got a bunch of fun stuff in. Playdium/Wacky Wings, Canada's Wonderland, St. Jacobs, Niagara-on-the-Lake, and of course wine time for me. But I'm back to work today so it's back to the old grind. Wine time will take place mostly on weekends only again. At least for the next couple of weeks. Don't judge me. Wine is the only vice I have left and a glass of red a day has proven health benefits. 
• I have been going to the gym for a couple weeks now. I'm 6 sessions in. Four with a trainer, 2 solo. I have 3 trainer sessions left. I will say this about the gym. I am becoming more confident. What scared the hell out of me 2 weeks ago is becoming more and more comfortable for me. So I think I can totally do this! 
• I can already feel a difference in my body since going to the gym. The first session had me sore for days. My recovery is much quicker now. Although my muscles ache when my workout is done, I feel fine by the next morning. And where I was becoming soft (abdomen) , I am becoming more toned again. I am running 5 days a week and doing gym stuff 3x per week. I am also doing floor exercises at home when I'm not actually going to the gym. Stuff like push-ups, planks, crunches, clam shells. It has become my new routine and I'm grateful. I was really lost for a few months and I finally feel like I am back on track with my fitness.
• Although I was slacking with my running and activity, my eating always remained the same. This just proved to me though how very important the fitness part of my life is for me. I can eat on point but without exercise, I lose my fitness level very quickly. And even though all my clothes still fit and my weight didn't change, I felt my body get softer. Muscle loss can happen quickly. It was a valuable lesson for me for sure and one I'm grateful to have learned.
• I have been appreciating my body more and more. Even though there are still areas I want to work on, I am thankful to be able to do what I can do right now. I ran 12K on Sunday. That was my longest run since I ran The Bay at the end of March. And even though that doesn't seem like a long run considering what I've run in the past, it was a confidence booster for me because I was supposed to run 12K two weekends ago but had to stop at 10K due to a muscle spasm in my right quad. I'll add 2K per Sunday until I reach 20K. That will have me ready for the Stockholm Halv which happens on September 13th.
• Yesterday while I was using the elliptical at the gym, I was chatting to a woman next to me who asked me how long I'd been coming to the gym. I told her only two weeks. She was shocked and said that by the looks of me she would have guessed I had been coming for a long time. I smiled and thanked her for such a lovely comment. And it made me realize that I do need to be truly happy with my body right now. We always strive for something better, but even if my body were to stay exactly as it is, I have so much to be grateful for. I'm not looking to get a perfect body. That will never happen without surgery because that's the only thing that will correct my sagging boobs and bat wings. I am looking to get stronger so that I can become a better runner. The longer I can keep up a strong running form, the longer it will take me to tire and the further I can run before my toes start to cramp. And perfection is overrated anyway. Healthy is the new sexy:-)