I don't remember when going to the gym on a regular basis and enjoying it began. October 2012 was when I made the decision that going to the gym was better than other vices I was trying to kick following a sort of traumatic life event. I was losing weight, stressed, eating crap, smoking (after having quit for over 5 years), and drinking alcohol to escape life. None of that was working to remedy how I felt about life nor was any of it healthy. I knew going to the gym would help me regulate my eating and crave healthy food at proper intervals, eventually would counter the stress if done properly, cardio would hurt like hell - which made me kick the cigars, and I was drinking to fill time and to not feel.

I have turned my life around. I want to feel - even if it is pain - ESPECIALLY if it is the pain of progress. I know what good pain feels like after an awesome workout. It means either that I worked a muscle group very well and results are just around the corner, or that I need to learn a new way of completing a workout because I'm putting too much strain on my joints (like my knees after hiking a mountain - apparently the answer is hiking poles). I have seen positive change - somewhat in weight loss - mostly in sculpting muscle. I've noticed that I don't need alcohol, I can go to the gym and feel better about life rather than sit in a pub and get numb and fat.

When I started going to the gym in October, I was doing too much cardio which often made me feel worse. I researched this phenomenon. Though no one comes right out and says it, this does happen. The reason is that cortisol is released when the body is too stressed - including workout stress. I found articles that said that 30 minutes is sufficient and 60 is probably a maximum for cardio on a regular basis if doing other workouts. It also suggested to try to keep the whole workout under 90 minutes. That advice really worked for me. I do my 30 minutes of cardio to get the blood pumping through my veins and body, then focus the rest of the time on a particular muscle group. That's the right formula for me. Occasionally, I'll do longer hikes and bike rides or whatever, but only after rest days, and with good planning for breaks.

My body craves the right food now. When I stray, my body lets me know. I like that. The body is intuitive and its first instinct is to heal itself which is why paying attention to that in terms of nutrition is very important. I have researched and experimented with the best types of foods before and after workouts and such. It's great that my body gives feedback to let me know. I crave better foods - less processed crap, I am fully aware of what goes into my body and view it as fuel to keep it working optimally rather than eating anything so that my tummy stops growling.

This is my body. I've got one body and I have control over it. I decide how I'd like to sculpt it to look by doing different workouts. I decide to see what it is capable of, to find new limits and exceed them, to push myself to be my personal best. I choose to treat it well by eating well and also feeding its desire to go to the gym and explore new ways of using my new, fit body in outdoor pursuits. I plan to continue trying different fitness options and eventually get into boxing and possibly other competitive sport as well as hopefully some modeling.

My main goal now is to get my CanFitPro certification in October 2013 (hopefully, or possibly December 2013, depending on finances). Then I hope to find a part-time job as a personal trainer so I can generate income to get myself a coach and so I can motivate other people to reach their fitness goals.