As of this morning, I have lost 16 pounds. I had another successful week and even tried a new class at the gym by accident. Don't worry, I will fully explain...

It was this past Thursday which is usually one of my spin nights. It is a 45 minute class and a good way to gear up towards Friday. I had a very long busy day at work and didn't even have time to eat my pre-gym snack or drink my eight glasses of water. I told myself it is only 45 minutes and I can get in a few glasses of water during spin class. I changed and showed up to class with some friends from work. The gym manager was in the studio and upon arrival tells us that our instructor is stuck in traffic and that they are having a bootcamp class instead.

I have seen this bootcamp class at the gym while on the elliptical and it is the scariest thing I've seen in a gym. One of the trainers who is a Marine teaches it. He wears a whistle and blows it every 45 seconds. There is a circle of equipment with labels next to each station. Things I would never think of doing on my own because they would induce way too much pain and suffering.

Anyway, once it was announced that bootcamp would be replacing spin I looked at one of my girl friends and started to walk out of the studio to go do the elliptical. The instructor with the whistle told us to try it. I thought to myself great-I had no snack and not enough water today. How the hell am I going to do exercises as if I'm training to be in the army. Then I said to myself each station is only 45 seconds and I can do anything for only 45 seconds. That phrase no pain no gain also circulated through my brain. So I stayed and convinced a third friend to stay as well. Was I crazy?

The instructor turned the music way up. Some of my favorite songs to workout to by Katy Perry and Rihanna pumped through the speakers. I got excited and felt good. For the next fifteen minutes I did push-ups, squats, lunges and cardio all with weights and got through the first round. My heart was pumping at well above the normal 150 I usually maintain during spin, I could feel it. I was sweating like an eskimo in a sauna. I slirped some water down and we started round two and I somehow made it through that as well but I was deteriorating fast. I had some more water and really wanted to walk out but of course I didn't. I pushed through the pain and exhaustion and completed the third round.

The instructor complimented my efforts and told me I should try his Navy Seals class the following week. I replied that maybe I would. How much harder can Navy Seals be? Ha Ha, I'm sure a lot harder but maybe that saying no pain no gain is really true. I was very sore the next day but for each time I moved and felt one of my sore muscles I was that much prouder of myself. The human body is a miraculous thing and if we push ourselves we really are much more capable then we think. I learned that this week.