Kninja Knitter

While I’m still developing my plans for 2022 goals and milestones, I am taking a moment to celebrate a key achievement in 2021. While I wasn’t considering my physical health as a priority at the beginning of the year — COVID notwithstanding, as my birthday approached in April, it began to loom.

When my mother was the age I am now, she was diagnosed with Type II diabetes. Sadly, she misunderstood the disease, considering it to be inevitable. I’m sure she read a great deal about it and its treatment, but Mom tended to disregard any truth that didn’t agree with her line of thinking.

A few years ago, I met the criteria for prediabetes based on some blood test results. Realizing this threat could increase over time, I began to read. My son wrote an in-depth paper in grad school about the effects of exercise in managing diabetes: “Resistance training as an effective treatment method for insulin resistance in patients with diabetes mellitus.”

Exercise beyond “just” walking has never been a part of my routine. I recognize that this isn’t something to be proud of. And yet, it was the environment I grew up in.

A few days before my birthday, I decided to try a class at Orange Theory. My son worked as a coach at a studio across town, and a friend had shared on social media about her experiences at her neighborhood studio. I learned a bit about their structure, and they offered a free trial class.

I got a lot out of that first visit, but I was still figuring out how to fit the classes into my schedule. Plus, I recognized that I wasn’t ready for a full 60 minutes of activity. I did some more research and later returned for another trial class, after which I signed up. It helped that my local studio offers 45-minute classes at lunchtime during the week.

Over time, my fitness improved. I raised my membership from four classes per month to eight, adding 60-minute classes to my evening schedule. In August, the studio offered a short-term discount to bump up to the unlimited membership, and by then, I was ready for the challenge.

I somehow managed to earn swag during Hell Week (October) and the Twelve Days of Fitness (December). I’ve found preferences among the coaches, and I continue to challenge myself.

But back to my win/loss… After sharing with my son my plans to dive into the fitness world, he offered me the opportunity to get a scan (DEXA scan) to assess my physical status. This scan uses x-rays to analyze the body’s composition (fat mass, lean mass, and bone). While that data is not exactly exciting, it’s helpful to know where I’m starting.

It took a little time to get an appointment scheduled, so my baseline scan came after I began this journey. But it did precede my change in diet, as my son also helped me understand macros and how to optimize my diet.

Anyway, here we are, six months after that first scan. I had another scan completed last week. At this point, I have managed to lose fifteen pounds of fat. Unfortunately, I also lost about three pounds of lean mass (muscle, et al). But that’s a smaller percentage, and I can counter that going forward.

While I continue to enjoy the interval workouts on the treadmill and rower in my OTF workouts, I’m excited at the prospect of attending Lift 45 classes starting this month. Improving my form on the weight floor and increasing the amount of weight I’m lifting will help as I continue with my quest to lose weight and improve my fitness level.

I’d like to lose another fifteen pounds, while also gaining muscle. I’m evaluating some of the clothes in my wardrobe to identify a goal dress or outfit to work towards. Stay tuned for updates!

Knit on.