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I never, ever thought someone like me could find, or
even, need a place like VF! Exercise was never
really a big thing in my family. I always had severe
allergies and asthma, the former of which made my
mother indulgently over-protective when I didn't feel
like going outside (and therefore getting some
exercise) and the latter of which made running-type
sports difficult. I also have very sensitive skin and
even swimming didn't work out. I do not come from an
athletic family at all. My mother has always been
overweight, and made me neurotic about food because
she wanted to "save" me from being like her. I had
very low self-esteem through my teens, and when I
didn't get something right away I felt frustrated.
I
hated gym class. One year I had a teacher tell me that
while it is true that I don't have natural athletic
talent, my attitude was the bigger problem. I figured
she just didn't like me and didn't take her comments
seriously. While I was never obese, I always carried
an extra ten pounds or so around, and really believed
that I was doomed to gain a pound or two a year until
it was "too late." I think I hit a low point in my
second year of university. My stepfather became ill
with heart problems, and overnight became a health
freak who lectured me on my poor habits whenever I
spoke to him. My marks in school, which had not really
gone down in first year, suddenly took the fabled
university nosedive. I was in a bad housing situation
with an evil housemate who teased me among other
things for how I looked. And I ate a lot of junk! By
third year, I had gained 15 pounds or so.
Midway through my second semester in third year, I was
wandering the newly rearranged bookstore downtown and
en route to elsewhere passed through the fitness
section where a book by Joyce Vedral was prominently
displayed. It promised a total-body workout with only
one set of weights, little space required, suitable
for the beginner and requiring only 12 minutes a day.
Best of all, Joyce promised that if I had any
difficulties, she was just an email away. That was
what sold me, I guess: that she was sure enough of her
product that she was willing to stand behind it. A
little voice in my head pointed out that nothing had
ever worked for me before so why should this one? But
much to my surprise, there was suddenly a new little
voice that said "True. But if this one doesn't work,
you're only out $15 and 12 minutes a day. And it can't
HURT..."
I would like to say that after that I did the workout
every day, but I did not. I did it twice the first
week, and it wasn't so bad. Then I got busy and let it
slide. Then I did it again, and consistently, for a
week. Suddenly I felt muscle in my arms! I emailed
Joyce and said I wanted more, and she referred me to
her other books and videos.
Since, I have picked up several of Joyce's programs,
both in book and video form. I use them faithfully. I
also found a stair-climber for $5 at a buy and sell
shop. I have a video for it that simulates a hike in
the Grand Canyon, and I get my little escapist break
for the day with that. I also rotate in Tae-Bo and
Karate tapes, yoga tapes, pilates-style mat work, abs
tapes and others. I have about 20 videos, and trade
regularly on the exchange.
Best of all, my attitude towards many seemingly
un-related things has changed. I had a moment at work
one day when I had to use a calculator to make change
for a customer and my boss caught me. It was so
embarrassing! I decided then and there to learn to add
numbers in my head. Math was always "beyond me" and
"they" had always told me I was not good at it. But
"they" had said that about exercise too. And while I
admit that I am far from graceful, especially with
choreographed cardio tapes which take me a long time
to learn, I am competent enough. So...I bought a
self-teaching math book, and while I am not Einstein I
can at least add numbers in my head now.
I also find that I have more fun with my friends. I am
not always whining anymore about how ugly I am or am
not, and whether if I eat dessert at the restaurant I
will be ruined, so when we go out I am more relaxed.
One friend even started borrowing my videos and now is
hooked! I also recently went rock-climbing with her. It
was a LOT of fun, and thanks to my workouts, I wasn't
even sore after. And I finally found a sport that
short people are better at: my 5"8 friend was sure she
would be better than me untill the instructor pointed
out that shorter people have a more stable centre of
gravity. The trip was really an indication of how far
I had come attitude-wise as well. When I told my
mother I went climbing, her response was an
incredulous "why?" She just couldn't see why someone
like me would do that. I guess a lot has changed for
me!"
Another friend
was watching an Ashley Judd video with me one day, and
she had a great kick-boxing scene. As he turned up the
volume on the tv, he caught sight of my Tae-Bo tape
and asked me if that was what she was doing in the
movie. I said yes, and he asks me if I can do that. I
gave a half-hearted kick, and he looks at her, then
looks at me and says "Not bad!"
I have lost 20 pounds in all, and if I had been a bit
more careful with my eating habits I might have lost
more. But I am happy with how I look. I feel strong
and have so much energy! I seldom spend more than half
an hour a day on exercising, but I find that does the
trick for me. I really feel slow and sluggish when I
miss a workout!
I never, ever thought I could get in shape, but it was
not as hard as I thought. But more important then how
I look is how I feel: I never thought I could do it,
but I could. So what else can I do?
Joanna C
[email protected]
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