After a week of staring at the lighted sign across the parking lot from my favorite coffee spot and perusing the pages of the Biggest Loser Fitness Program, I finally worked up the courage to walk back into the gym. It’s amazing how much progress one loses in fitness after sitting on the couch for 2 months!

My legs and arms are spaghetti. I hurt in places where I never knew muscles exist. I smell like stale sweat. But, as pretentious as it may be, I am still proud of myself.

When I first stepped on a treadmill almost 2 years ago, I walked a 24 minute mile. I couldn’t do a single girlie push-up. I was wearing a size 20 in stretchy jeans.

2 months ago I was jogging a 12 minute mile, doing 3 sets of 10 military style push-ups, and a full size smaller than I am today.

Now I’m able to jog a 13 minute mile. I can do 3 sets of 5 military style push-ups. I am wearing a size 12 in non-stretchy jeans (laying on the bed, wiggling into spandex-stretch jeans, and nearly convulsing as I roll and jump myself into the sausage casing, I can pull a 10!).

So, I’m a little fatter, a little slower, a little weaker, but I’m a heck lot further than where I’ve been and I’m determined to never go back.