trying to rock them ugly jeans.

So... I've been weight lifting. I know I've talked about this in passing before but it was never that big of a deal because I didn't know if I would stick with it. My initial interest in weight lifting was solely for the purpose of toning my arms, which have been sadly neglected since... always.

I'm usually big on dates and significant events, but (as I already admitted) I did not consider this weight lifting thing to be serious so I never made that mental note about my starting day. I have no idea how long it's been, but WOW it's worth the time.

Some things I've learned about weight lifting, from a lady's perspective (HAHAHA I called myself a lady... JOKE):

1. Some men don't even notice a girl's presence in the weights area, but it's been my experience that most of them do. And almost all of them are annoyed with me. I think most guys assume that girls don't know what they're doing, and in the case that we do actually know our way around the sets, we're just a waste of space pumping dinky little five pound weights.

2. It's true, sometimes I use 5's. Mostly 12's and 15's, maybe a set of 8's for shoulder flys (flies? I'm pretty sure it's flys). Yes, guys who work 75 pound dumbbells are much more impressive than me, but this isn't the Olympics so fuck off, mmkay? It would be super cool if I could rip off skull crushers at 75 pounds, but we all have to start somewhere and my base just so happens to be 5 pounds. And that doesn't mean I'm any less deserving of some time in front of the mirror.

OMG yes. I don't care if guys judge me for these, but I WANT.

3. Guys, seriously, WTF. You can't say you spent an hour lifting weights if you spend forty of those minutes staring at yourself in the mirror. Yes, your calves are impressive, but take your one-man Mr Universe competition to your bedroom. If my lifting 5 pound dumbbells is a waste of space, then your flex show is a waste of a gym membership. Maybe I'm just super efficient with how I spend time doing my reps, but it seems to me like most people in the weights area are dawdling. A note to future weight lifters: lift your weights, then GTFO. Do your neighbor a favor and clear the benches ASAP.

4. Lifting weights is hard work. It can be seriously discouraging to be wiped after one set of ten reps at ten pounds per arm. I wish I had some magical thing to say to assure you that it gets better, but that part's up to you. Lifting weights isn't like losing weight; there's no scale to quantify your progress. It's up to you and your memory and your dedication to decipher whether or not you're making progress. For me, I was certain I'd be able to tell I was making progress when I was able to lift more weight, or at least lift the weights more times. But after weeks and weeks of dedication, my dumbbells have stayed the same as have my reps. What has improved, however, is my stability. It's small, almost undetectable if you don't take the time to notice, but it's definitely there: my arms don't shake and wobble like they used to. My boyfriend/trainer tells me that the first step in making progress is to lay down a solid foundation with your stabilizing muscles, whatever that means. I thought biceps are biceps and triceps are triceps, but apparently there are these mystical muscles that support larger areas of the body. It's worth the read.

5. The payoff in weight lifting is immediate and multifaceted. First, there's the thrill of doing something new. Adding something new to the mix helped me break through a very terrible weight loss plateau and ended the monotony of cardio, cardio, cardio. Even weeks into it, I still look forward to my weight lifting days (every other day, in case you're interested) because it's different. There's only one way to run, but thousands of ways to lift weights. The exercise itself is also very thrilling because the burn happens on the spot at such intensities that it's impossible to deny that your body is doing work. Over time, you get to experience the pleasure of realizing that your muscles are firmer (FEEL MY TRICEPS) and you need more weights to challenge your routine. And even better... weight lifting spills over into other exercises and daily life, too. I've become a better runner by lifting weighs (it's true, it's true) and my posture... whoa. As my middle school band teacher would say, "impeccable correct sitting position."

Side notes:
-- Ladies, if you don't like unsweetened chocolate, then that means you don't really like chocolate. You like SUGAR. And that's gross. I'm judging you.
--I don't know what it says about me that I get emails from Victoria's Secret that simply say "Thank you. Thank you. THANK YOU." Umm, does that come with free panties? I'm glad the company is acknowledging the ridiculous amounts of money I've spent there in the last year, but I think it's kind of crass to remind me of that without a compensatory offer. FREE MERCH, PLEASE.

PS - my future mother-in-law called last night to ask what foods she should stock up on to prepare for my arrival later this week. HOW SWEET! She knows I eat differently and asked for a list of items she can pick up from the grocery store so that I can maintain my eating habits while on vacation. I'm the luckiest girl.