April 27: My New Elliptical

I have struggled with weight issues my entire life. I was the biggest baby ever born at the hospital at the time of my birth, and I was at the top of all weight charts as a child.  In high school, I lost some weight, but in college my weight was like a roller coaster (birth control made me gain weight, weight watchers helped me lose some). After I broke up with my ex in 2010, I went to the gym every day and I was at my lowest weight since like 2nd grade, but then I gained it all back after a summer of eating and drinking in Chicago. Every time I start to gain weight again, I join a gym to try to lose what I gained. A few years ago, I started the keto diet, and it has served me well until recently. My sedentary pandemic life (and obesity genes) has caught up with me, and even while on keto, I started gaining weight again. I considered joining the brand new YMCA in Gloucester, but I really, really did not want to wear a mask while running. My favorite piece of equipment to use at the gym has always been the elliptical, so I did some research on home elliptical machines. I settled on the Sole E25, especially after trying it out at Dick's Sporting Goods, and I picked it up last Sunday. I spent all day Monday assembling it, which was incredibly frustrating (especially after I dropped a screw and a washer inside the machine and had to use a magnet on a stick to get it out.) But by the end, I was delighted in the results (though too exhausted to actually use it) so I took my inaugural run on Tuesday. And it was amazing. It was delightful to run in the privacy of own home, I could wear what I want, do what I want, play music without headphones, not have to wait for a machine to be available or worry about it being gross or broken (or nowadays, worrying about COVID and wearing a mask). I didn't have to pack up my stuff and get in the car and drive to gym, find parking, lock my valuables in a locker, deal with other people, and drive back home. The gym is now in the comfort of my house. Yes it was expensive, but it really amounts to little over a year of a gym membership, and I feel like I'll get so much more out of this machine than I would at the gym. I am much more likely to actually run for 30 minutes every day (which is my current goal) at home than at the gym (because 30 minutes of running at the gym turns into over an hour of a time commitment considering packing, driving, parking, etc etc). I hadn't run in several years, and the feeling afterwards was amazing, full of euphoria and energy and endorphins, such a great natural high. Of course, being a nerd, I designed a spreadsheet to record my results and it lives on a clipboard near the elliptical. It is a delightful machine, and I hope it will have delightful results. 

With delight,

♥Jamie