motd Monday Oct 10, 2011 - Muscles

[Guest guest]

I'VE GOT MUSCLES!

Monday, 10 October 2011

As a kid, I didn't even know what muscles

were. (Except for the kind in some seafood dishes!

LOL.) But honestly, I had no idea that I actually

had muscles beneath all

of the fat on my body. Who knew?!

Well, as you all know, I spent many years trying to

lose weight. I did finally get down to a very low

weight, by starving myself and, as a result, I ended

up getting very sick, too. Thank goodness, I'm much

wiser about how to eat and I now make exercise a

part of my life...everyday!

I would see people lifting weights and it

looked like they were actually in excruciating pain.

In my early days of working out, I loved doing

cardio exercise. All of that dancing was right up

my alley. But I have to tell you, I really didn't

care to do any workouts

that involved weight-lifting. I would see people

lifting weights and it looked like they were

actually in excruciating pain. I saw what looked

like torment on their

faces as they made these primitive grunting sounds

with each lift. Oh!

The whole weight-lifting thing just didn't look very

attractive to me at all.

But after losing all of the weight I needed, I

decided it was time to bite the bullet and begin a

regular toning routine. Well, I couldn't lift heavy

weights like those big body builders so I began with

five-pound weights. Three days-a-week, I'd lift

weights to tone my back, chest, shoulders and arms.

After a coupla months of using the five-pound

weights, they began to feel a little light to me.

So I went from using five-pound weights to lifting

with eight-pounders.

Three months later, I'd graduated to using 15-pound

weights and...I

began noticing something when I looked in the

mirror. I mean, was that really my body I was

looking at? I actually had biceps andtriceps. My shoulders

had more definition and my chest was beginning to

firm up. I could even see muscles in my back. Oh,

I just jumped for joy! I'd had so much sagging skin

after losing weight but now I had less of it, thanks

to my new toning routine

", if you want to keep your

muscles looking good and your body in shape,

you've got to pick up those free weights."

I'll be honest with you, there are some days where I

don't feel like working out and try to talk myself

out of toning. But you know what I do? I walk

right up to my mirror, take off my shirt and say to

myself, ",

if you want to keep your muscles looking good and

your body in shape, you've got to pick up those

free weights." And...I

do! Three days-a-week now, I do my workouts

using 20-25 pound weights. I can't believe it

myself!

Sometimes, I'll pick up a set of the five-pound

weights I started out with and just smile! They

feel so light to me now. I look into the mirror and

say to myself: ,

you've come a long way, baby!

Even if you're at your ideal weight, you

still need to tone your body.

Whether you have to lose weight or even if

you're at your ideal weight, you still need to tone

your body. Because remember, when your muscles are

strong, they function better and, on top of that,

you'll live longer, too!

Hmmm, maybe I'll drive down to Muscle Beach here in

Los Angeles today, pull off my shirt and...show

off my muscles! (Okay,

just kidding.)

Love,