"If you always do
what you've always done.
Then you'll always get
what you've always got."
unknown
Words to live by.
This has been attributed to many but I always remember it because a former boss used it constantly.
Along with "Do you know where you find a one-legged dog? Right where you left it."
Back in October, I joined a gym. It seems that eight years of owning a bakery have taken a toll on me and my body. To the tune of ten pounds a year. I tried eating less and it worked for a while, but when your life and passion revolve around cake and pastries, you can only do that for so long. I realized that I could not do this on my own and needed help.
Every day I pass what used to be Party Makers -- that pink building at the corner of Lurleen Wallace and 7th Street -- on my way to work. And I watched the transformation from a pink party store into a dark gray and orange gym.
At first, I didn't know what it was. Then the sign went up. Iron Tribe sounded pretty ominous. Occasionally I'd see people running out of the building and around the block. This is not for me I thought. I don't run. And with Iron in the name, I figured there was probably more to this gym than running. Plus, except for a short stint while living in New York, the last time I did any regular exercise was in high school, and that was in the 1970s.
Eventually, my curiosity got the better of me and I went in. Clint kindly asked how he could help. I figured he could probably tell by looking at me, but I just blurted it out. "I own a bakery. I need to lose 30 or 40 pounds, and I can't run around the block or do a sit up." He just smiled.
Iron Tribe is about team workouts, so all you really have to do is show up. Every new member starts out in a class called 101 for four weeks. The first day we did a baseline workout. There is a big clock on the wall and the workouts are timed. It was pretty pathetic, but I wasn't last! That photo above is me posing with my certificate of completion. The reason for the big smile? After repeating the baseline workout on the last day, I cut almost three minutes off my time.
Three months later I'm headed into 2015 with a plan to improve my fitness. It's called leaning out and it involves getting up at 4:30 most mornings, sweating a lot, being sore most days, and experimenting with recipes so I can continue to indulge my passion for baking in a more healthy way. I'm LOVING it!
So join me on my fitness journey and look for more healthy lunches and treats at the bakery. No worries, we'll still have all our regular cookies and sweets and savories, but you will also find a selection of paleo (no grains or dairy, and no refined sugar), gluten free, and naturally sweetened treats and lunches at the bakery. You are gonna love it too!
