Dropping Pounds in the Weight Room

It was the most beautiful, warm spring day.
The kind of weather  you can only hope happens to occur during the weekend when you have time to enjoy it. But instead of heading to the pool on this Saturday morning, I’m in the weight room under bad fluorescent lighting.
With about six other people.
And one of them is losing weight so fast you have to stop and ask her how’s she doing it.
In eight weeks, she’s dropped 24 pounds.
Yes, she has youth in her favor. But this 20-something also needs to lose roughly 75 more pounds.
It’s the kind of weight-loss goal that takes courage, willpower and major lifestyle changes.
She stands next to me, with a wrinkled workout plan in her hand, waiting for me to finish my last set of reps on the leg press. Her hair is sweaty from running on the treadmill an hour before. Her black eye make up is smeared. She’s not wearing fancy gym clothes that cost more than a cart of groceries. The bad overhead lighting isn’t helping either.
And she doesn’t care.
That’s because she’s in the zone. She’s figured out what not to eat, which nutritious foods she should eat and how much exercise and time she has to put in at the gym.
She’s shedding all the pounds that have been weighing her down.
She may have several more to lose but I have no doubt she can do it.
Why?
Because she’s hanging out in the weight room – on the most beautiful, warm spring day.

Alice Warchol is freelance health blog writer and fitness instructor.

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