My Reformer

50th Birthday Present

Five years ago, I bought myself a birthday present:  a Pilates reformer.  I was introduced to Pilates in 2007 when I won a local contest: Weigh In to Win, sponsored by the YMCA, Mercy Weight Management, and WTOL.  There was also a grocery store involved but I can't remember it's name and it has since closed. I won a personal trainer whom I call Sgt. Becky who was a certified Pilates trainer.  I did pilates two or three times a week during the contest for nearly a year.  It changed my body.  I lost nearly 90 pounds and went from a size 2X to an 8.

When the contest was over, I couldn't afford to do it as often, but did it as much as I could.  After buying my own reformer, I used it once or twice a week at first and then it became my Sunday morning ritual for the next couple of years.  I grew to a size 12.  Then I used it less, and less --- weekly turned into monthly which turned into semi monthly and in the past year - semi annually.  My body was changing back into what it was in 2006.  I'm currently outgrowing size 14.

Although I haven't gained all the weight back that I lost nearly ten years ago, I've gained 40 pounds.  That weight is compromising my recovery from the foot surgery I had in March.  It may take my newly repaired posterior tibial tendon 12 months to be as good as new.  The posterior tibial tendon is one of the most important tendons of the leg, attaching the calf muscle to the bones on the inside of my foot.  It holds up my arch and supports my foot when walking.

Learning to walk again has been hard.  I improve every day and currently can walk two miles in less than 40 minutes.  So today, I decided to take up Pilates again.  I will start out small, once a week on Sundays.  If I do more than that, that's great, but the goal is once on Sunday.  I've also decided to increase the veggies I eat to at least five servings per day.  That's all I will change for now.  Start out small and soon I'll end up smaller!