I decided enough was enough and I joined the gym. My back was aching, I was feeling completely rundown, and I was depressed at the vaguely blob-like shape I was taking on. I'm a woman not an amoeba, thanks.
Oh and the "you having baby?" question I got while in Mexico last week really lit a fire under my rotund tuckus.
I went yesterday and checked out the women only Lifetime in Rosedale, expecting the price to be somewhere near atrocious but in fact found that it is only around $50 a month. Considering cholesterol and blood pressure meds would cost me a lot more than that in the future I decided it was a good investment. Plus I just really like working out, despite what my weight is trying to tell you.
I also love Lifetime Fitness, I blogged about my love of their cleanliness but I just cannot explain how much better it is for my psyche to workout with them. I've gone to Bally's, I've gone to 24hr Fitness, and I've checked out Gold's gym, but the energy, lighting, and disgusting locker-rooms always chased me away. But Lifetime, oh Lifetime, not only do they supply you with towels (which all the other places do not and please I don't want to schlep my towel around with me) but their locker-rooms are huge, cozy, and stocked with little things like lotion, soap (sage rosemary thankyouverymuch), and hairspray. The showers are such a luxury that I remember going to workout at the Lifetime before just because their showers were so much nicer than my one at home. I'm not even kidding.
And before I get too loquacious on their ammenities (awesome machines people) the best part of it was how many MUSLIMAHS I saw there. I mean, sure its a matter of logic- this is probably the only women only gym here in the TC not counting Curves- but I was SO excited to see them. When I went in the afternoon to check it out I counted a least four muslimahs working out. These chicks were hardcore working out in a woman's gym IN HIJAB (wha?) which I deem unnecessary, but hey, to each her own. And then when I went back in the evening I saw five MORE. These girls did like me and removed the headgear in the locker room, but I was so excited. I chatted a bit with a Palestinian girl who came in about the same time as me while we were working out. She had a bit of a chuckle while I had a heart attack on the elipses machine (why is that thing so thorough?) and it felt so good to have the camraderie. When I went before I was on my own, did my thing, and went home without talking to anyone. And yeah, I don't really plan on having any heart to hearts while walking the treadmill (besides the fact that I have a hard time talking between huffs and puffs) but its nice to smile at someone and have them smile back.
It was awesome. Alhumdulillah.
And sure, I feel like a walking muscle cramp today, but I feel SO GOOD. I'm so happy to be excersizing again.
Oh, and girls. I'm not tracking my weightloss in actual pounds. Before I went last night I had my mom measure my "womanly curves" and I will go by inches lost. Because really I don't care if I'm 250 lbs if I can fit into a size 6. Know what I mean?
I'm looking forward to feeling healthy again, inshAllah.
Now I'm off to the co-op. Healthy eating here I come.
Oh! They gave me an AWESOME Lifetime fitness water bottle too, for free. Its way cool. What, me? A sucker for free stuff? Nawww...
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18 comments:
Did you check to see if it was a true women's only gym, ie there aren't the occasional random guy who wanders through to fix something? That may be why the sisters kept their hijab on.
$50 eh? I may be able to swing that one by the husband, esp. if I get a discount with insurance.
Rahma, they asked me if I wanted to sign two friends up for a free two day pass and I thought of you. But I didn't have your info at that moment. I can still sign you up.
And I asked about that and they said they do occasionally have maitenance guys, but they always post a lot of signs up letting the women know before the guys come in.
I think they kept them on because the front doors are glass that you can see through, but with the way the machines are set up, I will just never use the ones closest to the door, they have more in the corner where no one can see you. You should check it out to see what I mean.
Oh and right now they are doing a no enrollment fee discount! usually the enrollment fee is absurd, like $175. All I had to pay is the monthly price and one time admin fee of like $45. All told it came to like $93.
Let me know if you want me to sign you up. :)
Oo, oo, let me talk to the husband and inshaAllah I will get back to you.
Did you want to go to jummah again sometime, or get together this weekend?
Salaams sister,
I am Sooo with you on that one, I am tracking my losses by measurements too. Lifetime sounds so nice!! Insha'Allah I might find one around here, all we have is Curves, and as nice as it is, it gets boring after awhile and I find myself migrating back to the Gym at work although that one is co-ed(male and female).
Yea, I'm going to Kuwait for 4 months with my job. check out my blog, Insha'Allah soon I will be able to post more details about it soon.
That's wonderful! I also go to a women's only gym and I've seen lots of Muslim women there too. Are you pumping iron along with your cardio? Have fun! :D :D !
Amira- MashAllah I hope you have a good trip!!!!
G- I always pump iron before doing my cardio, I just enjoy it more and then after I'd been working out for a long time I heard that they found people who lift weights before cardio burn more fat.
Go me. :D
aww you didn't tell me about those meanies asking you that when you went to Mexico. i got ask that once a few years ago, it was annoying. :/
Now I'm just wishing someone would ask me hehe :P
I went to a womens gym here in Tempe once.. I should have stuck with it.
I'm glad you found some place you are comfortable in :)
re:your mom measuring you
I once embarked on creating a shirt in my home economics class in junior high school. Before I could protest, my teacher whipped out a measuring tape and preceded to measure my womanly curves RIGHT THERE in front of class. AND it was a MIXED class! She did it so fast there was no time to utter a word! Very embarassing.
P.S. the women wearing hijab in the gym -- a good clue that men do pop in for whatever reason (and perhaps the club does not do their due dilligience regarding signage). I joined a ladies only club and men are in looking for their girlfriend/wifes, men are doing maintenance, men are teaching women classes, etc.
Salaam Alaikum,
What is it with people asking if your are pregnant? It's so, so rude. I had it happen to me the other week at a wedding. Not impressed.
I'm also on a exercise thing at the moment.
P.S
Thanks for your comment. I've written a looong reply.
P.P.S Are you moving to Egypt? masha Allah. :D
Rahma- sorry mised that part of your comment, we should totally hang out this weekend inshAllah. I'd love to go to An-nur again, but its kind of far, omg! wait guess what! I'm going to be working downtown proper starting next week, I think I won't be far from where you work! We'll compare statistics in an email.
Janene- I think it had more to do with the glass doors because I saw more muslimahs removing it to work out than ones keeping it on. I'll personally remove it and if they don't let us know when maintenance guys are coming in I will have some serious words with them. I just won't work out with my hijab on, its too much.
Safs- InshAllah this summer I'm planning on moving to Egypt for awhile.
And yeah, its rude, and akward. When you say no there is always that brief moment of omgwhatdidIsay? and a loo of horror on their face.
Although one chick who asked me the same thing when I replied "no" she said "well you look like it."
Unfortunately I was at work, otherwise I would have probably subjected her to some senseless violence.
Wow girl - that sounds awesome. Yeah, I just started a rigorous workout regime myself. It's great to be curvy, but yesh, I've got waaaay too many curves. InshaAllah I wanna join a gym when I get a better paying job (also inshaAllah), but for now it's going to be running 'round the track for me. Unfortunately, I tripped on the stairs and sprained my ankle (wee!) so I'll be out of commission for a few days. But yay! I'm so happy for you and glad to know I'm not alone. : *
Salaams Hermanita:
Tu hablas Yiddish tambien, lol?
Otra idioma para la lista :)
Amie- YOU HAVE A BLOG!!!!! woot. I hope your ankle gets better inshAllah. That sucks.
Safiyyah- jaaaaaaaaa pq dije schlep? jajajajajaja y muchas veces digo oy vey y otras cosas q aprendi en las pelis de Mel Brooks.
:D
That's hot cuando dices Oy Vey
XD
Woot woot! Lol...that gym sounds awesome. Wallah when I move to Oregon I'm getting my butt back in the gym! Yasir and I were just talking about this today...we were just standing in the bathroom and we both looked in the mirror and said, "jeez we need to workout" LOL. I think it's a good idea to track by inches lost rather than pounds, ESPECIALLY since when you workout you pack muscle which weighs more than fat.
hey molly, when does the free enrollment offer end? I'm leaving next friday to go to algeria and I'm ont sure if I can make it there before then.
Okay so I know I'm totally flakey and stuff. Sue me...I'm tired :)
But anyway, don't put yourself out but if you can make it to dar al farooq tonight inshaAllah I will be there. There is a sister I need to see before I go on my little vacay because I might not see her again.
salaam
Manda- Yeah thats exactly why. Plus I think weight scales are evil. I just don't need to feel that bad about myself.
UmmAbdurRahman- InshAllah I will definitely stop by tonight, I was hoping when I emailed you last night that I'd be able to see you because I don't know when you will be coming back from Algeria and I will inshAllah be leaving for Egypt in June. So I wanted to catch you before you left, especially since now that I know exactly who you are, you were one of the sisters I was always looking forward to seeing but never saw. So I'm super excited to see you tonight inshAllah.
You and margaret and rebecca are the ones I miss and never see.
*sad face*
Carrie- yeah well coming back from mexico and being like "omg yea someone totally asked if I was pregnant!!!" was not really something I wanted to share. lol.
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