The Best Kind of Buddy

I feel so totally and completely motivated today! I mean, I feel invincible, and it’s completely fantastic. I’ve been eating completely on plan, drinking lots of water, and got back to the gym today. Part of it is that everyone else is in a healthy mode, but the main thing is that I have a new buddy.

B aka Tinkerbell is a kindred spirit that I met at the hair salon that I go to. She’s the manicurist, and I have to say, I am so glad I indulged in that mani over the summer, because I knew she and I would become fast friends. She’s also enrolled in the Kaiser WLS program, waiting to get VSG, and has 20ish more pounds to go to meet the surgeon’s goal. She actually has the same surgeon I do. Besides the fact that she’s fabulous and fun and we have a ton in common. It all just feels like kismet.

Tink reached out to me on Sunday, checking in after the holidaze, and as were chatting and comparing notes, I suggested that we workout together, and we set up a session for this afternoon.

I can tell you that after two busy days at school beginning the new semester and preparing to be gone for 5 days as I work from home, the last place I would have found myself is at the gym. Especially since I stopped home first to change into gym clothes, grab water, and eat a quick pre-gym snack. The pull of the couch might’ve overtaken me, had it not been for the fact that we had our workout date, and I knew Tinkerbell was waiting for me.

She doesn’t belong to 24 Hour (although I wish she did), but she got a pass, so we were able to try a few things out together. I started off on the treadmill, just to see how my foot/heel did, and I lasted about 10 minutes at 2.5 mph. I think working up to walking faster and longer is going to help in my recovery. Afterward, we hit the recumbent bike. All told, we worked out for a bit more than 30 minutes and I burned 418 calories. I left the gym feeling tired, but amazing.

We made plans to try to workout together at least once a week. Tink lives in my neighborhood (I didn’t realize this until today, since I usually see her at the salon), and has a bike, so we’re going to ride bikes as often as the weather permits. We’re also going to go to the WLS support groups together. I haven’t been attending because the one that I went to was “meh,” but Tink says that she likes the meeting at another location, so I’m willing to try it out. I’m open to all the support I can get.

I’m so excited that Tinkerbell and I are really getting to know each other and becoming great friends. We have SO much in common, and I love that she’s another strong woman. I know that we’re going to cheer each other through these 20 pounds, and I have a feeling we’re going to get to our surgeries very close to each other. How cool would it be if we were in the hospital at the same time? In any case, we’re going to be “sleeve sisters,” and I couldn’t be happier to have someone so close whom I can share this experience with.

Side note: the buddy workout was so fun that Ani and I are going to go to Zumba together this Saturday.

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