It's easy for people to see my life as simply a non-stop party. But I'm a career woman, too, with a list of professional goals—I'm currently working on a series of comedic dating books—that's ambitious, to say the least. I frequently skip out on things that I know I should do for myself like working out or getting enough sleep. And as expected, it's beginning to take its toll on me—especially physically. I feel like crap, I am out of shape, and no matter how many fabulous parties I attend or great opportunities come my way, something is still missing. It's time to admit it. . . . I need a man in my life.
Hold up, hold up! It's not what you think! The Baltimore Bachelorette hasn't been converted to the "one is the loneliest number" way of thinking. I am still very much a believer that you can be happy even when you are riding solo. In this case, I am referring to one very specific man—my new personal trainer, Ben.
I found Ben recently via Twitter in the midst of one of my low points of body image. I tweeted about a new diet I had heard about and his tweet back really grabbed me. He said, "There are no wrong foods, just wrong times to eat them." I liked the sound of that so I set up a time to meet him. Ben's philosophy and approach to weight loss were just what I was looking for: Something customized and realistic for my schedule and a plan I could make a permanent way of life.
Much like any relationship, achieving harmony with a personal trainer takes some compromise. And for this party girl, number one on that list is putting a cap on how much drinking I do. (You'd be amazed how many calories a cocktail can be.) So I have to keep myself to a certain number of drinks per week. (If you read my very first column last December you would know this could be the hardest part for me.) The drink cap is, of course, accompanied by eating adjustments (no carbs or cheese six days of the week for the first month—how will I survive?!)—and an exercise plan custom-made for me. I have three in-studio workouts a week, and three at home, plus a series of seven exercises to do every morning when I wake up. It's definitely a feasible plan. But most important is the encouragement and support Ben provides. Hey, if I'm gonna climb a mountain I want to know there is someone holding my rope in case I slip.
So no more complaining about my shape or feeling sorry for myself when I go out and am surrounded by size-2 girls. I will never be a size 2, but I can be the best-shaped me! We all know losing weight is never easy, and it's not something we should do for anyone but ourselves. That being said, I could use your support. Follow my progress on my blog (baltimorebachelorette.blogspot.com) and help cheer me on! Or even better, join the challenge with me. It's time to take control!
But don't worry Baltimore. This focus on fitness doesn't mean the party is over or that you'll be seeing me less; just that, hopefully, soon there will be less of me to see.
