I’ve been wanting to start working out for a while now, but for lots of reasons (or so I thought) I’ve kept putting it off.

First of all, I’ve never been much of an athlete, and I honestly didn’t have to be. When I was younger I was downright skinny, no matter how much food I ate. So I got into the habit of eating whatever I want whenever I want.

A couple decades later, things don’t quite work the same way, and I’ve seen myself gain weight and reach 185 lbs. for the first time in my life. I’m 5′6″, so this was not a good sign.

I called three gyms in my neighborhood: a Bally’s, a dojo that has a gym, and a “fitness center”. The latter was the only one where I actually got to talk to someone who really knew what they were talking about and made me want to pay them an in-person visit. The dojo put me on hold indefinitely; the Bally’s had me leave my contact info so someone could call me back.

So I went to the fitness center, and I liked what I saw. Nice mix of people, lots of equipment, tidy & well-kept environment. I really liked it and I signed up on the spot.

Now here comes the hard part: going at least 4 times a week