*Reflection submitted by Sheryl – Enara Patient for three years*

I try to absorb all of the unfamiliar terms coming from my new personal trainer.  “And you can do these exercises in the weight room,” she concludes.

Weight room?  I confess I’ve never been there.  Her eyes open wide.

“So you’re a new gym member?”

Actually I’ve been coming here for more than 3 years….

But 3 years ago I was a different person, at least on the outside.  130+ pounds overweight with aches everywhere, I restricted myself to aqua classes, where movement was possible and pain free.   It took quite a bit of courage to put on a bathing suit and get into a public pool — but I overcame my embarrassment by taking off my glasses.  If I couldn’t see people, then they couldn’t see me, right?  While I knew I was often the largest person in the pool, some of the blurry figures around me appeared to be large in size too, so I felt comfortable.  Safety in numbers….

Then Enara Health’s weight loss program changed my size….but my mental image didn’t follow suit.  Even though I was 95 lbs lighter and 10 sizes smaller, I kept going to the pool.  Pool exercise was the only thing I felt capable of doing.  But I did make one change:  I put on my glasses!

“So why aren’t you doing strength training?” Dr. Bailony asked me (again), at one of my Enara appointments.   I reached into my back pocket and was out of excuses.  So to the gym I went, but this time to parts and places unknown!

I am slowly exploring exercise classes that I was too afraid to try because of my weight.  And when I look around in these classes,  (I do wear my glasses  ), I rarely see people of size.   Exercise can be challenging when you carry a lot of extra pounds.

While Gentle Yoga isn’t quite gentle enough for me, TR/X and line dancing are a blast!  Thank you, Enara Health, for helping me lose all that weight and for opening yet another door.   I am definitely enjoying this new adventure!