Soul Doctor speaks...: The True Story About Gym

Hey, check this out, I just found out yesterday that my body fat percentage is 26%, and I'm underweight (46kg, 156cm). Now without checking with my `trusted' trainer at the gym (yes, I have arrived at the dark side), I think that means -

1. I need to cut down, burn, etc; my body fat percentage...I was told that 19% to 20% fat is ok, or decent.

2. I need to gain weigh...by working out and err, eating more?

Hmm, so basically I need to gain and reduce all the same time, but of different things. Correct?

J and I went to Subang Parade that fateful day two weeks ago, I ended up in his gym (the one with the our very own supermodel as ambassador la, hang on, isn't like every other branded gym in town been endorsed by `supermodels'? Well, you GUESS la, GUESS who la). I looked around snottily and was laughing at all the men with big muscles and skinny legs, smug-faced....and chuckled when I saw expat/foreign trainers.

After close to two hours of sales pitch given by numerous personnel at the Subang branch, I told J that there was no way we could get home without signing me up.

It's strange, the only one there whom I actually trusted, was the sales person (someone from operations department who is `trying out' sales) who sat me down at first. To start with, he didn't look like someone who works in a gym, but there was something about him that made the whole process of signing up (or you may say, giving in to the dark side) seemed a lot less sinister (as in spending money on some place you have to pay parking, drive to, get tortured and sweat like a dog).

So I'm now a member of a gym, with lousy print ads (according to my friend who thought their print ad was a singing competition advertisement). I have been going there about three times a week. I think I need a lot more sleep these days, my face has gone slightly more oily. I love going there once a week with J and run alongside each other while watching cooking shows (on living & travel channel).

So far it's been, funny, with my trainer...I was given two complimentary sessions (and I bought three more) with a, check this, Rapid Results Trainer, in the form of a small guy with lots of muscle but at least he is well-proportioned. So far he has failed to pick up all my phone calls when I tried to make appointments with him. So far he has sung to me while I lift weighs (he knows I sing for a living and he can sing), asked me about stuff in performing arts ("Do people HAVE to pay to watch theatre?") and called my inner-thighs `little earthquakes'.

I guess I have learned to enjoy the gym in the shortest time, for someone who has abstained from joining for the longest time, and who laughs at others who visit gym -- I have learned new recipes while am on the treadmill, how to ignore bad house music being played (except when they play Jamiroquai) while I wash myself slowly, blow dry my hair slowly, get dressed in the public, and check out other women's legs in the dressing room.

I can't say I'm not entertained.

My goals are -

To be able to run non stop for 20 minutes

To be fitter (that goes hand in hand with my new cooking regime, and better habits in taking supplements)

To be able to use the gym machines efficiently

Learn to torture my muscle properly

Learn a few moves in the classes at the gym

That's it for now, more truth about the gym later :)

Do you know your body fat percentage?

Oh ya, happy belated Halloween....spent mine watching Frankenstein In Love at KLPAC where we had an impromtu M! The Opera reunion...