Operation #StayStrong

So this week I got an e-mail from my medical aid rewards program, Vitality, stating that I had to go to gym at least another 4 times in January in order to keep on getting an 80% discount on the fees. So off I dragged myself to the gym today. It's very hot outside, I'm pretty tired from the last week and yesterday and last night's festivities. But possibly losing my 80% discount was enough incentive to make me drag my but over there and do some weights.

At the gym I realised something that I've always known, and that is that I need a goal in order for me to keep fit. Since my transplant it has always been the World Transplant Games. And that was an AMAZING motivating factor. Living the post transplant sports-dream. But now my lungs aren't quite there anymore and for the immediate future there will be no more World Transplant Games. My previous fitness goal was taking part in the Nationals for 2014 in October, which I did and gladly so. However since then I haven't been motivated to go to the gym at all. It's not nice when things that were so easy 2 years ago are now a struggle. So I've been putting it on the back burner.

I also realised that of the 3kg I've lost since the National Transplant Games in Oct, some of it is definitely muscle. I need to get it back. So today I've decided my new goal is Operation #StayStrong. I considered calling it Operation #GetFit, but I'm realistic and in saying that I might not get very "fit". Also, the word strong is better when it comes to including more eating as part of it.

Today also marks 2 years since I was hospitalised for my first big drop in lung function (It dropped from high 90's to mid 80's). So it's a fitting day (see what I did there?) to start Operation #Stay Strong. This week I obviously still need to go to gym 3 times in order not to lose my discount, but after that I HAVE to go 2-3 times a week. I'm hoping it will also improve my energy levels (they've been a bit lower, my guess is that my O2 sats are probably lower than they used to be and it's affecting my energy). Also, I cannot do anything to improve my lung function, but I do have control over the rest of my body (I use the term "control" loosely), so I need to at least work on that, as bad lungs in a fit body is way better than bad lungs in a thin, weak body.