In a classroom filled with 26 two-and-a-half year olds on Sunday, I found a little help in my fitness journey. Manning the door of the bathroom, unrolling small fists full of toilet tissue and then cleaning the floor from wayward attempts, I frequently checked my watch to see if my volunteer hour was complete. Even with the help of several teenagers, only the arrival of parents to retrieve our charges brought relief to the chaos. When the hour was over, I was glad to head into the sanctuary for services.

In the same way, the first week of workouts with my new fitness program at Greer Athletic Club were fraught with watching the clock. The five-minute routines with a mere minute of rest in between seemed endless. Even the workouts with 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off were doable but I found myself glancing at the timer, hoping to make time fly.

After six complete workouts in my new fitness program though, I think I’m finally making a little progress. At 6 a.m. last Friday, I walked a straight line to my car, nary a wobbly leg in sight. I had a slight feeling of accomplishment with the relief that the hour was over but more so because I had handled every twist and turn thrown my way. I barely flinched when Elizabeth changed out my 15-pound kettle bell for a 25 pounder for a clean-and-press move as I jumped down to do a burpee.

Feeling that bit of hope let me know that as long as I keep my perspective, the incremental changes are achievable. Of course if trainers Don or Elizabeth are reading this, they are sure to change up the routine to keep challenging my body from getting used to a pattern. That’s the point of the program: continually mix up the workout to keep the body from adapting and becoming complacent.

The biggest issue this week is that I’m hungry. The intensity of the workouts is working every muscle in my body. If I’m not careful, I eat whatever I find in reach. This part is going to take some planning. On one hand, I tell myself it’s fine to eat whatever I want because I’m working out like a fiend. On the other hand, I tell myself that I shouldn’t waste the extra metabolic boost by not choosing food wisely.

I have fairly decent eating habits, but hunger makes us all do strange things. My goal this week is to not only make sure I complete every workout, but to plan all three meals in advance and make sure that I eat balanced, nutritious foods.

It’s a daily process, but with small victories in just over a week, it’s well worth the “adjusting”.