For the past two months, I've practically been living at a gym. Every morning around 7:30, I walk in to the naval base gym to start my workout. Around 9:30, I go to a dance fitness class or spin class for about an hour. By 10:30, I've already had two great workouts in.

17 pounds down, I have finally realized the physical progress my body is making. Yes of course you have to eat very healthy, actually almost perfect if you have a body like me, but another huge part is working out.

Growing up I was a competitive swimmer for 10 years which means that my "gym" was a pool. I absolutely hated going to an actual gym because I did not like sweating. (Yeah, kind of funny since I was constantly soaked from swimming.)

Before these past two months, I was struggling to go around my neighborhood for a walk with my dog. I was struggling to go up a flight of stairs at my house. Yeah, pretty pathetic and I was (and still am) really out of shape.

Now, I am going to the gym every morning and attending gym classes that leave me pumped up for the day. Two months later and I am running 3x 1 minute intervals on the treadmill. Some of you will read this and think, "wow, that's it? How pathetic". But I sit here and read that and think, "WOW"! This morning, I ran bleachers, which is something I have never done. I ran them out of breath and gasping for air but I didn't quit.

I realize that I am now a gym rat, well, a new one. I can feel it physically and mentally when I haven't worked out for a couple of days. I look forward to waking up early to go work out and to see what my body is capable of. Even on vacations with my family or boyfriend, I am finding ways to work out. Whether that be trying new gyms or swimming laps in a lake.

I long for my hours spent at the days and I light up when I see the amount of calories burned and steps I've taken on my Fitbit.

I have a lot of goals that I want to reach for myself and I cannot wait to achieve them. One thing I want to share with you all is to never give up. It took me about two weeks to see results from working out all the time. Even then I still was disappointed when they weren't exactly what I wanted. I'm learning to love the process and wait for the progress.

I love going to the gym and looking around me to see people pushing themselves to be better. I love seeing people who have been on their weight loss journey for years and even more when it is their first day!

Going to the gym all the time doesn't mean that I wouldn't love to shove a burger down my throat, but it does mean that I've learned that it is not worth it. The food I eat now is related to how many calories I burn. I think of the 1,000 calories that may be lurking in a juicy hamburger and then think of the hour and a half I would have to spend on a treadmill to burn it off. Then I realize it's not worth it.

So if you're a new gym rat like me or maybe you've been one for a long time, thank you for continuously inspiring me even when you don't know it.