After a weekend of excess in Vegas and having a “I’ve nothing to wear!” hissy fit when getting ready to go out one night, we returned home with our tails between our legs.

Jennifer was already a member of a local gym, and I was toying with the idea. I have been trying to get out running in the neighbourhood but it’s been hard going. The heat and relentless pounding of the pavements meant I was having trouble keeping motivated and also keeping my heart rate in the right zone; basically my body couldn’t run fast enough to keep up with my ok-ish cardiovascular system.

So, last Saturday I bit the bullet and joined Jennifer’s local 24 Hour Fitness. For us that’s the one down the road on the border of Anaheim and Fullerton. I got a good deal, coming in at $199 for a whole year. Not too shabby, for sure.

Since then we have become gym addicts and gone everyday bar one. Yes, I know that in the flush of new-gym-membership-enthusiasm it is easy to get carried away. However, we’re taking the attitude that while keenness is high, we should make hay while the sun shines. If in the future the number of visits per week drops off, at least we’ve had a good start.

Added to the gym, we have also found a great app for the iPhone called “Lose it!”. This is free, and allows you to log your details and the food you eat and exercise taken. It then keeps track of how many calories you have in your daily ‘budget’. I don’t want to become one of those freaky calorie counting nutters, but it is a great tool to learn what I can eat in a day without going over the top. It was put to good use last night when we had friends over. I diligently recorded my calorific intake and realised that I could still enjoy the nice food and a drink, but there was no need to go OTT. I thus went to bed feeling like I had a good time while not feeling stuffed. As a result, today I feel good about myself.

Anyway, the gym itself is a different to what I was used to in the UK. We used to have a subscription for the Bannatyne’s in Durham which came it at about £27/$45 a month. This was quite pricey, but the facilities were nice and the cardio machines modern and well maintained. Down at the 24 Hour Fitness they do have a larger facility with more equipment. However, a lot of it is showing signs of wear and tear. Some seem to permanently be out of order, while others have functionality not quite right (heart rate monitors missing/broken etc).

That said, I’m finding this new membership great and I feel good after only one week. As to the under-par machines: at around £10/$17 per month I think I can live with them!