I Spent Thousands on Fitness This Year & Didn’t Lose a Pound – But I Have No Regrets

Wendy Robinson

When 2022 started, I made a handful of resolutions. I wanted to end the year with more money in our savings account than we started with (Check! We increased our savings by about 30%). I wanted to read at least 50 books (Check! 65 books for the year!). And I wanted to increase the amount of movement in my life and to exercise an average of four to five times a week.

I’m a person who loves to quantify things, especially when it comes to money and especially when I’m trying to increase the amount of money we are saving. I knew that increasing movement in my life would probably come with a price tag, but when I started to add it up, I was a little shocked to realize that I’d literally spent thousands of dollars on fitness this year, including costs like these:

• Monthly Peloton subscription: $550
• Entry fees for summer triathlons: $165
• Cost to get bike triathlon ready: $250
• Small group strength training classes: $200
• Sessions with trainer or PT to deal with exercise induced foot issue: $350
• Pool passes for lap swimming: $120
• Workout apparel (because feeling cute makes me want to move more): $600
• New running shoes: $120

With all that money spent on exercise, some people might be curious about another number: the one on the scale.

Wendy Robinson

Well, here is where I have very exciting news! I started 2022 at over 200 lbs. and rocking size 22 pants and I’ll be rolling into 2023 at … over 200 lbs. and wearing a size 22!

I’m not going to lie, when I think about having spent thousands of dollars and not having changed my size at all, I feel a lot of feelings, but they might not be the ones that most people would expect.

Here’s the thing: the costs of fitness are not the only things I kept track of this year. While my weight stayed basically the same (plus or minus five pounds in any direction, depending on where I was in my cycle and/or how much I ate at the State Fair this year), these are the numbers that matter more:

• Number of miles walked this year: 769

• Number of minutes spent exercising: 10,158 (which averages to almost 30 minutes a day)

• Number of times I worked out with friends and got some much needed social time: at least 25

• Number of times I took a quick break at work to do yoga at my desk when I got stressed out: 110

• Number of times my doctor complimented me on how great my blood pressure and labs are: 1 (I love a gold star from my doctor)

When I think about how I feel about having invested thousands of dollars in my health and not seeing a change on the scale, the word that first comes to mind is PRIDE.

Wendy Robinson

This year, I did my first triathlon in over a decade and didn’t come in last. This year, I used fitness to lower my stress levels, to help my mental health, and to stay more connected with my friends. I didn't fall into the trap of thinking that dieting is good for me (the science is clear: dieting is bad for us).

I used a 44 lb. kettlebell to do deadlifts and felt like a badass. I did a 50-mile bike ride and couldn’t stop grinning at the end, even as my legs felt shaky and my butt was sore. My kids saw me come home from work and put on a sports bra and matching leggings so I could do a Peloton ride before I switched into mom mode. In big and small ways, I think I modeled for my kids that taking care of yourself is good, that movement should be fun, that moms can jam out to rap music while sweating with the best of them.

I showed up for myself, over and over again this year. And that is worth every single cent I spent on fitness this year, no matter what the scale says.