Lately, there ain’t nothin’ I need more than a gym buddy! Thankfully, several friends have stepped up to the plate and help encourage me to get my butt to the gym.

I’m not running as much as I used to right now because I’ve been experiencing cramps in my left foot. However, I just bought new sneakers so now I’m ready to break them in! Running is something that I’m happy to do with others, but I truly enjoy it as a solitary activity. I can zone out, focus on my breathing, enjoy my music and the scenery and get lost in my thoughts.

Are Nicole Richie and Khloe Kardashian Odom gym buddies?

Classes, however, are really fun with a friend. My co-worker Helen has been awesome about getting me to spinning and, this week, we went to Body Pump. I met my friend Stephanie and her friend Anna at Body Pump two Sundays ago and it brought me back this past Sunday too. I even got myself to Zumba first, doing back-to-back workouts!

I’m still slacking on the workouts in comparison to how I used to be. I used to get a workout in at least 4-5 times a week. Right now, it’s 3 times a week. Here’s the thing — I keep hearing about these studies showing that what you eat makes you lose weight more so than how much you work out. OK. Point taken. My main struggle in life isn’t working out, it IS what I eat. Hence the painfully, agonizingly slow weight loss.

But working out, especially when I do it with friends, just FEELS good! I feel healthier, more energetic. I sleep better and night and I do think I make better choices when it comes to food when I’m working out consistently.

So while meeting a friend at the gym may not be as good for my weight loss as, say, turning down pizza, it’s good for my soul. And that’s important too.

PS — A special thanks to my gym buddies and anyone who has ever met me for a walk/run, etc.! Y’all keep me going.