Column by Rick Forgione — As I write this column, every muscle in my body is aching.

A few hours ago, I completed a 30-minute professional training session sore and sweaty but feeling exhilarated and confident I was on my way to changing my life.

That moment of triumph cooled a tad when my keys dropped to the ground as I got into my car. For a few seconds, I considered calling AAA for assistance but mustered up enough energy to bend down and get the keys myself.

Ouch, ouch, ouch.

I blame Michele Deluca for this.

Michele, the Niagara Gazette’s features editor, can be pretty persuasive when she has a project she thinks is crying for attention.

This time, I’m the target.

Apparently, after weeks of silently observing my “poor eating habits,” Michele couldn’t take it anymore. She “randomly” started talking about a few articles she has done on this gym called ChrisFit Personal Training on Hyde Park Boulevard. As Michele sold it, the owner Chris Tybor is amazing and has helped many people live a healthier lifestyle.

I may be dense at times, but I was getting the point. At least she said “healthier lifestyle” and not “lose a bunch of weight.”

The next day, I brought in a semi-healthy salad and munched on it in front of Michele in hopes she would back off. Nope. The project was forming in her head and despite being the subject, it was really out of my hands.

She exchanged a few emails with Tybor and came up with a plan.

He will train me for six months and, in turn, I will write a bi-monthly column about my “journey” and what I’m learning. Included in this column will be the occasional healthy recipe provided by ChrisFit that I enjoyed.

I rejected the idea at first. I have lost weight on my own in the past and had no intention sharing that private struggle with the public. But Michele countered with the argument that it’s about more than dropping pounds. Learning how to eat healthy is key for the long haul — and by sharing such a lifestyle transformation, I may be able to help others.

So I decided to look up the gym’s Web site (www.chrisfit.net) and was impressed. Along with the normal bios and such, there were testimonials from people who have lost 70, 80, 90 and more than 100 pounds.

Two weeks later, I were sitting in Tybor’s office finalizing the details. As Michele predicted, before getting to lift my first dumbbell, Tybor schooled me about changing my eating habits and provided tips on how to avoid injury while working out.

Though I probably didn’t exude a lot of confidence, he agreed to take on the challenge. Initially, the routine will include two, 30-minute training sessions a week and access to the rest of the ChrisFit gym, which has every type of exercise machine (aka torture devices) you could want.

I'm not going to disclose my starting weight to thousands of readers, but I will admit my ultimate goal is to lose triple digits. My target weight loss by the end of my six-month trial at ChrisFit is at least 70 pounds. It’s certainly an ambitious goal, but luckily I have Tybor at my side.

I won’t go into all of the gory details of my first day, but I can tell you everything Michele has said about Tybor is true.

He emphasized weight training followed by cardio exercise to build muscle and continue burning more calories long after your workout — but repeatedly reminded me that it all means nothing if I’m not eating healthy. With that in mind, one of his employees emailed me close to 40 high-protein recipes Tybor endorses. You will hear more about them in future columns.

I won’t lie. That first day was rough and there were several moments I had to remind myself why I was really there. Tybor was tough and didn’t let me coast but offered up more encouragement than I anticipated. He ends every workout with a fist pound and a positive assessment, even if you spent part of said workout in the bathroom vomiting.

I blame Michele Deluca for this.

And I also thank her.