Anyone have a spare air horn?

Ever since I started working out, if I ever get still for any period of time, I stiffen up...especially in my legs and especially at night. I usually stand up, hiss slightly through my teeth, and proceed to do the Godzilla across the room. It goes away in a few seconds, but I'm not quite sure what would happen should a fire break out or if I had to make some other hasty getaway. Tonight is no exception as I had forced myself to do the hateful elliptical machine this afternoon. I despise the elliptical and the feeling is evidently mutual, but I refuse to let it conquer me. Oh well, maybe I should invest in a whistle to hang around my neck to blow in case of danger. Or an air horn.

Catharsis

I started today with a cathartic few hours going through my closet and throwing out everything that was too big. It's crazy to think about the emotions that are woven into the clothes that we wear but you can take it to the bank that every garment that held a negative vibe for me (otherwise known as everything I wore last summer) came out and went into the charity bag. The day ended out in the sunshine playing football with Charlie and Skylar. There are no do overs in life and I can't get back my inactive years, but it's an awesome new world full of possibilities. That's worth every treat I've skipped and every ounce of sweat. It's going to be a great summer!

Plateau No Mo'

For two weeks I have been on a plateau.  I hit 50 pounds gone and that scale has not budged an ounce up or down in 14 days.    This week I decided I was changing that.   I reduced my calories and hit my workouts hard.   Monday Marisa and I had our memorable walk and the incident with our raccoon friend.   Tuesday Jeff and Marisa had a great group workout - the Jeff Olympics - with our Transformation group.   Wednesday Marisa wiped the floor with us in step class and then had a surprise for ab class after: new equipment.   You know you are into something when you get excited about the latest torture device.   Wednesday the new toy was gliders!  Crunches are made more challenging when you put a glider under each foot and glide your legs in and out as you crunch up.

There's so much you can do with them! You can even go Miagi style and "sand the floor" or "wax on wax off".   We did some plank exercises with them too.   Today brought with it the Jeff Olympics again. Stations, kettle bells, squat swings, boxing, treadmills with no power, and my awesome group!   Everyone lost weight this week and I finally got off of my plateau - 5 pounds gone for a total of 55!!!!

Hey Old Me, Where Ya Been?

Hey Old College Healthy Me, I see you starting to come through in the mirror!  I'm catching up to ya!

Today

Back in the day, the goal

Raccoon Run

Yesterday brought more sunny temps and another walk along the riverwalk. Got some vitamin D therapy out there in the sunshine for sure - and a much needed break from my desk!  Marisa and I walked a half a mile further than we did on Friday, and I think I could have gone even further had we had the time.    It turned out to be quite eventful too!  First we noticed that the same pair of old lady style underwear was still hanging around a pole out by the convention center - don't want to know the story behind that one - and then as we rounded the corner to head back towards work, out from the grass popped a raccoon!  "Marisa get back!" I yelled and tugged her back. Generally raccoons in the daytime aren't  a good sign and becoming rabid was not on my to-do list.  It went back into the grass but for a minute I was ready to bolt.   Marisa said, "I thought I was going to see Minter run today!"  Then she got a look on her face like, that's not a bad idea.  I looked at her and said, "Jeff's not hiding out there in the bushes with another creature to throw out and scare me to run is he?"  She laughed and said, "Don't give him any ideas."

Sunny Days

We have been blessed with two sunny and warm days down here in the south! It has been awesome to be outside in the sunshine! Friday I went for a walk on the riverwalk at lunch along the Cape Fear with two of my favorite people in the world. For years I have felt held back and encumbered but out there in the fresh air and warm breeze, I felt free and victorious. I have been hibernating for so long indoors, fearful of going out on a walk and not being able to get back, but no more! Saturday my husband and I had a picnic of grilled chicken and veggies and then I helped him stack wood and do yardwork and actually found myself enjoying it! I can't wait for spring and summer and more sunny days outside. What a difference from this time last year! I love it!

The Journey Continues

When I decided to call this a journey, I didn't know how right I was.   I'm beginning to learn what happens when the "new" wears off and the elation of initial success dwindles.   The scale hasn't moved one way or the other in 2 weeks.  I guess it's good that I haven't gained, but obviously I've reached a plateau mentally and physically.   This is where the test is...that point in time where the haze of beginners glory is done and the real work begins.   I can totally understand why people choose surgery or pills in order to lose weight because it gets it done quickly, but I've always known that that wasn't my path.   My path is to stay down in the trenches of this and fight through it every day.  Yesterday when my Transformation group went for a walk with Jeff and Marisa to warm up before round 2 of the Jeff olympics, I fell to the back of the line even though I was doing my best.  It frustrated me to no end because I suddenly felt I was back in that bad place from before.   I'm sore, tired, and bruised.  But, surprisingly, giving up is the farthest thing from my mind.  So anger and frustration may be weighing me down right now, but I'm putting on my headphones, blasting some angry Eminem, and hitting the heavy bag with everything that is in me.  It's much better option than taking my anger out on myself with a bag of Doritos, that's for sure.

Yo Adrian

I had kind of a stressful weekend this past weekend due to car troubles, and the temptation to eat poorly was high.   It started out Friday night when I slipped on an icy part of the deck and fell directly onto my knee with one arm going through the railings.    I was fine other than some bruising that looks worse than it feels, and I attribute that to better muscle control from working out and fifty pounds less velocity on the way down.   In the past a fall like that, or a cold, or really any ailment that could be used as an excuse would have given me the escape clause that I used to look for to avoid exercise.  Now that doesn't happen; I was actually thinking to myself that I hoped I wasn't too sore from the fall to workout, and I wasn't.  Sunday the car trouble had me in one of those potentially self destructive moods that told me to forget it all and go eat all the chips and salsa I wanted - but I reigned it in.   What I've learned is this:   there's no secret to willpower.  There's no way I can tell anyone how to get it.  There's no trick to motivation.   You have to want it.   You have to eat it, sleep it, breathe it, sweat it, and dream it.   You have to keep that goal in your head 24/7 and never let up.  There was a Rocky marathon on last week and my husband and I watched all of them.  I decided that I want to be like Rocky Balboa when he goes the distance fighting Apollo Creed.   I may be battered and bloody at the end of all this but yo Adrian, I'm still going to be on my feet.

Team Lunch

Today my awesome Transformation team members, our trainers, my brother and I went out for lunch to celebrate my fifty pound loss. We had a great time and it was fun just to be able to hang out together outside of work and the gym. Everyone ordered something healthy under the watchful eye of Jeff and Marisa. You don't go to lunch with your trainer and order a hamburger and fries or a supreme pizza. But really, it wasn't really the fact that our trainers were with us to witness our food choices, it was that we all have changed our lifestyles. I would have ordered the tuna and salad no matter who I went to lunch with. There's also another side effect to eating healthy that I didn't anticipate: I can't eat bad food anymore even if I allow myself to - the last time I ate sesame chicken on one of my "treat" nights, I got horribly sick within thirty minutes of eating it. Same thing with a Chikfila sandwich. Twenty minutes later I felt sick to my stomach, bloated, thirsty and tired. Not worth it on so many levels. It staggers me to think about how many years I walked around feeling so bad without even being fully aware of it. Now I feel purified, clear and strong. I was catching up with one of my best friends tonight and I told her that there is no better feeling to me now than that of sweat rolling down my back, muscles exhausted, but mind clear. A super-sized number three from the drive thru could never compete with that!

Panera, Squats, and Husbands Doing Laundrey

Wednesday Observances:

• It's good to start a Crystal Light packet exchange with your cube neighbor like Florence and I have.  "Heads up, Cranberry Pomegranite comin' over the wall!"
• The Mediterranean Veggie sandwich from Panera just might be the best thing ever.
• If you get off step in step class, just bust a few of your moves from the club like Sam and I did on the back row today.
• Sometimes it's fun to bust a few moves while waiting for the elevator like Brad and I did earlier.
• Sometimes it's even fun to bust a few moves while waiting on the microwave like Brad, Remy and I are known to do from time to time.
• The locker room is as good as the therapist's couch. The Weekly Wednesday What-did-your-husband-do-to-annoy you session with the step class crew was on today; subject: laundry grievances.
• Don't get cocky because just as soon as you think you're a rock star, your trainer takes you up to the next level and you feel more like a roadie.
• There are always squats involved.
• There are always more squats coming.
• Don't get frustrated, just keep working and trust the process.

I Hate the Numbers 100 and 25

Today was Jeff's birthday and he was extra feisty. He wiped the floor with me for sure. It was probably the most challenging yet. We did an arm band circuit that contained sets of 100 of everything we did. I found myself struggling harder than ever. You know I'm having a hard time when I get quiet! At one point I thought I was going to cry. I wanted to call my brother, who now works with me, and tell him that if I didn't make it, to tell Momma I tried - nah just being dramatic, but still! We worked and sweated, eyes burning from the sweat rolling down into them, and then it was time to finish things up with sprints on my nemesis - the elliptical....at level 25! I felt like I was clawing my way out of quicksand. But improvement comes from always going at it a little bit harder than you did the last time I guess. So good job and happy birthday Jeff. And I did as you said and took the stairs back up...I said a bad word, but I did 'em.

Knowing My Limit

There are still things I can't resist...for example: nachos and salsa at Mexican restaurants. I know that if I sat down and everyone else was eating them, I would cave and it would be on.   Hopefully one day I will be able to resist them, but as for right now, I avoid Mexican restaurants all together.    The same holds true for Super Bowl.  I love Super Bowl food: nachos, wings, pizza, chips, dips, cakes in the shape of foot balls.  Yum.  So, this year we stayed home and watched the game from our couch with a healthy dinner.   I guess there are some who say that you should be able to be in the same room with that stuff and resist it, and for lots of things I can.  But I know my limits.   I'm sure that one day I will be able to go into El Cero and simply sample the chips, but now is not that time and I'm not going to set myself up for failure. The path to the next 50 pound loss is not paved in nacho chips.  

5-oh!

I did it!!!!  I officially have lost 50 pounds and since I won the bet, Jeff has to shave his head!  Woo hoo!!!   I don't know if it was the "hot" step class yesterday where it was so hot in the exercise room that there was condensation on the mirrors and on the floor, or if it was the second workout I put in after work, but it put me where I needed to be.   It has been an awesome day.  I am so blessed by my co-workers who ran up to me to hug, high five and celebrate with me! I am so blessed by my wonderful trainers who are the reason that I am successful!  I am so blessed by my family and friends who lift me up!  Whether it's an email, the awesome crew from step class who cheered me on yesterday, a high five, an "I know you can do it", a text or a phone call - they're all the reason for today's success.  Some things I've learned along the journey so far:

• With God all things are possible.
• Never say never.
• There's no such thing as "I can't".
• If you're willing to put forth the effort, there are many hands to lift you up.
• If you're willing to step out of your comfort zone, there are many who will cheer you on.
• The pain is worth it.
• The sweat is worth it.
• It feels soooo good on the other side of this change!
• Life is too good to be a spectator.
• If you get knocked down, get right back up.  Don't sit there or you will remain there.
• I can actually do this! 

Five months ago I couldn't do an hour of zumba, an hour of step class, a 400 crunch ab workout, an intense boxing cardio session, jog, the stairs, or jump a rope - but I can now.   Five months ago I would become out of breathe a hundred times a day from just going about my daily life - but I don't anymore....the only place I get winded is at the gym and only after it gets intense.    Thank you to everyone who has been a part of the journey so far!    I can't wait to see how much better it gets from here!!! 

4.8

As of right now I am 4.8 pounds shy of winning the bet.  I'm sticking true to my diet and I worked out really hard yesterday.   Earlier in the day yesterday I told Jeff that I wanted him to kill me at our training session and he definitely did as I asked.   Boxing, squats, weights, sprints on the elliptical....I was sweating so hard that it was rolling into my eyes and buring them.  Whew!  I asked for it though.   I felt like I could fall asleep on my feet as I walked back upstairs to my desk.  It's worth it! On a whim I pulled a shirt out of my closet that I haven't worn in 6 years and it fit!  Now it's time to dig a little deeper and get rid of this 4.8 by tomorrow so I can win the bet.