2010 Jenn

Thank you so much to my family, friends and co-workers who have made my birthday special! I definitely feel the love and it is much appreciated!   Man, when I think about the person I was on this day last year, I am staggered.   2010 Jenn was a girl who was only living half of her life, at half of her potential.  She was unhealthy and encumbered with weight and fear.   She didn't know it at the time, but in just shy of four months, she was about to change her life forever.   She was sitting on the side lines of life although most people who knew her would never have guessed.  She put up a good front, but inside she was held back by many things.

Fast forward one year and it's a whole new life! For my birthday this year I am going to forgo the birthday cake and instead give myself a present: life, health and wellness.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the cards, the decorations at my desk, the gifts, phone calls, Facebook shout outs, and for the elevator serenade! And also thanks for coming on this journey with me!

Sunny Day

My favorite thing in the world to do is swim.  It always has been.    From babies we were taught how to swim out on the sandbar in the sound at Topsail Island and in the shallow waters of White Lake. In fact, up until recently swimming was my only athletic ability.  For my birthday (it's tomorrow)  my wonderful cousins Devon and Charlie arranged a cookout at their family pool, and it was the best birthday gift ever!  A few couples got together to grill and enjoy what turned out to be a wonderful sunny day. 

One thing I never let my weight hold me back from was swimming in a pool.  Yes, I always felt self conscious in a bathing suit, but I just loved swimming so much that it over-rode any embarrassment.   Not that I would really swim much....it mainly consisted of floating around and occasionally dipping my head under.

Yesterday I was swimming laps!  Wondering how my "new" muscles would respond to the water, I pushed off from the side of the pool and swam the width of the pool.  That felt so good that I did it again and again until I decided to swim the length of the pool a few times.  By this time, my little cousins had stopped what they were doing and decided to race me.  I was surprised when I could beat two eight year olds who are a lot younger and lighter than me. 

It was a great day and nothing beats that feeling of coming home tired (in a good way) and rosy from the sun.  Even better was taking a shower and putting on my comfy jammies.  Thanks Devon and Charlie for a wonderful day!

Before and Today

Lakshmi asked us to do some side by side comparisons of our weight loss so that she could see it and be inspired.  I'm calling it "Before and Today" because I'm a long way from "After".  Laks, this is for you:

Jenn, Before (November) and Today

 

Millie Before and Today

 

Tears and Sweat

Today we not only worked out our bodies, but our heart strings too.    Marisa had us write down traits we admire about each other while we took turns on the elliptical.  Sitting on the floor of the gym Indian-style with my team in our black and pink team outfits, I got emotional.  All of these people, even the boys who we are in competition with, mean so much to me.  And as for Jeff and Marisa, how do you begin to thank the people who saved your life?    It's been quite a ride so far, and it's not even close to being over.   Wow, to think that when I had my first workout with Jeff, all I could do was stand up and sit down over and over and over.   I bet I did it a thousand times. 

Somehow I managed to tell Millie, Mary, Marisa and Lakshmi a small portion of how I felt about them, although I bawled like a baby.  I wish the others had been able to be there too.   Here's what those wonderful women said about me:

  

I am so blessed.

Rings, Bling & Wonderful Things

Check out Marisa's new bling!   Congrats Marisa and Clint! So excited for you guys!

Clint did good!

Me, Reesy and THE RING

On a similar note, my wedding band and diamond are getting so loose on my finger from losing weight, that I'm going to have to put them on a chain soon!

15 Seconds To Freedom

I've always wanted to be able to jog along on the treadmill like I see people doing in the gym. I like the rhythm of sneakers slapping the belt and I like the way our synchronized feet sound in step class when the music goes quiet for a few seconds and all you hear is the cadence of our stomps. In fact, I feel like with exercise, if I can get in a good rhythm with whatever I'm doing, whether it's hateful squat reps, doing a step class, or most recently - jogging on the treadmill - it helps my form and endurance.  

I've also learned that besides making you look and feel better, exercise has practical applications.   Last night I was in the grocery store (story of my life) trying to choose between brands of tuna fish, when I heard an altercation towards the front of the store. I looked around me and no one seemed concerned, so I continued my shopping down to the salad dressings.   There I was weighing the odds of taste satisfaction versus calorie content, when the shouting began again.   I threw the low-cal dressing in my buggy (if zombies are taking over this grocery store, I won't have to eat it anyway) and scooted towards the back of the store.

At this point I start to panic because the shouting gets louder.  I think I can make out the words "gun" and "snitch".  Oh snap! I round the corner so sharply  that my cart's on three wheels and all the food goes sliding to one side, salad dressing bottle clinking loudly against the jar of olives (I'm sooo subtle).   Okay, panic time....I'm the only one in the back of the store.   The shouting abruptly stops and the store is silent. I am at this point convinced that all of the employees and customers are being held at gunpoint up front by the registers and the assailants (in my mind there was a full-on masked crew taking over Food Lion) are searching the store for any stragglers.

 I head towards the back corner of the store, stealing glances down each aisle as I creep by.  Oh no!  I lock eyes with a weird man over a display of dog food. Yikes! Pushing my cart as fast as I can, I hit the eggs and milk section where I know the emergency exit door is.   Here's my exit strategy: bolt out the back door as fast as I can (now that I can RUN!) should anything crazier go down.  But there on the door was a sign that said, "Emergency Exit. Push and hold handle. Alarm will sound and door will open in 15 seconds."

15 seconds?  Seriously?   Anyone who has ever held a plank position can tell you how long 15 seconds really is.   The robbers can burst back here and get me in 15 seconds once that alarm goes off.   Luckily about that time I see a blue strobe light towards the front of the store.  Yay the police are here! I can quit cowering by the imitation butter now.

Turns out there was an altercation in the parking lot where someone called someone else a snitch and displayed a gun.   The "snitch" then went running into the grocery store shouting for 911.  The bad guys were taken away and I was able to purchase my low fat salad dressing and go on home, but hey - at least I knew I could run away should the need arise!

Go Team Reesy!

It's so hard for me to keep a surprise to myself and I always want to immediately give someone a gift the minute I have it, which is why today was awesome because we finally debuted our Team Reesy (aka Marisa) shirts! Prior to the group workout at 2:30 we gathered in the upstairs bathroom to change (she'd see them too early in the locker room) and went downstairs as a group to surprise her.   We even had pink and black hair bows because even in the gym, we are accessorized!

Millie and I getting ready....

Taking the stairs down to the gym....

Surprise Marisa!

Team Reesy: Brooke, Millie, Me, Marisa, Lakshmi, Mary, Florence and Cara (We missed you Sylvia and Cadelia)

After our butt-kicking workout: Millie, Marisa and Jenn

The boys were working out too and they tried to heckle, but I know they're afraid!