Dog Jog 2010 ~ Support Bruno and I!

Okay so I just registered for the Dog Jog on March 20, 2010 with my Bruno.  He and I will be doing the mile course that is set up for owners and their dogs.  I'm excited.  I think it will be fun to do it with him, and hope he has a good time.  Now of course, this is a big fundraiser for the Richmond SPCA.  There couldn't be a cause closer to my heart as I have three fuzzy kids, which most of you have met.  They are my world, and I spoil them like they're human.  To me though, they are.  If you could just take a moment to visit our race page and make a small donation that would be awesome.  Every dollar counts y'all.  I know times are tight, and I don't expect anyone to give too much, just a dollar here or there would be amazing.  Here's the link:

http://www.richmondspca.org/LizandBruno2010

So support me and my Bruno!

If anyone would like to register to do the Dog Jog with me and to raise some money for the SPCA as well, you can go to http://www.richmondspca.org/race to get more information.

Thanks guys!

Week Two down and OUT!

Week two was just as much fun as week one, if not more so.  I could have done without the little stomach bug Monday and Tuesday, but it didn't keep me down for long!  I worked out quite a bit this week as well, still doing the team training Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and I also did Zumba Tuesday, Cycle 60 Thursday, as well as cardio in the evenings on Monday and Friday.  My friend Susan and I also did a good upper body resistance work out Friday night. 

My body seems to be holding up pretty well.  Much better than I expected it to honestly.  I really thought that one or both of my knees would have had it by now.  They're holding up though.  So really the only things I've had to deal with were the stomach thing and then last night a very, very strange pain in my heel.  The heel is made up of fatty tissue and bone, so I'm not sure where the pain came from, but I'll be doing some internet research today.  I was fine all day yesterday, worked out twice, came home, had my dinner, and went to bed.  Everything seemed to be going as well as it could.  Then about midnight I was dragged out of a deep sleep by an overwhelming pain in my left heel.  Now this is the leg that I had surgery on back in June, but nothing was wrong with my knee.  It was just my heel.  Not where the Achilles tendon is, but right smack dab on the back and inside of the bottom of my heel.  Very strange.  So I took a Tylenol PM thinking maybe that would help but it did nothing.  I tried to go back to sleep, and was woken up again an hour later by worse pain.  I tried elevating the leg but that made it even more terrible.  The only thing that seemed to help, and this is what makes it even stranger, was getting up and walking on it or letting my legs hang over the side of the bed in a seated position.  It was like enough blood wasn't getting down there or something.  Every time I would fall asleep, the pain would jolt me awake again.  So needless to say I didn't get much sleep last night at all and I wasn't able to do pilates this morning like I had planned.  The pain is gone now, for now, but of course I'm up and around at this point.  I'm hoping it doesn't come back because it was definitely an 8 or 9 out of 10 on the pain scale.  Not cool, especially not knowing where it came from.

Other than that, the week has been full of the normal outside drama, which I am trying to curtail every way I know possible in my life.  I haven't had much time to get on the internet, but honestly that doesn't bother me much.  I think I watched a total of three hours of TV for the entire WEEK which is actually liberating.  I've been getting my news from the actual newspaper or online, or at the gym while I do cardio, so I haven't been missing out on much I don't believe.  I read before I go to bed in the evenings so I get an information release that way.

My team is still the best team around, and I have to say a word or two about my trainer.  Andi is just the absolute best.  She genuinely cares about every person on the team and she wants nothing more than to see us be successful.  She's easy to talk to, and she's one of those people who really listen to what you have to say.  So many people nowadays act like they're listening to you, but you can almost see the wheels in their head turning to formulate a response to whatever you're saying before you've even made your point.  Andi isn't like that, and it's refreshing to say the least.

There have been a couple of other benefits to the beginning of this jounrey, most notably that my father, who is a wonderful person but who has let himself go over the past few years, has started going to the gym on a regular basis again.  Granted he has yet to really start eating healthy except at dinner because he doesn't have a choice then, but he is working out again.  I told my sister that he can't stand it that I am actually making a change and he doesn't want to be the last significantly overweight person in the immediate family.  I don't really care what his motivations are, I am just happy he is doing it.  His father died around my Dad's current age from a heart attack.  I don't want that to happen to my Dad.  Not only for me, but for his only granddaughter, my niece, Mia.  He needs to be around to see Mia grow up and to help her along her life journey.  That little girl loves her Grandaddy Young.  I don't want her to be without him like I was without mine.  So I couldn't be happier that my Dad is going to the gym to keep up with me.  :)

I will post more later, but the battery on my laptop is about to die and I have to go shopping for a few items for food this coming week.  I hope every one is having a great weekend.  Stay healthy!

Educate your Mind to feed your body right!

So yes, the movie last night angered me, but I think that it's important for every one to be proactive when it comes to what you are putting into your body to fuel it.  I mean we wouldn't put kerosene in our cars to make them run, right?  Aren't our bodies worth more than our cars?

The movie is a bit shocking, and I have to admit there were parts of it that were very, very difficult to watch and listen to, so for those who may have a bit of a squemish side, there are books that you can read to get even more information.  There is a book that goes along with the movie and addresses the same stuff.  There are also two other books who's authors are featured in the movie.  So all three must be good reading.  I plan on starting the Omnivore's Delima this coming week!  Enjoy!

The Omnivore's Delima by Michael Pollon

http://www.amazon.com/Omnivores-Dilemma-Natural-History-Meals/dp/0143038583/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b

Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser

http://www.amazon.com/Fast-Food-Nation-Eric-Schlosser/dp/0060838582/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266774185&sr=1-1

Food, Inc. a Participant Guide:  How Industrial Food is making us Sicker, Fatter, and Poorer - and what YOU can do about it!

http://www.amazon.com/Food-Inc-Participant-Industrial-Poorer/dp/1586486942/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266774375&sr=1-1

Food, Inc.

Just watched this movie through the instant play feature on Netflix.  If you haven't seen it, watch it.  Watch all of it.  Even the most difficult parts to watch.  This is life.  This is what we eat.  We eat industry.  We don't consume real food.  At least most of us do not.  Buy free range if you are going to eat meat.  Buy organic if you eat fresh veggies whenever possible.  To not do so is to condemn the next generation of Americans to health problems that have yet to be discovered.  Who knows what cloned meat and genetically mutated soybeans will cause human bodies to do in twenty or thirty years?  Do we really want to sit around, do nothing and wait to find out?  Do not let American apathy become the catalyst for the food industry big wigs to sicken our country any longer.  Grow a garden.  Go to the farmer's markets.  Eat local when possible.  Join a co-op and have locally grown, organic veggies delivered to you.  This film is a huge eye-opener and should be required viewing in all schools and at PTA meetings.  My opinion of course.  But I refuse to kill myself slowly any longer.  Even if I have to get a second job to pay for the better food, I will no longer fill my system with this junk. 

Watch it.  You can thank me in a month or two when you have been eating organic and such and you feel ten years younger and have shed a few pounds.

Sorry for the rant, but I am ANGRY!!!  Be well and may your families be well.  Good night friends.

Making food for the week

Well yoga at four isn't possible today, as I've gotten bogged down in food making and laundry (i.e. I have nothing clean to wear to the gym yet) so I figured I would blog a bit about how I set up food for the week.  Food for thought per se.

I have yet to have my appointment with the nutritionist and my RMR reading (resting metabolic rate), but I would like to think that I know a thing or two about eating properly.  (Sometimes it is just IMPOSSIBLE to put the brownie down and step away from the desserts.)  I don't honestly believe in telling myself that I can NEVER have a certain food ever again.  To do so is stifling for me, it makes me want to do nothing more than to eat the very things that I have told myself I cannot have.  So instead, I believe that it is easier to just make educated decisions on what to eat and to eat multiple meals and snacks, of a smaller size, throughout the day so that I am never ravishingly hungry.

To reach those goals, and to help along the way to weight loss, I have started spending a great portion of one day a weekend actually making food.

First, each meal should rest on the PCF factor.  (Dubbed by my last trainer, Jared...no, not the Subway Jared.)  This means that each meal should contain a Protein (lean of course), a Carb (complex and whole grain), and a Fiber (read green leafy vegetable or veggie of some sort).  If you make sure that each meal or snack has all three, then you'll be on the road to a healthier weight and eating habits.  This isn't a complicated way of eating, and I've broken it down into what I can make on the weekends so putting meals together during the week is a breeze and making any meal during the week takes no longer than 15 minutes to throw together.  This makes for more ME time in the evenings, and makes it super simple to pack lunches, saving not only calories but money in my pocket!

Here is what I am making today, and some examples of what I'll put together this week.  I hope that this information can prove useful to someone else out there!

Protein:

3 chicken breasts boiled - this means that there has been NO oil used in the cooking and the fat has boiled off of the chicken for the most part.  Each breast is around 6 to 8 ounces so you get a total of six serving from three breasts.  Then you can use the water (which is now chicken flavored) to make soup or to cook other things for dinners.  I jar the liquid after it cools in a recycled spaghetti sauce jar and refridgerate it for up to one week.

3 to 6 eggs hard boiled - these are great to put on salads or to eat quickly in the morning or for a snack.

1 can of organic black beans - or you can use dried, point is that I open the can, rinse them really well and then let them drain.  I store them in a Gladware container.  Again, really good on salads or in wraps.

1/2 pound of turkey bacon broiled in the oven - cooking it this way makes it taste much better and is healthier than in the microwave.  Awesome on salads, wraps, or omletes in the morning.

Now there are other proteins of course.  You could brown up a pound of ground turkey or chicken and store it in a Gladware container to use in wraps or chili later in the week.  You could drain and sautee up a package of tofu to use in stir-fry.  You could bake a turkey breast to shave for open face sandwiches.  You could make salmon patties, or go ahead and cook a large filet of fish for salads or fish tacos.  The possibilities are endless.  I stay away from red meat and pork as much as possible.  They aren't truly considered lean proteins, and the organic versions are very expensive.

Carbs:

2 to 4 cups of brown rice - cooked in water only, no oil added.  Then I store this in another Gladware container.  1/4 to 1/2 cup is a serving, so I will get between 4 and 8 servings off of what I make.  Good to have for a quick carb side for dinner.

2 to 4 cups of wheat couscous or penne pasta - again great for an easy side.  Cooked in water only, no oil.  You can add a drizzle of olive oil or walnut oil to it along with fresh herbs and garlic or shallots before serving and it is delicious.

2 to 4 cups of steel cut oats - make with organic skim or 2% milk or water.  Store in a Gladware container.  This way you have breakfast or mid-morning snack ready to rock.  Add some nuts and dried or fresh fruit and you have the perfect PCF meal.

Fiber/Veggies/Fruit:

Canteloupe or Honeydew - it's melon season so I get one of these, chop that baby open, cut it up and then divide it into snack sized ziploc bags a cup or half cup per bag.  This makes having a sweet, fiberous snack on hand easy.  Plus it's mostly water and VERY low calorie!

Blueberries - again I wash these and then divide them up into snack bags.  Really easy to add to greek yogurt or oatmeal for breakfast.

Asparagus - steam a big bunch and store in a Gladware.  Veggies for lunch or dinner!  YUM!

Brussel Sprouts - steam a full pound and then store in an airtight container.  Really, if you guys haven't tried these, do yourself a favor and try them.  Serve them by just drizzling with a little olive oil, sprinkling with some shallots, heating them up and then tossing with a few walnuts and dried cranberries.  You'll thank me!

Orange cauliflower - I either steam this or chop it and have it raw.  I heart cauliflower, no dressing needed with the orange variety because it has TONS of flavor!

Baby Carrots - either steam or divide up raw into snack sized ziplocs.  Easy to grab in the morning to take as a mid-afternoon snack.  Eat with a handfull of nuts and you're good.  You get carbs from the sugar in the carrots, but remember that type of carbohydrate will be burned faster by your body.

Celery - I wash this and cut it into sticks.  Fill it with all natural creamy peanut butter and then line the peanut butter with craisins.  A great PCF snack that takes you back to childhood.

Broccoli - steam this and put it into Gladware.  Super simple side dish for every meal and it's green so you can eat as much as you want.  Just step away from the cheese sauce or the butter.  Try it sprinkled with garlic.  Delicious!

Tomatoes - I slice these and put them in a Gladware.  That way I have an easy topper for wraps.

Bell Peppers - do the same thing as the tomatoes.  Awesome on fish tacos, or to eat raw or on salad!!

Avocado - I heart avocados.  Slice one up, put it in a Gladware and then squeeze a half a lemon over it.  These are awesome on turkey or chicken wraps or sandwuiches in the place of mayo, and the lemon will keep it from going bad and doesn't affect the flavor.

Salad mix - always have on hand.  I prefer to get either the total spinach or organic baby spinach/greens blend.  The kind that comes in the box.  The boxed kind lasts much longer than the bagged.  It won't go brown or get mushy as easily.

Other:

Herbs - I have a basil plant in my kitchen that I use almost daily, but if you buy herbs in the little clamshells from the grocery store, chop them up and store them in a Gladware.  They'll keep for a week and you can use them to sprinkle salads, chicken, rice, just about anything.  They add immediate flavor with NO chemicals or fats!

Garlic - I always have a jar of the chopped garlic on hand, but you can also chop fresh garlic and put it in a small airtight container to use throughout the week.  Sometimes this can dry out though so add a little lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil to keep it moist.

Shallots - These are one of my favorite things to use.  They give amazing flavor and you don't need many.  Just chop one or two small to medium shallots up and do the same thing you would with the fresh garlic.  These are super healthy!  Get organic if possible of course.

That's pretty much it.  Now you have TONS of options for your meals!  Here's an example of how I'd use what I made to have a full day of healthy eating!

Breakfast - around 4 or 5 AM - 1 cup of greek yogurt topped with berries and a little granola and a drizzle of agave nectar.

Morning snack - around 8 or 9 AM - 1 cup of oatmeal with some berries, craisins or walnuts, a sprinkle of cinnamon and drizzle of agave nectar if needed or some stevia.

Lunch - around 12 PM - a high fiber wrap stuffed with chicken breast, spinach, tomatoes, avocado, and black beans or any combo of what I've made.  Sometimes I add a little garlic hummus for flavor.  Served with a side of broccoli, asparagus, or brussel sprouts.

Afternoon Snack - around 3 PM right before the gym...we have to have some fuel to burn - Celery with Peanut butter and craisins, or Raw Almonds and Dried Fruit, or Canteloupe and Almonds, or any combo of snacky type items as long as I'm keeping with the PCF.

Dinner - around 6 or 7 PM - 3 to 4 oz of any protein available and brown rice and veggies.  Or turkey chili, fish tacos, etc.  Just use whole foods and don't buy anything pre-packages if it can be avoided.

Evening snack - if I am still awake and hungry, although I very rarely eat after 7 PM - Greek yogurt or cottage cheese with blueberries or fresh fruit.  (This is like dessert.)

That's it.  Plain and simple!  :)

Week one...DOWN

Well we've all made it through our first week of competition.  It was a great week in some aspects and a very difficult week in others.  I'll get into all of that as I go through things here.  The bottom line is that I have discovered quite a bit about myself this week, and I really like what I'm beginning to learn.  I miss being an athlete, I didn't realize how much I missed it, and I'm determined to get back to that level again.

So I'll start with the laundry list of activities that I did this week by day of the week.  I'm expecting this to increase as time goes on and my body gets stronger, but I do believe that I pushed myself quite a bit this week.  It's interesting to flip your schedule...going to bed around 8 or 8:30 p.m. and getting up at 4:00 a.m.  It's a different feeling in its entirety, and a good feeling, not one that I was sure I would like.

Monday AM - First workout with our trainer Andi and then an additional 45 mins on the ArcTrainer
Monday PM - Line Dancing at Southside (This was a blast by the way, it's like club line dancing like the Cupid Shuffle.  It was a HECK of a workout!  I must have burned a bajillion calories!!)

Tuesday AM - Water Aerobics with some of the Purple Team members at Swift Creek and then an additional 20 minutes of lap swimming (I'd forgotten how much work that was!)
Tuesday PM - Zumba at Southside

Wednesday AM - Group workout with Andi and then an additional 30 minutes on the ArcTrainer and a full Upper body weight circuit (biceps, triceps, lats, shoulders, chest, etc. which took about an hour)

Thursday AM - Water Aerobics again at Swift Creek and some lap swimming

Friday AM - Group workout with Andi and then an additional 30 minutes on the ArcTrainer
Friday PM - Full lower body workout with a friend at Southside (quads, hamstrings, inner and outer thighs)

Then this weekend I have the following planned:

Saturday PM - Gentle Yoga and perhaps some cardio with a friend at Southside
Sunday PM - Line dancing with most of the Purple Team group at Short Pump

Then we'll get back to the regular grind on Monday.  I plan on uploading my armband data tomorow evening so I will post at more detailed look at calorie burn then, but I can tell you that on the scale I'm down almost 10 pounds in a week.  I feel good, I feel younger, stronger, and more like myself again.  With that said, however, not everything has been 100% positive this week.

When you venture out on a journey like this, you immediately begin to see which people in your life will be positive and supportive and which will try to be the "Debbie Downers" that you need to get out of your life.  Sometimes those people are the people that you honestly expected to be supportive.  Sometimes those people are manifesting their feelings of jealousy through trying to bring you back down to their level.  Sometimes they are so frustrated with the path of their own lives that they just cannot imagine anyone they know making such a radical change and focusing all of their energy on finding a new path.  Whatever the reason, they very quickly can become toxic to the new journey.  Their doubt, negativity, jealousy, and irrational behavior can spread like wildfire. 

It is crucial to any person involved in a life changing journey to surround themselves with supportive people, and to do everything possible to ignore those who would try to bring them down.  In my case, it's extremely difficult to ignore some of these people, as I am very close to them.  However, I know that my ultimate success depends on it.

It's hurtful beyond explanation for me.  I really believed that some of these people, including some who need more help than I do, would not only be supportive but would want to get involved as well.  I was under the incorrect assumption that they would want to better themselves.  It hurts that they do not.  If I could, I would bring every one I know, especially those who really need the help, along with me on this journey.  It hurts that some people I really cared about have given up.  It's sad really.  Sad beyond words.

I think that at this point, since I have made the decision, and the commitment to push myself through the good times and the bad on this road, that all I can do is keep going forward and hope that as these people see the changes in me that they will eventually realize that if I can do it, they can do it too, and they'll want to join in.  However, like I put as my status on facebook a couple of days ago, I have "discovered that the new venture in my life (the BAL competition) is pointing me in a completely new direction in every aspect of my existence. I believe this is a wonderful thing, and those who are still around to celebrate it with me when the dust settles are those who I will be fortunate enough to call friends."

So here's to those that will still be around for me in six months.  You are my true friends, and I do not know what I would do without you all!  Love you guys!

Information Overload Weekend!

The kick off to the 5th Be A Loser competition was yesterday at the Sierra Hotel out at Short Pump Town Center.  It was a day full of meeting great people who have accomplished much in their lives, getting more information than most know what to do with, interviews, and group exercise.  I don't think that I could ask to be part of a better program.  I am going to have to break down the information into a few blog posts, so I'll just focus this blog on the experience of yesterday.  I'm also going to try my hand at a photo blog here, so hopefully it will work and it won't end up looking crazy!

It was an early start to a Saturday, I was up and out of bed by 5:30 AM.  That's much later than I'll be getting up during the week from now on, but it was definitely early for a Saturday.  Thankfully I had been good and I didn't go out Friday night.  I did however stay up to watch the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games.  So I was a bit tired.  I got things together and headed over to Short Pump on the slick 288 since we had gotten a dusting of snow the night before. 

I got there and found my team ready to go and had to undergo the measurements and the weigh-in.  It was interesteing to see the measurements on my legs.  Mills was the one doing my measurements, I know him from Swift Creek AmFam.  He was surprised to see me I think.  Anyway, as he was doing my legs I warned him that they were different in alignment and that my left quad would be smaller than my right.  He was shocked about how different the kneecap alignment with my hip was, and my left quad was indeed quite a bit smaller than my right.  That doesn't mean that my left leg is skinnier, it just means that my quadricep muscle in that leg is not as strong or developed as my right leg.  I don't have any significant atrophy in the leg, but I know that the strength isn't on par.  I'm hoping that as part of this competition that will change.

So then of course comes the dreaded weigh-in.  It wasn't as terrible as I expected it to be, since I was prepared for the number.  Just so the entire world knows, my number is 279 pounds.  I'm not afraid of that number, because I know that this is the last time I will ever, EVER see that number on a scale when I weigh myself.  Now I'm not a big fan of numbers, so I'm not going to say I want to lose a specific number of pounds during this competition.  Whenever I set numbers, I end up being disappointed.  So what I will say is that I want to be able to shop in a normal store, run a mile, and feel strength in my joints.

After the weigh-in we had to have our pictures taken.  UGH!  One thing I absolutely hate.  So we had our before pictures done, and then moved out to the lobby of the hotel to get together as teams and talk some things out before the seminar started.  In the meantime, Desi, the PT coordinator for the company, asked me to do an on camera interview and I obliged her.  The cameraman wasn't bad looking, so it was easy for me to talk to him and smile.  (I'm awaiting the comments from my girlfriends on that one.)  Apparently he thought I was well spoken because he asked me for my information to be able to follow me through the competition and interview me during the journey and the "after" phase of all of this.  So who knows, y'all may end up seeing me as part of an AmFam commercial or something.  LOL!  My mother's comment was "maybe you'll have your own TV show someday Elizabeth."  Can't say I would complain about that.

During the break I was able to give my team a little gift that I'd bought for each one of them.  I got them the DietMinder food journal.  Here is the link to purchase one if you would like to join me on this journey or just get a hold on what you eat from day to day.

DietMinder Personal Food Journal from Amazon.com

It's a very cheap tool, only $10, that keeps you accountable every step of the way with what you're eating at any given time.  I'm starting my record today and I am hopint that the combination of this with our workouts will really lead me to the massive weight loss I seek.

After our break we got into the seminar.  There was so much information given that I am still trying to process it all.  There were great moments during the process that will stay with me and that give me something specific to strive towards as a goal.  The third place finisher from last year was the first to speak.  Stanley is his name and he's lost over 180 pounds at this point I believe.  He is now a group X instructor for American Family, and he was so full of life.  It was just wonderful. 

Desi got up and talked for a bit and asked everyone to sign up for the pound for pound challenge.  So those of you out there that have weight to lose, sign up as well and help feed hungry families in our local community.  You can go to http://pfpchallenge.com/ to sign up!  Our trainers Greg and Andi enjoyed the information too!

Then some of the sponsors, namely Massage Envy and Richmond Photographics wished us luck and gave us some information on their services.  Cool think is that the winner will get a 6 month free membership to Massage Envy, and a free set of family portraits from Richmond Photographics.  If you guys have never been to a Massage Envy, I absolutely reccomend it.  The membership benefits are awesome!  If you live over on the Southside of Richmond, come check out my location at Commonwealth Center in front of the Commonwealth 20 movie theater.  Tell them that I sent you! 

At that point we got into the meat and potatoes of the seminar....mmmm steak.  (Just kidding!)  Commonwealth Sports Medicine had an orthopedic surgeon and their nutritionist there to speak to us.  Dr. Stadler was the first to speak.  She focused on anterior knee pain and shin splints.  Both things that obviously I have issues with seeing the history of my knees.  She talked about therapies and things that I haven't heard of, and to be honest I can't wait to learn more from her about them. During the short break we took, I kind of pulled her aside and let her know that I had undergone a Fulkerson in June.  She was sympathetic to the struggle that the operation presents, and she told me to email her.  She happened to be sitting in the row right in front of me, so I see a bit of fate there.  I will detail those treatments and such, if my insurance will cover them, as the competiton goes on as I know some of you out there have knee issues as well.

Then we got into the nutrition information.  All I can say is WOW.  I mean really, WOW.  I thought that my wealth of knowledge about the subject was vast, but this professional, who also happens to be named Liz, was so knowledgable and willing to share every bit of it with us!  I will never look at some foods the same way again, and I am done killing myself slowly by eating crap.  That's what it is people, it's crap.  In fact I'm getting ready to go hit the grocery store here in a few minutes to stock up on good stuff.  I will get into more and more of the nutrition stuff as we go along, because I know this post is already getting lengthy and I don't want to bore you all to death.

After Liz was done speaking, we had a couple of other former contestants get up and share their experiences with us.  One of them went from 400 pounds to about half her size.  Amazing.  All through simple exercise, changes in the way you eat (we are not going to call it a DIEt), and enthusiasm for a new way of life.  It CAN be done people.  Like they said, if you don't have it in your heart, your mind cannot follow.

Lastly we got a hold of our team color balloons and wrote the biggest obstacle to losing weight that still faced us on the balloon.  FYI, I wrote two.  My two obstacles are FEAR and DOUBT.  I fear failure.  I have all of my life.  It's a big reason why I haven't taken more risks, risks that would likely lead me to a better place in life.  However I was taught from a very young age that failure and disappointment are not an option, so I just got to the point where I just wouldn't try.  Well I cannot be afraid any longer, because it isn't getting me anywhere.  Then of course there is doubt.  I've been told for many years by some close to me that I wasn't doing good enough.  Nothing I ever did was good enough.  That leads to a vicious cycle of self-doubt.  Which then fuels the fear of failure.  (I honestly cannot believe I am writing this all out at this point...it's taken me 31 years to be okay with saying these things and I'm still not 100% okay with it.)

Anyway, the point of the balloons was then we all walked a mile together, and at the end of the mile we released our balloons into the air, signifying letting go of that last obstacle and being ready to continue on this journey.  So here is our walk and release!

I think the store window behind Andi and Josh is fairly prophetic.  I had no idea that was there when I took the picture yesterday!

Countdown to letting go!

I think that we were all happy to let go!

GO TEAM SOUTHSIDE!  PURPLE TEAM!!! TEAMS ANDI AND GREG!! 

Have a wonderful Valentine's Day every one.  I love you all!

Snow Delay!

Well I really thought that I had moved back to Virginia from Colorado, but it looks like it has followed me here.  So the first weigh in and the kick off to the competition was supposed to be tomorrow, but all of this white stuff is going to prevent all of us from getting there.  It's been pushed back a week, so this will push the entire competition back a week, so it will actually end right at the end of July.  Hopefully the snow will stay away next weekend and we can get into it!  I'm ready to get started on this journey!

I've had a few moments over the past couple of days that have sort of reinforced this whole process for me.  On Wednesday, I had dinner with a couple of really good girlfriends of mine who I haven't had the chance to see in a while.  We ate at P.F. Chang's at Stony Point, and I ended up getting there a little early since my office is closer than they are.  So I decided to go searching for a purple shirt to wear to the first weigh in since we're the purple team.  I headed down the outdoor shopping area at Stony Point, and walked by so many stores with so many beautiful dresses and outfits that I have never been able to wear.  I went to Dillards and walked around the store, seeing so many things that I would love to buy and wear out and rock the way I know I could rock them.  I have never really had true hope before now that one day I could walk into a store like Dillards and grab a cute little cocktail dress, buy it and get out of the store quickly without agonizing over how I look in something.

Have you ever noticed how small the "woman" section is in a department store.  I guess I hadn't really thought about it until I was there this week.  It's a super SMALL section with lots of big clothes that don't have a shape, lack color, lack flair, and don't flatter...period.  I'm sick of having to shop in those sections because that kind of clothing doesn't allow me to express my personality through my clothes, which I love to do.  Now I'm relegated to using accessories, shoes, purses, jewelry to express myself.  I would love to have an outfit full express my personality and ambition.

I did find a purple t-shirt...in the men's department of course.  Dick's sporting goods doesn't carry anything for people who need to lose weight.  Kind of crazy if you ask me.  Here are the plus sized people who really need to get to the gym, and we have to go purchase menswear to do so and be able to be comfortable.  It doesn't make any sense.  Hmm....perhaps a future business venture?  How wonderful would it be for people who are overweight to be able to walk into a place like Dick's and purchase all of the work-out clothing and gear they need to feel comfortable, still attain functionality, and not feel like they're stuck in sweatpants and oversized shirts?  It really would be nice.

After shopping around and having a few revelations, I did end up having dinner.  Not the healthiest of dinners, but I did get a tofu entree, and I did split it three ways.  Kind of a last dinner out for six months if you will.  What was wonderful about the dinner was that I really talked to my friends about this competition.  They asked me tons of questions, and were absolutely 100% supportive and they can't wait for me to get to my goal.  I may have even convinced one of them to come walk the 10K with me.  The other friend will be running it like she does every year.  She runs every day.  This snow is killing her.  I asked her how much she runs and she said she does between four and six miles a day.  That kind of dedication is what I am looking to dig up out of myself.  With my knees I may not be able to run daily, but I want fitness, weight lifting, and nutrition to become a priority in my life.  I am dedicated to this goal and dedicated to making the life change.  It is only through changing our lives that we will be successful in this.

It's amazing how supportive all of my friends have been thus far and the competition hasn't even started yet.  It will get hard sometimes, but it's amazing to know that I have this huge network of people to fall back on, to moan and groan to, who will push me always to get to the next level.  I couldn't be more blessed when it comes to friends and family.  They're amazing.

Every one stay warm and safe in the snow!  Can't wait to get started in the competition!

Inspiration from afar

I know that the final season of LOST premiers tonight but I've never been a big fan of the show.  So instead I am indulging in the one program that I abolutely feel like I have to watch in real time, the Biggest Loser.  I love Bob and Jillian.  They inspire me on so many different levels.  Bob is actually going to be in Richmond on Monday the 8th, which coincides with our first day of training in the BAL program.  I'd give my right arm to be able to go to his seminar.  Perhaps not literally, but it would be awesome to see him speak.  I think maybe I'll add attending one of his and one of Jillian's seminars to my rewards. 

We have to have rewards for successes in life.  Without rewards we are less likely to push as hard as we possibly can to achieve our goals.  As part of this I want to set definitive rewards for myself.  That doesn't mean I have to spend a fortune on myself.  Although if I win the lottery, I'm going to have the whitest teeth and most beautiful skin and fanciest clothes in Richmond.  What it means is that I will reward myself by trying or doing something that I haven't been able to do because of my weight.  April, one of the ladies on my team, mentioned something at the group interview I'd forgotten about that has become a reward of sorts.  Going to an amusement park and being able to ride a rollercoaster again and not being afraid that I won't fit in the seat.  That would be a reward. 

There are so many more along those lines.  Going to the movies with my friends and being able to actually relax and sink into the huge theater stadium seating, instead of feeling like I have to squish myself in an awkward position so I'm not laying my weight on them, literally.  That's a reward.  Putting on the size smaller jeans that I bought over a year ago.  That would be a reward.  Actually being able to run part of the half-marathon in Virginia Beach in September.  That's a reward.

So I guess the point of this is that we all have to have inspiration of some sort.  We can be inspired by people like Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels.  We can be inspired by our families, our friends, our heros, or we can inspire ourselves.  It may be even more important to continually inspire yourself.  At the end of the day you can only look in the mirror and be proud of what you have accomplished and look forward to accomplishing more the next day.  I look forward to motivating and pushing myself beyond my wildest expectations, and I know that my team members and my trainer will push me as well. 

*Side note...if she'll let me, I do eventually want to do a little profile shout-out type thing to my trainer Andi as I get to know her better...though I can say that I can't wait to learn all I possibly can from her about her expertise in kettlebells, Muy Thai and Jiu-jitsu.*

If these contestants on the Biggest Loser can do this, then so can I.  I am just as strong as they are, and just as motivated...perhaps more so in some ways.  I know this is it for me, and I want it to be it for the rest of my team as well.  While Saturday is intimidating, just stepping on a scale is horrifying in a sense, I look forward to it as being the very last time in my life that I will ever have to feel the terror of being weighed.  For after Saturday, I want to look forward to the scale, knowing it will be lower and more satisfying each time I weigh myself until I get to my goal.

Here's to pushing ourselves!

"Pushing outside of your comfort zone....this is what is going to get you to your goal." ~Bob Harper

First Team Meeting and Monument Avenue 10K

We had our first team meeting this morning at 6 AM at the gym.  I have to admit that is early!  Of course I couldn't sleep last night so getting up was a bit more difficult.  Every one on both of the teams seems very enthusiastic about the competition, so I know that will enable the group to be successful as a whole.  We had a yogurt social, i.e. we ate greek yogurt with strawberries and granola and drank coffee while we got details about the program.  It was good to see every one again and to meet the contestants I hadn't yet had a chance to meet.  After talking to some of them one one one I am even more encouraged about this program working for me because they have some of the same or similar issues that I have had throughout my life and my struggle with my weight.  It's a commonality that will be crucial for us all over the next 24 weeks.  We will need each other to lean on and to get through rough times.

I was able to bring up the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K.  I will be walking the 10K this year.  I invited all of the other contestants to join me, and I know a couple of them were really excited about the prospect.  The ones who are able to and I will be walking in the last wave, so we should have plenty of time to complete the course.  I'm hoping I can get every one to wear purple of some sort so that we can carry on the purple team from the gym!  (Yeah our team color is purple, so purple gifts of a fitness nature are acceptable.  j/k)

I've wanted to participate in the 10K for years.  I have so many friends that run the race, really run it, and I've always wanted to be able to be a part of their training and eventual running of the course.  Granted I won't be able to run it this year, my knee is still getting stronger, but I am hoping that I will be able to next year.  As part of this blog, I'm enouraging even my healthy friends to join me in certain things and the 10K is a great thing to be a part of.  So, if you have thought about doing it, and would like to walk it with the purple team, BRING IT!!  It's only $30 to register between now and the end of the month.  The website is as follows:

http://www.sportsbackers.org/events/10k/10k.htm

I hope to see all of you there!  It's about time for me to get to work, so I hope every one has a wonderful and fit day.  I'll be posting part two of the reasoning behind doing this program at some point hopefully this evening.  I also plan on posting the activities we do during our training sessions and the knowledge that I am sure I will gain from this program as it goes on, so if you have anything to share, please feel free to comment on the blog posts!  Love you all!!