Still Going

If anyone is still following this....

I am still doing well. I kept it up until school let out for summer. But, I have managed to maintain during that time. Now that school has started back, I have started back to the gym. It was easier than I thought it would be, to get back into it. I just did cardio this week. Next week I will get back into the weights. I know I will experience all that soreness again. But am looking forward to it.

The End of the Competition

It has been a blessing to have been a part of this competition. I have learned so much. There are no excuses now. If I slip back into my old lifestyle, and become unhealthy again, I have no one to blame, but myself. I cannot use ignorance as a crutch either. I have the tools and knowledge. I also have a few workout buddies, so there goes that excuse, too.

I am very happy with my results to this point. We have worked so hard, and it paid off big time. I have seen my teammates after pic's, and they are amazing!!!! I said I had tried everything before and was unsuccessful. Obviously, I never truly changed my lifestyle.

It has been tough at times. Was it too hard to workout or eat the way I should.....no. It just takes being ready to put some effort into it. The hard part was to put other things on the "back burner" while I took the time to do something for me. It would have been so easy to put off a workout to get caught up on laundry, wash dishes, mop, etc. Who am I kidding, it wasn't that hard. I started to enjoy working out. Eating healthy was more of a challenge. There were so many temptations. I was able to resist most of them. I did have pizza twice and Girl Scout cookies. Moderation is key.

It all comes down to this..... I know I will succeed. I have already. This is not the end, though. It will be a lifelong journey. I have made some great friends along the way, too. I didn't experience any sadness when the competition ended, like I thought I would. Probably because not much will change. I will continue to workout. I will see my teammates, who will also be working out. We will stay in touch, no matter what. It is amazing how bonded you get with people while doing something like this. I have to say, I know some things about my teammates that would be considered TMI. I am sure that Mike will occasionally pass by while I am working out and throw out one of his famous "mikeisms". I will probably hear them in my head anyway. I think they are embedded in my brain.

I can not thank Kduv and In Shape enough. I am truly grateful for this opportunity. My teammates and our trainer Mike are just as responsible for my success as I am. I wouldn't have been able to do it without them. You guys are the best!!! Thanks also to my friends and family for their encouragement and support.

Thank you Almighty for the strength to endure.

I will admit, when I compared my before and after pictures.... I cried. When they are posted, you will see why. I am very happy to have made it to the top 5. If that is as far as I make it, so be it. I never thought I would get this far. We will see what Thursdays results bring.

As I said before, this is not the end. I'll keep you posted.......

The End Is Near...

Slowly but surely, I am making my way to the top.



I thought 1st place was mine. At least, that's what I was told this morning when I got the call. Then, I got another call. They had found a mistake in the #'s, so it put me in 2nd. Kari felt really bad, but I told her they will be calling me in two weeks to tell me I am in first place again. That is the one that counts. I am very optimistic. I was supposed to be in second place at the last elimination. There was another mistake with the #'s. I lost 2.5% body fat instead of 1.5%. That was a difference of 7 points, which would have put me at 32 points total for 2nd place. I think I am going to buy Jason a calculator:) Anyway, the next elimination is the most important one. Kari and Dale will be calling me again, and there will be no mistake. I am slightly competitive, in case you haven't noticed;)



I have learned a lot through this challenge. One of the major things is to trust in others. I have to say, in the beginning, I thought my trainer didn't know what he was talking about. (He is rather young) A lot of things he told us were opposite of what I thought to be true. But, I decided to trust in him. I noticed the other contestants talking about how long they were working out for, how many days a week they worked out, and how many times a day they worked out. I worried that we were going to fall behind. I voiced my concerns, and Mike assured me that if I stayed the course it would all workout in the long run. What do you know.....he was right. We have kicked into overdrive. There is no stopping us now.



Cyndi and I worked out together all week, over Easter break. It really paid off. We pushed each other, and had quite a few laughs. I don't know how many times we almost drowned in the pool last night. Who knew how hard it was to laugh and swim at the same time?! I think I might have a future in commercials. lol. Mike had made a comment about how much the two of us talk and mess around, but towards the end of our workouts on our group days we got less talkative. (Because we were gasping for air!!!) Despite Mike's efforts for us to be serious, we have proven that you can workout hard and still have fun in the process. We have even got Mike to laugh a couple of times. That was a challenge in itself.



I will let you all know that Cyndi and I will be taking 1st and 2nd place for the last elimination. Hanford will take this competition. Sorry, I haven't done much trash talking, so I figured I would get it in now.



To my husband, who told me in the beginning, if I win this he would get me a new car(neither one of us thought I would make it passed the 2nd elimination)......start shoppin'!!!!!

Look Out Ashley!!!!

I did it! I'm still in! I heard this morning that I am in 4th place. Wow! On one hand, it's a great thing, on the other, I know that our group days are going to be that much more intense. There are only two of us left, so Mike will be able to keep an eye on us at all times. I can only imagine to torturous things he is cooking up in his demented little head for us. He mentioned tears when we started, and I was a little confused(I know, easily done). I have a feeling it will all become clear to me come Saturday. But, hey, it's working, right! So what am I complaining about? I have seen amazing result in such a short time. This experience has been a blessing, and life changing. I am so appreciative of this opportunity.

Jennifer, I know you will achieve your goals! You work so hard. I know it has been tough with school and working out, but don't fall off the wagon. We all know how hard it is to get back on, so don't get off and there will be no worries. There is no stopping you now. I will be looking forward to continuing our workouts together.

The only other thing I have to say is, look out Ashley! I'm coming for your spot, #1! My youngest really wants that ipod touch. lol. I have a renewed energy. I can see the finish. I notice a big difference in my body, and so can everyone else.

In Mike's words "Failure is not an option!" Thanks for your hard work and laying awake at night thinking of new ways to make us hurt. But, remember how important sleep is!!

To everyone reading this, please pray for Cyndi and I in the weeks to come. I know it will become more difficult the longer we are in this. This has not been a piece of cake, by any means. However, all the work is so worth it. I am proud of my team, as well as the others, for all we have accomplished, so far.

This journey continues.....

Another Week Down

It's been a tough week, but it was worth getting to Saturday. Mike continued to torture us for our group workout. If you have never heard of "boot straps" consider yourself lucky. If someone mentions them, run away. We did get some revenge of sorts though. One of our "stations" was throwing blows at Mike. I have to admit, I enjoyed it a little too much. It was great to get some frustrations out. We missed you Kim. Don't worry, we didn't have to do 8 counts.

Tomorrow couldn't come soon enough. I am nervous, again, about this elimination round. My results were good, but I'm not sure if they were good enough. I lost lbs. and inches, but not much body fat. I was slightly disappointed. But I did my best, that's all I can do. You can see the difference in all of us every week. Our results are amazing!!! If it wasn't for this being a competition, I would be elated about my progress. There are quite a few people doing a lot better than me. I take that back, I am very pleased with my progress. I have never seen results like this with anything else I have tried. So personally, I am doing great, and that is all I need to focus on. Wow, I feel like I should pay someone $150.00 an hour for that session. ;0)

Whatever happens, I will continue this after my time in the competition. Probably at a more gradual pace though.

This is hard work!!!!

I know, no one said it was going to be easy. It really is a lot of work. I guess that is why there are so many Americans that are overweight. Soon, I will not be one of them! I was checking myself out in the mirror today, and was pretty proud of what I saw. Don't worry, I haven't become one of those people who check themselves out all the time. Honestly, I try to avoid glancing in the mirror. I know that all this work is paying off. It's the only thing that keeps me going. Well, that and my insane competitiveness. lol.

All in all, it is so worth it. The accelerated results help motivate, but I am so glad I signed up for this. Even though I may whine about it sometimes, I am so grateful for this opportunity. I wonder why I haven't been successful before, when I have tried to get into shape. I think I just didn't know what I was doing. It is so worth it to have a personal trainer. I wouldn't be able to afford one on my own, but the knowledge it a vital part of putting it all together.

Our group day was crazy exhausting. Every week, I think, wow, it can only get better after this. And every week, Mike kicks it up a notch(or two). I asked him where he comes up with this torture he calls exercise. He just chuckles. Cyndi said he lays awake at night thinking of ways to kill us. He went with that. I don't know where it came from, but we pounded it out. All the girls did awesome. I learned it is a lot easier to jump rope on a basketball court than on carpet. I cranked out 50 sit ups in record time for me. I don't recall doing 50 sit ups at one time, in my life. When we started I was not even able to do one. I was also reminded of why I didn't like doing "suicides" in basketball conditioning.

I ran into Jenn at the gym and we worked out together. It was great! I haven't been able to workout with anyone. I go in the morning and my teammates mostly go in the evenings. It was a good change of pace. I enjoyed the company and worked harder than I probably would have on my own. We busted through some hard stuff. It is so great to see the changes in each other, in appearance and strength.

I tried group cycling this week. I did one class on Thursday and then met Cyndi and Mike at 5:30am on Friday for another. It was worth getting up that early, just to see Mike sweat for a change! lol. I saw Cyndi's head bobbing a few times, so I knew she was still moving. It wasn't as bad as Joe made it out to be. I would take a cycling class over our group session, any day.

I am looking forward to this weeks weigh in. It will be rewarding to see how the hard work is paying off. One more workout day to go. Better make it count! It's late and I am tired, so it's off to bed for me. Hope this made sense.

I can breath, a little....

Okay, the first elimination is out of the way. And I'm still here!!!!! I will admit I was feeling pretty good about my progress until.....we saw everyone's results. I am tied for 12th. WHAT?! All that work and such a difference in my body and health and that's where I land?! Don't get me wrong, I am very proud of myself. But, I am way too competitive to let that go. I don't know how I can do more, but it will come from somewhere. This is unacceptable!!!! My inches and body fat % were great, but those lbs. that's what got me. I know I have built muscle that's why my number wasn't as high. Again, I can live with that. I am not focused on the lbs., just how I feel and how my body is looking.

It was a sad day on Monday when we heard the names announced of the eliminated team members. I have to say I cried when I heard Jen's name. Then I cried again, when I found out Hillary gave up her spot to Jennifer. We will miss your smiling face and cheerfulness. Then I thought, it's okay, we will all continue in this journey no matter how long we stay in the competition. We have the tools and knowledge to get it accomplished, just without the pressure. lol. I want to stay in as long as I can, because I learn new things every week.

This week has been tough so far. Monday and Tuesday it was a fight to get through my cardio. Today I prayed through it for strength. You know what happened? I made it!!!! Why do I sound surprised? I thought it was a silly thing to ask God for. However, I learned 'God will supply ALL my needs', no matter how small or insignificant in the grand scheme of life. (Something else I learned this week!)

I will keep following your progress Hillary. Keep up the good work!!!!! You are such an generous and awesome person!

The Big Day

Tomorrow is the big day. I am so nervous! The second guessing has started. Did I do enough? At the time, I thought I was, but now the doubt sets in. My jeans are looser, I think my arms are smaller, people say they can see it in my face, and my thighs have gotten bigger. I can live with that because I can see and feel the muscle that is slowly replacing the fat. But still I wonder if it is going to be enough. The Hanford girls are all doing well. We can see the changes in each other. However, one of us will have to go after Monday. Whoever it is, it will be a sad day.

This week has been especially tough for me. My butt has been kicked every day. I'm not complaining though, Mike. People don't even ask me anymore if I worked out today. They can tell by the way I walk and move, especially on my leg days. Most of the time laughing at me(Teri). I am in a constant state of soreness, somewhere in my body, at all times.

I don't want to be the one to go on Monday. But, if I am........Jennifer, keep it up girl. You CAN do this. I have seen you push through some tough stuff..........Hillary, you have the advantage over all of us, you are young. Make it happen........Kim, I know it is tough right now. You have the busiest schedule, but you are still here doing it everyday. You ROCK!!......And last, but not least....Cyndi, I don't have to worry about knowing how you are doing, because I know every time I get in my car, someone on the air will be reading from your blog. You are such a celebrity. lol.......Oh yeah, I can't forget Mike......Thanks again for kicking my butt and pushing me when I didn't want to be pushed. I didn't like it very much, but I understand why, now. Thanks to you, I have some great tools to keep going. Many thanks to Kduv and In-Shape for their help and support through this great journey.

If I don't go........look out!!! I will be in full force in the weeks to come. My friend Missy gave me a scripture, and I'm holding on to it.

FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION!!!!

Elimination is close!!

I can't help but worry about next week. We have 1 week from tomorrow until the first elimination. I have been working my butt off, but the results are not what I would like them to be. Hopefully we have worked out what works best for me as far as calories and fat/protein/carb ratios. The diet has been going good. Meals have been worked out to suit my needs. Most of the time my lunch and dinner are the same. That's okay for now, but the time will come when I will need to switch it up, so I don't get bored. I have a few to choose from right now, so I'm good.

I strained a stomach muscle last week, so my core workouts have been skipped this week. While trying to do crunches today, I could still feel a pain, less than what it was, but I want it to go away before I try too much. It was almost better, than I made it worse on Sunday. Not a good time to not be doing abdominal exercises. I will have to catch up.

Group session was great!! We missed you Kimberly! Again, I was not able to participate fully, so I was disappointed about that! That's a first, being upset about taking it easy. Like Cyndi, I too found out I can no longer jump rope. Maybe hand feet coordination is off, I don't know. We sweat a lot, as usual(thanks again Mike). The Hanford team is awesome!! While this IS a contest, we are totally supporting each other. We are not going to let any one of us fail. For some reason, when you have people cheering you on, you can find that something extra you need to push through. We can all do this. We just need to have support along the way. I have tried to loose weight on my own. It was very difficult to stick with. When you have people going through the same things you are, you realize you are not alone. That you are not the only one who is struggling. It truly is a blessing to be a part of this.

By the way, I did survive the birthday cake on Saturday. I didn't even have a taste!

Obsessed????

Okay, all I can think about is this challenge. How many calories will this burn, how many calories are in that food, what am I going to eat next and how do I balance the calories? I'll be thinking about stuff constantly. Then, out of no where, blurt out some random answer to what ever I was thinking about, or something I have learned in this journey. Whoever is around me at the time probably thinks I am a nutcase. My mom was quizzing me today at lunch. How many calories are in that? Does it meet your requirements? What if you had this? I could answer all of them. I didn't even have my cheat sheet!!! I think it is sinking in. Something has crept into this thick skull of mine. Yes!!!!!

I have to say, I am not seeing the numbers. But, I feel great. I have been sore every day since Monday.(Thanks Mike!) Today is not so bad. I only did cardio. I have learned to sweat, and like it. Okay, I don't really "like" it, but I know I'm working hard. That I like. I have to remind myself that I didn't get fat overnight, so why would it just melt away overnight. Patience is not my thing, I have to admit. That is another struggle I have had with my weight. I would do some thing, be it diet or exercise and if I didn't see results in a week, I would give up. This is week two and I'm still here!!!!

Yesterday was a bad day for me. I can't explain what exactly the problem was, but I was in a funk. I woke up today, and praise God, it was a new day!!!! I was focused during my workout. I did better than I thought I would. Yesterday was a struggle. I wanted to do more but I have a blister on my pinkie toe. It is very painful. In trying to avoid the pain in my toe, it felt like I was making another blister on the ball of my foot. I cannot get another blister. I want to be able to fully participate in our group workout this weekend. I have tomorrow off to recouperate. Yea!

Even though the numbers are not there. I am noticing some changes. I can feel the muscles in my biceps WITHOUT flexing. I am starting to see some definition in my legs. I think I am going to go with the saying "muscle weighs more than fat".

Please keep me in your prayers this weekend. We are going to a birthday party and I know the cake will be exquisite. If you haven't tried a cake from "the cake guy", let me tell you, you haven't had cake! It will take more will power than I can possibly have on my own to refrain from tasting "the cake". They are really beautiful, too. You can see some pictures of his creations at http://www.thecakeguy.net/.

"I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me."

Still going

Saturday was our group training day. Let me tell you I don't even think I pushed that hard during childbirth. It felt like we were on The Biggest Loser! During the gruelling workout I thought, what did I get my self into. Then I realized, that's what I signed up for. Did I think it was going to be a cake walk? If it was easy I wouldn't be here. I would already be in shape and fit. We all would. But, I've learned that it does take hard work and dedication. I am shocked that I made it through without passing out. That hour felt like 2 or 3. It was as if time stood still. I guess that saying is true...Time flies while you are having fun. There was no fun involved. I didn't appreciate our session at the time. But, I sure did afterwards. Even the next day, and the day after that! I was a little disappointed when we weighed in. But, it just makes me want to work that much harder this week.

Monday was another set of exercises to add to my weekly routine. I do have to say they felt pretty good. I have been sore since Saturday's workout. I'm not complaining though. It's definitely a good sore. So far I'm doing good with my motivation to get to the gym. I want to see a bigger number next time we weigh. I know I still need to do more though.


The food part is almost as hard as the workouts. Who knew it would be hard to eat 1500 calories in a day? I didn't have a problem with it before. I was eating less food before, but it was very high in calories. Now, I am having a hard time filling my calories for a given meal. Healthy food doesn't have much calories. Then you have to worry about the balance of your calories, fat, protein, and carbs. It is getting a little easier. Only I need to eat 1800 calories now. I don't know how I'm going to do it, but I will find a way. The 26th is getting here quick. I am going to give it everything I got!

Feelin' It

This morning I was thinking, I may have to tell Mike I need to step it up a notch. I wasn't feeling anything. All that hard work and no pain. I have to say I was a little disappointed. I had some things to do this morning at my kids school, but I knew I had to go to the gym today. It wouldn't be a problem to go after.



Well, needless to say once 11am came, I didn't feel much like going to the gym. The teachers were coming in and out of the staff room, so Teri and I would talk to them as they were coming and going. Motivation was NOT there. Noon came around and I knew I had to get moving or there would be no time to go before my kids got home. Then it would be even more difficult to go.



I came home and checked something online for my husband. In looking at the emails, there was one from Missy that had 'in shape challenge' in the subject line. So I clicked on it. It was just what I needed to get me motivated again. The Lord works in mysterious ways. Even through email! So I got ready to go to the gym, and headed out. Rocked out to Kduv on the drive over. Joe was talking about who you don't want to "be" at the gym. You know the one that needs to make an entrance, or the one who doesn't just grunt he yells, the one who skips the deodorant. I haven't seen anyone at In Shape that fits into any of "those" people. Everyone is just there doing their thing.

So after checking in, it's straight to the treadmill in the women's area upstairs. If it was a possibility that I might try to jog today, I wouldn't want to fall off in front of that many people. So I hop on and get started. About 10 mins. into it I'm thinking, no jogging today. Then the half way point comes and you think, I can do this. With 10 mins. to go the treadmill decides to stop raising the incline. It's now stuck on 3.5! I tried to change it a couple more times. It wasn't working . Instead of stopping and changing treadmills I decided to stick with it, since it was close to the end. I just sped it up a little when it was supposed to increase in incline to keep my heart rate up. It was working. On a whim I tried to increase the incline and it worked, so I resumed the switching back and forth. Let me tell you, if anyone was next to me they might have thought I was one of those people Joe had talked about earlier. The sweat was dripping off of me, my face was red. My butt was kicked again!! I got in my car and turned the air on! While driving on the freeway, my stomach muscles started burning. Wow! I was feeling it!



You won't hear me saying I'm not feeling a workout again!

IT'S ON!!!!!

Okay. Saturday was the BIG weigh in. The before picture thing is over. Thank you Jesus for helping me get through. Cari helped a lot, too. She was able to distract me from the fact that I was standing there, in my sports bra and shorts, that this photo was going to be post on the world wide web, and that people that I know (and don't know) will be able to see more of me than my husband has seen in a long time. But, now that it's all out there for everyone to see, it makes me more determined to make a change. I have to work hard to change it. In the beginning, it was more about being healthy. That picture changes things a little. I found out a friend showed it to another friend in Walmart! How embarrassing is that. I have people showing other people! (thanks Amie and thanks Lizz for reminding me how easily accessible the internet is from cell phones these days!) I guess that's what I signed up for.The pressure is on! By making those healthy choices, everything else will fall into place. Cari, LJ, and Joe were all great, and fun to talk with. They are just as funny in person, as they are on the radio. ;) You know what else, they go through the same stuff us non-radio people go through.

We met our trainer on Saturday afternoon. He was great. We got a lot of good info from him. We would get more on our personal session. Which for me was Monday. I have to say my butt got kicked! Who knew 30 mins. on a treadmill could hurt so much? I did 45 mins. on Sunday, so when Mike said I would do 30 I thought....piece of cake!!! WRONG!!!! Evidently, I didn't do it right. I thought I might die a little over half way through. But, I pushed on! And I made it!! I did have to hold on to the treadmill, but I kept going. The floor exercises also, kicked my butt. I haven't done most of them since high school. Some of them I couldn't do at all. Some I was unable to do as many as Mike would have liked for me to. The others were all challenging. I was given the number of calories I should be eating in a day. It doesn't sound like much, but when you have to eat every 2-3 hours, I had to make myself eat at first. Now, I want to eat when it's time. My body is telling me I need to refuel. I used to be able to go until dinner, or when my kids came home from school to eat, sometimes. I couldn't imagine that now. That was part of my problem.

I was sore on Tuesday. Only in my legs though. I think it was the lunges:D I have to say I was glad it was my day off. I think we are the only team that is taking some time off. I have the tendency to go all out when I try to lose weight. My trainer says that is not a good idea. So I am sticking to his schedule. I'm pretty sure he knows what he's doing. I also want this to be something I stick with. Don't want to burn out and have nothing left, when it gets tough.

Today I had my 2nd workout. I have to say it was easier than Monday. I didn't hold on to the treadmill at all, except to check my heart rate, twice. I didn't cheat on my 60 and 30 seconds. When it came to the floor exercises, I was able to do most of them, as many times as I should have. It was hard, but I am determined! I left the gym feeling quite good. Tomorrow my be a different story.....We will see. It will be just cardio, so I think I will be fine. Maybe I will try jogging on the treadmill. I don't know if I am ready for that or not. I tend to be a little clumsy when it comes to that kind of thing.

Something I still need to work on ....drinking more water!!!!

I Can't Wait!!!!!

The suspense is killing me. I want to start now!!! My youngest daughter told me this morning, "It's almost time." I responded with, I know, you are going to be late for school, if you don't hurry up. She said, "No. It's almost time for the In Shape Challenge to begin." I think my girls are as excited about it, as I am. They like to remind me of all the things I will not be eating anymore.

I had similar experiences, as other contestants, when reading about our BEFORE picture. We will have to take a biggest loser style pic on Saturday. This is not the part of the Challenge I am looking forward to. Actually, this may be the biggest challenge, of The Challenge, for me. With His help, I will make it through. I did buy my sports bra and shorts earlier this week. I tried on I don't know how many different styles and sizes. I thought, is it worth all this? Of course it is!! I know I will be praying all the way, keeping my eyes on Him. The victory will come! Whether or not it will be going all the way to the end, or having to say goodbye to my team earlier, I will claim victory over my health. Tonight, I went looking for a good pair of workout shoes. I have to say, it was a lot easier picking out the shoes! We will be weighing in on Saturday too. Then, it's on!!!!!!!

In reading our trainer's blog, I have to say he sounded a little drill instructorish (in a good way). But I am definitely ready for whatever he throws at me. I know it will be worth it in the end.

In the words of 'musclemike' "FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION!"

Getting Ready

It was so awesome to come home, check my answering machine, and hear Cari's voice saying I had been picked as one of the contestants for the In Shape Challenge. My kids and I were jumping up and down with excitement. I didn't think my chances were very good to get picked. But, I'm glad I didn't let that negativity stop me from entering.

This will be a great start to 2009. I'm getting older and realize how important it is to be healthy. Lack of energy, grumpiness, and the number of rolls in my midsection increasing are just a few of the side effects I've noticed from being unhealthy. The main reason I entered was to get healthier. I want to be a good example for my daughter's. My kids see the way I live my life and they follow that example. I want them to see my healthy choices and follow those, too. First, I need to make those healthy changes. Not knowing were to start will not be an issue. I will get a lot of info from this challenge that will get us well on our way. And, if I happen to become a size 6 in the process, I guess I can live with that side effect.

The teams will meet for the first time on January 31st. I can't wait to get to know my fellow teammates. I thought being from a small community, I might know at least one of my teammates. I don't know any of them. We will become close, I'm sure. I know we are all competing, but we ultimately have the same goals. When you get a group of determined women together, there's no stopping us.

Thank you to the KDUV family. I am truly greatful for the opportunity to be a part of this challenge.

Can't wait to get started. GO HANFORD TEAM!!!!