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.......