Only 1 day left before the big finale....wow, seems impossible to believe that this day is here already....but there were times, you remember, when the sweat was dripping off my brow, as I barely kept my balance on the half ball (still can't remember the names of some of this equipment - ha!) or when the trainer would say "10 more" when I was seriously ready to lay down on the dirty gym floor due to lack of oxygen and energy....and now, NOW I"M NOT READY FOR THIS DAY TO BE HERE :(
Happy?! Yes, very much so.....I'm down 30 pounds from January 7th
Proud of myself?! Yes, very much so...as Hannah Isabel would say "I deed it!" although I still want to get another 7 pounds or so off....
Scared?! Yes, very much so.....as hard as it was to lose it, it is even harder to keep it off!!!!
Fat, fat go away, don't come again another day........................
It's so easy when you are IN THE ZONE, but what happens if I happen to drive OUT OF THE ZONE?! Then what? I talk to my friends at work and hear their struggles and recognize every one of them as struggles from my past, that I don't want as a struggle in my future....
So what is the answer?!
Keep on moving
Eat healthy, treat yourself here and there, but "live" in the zone with your diet
Keep the stress OUT of your life
It was about a year ago, when I started gaining my weight back that I had previously lost on Weight watchers...we had gone on a trip to Greece with the family and while I did great on the trip, I got back to my job and TONS OF STRESS at work....seriously, I don't know what happened next...but within a month or 2, I had gained 25 pounds back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The sad part was that I wasn't really overeating....but I was experiencing lots of stress at work and lots of long hours and those 2 things added up to lots of desk sitting and weight gain!
I was so frustrated and miserable....and it seemed like no matter what I did, I couldn't get in "the zone".....then in December, along came the LOSE A TON opportunity....and the rest of the story, you know!
So this time, I'm going to put into practice what I learned.....you see when I did lose 30 pounds on Weight watchers before, that was great, BUT, I wasn't exercising the way I did this time....
Man, this time I WORKED for this weight loss....It still seemed to come off more slowly than I would have liked, but it did come off but with lots of sweat and exercise and healthy eating! I feel healthier than I have in years.....
So, tomorrow, during the LIVE finale on SHOW ME ST. LOUIS on Channel 5 @ 3pm, I'm going to think about that moment, how great I feel, how happy and healthy I am, and try to lock that memory in......Let's feel great about where we are and what we have accomplished! It was never easy, but boy was it worth it!
And to the 3 finalists, my good pals, Diane, Kathleen and Taira and all the rest of the LOSE A TON group- you girls are ROCK STARS!
We did it girls! We made it to the end! But the "end" is just really the beginning....the beginning of a new and healthier way to live and live longer!!
So just for today, remember the "end" is not the "end", but rather it represents a whole new beginning.....what is your new beginning!?
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
Day 110 - Diet tip #99....Share with Hannah :)...Just in time for the FINAL weigh in...ready or not!?
After spending 6 short, but glorious days with the kids and granddaughters in Abu Dhabi, I'm home......As with every adventure, I learned a few things on the trip...
1) Diet tip #99 - If you want to stay on your diet, just share with Hannah Isabel, my adorable 3 year old granddaughter....If it is anything good, she will keep the big "half" and give you the small half - ha! A child after my own heart and thank you Hannah for helping Grandma stay on her diet the whole trip!
2) Walking/running in Abu Dhabi is not only a great cardio workout, your sweat glands work in overdrive as well! I'm pretty certain that all of those toxins you sweat out of your body are lying on the sidewalk somewhere between Emily and Luis's beautiful villa and the corniche.....as that is the stretch I journeyed over each day in Abu Dhabi....I'm sure there were many "locals" wondering who was that strange American woman, running in that get up, with water bottle in tow, and sweating like crazy! Hope it did burn some of those calories!!!!
3) Time spent with your family is PRICELESS! No, this isn't a NEW revelation, just definitely worth repeating.....Hannah Isabel, at 3, is smart, funny and adorable....Eva Marie is so precious and just starting to try to coo....to cute for words! I love my children and grandchildren and thank the good Lord above for the tremendous blessing I received with Emily, Kelly, Luis, Hannah and Eva!!! (and Doug to :), but I was focusing on "kids" right now...)
and Buster and Charlotte too of course, those 4 legged kids are priceless as well! And they were as glad to see us as we were to see them!
4) 15 1/2 hour flights are hard on the body and that was just from Dubai to Atlanta! Man, coach class is not the best sleeping arrangement, no matter how you sit in the seat! But did manage to get in some cat naps and took a long stretch halfway through the flight..Also caught a few movies.....Best part was making it from "door to door" in only about 20 hours, instead of the usual 24 plus!
5) Spending 6 days in Abu Dhabi did not give us enough time to fully get on "their time", so hoping the switch back to "our" time will be fairly easy.....After a few cat naps on the plane last night, I have been up since arriving in Atlanta at 6am today....but I can feel bedtime coming very soon....
6) Camels and sand storms are ALIVE and WELL in UAE! I got a first hand look at both of them....still tasting the sand in my mouth....got some great camel pixs too!
Day 110 came much quicker than I thought it would...tomorrow is FINAL WEIGH IN~ I seriously have NO idea how much weight I have lost....I was doing well before I left but hoping to lose a few more pounds before our final weigh in....hoping some of that sweating in Abu Dhabi paid off...but will have to wait until tomorrow to see if it did or not....I know that I am very proud of my accomplishments on this journey....I'm not done yet, regardless of the "final weigh in" tomorrow....this is a journey, not a race.....so I will keep going to get to my goal weight and also to my "fitness" goal...Hoping to do a 5K in a few weeks....Plus I "pitched" the idea of a LOSE A TON reunion show the end of the year to the Producer...As hard as losing the weight is, it is even harder to keep it off....hoping a "reunion show" will keep us all in check and give us the opportunity to get to a good weight and maintain it for a while until we can really grab hold of our new body and new weight....
Until tomorrow, think about what your plan is to not only attain your goal, whatever it may be, but to MAINTAIN your goal as well......Off to bed....filming at 830a in the morning at the weigh in....will likely air something on SHOW ME ST. LOUIS on Wednesday....all I know for sure is the FINALE is LIVE on this Friday, April 30th on the 3pm, Channel 5, SHOW ME ST. LOUIS show...be there or be square :).....via DVR of course!
1) Diet tip #99 - If you want to stay on your diet, just share with Hannah Isabel, my adorable 3 year old granddaughter....If it is anything good, she will keep the big "half" and give you the small half - ha! A child after my own heart and thank you Hannah for helping Grandma stay on her diet the whole trip!
2) Walking/running in Abu Dhabi is not only a great cardio workout, your sweat glands work in overdrive as well! I'm pretty certain that all of those toxins you sweat out of your body are lying on the sidewalk somewhere between Emily and Luis's beautiful villa and the corniche.....as that is the stretch I journeyed over each day in Abu Dhabi....I'm sure there were many "locals" wondering who was that strange American woman, running in that get up, with water bottle in tow, and sweating like crazy! Hope it did burn some of those calories!!!!
3) Time spent with your family is PRICELESS! No, this isn't a NEW revelation, just definitely worth repeating.....Hannah Isabel, at 3, is smart, funny and adorable....Eva Marie is so precious and just starting to try to coo....to cute for words! I love my children and grandchildren and thank the good Lord above for the tremendous blessing I received with Emily, Kelly, Luis, Hannah and Eva!!! (and Doug to :), but I was focusing on "kids" right now...)
and Buster and Charlotte too of course, those 4 legged kids are priceless as well! And they were as glad to see us as we were to see them!
4) 15 1/2 hour flights are hard on the body and that was just from Dubai to Atlanta! Man, coach class is not the best sleeping arrangement, no matter how you sit in the seat! But did manage to get in some cat naps and took a long stretch halfway through the flight..Also caught a few movies.....Best part was making it from "door to door" in only about 20 hours, instead of the usual 24 plus!
5) Spending 6 days in Abu Dhabi did not give us enough time to fully get on "their time", so hoping the switch back to "our" time will be fairly easy.....After a few cat naps on the plane last night, I have been up since arriving in Atlanta at 6am today....but I can feel bedtime coming very soon....
6) Camels and sand storms are ALIVE and WELL in UAE! I got a first hand look at both of them....still tasting the sand in my mouth....got some great camel pixs too!
Day 110 came much quicker than I thought it would...tomorrow is FINAL WEIGH IN~ I seriously have NO idea how much weight I have lost....I was doing well before I left but hoping to lose a few more pounds before our final weigh in....hoping some of that sweating in Abu Dhabi paid off...but will have to wait until tomorrow to see if it did or not....I know that I am very proud of my accomplishments on this journey....I'm not done yet, regardless of the "final weigh in" tomorrow....this is a journey, not a race.....so I will keep going to get to my goal weight and also to my "fitness" goal...Hoping to do a 5K in a few weeks....Plus I "pitched" the idea of a LOSE A TON reunion show the end of the year to the Producer...As hard as losing the weight is, it is even harder to keep it off....hoping a "reunion show" will keep us all in check and give us the opportunity to get to a good weight and maintain it for a while until we can really grab hold of our new body and new weight....
Until tomorrow, think about what your plan is to not only attain your goal, whatever it may be, but to MAINTAIN your goal as well......Off to bed....filming at 830a in the morning at the weigh in....will likely air something on SHOW ME ST. LOUIS on Wednesday....all I know for sure is the FINALE is LIVE on this Friday, April 30th on the 3pm, Channel 5, SHOW ME ST. LOUIS show...be there or be square :).....via DVR of course!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Day 102 - Changing MY world, 1 bowl and trot at a time...
Ok, so what the heck do I mean with that title?! I know, sometimes my titles are a bit strange to say the least, but I have to pull you in with something!? Although I'm not sure if anyone (other than my family who has to - ha!) is still reading this blog, after all, it is over 100 days now!!!
So, I learned something big this weekend......even though I was extremely disappointed that I'm NOT in Abu Dhabi yet, playing with Hannah and Eva (and Luis and Em too of course!), I did make the most of a few unexpected days off at home....
My dear friend Terry, just went through breast cancer surgery and is doing AWESOME! But she is amazing, so not a surprise to see her incredible determination go full steam ahead with this journey! So I thought this was a perfect opportunity to make her a meal now instead of waiting until I returned from my trip....she just had surgery this past week...so this is leading in to my DISCOVERY....
1. Did you know that you can make TEXAS CAKE without LICKING the bowl, before you put it in the dishwasher?! Bigger surprise, you can put the icing bowl IN the dishwasher WITHOUT licking that too!? I wouldn't have believed it either, but I experienced it this weekend......I guess you could say I BEAT THE BOWL AND BEATERS! LOL! Now many of you are thinking this is absurd, but for those SWEET ADDICTS and BAKERS, you KNOW exactly what I'm talking about.... I must say CUTTING the cake was a little bit tougher, but I had just a small taste, will have to conquer that part later....I sent all the cake somewhere so I did get it out of the house, but doesn't it figure, Kelly took a plateful to the Trivia game night last night and this morning, some of that dang cake was staring back at me when I woke up today...but I just said NO to that plate and went on to the next discovery....
2. Did you know that you can RUN when you are "walking your dog"? Yesterday, Kelly, aka Jillian from Biggest Loser, went on the 2 mile walk with Charlotte and me.....I wanted her to "inspire" me to move a bit faster on my walk.....as we started climbing the hill to the top of our street (honestly, when did Mount Everest move to St. Louis?!?), she turned to me and said, "let's go mom".....YIKES! GO WHERE?! Up this mountain?! With me and what vehicle? My 2 legs?
Those old wobbly things? Ok, let's go.....
Well, RUNNING may be a bit strong, I like to call it TROTTING......envision the Clydesdales...without all the leg fur.....Off we went, trotting up the hill, me gasping for air...
Ever since my radiation, hills are KILLERS! But I just kept trying the breathe in through your nose and slowly exhale out your mouth....and it WORKED!
But that little snot, when we got to the top of Mount Everest (actually Burlewood Drive), I was ready to walk, but nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo, she said, come on, let's keep GOING.
WHAT?! Are you KIDDING ME?! Going where.....to an oxygen park?!
But you know how the roles change and all of the sudden our kids are telling us what to do...
well off I kept going, trotting and puffing and breathing.....to the next subdivision where the Drill Seargeant allowed me to stop trotting and walk a nice brisk pace....We kept alternating between trotting and walking until we finished our 2 miles....
ALLELUIA! 56 years and I'm trotting....I don't care if apparently I am a "slow learner" (that is what they say when you don't do something at the "right age" but eventually get there), I am there!
This morning, I did it AGAIN just to make sure I wasn't dreaming this whole TROTTING business....Charlotte and I (the drill seargeant had another something to go to...) took off and did the 2 miles....trotting and walking all the way....who knows, I may end up liking this after all..
So leaving this afternoon for Dubai and some time with the kids...can't wait....
Until tomorrow, try out one of those "trots" yourself......and just say NO to any bowls that come your way!!!! Enjoy this beautiful Sunday...I will...all the way to Dubai!!!
So, I learned something big this weekend......even though I was extremely disappointed that I'm NOT in Abu Dhabi yet, playing with Hannah and Eva (and Luis and Em too of course!), I did make the most of a few unexpected days off at home....
My dear friend Terry, just went through breast cancer surgery and is doing AWESOME! But she is amazing, so not a surprise to see her incredible determination go full steam ahead with this journey! So I thought this was a perfect opportunity to make her a meal now instead of waiting until I returned from my trip....she just had surgery this past week...so this is leading in to my DISCOVERY....
1. Did you know that you can make TEXAS CAKE without LICKING the bowl, before you put it in the dishwasher?! Bigger surprise, you can put the icing bowl IN the dishwasher WITHOUT licking that too!? I wouldn't have believed it either, but I experienced it this weekend......I guess you could say I BEAT THE BOWL AND BEATERS! LOL! Now many of you are thinking this is absurd, but for those SWEET ADDICTS and BAKERS, you KNOW exactly what I'm talking about.... I must say CUTTING the cake was a little bit tougher, but I had just a small taste, will have to conquer that part later....I sent all the cake somewhere so I did get it out of the house, but doesn't it figure, Kelly took a plateful to the Trivia game night last night and this morning, some of that dang cake was staring back at me when I woke up today...but I just said NO to that plate and went on to the next discovery....
2. Did you know that you can RUN when you are "walking your dog"? Yesterday, Kelly, aka Jillian from Biggest Loser, went on the 2 mile walk with Charlotte and me.....I wanted her to "inspire" me to move a bit faster on my walk.....as we started climbing the hill to the top of our street (honestly, when did Mount Everest move to St. Louis?!?), she turned to me and said, "let's go mom".....YIKES! GO WHERE?! Up this mountain?! With me and what vehicle? My 2 legs?
Those old wobbly things? Ok, let's go.....
Well, RUNNING may be a bit strong, I like to call it TROTTING......envision the Clydesdales...without all the leg fur.....Off we went, trotting up the hill, me gasping for air...
Ever since my radiation, hills are KILLERS! But I just kept trying the breathe in through your nose and slowly exhale out your mouth....and it WORKED!
But that little snot, when we got to the top of Mount Everest (actually Burlewood Drive), I was ready to walk, but nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo, she said, come on, let's keep GOING.
WHAT?! Are you KIDDING ME?! Going where.....to an oxygen park?!
But you know how the roles change and all of the sudden our kids are telling us what to do...
well off I kept going, trotting and puffing and breathing.....to the next subdivision where the Drill Seargeant allowed me to stop trotting and walk a nice brisk pace....We kept alternating between trotting and walking until we finished our 2 miles....
ALLELUIA! 56 years and I'm trotting....I don't care if apparently I am a "slow learner" (that is what they say when you don't do something at the "right age" but eventually get there), I am there!
This morning, I did it AGAIN just to make sure I wasn't dreaming this whole TROTTING business....Charlotte and I (the drill seargeant had another something to go to...) took off and did the 2 miles....trotting and walking all the way....who knows, I may end up liking this after all..
So leaving this afternoon for Dubai and some time with the kids...can't wait....
Until tomorrow, try out one of those "trots" yourself......and just say NO to any bowls that come your way!!!! Enjoy this beautiful Sunday...I will...all the way to Dubai!!!
Friday, April 16, 2010
Day 100 - So what does the Iceland Volcano, dormant for about the last 200 years, have to do with me, you ask!?
No, I'm not relating myself to an exploding volcano, although sometimes, I like to think my planks are pretty explosive.............NOT! :)
So last time we "talked", I was taking a quick 4 hour nap (2am-6am) before heading off to see my children ACROSS EUROPE to the Middle East (that should give you a good hint of where this is heading, or in this case, DIDN'T HEAD :(....
Yesterday morning, up and moving early, last minute things thrown into the suitcase, bags all accounted for (and spreadsheets done to help me remember all the contents, since 3 of the 5 bags are full of "surprises" for Hannah and Eva :)....and a few for Em and Luis too of course!
Kelly is up to take us to the airport...tearful goodbyes at Lambert as she wishes she were going to, she misses these babies too, especially not having gotten to even touched sweet little Eva yet in person, and Em and Luis too of course ..
SIDE NOTE:
Grandparents have a bad habit of FOCUSING on the babies; it's NOT that we forget about our wonderful children, in this case, Em and Luis...but come on...these little perfect babies, just can't get enough of them....you know the picture....at the airport...there they are, 4 of them waiting and off the plane we come and we RUN...................and go right for Hannah and Eva, as Em and Luis stand smiling from ear to ear.....so proud of their amazingly perfect little creations...
But that doesn't mean they don't give us a little trouble, since we went right for the kids and as the tears of joy flow, say, hellllllllllllllllllllloooooooooooooooooo, we are glad to see you guys too - lol! It is "just the way it is in grandparenthood"....you young folks will find that out soon enough :).....we learned that when our kids were young from our parents - ha!
Anyway, back to yesterday's "adventure"....................
So we head into the airport, with our wonderful skycap assistance, bags piled high, me with my purse, the size of Texas, and my laptop, Doug with his carryon (you remember the one, with enough food to serve the whole plane?), and his bag of "reading material"...do you have the "Griswald image" yet, you should! Check in goes well, 4 bags checked and off we head to the gate....long long lines, everyone wants to travel today it seems... we make our first "airport friends", a cute couple from Edwardsville, a bit older than us (believe it or not!) who are heading to Barcelona on a Mediterranean cruise (birthday compliments of their 4 sons - NO PRESSURE kids :)!).....they are on our flight from stl to JFK also...
Security always poses a fun adventure for my "fake knee" husband....so after the normal pat down and bag search, we are heading to the gate, where we make a few last minute phone calls to the credit card company and bank just to confirm, YES we ARE going to be spending money in the MIddle EAst, so don't hold us back please!
The flight from STLJFK is a miniature plane, at least that is what the seats felt like. a 70 seater that most men bumped their head on as they entered the plane....but who cares, i'm going to see Hannah and Eva and Em and Luis, it's well worth it!!! We take off and I close my eyes for a little nap, man that 4 hour nap last night is catching up with me....
Once at JFK, I'm getting excited, 1 flight down, 2 to go....we bumble off the plane, all our carryon gear in tow, and come face to face with the airline screen and notice large RED letters on the 350p flight JFK to AMSTERDAM.................CANCELLED......
Although we are scheduled to leave JFK to AMSTERDAM at 630p, that set off an alarm...between Doug and I, we have over 54 years of airline experience...international flights just don't CANCEL, like a domestic flight would....too hard for airlines to "reposition" their planes.. So we head over to a nice DL gentlemen who proceeds to tell us about the........
VOLCANIC ASH issue, but doesn't seem too alarmed, it's just the 350p flight cancelled, not YOURS! RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!
Long story a bit shorter....here's a play by play of the next 6 hours at JFK...
-By the time, we get to the next terminal, our flight is CANCELLED
-We head to DL ticket counter, which of course if BULGING with other happy passengers and the DL agent tells us to CALL the 800 number listed on the screens "we don't rebook people here" WHAT!!?!?!? ARE YOU SERIOUS???!~
-We are starving by now, so we head to grab something while I dial up the 800 number .....
within 2 minutes, the automated answer has DISCONNECTED me, no, not because there was ASH on the line, it was because "they are experiencing a high volume of calls, can you please call back later"! SERIOUSLY, HAVE I ENTERED THE ASHY TWILIGHT ZONE?!!!
-We call our dear friend Brenda, who works for Delta and seriously was probably happier than ANYONE when our flight actually left today, as she was free of our questions for the next 10 days...OR SO SHE THOUGHT! We just wanted her ideas on what to do next.....she gave us another number to dial but in the meantime, I had already redialed the 800 number and immediately asked, via the voice response unit, for REPRESENTATIVE...btw, that is KEY when you are calling anyway, don't go through all the prompts, just ask right upfront for REPRESENTATIVE and it bypasses a bit...
-After no less than an hour plus on the phone with Yolanda and lots of going back and forth (they seriously just told us to stay at JFK until Sunday and they could get us out!!! Of course the $300/night hotels were on us!), we had a plan: They would fly us back to ST. Louis that evening and rebooked us on Sunday (which was the first available flight) but instead of Abu Dhabi, we would fly St. Louis to Atlanta nonstop to Dubai...Dubai is 60 miles away from Abu Dhabi, but it apparently somehow bypasses the "ash", still not clear about that part...maybe the "southern route", don't know....but the catch was (and there is always a catch)...we would have to go back to the ticket counter as they couldn't make the changes in the reservation but would document it well...
-Back to the ticket counter and literally after 2 hours with Latoya (our new best friend at Delta!), she had booked us back to St. Louis last night, and booked us to leave on Sunday afternoon now from St. Louis to Dubai via Atlanta.....by this time, I was not feeling well for some reason, hot and a little nauseous (must be from all the ash)....so they had a chair for me....Doug thanked Latoya with a big tip! and off we went to catch our bus back to terminal 2 for our flight back to St. Louis
-We nearly missed our flight as the guy driving the bus to terminal 2 decided to take an "extended break" from driving, but thankfully we made it! And had an awesome flight attendant, who after listening to our story, insisted she give us some "drinks", which Doug graciously took her up on....I stuck with my water...
We were back in St. Louis by 930p last night after a LONG TRIP to JFK airport, although our 4 checked bags are stuck in the ash somewhere, supposedly (at least that is what DL baggage center said) should be back in St. Louis by 1pm today.......
We called Emily with the sad news....
1. We are NOT on the way as planned, although we did a "practice flight" today
2. We are still coming but now our trip is cut down to 7 days :(, plus we need a ride from Dubai!
But there is always good news, which we can't forget....
1. We are SAFE, a little older from the experience but safe - ha!
2. We had another opportunity today to build the virtue of "patience" (not sure how good the build went ha!)
3. We are rebooked on Sunday....although we really were pushing for flights today, apparently they are still not going, so hopefully by Sunday we will be heading out....AGAIN!
Life never gets boring, does it!? Ok, off for some exercise...much needed after all that sitting yesterday!!!
Just for today, find your reasons to be thankful....you can find them...somewhere buried under ash....
And prayers for all those affected by that and the China earthquake..no shortage of things to pray for, that's for sure!
So last time we "talked", I was taking a quick 4 hour nap (2am-6am) before heading off to see my children ACROSS EUROPE to the Middle East (that should give you a good hint of where this is heading, or in this case, DIDN'T HEAD :(....
Yesterday morning, up and moving early, last minute things thrown into the suitcase, bags all accounted for (and spreadsheets done to help me remember all the contents, since 3 of the 5 bags are full of "surprises" for Hannah and Eva :)....and a few for Em and Luis too of course!
Kelly is up to take us to the airport...tearful goodbyes at Lambert as she wishes she were going to, she misses these babies too, especially not having gotten to even touched sweet little Eva yet in person, and Em and Luis too of course ..
SIDE NOTE:
Grandparents have a bad habit of FOCUSING on the babies; it's NOT that we forget about our wonderful children, in this case, Em and Luis...but come on...these little perfect babies, just can't get enough of them....you know the picture....at the airport...there they are, 4 of them waiting and off the plane we come and we RUN...................and go right for Hannah and Eva, as Em and Luis stand smiling from ear to ear.....so proud of their amazingly perfect little creations...
But that doesn't mean they don't give us a little trouble, since we went right for the kids and as the tears of joy flow, say, hellllllllllllllllllllloooooooooooooooooo, we are glad to see you guys too - lol! It is "just the way it is in grandparenthood"....you young folks will find that out soon enough :).....we learned that when our kids were young from our parents - ha!
Anyway, back to yesterday's "adventure"....................
So we head into the airport, with our wonderful skycap assistance, bags piled high, me with my purse, the size of Texas, and my laptop, Doug with his carryon (you remember the one, with enough food to serve the whole plane?), and his bag of "reading material"...do you have the "Griswald image" yet, you should! Check in goes well, 4 bags checked and off we head to the gate....long long lines, everyone wants to travel today it seems... we make our first "airport friends", a cute couple from Edwardsville, a bit older than us (believe it or not!) who are heading to Barcelona on a Mediterranean cruise (birthday compliments of their 4 sons - NO PRESSURE kids :)!).....they are on our flight from stl to JFK also...
Security always poses a fun adventure for my "fake knee" husband....so after the normal pat down and bag search, we are heading to the gate, where we make a few last minute phone calls to the credit card company and bank just to confirm, YES we ARE going to be spending money in the MIddle EAst, so don't hold us back please!
The flight from STLJFK is a miniature plane, at least that is what the seats felt like. a 70 seater that most men bumped their head on as they entered the plane....but who cares, i'm going to see Hannah and Eva and Em and Luis, it's well worth it!!! We take off and I close my eyes for a little nap, man that 4 hour nap last night is catching up with me....
Once at JFK, I'm getting excited, 1 flight down, 2 to go....we bumble off the plane, all our carryon gear in tow, and come face to face with the airline screen and notice large RED letters on the 350p flight JFK to AMSTERDAM.................CANCELLED......
Although we are scheduled to leave JFK to AMSTERDAM at 630p, that set off an alarm...between Doug and I, we have over 54 years of airline experience...international flights just don't CANCEL, like a domestic flight would....too hard for airlines to "reposition" their planes.. So we head over to a nice DL gentlemen who proceeds to tell us about the........
VOLCANIC ASH issue, but doesn't seem too alarmed, it's just the 350p flight cancelled, not YOURS! RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!
Long story a bit shorter....here's a play by play of the next 6 hours at JFK...
-By the time, we get to the next terminal, our flight is CANCELLED
-We head to DL ticket counter, which of course if BULGING with other happy passengers and the DL agent tells us to CALL the 800 number listed on the screens "we don't rebook people here" WHAT!!?!?!? ARE YOU SERIOUS???!~
-We are starving by now, so we head to grab something while I dial up the 800 number .....
within 2 minutes, the automated answer has DISCONNECTED me, no, not because there was ASH on the line, it was because "they are experiencing a high volume of calls, can you please call back later"! SERIOUSLY, HAVE I ENTERED THE ASHY TWILIGHT ZONE?!!!
-We call our dear friend Brenda, who works for Delta and seriously was probably happier than ANYONE when our flight actually left today, as she was free of our questions for the next 10 days...OR SO SHE THOUGHT! We just wanted her ideas on what to do next.....she gave us another number to dial but in the meantime, I had already redialed the 800 number and immediately asked, via the voice response unit, for REPRESENTATIVE...btw, that is KEY when you are calling anyway, don't go through all the prompts, just ask right upfront for REPRESENTATIVE and it bypasses a bit...
-After no less than an hour plus on the phone with Yolanda and lots of going back and forth (they seriously just told us to stay at JFK until Sunday and they could get us out!!! Of course the $300/night hotels were on us!), we had a plan: They would fly us back to ST. Louis that evening and rebooked us on Sunday (which was the first available flight) but instead of Abu Dhabi, we would fly St. Louis to Atlanta nonstop to Dubai...Dubai is 60 miles away from Abu Dhabi, but it apparently somehow bypasses the "ash", still not clear about that part...maybe the "southern route", don't know....but the catch was (and there is always a catch)...we would have to go back to the ticket counter as they couldn't make the changes in the reservation but would document it well...
-Back to the ticket counter and literally after 2 hours with Latoya (our new best friend at Delta!), she had booked us back to St. Louis last night, and booked us to leave on Sunday afternoon now from St. Louis to Dubai via Atlanta.....by this time, I was not feeling well for some reason, hot and a little nauseous (must be from all the ash)....so they had a chair for me....Doug thanked Latoya with a big tip! and off we went to catch our bus back to terminal 2 for our flight back to St. Louis
-We nearly missed our flight as the guy driving the bus to terminal 2 decided to take an "extended break" from driving, but thankfully we made it! And had an awesome flight attendant, who after listening to our story, insisted she give us some "drinks", which Doug graciously took her up on....I stuck with my water...
We were back in St. Louis by 930p last night after a LONG TRIP to JFK airport, although our 4 checked bags are stuck in the ash somewhere, supposedly (at least that is what DL baggage center said) should be back in St. Louis by 1pm today.......
We called Emily with the sad news....
1. We are NOT on the way as planned, although we did a "practice flight" today
2. We are still coming but now our trip is cut down to 7 days :(, plus we need a ride from Dubai!
But there is always good news, which we can't forget....
1. We are SAFE, a little older from the experience but safe - ha!
2. We had another opportunity today to build the virtue of "patience" (not sure how good the build went ha!)
3. We are rebooked on Sunday....although we really were pushing for flights today, apparently they are still not going, so hopefully by Sunday we will be heading out....AGAIN!
Life never gets boring, does it!? Ok, off for some exercise...much needed after all that sitting yesterday!!!
Just for today, find your reasons to be thankful....you can find them...somewhere buried under ash....
And prayers for all those affected by that and the China earthquake..no shortage of things to pray for, that's for sure!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Day 98 - And off we go.............
As I sit here at 120am....just about finished packing for Abu Dhabi....I'm tired from a long day, but excited about what happens next....heading to see the kids TODAY......YAY!
Had a early start today at the office by 615am....I had high hopes of getting in there early, getting my stuff done and getting out by 4p or so...about 630p I left the office, went to do the nail thing and eyebrows etc (OUCH that hurts!) and was home by 830p.
Then the dreaded PACKING began...I had started a bit of packing yesterday but for some reason I get frozen when I start packing...I tend to just keep staring at all the stuff that needs to go INTO the bag, instead of just picking the stuff up and putting it INTO the bag...when we go see the kids, I bring so much stuff for them, that I have to make "baggage content lists" for each bag just in case the bags get lost....You know how it is when the kids are so far away and literally you only see them a couple times a year..you have to fit in all the holidays you missed plus all the cute little things you have picked up over the last several months..and pretty soon the bags are bulging with stuff! And now there are 2 beautiful babies to spoil, plus Luis and Emily, so that equals a lot of STUFF! Doug and I manage to squeeze our clothes into as small of a space as possible...
The carry on is the IMPORTANT bag....If we need to, we will be able to provide the ENTIRE airplane their choice of PEEPS, granola bars, M&M minibags (for Emily's 1st graders), Fannie MAY (for the kids NOT me!!!), Thai lime cashews (Luis LOVES lime!), Lime chips (what can I say, I LOVE my son in law), cadbury eggs (and love EMILY too!)....and that isn't even the entire list! There are also some flatbread crackers and individual bags of tuna - 24 hours of flying, I can't rely on airline food being too healthy!!!
Moving off the subject of food......
I watched the LOSE A TON today and it is down to 4 ON AIR contestants, Diane, Taira, Kathleen and Monica. They have all been amazing and look fantastic! Unfortunately, 1 more has to go home on Friday and it will be down to the "final 3"....so excited for them at what they have accomplished on this journey! I can't wait to join them the end of the month at our final "blindfolded" weigh in on the 27th, which I understand we will then be LIVE on the SHOW ME ST> LOUIS show on Friday, April 30th....more on that later...
Between the LOSE A TON today and AMERICAN IDOL tonight and DANCING WITH THE STARS last night, they all have some type of "eliminations"...they are all painful to watch and some even make you cry! But they all also make you feel so proud of those that are being eliminated, for what they have accomplished!
So just a little over 2 weeks to go in my LOSE A TON journey - wow it has been lots of hard work and sweat and a few tears, but so incredibly wonderful......I feel great and have never really felt deprived at all, but more energized than ever (except for right now - ha!)
So heading to bed to catch a few hours before the alarm goes off at 630a....5 hours from now...
So until tomorrow, which is already actually today, think about YOUR journey these last 98 days...how have you changed?! We are not done yet, so keep it up...WE CAN DO THIS, I will be..........in Abu Dhabi!!! (and I understand I will be SWEATING :)!)
Had a early start today at the office by 615am....I had high hopes of getting in there early, getting my stuff done and getting out by 4p or so...about 630p I left the office, went to do the nail thing and eyebrows etc (OUCH that hurts!) and was home by 830p.
Then the dreaded PACKING began...I had started a bit of packing yesterday but for some reason I get frozen when I start packing...I tend to just keep staring at all the stuff that needs to go INTO the bag, instead of just picking the stuff up and putting it INTO the bag...when we go see the kids, I bring so much stuff for them, that I have to make "baggage content lists" for each bag just in case the bags get lost....You know how it is when the kids are so far away and literally you only see them a couple times a year..you have to fit in all the holidays you missed plus all the cute little things you have picked up over the last several months..and pretty soon the bags are bulging with stuff! And now there are 2 beautiful babies to spoil, plus Luis and Emily, so that equals a lot of STUFF! Doug and I manage to squeeze our clothes into as small of a space as possible...
The carry on is the IMPORTANT bag....If we need to, we will be able to provide the ENTIRE airplane their choice of PEEPS, granola bars, M&M minibags (for Emily's 1st graders), Fannie MAY (for the kids NOT me!!!), Thai lime cashews (Luis LOVES lime!), Lime chips (what can I say, I LOVE my son in law), cadbury eggs (and love EMILY too!)....and that isn't even the entire list! There are also some flatbread crackers and individual bags of tuna - 24 hours of flying, I can't rely on airline food being too healthy!!!
Moving off the subject of food......
I watched the LOSE A TON today and it is down to 4 ON AIR contestants, Diane, Taira, Kathleen and Monica. They have all been amazing and look fantastic! Unfortunately, 1 more has to go home on Friday and it will be down to the "final 3"....so excited for them at what they have accomplished on this journey! I can't wait to join them the end of the month at our final "blindfolded" weigh in on the 27th, which I understand we will then be LIVE on the SHOW ME ST> LOUIS show on Friday, April 30th....more on that later...
Between the LOSE A TON today and AMERICAN IDOL tonight and DANCING WITH THE STARS last night, they all have some type of "eliminations"...they are all painful to watch and some even make you cry! But they all also make you feel so proud of those that are being eliminated, for what they have accomplished!
So just a little over 2 weeks to go in my LOSE A TON journey - wow it has been lots of hard work and sweat and a few tears, but so incredibly wonderful......I feel great and have never really felt deprived at all, but more energized than ever (except for right now - ha!)
So heading to bed to catch a few hours before the alarm goes off at 630a....5 hours from now...
So until tomorrow, which is already actually today, think about YOUR journey these last 98 days...how have you changed?! We are not done yet, so keep it up...WE CAN DO THIS, I will be..........in Abu Dhabi!!! (and I understand I will be SWEATING :)!)
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Day 94 - GO St. Louis!!!!!! Congrats to Kelly, Allison and the rest of the rock stars today!!!
Happy Sunday to everyone....weather is perfect.....sun is shining, Spring is here and the flowers are blooming....
Just got home from cheering on my daughter Kelly, niece Allison and all of their friends, on their 1/2 Marathon at GO! St. Louis downtown today.. WOW, what an accomplishment! Over 23,000 runners today...
As we stood there at the 13 mile marker, we cheered the runners on....runners of every shape, size and age..It was phenomenal to see the diversity in the runners, reminding us all that it just takes YOU to make it happen...
There was a "juggler" that had juggled the entire 13.1 miles! There was a beautiful lady in a wheelchair, being pushed by possibly her daughter...both smiling and proud of where they were and what they were doing....I read in the paper about a handsome 20 year old young man, diagnosed with Autism, who was also running..
It was a beautiful day, surrounded by support and love, energy and determination.....all either there to run or there to support..just the way life should be..cheering people on whether you know them or not, supporting others that need it when they need it...
As 1 young woman struggled past us at the 13 mile mark, it was clear to see she was having a hard time with the last tenth of a mile, but she was pushing her way to the finish line...at first I thought perhaps she had pulled a muscle, but my sister thought she was about to go down and sure enough, as we looked to our right, 15 feet away, she suddenly fell to the ground... Immediately, the runners at her side, STOPPED in the last 10th of the mile of THEIR race and went to her aid, but found that even with 2, they couldn't get her back up...luckily some of the volunteers and spectators on the sidelines jumped in and within minutes, she was whisked away in an ambulance...
I thought to myself, omg, she made it to over 13 miles and literally went down in the last 10th of a mile...
Life can be like that sometimes as we know, especially on this journey we are taking...we give it our ALL, try hard to FINISH, but sometimes go DOWN right before the end in spite of our best efforts.... I said a prayer for that girl, wherever she is now, I'm praying that some water and rest brought her back to full health again....
My daughter Kelly, had her own challenges on the race today as she was approaching mile 12 (mile 11 to 12 had been totally uphill), and really pushing it...she started throwing up.....although she said she did get some strange looks from those runners ahead as she started dry heaving and kept running, but eventually had to stop to throw up, poor thing! But then got right back in the race again and had a great finish....still waiting for her final time..
So the message today is FINISH, however you can, WHENEVER you can, just make it to YOUR finish line! After years of "finish what's on your plate, children in China are starving" (I never really did understand what those leftover vegetables on my plate had to do with them, as I knew we weren't sending them to China!), "finish what you start", "last one to finish is a rotten egg" (that was painful one as a child!)....we should have learned that lesson by now...
Today was just a reminder of how important it is to do just that FINISH! But my message isn't about being the FIRST to finish, but rather just to FINISH... and being proud of finishing...,..
Just for today, what are you going to finish!? I have so many things left to finish, let's see where should I start.....the dishes, the laundry, the blog, the powerpoints for work, packing for my trip to Abu Dhabi this week......and oh yeah, my LOSE A TON contest.....down to the last few weeks...I guarantee you I'm going to FINISH that!!!
Have a great Sunday...and with that, I just FINISHED the blog for today :) - YAY!
Just got home from cheering on my daughter Kelly, niece Allison and all of their friends, on their 1/2 Marathon at GO! St. Louis downtown today.. WOW, what an accomplishment! Over 23,000 runners today...
As we stood there at the 13 mile marker, we cheered the runners on....runners of every shape, size and age..It was phenomenal to see the diversity in the runners, reminding us all that it just takes YOU to make it happen...
There was a "juggler" that had juggled the entire 13.1 miles! There was a beautiful lady in a wheelchair, being pushed by possibly her daughter...both smiling and proud of where they were and what they were doing....I read in the paper about a handsome 20 year old young man, diagnosed with Autism, who was also running..
It was a beautiful day, surrounded by support and love, energy and determination.....all either there to run or there to support..just the way life should be..cheering people on whether you know them or not, supporting others that need it when they need it...
As 1 young woman struggled past us at the 13 mile mark, it was clear to see she was having a hard time with the last tenth of a mile, but she was pushing her way to the finish line...at first I thought perhaps she had pulled a muscle, but my sister thought she was about to go down and sure enough, as we looked to our right, 15 feet away, she suddenly fell to the ground... Immediately, the runners at her side, STOPPED in the last 10th of the mile of THEIR race and went to her aid, but found that even with 2, they couldn't get her back up...luckily some of the volunteers and spectators on the sidelines jumped in and within minutes, she was whisked away in an ambulance...
I thought to myself, omg, she made it to over 13 miles and literally went down in the last 10th of a mile...
Life can be like that sometimes as we know, especially on this journey we are taking...we give it our ALL, try hard to FINISH, but sometimes go DOWN right before the end in spite of our best efforts.... I said a prayer for that girl, wherever she is now, I'm praying that some water and rest brought her back to full health again....
My daughter Kelly, had her own challenges on the race today as she was approaching mile 12 (mile 11 to 12 had been totally uphill), and really pushing it...she started throwing up.....although she said she did get some strange looks from those runners ahead as she started dry heaving and kept running, but eventually had to stop to throw up, poor thing! But then got right back in the race again and had a great finish....still waiting for her final time..
So the message today is FINISH, however you can, WHENEVER you can, just make it to YOUR finish line! After years of "finish what's on your plate, children in China are starving" (I never really did understand what those leftover vegetables on my plate had to do with them, as I knew we weren't sending them to China!), "finish what you start", "last one to finish is a rotten egg" (that was painful one as a child!)....we should have learned that lesson by now...
Today was just a reminder of how important it is to do just that FINISH! But my message isn't about being the FIRST to finish, but rather just to FINISH... and being proud of finishing...,..
Just for today, what are you going to finish!? I have so many things left to finish, let's see where should I start.....the dishes, the laundry, the blog, the powerpoints for work, packing for my trip to Abu Dhabi this week......and oh yeah, my LOSE A TON contest.....down to the last few weeks...I guarantee you I'm going to FINISH that!!!
Have a great Sunday...and with that, I just FINISHED the blog for today :) - YAY!
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Day 90 - I made it in the Ladue News :)
A few weeks ago, I got a call from Julie @ the Ladue News....she said she wanted to interview me about the LOSE A TON contest.....My daughter's friend, Jenny, works there and had shared my blog with Julie and after reading some of it, she decided to call and do a story.....What a surprise!
http://www.laduenews.com/articles/2010/04/01/living/wellness/doc4bb4db7c5df99766626388.txt
My first thought was almost a bit fearful, "what will the other contestants think?" I felt a little odd getting the interview, after all, I'm just an "at home" contestant now.....After all, what did I really have to share? My pictures aren't great and after all, I'm only down 20 something pounds, unlike some of the rock stars still on TV that are in the 30's and 40's weight loss area now...
Then I realized..........STOP THE NEGATIVE TALK, DO THE INTERVIEW AND ENJOY AND CELEBRATE YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS THUS FAR!!!
So often, I find that I have to talk myself back to feeling good about where I am and what I have done in this contest...I have a terrible tendency to keep comparing myself and wondering WHY CAN'T I DO THAT? HOW COME I HAVEN"T LOST MORE WEIGHT? WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?
So I decided I needed to sit down and have a talk with myself....remind myself about where I have come from the last 90 days....remind myself that I am working hard and despite the scale not showing it like I would like it to, I'm making headway and changing my life....Sometimes all it takes is a little "self talk time" - although an earlier talk with my sweet daughter Kelly tonight, also bordered on that same conversation.....
So I guess the point of this column is to CELEBRATE YOUR VICTORIES, EVEN WHEN THEY AREN"T EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR! Take the time to recognize your accomplishments and it is okay to give yourself a pat on the back every once in a while!
Since Easter my foot was swelling a bit more, so the last couple of days, I took the easy route and just did a bike ride for a few miles...so tonight, when I had a training session, it didn't take long and I was sweating and huffing and puffing.....At first, Ms. Self Doubt was there at the gym, thinking, I don't know if I can do this, up and down, push ups, planks, squats, weights, over and over.....after about 30 minutes, we went outside and she had me doing a series of squats followed by sprinting across the lot and sprinting back and more squats....by this time, my shirt was soaked, I was totally out of breath but I was HAPPY! Ms Self Doubt had LEFT THE PARKING LOT and I was back in my sweaty happy zone....
So the moral of the story is.....believe in yourself and don't give up! It's okay to have that doubt and question yourself sometimes, but make sure you do what you need to do to pull yourself back out of it! And most of all, celebrate your victories and enjoy your accomplishments!
Just for today, remember and celebrate your accomplishments and remember how it feels so you will know what to do the next time you need the boost!
http://www.laduenews.com/articles/2010/04/01/living/wellness/doc4bb4db7c5df99766626388.txt
My first thought was almost a bit fearful, "what will the other contestants think?" I felt a little odd getting the interview, after all, I'm just an "at home" contestant now.....After all, what did I really have to share? My pictures aren't great and after all, I'm only down 20 something pounds, unlike some of the rock stars still on TV that are in the 30's and 40's weight loss area now...
Then I realized..........STOP THE NEGATIVE TALK, DO THE INTERVIEW AND ENJOY AND CELEBRATE YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS THUS FAR!!!
So often, I find that I have to talk myself back to feeling good about where I am and what I have done in this contest...I have a terrible tendency to keep comparing myself and wondering WHY CAN'T I DO THAT? HOW COME I HAVEN"T LOST MORE WEIGHT? WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?
So I decided I needed to sit down and have a talk with myself....remind myself about where I have come from the last 90 days....remind myself that I am working hard and despite the scale not showing it like I would like it to, I'm making headway and changing my life....Sometimes all it takes is a little "self talk time" - although an earlier talk with my sweet daughter Kelly tonight, also bordered on that same conversation.....
So I guess the point of this column is to CELEBRATE YOUR VICTORIES, EVEN WHEN THEY AREN"T EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR! Take the time to recognize your accomplishments and it is okay to give yourself a pat on the back every once in a while!
Since Easter my foot was swelling a bit more, so the last couple of days, I took the easy route and just did a bike ride for a few miles...so tonight, when I had a training session, it didn't take long and I was sweating and huffing and puffing.....At first, Ms. Self Doubt was there at the gym, thinking, I don't know if I can do this, up and down, push ups, planks, squats, weights, over and over.....after about 30 minutes, we went outside and she had me doing a series of squats followed by sprinting across the lot and sprinting back and more squats....by this time, my shirt was soaked, I was totally out of breath but I was HAPPY! Ms Self Doubt had LEFT THE PARKING LOT and I was back in my sweaty happy zone....
So the moral of the story is.....believe in yourself and don't give up! It's okay to have that doubt and question yourself sometimes, but make sure you do what you need to do to pull yourself back out of it! And most of all, celebrate your victories and enjoy your accomplishments!
Just for today, remember and celebrate your accomplishments and remember how it feels so you will know what to do the next time you need the boost!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Day 88 - The Final Four....my predictions are coming true!
The final four.....my brackets have panned out after all.....how did you do?
I'm not talking about basketball here, I'm talking about the Lose a Ton Contest :)!
I picked the final 4!!!! And they are....drumroll, please....
Kathleen - my sweet, young, amazing friend, who is changing her life, 1 pound at a time....
Diane, my sweet, amazing "my age" friend, who is changing her life, 1 pound at a time....
Taira, my sweet, "mother of 3 adorable red heads" friend, changing her life 1 pound at a time, and
Monica, my sweet, "young mother of an adorable little boy" friend, changing her life 1 pound at a time...
Wow, sweet success, down to the "final 4"....the final stretch is straight ahead, the end of this month....
What a journey this has been...not just for the "final 4" but for the 8 "at home" contestants as well....
We've sweated, laughed, cried, ached, broken bones and records TOGETHER......We gotten healthier, felt better, found too many reasons to mention to be proud of ourselves and each other....we've gained new friends for life, found strength in ourselves and each other.....all because of LOSE A TON challenge, who would have thought!?!
In just 3 months, look what has happened? And is still happening!!! Now, we just need to plant these seeds of strength, endurance, power and let them grow inside to keep this journey going well beyond the finale on April 30th....
What an honor and an opportunity this has been......I thank the ladies for their participation, friendship and amazing accomplishments, the trainers for kicking our butts and the TV for continuing to show our "BROAD" side (TV does add 10 pounds you know!) to remind us to keep working harder each week....
But remember, we are all on the home stretch.....so keep on plugging away, I know I am...
I made it through Easter without 1 blasted chocolate egg....As I type, I can hear all those eggs sitting in the basket in the diningroom calling my name, but I have ignored them and plan to continue while I empty the basket out on the neighborhood kids :)...
I happened to run into Kathleen on Easter Sunday at Church - she looks amazing! As we hugged, I told her to call me if any chocolate egg tried to get the best of her on Easter Sunday! And she told me to do the same....we never heard from each other, so that's a good sign!
So, a toast to the 12 ladies of LOSE A TON! Here's to the fat we left behind and never plan on finding again.....
Until tomorrow what have you left behind lately that you would like to toast to?!
I'm not talking about basketball here, I'm talking about the Lose a Ton Contest :)!
I picked the final 4!!!! And they are....drumroll, please....
Kathleen - my sweet, young, amazing friend, who is changing her life, 1 pound at a time....
Diane, my sweet, amazing "my age" friend, who is changing her life, 1 pound at a time....
Taira, my sweet, "mother of 3 adorable red heads" friend, changing her life 1 pound at a time, and
Monica, my sweet, "young mother of an adorable little boy" friend, changing her life 1 pound at a time...
Wow, sweet success, down to the "final 4"....the final stretch is straight ahead, the end of this month....
What a journey this has been...not just for the "final 4" but for the 8 "at home" contestants as well....
We've sweated, laughed, cried, ached, broken bones and records TOGETHER......We gotten healthier, felt better, found too many reasons to mention to be proud of ourselves and each other....we've gained new friends for life, found strength in ourselves and each other.....all because of LOSE A TON challenge, who would have thought!?!
In just 3 months, look what has happened? And is still happening!!! Now, we just need to plant these seeds of strength, endurance, power and let them grow inside to keep this journey going well beyond the finale on April 30th....
What an honor and an opportunity this has been......I thank the ladies for their participation, friendship and amazing accomplishments, the trainers for kicking our butts and the TV for continuing to show our "BROAD" side (TV does add 10 pounds you know!) to remind us to keep working harder each week....
But remember, we are all on the home stretch.....so keep on plugging away, I know I am...
I made it through Easter without 1 blasted chocolate egg....As I type, I can hear all those eggs sitting in the basket in the diningroom calling my name, but I have ignored them and plan to continue while I empty the basket out on the neighborhood kids :)...
I happened to run into Kathleen on Easter Sunday at Church - she looks amazing! As we hugged, I told her to call me if any chocolate egg tried to get the best of her on Easter Sunday! And she told me to do the same....we never heard from each other, so that's a good sign!
So, a toast to the 12 ladies of LOSE A TON! Here's to the fat we left behind and never plan on finding again.....
Until tomorrow what have you left behind lately that you would like to toast to?!
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