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!

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?!

Day 82....Sweet victory.....1 rock at a time...go KATHLEEN!

You know even though I have become an "at home" Lose A Ton contestant, I still feel the excitement and anxiety for my buddies still "on the air" during their challenges or weigh ins.....

On Monday, the 5 remaining contestants had the challenge of climbing a rock wall....wow, I thought, I would love to have had the opportunity to do that! Easy for me to say, I didn't have the opportunity! I did, however, have the opportunity to hear about it from my friends, after the fact, and to see them on SHOW ME St. LOUIS today....they were amazing....this I have to share....

One of the remaining contestants is my dear friend, Kathleen....she is an adorable, amazing young woman who shared with me that she has battled weight her entire life....she and I were actually in the bottom 2 the week I was eliminated from the "on air" contest....I must admit, as sad as I was to lose, I was even happier that Kathleen won...you see Kathleen is just one of those women you meet, that you instantly like and respect and want only the best for...but most of all, she DESERVES to be in the finals for this contest....let me explain...

While Kathleen didn't WIN the challenge this week, she was, I understand, 1 "hand" away from winning....Kathleen has come that close on most of the challenges and many of the weigh ins...but that doesn't slow her down or stress her out...she keeps on going and trying and working hard..

The rock climb was a particularly tough one for Kathleen and apparently when she heard they were going there, it really got to her...you see, years ago, when she was only in 8th grade and overweight, her class went to a rock climb and she had to sit out because of her weight....can you even imagine how tough that must have been for an 8th grader?! Fast forward, years later, and here she is, again faced with this challenge and wondering CAN I DO IT THIS TIME?!?!

Well, I'm proud to say (I AM old enough to be her mother, for goodness sakes, so let me act like she is my 3rd daughter for just a minute or 2.....), she DID IT! She made the climb, fought through her fear, and while she didn't win the "prize of 2 tickets", she won WAY MORE THAN THAT YESTERDAY! She won her sense of pride and accomplishment back, which is something no tickets could EVER compare to!!!!!! Kathleen, you are truly a ROCK STAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(no pun intended)...I am sooooooooooo proud of you, I almost cried when I watched you on TV!

Today was the "weigh in" for the "final 5"....on Friday, the final 5 becomes the "final 4"....
1 more contestant becomes an "at home" contestant.....and this group of 4 will have 1 more weigh in, before they announce the final 3, from which 1 winner will emerge! I don't want to spoil the results from today, as I do have "connections" so I know the results, but will wait until the show airs tomorrow before I spill any more details....

You go girls! Congratulations to all 5 of you - you rock!!! I'm with you from the "sidelines" working my darndest to keep up!

Until tomorrow, what can you do to "rock", since "rock" seems to be the word of the day!?
And don't consider "rocking" yourself to sleep, that won't burn enough calories....

Day 80 - When the going gets tough.....find your MOMENTUM!

Wow, it has now been 80 days or so since I started this journey.....seems impossible in some ways. Some of this seems so routine now, yet sometimes things are still a struggle..

What's routine?
-Knowing I need to go to the gym almost daily
-Knowing that I need to watch everything that goes into that pie hole...you would think that would be getting easier, and in many ways it is, for example, I don't even consider that big old chocolate cake or candy bar that I see someone else eating....however I must confess (it's the Catholic in me) that I did eat a couple of chips and salsa last night out with the girls....and I feel guilty about it! But I already told myself, I would make myself pay for that at the gym today! But I also chose the roasted chicken and had a few beans and guacamole, along with a side of cabbage and green bean salad (doesn't sound that great, but it was tasty!) - I guess I have been so incredibly "clean" with my diet, having a few "minor compromises" really scares me.... Once I get to my goal weight, THEN I need to figure out how to start adding back some food that I like in moderation.....MAINTENANCE is the term Weight Watchers always called it....
Going out to eat has been ok for me, as there is always something on the menu you can find that is okay.....as long as you make the right choice...
-Knowing I want to be successful at this and working towards my goal - having my clothes fit a bit looser and going into the "next size" in my closet (doesn't EVERYONE have multiple sizes in their closet - ha!).....for me the trick is to put those "big clothes" away as soon as there is too much room, and put the next "tighter size" on, so you don't think you have lots of "growing room"! It has been so rewarding to get into another size and definitely gives me some inspiration to keep going....

Struggle......
Ironically some of the same things that are "routine" are sometimes a struggle.....

Time - Fitting it all in is tough.......it would be so easy at the end of a long work day, just to go home, have dinner and relax......but instead I work hard at balancing my work day, enabling me to get my work done (NEVER successful at that, is anyone!?!?), leave work in time to head to the gym to get a good workout in, and still get home before it's time to go to bed!

Preparing your food - This is a MUST for me...that is, having something available at all times to eat, JUST IN CASE....the other night I got home from the gym....starving! It would have been so easy to get into the chips or better yet, the frozen Girl Scout cookies, but instead I popped my fish in the oven and my veggies on the stove and LEFT the kitchen! I kept myself busy with the dogs and other stuff, and within 20 minutes or so, I had my baked fish and full plate of veggies and was quite satisfied! I also must prepare for breakfast and lunch at work - although I'm fortunate, there is a nice cafeteria at work, that does offer plenty of options for me, it is just so much better when I plan ahead and have lots of good food ready, especially when sitting on conference calls all day!

Momentum - How do you "keep it going"?! I have tremendous support at home and work and feel very fortunate! The clothes fitting loser, the positive comments about your results, the way you feel, all help! But the momentum seriously must keep coming from INSIDE! It is really about what you WANT for yourself, how you want to CHANGE, WHY you want to do this! That is really where the momentum comes, especially when you need help to get through that last 30 minutes at the gym, or to help you walk away from that Easter candy that is in a bowl just an arm's length away.....No, momentum isn't always readily available....sometimes you have to hunt for it, just like Easter eggs :)..................... that's when you remember WHY you need it and what a good FRIEND it has been for you on your journey...

So today, on this rainy Sunday, while my daughter is out running 12 miles in the rain, preparing for her 1/2 marathon 2 weeks from today, I am going to FIND my momentum, not just for my workout today, but also to catch up on lots of other things around here...i.e. laundry, cleaning, some work stuff, to name a few.....

Just for today, can you FIND your MOMENTUM and put it to work for YOU today?! What are you waiting for?!!

Day 72 - Time to catch up....

No, I didn't fall off the ends of the earth....or off the step :).....again.....here's what's been happening since we last "talked"....or "bloggered" (I love making up new words and sounds more fun than "blogged")...

-Went to NYC for work for 8 days - made it to the gym or pool every day but on the weekend instead of the gym, we walked miles (and I mean MILES!) and managed to survive the pouring rain and high winds (in spite of the no less than 150 "dead" inside out umbrellas littering the streets and subways) both Sat and Sun....kept a very clean diet (do you even know how hard it is to go to dinner each night and be the ONLY "non drinker" boooooorrrrrrrrrrinnnnnnnnnnnng, not to mention passing up daily trays of rolls, bagels, chips, cookies....but I did it....Thank goodness I packed my healthy food! It came in quite handy on a daily basis!

-I stayed at the Milennium Hotel, located immediately across Church street from the twin towers site, now referred to as the "pit", where 24-7 construction is going on to erect 6 new buildings there.....it was overwhelming to see it all and hear more stories, and walk through St. Paul's Cathedral, where the firemen/women and policemen/women would go to rest inbetween shifts during that time, they still had cots set up and boards with letters and pictures...went to the Sunday morning service there and after walking around afterwards, reading the letters, broke down in tears, unbelievable what happened here...You may remember it as it was site we saw daily on TV back in 2001 where the tall wrought iron fence was, covered with letters, pix of people looking for their loved ones, or leaving a tribute there....

The hotel we stayed at was closed for 2 years due to the impact.....my work building 195 Broadway is located immediately behind the hotel, so walking down the street everyday to the office, I envisioned all the people running down this exact same street that day covered in dust from head to toe....all so much more real now.....even almost 9 years later...

-My uncle Omar is in Heaven now with his folks and many of his siblings......He was such a sweet Uncle, always had a smile on his face which made you sort of wonder what he was up to :)....
We will miss him dearly and will keep his sweet wife, Ginny and wonderful kids (and grandkids and great grandkids) in my prayers.....

-Good news - The boot is OFF! The broken bone from Feb 14th is healing......At my appointment on Wednesday, I got the go ahead to abandon the boot once I could get my foot into a shoe...he told me I may want to use it as needed, but come Thursday, I kicked the boot off! I got back on the eliptical for a little bit on Thursday, kicked it up to 45 minutes on Friday and was on the treadmill and ARC trainer today! He said do things "as tolerated", so even though my foot is speaking to me a little, I am plugging through! Soooooooooooo excited to have it off and get back to a better workout..,

-Although my training sessions went away with my "tv elimination", I'm biting the bullet (actually biting the wallet :)) and treating myself to some more training sessions at least through the end of April. We go back for the "final weigh in" on April 27th where I found out today that we will be "blindfolded" with the weight loss "reveal" aired live on Friday, April 30th on Show Me St. Louis....that should be fun!

-Leaving for Abu Dhabi April 15-26, so will definitely be walking my 2 granddaughters every day which will help keep the weight thing going for the final weigh in....with the weather perfect over there, it will be a great way to wind down the contest! Not to mention having 11 heavenly days with my kids and grandkids....cannot wait!

In the meantime, full steam ahead.....had a great workout Thurday and today with my trainer....I only know that because I can hardly stand up or sit down without feeling it -ha!
But it is soooooooooo good to feel that soreness again....seriously did I really say that?!!?

Still keeping tabs on my buddies still on the Lose A Ton Contest on TV and rooting them on via phone calls and emails...miss them a lot!

So 72 days into this journey, I'm feeling better than ever.....with more than 20 inches of FAT gone from my body, I'm more energized than ever.....so I guess the bottom line is you CAN do it if you set your mind to it....so if you have been doing this with me from the beginning, a big congrats to you....if you have been THINKING about doing it with me, NOW is the time, don't wait any longer......YOU are the only BARRIER to making this critical change in your LIFE!
PLEASE take this opportunity to make a change in your life starting TODAY!!! You will never regret it....you may FEEL it, but that soreness will only remind you of the great choices you are making to a healthier, happier you!!! You should be doing this for YOU, but if it takes more than that, do it for your KIDS or GRANDKIDS!!!

Ok, stepping off the soap box now....but hoping that just for today, if you haven't made the choice to come along on this journey, you HOP ON RIGHT NOW!!! Have a great weekend, Spring arrived today!

Day 59 - The weekend is over....NYC here I come!

Well in spite of now being an "at home contestant", i had a great weekend at the gym....
Friday night solo, Saturday am with the trainer (1 last freebie since it was already booked :)) and Sunday solo.....Sweating and working hard - got some great tips from Megan this past week and put them into play...like the V-Crunch - OUCH! DIdn't think I could get through all the layers on the abdominals, but I think I will be feeling that one tomorrow!

My sweet Uncle Omar is in the hospital, quite ill, so decided today I would run over there to visit my wonderful Aunt Ginny and all my cousins.....I decided that some cake and brownies were in order to bring....scary as that was to think about actually making something like that after 2 months off "sugar" including dough and batter :).....

The good news is I SURVIVED CAKE AND BROWNIE BATTER! For all the die hard bakers out there, you know that is BIG! Not a single lick of the bowl, spoon NOTHING! In fact, some of the chocolate landed on my ibuprophen (still trying to get the swelling out of my foot!) so I had to wipe that off....I thought, you aren't slipping in the pie hole that easy!

Please say a prayer for my Uncle Omar and his sweet family.....they can use the support right now as they go through this tough journey...............

Tomorrow, I head to NYC for 8 days....excited although it will be lots of work too....both speaking in terms of my job and my diet and my workout regimen! But I am up for the challenge....armed with lots of healthy food, workout clothes and my laptop!

Oscar party tonight at my sister's house...she was Sandra Bullock from Blind Side, I was ELLEN...I had to do it, you know since we are such "buds" now :).... It's an annual event full of fun women, dressed up in all kinds of get ups and of course FOOD....Seriously, do we do ANYTHING in this country without SUGAR, SALT, CHOCOLATE and some kind of CHEESE!?!
But I came armed with celery and hummus and some good water crackers with flaxseed (Seriously I never ever thought I would be thinking all that would be so delicious but it is?!!?!!)
....funny thing is, with all this other stuff around, everyone really liked that celery and hummus!
GO FIGURE! But I sure enjoyed a bit too and it kept me away from these seriously dangerous round small chocolate lava cakes that almost jumped off the plate onto my plate, thank goodness I didn't dawdle in front of it too long, as I did a driveby drool........or the sopapilla with icecream that my good friend Debby made.....DEBBY ARE YOU CRAZY BRINGING THAT?!?!

Anyway, home now, free of temptation...time to really seriously pack......................made it another weekend.....I won't be going to the Monday gathering with my peeps from Lose a TON which makes me sad, but I will be there with them in spirit...and once I land in NYC and check in at the hotel, I will have my own "Monday workout" and be thinking of them all the way.....


Until tomorrow, think about what you should win an Oscar for.......and then go for the gold!

Day 58 - The elimination may be over, but my journey is FAR from over...

The votes are in....Kathleen and Monica made the "cut", Jacqui and Maureen are "going home"...
That was the word on Friday's SHOW ME ST. LOUIS Lose A Ton elimination show....

And that was it....
Not the END, but a new BEGINNING.....
No, I didn't want to go home, but yet, I did want Kathleen to continue too...For those that know me, you know I always want a happy ending where everyone wins :).....

But remember, it is all how you LOOK at things...
The reality is that I have had almost 2 months on "the show" and despite a week or so of "trainer changes", I have had personal training and workouts 6x a week...less a day or so when my foot was broken...
I have been given the opportunity of a lifetime with this contest...
I have met AMAZING women who have become dear friends.....
I an in "that place" that is always so hard to find and stay, you know the place, where you are determined to get to your goal and are "in the zone"....
I have a membership to a gym that will continue until next January!
Although I lost my free training as of Friday, I plan to sign up for some sessions to continue with my trainer through this content the end of April...
So no crying for this girl.....

This girl has proven to this girl that she can DO it! Despite my 3 pound loss on the last weigh in, which really weighed me down, I have already broken through that plateau, since the weigh in on Tuesday!!! You know how pounds can flucuate for women, well apparently that is what happened to me...but I don't care, as long as the scale keeps going down...and IT IS!!!

Next steps?
-Keep working as hard as I can....I left the show yesterday, went back to work for a few hours and then headed to the gym - I biked for 1 hour, moving between level 10 and level 15, with arm weights on and off....WOW, the bike can be quite challenging I'm finding out!!!
-Heading to NYC for 8 days on Monday, but going with my own "food" to keep me honest and on track.....don't want to get caught up in any of bad stuff they will be bringing in to the workshop! Plus my hotel has a pool and gym, so I have already talked to my coworkers who are also on a weight mission!
-Gym workouts will continue

You see, I didn't plan on stopping just because I'm not on TV any more....I must admit I never knew quite how OLD I looked until seeing myself on high definition - YIKES, not sure I will miss that!

So, don't let the valleys get you down on your journey....keep plugging away.....I will and I hope you are right with me on this!

Thanks for your AMAZING support and votes......I could feel it and was so touched by it, I couldn't believe it!!!

So until tomorrow, don't give up.....hang on and keep pushing....we can do it!!!!!!!!!!!