Achieving the impossible...

My 12 week Go Red Better U Challenge is complete! I lost another 1.5 pounds this week for a total of 17.5 pounds during the 12 week program. A little shy of my 20 pound goal but I have no complaints! I’m so excited to have successfully completed this program.

Once again, my schedule was insane this week…the only classes I could fit in were the 5:30 am cycling classes. So, instead of making excuses for why I couldn’t work out…I make it work and got to cycling at 5:30 am on Tuesday and Thursday! I’ve learned so many things during this journey but one of the most powerful lessons I have learned is that I have the power to change my attitude and that’s exactly what I’ve done. I refuse to let other people bring me down with their negative energy and negative talk…I still struggle myself with negativity so while I have not perfected this completely…I can say I have made HUGE strides in this area!

I’ve also lost a total of 2 inches from my waist and 2.5 inches from my hips in 12 short weeks. I’ve had my blood drawn to get a comparison on my cholesterol levels after the weight loss and I’m anxiously awaiting the results. I hope I see the results in this area as well.

While this part of my journey is complete, I will continue on my own personal journey to reach my ultimate weight loss goal of losing 40 pounds. This week I was able to purchase some new clothes to get me through the rest of this journey and I’m happy to say that I have dropped 1-2 sizes in pants and tops depending on the brand and how things are sized. :)  YES!!

As this journey comes to a close, the participants are gearing up for the Go Red Luncheon to be held on February 28^th. We all went to Macy’s to pick out a fabulous outfit to wear to the event and I picked out an amazing red dress to wear. This dress was 2 sizes smaller than the last dress I purchased for Crisis Nursery’s annual dinner & auction…and for the first time in a long time, I can honestly say…I looked great! I know I have a long way to go but I’m almost halfway there and that’s an incredible feeling. Wednesday will be the spa day at Rod Sickler Salon…I’m looking forward to seeing what new look I will walk away with and then revealing that look at the luncheon on Thursday.

The WCIA feature story on my Better U journey aired today and turned out great. WCIA showed pictures of my girls in the segment and they both heard from several people at school today that people saw me on TV. I hope I made them proud and that they continue to be proud of me as I live and model a healthier lifestyle for them. I started this journey for my family but in the end, I came to realize that this journey was really for me. It was time for me to take care of myself and make myself a priority. I’ve done that and I can honestly say, I think I’ve done it without sacrificing any of the other areas of my life that are so important to me.

Thank you again to everyone who has continued to support me through this journey. You have all made a difference!

Imagining the end result...

I can’t believe how fast the past few weeks have gone! I just completed week 11 of the Go Red Better U program and I’m still amazed at the progress that I’ve made in such a short amount of time. This week I lost another 0.6 pounds…less than I was hoping for but that dreaded weekend controlled me once again. Despite the progress and hard work I’ve put into changing my lifestyle, slipping back into my old habits is so easy to do. I constantly have to fight the urge to turn to food for comfort during those high stress weeks...especially when my schedule becomes so hectic that I can’t get to the gym. It’s a constant battle…I continue to push through it but I recognize how hard each and every accomplishment is on this journey and I’m happy that I have stuck with it!

I also lost another 0.5 inch on my waist and hips this week, so even though I get a little grouchy about that number on the scale, I know my body is changing and that I’m shedding not just pounds but inches as well. I would never have imagined that I could have lost 16 pounds, 2 inches from my waist and 2.5 inches from my hips in just 11 short weeks. As you know, my 12 week goal was to lose 20 pounds. It looks like I will fall a little short of that goal. That’s okay though because my total weight loss goal is 40 pounds and I know that if I keep working, that 12 weeks after this program ends, I can be close to the overall goal that my doctor and I have set for myself. How exciting to imagine myself 40 pounds lighter when summer arrives! I can only imagine the joy I will feel when I can ditch the capri pants and jeans and put on shorts instead when those summer temps start to get into the 80’s and 90’s. The thought of going to the pool or beach with the girls without being embarrassed about how I look will definitely keep me going through the next phase of my journey!

I survived the live cooking segment on WCIA’s ciLiving on Friday the 15^th. I’m not sure how entertaining it was but I think we pulled it off considering it was supposed to be a two part segment that we had to adjust and do in one segment with just a few minutes of notice. It’s funny how live TV works…not at all what you would expect but somehow it all works out.

This final week of the Go Red Better U program looks like it will be my most challenging to date. Every evening this week is filled with practices, meetings and games. Getting to the gym after work will not be an option. So, for this week it looks like I will have to do some 5:30 am classes at the gym instead. I will get there…I will be half asleep but I will get there. J Might as well see what I think of those classes before my free membership at the Refinery ends.

I go on my Macy’s shopping spree on Sunday to pick out an outfit for the Go Red Luncheon on February 28^th. This is the first time I’ve gone shopping since I’ve started to lose weight so I’ll be interested to see how new clothes will fit and what size I’ll be wearing. I’m a little apprehensive about the “big reveal” at the luncheon but I know it will be great! J

I'm downsizing...

During week ten, I really had to give my body a break. My knees were slowing me down and were swollen from overuse so I took it easy on the exercise. It was a tough week for me as I worried that not exercising as much would have a negative impact on my weight loss. However, I did find time to do some sort of exercise at least once a day. By the end of the week, my knees were feeling better and I was able to fully participate in circuit training and cycling class at the Refinery.

For me, while there are many perks to this 12 week program, the free membership to the Refinery has really had the greatest impact on my change of lifestyle. The classes offered at the Refinery are exceptional! Of course, this is compared to absolutely nothing since I’ve never participated in classes like these ever in my life…but I do feel that I am accurate in assessing them as awesome! The instructors are great and I always feel like I’ve accomplished something after I leave their classes. If they weren’t great, I wouldn’t want to keep going back each and every week…to me that speaks volumes! I never thought I would enjoy working out in a group but I found that it makes the time go by faster and it pushes me to do better each time. If you are looking to join a local gym in Champaign, check it out… http://www.refineyourself.com/. Okay, that’s enough of my completely unsolicited commercial. :)

This was supposed to be my final week of training for the C25K, however, I was only able to run a couple of times and still have one more day before I complete the training. I am happy to report that despite the reduction in exercise, I still lost 1.4 pounds. The ten week total is a weight loss of 15.3 pounds!

To top off a great week, I celebrated my 42^nd birthday on Saturday. I feel better than I have felt in years and I’m so happy with the life changes that I’ve made through this program. It truly has given me the tools to make this change possible. I’m so grateful! On a side note…I have to give a shout out to the Illini for upsetting Indiana on Thursday night and Minnesota on Sunday. What a great week for Illini Basketball…all in time for my birthday!

Since there are only two weeks left in this part of my journey, I decided to go through my closet on Sunday night and pull out all the clothes that no longer fit. It was a pretty decent pile and my oldest daughter and I got a few good laughs at how baggy my clothes were on me. I took a picture of the pile and put it on Facebook and it got 74 likes! Really?! It was just a pile of clothes but I have to say, the incredible response never ceases to amaze and encourage me. Thanks to everyone who continues to motivate me simply by liking a status or posting words of encouragement. I appreciate it more than you know! :)

Look for me this Friday the 15^thwhere I will be doing a LIVE cooking segment on WCIA’s ciLiving between the 4-5 pm hours. Considering the fact that I’m not much of a cook, this promises to be VERY entertaining! To top it off, you will have a chance to win 2 free tickets to the Champaign Go Red for Women Luncheon on February 28^thalong with some other fun Go Red goodies from the American Heart Association. Make sure you check it out!

https://ahaspringfieldil.ejoinme.org/MyEvents/20122013ChampaignILGoRedLuncheon/YourEvent/tabid/419946/Default.aspx

Embracing change!

During week nine, I have had to frequently remind myself of the quote above. Making a lifestyle change is hard! Nine weeks into the program, and I still revert back to some of those bad habits brought on by stress. However, I continue to remind myself that I have taken major steps to change my lifestyle because I didn’t like the way I looked, the way I felt, or the example I was setting for my family, especially my girls.

I want to be around when they grow old. I want to be able to run and play with them and not feel tired and out of shape when I do so. I want them to learn how to live a healthy lifestyle because of the example I set for them. I see my oldest gravitate towards the sugary snacks that were a daily staple in my diet and my youngest gravitate towards the salty snacks that my husband loves. We have to work together to get our entire family back on track and we are making progress each week.

I know we are more likely to have success if we don’t force drastic changes on the girls but let them watch and learn as we introduce these new habits into our lives. They have learned about serving sizes and are proud to tell me they only ate one serving of the “healthier” chips instead of the entire bag. They are helping identify healthier food choices because of NuVal system utilized by Meijer (see January 14^thblog). Hopefully, the chips will eventually exit the household altogether and they will start to crave those healthier fruit and vegetable choices. I’ve seen those choices start to happen and it keeps me pushing through those difficult times when I’m tired and want to give in to the stress because I know I'm impacting my family with each choice I make.

This week I made it to cycling class three times and body pump twice. In addition, I finished week seven of the C25K training and lost 1.2 pounds and nearly 1% body fat. The nine week total is a weight loss of 14 pounds and a loss of 1.5 inches around my waist and 2 inches around my hips! I love fitting into different clothes and looking in the mirror and being happier about what I see. I’m not to my final goal yet but seeing the progress keeps me going!

There are only three weeks left in this part of my journey. Thank you to everyone for the continued support…I still need it and each day someone comes through with little words of encouragement to boost my confidence. I’m honored to hear that I have motivated many of my friends because of my daily Facebook posts and weekly blog updates. I’m completely focused on this lifestyle change for myself and my family and the added impact of inspiring someone else because of my commitment has truly been humbling. Thank you for letting me know the impact I’ve made on many of you as well…it keeps me going! J