Independence Day

Today marks the one year anniversary when I left home to change my life for good.  I moved to the West Coast for 2 months and lived at a fitness camp - the same fitness camp recently featured on The Rachael Ray Show - Live In Fitness Enterprises - LIFE.  When I arrived I met a 24-yr-old who was also beginning her journey that day - Desi.  

Desi and I were paired up from the beginning and eventually became roomies.  Poor Desi was never getting rid of this old lady lol!

I met a few BFFs along the way as well:  Maria the latin bombshell from Miami, Judy the southern belle from Dallas, and Ginger the high-powered corporate woman from DC.  Together we groaned, grunted, sweated, cursed, laughed, cried, lifted, ran, biked, hiked, squatted, swam, danced, and ate our way to smaller sizes.  Thank God we had each other for support through any crisis that arose.

Fast forward 1 year:   we have all continued our good eating habits (taught by our effervescent nutritionist Karen Sherwood from Nutritious America); we all have continued to exercise nearly every day; we have all dropped even more weight.  Maria is down 130 lbs., Judy is down 103 lbs., Ginger is down 36 lbs., Desi is down 67 lbs., and I am down 92 lbs.   Ginger is done as she was the smallest of our group, but the rest of us still have just a bit we want to shed - for me it's about another 30.

The day I arrived at LIFE began with me face-planting in the Baltimore airport - injured before I even left home yikes!  The next day began with me talking to some guy with big sunglasses named Cedric and I said a couple of ditzy things - I blame it all on the blood sugar…it was that food they were making me eat lol.  After he took off the sunglasses I realized he was Cedric the Entertainer (OMG he thinks I'm a dork!).  I cried twice that week - I hit a wall and just thought my body couldn't do anything more.

What a difference today!  In October I broke my toe during a workout with my Baltimore trainer and I continued the workout until the end.  That would have NEVER happened pre-LIFE.  For the remainder of the month I continued to workout with my trainer, teach Zumba fitness classes, and run the Marine Corps Marathon 10K race all with a broken toe. 

I celebrated my one year anniversary today at the gym with my trainer Marc.  We took pics of me "doing my thing" which I will continue to do until my body doesn't let me anymore.

Here's my picture the day I arrived at LIFE.

Here's me today with my trainer Marc…still a big belly and some saggy boobs and batwing arms, but hey…I'll be 50 this year…nothing a little nip and tuck won't take care of when I'm completely done with the weight.  

Jonathan would be delighted that Marc made me do burpees today!!!

Rob would be thrilled with my advanced plank moves these days.

Arleigh would love my dead lift savvy.

Bronson would love my squat/pull back.

Amber would love my curls.

Schuyler would love my chest press.

And Nicola and Eric would love it all!

Ahhh…love the water break…I drink between 3-4 of these liter bottles of Smart Water a day!

My honey says I clean up pretty good.

After all that working out I taught a Zumba fitness class tonight.  Not only am I a different person than I was a year ago, making lots of different choices, but also I'm a much happier person.  I seem to have a permanent smile on my face these days and I plan to keep it!


Carpe diem every day for the rest of your life!

My Anniversary

Today is my 1 year anniversary since I decided to change my life. It's been one heck of a roller coaster so far.

Last February I began the journey weighing 294 lbs. I started walking on my treadmill and participating in The Game On! Diet.

On vacation January 2010

On March 29th I left for a 2-month journey living in Los Angeles working out Biggest Loser style.
When I returned home Memorial Day Weekend I was a runner (slow, but steady) and healthy eater...45 lbs lighter from when I started on February 15th.

June was spent getting reacclimated to living amongst my family and real life temptations...and taking lots of Zumba classes.

In July I nursed my ruptured cervical disc then proceeded to become a licensed Zumba instructor.

In August I worked out faithfully and did my best to stay on track with my food. Some days I'd win the battle and some days I'd lose.  I felt like I was a little lost.

In September I started working out with a trainer boot camp style and increased to a whole new level of fitness. I had worked out with the trainer in the past, but never like this.

In October I became a running demon and had a reunion with my girlfriends forms LA. We ran the 10K in the Marine Corps Marathon (Ginger ran the actual marathon) and had a blast doing it.

Maria, Me & Judy - October 2010

In November I stepped up my workouts with my trainer adding boxing to the mix.  I also began teaching Zumba fitness classes.

December was a great month for me.  I returned to my fitness camp in LA for a week.  I was thrilled that I was able to perform every exercise the trainers requested.  I not only surpassed my expectations, but also theirs!  They were all so impressed that I had really taken their lessons and trainings to heart and continued them at home.  In several cases I was the only person who could perform a certain exercise in some of the circuit trainings. I left LA the second time weighing 222.

Christmas Day 2010

In January I began teaching Zumba in the Circuit classes at Curves and entered another round of The Game On! Diet while also continuing to train with Mr. Clean.  He has such faith in me and continually gives me new exercises.  At this point I don't doubt I can do anything...I just look at him and say, "Okay you obviously think I can do this so I will!"  And I do it!  Such a change from when I first went to LA and didn't have that kind of confidence in myself.

And today, 1 year since I've begun this journey I'm down 85 lbs. I still have another 40-ish to go, but I've realized that "slow but steady wins the race!"

What living in LA did for me was change my mindset...I now exercise 6 days a week...anywhere from 1-3 hours.  I AM doing it, but this nasty winter weather has been wreaking emotional havoc on my body. I'm craving heavy fattening comfort food and I'm fighting the food demon! Sometimes I lose the battle but only for a day or so, then I channel my LA self and get back on track.

I have weighed over 200 lbs since my daughter was born...that was 20 years ago, but next month I will Finally be in the 100's. This past week I had to go through my closet again and sent 1/2 of it to goodwill.  All of this is very rewarding, because, trust me, I never thought I was the kind of person who could lose 100+ lbs., but that is the ultimate goal.

Last week my hubby & I were out to dinner and some friends walked in (3 couples).  I went to their table to say hello. 1 of the husbands was still parking his car and when he walked in he went around the table and said hello and kissed all the women...except me...he didn't recognize me!  Poor guy was so embarrassed, but I took it as a complement.

The scale going down, downsizing the closet, getting positive reaction from friends, and inspiring others have definitely made this journey worthwhile.  Some days I just want to be at my goal and am impatient, but I just keep on Doing It knowing that the goal is in my future.  And I love that the women taking my Zumba classes are inspired and working on their health goals!

Listen, if I can do it, I Promise you can do it too!!!!  Set your sights on your goal and just begin the journey. In a year you'll be celebrating your anniversary and be thrilled with your accomplishments.

As my buddy Rob Thompson of Get Fit By Rob always says, "Let's get it!"

Move, Shake, Drop

My body is my temple.

It doesn't agree.

It's too busy being sore - in different places everyday.

Getting in shape is hard work. Aside from working out with Marc (aka Mr. Clean), I've been doing more running to train for the Marine Corps Marathon 10K. You didn't really think I'd be running the marathon, did you? Nope. I'm leaving that up to my girl Ginger.

I'm so excited because my LA girls are reuniting for that weekend! Judy's flying in from Dallas and Maria's flying in from Miami. Our girl Kandee is flying in from LA to meet up with a friend. We're the smart ones - running the 10K. Once we cross that finish line we'll hang out and cheer Ginger on as she crosses her finish line a few hours later.

You see Ginger got herself in a pickle and I've never been a fan of pickled ginger. (That's one item always left behind on my sushi plate - ha!) Ginger has convinced a slew of people from work to run this marathon with her including her CEO and her Board of Directors. Now she's under stress to really perform!

But, Ginger, your LA peeps KNOW you can do it!

We're all moving, shaking and dropping (pounds, that is)!

So back to my body. This week's extra running is starting to affect my shins. They are sore and sometimes throb. I've been icing them and will continue to do so until they get used to keeping up with my determination. I've come to grips with the fact that new areas of my body will flare up on a regular basis.

As Mr. Clean said, "That's par for the course for an athlete."

Puts a whole new perspective on things, doesn't it?

Sugar, Oh Honey, Honey

Yesterday began on a great note but by 2:30 I was very cranky and I don't know why. I hate that out of control feeling I get when my mood goes south.  I guess it's hormones - I don't really know but I do know that's not the real me.

The 1st thing I thought of after a minor encounter with my Honey was: "I want something sweet." I actually caught myself thinking that!

Why do my thoughts go automatically there - to sugarland?

More specifically, it's not really plain sugar...it's actually chocolate and fat that I crave when I'm stressed or hormonal.  The only explanation I have is the serotonin, endorphins and other compounds inherently found in chocolate that lift your mood.  I think I crave not only knowing how delicious and decadent the chocolate would be, but also that consuming the chocolate will enhance my mood. 

But, alas, I'm playing Game On! and chocolate was not on my menu yesterday. So...I didn't have any. Instead I grabbed another bottle of water and took a quick break from reality by escaping into a book.  It did make me feel better and i finished my day with a perfect score!

I'm saving the chocolate for my day off.   

Pain Will Do You Good

Did my second boot camp with Marc today. I can do Anything he tells me to...I can't begin to tell you how empowering that feeling is.  He noticed that my balance is still not as strong as it can be and my hip flexors are very tight so we worked on those areas extra long today in addition to major core work.  

I can already tell I'll wake up sore tomorrow, but the best way I've found to overcome that pain is to jump on the treadmill for 15-30 minutes and get all my muscles warmed up real well so they loosen, then roll out on the foam roller.

I'm excited that my body will be in peak form in a few short weeks so I can continue to make the headway I started in LA. I'm even more excited that after just 3 short days of participating in this new Game On! session my stomach is no longer bloated and clothes are beginning to feel loser.

What will you do to get yourself on the right track?

My Summer Pantry

This summer these are the foods that have been in abundance in my house:

A large variety of fruits – it’s always a quick, healthy snack

Roasted chicken breast for quick meals – I roast 5-6 breasts at a time, peel off the skin, remove the meat from the bones and cut into approx 2 oz. pieces.

Par cooked veggies – broccoli, carrots, cauliflower & green beans are great to eat with a slight crunch as a quick addition to lunch or the final cooking step can be completed while cooking the rest of dinner (like a stir fry).

Grilled red onion slices – I usually drizzle with evoo or balsamic vinegar before grilling.  I love having a big plateful of these ready for when I want to add a little umph to a simple meal.

Bell peppers in every color – great to eat raw, on kebobs, in salads and, my fave, with sautéed onions.

We have a large pot out on the deck growing a myriad of fresh herbs: rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, savory, sage, etc. A simple chicken or fish can truly taste delicious if properly spiced even without fats.  Be sure to master the cooking technique.

And we always have bananas on hand for Nutritionist Karen’s famous Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Shake – my son and honey have both become addicted!

Karen’s Peanut Butter Banana Protein Shake

1 serving

1 scoop Jay Robb chocolate powder (or 1 packet)

1.5 tbl natural peanut butter

½ large banana (or 1 small banana)

½ cup unsweetened almond breeze

½ cup ice

Put the ice in the blender first, add remaining ingredients, blend and enjoy.

Let's Get It Started

Today was quite the awesome day.  Over the weekend I received an email from my gym's owner asking me to be the captain of a team filled with new players for our 4th session of Game On! I had played two previous games and was the grand winner of the 2nd game dropping 20 lbs. In 8 weeks.

I am excited to help out the new women. We'll email daily and support and inspire each other...just what I need after my disastrous August.

What I love about the game is that I get to add a new good habit and change a bad habit in my daily routine.  This time around I'm sticking with the "eating in front of the TV" rule.  I'm only allowed to eat a protein bar and drink either water or decaf green tea. My new good habit is to declutter and organize for 30 minutes a day.  My home will be looking real good when the game is over...woo hoo!

Today I also started my private boot camp sessions with my old trainer Marc. The man had a shit-eatin' grin on his face the entire time!

Why, you ask?

Because he had me doing exercises he's always wanted me to do but in my mind I couldn't do them.  That was 4 years and 60 lbs ago...now I believe in my abilities and did every exercise with a powerful attitude. Hey 90 minutes of boot camp preceded by 30 minutes of running was a breeze after my long, hard days in Marina Del Rey.

It's amazing how just one day of eating 5 small meals and drinking 3+ liters of water has on my body.  My stomach is already feeling lighter and smaller. I AM feeling the workout though...mostly in my back and shoulders. We'll see how I feel tomorrow.

I'll leave you with a couple of pictures. My trainer Marc and me after today's workout (note, I wasn't going for beautiful - I was going for empowerment and strength); and a picture of Marc's "gun".

Get motivated to make changes this week!