Week 12 - Finale

It has been so long since I have written a blog.  I am sorry.  The last weeks of the program went so fast and were just so crazy I could not keep track of anything.  So let me see...were did I leave off.  In the last weeks our workouts just got harder and harder.  A lot more running to get us ready for the mini marathon.  In one of our last weeks of workouts I got to enjoy the "weight vest" for the first time.  Hannah and I were just running our morning laps for warm up and I saw EJ and CeCe looking around and talking as EJ is holding the vest.  As I start to run by them, EJ calls me over and puts it on me.  The best part is that Hannah started laughing and making fun of me that I had to wear the vest they went and got her one too!  This vest just goes over your shoulders and then Velcro around your waist and it weighs in at 20 pounds!  It was so crazy to feel how heavy it was.  By this time I had lost 40 pounds so to put half if it back on was a killer.  It was so crazy to me to start running with that extra weight on.  I felt like I was going to die but in reality I was running with that weight on.  I just did not realize how hard it was to run with it because it came off in small amounts and now to add it all back one at once was a real eye opener to feel that weight on again.  I said at the end of that workout when I got to take it off was I don't ever want that amount of weight back on real or fake! (The only time I will let that happen is when I get pregnant!)  The last day of group workouts was the best.  We played dodge ball!  It was all of the trainers, alumni and all the other team members against us rookies!  I felt like I was a kid back in school.  It was so much fun!  I think I laughed more than anything but it was a good workout.  Everyone kept trying to get Rick out because he was killing our team.  We did end up winning 3 out of the 5 games!  They were kicking our butts and Rick kept calling us losers and I told him thanks because we are losers...we are weight losers :)

The other big adventure in the final weeks was out mini marathon.  I was so scared to run it.  Was I going to make it, could I do it, would I make the goal I set for myself?  I had been running but I was still just so scared.  I had never thought I would do anything like this in my life.  I am not the kind of person that is like "hey lets go run a mini marathon."  I hate to run!  I have never liked to run.  People would always say to me but you played basketball.  I would say no I took 5 steps and I would be at the other end of the court that is not running.  Since the mini was outside for the first time it was open to the public so we could have anyone we wanted to run with us.  So since Melissa is a little pregnant, JC said he would run with me.  So it is race day...did not really sleep the night before because I was so nervous and anxious that I could not sleep.  So now it is time for the run.  JC and I started out doing well.  I got a good pace and we were doing about a 12 minute mile.  I was very happy with how we were doing.  At this rate, we would make my 3 hour goal.  At about mile 3.5 we had our first cheer group.  Running up the hill I had my little cheerleader there waiting on me and she even ran with us for a short distance.

Then the madness continued...I feel like we did a good time on our first lap.  We crossed the finish line on our first lap around the hour and half mark.  I was still feeling pretty good by that point but I could tell the wall was coming and coming fast.  At about mile 8 I had my first break down.  I just thought my legs could not go on anymore and I started to cry which in turn I could not control my breathing.  JC keep yelling at me from behind while he was pushing me that I was not going to stop.  That I was going to do this no matter what it took.  So after getting myself together we took off again.  At mile 10, we met up with my cheer block again...and break down number 2!  I was just so tired and I did not think my legs could go anymore.  I was just getting so frustrated because all I wanted to do was kick butt at this and I just could not even get my legs to move.  My knee was starting to kick my butt and the pain was setting in.  I was not going to give up.  So we started to run again, but at about mile 11.5 I just could not take the pain anymore and I had to walk.  I was not going to give up.  By this point it was close to my 3 hour goal finishing and I knew I would not make it but I was not going to give up.  I was going to finish even if I had to drag my butt over the finish line.  With a time of 3hours 25 minutes and 38 seconds I crossed the finish line!

I cried so hard when I finished.  I think I had everyone around there crying too.  I just could not believe that I really finished a mini marathon.  I just never ever thought that I would do that.  Seeing how I could hardly run 3 months ago when I started this program.  It was a great feeling and accomplishment that I am glad I can say I have done.  Now, Mel wants me to run in the Indy Mini with her next year. 

Last...the finale.  We had our final program last Saturday at the Performing Arts Center which was a part of the body building competition that Rick and Tina also do.  It was such a busy week leading up to the finale...just so much to do.  On Monday, Mom, Mel, Olivia and I went shopping to find me a dress for the finale.  I have always hated shopping so I did not know how this would go since I have lost weight.  I would usually get depressed because nothing would fit and then I would just go home and eat something because it would make me feel better since I was depressed but this time it was going to be different.  The day started at Macy's because that is where I have had luck before.  Mel and I pretty much cleared out the racks of anything we thought would fit or that looked cut.  About 20 dresses later it was time to hit the fitting room.  The best part was that they all fit, some where even too big, and one was a size that I thought would never fit.  After trying them all on and modeling them all, I finally found a dress.  Since it was a little more than I wanted to spend we decided to keep looking.  I ended up getting a skirt at another store and thought I would just wear a blouse that I had at home and that would be fine.  Well when I got home and did another fashion show with what tops I had I kept getting that "look".  I knew that they wanted me to get that dress.  So Tuesday I went with Hannah to help her pick out her dress.  First stop was Macy's to pick up my dress that I had picked out.  While we were doing that my team mate Carrie came out of the dressing room as she was picking out her dress.  So after helping Carrie it was finally time for Hannah.  What a day...this girl can shop!  After about 5 stores, she finally agreed to get the dress from Windsor that she looked so hot in!  I have never had so much drama shopping for a dress as i did with her.  Very long story short is she tried on this dress and did not think it looked good on her.  I told her she looked great in it.  My friend Sarah that runs the store told her she looked hot!  Three complete strangers told her she looked amazing in it...finally after 5 people and about an hour later she finally got the dress!!!!!  She looked so hot!  What do you think?

Finale night was just very emotional.  After everything we had all been through and the wonderful new friends we met was coming to an end.  It went by so fast.  When this first started I thought the 15 weeks was never going to end and now it was here.  It was truly bittersweet.  We all got introduced and then we watched the video that Toby had made to showcase the past 15 weeks.  It was amazing!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOL6Uy1sS_A

It is just so crazy to see the amazing changes we all had.  Work was wonderful and donated standees of each one of us for the finale.  It was the picture from our very first day at orientation.  To see the difference in everyone was just great.  Not even just our sizes but the look on everyone’s faces also.  All the standees a lot of us were not smiling or if it was you could tell we were not happy.  At the finale, everyone was smiling...everyone was happy...and everyone I personally believe finally loved themselves for what they had finally become.  Personally I know that is true for me.  I was not happy with myself and I did not love myself and now I am back to the person that used to be.  Happy, smiling, laughing and just care free!  Here is my difference from the beginning until now.

I will give you some number just so you can see how well we did.  The average weight loss for the group was 50.35 pounds and as a group we lost a total of 1107.6 pounds.  That to me is just crazy.  The first place winner was George and he lost a total of 88 pounds and Scott got runners up with 85 pounds.  I was very happy with my personal weight loss.  I started this program at 328 pounds I finished it at 276.2 for a total weight loss of 51.8 pound and percentage of weight loss of 15.8%.  Since the program has ended I have lost another 4.2 pounds so my total to date is 56 pounds.  Last night we got our blood test back that we had to do for the contest.  My cholesterol went from 203 to 163 down 40 and I am now well below the risk for diabetes.  I just can not say it enough how much this program saved me and in more than one way.  I am a changed person and mark my words I will never be that other person ever again!  So let the new journey begin.  To prove to myself that I can keep doing this on my own and to make the FWSW program proud of what I have done and learned.  Thank you for all of your love and support because I could have never done this without you by my side.  Thank you and I love you all.

End of Week 11

I know...I know...I am late doing my blog again this week.  It was been a very busy week at work and I have not even been the office since last Friday!  Well weigh in went good on Monday.  I lost 3.0 pounds this week for a total of 40.4!  I can not believe I am over 40 pounds.  It is just so crazy to think in such a short time I have lost so much weight.  I do have to let you know, we found out Monday night that this coming Monday is the last weigh in we get to see.  For the last weigh in we have to weigh in backwards so we can not see our weight!  I don't like that...I want to see it!  I know it is not all about the number but how you feel, but as hard as we work during workouts and how hard we push our selves seeing that number is kind of like a great pat on the back!  I know it will make for a great surprise at the finale but it still doesn't mean that I have to like it.

So I had a major flash back this week during workouts.  E.J., our trainer, yelled out "alright...everyone on the baseline!"  Oh ya...that's right...I had flash backs of dad and Coach Kessie yelling at us!  If he would have said "suicides" after that I really would have wanted to find myself a hole!  I hated those back in high school and I still hate them now, but after the workout that E.J. made us do, now that I think about it, suicides might have been easier.  I still don't want to do them but they might have been easier.

The other great thing that happened this week is that we are supposed to start running longer to get ready for the marathon on July 2nd.  So me and two other FWSW members decided to go and run the first lap of the marathon.  I was very scared because we drove it the night before.  We all started out walking the lap for a warm up.  Once we got going I started making small goals for myself.  First, I was like I am going to run to the stop sign, and then I ran a block.  I just made myself run more and more and finally we were in the home straight away.  We parked at Bandito's so I decided that I was going to run the all the way from Scott and Illinois to the Bandito parking lot without stopping.  The great part...I did it!!!  I did have to stop for a second at a stop light so I didn't get hit by a car, but other than that I did not stop.  I was so proud of myself.  I never thought I would be able to do that.  I know I would have never been able to do that 3 months ago.  It is just crazy for me to think of what I can do know that I have lost the weight.  I just feel so great!  Well that is all I have for this week.  If you want to come run with us in the marathon there is still time to sign up and I am still in need of sponsors.  See you next week :)

More about Week 10

So I just found out a little more info today that I had to share with you.  Today after workouts we found out where all the teams and individuals fell for weigh ins by percentage for the week.  I was in 5th place for individuals overall and the Hot Pink Lady's came in 1st place!!!!!!!!  We finally did it!  We always had it in us it just took a few weeks to get it to come out!  So until next week!

End of Week 10

Week 10 is now over.  We did not weigh in Monday night because we had a special dinner at Catablu instead.  So we weighed in this morning before workouts.  I like morning weigh ins.  I lost 5.8 pounds this week for a total of 37.4 pounds in 10 weeks.  I was so excited to see another good weigh in.  My luck so far has been if I have a good weigh in one week I have a bad one the next.  Not this week!  I am just getting that much closer to my goal for the end of this. 

This has been a fun week.  For workouts I am finally getting to run again.  I never thought I would say that I am glad to run...I have always hated to run.  That's way I only played volleyball and basketball you didn't have to do much running.  For basketball I took about 4 steps and I was at the other end.  So that is why it is such a big deal to me that I am enjoying this.  Workouts have been getting harder and harder which is expected I guess but to me I still have that mental idea of that I am still at my heavy weight and I can't do this.  But I can!  I run around the gym now for warm ups and run for 15-20 minutes straight and I don't stop.  When we first started I could not even run!  And to think that I will be running a half marathon (13.1 miles) in just 5 weeks scares the crap out of me more than you know!  I know it will be great though.  What a way to end this.  I just found out tonight that my brother-in-law is going to run in it with me.  I don't know if that is a good idea...Mister Navy might start yelling at me like we are in boot camp!  :)  Just kidding JC...I am excited because I know you will help me get through it and help me make it to the end.  I would love to run the whole race without walking...that is my goal.  We will see if we can make it happen.

I also have to tell you about my wonderful surprise that I got on Friday when I got home from work.  Friday is the only day that Andrew beats me home from work.  The rest of the week he works all day and then goes to his night summer class and gets home around 8.  So to my surprise when I got home Friday there was a beautiful bouquet of flowers!  He as sitting in the living room and I walked in there and asked "What did you do?"  I usually don't let him buy me flowers, so when he does I always think that he did something wrong or he wants something.  Well, he did not do anything wrong or want anything, he got them for me Just Because!  They even had my favorite flowers in them which made it even better.  He also told me that he was going to take me shopping and I could get a new outfit from top to bottom...shirt, pants, shoes, and purse!  The kicker was I didn't have to get rid of anything to get these new cloths.  For those of you that don't know, Andrew says I have to many shoes, and purses so if I ever buy new shoes or purses I have to get rid of 2!!!!  So when he told me I did not have to get rid of anything I then again asked "What did you do?"  But he did take me shopping on Sunday and I ended up getting 2 new shirts and 2 new pairs of shoes!!!  

Here is one of my new tops!

 

Like I said before Monday night they had a special dinner for us at Catablu.  The owner came out and talked to use and the head chef came out and showed us how they cooked our meal right in front of us.  It was so cool to see.  We had a wonderful appetizer of a flatbread with oven roasted tomato and fresh mozzarella...So good!  We then had a salad that was mixed greens with sweet mango and a berry vinaigrette.  It was also very good.  I had never had a sweet mango before and I would have that again.  For our main entree we had a macadamia nut crusted salmon with mixed vegetables.  As most of you know I HATE seafood!  So I told myself that I would try the salmon just so I could say I tasted it.  It was AMAZING!!!  I can not believe I liked it.  I might even have salmon again :)  Last they made fresh fruit with a raspberry sorbet and again it was very good.  It was just such a fun night out with all the teams and learning some new cooking ideas that are good and healthy.  Last before we left we took a team picture...so here is the HOT Pink Ladies and our RD's are on the end.

I did another updated picture of me side by side.  So now you will get to see the changes from week 1 to week 10.  It is just crazy to me to see the difference.  So see for yourself.

Last, I wanted to ask you all a great favor in helping me out.  In running the half marathon we are asking people to make a Pledge for us.  We are raising money to help fund the FWSW for next year and years to come.  Personally, I wish I had all the money in the world so I could give it to them for helping me get me back.  I don't know if I could have ever done this without there help and I just want to help as much as I can.  I was one of the lucky ones to be selected to be apart of FWSW and I take GOD every day for it!  I am finally me again and getting healthy so I can reach all of my life goals that I have set for myself in the future.  So, if you could all help me with this I would be very grateful.  Anything you could pledge will be put to good use.  So thank you for helping with this little thank you I can give them for helping me get my life back.  Thank you for all of your love and support through all of this.  I love all of the messages and texts.  It just makes me smile to feel all the love I am getting from you.  Love you all.

End of Week 9

Well...another week down.  It is going so fast!  This week's weigh in was much better than last week.  I lost 4.6 pounds for a total of 31.4 pounds in 9 weeks.  I know I have not giving my weigh before but anyone can go on the website and look so I might as well talk about in here.  They best part about this weigh in is that I am now under 300 pounds!  Mark my word...I will NEVER be that again.  I can't believe that I ever let myself get that bad but I did.  Know I have done the work to get better and get healthy again.  Andrew asked me what my new goal was going to be now that I am under 300.  I had not thought about it.  So my new goal is that I want to be 275 by the end of the 15 weeks.  With that being said to reach that goal I will have to loss around 3.5 pounds a week to be at 275.  I know that I can do this. 

This weekend I went through my closet to get rid of all of the cloths that are too big for my garage sale in two weeks.  Mean do I have a lot of cloths that are too big!!!  I love it!  I fit into some old pants that were 4 sizes smaller than I had been wearing.  That just feels so good.  I had to go out and buy a belt for the first time in years to hold my pants up until I go and get new cloths.  It was really hard not to get any new cloths because I know I would not be in them for long but I really just want to shop!  I have not said that in a long time.

Another great thing happened today.  I was getting ready for work this morning and after I got dressed I thought that I really looked pretty.  I have not felt that way about myself in a very long time.  Andrew would always get mad at me because he would always tell me how beautiful I was but I could not believe him because I did not believe it myself.  I had on a jean skirt and a pretty fitted top on for the first time in a long time and I just told Andrew, I feel pretty today.  I can't believe how much confidence I have regained since starting this.  I believe in myself more and know that I can do anything that I put my mind too.  When I gained all the weight I used to go to work every day in jeans and a T-shirt and my hair in a ponytail because I just did not care about what I looked like.  Now, I am noticing that I make an effort in the morning when I get ready for work.  I dress up for work now and enjoy looking nice with my hair and make-up done.  It is crazy to me just how much I have changed the way I view myself in just the past 9 weeks.

In other updates, I tried running again for the first time in 3 weeks today.  I did it very slowly and I only did a little bit here and there.  I don't want to push it too soon.  It is nice to know that when I was running it did not hurt!  That is very good.  I don't like being injured because I just feel like I can't give everything I have.  Well, I think that is all for this week.  Next week we do not weigh in until Tuesday morning before workouts because of a special class we have next Monday so you will have to wait until then to find out how this week goes.

End of Week 7 & 8

I know...I know...I am running a little behind on blogs.  I have been so busy with work I have not had the time to get any done.  Okay...here is to get you up to date on everything.  I had a great weigh in for week 7.  I lost 7.4 pounds!!!  Everyone asked me how I did that and I have no clue.  I did not do anything different and worked out the same, so my guess is that it was just my time to lose it.  Week 8 weigh in was not good at all!  I only lost .2 pounds for a total weight loss of 27 pounds in 8 weeks.  I really can not believe that we only have 7 weeks left.  It is going by so fast and I am really not ready for it to be over.  For those of you that don't know, our last week of the program we have to run a 1/2 marathon and it is open to the public.  If you are interested in running in it just go to the link below and sign up.

http://www.runrace.net/findarace.php?id=11183IN2&tab=a2

As far as my injury goes I am starting to get a little better.  I tried jogging for the first time on Tuesday and it did not hurt to bad.  So hopefully I will be able to finally pick it up again next week in workouts.  I thought I would never say this but I miss running.  Well I guess it is really a jog to normal people but to me it is running.  Workouts have been getting harder and harder but it is so worth it.  Our TV show was on the other night and they showed some footage from the very beginning of the program to now and it is such a big difference from the way everyone looks to the workouts we are doing.  I am just so proud of everyone because we are all working so hard and it is paying off. 

And I saved the best for last.  I know that I am two weeks late but here is the new hair cut!  This is the only picture I have of it.  And this is Hannah that is in the picture with me, she is a Senior at South Side and I went and took pictures of her before she went to prom.  She is kind of like my little sister :)

End of Week 6

What a week.  I am so sorry that I am writing week 6 blog at almost the end of week 7.  One it has been one crazy week!  It is prom craziness at work, and two the blog has been down I guess.  So here we are...Monday's weigh in was not a good one.  I don't know why I am so all over the board.  This week I only lost 1.2 pounds for a total lost of 19.4 pounds.  I know that is great but I was not happy at all.  I know I could do so much better.  I also thought it was going to be another good week because I thought I did so good, so it was a little disappointing to not do so good.  After weigh in I was looking at my food log and I think the reason that I did not do to tell is that I did not eat all of the calories that we are supposed to.  We are supposed to eat 1600 calories and our dietitians told me I should be right at that number.  I know it is no excuse but this week was so crazy I really didn't eat.  Most of my days I only had 1100 calories!  So I know that was a big part.


Well...I have had my first injury of the competition.  This week I have been fighting a pulled calf muscle.  It started to feel a little bad last week but by the weekend I did not think anything about it.  Then Tuesday morning workout I could hardly walk or ran by the end of the workout.  My calf was a solid ROCK!  By the time I got home from workouts, showered, and was getting ready for work I could not even walk!  If I tried to walk it was a shooting pain right up my leg.  You all know me I am stubborn and I was not going to give up.  It was not any better Wednesday morning for workouts.  I could somewhat walk but they would not let me workout.  I got sent to the pool to do a workout there.  The great thing was that this week was our pool workout on Thursday, so I did get 2 pretty good workouts in this week.  Tina made me go to the doctor to find out what was going on.  I could not get into my doctor so one of our sponsor Dr.'s that I know checked it out for me.  He said that I was going to be okay but just needed to take it easy for a couple days and gave me some medication to help me out a little bit.  Today was the first day that I had been on it all day long and it did not hurt at all.  That makes me feel so great!  So Tuesday he said I could start working back into workouts!  That's good because I don't like being on the sidelines.

So I did do some other crazy stuff this week.  Some of you might now but I cut off 12" off my hair.  Yep...It is all gone...Here is the before picture.

I have not taken an after picture yet.  I will do that tomorrow and post it.  Don't worry...I donated it all to locks of love!

Next I would love to show you some beautiful flowers that I got this week from Grandma and Grandpa Sands.  I was so surprised when I got to work and I had this large basket of flowers on my desk.  So thank you so much!  I love them and it means so much to me to know how proud you are of me!

Last...I had Andrew take a picture of me so you could see the changes (Mel stop reading the blog if you don't want to see the changes) I forgot to take one the first week we started so I am going to use the last picture that I had taken of me which was Christmas (sorry honey to cut you out). The new picture was taken last Friday at the end of 5 weeks.  Also wanted to tell you that the shirt I have on in the new picture didn't fit 6 weeks ago :) ( I also Photoshopped these pictures together so you can see them side by side)

Andrew said that he was sad that I was losing some assets on the backside that me married me for and he does not know about this :)  I just laughed...Got to love him!  Well that is all until Monday.