The weight is gone....

The pressure is off, the weight is gone, the stress has subsided....
I can't believe how much better I feel today, knowing that all the work that I did for the past 100 days has been measured & recorded & this is just the beginning of the next chapter in the healthier me book!!
I am proud of myself, I am looking forward & not backwards, because if I do that, I will see where I could have, should have & didn't have (fill in the blank)....and the only blanks I want to fill in are the blanks of the future as I write my own story from here on out....

I was at the gym this morning, after my children's assembly, running & working out with all the heart patients....it was a humbling experience for me, watching these sweet, older people better their lives after various heart surgeries....I do not want to be them, I want to be running in my old age & enjoying my life without the aid of stints, pacers or by-pass surgeries....

The weight is gone in so many different aspects for me....
Here is to my healthy life style.....

a tribute to my gun man

So did you read what Matt wrote about me on his post??
What a nice man, so honey this one is for you!!

I am so flipping proud of those guns that you carry around on you at ALL times, those babies are LOADED....I am amazed that your stomach is nearly gone & that you have the tightest pecks this side of our cul-de-sac....you amaze me that you can say no to chocolate, soda & all things unhealthy, while saying YES to one more hour at the gym & one more notch up on the treadmill....
You inspire me & I am so glad that you & your guns are MINE....
here is to my partner & friend!! CHEERS!!! (by the way, we are cheering with ICE WATER!!!)

Race for Red....

Before the race, really am I smiling & acting excited about this??? hmmmm

Amy & I crossing the finish line....whew, glad that is over!!!

The heart challenge participants of 2010 (minus the Winters, Michelle & Betty) way to go to all of us!!!

Matt & I at the finish, now THIS smile is really genuine since I am glad to be done....

4:45 the alarm goes off, I groan....this is nothing, I am usually at the gym by this time every morning, going strong....oh yes, I remember now, it is Saturday, the day I have waited for, dreaded, worried about, dreamed about, looked forward to - my first 5K....the race for red is finally here. 100 days ago, it was just a dream, one more thing on my bucket list, one thing that I would work for "later"....later is here, my bucket list ready to have one more thing marked off from it, today was the day!!

Matt is an incredible runner, he has been running since October, so he is good at running, me on the other hand, started a month ago....I don't run, I hate running, I don't feel any "good" from it, but I wanted to do it....I started going slow on the tread mill about a month ago, running just a little, just to see if I could do it...I could, but I didn't want to tell anyone - telling someone would make me accountable - I wanted to surprise Matt with my running (I ended up telling him about a week later, I am not a good secret keeper - when it comes to something fun - I am good at keeping confidences)

I didn't want to keep Matt from doing his best, so I told him, I want you to run your pace, not my slow, barely moving my behind pace....go ahead of me, run your best, after all this was his run too, not just about me....My mom was going to do the 5K with me, she wasn't sure if she could do the entire thing running, so she was going to walk. I knew I could do more than just walk, so I told her I wanted to try to run the entire thing, I didn't mean to leave her behind, it just happened....Matt's cousin & my good friend, Amy found out last week about the 5K, she wanted to do one, so asked if she could join me....she & I talked strategy & found out we were about the same in our running, so we decided to hook up & run....

What a rush, what a feeling of accomplishment!!

So glad that Matt was my support (even though you didn't come back to find me :) ), proud of my mom for doing it & winning 2nd in her age division!! Way to go MOM!! And glad to cross the finish line next to Amy....

I am excited that I did it, I am glad to check something off my list that was collecting dust, I am proud of my accomplishment, I fought a good fight & I came across the finish line RUNNING!!

setting new goals

With the finish line in sight, I decided to sit down & make some new goals that will help me stay on the path we have been traveling. I know that it will not be as easy without having nutrition classes to go to, a weekly check in with Traci, a work out with a trainer, encouragement from friends, but it will be possible!!
As we get to this point in the challenge, it is easy to see what we should have done & wish for things to be different at this time. It is easy to look around at each other & make judgements on what others have or haven't done, but is it fair to compare?
It really is an individual race, our own race for our health & NOTHING that anyone else in the competition has done or hasn't done will play a part in our future health...the only comparison game we should be playing is that with ourselves....compare what you have done since the beginning of the challenge & if there room for improvement, set new goals & go for it....
We are all winners no matter what the numbers say, because we APPLIED to change, we were PICKED to change & we all CONTINUE to change & to improve our lives. So compare yourself to the person 90 days ago that faced you in the mirror & CELEBRATE the changes!!!

Childlike

....I was at Orem Rec today, working out -
....I had to get a new phone so my playlist isn't there to listen to -
....I borrowed my 7 year old's ipod shuffle -
....I moved to a different beat today -
....It included songs like "down by the station" and "phineas & ferb" -
....I think I liked feeling like a kid!!

Taking it up a notch....and my crack pants

....I am sure that the title of this post will make you think that I am talking about exercise & watching what I eat - that I am going to take it up one more notch, but alas it is not....nope this post is about the cheap, walmart, fake leather belt that I bought at the beginning of the challenge (or shortly after it started)...

Let me back up a bit & explain....I have NO idea whose "brilliant" idea it was to create pants for women that don't fit!!! I am talking about these low riding, sit on the hip, show a lot more crack than I want to see on anyone else, let alone SHOW of mine pants!!! I am a fashion failure, meaning that I am NOT hip, I am NOT up on the latest & greatest styles, I HATE to shop & it has NOTHING to do with the fact that I get discouraged because I can't find anything, it has everything to do with the fact that I think it is a waste of time, money & effort...however I hear there are laws (thank goodness) against running around with no clothes on, therefore one must shop!!
So back at the beginning of the challenge all of my current pants/jeans got together & decided to sprout holes in them, all at once.....I was very upset at this because first I hate to shop, second I didn't want to have to buy pants in the size I was in at the time, third I LOVED the pants I had & really didn't want to part with them, I had them 'broken in' like I enjoy them & fourth, I hate to shop!!! But off to the mall Matt & I went (I refused to wear skirts in place of jeans - did it for 18 months already!!)
We found some jeans that we both agreed looked 'cool enough', off to the dressing room we went, they were the low riding, crack showing kind of jeans....didn't like them, but didn't want to wear elastic waisted ones quite yet....so I got them....now not knowing the 'right' way to buy these crack pants, I bought my "normal" size....OOPS!! it didn't take me long to realize that I couldn't wear them where I normally wear my jeans (around my REAL waist) without them falling down & resting on my shelves (also known as hips)....
So I had to go buy a belt to keep them up where I actually wanted them to be (see I bought super long length, so I could wear them hiked up)....I think I am painting a rather interesting picture here...hmmmm But knowing that I was hopefully going to be losing some inches in my waist & hips, I decided I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a belt....so off to walmart I go, found a great fake leather belt for only $8.00....I didn't want to buy a large size, so I tried on the small/medium size & stressed that belt to fit....I could barely get the hook in the first hole, but I refused to buy larger, it was not on the game plan....
Over the weeks, the fake leather top has ripped, so I pulled the whole bit off, it is now a nice shade of gray with brown accents :) , I have slowly tighted this belt up each week, marking progress of inches gone....then today I discovered something that has just made me giddy with some excitement.....I am now on the LAST hole of this belt, no more stress, no more tightening, there are NO more holes available....and honestly I could use another hole....
I am so freaking excited!! I can't believe that a belt & a hole could make one feel so accomplished....I remember when Matt was losing a lot of weight a few years ago (if you haven't visited his blog to see his photos from about 6 years ago, GO!!!) & he kept making new holes in his belt & I wondered if that would ever be me.....NOW it is....I am so excited to go shopping to find pants that actually FIT me in the waist & I bet I can find some, and just possibly they will be some that won't have to sit on my hips or increase the crack problem invading our world!!!
YAY me!!!

Now then on another note, the class this AM was AMAZING, Mike was great, I loved the food ideas & I am anxious to try the wraps on the boys in the morning!!! However I really wonder what rock I have been under....I had NO idea that next week would be the last week of class, what am I going to do without seeing each of you weekly????....is this a way of weaning us from each other & making us independent for the weeks to come?? YIKES, I am going to miss seeing every ones smiling faces & I am sad to think it is coming to an end...{sigh}

made me think....

Okay, I am copying what Brittany did, I am putting a quote on here, it is one that I read today on Facebook, I liked it...

"Challenges are what make life more interesting. Overcoming them is what makes life meaningful."