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People ask “How are the contestants doing?”  The answer is always the same.  Wonderful

These women are dedicated to making a change in their lives.  In the gym they work very hard physically and even harder mentally outside of these walls.  The hard part is when no one else is watching and your left only with yourself to answer to.  You tell yourself that you will only have one cookie or I will be strict with my diet tomorrow or I will do extra sit ups…..anything to make yourself feel better and justify doing something you know you shouldn’t be.  What these women are also learning is that they are accountable to themselves, and worth it.

To me it is very sad to see someone who doesn’t think they are worth the effort, or what difference would it make if they tried or even worse to scared of failing to try.  It is easy to make fun of someone for being over weight or not as smart as the next person or…. Did you ever wonder if you could make a difference in that person’s life?  Instead of belittling them, encourage them, help them, show them how, teach them.  The feeling I get from helping these women and the gym making a difference in all my member’s lives is priceless.

I had a woman tell me she felt pretty for the first time in a long time when she went out to dinner with her husband.  Another has never been to a gym because she always felt intimidated, but feels totally comfortable here.  Many have said how much they love being here with women and making new friends…..My oldest member is 78 and she is awesome.

“My girls” are doing very well in this contest, but they aren’t doing anything different than anyone else who wants to make a difference in their life, all you have to do is take the first step and walk through the front door.  We’ll take it from there and be right by your side.

I would love to be able to tell every woman personally that they are able to make a difference in their own life.  These seven women are the first of many.  I like them never want it to end.

Lisa

This week has been pretty good.  I have increased my workouts at Flab to Fab to six times a week, drinking lots more water, and eating more consistently.  I took a Kettle Bell class on Saturday that was so intense that it made me think about everything I ate the rest of the weekend!  So even on Sunday (my day off), I probably burned some stored energy because I was not about to waste that workout!

People are starting to notice my weight loss and asking me how the contest is going.  That also keeps me focused on my goal.  This is so different in what I have done before because it is SO public; it’s all out there!  It took me a really long time to tell my husband how much I weighed and I told you guys after five weeks!  That may be why it is working.  Being overweight no longer has any more power over me than I allow it.   I now look at my weight as a challenge…and it’s going down!   I now have family, church members, past teachers, former classmates, past co-workers, my kids’ teachers, gym members, and blog responders praying for me and encouraging me to push through this challenge.  I know that I am one of seven that has been given this opportunity and it has been a Blessing to be able to share my experience in this blog.  I know that most people cannot workout as much as I am as often as I do.  There are so many mothers I know that give their whole days to their families and careers, that even sneaking in thirty minutes of exercise a few times a week seems impossible.  I also know that most women doing that will not get the results they want in the time frame they want them in but it is a step in the right direction.  We HAVE to take care of ourselves if we want to do anyone else any good.  Whether your goal takes twelve weeks or twelve months (or more), you have to recognize that you are worth the work.  This is something this gym and these girls have taught me.  Whether we lose two pounds or twenty it is still a step toward healthier, more powerful women and that is something that we, our families, children (present and future), and neighbors should be excited about.  Support is such an important part of this experience and I am challenging myself to give as much support as I am receiving.

Thank you all for reading!

“That’s just the trouble with me, I give myself very good advice, but I very seldom follow it.” – Alice in Wonderland

I guess Alice said it best. I think that quote describes me almost too well. It’s a work in progress, but that’s beside the point. I have been trying to talk myself into all the healthy and low calorie foods. I eat it and feel good which is what I would hope for. However, I feel the constant urge to rebel and go to Taco Bell and eat something bad for me! I can’t help it! The commercial for that new $5 box is on every five minutes! Maybe it’s because I’m one of those people that will do the exact opposite of what people want. If I asked you what color shoes you liked better between pink and blue, and you said the pink, I would probably go with the blue (Even though pink is my favorite color). I scare myself sometimes…. Or maybe I’m having such a hard time controlling my willpower because the media can show a weight loss pill commercial right after that Taco Bell commercial. What is this world coming to?!

I am eating healthy though and in turn I am feeling pretty healthy too. I can also say I haven’t crumbled under pressure yet! It’s crazy to finally realize just how terrible I ate before this competition. I am so grateful to my mom who has been my main support so far and a fantastic cook to boot! Although if she tells me to eat salad one more time I might lose it! She is my rock though, and I wouldn’t be as strong if it wasn’t for her. I hope I can stay strong throughout this competition and I hope all this hard work pays off. I’m ready for a fresh start on life!

“Never give up on a dream just because of the length of time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.”

I stumbled across this quote the other day and it made me reflect a lot on this journey I am on. I have always gotten discouraged due to the large amount of weight I need to lose. I have started and quit weight loss attempts too many times to count.  In the past, I have always thrown in the towel when things got a little too tough for me. I refuse to live that way anymore! There are times during a workout where I am hurting so badly that I could cry. A lot of the time, I feel clueless in the gym but every time I go I am learning something new. Plus, just doing this a little over a month now, I feel that I definitley have more stanima during my workouts. My dreams for the future are what motivate me every single day. I want to look in the mirror for the first time in my life and truly say that I love myself. I also want to be an inspiration to others that you can turn your life around if you just put your mind to it. Most of all, I want to live a long and happy life with my fiance Mike and have a beautiful family. It took a long time to put on this weight and it will take awhile to get it off. Every day I step into the gym and choose healthier food options, I am one step closer towards my dreams.

Things in this program are going by way too quickly… It needs to slow down! In all truth, I don’t think I ever want this to end. Waking up bright and early to go and work out has become a joy for me. The gym has actually become an escape for me, to get away from the constant stress caused by others at home. If I could do it without getting so tired, I think I would stay at Flab to Fab all day and do all of the classes. Ah, yet I think I would probably die if I tried that, haha.

I have to say though, I’m feeling a little stronger every day, even with some persistant health issues. I can’t really see a difference in my appearance, yet others are always telling my how different I look. The other girls in the competition are looking amaIng, and doing amazing… It all really astounds me. Everyone keeps up with everything, and it can be so tough… Yet everyone sticks to it and does wonderfully.

I really can say that, at the end of this all, win or lose, I’ll still take so much away. I’m becoming a better, stronger, healthier individual, and I’ve gained so many wonderful friends from this event. To thank Lisa or anyone else a trillion times would never be enough.

Consider the postage stamp:  its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing till it gets there.  ~Josh Billings

I have found sticking with it really hard this past week.  Not because I don’t want to go to the gym, but finding the time as of late has been a challenging task.  Funny thing is I find following my diet harder when I don’t start my day with a trip to the gym. In all honesty I miss working out with the other girls a lot as well.   I have a lot on my plate right now as far as time consuming responsibilities.   The idea of working out in the morning is completely shot as well as afternoon.  I have found that the only time I can make for the gym is right around 5 p.m.  The problem with that is by the time 5 rolls around I have zero want to be at the gym.  The days activities have exhausted me and for the most part I am just ready for some alone time.   So I have been trying to look at gym time as my time.  I have also started a “healthy me” journal.  I write down an exercise and meal plan for the week every Sunday and my goal is to follow it as closely as possible.  I write down how I feel everyday after the gym and any changes in me that I notice.

This week my goal is to again make it to the gym everyday.  I have every intention of being just like the postage stamp and sticking to it until I get there!