Day 58

So today I turned 42. I'd have to say of all the gifts I received today and I got some really nice ones, my measurements were the best gift.  Are the numbers dropping as fast as I might want them to? No, but this weight didn't just drop on me out of the clear blue sky one day. No drive-by fat attacks. I was not mugged by fat cells while walking down the street.

Nope I got where I was by thinking I didn't count and I wasn't worth the time it would take to change things.

What am I thinking now? Well, I'm thinking if I can ever get my joints to cooperate I'm going to train for a half-marathon. I don't know when I'll enter one, but I know I will and I know I will finish. I am ABSOLUTELY worth the time and effort this transformation is going to take.

I confess I went into this experience thinking in 12 weeks I would be "fixed". Many things have changed, but I'm not done yet. There is so much more I want to do and so much more I know I can learn from the instructors and I fully intend to learn it.

I know I promised you numbers today and I am getting to them I promise. I just want to drag out the suspense first until you're wishing you could throttle me and just make me tell you. I'm kind of mean that way.

All right, I will share my new numbers with you. Just in case you don't remember or don't want to go back through older posts I'll share my starting measurements with you again:

Weight: 293 pounds
Body Fat: 37.9%
Hips: 54.75 in.
Waist: 44 in
Thigh: 27.75 in
Arm: 14.5 in

Now my 1/3 of the way through the contest numbers: 

Weight: 279 pounds (-14 pounds)

Body Fat: 34.6% (-3.3%)

Hips: 53.25 in. (-1.50 in.)

Waist: 42.25 in. (-1.75 in.)

Thigh: 25 in (-2.75 in.)

Arm: 14 in (-0.50 in.)

Finally, the new numbers (thanks for your patience):

Weight: 273 pounds (-20 pounds from the beginning)

Body Fat Percentage: 32.6% (-5.3% from the beginning)

Hips: 52 in. (-2.75 in. from the beginning)

Waist: 41.25 in. (-2.75 in. from the beginning)

Thigh: 25 in. (-2.75 in. from the beginning)

Arm: 14 in. (-0.50 in. from the beginning)

So, in all from the beginning of the competition I have lost 20 pounds, 5.3% body fat and 8.75 inches.

My original goal at the start of the competition was to lose 50 pounds, 6% body fat and 22 inches. I am not done yet and I may achieve those numbers, but I read something really wise yesterday and I'd like to share it. These changes I'm making, this transformation I'm undergoing is a lifestyle change: there's not an expiration date (Thanks Ben for the words of wisdom). If for some reason I do not meet all my goals then I keep working on them and I will achieve them. The goals I do meet I will change with help and guidance from those who know more than me. 

This isn't for 12 weeks, it is not so I can win anything: this change is for me. I am going to make my next 42 years so much better than the first 42. 

Thanks for reading!

 

Day 51

This seems to be my evening to write. Tuesdays after semi-private training you'd think the only things I would care about would be ice, Advil, water and some place soft to curl up and ignore the world. Nope, Tuesday seems to be my night to write. So on with the blog.


Semi-private training again. Well, tonight it was private training really. Just Amanda and I were there. We really missed Andrea and Theresa, but we both lived though at the end my ability to string words together into a coherent sentence was seriously compromised. So we each had our own trainer tonight. I had Ben. Coincidence? Probably not, but then I'm paranoid.


So on with the session. On day 37 I wrote briefly about that night's private training and hitting the wall, tonight was the same workout. Racked kettle bell squats 4 sets, first set with 2 Orange, 2nd set with 2 yellow, 3rd set was 2 red, final set was 2 copper kettle bells. I'm not sure on the weights of each of the colors, I'll check that out tomorrow morning and update you. Unless some kind follower knows and wants to leave a comment. That wasn't so bad, except I knew what was coming: Romanian Dead lifts and Rope Climbs.


We've established before that I like dead lifts. I like feeling strong when I can lift more than I would have believed possible. Rope Climbs are another matter entirely. I made my mind up that it was all about my best effort tonight and I gave my best effort. I made it through 4 sets of dead lifts and rope climbs. The rope climbs were slower and a lot more painful, but I did 6 reps each time.


 Not sure what a rope climb is? Well let me enlighten you. I'm sitting on the floor, holding onto a big thick rope which is over a chain or ceiling beam. I have my feet on the floor, knees bent. As I progress I will have my feet against a giant tire, then I use my arms to pull me upright and lower myself down again. The goal on the way down is slow and controlled, my goal is not to fall. Your trainer is on the other end holding the rope and encouraging you. About my fifth rep of set 3 you could have put my best friend on the other side and I wasn't moving any faster. My arms ached and I wasn't sure if there was going to be anything there when I dug deeper.


This time I found more. I finished my four rounds with those exercises and went on to plate pushes and a variation of push-ups that I cannot for the life of me remember the name of. The last time I face planted in the wall I was doing this set of exercises. This time I made it through 2 rounds. Ben planned for 4, I made it 2. The last set of plate pushes he was moving down the wall encouraging me to get to him, not to go down. That helped. I wanted to go down, but I was NOT going to let a 35 pound plate win. I'm stronger than that. I think I've proved that. Scratch that: I KNOW I've proved that!


So I'm one tired, sore Mooser on my way to a well deserved soak in an Epsom Salt bath. The contact lenses will come out and the glasses will go on. Time to really relax. Next week will be measurements...so stay tuned to see where I am now on the way to meeting my goals!


Have a great rest of the week and as always: Thanks for taking the time to read!

Day 44

Seriously?! Another bump?? Come on!

Yep, it's another bump in the road and I've got a choice to make again. Do I pout, whine, cry & generally annoy all my friends and people who read this blog or do I suck it up, pull up my big girl panties and move on. Right now the pouting, whining, crying option looks pretty good, but I know myself and that won't last. Sorry for any mental images my second option might have produced, but hey I like being descriptive. If I'm not going to whine I might as well try to be amusing.

Tonight's bump is courtesy of the slippery flooring in the garage. Don't get me wrong: I LOVE having a garage to put my car in, but the floor is just concrete and when it's wet it is slippery. Very slippery as it turns out. I walked one way, my left knee decided on a different route. I don't think it's serious, but right now it aches like crazy even with the ice and ibuprofen.

I'm thinking the next time I leave home I need to wrap up in bubble wrap.

So in other less whiny news I am on Day 2 of Warp Speed. It's a 28 day nutrition plan that I've heard produces amazing results. I have to say I really like that it is all planned out for me. I don't have to think about what I'm eating, I just have to look at the day and there it is. Heaven for someone like me who loves things laid out for them. Tell me what to do and I'll do it. Leave me to my own devices and I'll try really hard, but I'm easily distracted. I make no guarantees about the results when I do things on my own.

I can't believe we're a little over a third of the way through this contest. I just want to see where I am at the end, win or lose I've changed and that's what's important.

This is the beginning of a 5-week boot camp session. Week 3 and Week 5 are Hell weeks. I'll tell you more about those when they arrive. If I think about them know I might not be able to refrain from whining. Week 4 will be "bring a friend" week. So if any of you out there want to see what I do 6 days a week let me know. I'd be happy to bring you along. I won't tell you it's easy or that I love exercise, but I like the way I feel after! I know I've accomplished something and if I can do one more rep than I did the time before that's a victory and I savor it.

I am stronger than I thought I was about 5 weeks ago. I am worth the time effort and work this transformation is taking. I deserve to have all the support I am getting from all my friends. I cannot believe I am writing any of this down, but I think it's important to document my feelings and right now I feel good about where I am.

So I'm going to ice my knee, keep taking ibuprofen, drink my water and follow Warp Speed. Since I'm being honest...there will probably be some whining to, maybe a lot of whining, but I will keep going through the pain.

People keep telling me that pain is just weakness leaving my body. I wish it would leave faster and with less fuss!

Day 37

I have new numbers for all you followers and faithful readers. Let me share those before we get to the rest of my post!

Here are my measurements when I started the Mooser competition:
Weight: 293 pounds
Body Fat: 37.9%
Hips: 54.75 in.
Waist: 44 in
Thigh: 27.75 in
Arm: 14.5 in

Now...are you ready for my new measurements. Seriously, I need to work on the drum roll for these moments, it feels like there should be a drum roll. Anyhow, now that I wasted more of your time I'll get on to the numbers you've all been waiting for!

New Weight: 279 pounds (-14 pounds)
New Body Fat: 34.6% (-3.3%)
New Hips: 53.25 in (-1.50 in)
New Waist: 42.25 in (-1.75 in)
New Thigh: 25 in (-2.75 in)
New Arm: 14 in (-0.50 in)

So in all since this contest started I have lost (insert another drum roll, or you could drum your fingers on your desk if you like) 14 pounds, 3.3% body fat and 6.5 inches.

As you may or may not recall, my goal by the end of the competition was to lose a total of 50 pounds, 6% body fat and 22 inches. I'd say I've got a nice start on the pounds and body fat percentage and not too bad on the inches either.

Back to semi-private training tonight after a wonderful vacation and the workout kicked my butt hard. I'll be snuggling up with the Advil bottle tonight, so there's still time to buy stock and make a killing before the Mooser competition ends. Ha ha! Really though, I'm not kidding.

Had a meltdown during the plate pushes/push up portion of the training. I literally dug as deep as I could and found there was nothing left to give. That's never happened to me before: there is always something more I can give, even if it's just a tiny bit more. It didn't feel good to know I'd pushed as far as I could.

I've had almost an hour to process tonight's experience and put it into perspective and now I do feel good about it. I gave EVERYTHING I had to the workout and that is nothing to be upset about. None of us are super human, we can't go forever. I found the wall tonight, ran into it face-first actually, and I lived. Next time that wall won't be in the same spot, because I am going to push it out of my way. Maybe I'll only be able to push it a fraction of an inch more next time, but I will push it and every time I come against that same wall it's going to move a little bit more.

We have all come to those times when it would be easier to quit and let it go. In the past I've hit the wall and walked away. I am not doing that this time, I am going to reach a place where rope climbs are possible even if they aren't easy. I'll find the strength to push that plate when I just want to walk away from it. I am strong. I am worth the time and effort I am putting into these workouts and this competition

A few bumps in the road, a workout I could not quite finish no matter how much I wanted to: those things are an opportunity for me to learn, not signs I am a failure. The next time I come to those same exercises I will fight a little further and eventually I will complete them all.

Back to your regularly scheduled lives...I need Advil, some ice and more water.