Day 81

Today was my last day with Dani. We hid a little gift for her outside in the tires. I think she was really suprised. I hate that this is over. I will miss Dani and my group so much. Why can't we have another month?

Day 80

Today was a really busy day for me. On top of my workout, I started taking finals tonight. I think I did well but I guess I won't find out until Monday. I'm going to bed. Hopefully tomorrow is less stressful.

Day 79

I am really going to miss my morning group. I hope we will still be close after this contest is over. We plan on continuing to work out together. I really, really hope this happens. My guys are such good guys.

Day 78

The skittle cravings are back. I thought they went away but maybe I was wrong. I;m glad I don't spend a lot of time in places that you can buy skittles. I tried to find out what skittles are made of except pure sugar and I was a little supprised. Have you ever heard of shellac?

Shellac is a resin secreted by the female lac bug, on trees in the forests of India and Thailand. It is processed and sold as dry flakes, which are dissolved in denatured alcohol to make liquid shellac, which is used as a brush-on colorant, food glaze and wood finish. Shellac functions as a tough all-natural primer, sanding sealant, tannin-blocker, odor-blocker, stain, and high-gloss varnish. Shellac was once used in electrical applications as it possesses good insulation qualities and it seals out moisture. Shellac is often the only historically-appropriate finish for early 20th-century hardwood floors, and wooden wall and ceiling paneling.

From the time it replaced oil and wax finishes in the 1800s, shellac was the dominant wood finish in the western world until it was replaced by nitrocellulose lacquer in the 1920s and 1930s. It remained popular in the Southern United States through the 1950s and 1960s. It continues to be a popular candy glaze for pill shaped sweets such as Skittles. (From Wikipedia)

I don't think I want skittles anymore.

Day 77

Today is my last rest day in the contest. I think I'm going to take a long nap today.

Day 76

Today we met as a group for lazer tag and bowling. It was so much fun. We kicked the trainer's butts at lazer tag and I found out that I really suck at bowling. It didn't really matter who won or lost and I laughed so hard that it felt as though I had done 100 crunches. Today was a great day.

Day 75

Another Friday comes and goes. This morning's workout was good. I still don't have as much energy as I would like but at least I'm not getting sick. It feels like I am actually starting to make progress and now the program is almost over. Its really funny in a way. I still have a long way to go but this has really helped to start me on the right path. If nothing else, I look at food diferently now. I keep snacks that are good for me and pass up fast food altogether. Its amazing to me that I've changed so much in just a couple of months. I can't wait to see what happens in the future.

Day 74

I really do think Dani could run a torture facility. She's all smiles and seems nice on the surface but really knows how to stick it to you. Maybe I should call the CIA to see if they would recruit her. I bet they would once they hear all of her qualifications. Maybe they could snatch her up before next Tuesday.

Day 73

Today was a strange day. I felt really weak this morning but was able to finish my workout. This afternoon it seemed to get worse. I do not have time to get sick right now. I'll get sick after the contest is over. How much vitamin C is one person allowed to take durning the span of 1 day? The bottle says 2 tablets. I'm going to take 4 just to be on the safe side. I also bought sugar free so that it doesn't mess with my diet plan. Its chewable and tastes great. I wonder what they replaced the sugar with.

Day 72

I am exhausted today. I don't even have the energy to type. I think Dani may have a future in torture.

Day 71

I can't believe the contest is almost over. We only have 2 weeks left. I really need to push myself to get everything out of this that I can. This means I'm going to have to spend more time in the gym.

Day 70

Today was another couch potato day. Well, it would have been a couch potato day if I didn't have 5 hours of errands to run.

Day 69

Today was brutal. Ben lead our cardio group activity and he is rough. I'm not going to call Scott the torture king anymore. I'm not sure I would have made it this far of Ben was my trainer.

Day 68

Today was a pretty good day. I finished the workout with extra energy and spent the day getting things done in my office. I wish each day would go as smoothly as this one did.

Day 67

Dani was back this morning and I'm really happy about that. I'm not sure I could go through another morning like Tuesday. Don't get me wrong, Dani pushes us incredibly hard. I don't think there is a single spot on me that isn't soaking with sweat once we are finished working out with her. Its just easier focus on the workout that someone else gives you than to come up with one on your own.

Day 66

Today was a little rough. I really didn't want to go to the gym at all. Sometimes I wonder if its all a mental thing. Once I get there, I don't have a problem. Its just the getting out of bed and driving to the gym part that seems to get harder each day.

Day 65

Today was a strange work out day. Dani was out sick so we were left without a trainer to guide us down the path of torture. You would think it would be an easy morning, right? You would be wrong. I'm going to go out on a limb here and speak for the whole group when I say we pushed ourselves harder this morning than we do on most mornings. Dani left instructions at the front desk. We were to do 30 minutes of cardio upstairs on the machines and then another 20 minutes downstairs. I started off on the treadmill on some crazy uphill course. I meant to choose the program with 3 hills but have no idea what I ended up with. There were hills but they were different sizes and I was on them for different lengths of time. Anyways, that is beside my point. What I really want to get to is the part where I was jogging. Ok, so it was only for 30 second intervals but it was a jog none the less. If anyone had told me back in February that I would be able to jog on a treadmill, I would have laughed right in their face. Yet this morning, I found myself doing just that. BUT the fun didn't stop there. After our upstairs time, we headed down to complete a couple of circuits. Once again, you would think that we would go easy on ourselves. And once again, you would be wrong. For the first round, we picked stairs, the ropes and step ups. Oh yes, I said we PICKED these. I have no idea what is wrong with us. And if that was not enough, we chose planks, leg lifts and wall squats for the second round. We all pushed ourselves to the very end. Most mornings it is great to have a trainer but I noticed this morning that when I do, I just tend to do what they ask and not much more. When I have to workout without someone watching, it is easier to push myself. I think deep down, I am a still a little afraid of embarrassing myself in front of the trainers. As much as I love Dani, I hope we get to workout alone again.

Day 64

Today was a rough day for exercising. After two days of not working out, I feel like I've set myself back a couple of weeks. I wish I had more time in the day. If I did, I think I could get everything I needed to done and still have time to work out. I've also changed my most hated exercise from the stairs to the gliders. They don't seem bad when you look at them, but for some reason, they always make me feel sick. I think its the fact that my head is closer to the ground. Hopefully, Scott will not read this. For some reason, he likes to make me do the things I hate every single day. (By things I hate, I'm really still complaining about the stairs.)

Day 63

I didn't work out again today. Well, at least not at the gym. I continued to work on projects around the house but still haven't finished them all. I also managed to fit in an impromptu and unexpected ab workout due to my cheat day. Oh yes, I made myself sick again. When am I going to learn? I have not had "bad" foods in 63 days but still feel like I should be able to eat them once a week. This week, I tried the new Domino's pizza. That's right. The commercials finally got to me and I had to try the new formula they are so proud of. I do have to say it was fantastic. I'm not sure if this is because I haven't had pizza in so long or if they really have tweaked the recepie that much. Either way, sick or not, I'm routing for Dominos.

Day 62

Today was another weigh in day and I'm glad to say that I'm losing inches again. We haven't video taped in a couple of weeks but if you could see my clothes, you would also notice a little difference. As far as the workout went, Scott pushed me just like always. I've lost a total of 28 lbs so far and at one point, Scott made me work out with 30lbs of weight. It was almost the same amount of weight that I lost and I have no idea where it was on my body. I do know that it was heavy and I never want to gain that back.

Day 61

This morning started off well but quickly went down hill. I can't seem to keep my heart rate within the acceptable range. I want to push myself in order to get the most effective workout but there is such a thin line between maximum heart rate and borrowing the upstairs trash can again. I really hope that I can get this to stop. I want to go back to the days where I could push and push and push some more. I wish my mind would cooperate with my body.

Day 60

Cardio time! I can't remember what we did this morning but I do remember that it wasn't easy. What is wrong with me? It hasn't even been 24 hours and I can't remember? I need a vacation or at least some sleep. Maybe I will be able to catch up on my sleep this weekend.

Day 59

I think Scott is a mind reader. We spent the last 10 minutes stretching and he said I needed to practice more at home as well. I didn't even get a chance to ask him about it before he said something. Maybe he has secret cameras in my home or my phones tapped. I'm just kidding. I'm pretty sure he is psychic.

Day 58

I overheated again this morning and ended up missing at least 5 minutes of the work out. I feel awful about it. I know that everyone is super supportive but I know it must be annoying for them. I need something that will keep my heart rate down and also keep me from overheating. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Its easier when we work on the machines and I especially like it when we practice yoga/streaching. This is something I still really need to work on. I am so unflexible. I am really going to focus on my streching because I have to get better at this. I think I will ask Scott for some pointers tomorrow.

Day 57

Yippee!!! Back at the gym sweating out gallons of water in just an hour!!! Why did I miss this? What has Scott done to me? Is it some sort of mind game? If so, its trainers, 1 and Tori, 0. We jumped right back into the program this morning. Stairs, stairs, more stairs as well as lots of machines. I think Scott is increasing the weight without me noticing. I really should start paying more attention to what he is making me do. The problem is that I am completely worn out by the end of the workout and everything seems to fly out of my head.

Day 56

Happy Easter!!! Today has been a fun filled day of Easter egg hunting with my nephew who is only 1 and does not understand the concept of putting the Easter eggs in the basket and spending time with my family. It also came with lots of yummy food. Surprisingly, a lot of it was acceptable for my program. (Some of it wasn't, including the stuffing and gravy, but what are cheat days for, right?) I didn't get to work out today. I wanted to but just didn't make it back to town in time. I am going to have to work out double next week to make up for today. For some reason, I'm looking forward to it.

Day 55

I'm a little upset with my father and my sister today. I'm back home for Easter and have been looking for a way to get into the gym. Both my father and my sister have gym memberships and could easily bring me with them for $5. However, each of them seem to have other more important things to do. I'm not really happy about this but I cannot force them to work out as well. OR CAN I?

Day 54

I'm back on my schedule this morning. It was really hard working out after a day off. I hope this will get easier after a few days back on track. I know it can't get much harder. I also know I like the bungee cords.

Day 53

I'm back in Houston for an MLO license refresher class today. I will be back tomorrow on my regular schedule. Is it wrong to say I miss the gym?

Day 52

No unexplainable cravings today. When did this become the highlight of my day? Wow, things have changed. Not to mention the fact that I don't feel that I can get clean enough. I wash and wash but still think I smell like sweat and my shoes smell awful. I'm thinking about getting another pair just to get rid of the smell. I have to use free and clear laundry detergent and its not cutting it with my clothes. I think I'm going to pick up some tide and wash my clothes in that and then rewash in the free and clear.

Day 51

I still want the skittles. I pushed myself extra hard this morning because I feel guilty for wanting them. I wonder if anyone else is having any cravings like this. I'm going to have to check with the other contestants to see what they would do.

Day 50

I am having this unexplainable craving for skittles today. I have no idea where this is coming from. Of course, I'm not going to eat them. One they are really bad for me being just processed sugar and two I am not going to wash away all of my work for a bag of deliciousness. I wonder why? I haven't had sugar cravings at all. I wonder if there is some sort of substitute that I can eat in the world of healthy.

Day 49

I stayed on the couch all day today. I shouldn't have but I did. Now I feel awful.

Day 48

Today was an off cardio day. I did make it to the gym to work out on my own. I feel like I've really accomplished something but I'm not sure I am.

Day 47

I'm back to feeling sick again this morning. I just can't seem to get over this. How am I supposed to push myself when my body just won't cooperate. I understand why people start using illegal substances to work out harder and feel better.

Disclaimer-I am not going to start using any illegal substances nor would I ever. I just understand what would move people towards them.

Day 46

Cardio was good this morning. I only felt like I wanted to pass out for 15 minutes after we were finished. I think Dani needs some sort of push award. Just when you think she is going to slack off and let you rest a little, she turns the energy right back up.

Day 45

I feel like I am letting Scott down. I am trying as hard as I can but I don't think I am getting any better or stronger. I wish there were tests that I could do at home to determine my progress.

Day 44

I'm still at my MLO training class but should be back tomorrow.

Day 43

I was at an MLO license training class in Houston this morning and missed my scheduled workout. I did walk on the treadmill at the hotel but their gym left a lot to be desired.

Day 42

Today was another off day for me. I'm glad that I can rest. I would like to say that I am going to try and walk around but I'm really just going to sit on the couch.

Day 41

I missed the group cardio this morning because I was in a meeting that I could not get out of. I hated missing it because I like seeing all of the other contestants. I can't wait until our next group.

Day 40

I think that Scott wants to push me over the edge. I hate the stairs just as much as he loves them. When do I get to stop doing stairs?

Day 39

Group cardio this morning took everything I had. I have no idea where Dani comes up with her ideas but she is really good at it. She knows just what to do to push us to the limit. I'm also glad that we have the chance to visit after the workout.

Day 38

This morning's workout went better than expected. I think I'm getting into a routine that I can work with. I think I can get used to this.

Day 37

I have no idea why I am so negative this week. All I can think about it the fact that I hated cardio this morning. What is going on? Why is this once again getting harder? It seems like it goes back and forth. Why?

Day 36

I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! I hate stairs! Have I made my point?

Day 35

Yippee! Today's a free day. I didn't make it to the gym but I did work around the house. I know that cleaning should be considered as cardio. Its definately a work out.

Day 34

I made it to the gym for some extra cardio this morning. It harder coming on my own than working out with the trainers. I have to push myself and mentally block the urges to leave after 30 minutes. I still wanted to leave.

Day 33

I finally broke down and bought the new computer today. Maybe this will fix the blogging issue. I hope that everyone can read these again.

I made it to the gym twice today-this morning with Scott and this afternoon by myself. Working out twice a day is rough. I know I'm not weight training more than once but its still hard to do cardio in the afternoon after I've been with the torture king in the morning. Oh yes, that's right. Scott is now the torture king.

Day 32

I feel awful today. I went to the doctor this morning and we are running blood work. I hope it will be able to tell me why I keep getting sick each morning. This is making it really hard to go to the gym and I'm just not looking forward to working out right now. I want things to go back to the way they were a couple of weeks ago.

Day 31

I'm having a really bad day this morning. I did not want to get out of bed, much less go to the gym. I'm glad that I made myself do it but it was really hard. This cannot continue.

Day 30

I'm feeling sick again this morning and ended up throwing up after the workout. I'm going to schedule a doctor's appointment to see what is going on.

Day 29

This morning was great. I felt awesome after the workout. I was so full of energy. I hope this feeling lasts all day.

Day 28

Today was an off day. I laid on the couch and didn't make it to the gym. I'm glad that I was able to rest today.

Day 27

Today was group cardio at the park. We tried to play basketball. Bear said there really weren't any rules and we ended up playing some sort of twisted version of basketball/football. It was a bunch of fun and my team ended up winning.

Day 26

The torture king is back in full force thing morning. We worked out so hard that I can't even remember what we did. And by we, I really just mean me. Scott sometimes jumps in but its not until I think I cannot finish. He's so much better at this than I am.

Day 25

I'm not feeling well again this morning. I'm really going to have to shake this feeling. Its making it hard to work out each morning when I feel like I need to throw up. Maybe I need to go see the doctor to see what is going on.

Day 24

I'm feeling really yucky today. I think I worked out too hard. I'm still fighting this stupid computer and I think I am going to buy a new laptop. I've wanted another one since my old one was stolen. Maybe that will make me feel better.

Day 23

Dani likes to take us outside to do cardio. I'm not too sure that I like it. Its not a flat surface so I don't feel like I can really do my best. I hope we are inside from now on.

Day 22

Today's a new month. I can't believe that we are already 22 days into the contest. I'm starting to see a little weight loss. Its especially obvious in my shoulders. Why would I start losing weight there?

Day 21

Today is an off day for me. I think I'm going to walk around the track at the school. I wish I had a heart rate monitor at home so that I could monitor my progress.

Day 20

Today is the last Saturday of the month so things are really hectic at the office. I did stay in town this weekend and even managed to hit the gym this morning. I'm not sure I'm as effective when I get to plan the workout.

Day 19

I HATE COMPUTERS!!! I CANNOT FIGURE OUT WHY THIS IS NOT WORKING!!! I THOUGHT I WAS COMPUTER SAVVY UNTIL I STARTED BLOGGING!!!

Today was push Friday. I try really hard to make sure I give it 120% each Friday morning since I have a couple of days of rest before I meet with Scott again. I think Scott has some sort of wierd trainer love for the stairs. They are included in almost every single work out. I think I may be getting a little better at them. Its not that they are getting any easier, I'm just getting faster at climbing them over and over again. Maybe I am improving? I think its too soon to tell.

Day 18

Test one? Test two? Can anybody read me? I'm not sure if there's any point in writing this if no one can read it. I keep all of this on hard copy at my house for personal reference and could access that if I wanted to remember how Dani tried to kill us again this morning. She did, by the way. I think she stays awake at night dreaming about ways to push us to the limit. I'm glad we are in a group, though. I'm not sure if I could keep it up without my boys. They make me push myself just a little harder each morning.

Day 17

I'm not as sore today and I feel like I'm getting back into the swing of things. Now if my computer would only cooperate with me. For some reason, I can see this post but I cannot get it to post. I'm going to get my roommate to look at this. (He's better than the Geek Squad.) It seems like if its not one thing, then its another. At least things are going well at work even if I am a little late each morning. I can't seem to finish my workouts before 8. Maybe I'll ask Scott if we can start at 6:45 instead of 7.

Day 16

Cardio this morning was rough. I'm really sore from yesterday morning with Scott. I don't feel like I am really getting anywhere with my fitness. I still start sweating the minute that I walk into the gym and I feel wimpy for lack of a better word. I thought this would slowly get easier but it seems like the more I push myself the harder it gets. Will I ever be able to walk into a gym and not dread the upcoming exercises?

Day 15

I think I am going to die. Two days off is two days too many. It feels like I am starting all over again at day one. My legs aren't sore yet but I bet they will be tonight. When is this going to get easier?

Day 14

Things didn't exactly go as planned today. We weren't able to walk around the track like we wanted to. I'm a little bummed about that. Oh well, tomorrow its back to the gym.

Day 13

I'm back home today. I hate that I'm missing the group activity but I'm glad to see my family. I won't be in the gym today but I'm going to walk around the track at the college here in town. My mom is going to do it with me and I'm excited about that.

Food Journal:
Breakfast: 2 slices Ezekiel bread with 2 tbsp almond butter
AM snack: 1/2 cup imitation crab meat
Lunch: 2 slices Ezekiel bread with deli chicken, havarti cheese, romaine lettuce, tomato and avocado
PM snack: protein shake and pear
Dinner: sirloin steak and salad (romaine lettuce, grape tomatoes, avocado, red onions and light italian dressing)

Day 12

This morning was measurement time!!! I've lost 10 pounds of body fat but gained 4 pounds of water weight for a loss of 6 pounds total. I've also lost inches in several spots around my body including my arms and legs. I am so excited!

I really pushed myself with Scott this morning. I think I am improving and I know the weight amounts are still going up. We did not do regular stairs this morning but did the fake stairs and added weights. I'm not sure which one I like better. I know that I do like the seated row machine. I'm really sad that I'm going to miss out group activity this weekend, but I'm going home to see mom for a late birthday celebration. Both mom and my gran are shopping today so that I will have the correct foods to eat while I'm down there. I really appreciate them doing that and am glad they are excited for me.

Food Journal:
Breakfast: 1 slice Ezekiel bread with 1 tbsp almond butter
AM snack: orange
Lunch: whole wheat pita with roast beef and havarti cheese
PM snack: apple and cheese stick
Dinner: lean ground beef sauteed with onions and mushrooms poured over a toasted piece of Ezekiel bread

Day 11

Today is my mom's birthday. I know she reads this everyday so I want to wish her a very happy 25th again birthday!!! I love you mom!!!

As far as the gym goes, it was much easier to get up this morning. I am starting to get in a set schedule and my body knows when we need to get up. I'm also starting to feel a lot better in general. If you overlook a little soreness, I have so much more energy and no more sinking spells in the afternoon. Our cardio session was a little different this morning. Dani made us shuffle back and forth around the gym and then run through agility ladders placed on the floor. Jamie is definitely quick on his toes. After that we headed upstairs to the treadmill, bike and elliptical machines. Oh yes, more leg work.

I also went over to Smoothie King to speak with Tom about vitamins and nutritional supplements. This man knows so much about this stuff. I would suggest that anyone looking for some information go directly to him. He set me up with all kinds of powders, vitamins, etc. I can't wait to try them and see what the effects are.

Food Journal:
Breakfast: 1 cup Kashi Go Lean, 1/2 cup skim milk, orange
AM snack: small Smoothie King smoothie (strawberry banana)
Lunch: whole wheat pita with sun dried tomato turkey and 1 slice pepper jack cheese
PM snack: peach greek yogurt
Dinner: sirloin steak, 1 1/2 cups of broccoli, 1/2 cup portabella mushrooms, 1/4 cup onions

Day 10

I am kicking myself this morning. I worked at the fundraiser from 10am to well after 10pm with no real break. My legs are killing me and I know its from my own stupidity and not from the gym. My workout with Scott this morning was torture. I feel like we spend the most time working with my legs. When they start off sore it just keeps getting worse.


Food Journal:
Breakfast: 1 cup Kashi Go Lean and 1/2 cup skim milk
AM snack: pear
Lunch: whole wheat pita with 1 slice sun dried tomato turkey
PM snack: cheese stick and orange
Dinner: grilled chicken breast, 1 cup broccoli and 1 cup portabella mushrooms

Day 9

This morning was rough. Dani really worked us out in the group session. I feel like all I have to do is walk into the gym and I start sweating now. I wonder if everyone else feels this way? I still hate the stairs. Maybe I should stop writing that because maybe that is why they keep making me do them. I hate to keep this short today but I am off work to set up a fundraiser tonight and don't have much time.


Food Journal:
Breakfast: 1 cup Kashi and 1/2 cup skim milk
AM snack: pear
Lunch: charbroiled chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-a with fruit cup side
PM snack: cheese stick and strawberry greek yogurt
PM snack 2: orange
Dinner: :-(

Day 8

I know I did not mention anything about yesterday being Valentine's Day. That is because this year I decided not to celebrate the chocolate holiday when I cannot eat the chocolate. This morning with Scott went well as soon as he explained that he was adding cardio to our workouts. (I thought the day off just put me way behind.) It was a little hard getting up out of bed but that was really due to not going to bed early enough yesterday. I'm over the soreness and can barely feel the effects of Saturday. I have come to the conclusion that Scott loves the stairs as much as I hate them right now. He keeps telling me that I need to make friends with the stairs since we will see a lot of each other. The stairs and I can't don't even have a working relationship yet. I can't wait until we take measurements on Friday to see what progress I have made.

Food Journal:
Breakfast: 1 cup Kashi Go Lean and 1/2 cup skim milk
AM snack: 1 cup strawberries
Lunch: chicken salad sandwich (2 slices Ezekiel bread with 2 tbsp chicken salad)
PM snack: small apple and cheese stick
Dinner: sirloin steak and salad (romaine lettuce, tomatoes, boiled egg, cucumber and basil vinaigrette dressing)

Day 7

This has to be the hardest day yet for me. The funny thing is that I'm not exercising today at all. The not so funny thing is that I am so sore from yesterday's play day that I didn't want to get out of bed. Even my toes hurt when I bend them. I actually had to do the half roll where if I don't put my feet on the ground I will fall to make myself get up. Who thought you could be this sore from a little soccer game? I'm definitely taking it easy and resting today. Its also shopping and precooking day so I know I'll be a little busy. I find it so much easier to preplan my breakfasts, snacks, lunches, etc and have everything I need here at the house already. If I can, I cook things in advance such as my chicken salad. I still have to shop again midweek for my dinner vegetables but its still better than having to go every night or even midday.

Food Journal:
Breakfast: 1 cup Kashi Go Lean and 1/2 cup skim milk
AM snack: 1 cup strawberries
Lunch: chicken breast sandwich with pepper jack cheese on Ezekiel bread
PM snack: strawberry greek yogurt and 1 cup chocolate silk milk
Dinner: boneless, skinless chicken breast and salad (romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, onion and vinaigrette dressing)

Day 6

Today was the first day without a scheduled gym day but we did have a group meeting session in the park this afternoon. Bear, Danni and Kendra were there to help us out. If I said it was muddy, that would be an understatement. We started off by walking around the soccer field and by the time we were "warmed up" I had mud up and down my legs. It was really a little funny. Bear set up orange cones and we had to weave with a soccer ball from one end to the other. At the end, we passed it off to one of our teammates and they took the ball back. Jamie and Shontarius were on my team for this relay and the first group to 20 was the winner. We won but not by much. It was really hard trying to control the ball but still move as fast as you could. Some people in our group took a little tumble into the mud during this event. I happily was not one of them. Next we tried to throw a soccer ball overhanded, underhanded, backwards and freestyle as far as we could down the field. We ended with a mini game of soccer with one team playing defense and the other offense for 15minutes before switching. I really had a lot of fun and hope we do things like this again in the future.

Food Journal:
Breakfast: 1 cup of Kashi Go Lean and 1/2 skim milk
AM snack: 1 cup fresh strawberries
Lunch: Jason's Deli turkey wrap with fresh fruit as side
PM snack: single serving strawberry greek yogurt, cheese stick and small apple
Dinner: sirloin steak, 1 cup mushrooms, 2 boiled eggs

Day 5

I made it through the first week of training! Scott really pushed me this morning and there were times when I didn't think I could do what he was asking of me. I found out that I strongly dislike two things: the camera and the stairs. The stairs because Scott kept making me climb up and down them and the camera because Bear kept filming the hardest parts of my workout. I think Scott is increasing the weights on the machines as they we go along. Its getting really rough not to watch the clock as I move from station to station. I hope this weekend will give me a little rest and I will be ready Monday morning to start again.


Food Journal:
Breakfast: 1 cup Kashi Go Lean Crunch and 1/2 cup skim milk
AM snack: 1 cup baby carrots
Lunch: chicken sandwich (2 slices toasted Ezekiel bread, 2 tbsp. chicken salad, romaine lettuce, tomato)
PM snack: small apple and cheese stick
Dinner: grilled boneless, skinless chicken breast, 1 cup mashed cauliflower (2tbsp. greek yogurt were mixed in with the whole head), small salad (romaine lettuce, tomato, cucumber, boiled egg and vinaigrette dressing)

Day 4

I woke up this morning with no soreness at all. Yeah for Scott's superior training skills. I can feel where I worked out but there's no excessive discomfort. This is our second morning of group cardio training. Bear is still partially leading the class but handed it over to Danni about halfway through. We started this morning with the torturous steps. Bear made us step up fifty million times on our toes and then another fifty million times from side to side. My legs were burning so much. Then Danni took us to the eliptical machines where we finished working out. After the workout, I was able to strech and talk with Shontarius and Jamie. I really like the support system we are building and wish out schedules had worked out so that we could all be together as a group instead of fragmented into two factions.


Food Journal:
Breakfast: 1 cup Kashi Go Lean Crunch with 1/2 cup skim milk
AM snack: 3/4 cup of carrots (I dropped the rest on the floor by accident.)
Lunch: turkey sandwich (2 slices of Ezekiel bread, 2 thinly sliced pieces of deli turkey)
PM snack: small apple and cheese stick
Dinner: grilled sirloin steak (.42oz), 1 boiled egg, 1 cup broccoli

Day 3

I'm starting to like and regret scheduling all of my sessions in the morning. I like them because they start the day off right and I hate them because they are so early. So, this morning was the 2nd day with Scott. I was wrong about this being easy. I know Scott is a personal trainer and this is what he does for a living but it amazes me how he knows just how far to push me. And you can't say no because he is such a nice guy. He makes it seem like its my idea to keep going and try to get one more rep when really its all him. I know I could never do this on my own and I really appreciate all of the time he is giving me. This may sound like a little wishful thinking but I can already feel my body changing. I am not hungry at all throughout the day and I am full of energy. I worked really hard today and I'm a little worried about being sore tomorrow morning.


Food Journal:
Breakfast: 1 cup Kashi Go Lean Crunch and 1/2 cup skim milk
AM snack: 1 cup baby carrots
Lunch: chicken sandwich with sliced egg (2 slices toasted Ezekiel bread, 2 tbsp. chicken salad, sliced boiled egg)
PM snack: small apple and cheese stick
Dinner: boneless, skinless chicken breast, 1/4 cup sauteed mushrooms, 1/4 cup sauteed onions, 1 cup broccoli

Day 2

This morning was our first group training cardio session and it was really, really early. I have to get up by 5am to eat and be at the gym by 6am. This may not seem that early to you but you also have to take into consideration that last night I could not make it to bed before midnight. Bear was our session leader and we started off on the treadmills. We really focused on keeping our heart rates where they were supposed to be. For me this is somewhere between 115 and 155, I think. I was really amazed how slow I was walking while still keeping my heart rate up. Bear is really motivational and I like how he keeps up a steady conversation throughout the whole workout. It makes it go so much faster for me. We had to break up the cardio days into the morning session and the afternoon one. Jamie and Shontarius are there in the mornings with me. After we finished with the treadmills, we worked on punches and kicks for the remainder of the morning. Bear taught us a jab, cross over, hook, uppercut, front kick and back kick. I had so much fun with that part of the workout that it didn't seem like a workout at all. Well, except for the panting and excessive sweating.


Food Journal: (I'm a creature of comfort so this pretty much matches yesterday.)
Breakfast: 1 cup Kashi Go Lean Crunch and 1/2 cup skim milk
AM snack: 1 cup baby carrots
Lunch: chicken salad sandwich (2 slices toasted Ezekiel bread, 2 tbsp. chicken salad, spinach)
PM snack: small apple and cheese stick
Dinner: boneless, skinless chicken breast, 1 cup steamed broccoli, 1/4 cup of sauteed mushrooms, 1/4 cup of sauteed onions

Day 1

Today was the first official day of our contest. I was a little worried about meeting with my trainer, Scott. I was afraid he would work me into the ground and make me regret filling out the application. Well, I was wrong. We started off by taking basic measurements and ended by seeing the amount of weights that I needed on a few of the machines. Scott is a really nice and positive person. Could this be it? I don't feel awful and I'm not sweating very badly. I guess I'll just have to wait until Wednesday to see.


Food Journal:
Breakfast: 1 cup of Kashi Go Lean Crunch and 1/2 cup of skim milk
AM snack: 1 cup baby carrots
Lunch: chicken salad sandwich (2 slices of toasted Ezekiel bread, 2 tbsp. of chicken salad (recipe attached at the bottom), spinach and 1/4 avocado)
PM snack: small apple and cheese stick
Dinner: small center cut pork chop, 1 cup steamed broccoli, 1/3 cup sauteed mushrooms


Chicken Salad recipe:

1.5-2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 small red onion
14 almonds, chopped
2 tbsp. nonfat greek yogurt
1 tbsp. relish

Boil chicken until completely cooked. While chicken is cooking, chop onions and add to bowl. Combine almonds, yogurt and relish with onions. Once chicken is cooked, chop to desired chucks and add to mixture.

Village Foods

Today was the tour of Village Foods and our second meeting as a group. I didn't know what to expect when David said we needed to go to a grocery store. Everyone knows how to grocery shop, right? Wrong. There was so much to learn by just reading the labels. David and Lindy walked through the store and explained what was good and what was not so good on each isle. I just assumed that if something said better for you or 1/3 less fat/sodium/etc that it actually was. Boy was I wrong. I challenge everyone to start reading the labels on what they consider healthy. I promise you will be amazed as well.

Cleaning out the office

Today I decided to clean out my desk at the office. I spend so much time here that I tend to keep food stored everywhere in case I'm hungry and cannot leave. It was really hard getting rid of all of this stuff since I've already paid for it. I really don't have much to say here so I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves.

Orientation Day

Today was our orientation. I'm was really excited to meet the other contestants and find out how the program works but still a little anxious about the whole thing. I feel like I know nothing about fitness or what I should be doing. The sad part is that I've had nutrition in college and should know this. The sad reality is that I buy healthier food for my dogs than I do myself. Mom is down for vacation from North Carolina and she went with me for moral support. The whole thing was great and I was really surprised at the amount of information we were given. David spent a long time going over the different aspects of nutrition and we each got a packet with diet suggestions and food information. I was really surprised that we weren't being put on a strict diet. For some reason I had it in my head that we were. I think I was expecting the worst but I'm not sure why. Now I'm not saying that we aren't supposed to dramatically change the way we eat because we are. I was just expecting "for breakfast you will eat 1/2 cup of this with 1/4 cup of that with no alternatives." Instead the gave us recommended times to eat (breakfast, am snack, lunch, pm snack and dinner) and suggested foods that we could have at each time. Each week we get a cheat day where we are allowed to eat anything that we want. The only exception is that we are not allowed to have sodas, fried foods or fast foods at all. I think this is something that I can really start and stick to. We were also assigned our trainers and will be contacted by them later in the week to set up workout times. We will be working with our trainers on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and with the group on Tuesdays and Thursdays. They are also trying to plan a couple of Saturdays to have fun group activities. We also are going to have blood work run either this Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday and our fit tests on Thursday morning at 8am. I'm getting more excited as each day passes to get started on this!

The Beginning

And so it begins. The long journey to a better me. Isn't that how it usually goes? Doesn't everyone say that when they're ready to get in shape? But it's true this time. I've finally taken that first step towards actual progress. I know, you've heard it all before, right? And you must be wondering what this first step is. Did I join a gym? Did I purge the junk food from the pantry? Did I make a list of the "better for me meals" that I am going to make for the next month? No. At least not yet. I filled out an application for the MaretHouse Fitness Challenge that Candy 95 has been broadcasting for the last several weeks. And not just that. I actually turned it in with hopes that I would be one of the contestants. Then to my surprise after pretty much giving up, I was called in for an interview. I was more than just a little nervous about this interview. Would I be what they were looking for? Would I have the right answers? Could I really do this? Would they like me? Would I like them? Am I really ready for this? Are they going to be mean to me? See, the main thing I was really nervous about is that I had no idea what exactly I was trying to sign up for. I knew it was a fitness challenge that involved personal trainers but that was about it. So I went to the interview and answered the questions honestly. I gave up the pretense of being who they might like or want and just went as me. I didn't know what to think as I left the interview. They were really nice but I wasn't sure if I made a good impression or not. I did know that I forgot to ask one important question. When were the contestants going to be announced? For some reason, I just couldn't call and ask. Then one morning, while I was listening to Frido and Allie on the morning show, David came on to help announce the winners. My hopes fell. I knew I wasn't one of the contestants since I did not get a call. I tried to be positive and feel happy for the people who were picked but it was almost impossible. As I listened to each essay being read, I realized these people were the right choice. At the same time, I knew I would have to change the radio station when each progress report came through. I had missed my chance. But then as I listened to the next essay, I realized that this person was very much like me. She had a history of illness in her family, a full time job, no time for herself....wait, this was me! I was in! This was my essay! I was immediately filled with so much excitement that I literally jumped up and down. Then I called my mother to tell her that I was chosen. By the way, this was around 7:45 in the morning and mom was still fast asleep. (She didn't care, though.) I finished listening to the other contestants with what can only be described as complete giddiness. It still didn't sink in until David from MaretHouse called a few minutes later to congratulate me. I was going to do it. I was going to start a program and finally get in shape for good. What did I just get myself into?