STORIES FROM THE PAST

Hey guys! This is so last second and its also being put on the site on Halloween so I don’t’ really expect a huge response but I just found out I am having this interview on Monday about my life and I need help remembering some funny/good stories with my friends. The memories I have are plentiful but I just want to make sure I don’t leave any good ones out so if you have one that you remember please e-mail it to me here. The interview is going to be combined with some of my workouts that Workshop Fitness has been filming to make a video about my progress. Thank you in advance for the help people. Happy Halloween!

MEAUSREMENTS MONTH 3

I really cannot believe that it has been 3 months! I really have to hand it to Workshop Fitness for letting me stick around and be part of their family. Thank you guys so much! I really do love Thomas, Paul, Christine, Diana, Mariesa and Jason for all the work they have put me through and all the encouragement they have given me. I hope you realize how much I love you guys; you are the reason I am so happy and feel so alive today.

This past month has been the most challenging so far. I got really sick at the beginning of it and had to miss 4 workouts. I also didn’t lose any weight the first week of the month because of my sickness. It was a total bummer that first week and a half but I really tried to push myself through the sickness. After I started feeling better I really tried to propel myself harder than I normally do and my back just started to give out. It was just one thing after another! I really started to worry that I wasn’t going to lose any inches and I got myself very upset over the prospect of not fulfilling my expectations. Thankfully, after getting my results, it looks like my worries were overblown! I didn’t get quite the same numbers as I have been getting in the past, but I did lose more this month than I had in either or those first two. Here we go:


Neck: Down .25 inches
Chest: Down 1.75 inches
Waist: Down 3 inches
Hips: Down 3.75 inches
Thigh: Down .25 inches
Calf: Down .25 inches
Arm: Increase .25 inches

Total inches lost: 9.25 inches
Weight lost: 19 pounds

So, Grand Totals over 3 months:


Inches: 42.25!
Pounds: 54!
Percentage of weight loss: 14.5946%

Thanks Monty for taking the cool pictures, and also making a sweet logo for me! I’m still figuring the t-shirts out because I am going to find a different t-shirt to put the print on. If you want one, just e-mail me about it and I will put you down for a shirt when I put the order in. I am not sure how much the t-shirts will cost yet but right now I’m thinking around $15 depending on how cheap I can get them. Alright guys thank you very much for checking out the update, and there is definitely more to come!

THE FOUR THINGS I HAVE LEARNED FROM THIS JOURNEY UP TO THIS POINT

 

1.     People are going to all react differently to what you are doing – I thought everyone would be happy for me for finally taking care of my weight problem and for the most part that’s been the case. However I have also gotten some negative feedback. I have just had to take both sides and move forward with what I have to do. 

2.     Being competitive is still in my blood – When I was growing up I was taught to compete and be the best at whatever I was doing. I believed this as a way of life and in doing so loved to play sports all the time. This also led to me turning into the player everyone wanted on their team, if for no other reason than not having to play against me. But as time went by and my interests turned away from sports I think I lost a lot of that fire that I felt really allowed me to succeed in sports and life. With that fire exhausted I became lazy and stagnant with my life, something that I regret but am happy that I have recognized that fault. Workshop Fitness has really helped me find that fire once more, and I don’t plan on losing it again.

3.     Reconnecting with people is worth the effort – The working out is great and the results are fun but the one thing that really has stood out to me is the people that have responded to me in my journey. I have heard from people I haven’t talked to in years giving me words of wisdom, their similar stories, or just a “GREAT JOB!” It’s been hard to stay connected throughout all these years whether it’s someone from my high school days or college, but hearing from an old friend makes my entire day. I start thinking of all the good times we had and how much I enjoyed being around that person. For some reason I was blessed with a great memory and I hope I haven’t scared anyone with me recalling a story that is ancient and still remembering a lot of the details. That’s just me!

4.     Eating healthy has changed everything in my life – Before I started working with Workshop Fitness my diet was just beyond bad. The amount of drinking, poor eating, and little to no sleep was just leading me down a path I did not want to be on. But with the help of all my trainers my diet is back on track and my health is recovering from years of abuse. I never realized how much good food there was out there and that not everything in this world needs to be fried (Fuplex purchase of a fryer was the high point of this). I now understand the importance of a balanced diet and really trying new foods because you never now what you might like.  With eating healthier I now have way more energy, feel happier throughout the day, and when I need to go to bed its easier for me to fall asleep because I don’t have a ton of sugar in my body trying to keep me up.  It all makes sense but needed to be drilled in my head before I did anything about it.

That was a fun list to write…a note before I leave…I am getting my measurements done on Wednesday so I will post the results later that day with pictures!

 

PEOPLE THAT INSPIRE ME: OUT OF CONTROL FAT ROLL

 Earlier this week I picked up the Austin American Statesman and in the Life and Arts section there was a story about a group of four ladies who were having a weight loss competition at their work. The really cool thing about the competition was that they were going to blog about their experience (Sound familiar?). They would hold themselves accountable if they cheated on their diet or if they did not participate in a workout on the blog. They even put all kinds of information that they have learned along the way. I really felt a close connection with their idea and am inspired to see they all did a great job in their 18-week workout challenge. I would definitely recommend a visit to their blog if you're enjoying mine. You can check it out here.

3 MONTHS DOWN

On Friday it will be 3 months since the first day I met my trainers. It seems like yesterday I went up to Workshop Fitness for the first time scared, anxious, and excited to get this process started. The one thing I was really afraid of when I arrived was that the trainers would see me and think “LAZY!” But I think I have showed them that I will work hard for the goals we have laid out

It is also one week before I get my measurements done with Diana. Just like last time I am really worried that I will not get close to last months numbers (16 inches lost). I know that I can’t hit that number every time but it’s something that I would like to get close to. And since it’s the last week before the measurements I will be sure to push myself just a little harder than normal to produce the numbers I want to see.

GREAT TO HEAR FROM YOU

 This past week I got the pleasure of seeing a lot of friends that I had not seen in a couple of days/weeks/months/years. I went to my good friends Evan’s house Saturday and I couldn’t believe how many people wanted to talk to me about my blog. It really made me feel like I was doing something right. It’s nice to get positive feedback on this whole experience.  It’s hard to tell how much my physical appearance has changed when I see myself in the mirror everyday but to hear people tell me how much I have changed really hit me hard. The hard work is really showing and it just makes me more motivated each time I go to the gym. I am so appreciative for everyone reading my blog and sharing my journey to get healthy.  It means the world to me that I have great support and friends to keep me in line through the good and through the bad.  THANK YOU!

TUSA FITNESS PARTY

 One of my trainers, Christine Tusa, is having a fitness party to celebrate the release of her workout DVD. It will be Saturday November 7^th at Workshop Fitness from 2-5 PM. There will be free workouts from 3:00-4:00, food, drinks and a whole lot more. If you have been wondering where all my training goes down feel free to stop by and check out the party. I am really proud of Christine for finishing her DVD, and I can’t wait to check it out. Hope to see some of you guys there! For more info go here. 

NEW T-SHIRTS

Just got my T-shirts in. Here is a pic of them! I will have a better one up soon, but I bought them small so I would have to lose more weight to fit in them. I know its a weird idea but I thought it would help me get more motivated.

45 pounds down, 135 to go

7/23             9/2

Today I got on the scale and I had finally hit my 3-month goal of 45 pounds lost. That really hit me with what I am doing here. I have tried to lose weight pretty much all my life, but as many times as I have tried I have never lost this much. But even with 45 pounds lost I still have more goals to reach and inches to lose. I am ready for whatever challenges will be presented to me. I’ve achieved all my goals up to this point, and I’m not going to stop now.

10 Veggie Challenge

While I was working out with Christine today she asked how my diet was going. I told her about how it has gotten really easy for me now that I have been eating more frozen veggies and sticking mostly to peas and green beans. I thought she would be happy with this but she wasn’t exactly thrilled that I wasn’t eating all the vegetables this world has to offer.  So, she has challenged me to eat 10 different veggies this week, and my response is…are there 10 different vegetables out there? (I swear I am terrible about this whole diversifying my vegetable intake) Anyways, I need to know from you guys which veggies I need to try. Apparently there is a “rainbow” of veggie choices and I need to taste it so any suggestions would be appreciated.

Quick Tips that I Have Learned

As I continue working out and changing my lifestyle, I have come across a lot of information given to me by my trainers that I think really have helped me lose the weight or push myself without them being there. I made a little list of some of the pointers that I thought were most helpful for anyone trying to fight the battle of being fit.

•Be committed to the plan given to you – The first day I met my trainers they said you better be ready to work hard, and show up to every workout and I have. If you really want it you have to be ready to push yourself and not look at the day-to-day results but respect the idea that it’s a marathon not a sprint.
•Set short term and long term goals – I think this one really is key for workouts. Some of my short-term goals have been to increase the speed on the treadmill or to increase the time I ride on the exercise bike at my place. My long-term goals have been to be able to do a pull up, and to compete in a triathlon (I need to talk to an old friend about these).
•Diet is just as important as working out – This one was the hardest thing for me to accept. I have lost weight before without changing my eating habits so at first I really didn’t think this was huge, but I still followed their food plan of four to five small meals a day. At first I really wasn’t seeing that much change, but really after the two week period of non-success I really started getting more energy, was losing a lot of weight, and had adjusted to eating that many times a day. One of the big things I do for my diet is cook a bunch of food at one time and seal-a-meal it so that I can eat it later in the week. This helps when I am in a hurry or when I am feeling a little lazy. Or you can go check out my trainer’s food services at physique foods.

This is feeling long so I will cut it there, but I have a bunch of other stuff that I will share as I continue to learn more from my trainers.

WORKSHOP FITNESS DUDLEY AND BOB SPOT

My trainers Diana and Thomas came to the show today to talk about my last numbers among other things. I have to say when Bob tells me that he is impressed with me it really hit me that I was doing something positive. Thanks guys for checking it out!

Sweets after Meals

This was one of the hardest obstacles to overcome for me when I started my diet. I always loved a treat after dinner whether it is an ice cream sandwich or some kind of chocolate. Well now that it’s out of the question I am glad Men’s Fitness came out with some alternatives to fight the urge to cheat.

1. Eat less sugar and refined carbs during the day. The less sugar you eat, the less insulin your body releases—and the less sugar you end up wanting.

2. Brush your teeth or use a mouthwash after your meal. Or pop some sugar-free mints. Studies show that the flavor of mint helps to curb an errant sweet tooth.

3. Stock up on low-calorie, sugar-free options, such as sugar-free Popsicles, Fudgsicles, pudding, or gelatin packs.

4. Try some fruit. It's sweet, but also packed with vitamins and fiber.

5. Grab a portion-controlled treat. If you must have something sweet, keep it small. This way, you get your sugar fix with the fewest number of calories possible.

Men’s Fitness has tons of articles about dieting and working out. Check it out here.

WEIGHT LOSS UPDATE

This has been an incredibly difficult week for working out. I have been sick the entire time, banned from the Dudley and Bob show for fear of infecting the guys, and having a hard time getting all my food down that I am supposed to eat. Thankfully the trainers really adjusted my workouts to fit my health condition and I still lost 2 pounds! All things considered I am pretty happy with this number and that brings the total up to 37 pounds lost. I am 8 pounds away from when I weighed myself freshmen year of college. I wanted to be at my college weight before Halloween and it looks like I will make it there if I can just fight this sickness off soon!

Quick little story from the gym…I was working out with Mariesa today when a lady came up to me that I had never talked to at the gym. She smiles, and says, “I just wanted to let you know you are doing a great job and I can really tell you are losing weight.” Then she continued to smile and walked out of the gym. Such a nice compliment to get from a complete stranger!