The sun'll come out. . .

Tomorrow's the day. We'll all be weighed and measured once again, and by Monday one of us will be eliminated. I have worked as hard and eaten as well as I could in these last four weeks. I've learned an immeasurable amount of information about fitness and nutrition. If it's meant to be me, then that is God's will. I will continue on the journey I've started, and be very proud of what I've accomplished thus far.

I'd forget my head if it wasn't attached to my shoulders. . .

How could I ever forget to thank the people who have been by my (literal) side through all this drama?! Of course I'm giving the biggest of shout-outs to my teammates: Patti, Hill, Kim, and Jennifer. Thank God we've got each other to moan and groan our way through team workouts. Your support's been invaluable.

And I could never forget trainer Mike, despite the fact that he won't rent The Princess Bride. Thanks for the knowledge, Mike. You're truly a pain in my. . .

Ahhhhh. . .

It doesn't get much better than this. Paul Colman blessed us with his presence last night, playing some of his older and newer tunes and giving one of the most amazing testimonies I've ever heard. Many in the crowd were in tears. It was one of those experiences that makes you think you can conquer the world. And it couldn't have come at a better time. . .

Elimination is this Thursday. I am both nervous and excited about the prospect of getting some hard stats. Mike wouldn't let us weigh in on Saturday stating that he didn't want it to influence our workout at all. I could see his point. So I haven't weighed in a while, but I can feel the difference in my body, and that's what matters right now. Of course, I'm praying that I've done enough to make it through, but I'm completely aware that this journey is not strictly my own.

I want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to a whole lot of people: 1) The staff at KDUV, who have continued to talk about and support the members of this challenge. It feels good to know that the simple words we've said have somehow inspired others. 2) My church family, who has seen my "before" picture and still likes me anyways. 3) My close friends, immediate family, and wonderful boyfriend who are also on this journey with me and remind me regularly that I'm still beautiful no matter what the weight. Sometimes it's easy to forget. 4) And finally everyone that I don't know personally but who follow this blog and are obviously easily entertained (haha). I appreciate your attention and hope that somehow I've made the point that if I can do this, anyone can (for reals). May God bless you all!

I've got three solid work-outs before weigh-in. I'm off to #1.

So close, but so far away. . .

Paul Colman (formerly of the Newsboys) is coming to SVCC this Sunday!! This will be the third time I've seen him in the last year, and I am beyond excited to hear him again. I mean, not only is this guy genuinely down to earth (he spent much of his free time with us in the green room during his Christmas show), but he's like uber-talented, and exceptionally inspirational (not to mention easy on the eyes). I'd been kicking myself for missing his Visalia show last week when I learned from one of my students that Paul had decided to hang out in the Valley and bless us with his presence.

Group workout's tomorrow, but ask me if that's what I'm thinking about. . .

Hungry like the wolf. . .

I just ate, and I'm still hungry. My metabolism must be working overtime. I had a relatively healthy, very delicious, Carl's Jr. Charbroiled BBQ Chicken Sandwich. On a honey wheat bun, no less. And I was feeling pretty good about it until I went to the website to get the nutrition information for my Fitday.com journal and noticed that it had 1150mg of sodium!! What!? ELEVEN HUNDRED FIFTY MILLIGRAMS! Yikes!! That's like half my sodium intake for the day. At least. Today has already been the most trying of days and now I can't get this out of my head.

I hit the gym relatively grouchy today. I managed all my workout (lower body and cardio) but didn't have the euphoric feeling that I usually do when I leave the gym. I was in such rare form that I stuck my tongue out at Trainer Mike when he said hello to me. My feisty-ness reared it's ugly head. I sat at dinner with my boyfriend and really started to feel very sad about the possibility of being eliminated next week. I know, in my head, that the big prize of this challenge is not the iPod or the gym membership. Still, for the first time, I've started to question whether or not I'm doing everything I can to be successful at this endeavor. My boyfriend (and all my other wonderful supporters--you know who you are) assures me that I'm on the right track and doing a great job. But in the back of my mind, during my own private 'pity party', I wonder if "a great job" is going to be good enough.

So did I mention that I was hungry?

I didn't make my 1600 calories today and I'm thinking that a protein shake might be in order, but I'm not sure about the time. It's after 8, but if I stay up and work until 10 it will most likely be okay.

Ugh, my brain in not in the mood to process all of this. . .gggrrr.

Would you like fries with that shake?

After an hour of an upper body work, I took my third Zumba class this evening. I was feeling pretty 'noodley' after pull-ups and free weights, but I needed to get some cardio in, and I do so love to salsa.

The hard thing about Zumba is that many of the moves are "sassy" in nature, and while I'm quick to catch on, I must admit that I don't look as smooth as our instructor. Granted, I understand that she's been doing this a lot longer than I, and that she comes from a Latin background, and that she has a super-cute figure that actually looks good doing those moves. I mentioned to my friend Carol tonight that all the rump-shaking painfully reminds me that my body is much like jello. But, that doesn't stop me. I keep my gaze in the mirror to a minimum, concentrate on the steps, and keep my body moving.

Someday, I'll have that jiggle down to a minimum.

You killed my father, prepare to die. . .

I had a silly little conversation with Trainer Mike (TM) today. Among other things, the question of my last name came up. It's Montoya, by the way, and the usual response when I tell people this comes from a line in the movie The Princess Bride. I asked Mike if he'd seen it, and he pretty much looked at me like I was crazy (which isn't so uncommon). And then I realized that he might not have even been born when that movie came out (it was the 80's, ya know). Now, I'd heard that infamous line many, many times before I was actually convinced to see the movie. And I have more guy friends, than girls, who are fans, which leads me to believe that TPB should not be categorized as a "chick flick". True? At any rate, I tried my best to convince TM that he should actually rent the movie now. That there was something in it for both him and his girlfriend to enjoy. And that seeing it, would give him a new appreciation for my name. I don't think he bought it.

I was super unmotivated to go to the gym today. I'd been in meetings all morning and had become sluggish just sitting around. When my training time came I was pretty convinced that I was not going to be able to see my full workout through. After a couple minutes of burnin' up my shins on the treadmill (this has been an ongoing issue), Mike switched me to the rowing machine ("same purpose, less stress on the legs"), and later explained my lower body workout for the week. I'd somehow messed up my cycle of workouts, so I didn't get to actually do the new exercises to my full potential, but I did manage a solid core workout and I'm anticipating my 6-pack sometime in the next 6-8 months ('set the bar high' I always say).

Funny how things work. Getting through the front door seems to be 1/2 the battle. Once I'm in, I'm completely committed, and somehow God blesses me with the energy that I need to put in a good session.

As it states in Isaiah 41:10. . .

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Sometimes it's so accurate it's scary.

But on your shoulders, I can see. . .

It's a really good thing that I'm not being filmed during this challenge because, everyday there are some things that are so comical that I'd be completely embarrassed for anyone (other than my teammates) to see. For example, it's now apparent that I do not jump rope well. Get me a hula hoop and I'm all over it, but a jump rope? I tried to blame it on the extra long rope, but I'm pretty sure that didn't fly. I'm also not a great hopper. Try jumping from a standing position onto a 6-12 inch platform. It doesn't sound like much, but you have to remember that 1) I'm vertically challenged, 2) I'm gravitationally challenged, and 3) I'm a klutz. So, it took me a good 10-15 seconds of concentration to actually hoist my butt up onto the step. And we were supposed to do it more than once. Ay dios mio! Seriously, how Mike keeps a straight face sometimes is a mystery to me.

Speaking of trainer Mike. I had to chuckle this evening during our "pinch" test. Poor young guy. Having to squeeze me, a woman old enough to be his mother, in a variety of places must somewhat disconcerting. He asked how I felt about it. I didn't have to guts to tell him that it was the highlight of my day. I mean, how often are 22 year old trainer hands on me these days, really? I know, I know. There's the line, and here's me crossing it.

Aside from the comedy of it all, I did learn a couple of things today. First, the pounds are slow to come off, but the fat seems to be melting quicker. This is difficult to understand and handle, mostly because our first elimination weigh-in is about a week and a half away. I'm just trying to sponge as much off of Mike as I can in case I happen to be the first one out. Second, Fitday.com is my new best friend. I've been having such a difficult time making the calories (1600 a day) and understanding what I should be eating and when. Fitday has really shed some light on my daily menu, giving me a visual representation of my carb/fat/protein ratios. The fat thing I've got under control. Now I've got to work on lowering my carbs and increasing my protein.

There's a song in my head that's been keeping my focused for the past couple of days. It's by Francesca Battistelli. Next time you hear it, turn up the volume and make a joyful noise.

"‘Cause I got a couple dents in my fender
Got a couple rips in my jeans
Try to fit the pieces together
But perfection is my enemy
On my own I'm so clumsy
But on Your shoulders I can see
I'm free to be me. . ."

The last temptation. . .

I contemplated telling my students about the Challenge before our Valentine's Day celebration today. V-day is the 2nd biggest candy/sweet holiday in my classroom, only second to Christmas (we don't do much for Halloween due to various religious beliefs). I wanted to ask that they only bring their teacher cards and not candy, but another colleague talked me out of it stating that as 3rd graders they may not understand. So I continued the day as usual with the piles of cookies, candy, and cupcakes (we had 3 birthdays today as well). It's flattering to see how excited the kids get when they hand you the big box of Brach's chocolates, not knowing that years of chocolates (among other things) have put you in the shape that you're in. And to an 8 year old, it doesn't register. I am the most beautiful princess of a teacher in most of their eyes, overweight or not (one of the many perks of teaching).

So of course, I was saddled at the end of the day with a heap of fattening, delicious, tempting goodies, enough to last at least a week (in my former life), and the swirling thoughts of what I might do with all my loot. I considered putting it all in the staff room, for the other teachers, but thought better of it as many of them are participating in our own site weight-loss challenge. I didn't want to sabotage anyone's progress as I know first hand how hard it is to maintain this lifestyle. So I bagged it all up and hauled it to my Friday evening small group fellowship/bible study where I knew there would be a number of energetic kids who would be more than willing to divvy up the goods. Nothing better than sugaring up another friend's children for a couple of days. . .

But, I do have a confession to make. There is one treat that I did not part with. One of the kids brought a small silver mailbox (the kind with the red flag on the side) filled with Hershey's Miniatures--Mr. Goodbar, Crackle, Special Dark--all of my favorites. I'm not sure why I didn't pack it up. I haven't eaten any of them, I don't plan on eating any of them, but somewhere in the back of my mind they have become my "in case of emergency, break glass" treats. I'm curious as to why I might do that to myself, and I've not yet truly analyzed it all. But it does seem a little crazy. Don't cha think?

Put on your big girl panties. . .

Okay, so I'm sick. I've managed to catch some sort of micro-organism in the petri dish that is my classroom. No amount of Zicam, vitamin C, Airborne, nor Nyquil has helped much. And believe me when I say that I've tried them all. So, I'm sniffing my way through my workouts and my work week.

I had my second individual training session with Mike on Tuesday. He could tell by my "sultry" voice that I wasn't at 100%, but we worked hard nonetheless. I wouldn't have had it any other way. As hard as it is to get myself to the gym on some days, I've still managed to get myself there by "putting on my big girl panties--and dealing with it". I am a self-professed baby when it comes to being sick, regardless of the severity of the illness. Right now it's the common cold, and really, you'd think I was on my death bed. But thankfully, I am fully aware of my own idiosyncrasies and know what it takes to give myself the kick in the chones I need on a regular basis. Luckily, the gym's a stones throw from my house so there's really no excuse despite the fact that I've tried to make one every night this week. And I've found that once I'm there and moving, I'm good. Actually, better than good, and the sense of pride I get from sticking with the program outweighs any discomfort I'm temporarily going through with this virus.

So, do I have an excuse tonight? Of course I do!! The paperwork on my kitchen table has nearly consumed the dining room, I've got Valentine's to fill out for 20 kids, dishes piled in the sink, at least two loads of laundry, and two latch-key dogs and a boyfriend I've been neglecting for the past week. But, I'm going to the underwear drawer, and you know the rest. . .

In-Shape Challenge, Day 248

Okay, okay, so I've exaggerated a little. It's been 8 days since we met, took before pictures, signed paperwork, and started our new lives. It seems like I've been at this forever. I never realized how hard this endeavor was going to be. And I'm not gonna lie to you, it's hard! My body's been in various states of soreness for the past week, and as good as I feel about the fact that I'm doing what's good for me, I can't say that I feel 'good.' The blessing to all this is the weight loss, and yes, I've lost weight already. I've also learned a great deal about myself, fitness, and nutrition in the few short days since we began. For example:

1) Sports bras very GREATLY in comfort and support.

2) My brain WILL give out before my body, as Mike had mentioned, but I'm learning to fight that urge.

3) Team training day has to be the most rewarding time out of all the workout days.

4) My teammates are a group of incredibly smart, supportive women and I'm thankful that God put us on this journey together.

5) I'm not a runner, but I managed to run a number of steps last Saturday (and I didn't trip and injure myself).

6) Eating 1600 healthy calories daily is nearly impossible for me. I'm hovering around 1300 and I have no idea how to squeeze in the extra 300 (aside from tying on a hot fudge sundae at the end of the day).

7) I've realized that friends will always support you, but they'll still eat that extra piece of pizza in right in front of you without even blinking.

8) I've realized that my will-power is strong and getting stronger daily.

9) Healthy eating is not cheap.

10) I laugh at something about myself everyday, mainly because I'm a clutz, but also because it keeps me sane.

I have to give a 'shout-out' to my friends, known and unknown, who are following this blog and in turn joining me on this journey. I hope that my little (mis)adventures are inspiring you. Or at least giving you a little something to laugh about. As Jack Handy would say: "It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man."

My parts are on fire. . .

I literally hurt in places where I didn't think muscles existed. I've been walking like a little old woman for most of the day. Wait, in all fairness let me clarify that. I've been walking like a little old woman for the hours that I've been upright. Okay, better.

I had committed two more days to my weekly workout. One of those days was today, and I wasn't even sure how I would manage trying to push through the pain from yesterday's sadistic exercises. But, being the overachiever that I am, I opted for a Zumba class to satisfy my cardio requirement for this evening. And let me tell you, I think I've found my calling. Granted, it's pretty humorous to see an overweight 40-something woman shaking her bon-bon with some of those younger chickies, but I thought 'what have I got to lose?' And I'll also admit that being mostly Hispanic (despite the fair skin) gives me at least a little rhythm, so don't think for a minute that I wasn't shakin' the junk in my trunk with the best of them (hey, it's not gonna get any smaller just standing there).

I felt a little guilty because I was having so much fun, and once I'd warmed up my body actually felt 42 again as opposed to 82 (who woulda thought that 42 was such a plus). I caught Mike on the way out of the gym, explained my reasons for taking Zumba instead of the 'circuit' route and he actually thought it was a good idea. Anything to keep my body guessing, I suppose.

My tip for the day: Mike said that we should try to cook all our meals for the week during the weekend, put them in individual containers, and pull them out as needed, that way we don't have to worry about time wasted during our already hectic weeks. Considering I've sacrificed the majority of my school work to spend time in the gym these past few days, I'm thinkin' that cooking on the weekend is going to be my saving grace.

I hesitate to end this blog. Not because I have so much more to say, but because ending it means that I've actually got to get myself out of this chair. Ah heck, maybe I'll just check my Facebook.

Short circuit. . .

After 20 minutes of floor exercise instruction and nutrition information, Mike put me on a 30 minute "circuit cardio" workout. Seems that cardio is not about quantity but quality, and last night's hour long session, while not pointless, could have rendered better results if I'd known then what I know now.

So I started out "cruisin'" at 3.5 mph on an incline of 6 for five minutes, just to warm up. Then I learned to alternate my speed and incline to keep my heart rate up around 165. For 30 seconds I adjust from 3.5 mph to 3.7 (doesn't sound like much, but with my short stride it's a serious effort) and up the incline to 8. After 30 seconds of "pushing it" I bring it back down to my original "cruisin'" speed and incline for another minute. This goes on for the remainder of the workout. The hardest part was remembering to lengthen my stride. I have a tendency to walk in small steps (must have been that "8 to the 5" they drilled into us in band) so I sometimes found myself jogging a bit which I don't really feel ready for, yet. My arms are sore from holding myself on the treadmill and there's a small blister on the ball of my right foot caused by my new workout shoes.

The next hour I spent doing the floor work. Mike encouraged me to workout in the weight room, first because of all the mirrors, and second because with all the men in there I'd be sure to concentrate on my form. Now I'm not generally a shy girl, but for my first go-around I opted for the floor area of the women's section. Good thing too since I nearly fell twice while working on my lunges (apparently I have a thing with balance).

My body hurts, but in a good way. I finally went grocery shopping and filled my fridge chock full with fruit, vegetables, chicken, ground turkey, etc. Not my normal fare, for sure. It's almost a little awe inspiring. There's not been that much healthy food in there for like, oh, let me see. . .uh, ever. My big struggle this week will be keeping a food journal ("if it goes in your mouth I want to know about it") and managing to drink all the water. I thought I was doing pretty well with 64 ounces, but Mike would like to see that number doubled if I'm serious about dropping the weight. Good thing my next door classroom neighbor is there to support me in this. One hundred forty-eight ounces of water is sure to put an interesting spin on my school day.

Death by treadmill?

Apparently some people shouldn't be left to workout unsupervised.

I walked in about 7:00 PM, threw my stuff in a locker, plugged in my iPod, and hopped on the first empty treadmill in the women's section of the gym. I like the women's section, not that I'm concerned about being checked out, but because from upstairs I can watch and learn how the circuit training machines work and it's less crowded (really).

So, I've got a groove goin', Fat Burning cycle, movin' my feet at roughly 3.5 mph. Not running, but for my short legs, movin'. I set my iPod on the lip of the console while I walked, and zoned out to the TV in front of me. About a 1/2 an hour into my walk, I caught someone out of the corner of my eye, so I turned my head to look at them. Of course, doing that pulled my iPod off the console where it fell between my legs onto the belt of the treadmill (while still attached to my ears). I looked down to see my player being zipped through my legs. I couldn't figure out what to do quickly enough so I jumped onto the side bars. My iPod was pulled from my headphones and shot off the back of the belt. After standing there for nearly a full minute, I finally figured out that the big red STOP button can actually be used in such an emergency. Needless to say I felt like an ass (no other word for it). And the girl on the elliptical next to me? Well, I thought she was sure to have an accident, she was laughing so hard.

I swallowed my pride, stepped off the treadmill, put my iPod back together (no damage done), and resumed my walk. Only this time, I actually attached it to my waist.

Live and learn.

Super-size me. . .

So it's official. It's a go. Game on. The teams met on Saturday at the KDUV studio in Visalia. Everyone seemed excited and raring to go. The staff at the station (Cari, Joe, and LJ) couldn't have been more helpful and welcoming. I mean, really, photographing a bunch of strangers in their skivvys has to be a bit nerve-racking (for both parties), especially if you've not had your morning coffee.

We spent a couple hours going over protocol, talking about eliminations, getting to know one another. After our "before shots" the other Hanford team members and I decided to have one last hurrah at In-N-Out before meeting with the trainer Mike at In-Shape. I can't even explain how much I savored that cheeseburger. I know it's going to be hard to change eating patterns that have become well established over a number of years. And cheeseburgers aren't really my weakness. My biggest challenge will be (and this is going to sound awful) giving up the Friday night beer after a long week at work. Doesn't that sound ridiculous? Not chocolate, not burgers, not nachos, but beer. Makes me sound like an alcoholic.

(I'm not, in case you were wondering)

Meeting Mike was quite the adventure. He is very knowledgeable, despite his young age, and he's excited to see us succeed. The time at the gym was most eye-opening. I have always understood that I was heavy, but I wasn't prepared for the extent of that heaviness. The percentage of fat in my body doesn't seem like a reality, but there it was, plain as day, on the screen of his digital reader. That was probably the first time I actually wanted to cry, but I managed to take a deep breath and surrender to what the facts are. I'm overweight, it's of my own doing, and now I've got an opportunity to do something about it.

Kim and I squeezed in a workout on Saturday, after weigh in. I haven't worked out since then (unless you call jumping up and down and screaming at the Cardinals exercise). I have been very careful about food for the last couple days, and I did manage to drink my full 64 ounces of water today, which is very challenging for a classroom teacher (I won't go into details). I've got my gear on and I'm heading to the gym for a bit of a walk on the treadmill. My first one-on-one day with Mike is tomorrow.

Let's get this show on the road. . .