I just can't help it. . .

Mike once mentioned that his "vibe" on me was that I was the "happy" team member, always smiling and cracking jokes (four years working for Disney will do that to a person). He also told me that he didn't want to see me smiling anymore. "Put on your game face," he said. He was trying to get me to buckle down because, while my body fat/inches were coming down, I wasn't seeing the drop in pounds that he thought I should have been.

Well I hate to tell you, but the smiling hasn't ceased, especially after today's weigh-in. I actually don't know all the stats yet (they have to work out the numbers still), but I do know that I pulled off my best personal weight-loss since the beginning of the challenge. And while the numbers aren't staggering, my students would probably tell you that I was in one of the best moods I've been in since Christmas Break.

As you've read from the others, nothing is a guarantee when it comes to elimination weigh-ins. Nobody knows how the numbers will come out, or what criteria they'll use for this week's cut, but just knowing that I've done all that I could, worked as hard as my body would let me, and continued to garner substantial results. . .well, in the end that's the prize.

And I just can't stop smiling about it. . .

If You Give a Slice to Cyndi. . .

I am craving pizza.

I am craving a spicy, cheesy, meaty piece of Me & Ed's Italiano pizza.

But I know that if I have a large slice of spicy, cheesy, meaty Me & Ed's Italiano pizza, chances are I'll want jalapenos to sprinkle on top of it.

And if I have jalapenos on top of it, I'll probably want a side of ranch to offset the heat from the peppers.

Of course, if the ranch doesn't quench the fire from the jalapenos, I'll more than likely order a beer to cool my tongue.

And if I order a beer, well that will remind me that I need to stop at the market because I'll want to snack on peanuts while I drink.

While I'm eating my peanuts and drinking my beer, I'll be reminded of going to my friend's kid's Little League game.

At the Little League game I'll be invited to watch the team video at the local pizza joint.

And, if I'm at the local pizza joint, chances are I'm going to want a large piece of spicy, cheesy, meaty Italiano pizza.

Hit me with your best shot. . .

Well, it goes without saying that the highlight of this Challenge officially took place during Saturday's team training. Mike, in the process of setting up the gym for our hour-long session, brought in a pair of boxing gloves (mwah ha ha ha). You can imagine the wringing of hands and the smiles on faces as we learned that he'd be holding the mitts while we had the chance to hit him. Oh happy day! I think he was ready for that reaction, for sure. Not that any of us want to do him true harm, but after the not-so-secret joy he gets out of torturing us during our workouts, well, we were feeling pretty empowered. And, I'd like to say that none of us held back. To his credit, Mike's always a good sport and I'm convinced that he's really going to miss us once this whole contest is over. We are, I'm sure, his weekly comic relief.

It actually was a fantastic team day, though very difficult, ranking up there with the pain we felt after our very first group session. I can't speak for the others, but getting out of bed this morning was somewhat painful.

My boyfriend (and biggest cheerleader) and I had an opportunity to spend a little time together last night. One of the most important things that's taken a back burner to this challenge has been my relationship, and while we speak to each other daily, free time during the week is at an all-time minimum between his work, my work, and the gym. Over our meal at Tahoe Joe's, we thought it would be a good idea to share with the public what goes down when you are trying to order something healthy and low-fat. Here's what I'd like to have ordered, in my past life. The steak and green beans probably would have been alright, but the mashers and bread (with butter)? Well, let's just say I was thankful for our waiter's accommodating nature.

Just an FYI, I chose the grilled salmon, which was supposed to come with a baked potato, but I opted for double vegetables instead. Yummy!! And I didn't feel like I was missing out on a thing.

We also managed to squeeze in a little exercise after the meal, roaming around the closed Toyota dealership in search of a new truck for my boyfriend. I've decided that a closed dealership is the best kind of dealership to visit for car browsing. Of course, it's a little hard on for the test driving, though not entirely impossible.

Yea, don't get any ideas. . .

Alan knows I love these. . .

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER SOMEONE
My mother's favorite doll, apparently. Never heard of a Cyndi doll myself.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
Oh gosh, last Saturday after team training. Today was so much better.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
I can read it. It's all good.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Deli turkey.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
Twenty, and they change every August. Doesn't get better than that.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Of course, I'm pretty awesome if I do say so myself.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM?
Uh, no.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Nope, and I missed a perfectly good camping trip because of that surgery. Not that I'm bitter about it or anything. . .

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
Probably, but a better question would be 'could I'.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Grape Nuts, which according to some people is like eating gravel.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Not usually. I'm still a huge fan of my Van's slip-ons. Best shoe evah!

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Baskin Robbin's Peanut Butter Chocolate, hands down.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
Eyes and smile.

15. RED OR PINK?
Red.

16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
I'm a HUGE procrastinator.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
Mom and dad.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO COMPLETE THIS LIST?
Meh, if they're so inclined.

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
Black and socks.

20. IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY CAR, WHAT KIND AND COLOR WOULD IT BE?
Mini cooper.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
Some reality show on E (in the other room).

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Cornflower blue.

23. FAVORITE SMELL(S)?
Coffee.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
My Michael.

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Alan? Oh yea, he's a cutie patootie.

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Football.

27. HAIR COLOR?
Dark Brown

28. EYE COLOR?
Hazel

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
Nope

30. FAVORITE FOOD(S)?
Sushi!

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Comedies.

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
Coroline.

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
Army green.

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Summer.

35. HUGS OR KISSES?
Both.

36. FAVORITE DESSERT?
Rootbeer floats.

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
Maybe someone from The Challenge.

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
Alan. He's been here and done this.

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
Jason and the Money Tree (with my kids).

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
Dell.

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
Nada, I was in Kingsburg.

42. FAVORITE SOUND(S)
The 2:30 bell.

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Beatles.

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Ireland.

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
I've got lots of talents, but I'm not sure how special they are.

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Fort Campbell, KY.

47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK
Yours.

48. HOW DID YOU MEET YOUR SPOUSE/SIGNIFICANT OTHER?
School.

49. IS THE CUP HALF FULL OR HALF EMPTY?
Always half full.

50. IF YOU COULD SIT DOWN TO DINNER WITH FIVE PEOPLE, WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE?
My family. All at the same time.

Death by cardio. . .

So, it's always been my belief that Mike lays awake at night thinking of ways to torture us, and tonight I learned it to be true.

As you may know, cardio has never been my forte (along with skipping rope AND running--both cardio) especially when it comes to the treadmill, due to excruciating shin splints that always seem to kick in after the first 15 minutes. Since this discovery, Mike has made every effort to find something that I'm successful at and that gets my heart rate above 160. Well, tonight he found it. It's called a Precor (sp?), otherwise known as an elliptical machine, and while it's easy on the shins it definitely kicked my proverbial butt into super drive. Mike had me doing the "circuit" and in no time I was burnin' up. Every so often he'd say, "On a scale of 1-to-10 how much pain are you in?" And I'd always say "10", and he'd always say "good" and smile. I mentioned that he was enjoying my pain just a little too much, to which he agreed. "That's my job" as he says. And I suppose it is.

Just as an aside, and I'm putting this in print to hold him to it, he did say that if I kept my cardio up for 50 minutes tonight that he'd actually commit to renting "The Princess Bride" (an ongoing joke since the beginning of the challenge). I'm thinking that if I make it past tomorrow's elimination he'd better become the proud owner of that movie. He owes me.

Speaking of the weigh in. . .I'm not sure if the work I've done in two weeks is as substantial as the first four, but I still feel good, my pants are still fitting more loosely, and I'm still dedicated to the process. The gratitude I feel about this whole experience is immeasurable. I have been, and continue to be, truly blessed.

Good morning Miss Montoya. This is your wake up call. . .

So today was my do-over. I managed a late session in the gym, around 6:00 PM, concentrating on my upper body workout. I put everything I could into each exercise and was feeling pretty good about myself. Much better than yesterday, in fact. I've discovered that I like Sundays at In-Shape, mostly because it's very quiet and there's little to no wait for a machine. I ran into Kim at one point, and we chatted a bit. She is someone I really appreciate in this challenge because she comes from an education background and understands the time and pressure constraints of the job. I always know that I can bend her ear if I need to, and for that I am thankful.

I was coming close to the end of my workout and wanted to use a specific machine that was just opening up. A little blond woman was wiping down the equipment as I came over. I pulled off my headphones and asked if she was finished with the machine, to which she said yes. Then, she said something very unexpected and truly wonderful. She said simply that she'd been following me on the radio and that I looked great! I was stunned to say the least, but I did manage to squeak out a 'thank you.' And in that moment I felt an incredible sense of empowerment. She may never know, but her timing was impeccable, and those few words gave me the strength to continue my workout with the same commitment I'd had when I started earlier in the evening.

And the icing on the proverbial cake? When I put my headphones back on to continue my workout, Chris Tomlin's "How Great is Our God" was playing.

Coincidence?

There's no crying in baseball. . .

Or football. Or soccer. Or team-workouts for that matter.

Somehow I didn't get that memo. . .

Today was, what I consider to be, my weakest showing for a team workout thus far. First, it was odd without Hillary. I couldn't help but feel sad about not having her there. Second, there was a lot of running involved. And I'm not a runner. And because I keep saying that "I'm not a runner", my brain has convinced my body that "I'm not a runner." Self-defeatism at it's finest. Mike had us compete 2 against 2 for an extra one-hour training session. Patti and Kim won. I cried because it took me forever to get through 200 jumps with the rope, and then again because it took equally as long to do 50 full sit-ups, even with the team cheering me on. I cried in the locker room after the girls had left, and then again in the car on the way home. It's been a virtual evening of tears.

Sometimes there are days that are "just those kind of days." And today was one of them. But, being the eternal optimist, I choose to focus on the positive. Here's what I know to be true so far in this challenge:

1) God does answer the "just 10 more" prayers (be it reps, minutes, sit-ups, etc.).

2) My underwear fit looser (too much information, probably, but true nonetheless).

3) I can still do more jumps, sit-ups, reps, etc. than when I started a month ago, and I feel stronger everyday.

4) Weight loss and working out is NOT easy. It's just not. And sometimes it's not fun either. But the sense of accomplishment after a good workout outweighs the cons any day.

5) Coordination is not my strength, but that in and of itself keeps me laughing.

6) I CAN do a lot that that I didn't think I could in the beginning. I CAN run despite the fact that I say "I'm not a runner", I CAN spin (thanks to Patti who motivated me to try it, and Mike who sweated it out with us), I CAN eat right (and I don't miss fast food as much as you'd think I would), I CAN do all the exercises Mike throws at me, even if I'm not very pretty doing them, and I CAN manage my time when necessary.

So I don't call it a set-back. It was my own, self-defined "bad showing". And, thanks be to God, tomorrow's another day. I'm looking forward to a "do over."

Tears of a clown. . .

I know it's because I'm premenstrual, but finding out that I'm still in the In-Shape Challenge has brought more tears than joy today.

I drove to work a little late, which is not unusual for me, in order to hear the announcement. I was trying to psych myself up in case they announced my name, repeating over and over that I have the tools I need to continue this journey successfully on my own. My heart literally sank when they announced Jenn's name, and immediately my eyes swelled and I had to catch my breath. I never though my reaction to losing a teammate would have been so dramatic (call me a "queen" if you will). It's just hard to imagine our team without one vital player. Later in the day I received news that Hillary had requested to give up her spot on the team so that Jenn could continue. Again the waterworks started, happy for Jenn but sad to lose Hillary, who's always the one cheering during our workouts. I'm going to miss her bubbly personality each weekend, but I know that she's got access to a great gym at LNAS and that she'll keep with the program right along with the rest of us. Hill, you're with us in spirit. Never give up!!

My commitment to the gym is being tested at the moment. I was in LA for the weekend, attending a Chris Tomlin concert (UH-MAY-ZING!), and I did really well food-wise while I was there. No formal workout, but a lot of walking around the city. It was a whirlwind weekend to say the least. Today's been a day filled with grades and report cards, both of which I'm seriously behind on. Spending five days a week in the gym for the past four weeks is hard on the paperwork when you're a teacher, and I am feeling the crunch. I'm trying hard to breath in and out and not stress, but today will be the third day in a row that I've not been in the gym and I'm starting to freak out a little. I changed into my gym clothes when I got home, with all intentions of spending a couple of hours at In-Shape later in the evening but it just hasn't happened. I'm in between entering grades, updating my Fitday, and blogging. I'm feeling incredibly guilty sitting here, like all the work I've done is going to go out the window in one day. But honestly, I can't do it tonight, and I've got to give myself this time to work.

Now if someone can tell me how to stop feeling guilty. . .