Monday, September 17, 2012

Challenge #2 Complete!

Last week was the end of the "Burn the Fat" Challenge.  It was a 98 day challenge that Tom Venuto   www.burnthefat.com was putting on.  He does it every year and the Grand Prize is a trip to Hawaii.  I chose to do this challenge because I needed something to keep me on track after the Golds Gym Body Challenge was over.  So, how did I do?  Well, after gaining 5 pounds between contests, I lost 20 pounds and 4% body fat.  So, total since January, I have lost 37 pounds and 10% body fat.  I was a little bummed looking at the numbers, but as my trainer pointed out, I am no longer considered "obese" and I am now in the athletic category.  And only loosing 4%?  Well, there is less of me now, so 4% is a greater accomplishment than when I started this journey.  My measurements are way down also.  I lost 5 inches around my middle in this challenge and I am down 2 sizes (and sometimes 3) in clothes!  If this wasn't a great enough accomplishment, I am much healthier also.  Like I said before,  I am no longer Obese and with that comes good (or better) health.  No more pre-diabetes, GI problems, bad skin, plantar Faccitis, joint issues, less mood swings (lets face it, they don't go away),  and a lower risk of cardio-vascular disease or heart attack!  In short, I have become healthier so I can be around longer for my kids (and husband).  I can run and play because I have more energy and I'm happier!
This challenge is over and I will find out next week if I won (there are about 300 people entered), but until then, I will continue my journey because....................I am in the middle of another Challenge (Good Health is Good Business - Ultimate Challenge)!  That is right!  I am a Challenge junkie!  This challenge is thru the Chamber of Commerce and is a 100-day Challenge that will end November 16.  My goal is to lose 5% body fat and 15 pounds (from today).  After I took my final measurements and pictures last week, I took a couple days off, but I am back on the plan today.  My scale was mad at me this morning, and I think my trainer wasn't too happy either because she about killed me today.  I will try to post more often and I'll include some of the workouts I do too.  My goal this week is to get back and stay on the plan and be strong!  I have had alot of great progress, but I have not reached my overall goal yet.
As part of the Challenge I just finished, I had to write an essay, so I have pasted it below.


When I began the Burn the Fat Challenge, I had recently finished a body transformation with the local gym and I was beginning to go back to “old habits”.  My commitment to getting healthier started in January and I had not yet gotten to where I wanted to be so this was perfect to get me back on track and to continue on my journey.  I reminded myself of “why” I wanted to make a change in the first place.  It wasn’t just to lose weight, but it was to get healthy so that I am around for my kids and husband.  I know what it’s like to lose your mom and I don’t want that for my kids.  I want to be around for all their milestones, graduating from high school, going to college, getting married, and having kids of their own.  I want to be around for all of it!  I had been diagnosed with heart disease, pre-diabetes, having G.I problems, shortness of breath, and I couldn’t play with the kids like I should’ve been able to.  My health was going downhill!  This challenge kept me going and focused and it helped me to practice the good, healthy habits that I learned in the previous challenge.  In this challenge these new habits of eating healthy, exercising regularly, and taking my vitamins became second nature to me.  I don’t think about where I’m going to stop for dinner or what dessert I’m going to have, I think about going home to be with my kids or what we can do this weekend for fun! 
My attitude and mood is a lot better now too, just ask my family.  I am not short tempered anymore and I don’t have the mood swings that I used to.  I am more positive and I now have proven to myself that I am strong enough to make these changes.    I am a busy person; I’m a mom of two boys (ages 3 and 5) and all the activities that they do, I head up a PTA at my sons school, I volunteer in the classroom for my son, and I’m an office manager of a Chiropractic Office that my husband  and I own.  I have learned to make time for myself without taking time from the other aspects.  I now incorporate my healthy lifestyle into the other areas.  My kids go to the gym with me and help me shop for and cook healthy foods.  We play (exercise) at the park and at home.  I share my experience with others in hope that I can help them become healthier too. 
During this challenge I made great changes mentally and physically.  I lost 19.5 pounds and 5 inches around my middle.  My bodyfat doesn’t show as much of a loss as I would like, but I am smaller everywhere, my clothes are loose on me and I have had to go shopping for smaller clothes (woo-hoo)!  Although my main goal wasn’t to lose weight just to look better, it sure doesn’t hurt to know that I look better than I did a few months ago.  It also doesn’t hurt when people whom I don’t know come up to me and tell me that I look good and they can really see the difference I’ve made.  They also tell me they notice how hard I work out.  My workouts are much harder than they were before beginning the challenge.  I have “boot-camp” style workouts now at least 3 times a week and when I don’t do high-intensity workouts, I feel as though I haven’t gotten a good enough workout.  When I lift weight, I still lift heavy, but I move to the next exercise without much break.  I am also stronger in all lifts that I do! 
My transformation is huge! I eat healthier, I work out (intense) regularly, I’m more active with my kids, I’m  no longer pre-diabetic, I don’t have any other health issues, I am happier, I’m more productive at work, and I don’t fantasize about food!  I couldn’t have done this challenge without the support of my family!  My husband and kids are my greatest inspiration and support!  It feels great to have made the changes I have and to know that I can influence and encourage others.  I am a winner regardless of who is “named” winner from this challenge.  I had a reason for wanting to change and I took that reason, made a plan, persevered, and reached my goal.  Now I continue with making a new plan keeping in mind the reason I started with, persevering thru obstacles and temptations.  There is always room for improvement and a greater potential!  My journey continues!