Week 9 Reflections

FINAL WEEK OF THE CHALLENGE—CHECK! Now just need to weigh in and take measurements tomorrow, but no matter what the scale says I’m already very proud of myself and the team.

First of all, since it was the last week I went crazy. I exercised about 17 hours and also did some cheering the at the Marine Corps Marathon which was very fun, but exhausting as well.

Since it was Halloween weekend I had a lot of activities planned but I was determined that it wouldn’t impact my exercise or diet. I allowed myself to have a couple of pieces of candy but definitely refrained myself from eating more. I just kept thinking...final weigh-in, final weigh-in!

Friday was definitely the worst. I was at a party they had tons of food and drinks. I had to post a picture on our test group page on facebook so I wouldn’t be tempted to eat it. I have to admit I did try a bite of the lasagna, but it actually didn’t taste as good as it looked, it was way too salty. Two months ago I know I wouldn’t even have noticed the salt (I probably would have put more salt on it!), but since my now it tasted so processed and fake to me.

The party itself was fun, however. At first people were shocked to hear I hadn’t had a drink in two months but when I explained the challenge they were very understanding and encouraging. I talked with a couple of people about what I did during the 60 days, bootcamp and my nutrition. I’m not usually that open about personal things with people that aren’t my close friends, but I wanted to impress upon them that it was doable...hard work of course, but doable for anyone who sets their mind to it.

That’s when I realized that it would be a good next step in my fitness journey to become a coach...I already have this desire to help people and impart the knowledge I’ve gained so this would give me additional training to help people and more credibility/authority or whatever you want to call it to talk to others about it.

The best part of the weekend was cheering at the Marine Corps Marathon station with everyone from Kazaxe and Maia, Flo, Martha and Linda. It was so inspirational to see people from all walks of life making it through, I am seriously considering doing it next year. It was a fun morning but as soon as I got home I crashed for the rest of the day...apparently high-fiving people is very tiring!

So now it’s final weigh in for the bootcamp 60 day challenge tomorrow and final weigh in for my brother’s 90 day challenge on Wednesday. I feel like it’s going to be a good week!

Week 8 Reflections

This week was both good and bad. I have continued going to yoga and I am loving it. Even in a short week of taking classes, I’ve noticed a big difference in my balance and I’m more aware now of how my core helps my whole body, which is great for bootcamp. I feel like the two classes complement each other very well: the strength I gain from bootcamp helps me hold my poses longer at yoga and the stretching and balancing from yoga helps me with my form at bootcamp.

I (unintentionally) did alternating higher and lower exercise days this week, and I think it was a good mix. Monday and Wednesday I did just bootcamp while Tuesday and Thursday I did yoga, bootcamp and kazaxe in a row. It’s an interesting mix and I didn’t feel burned out, so I will definitely have to try it again in the future.

The bad part of the week was this weekend...I went down to Virginia to help my friend move into her new house in King George (it’s super far, about half an hour east of Fredericksburg) and since it’s a small town they don’t have many healthy options. We went to a Mexican restaurant and that supposed to be my only cheat meal, but the whole day turned into a cheat and my body did not appreciate it. I felt icky the next day from eating too much greasy food and really missed my own home cooked meals. Eating out is nice, but when it’s multiple times a day it’s too much.

I also couldn’t exercise since I was spending time with my friends and didn’t bring my computer to play some workout DVDs. That made me realize how much the classes work for me, since it’s already scheduled and I just have to show up. When I have to make time for it myself I don’t know why but I’m less likely to do it.

Even after the bad Saturday, I’m still very excited about the final week of the challenge. I can’t believe the end is near!

Week 7 Reflections

Week 7 has definitely been my favorite so far. I am proud of myself this week because I tried new exercises, resisted temptation and received a lot of positive feedback. Additionally, I feel so much closer with our group now, like we are a family that takes care of each other and not just like we’re together because of circumstance. I truly look forward to seeing everyone at the end of the day to workout, and this has motivated me more than once to get my booty to the Underground even on days when I’m really tired.

I started going to Bikram Yoga with Flo on Saturday, and I really like it so far. I was nervous since I had read about the heat and people feeling uncomfortable...and I can see why it’s not for everyone, but even after two classes I know it is definitely for me. Bikram was very relaxing yet at the same time very demanding. It took me by surprise how my heart rate was up even though I wasn’t moving very much. When we would lie down between poses I could feel it pounding against the floor.

Another great part about this week was seeing one of my New York friends who came down to visit for the weekend. I hadn’t seen her since August, and as soon as I picked her up from the bus the first thing she asked me was if I had lost weight, and she said tell just from my face looking out car window. It’s nice to hear because I see myself every day so I don’t notice the changes, and still have this image of myself as I was before. But I am changing.

Since my friend was visiting, I did go out pretty much for the first time in 7 weeks. And I was able to socialize and enjoy myself without drinking. One trick I found was useful was just having a glass of water with ice...it looks like I could be drinking a vodka tonic but I’m just staying hydrated and sipping on my water. If someone asked I would tell them and explain why, but this way not as many people noticed that I wasn’t even drinking.

Food wise, I have to admit that I haven’t been keeping track of calories like I did in past weeks. However, I mostly eat the same types and quantities of foods every week and when I was keeping track of calories I was sticking to my 500-1,000 calorie deficit per day I’m probably still in the same range. I’m not sure if calorie counting is for me, but I do like still having the option of looking up the calories for foods when I don’t know them.

But one thing that I am very good about recording now are my exercises...Maia suggested I write down a schedule so I don’t miss a workout, and I’ve found that is what works best for me is planning on week on Sunday. It is my “ideal world” schedule, meaning I write down every class I would like to make it to even though I know in real life I won’t have the time or energy to make it to all. At the end of the day, I highlight the workouts I actually completed and at the end of the week I tally them up.

I like it because I can keep track of what I need to do and what I’ve done and I’m proud of seeing all workouts that I’ve highlighted by the end of the week. For example, I worked out 14 hours this week. Of course not all hours are as intense as the 4 hours per week of bootcamp are, but that is a long time to spend working on myself...and it feels good, as I wrote before, to be selfish for my own well-being.

And finally, a rant: I was researching gyms around my house and I went to one for the day that has great facilities but of course it is expensive. Since I had a day pass I tried one of their dance classes that was supposed to have international music but it was literally the worst dance class I’ve ever been to in my life. The instructor did only ONE song the entire class, so basically it was 45 minutes of breaking down the choreography and 15 minutes of doing the song (a swing song no less...not exactly the “global beats” it advertised). I didn’t even come close to breaking a sweat once the whole hour.

So this week I am ESPECIALLY thankful to have Bootcamp and Kazaxe in my life. Not only are they awesome classes and great workouts, but they are also affordable and, even better, fun. There’s no beating that.

Week 6 Reflections

After being sick Week 5, I was feeling good this week and really wanted to bring it. I thought I was going to fall over at one point and my heart rate was crazy, but it felt great to know that I can push through the tiredness.

I brought my friend again this week and I felt confident enough to help her correct her form and give her tips on how to do the moves. Sometimes I still see myself as the same girl from six weeks ago but helping her I've realized how much I’ve gotten stronger and how much I've learned.

Another difference I’ve noticed was how I relate to my fellow bootcampers. The meeting we had was amazing, I loved listening to everyone’s motivations and whys, and I finally feel like we’re a united group. I’m a pretty private person and usually don’t like sharing much about myself, but now I’m finally feeling comfortable with everyone here and more comfortable about opening up.

I wish I had saved my piece of paper with my notes, but I do remember I wrote down that I want to accomplish something I never imagined myself doing before. I never saw myself as a person that would become strong and physically fit...I never thought that I was that “type” of person. But of course we’ve all proven that there is no one type of person that can make a commitment to fitness and health.

In high school, I wrote a bucket list of sorts on a whim that included completing a triathlon. When I found it in an old notebook years later I thought that was a silly goal that I would never actually accomplish. But now, it seems attainable. Of course there’s still a long road for me to go before I even think of signing up for a triathlon, but now I am confident that I can do it at some point in the future.

For the not-so distant future, however, I’ve been thinking a lot about the rest of 2011 after the challenge is over. I know I want to continue coming to bootcamp, reach my ultimate weight goal, and become even stronger. I also haven’t seen my parents since mid-August and they’re going to have a field day when I go to Mexico to visit them for Christmas. I’m already in such a different place physically and mentally/emotionally and I know they will be flabbergasted by the results.

Now we have three more weeks to go, and I can’t believe time has gone by so fast. I also till have a competition with my brother to worry about, so I’m going to make sure I give it my all for the last remaining weeks!

Week 5 Reflections

Week 5 was the toughest so far. I started getting that ominous tickle in my throat and on Monday I was officially under the weather. I tried to rest as much as possible because I didn’t want to miss bootcamp, but I still had to take it easier than I would have normally during the workouts.

The warmups were especially difficult this week. My body complained at me pushing it. But after that point, something magical happened: I didn’t feel sick anymore.  I came prepared with cough drops and tissues, but didn’t need them at all while I was exercising.

My body bounced back so quickly it was a record for me. I got sick and got better within a week, when usually getting sick and getting over the sickness takes me three weeks. I know this is just one of the many ways that the combination of eating healthier and exercising regularly has done for my body. I’ve become a well-tuned machine! ;) Or something like that. But I can definitely tell the difference of limiting my consumption of processed foods.

Both the limitations and resilience of our bodies are surprising. Despite being sick, I still felt stronger than in previous weeks. I was able to do more pushups in good form and I surprised myself by doing quite a few of the partner pull-ups...which a month ago I know would have been too difficult for me. And, most exciting of all, I feel a little muscle starting to grow in my arms :)

I’ve noticed my face also looks a lot thinner. Now I look at tagged photos of me on facebook from over the summer and I can’t believe how round it looked! Not gonna lie, this week I went through them and definitely untagged a few. My stomach is also getting flatter...I still have a lot of work to do, but when I poke it feels hard! My abs are waiting to make their appearance!

The best part of this week was that one of my friends finally came with me on Thursday for the “warrior” workout. I think she really liked it and it was interesting to see her being impressed by me doing the exercises, since I was exactly were she was a month ago and couldn’t do them very well. It’s put this journey in perspective...in just a short amount of time I’ve been able to improve and I hope to continue working on my form and strength even after the 60 days are over.