"The elevator to success is out of order. You'll have to use the stairs...One step at a time!"

Joe Gerard

I know it has been while since my last blog, but here I go with the newest update.  I have had many ups and downs on this journey, but I’m still sticking with it. I’m not perfect, but who is? The point is I am still trying! For the first time in over 10 years, I have gotten below 300 lbs. To me that is huge. I remember when I went over 300 lbs when I was pregnant with my daughter (who is now 9 ½). I actually had to go shopping for some new clothes and have went down 5 sizes since I started all of this. For the first time in I don’t know how many years I bought my first pair of real jeans. I know that sounds funny, but I haven’t been able to wear jeans unless they were stretchy jeans. For those of you who are wondering how much I’ve lost so far, here it is. Since I joined Anytime Fitness I’ve lost close to 80 lbs. and a total of 190 since my max weight.

I can’t say I am the best with my nutrition. I am still trying. As lifestyle and circumstances change, so does my diet. I have been all over the spectrum. If money and time weren’t an issue, we would all eat right. I do the best with what I am given, and I keep working out. One thing I have learned is that I tend not to eat when I am stressed out or upset, but I have gotten better about that. After all the work I have done, I don’t want to go back. I am still trying to find my right balance, but I’m not there yet.

In addition to my regular work outs, I am back to training with Paul again. Let me tell you he is still hard on me, even if you’re sick with bronchitis like I have been over the last two weeks. I still think he is trying to make his resume look good, but I am still alive. Just wondering when I am going to have a work out with him and am not sore for days after…lol.

I have a new obstacle coming up. I just was offered a full time position with the State of Wisconsin, so this means another change in schedules for me, but it’s for a very good reason. Now I will have to work harder at getting to the gym every day, but I know I can make it work. If not I know I will be hearing from some of you asking me why I am not there J Thank you all, again, for the support you have given me!

Your success and happiness lies in you!!

The month of August went better than expected; I lost 17 lbs. all on my own.  I know if were training with Paul it would have been more. But I am happy I did that much on my own.  I’m still looking forward to training with Paul again but have to wait a few more weeks.  Paul’s still keeping his eye on me though you better believe it.  I now have to sign in everyday I make it into the gym.  I also have to tell him what I did while I was there.  He’s still looking over my food journal when I bring it in too.  Paul is also giving me more exercises, plus taking the time to talk with me about life.

 

I still haven’t made my first goal to be less than 300 lbs. but I am getting closer everyday. I’ll be SO excited when I finally weigh in the two hundreds.  One of the contributing factors right now is food. Being on a budget doesn’t leave me much room to eat how I should when I still have to buy things that will feed the whole family.

 

My daughter is still my biggest cheerleader. She took a fall and hurt her knee so she wasn’t able to walk with me for a few weeks.  She was sad we missed a few weeks but she’s better so our nightly walks are back on.

 

I have some other big news too. I am now off of insulin!! I am still taking oral medication, but only as a preventive thing.  I’m close to not being diabetic anymore which gives me more motivation to keep going.  Getting my health back makes me feel all this hard work is worth it.  All you have to do is stop making excuses and START. I am finally seeing that!



"All our dreams can come true--if we have the courage to pursue them. " - Walt Disney

I am back once again, working hard.  I can start training with Paul again in October.  I think I need him…LOL.  I have lost another 10 lbs, on my own but still fell short of my goal for August. But, hopefully at the rate I’m going I’ll reach it before the end of August.
 

Today I was told by Paul that I need to do the stair climber for 5 min. Believe me, I was thinking to myself are you sure?! I can barely do 4!  But I was able to make it. Who would have thought?  I know it doesn’t sound like much, however I couldn’t do the stairs at all before I started training.  So I am pretty proud of myself. I am dreading when Paul will be back to training me full force again. Lord help me….then I’ll be back to running around the building to…just watch I already for see this.

It took me a little longer to break down the wall but I am now moving forward again.  I realize that sometimes I just let things get in my way, and I can’t let that happen anymore.  Like dating for instance, it’s just a complication I don’t need right how. It is too distracting and makes me lose focus on my goals.  Besides if I want to be with a healthy person I need to make myself healthy first.  Right?!?!

The other thing that was making me loose focus is my daughter.  Now that she is not in school, she’s wanted me to do more things with her.  To keep up with her, I have to build up my energy and endurance so that means I have to continue losing the weight to get healthy.  I often have to remind her of this.  So spending time with her has sometimes has to wait.  I tell you this is a hard one for me.  Sometimes it feels like I’m neglecting her.  I know I am not, but it just feels that way.  So to compromise I will spend an hour just waking with her each day.  This way she can do some of the exercise with me and I can still get my two hours in everyday!

 

Support and encouragement lead Dorothy to make a break through...

Not sure where to begin, things have been really hard on me lately. I guess because of it all, I got pretty depressed and started on a down world spiral. I cut down the days at the gym and as a result haven’t really been focusing on my diet.  I can make all the excuses I want, but the thing is I was only lying to myself. I haven’t gained any weight but I haven’t lost any either. The hardest part is not only do I feel like I let a lot of people down, but I let myself down too. So, now it is time to pick myself up and get back to it.

I do have some wonderful people who have really chewed me out. At first I was mad at them, I wanted to say screw you I am doing the best I can and to leave me the hell alone. But the fact is I needed them to say the things they said to me even if I didn’t want to hear them. Yes it did make me mad (and even cry), but I was mad at myself for not keeping with the program. The truth is I wasn’t doing what I needed to do to reach my goals. You can’t sit and wish to be healthy…I spent 9 years doing just that. If I want to be 160 lbs I have to do the work, nobody else can do it for me. But I am truly thankful for all of those who care about me enough to say, get your ass going again! I know I keep thanking people, but I have to say it again. Thank you Paul! Not only for chewing me out, but for NOT giving up on me when I was ready to give up on myself. Thank you to Jordan, Ryan and Alex for your encouragement and support. Even though I feel at times I am taking this journey on all by myself, I’m really not. There are some wonderful people who come out of the wood work when you least expect it. They become my new healthy friends and have added to the already wonderful support system I had.  I love all my family and friends (even my new ones)!

I am looking at this road block like a wall, and it’s up to me to break through it. It is not an easy thing to do. But the more you do it the easier it gets. I will break through this and I will get back on track. Please don’t stop reading, I have more good things to come, I know it. Good things are already happening to me—I have accepted a new position which means I can go back to training with Paul! So say tuned y’all.

Testing Her Limits!

I’ve been having a hard time making the scale move again. So, with Paul’s suggestion it’s time for me to step up my game. I will be increasing my workout time to 2 hours a day. Today was day one. I did make the scale move a little bit this week and lost 5 lbs. But to make the August 1^st goal that Paul gave me I need to be doing more. For those of you who don’t know I need to be under 300 lbs by then. That would mean 180 total pounds lost and 70 of that 180 would be since I joined the gym and started working with Paul. I thought it would be really bad to be at the gym twice a day, however it wasn’t as bad as I thought!  

Remember the AMT machine that I hated a few weeks ago? I managed to complete my first mile on it today. Something I thought would never happen. Not sure why I tried it today when I was only able to complete 5 minutes before. But I just told myself, "I will do a mile today," and I did! It is amazing what you can do when you set your mind to it. Sometimes it is making up your mind and just going for it! I don’t know why I ever thought that it was so scary before!

Finding The Strength to Achieve MY Goals

This has been one crazy week for me. Paul was gone until Thursday. I worked as hard as I could but when he got back I had gained 2 lbs. Unsure of what happened, we took a hard look at my diet. Turns out I haven’t been eating enough again. I still have a hard time thinking eating too little is making me gain weight but it must be true. I have lost 4 lbs. since then so I must be back on track.

Now I’m facing a few obstacles. The first obstacle is being on the job market again.
The position I have been working was only a temporary position. I was hoping it would end up being permanent but it didn’t work out. Good experience but due to the fact it is a nonprofit business there wasn’t enough funding to keep me on. I know they wish they could have kept me. So now I am job hunting again. This also means I have to take a brake from Paul until I find a new job. I hope it won’t be too long, because it scares me not being able to be trained by him. I will have to push my self harder and I hope I can do it!

The second is finding a sitter for my daughter. If I couldn’t find a sitter before I would bring her with me to the gym and she would watch me. But the rules of the gym say I can’t do that anymore. I understand and respect that. I’m sure she will be back when she is 14! This just makes it hard because I don’t feel she is old enough to say home by her self yet.

Like I said these are just obstacles. The old me would have used this as an excuse to quit, but that is not an option for me anymore! I will find a way to work it all out. You will still see me at Anytime 6 days a week! I will do my best with the food plan. I will be back working out with Paul within a month. This weekend I watched Extreme Makeover again. This episode was about a man who went through a breakup, loss of a job and became homeless all during his weight loss journey and still made his goal. So I can do it, and I will keep you all posted along the way!

Temporary Trainers Step In & Dorothy Steps it Up!

“You can't hit a home run unless you step up to the plate. You can't catch fish unless you put your line in the water. You can't reach your goals if you don't try.”

Wow this has been a different week. With Paul on vacation I had several mini trainers step in. Last Thursday, on my way to the Anytime Fitness I got a text from Ryan Z to make sure I was still coming in that day. He and Alex (another trainer) convinced me to run my laps even though I didn’t want to. They were nice enough to run them with me. I was thinking the whole time I was running that Paul must have set up his spy’s before he left. LOL just kidding. I’m glad there are others trying to keep me on track.   

Then on Saturday my daughter had to come with me to the gym. She told me she was my trainer for the day.  I have to say I think she is a little harder on me then Paul J But it was fun. She couldn’t use the equipment but she did run with me, and we did crunches and push up’s together. She was also proud to tell EVERYONE how she trained me afterwards.  Paul better watch out, my 8 year old might give him a run for his money.

Something that inspired me and gave me encouragement this week was my in-laws being back in Wisconsin and seeing them. They are snowbirds and live in Florida half the year. Although their son and I are no longer together, we are still very close to them. They are the most amazing people I have ever met. Anyways, they kept telling me they were surprised at all the changes I’ve made. They were amazed at the weight loss etc. I guess I don’t notice all the changes in my own body because I’m with myself 24-7.  So it was good to hear. It just goes to show you even if you can’t see your own progress others around you can see it. I will have to remind myself of this when I am being too hard on myself!