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!

"Anything is possible, It's your choice whether or not you choose to make IT happen."

Sorry I have been slacking a little with my blog the last few weeks. But I haven’t forgotten you all, life just got real busy you know how it goes at times. But I still am working hard. I am down another 5 lbs. from the last time I wrote. To top it off, I took another minute off my mile. I am super excited yet dreading the day I have to run a whole mile.  Did I mention I hate running…lol Paul, please don’t read that!
 

So I was feeling a little down last weekend, and doing what we all do when we’re feeling down, punishing myself. My friend Dan convinced me to watch Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Addition. I’ve never watched it before.  For those of you who lack motivation and inspiration I recommend it. The story I saw last Sunday was amazing! It gave me a push back to where I was when I started this journey.  My daughter is my inspiration but this is for me!  I sometimes have my lows but need to bounce back.  The quicker we bounce back the less we have to work to get where we were.  Even though there may be weeks I don’t loose weight, I am still getting healthier. I can do things I wasn’t able to before and my stamina is a lot stronger.  I have to keep in mind what I have done instead of what I haven’t.  Paul is good at keeping me on track and calling me out for my crap.  My daughter is good at reminding me why I keep going even when I don’t want to.

Paul has given me a challenge (or a goal so to speak); I need to loose 36 lbs. before August 1^st.  I worry about this, not that I can’t do it. But because I am afraid of slipping up!  I have to do a week on my own because he is going on vacation; don’t you think he should just take me with?  Just kidding Paul!  But I’m worried I won’t push myself as hard as he does. Most of all, I’m afraid of letting everyone down. Ok I am going to do this and I hope it is before August.  So Ryan Z if I am not at the gym this week, you better be calling me.

Now that it’s warmer out I have been spending a lot of time outside with my daughter. We’ve been going swimming, to the parks, shopping, and walking. Compared to last Summer I’m amazed at how much more I am doing.  So I will take whatever Paul will throw at me because clearly it’s working!

You have your highs and you have your lows...

This week was better than last. I’m still trying to get over Bronchitis, but I was at the gym every day. It feels like I am starting all over again. But it is not as hard as when I started the first time.

Paul is having me step up on things on my own now. I’ve been working the AMT machine and now I get to add the stairs in too. I think he is trying to make me love them, but I still hate them. I do it though because that is what he tells me to do. I guess I pay him for a reason. He thinks he is training me for the 2030 Olympics. Sometimes I think he is a little crazy (just kidding Paul). On the plus side, I have taken another minute off my mile.

Remember how I keep telling you how Paul shows up when you least expect him to. Well this time I got out of Waunakee and he still there! We ended up going to the same beach over the weekend. Even on my day off from the gym, I felt the need to go running, climb some stairs, or do some squats because he was there. Funny right?!?!

One of the lessons I’ve learned during this journey is not to just sit around wishing you could, but to actually do something about it. Since I’ve started working with Paul, and at Anytime Fitness, I am so much healthier. I have lost almost 40 lbs so far. But it is not just the weight that I am loosing. I feel better about my life, my daughter’s life and everything overall. SO if you are reading this and were like me, thinking life is too busy, it’s too expensive, or I just can’t. Trust me, just take the step into the gym, and keep going. No none of this is easy, and there are times I just want to say to hell with it all. If you think about it, it shouldn’t even be a choice. You need sleep, you need water, and you need to eat. Taking care of me and feeling healthy and happy should be a need as well. I know all the work has to come from myself; I have Paul to show me the way, and so many loving and supportive friends and family for encouragement. You’re all beautiful in my eyes and I love you all. But no one can make me do this, not even Paul that job is mine, and I am doing it.

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I let excuses and rational control my week this week. Yes, I let myself slip a little and it turned out to be a lot. We all have excuses, and bad weeks but I let them affect me like I haven’t since I started this journey. It took me getting chewed out by Paul to realize just how bad I really was this week. SO I have to pick it back up next week, that I know for sure. I actually gained a pound this week. Believe me, I feel so embarrassed having to actually admit that.

I didn’t stick to my diet at all to be honest with you, I said to myself that I’d been doing so well that I could treat myself to things I know I didn’t need. Then, I just spiraled out of control from there. But okay I did admit to having a bad week so now it’s time to get back to it. More progress is around the corner. I promise will be back next week with better news.