Tracking Hurricane Sandy

This is Lynnell and from my bed, I'm tracking...

I'm watching the trees sway as if they were dancing, 

I'm hearing the wind blow a new tune I don't know,

And the rain pounding out a beat to accompany it.  

The TV is on, I'm half listening to the news that is tracking Hurricane Sandy, 

Seeing local closings not just for today but also for tomorrow.  

This blog was created to track my progress, track my weight loss goals.  

Seems insignificant as evacuations, emergency personnel and relief efforts are mobilized

To deal with the havoc anticipated by Hurricane Sandy.  

I quietly pray for everyone's safety, trusting and believing.  

But beyond the hours leading up to the brunt of the storm, 

Beyond the clean up and recovery in the days to come, 

I pray for those that have been dealing with their own personal hurricanes, 

Not tracked on TV, not known to others.  

Weather storms come and go, but not all personal hurricanes move out as quickly as they move in.

Life is a wonderful gift that has its highs and its lows.

If you find yourself as you read this in your own personal hurricane know that you are loved.

Loved by me, I need not know what you're going through to love you.

Love is a gift given to me and I am glad to give it to you.

So as the storm winds blow, listen to the whistle of the wind, the percussion sounds of the rain 

And as the trees dance and sway, may your heart do the same.

The storm may interrupt schedules and disrupt plans but it can't stop love for love is hurricane proof,

Lynnell

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." - 1 Corinthians 13 (NIV)

Ready, Set, LAY...

Today is the day of the 5k Glo Run I had posted about a few weeks ago.  It has begun and I'm not posting from the starting line, I'm posting from my sofa after a long day of laying down to manage the pain.  Yes I'm still having health issues, also known as pain management. So I'm keeping this short, sweet and petite, LOL.  Trying to be funny, you know me, spreading love through laughter.  It's been six days away from the gym and at this point I don't know when I'm going to return to anything other than a doctor's office.  So as I go get set and ready to lay, I will end on a positive note and let everyone know I've still lost weight this week.  Contest ends next week, we'll see if I've done enough before this road block to end up in the winners circle.  Now back to mission get better.

When your body tells you to be still using pain, it's time to be still,

Lynnell

"It's time to start living the life you imagined" - Henry James

"Always act like you're wearing an invisible crown" - Unknown

My Crew - The Motivators

"I'm depressed about not getting in the gym, I want to blog but don't want to post something depressing or sound like self pity. Maybe that's what I'll say in the first sentence." - message I sent to a great friend that helped me decide what this post would be about. It's simply about the best motivation I have to keep my head up and be positive.  See I'm still sidelined by my health and not only have I not returned to work, I've not returned to the gym either.  I'm hopeful about returning to both at the end of the week but right now, two days of not going to work or the gym seems like an eternity.  So what better way to chase blues away than to talk about My Crew: "The Motivators".  That would be Howard, III, Almazi and Stevie, Jr.  When I think why this time I will get the weight off, I think of my three children.  I want to be in the best health possible for them now and later.  I will admit I'm on blood pressure meds, and I don't like it but because of family history and the weight, that's where I am BUT that's not where I have to stay.  Now don't get me wrong I'm very pleased with the new waist line and the toner curves but the energy I have to keep up with an insane schedule and my crew is well worth the pushing me to the test workouts with CJ, the early morning Cardio Karate classes or the shake what you momma gave you Zumba classes, not to mention the countless minutes on a variety of machines in the gym.  So I'm keeping my head up and my eyes on the prize because the benefits that not only I will enjoy but my crew will too.  Now off to bed so my body can finish this healing process I've got a contest to win, 170 students to return to, countless teachers to train and not to mention MY CREW, Howard, III, Almazi and Stevie, Jr.

7 Days left and sick or not, don't count me out!
Lynnell

"Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like it's heaven on earth." - Mark Twain

Sidelined until further notice

So there are 9 days to go and under doctors advice I have to stay out of the gym at least the next two days.  I'm trying to decide how I feel about this but decided to figure out what I can do to make up for it  once I get the green light.  I had planned originally to increase my time in the gym to finish strong the last week.  Well that's still the plan even though the week may turn into the last few days.  Right now I could continue to ponder and pontificate my plans, but intstead I'm going to bed.  First get the body back to 100% and then get the booty back on track.

Sidelined but don't count me out yet there are still 9 days left,
Lynnell

"It's never too late to become the person you might have been"   - George Elliot
www.thedontquitpoem.com

Hamstring, Hamstring, Please don't fail me now Hamstring!

A few weeks ago I was in Cardio Karate class and my right hamstring tightened up on me causing me to stop.  After the instructor helped me by stretching and massaging it, I was able to walk on it gingerly.  I  tried to take it easy a few days by lightening up my workout and taking the advice of my trainer, CJ, who had on a couple of occasions had to help me massage it out during our sessions.  Finally after more than a few days I was able to return full force to me routine because remember I'm trying to win a contest.  So last night I started to feel a tinge in that same hamstring, I chose to forego the second workout I had planned for the day and used "The Stick" to roll it out.  This morning when I did Cardio Karate, I could tell my hamstring was ready to let me know who is boss so I tried to listen and obey and was successful at getting a good workout without pissing my hammie off.  So now I feel like I need to do a Hammie Dance like Native Americans used to do a rain dance to end a drought.  Finish strong is advice I've gotten from family and friends so I hope my Hamstring is listening as well.

11 Days to Go Hamstring so let's do this,
Lynnell

"I would rather be covered in SWEAT at the gym than covered with CLOTHES at the beach." - Unknown

"Your butt looks bigger"

This morning I woke up nervous about how I'm stacking up against the competition.  I realize as my "After" date draws nearer, I really want to WIN this thing.  Not knowing or seeing exactly who I'm competing against feels like I'm competing in a blind folded race.  I headed to the gym for my usual Thursday workout trying to battle my mind against doubts in my efforts and felt I was winning that battle.

So later today I got to see my loving sister and she loudly and proudly told me, "Your butt looks bigger." Then my supportive younger cousin chimed in and said, "But that's not a bad thing".  As I looked at them perplexed thinking to myself:

1. I've been at the gym nearly every day since the end of August and sometimes twice in a day; 
2. I've restricted what I'm eating to basically a VEGAN diet; 
3. I've gotten on the scale routinely to make sure it's moving in the down direction; 
4. I've NOT eaten any cake, candy, cookies or other treats let alone REAL comfort food in months; 
5. AND even on my birthday (Sept. 19), I gave away a slice of chocolate cake that my students gave me and revealed to a class of 90 students why I couldn't eat it or any of the candy given to me by yet another student....

I took a deep breath as these thoughts simultaneously ran through my head and then my sister quickly followed up with, "it's because your legs are getting smaller" and then my cousin added, "and your waist is too."  So quickly I realized this statement was a compliment to my efforts verses a condemnation of them.  Then we continued to talk about our family gene pool and how my "big ole butt" may or may not turn into buns of steel, L0L, but my body is getting smaller.  Turns out they made me feel encouraged and empowered to finish what I started.  I came home ate my Veggie Blend, Veggie Burger and Hummus, proud of my efforts.  

12 Days Left in My Two Month Challenge,

Lynnell 

"Your butt looks bigger..." - Bernita

209 just won't due!

I sent a text that said, "The scale says I weigh 209. I'm scared to get back on it  in case it's wrong, lol". Now I've been told on more than one occasion to ignore the scale or to not weigh myself everyday or even to throw my scale away altogether. This weekend when I was talking with one of my girlfriends about what I was eating and how much I was exercising, I admitted I weigh myself nearly everyday. I treat my scale as an accountability measure and not only as a progress meter. In the same conversation I told her I wouldn't break this habit because no one can convince me I'm supposed to weigh over 200 pounds. So while I weigh over 200 pounds, I'm going to continue to use my scale as one of my meter sticks for my progress. Yes I've lost a few sizes, yes I have clothes that are now too big and yes I'm getting into clothes that were to small for me before but until I see less pockets of fat on my body, I will keep the scale as my meter stick of progress.

14 days to go and the scale says 209!
Lynnell

" Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going." -Jim Ryan

Sometimes you have to use tape...

A couple days after my last post, I went on a field trip with my daughter's 5th grade class to Nanjemoy Creek Environmental Educational Center.  It was a rainy Tuesday and the weather forecast was on and off showers throughout the day.  My daughter wore a pair of Timberland boots she received as a hand me down from her cousin.  We got off the bus when we arrived only to discover that the soles had started to disintegrate.  Well long eventful story cut short...I used tape (packing tape) to aid the situation.  Throughout the day I taped and re-taped her boots.  By lunch time both boots had started to reveal her toes and at that point I used a rubber glove on each to stabilize the damage and then applied layers of tape and continued my regimen of taping up the shoes until we returned home that evening.  Thus this story is not only the inspiration of the title but ending up becoming my theme in dealing with interruptions in my workout routine that threatened to derail my progress since that day.  Finding my schedule fluctuating and my "normal" routine of working out in the morning hijacked by work picking up, I adjusted with the help of my trainer, CJ,  being flexible daily at the drop of a hat.  So even on long dog tired days, I made it into the gym because sometimes you have to use tape to keep things together!

16 Days To Go,

Lynnell

"Wanting something is not enough. You must hunger for it.  Your motivation must be absolutely compelling in order to overcome the obstacles that will invariably come your way." - Les Brown  

Let the Countdown Begin...

Today is the October 1, I have 30 days left in the 2-month challenge I entered at my local gym, Waldorf Fitness (www.waldorffit.com), tell them I referred you of course.  This morning I did the Cardio Kick class and tonight I will workout with my trainer, CJ.  I started this blog at the beginning of 2012 with the goal of writing weekly about my weight loss journey.  This is just my third entry though I am proud, the journey continued without documentation.  After beginning 2012 at 248 pounds, I'm currently as of this morning down over 30 pounds, significant inches lost and a few sizes dropped.  My weight loss goal is still further than my progress but today I'm at the midway point in my 2-month challenge and am using this blog as a motivating factor to finish strong the next 30 days.  Let the countdown begin...I weigh in, get measured and take after photos on October 30.  Much has been accomplished but much is to be accomplished.  Shout out to my trainer, CJ, who makes sure I get it in.  I highly recommend both the facility and CJ!  Don't forget to tell him Lynnell referred you, maybe he'll let me skip a few push ups, LOL.  Well I won't skip any before October 30th of course.

30 Days Down 30 Days To Go,
Lynnell

"I have lost one pound 100 times, this time I will loose 100 pounds for the last time!" - Lynnell