Speechless...not really

Here it is the last day of 2012 and though I feel compelled to write a final blog post in 2012 on my blog, I'm feeling some kind of way.  I wouldn't call it speechless, though I'm struggling for words.  I'm not at a loss for words, I guess because of the emotions I feel right now I'm proceeding cautiously and choosing them carefully.  As much as I try to be an inspiration, a motivation, an example that if I can you definitely can, I have my moments.  Today is one of them.  As I hear people talk about what they plan for 2013 from not taking no stuff this year to it being their best year ever, I'm stuck.  I have no desire or need to decide what 2013 will be like for me. I'm thankful for everyday I get, it's a blessing to make a difference.  Honestly, most days I feel like, it's a chance to finally get it right.  This morning I felt that way and tomorrow morning I will as well, I can only pray that in 2013 that more of my days I get it right than I get it wrong.

Happy New Year and see you in 2013!

Feeling some kind of way,
Lynnell

Source: carolinebakker.com via Lynnell on Pinterest

It's official...

It's official, the plateau has been broken!

Go figure, I go six weeks at the same weight and then drop nearly five pounds in two weeks.  Am I celebrating?  I already did for 5 seconds for the 5 pounds but I'm looking forward to what's next. I weighed in today for the challenge and that 5 pounds, well technically 4.5 pounds and 1.5 inches isn't impressive by my standards and I'm not waiting by the phone like I did last time for the news.  Now of course any progress in the down direction is great progress but I didn't enter the contest just to be in the contest, I entered to win and when the next one rolls around I will enter again.  I'm just as stubborn as my body, so as I continue to shock it back into downsizing, I'm going into 2013 NOT needing to make that popular new years resolution because I'm living mine now.  I go to best gym in town Waldorf Fitness and I'm being trained by one of their many elite trainers, CJ,  but they all embrace me.  Giving me encouragement when I take their classes or just see them around the gym.  Eventually my story will make it to the 2-Month Challenge wall for winning the last time, but my story has only just begun.

I'm not through by any means, it's my time and I'm going to get my blessing (in my Mary Mary vocals),

Lynnell

Source: letintherain.tumblr.com via Lynnell on Pinterest

Pushed it up by 24 hours

I was originally planning to weigh in on Saturday morning but decided to put myself out of my misery and get it done tomorrow morning, well at least that's what I planned to do.  We'll see what happens tomorrow and whether I chicken out and stay with my original Saturday weigh-in date.  CJ worked me out good this morning after I pushed myself a bit harder on the Stairmaster.  Next up this evening is my challenge for the week from CJ which is to take Yoga. Better get to it I don't think blogging will be an acceptable excuse to miss.

I'm not that flexible, this is going to be very interesting,

Lynnell

Source: sparkpeople.com via Lynnell on Pinterest

Wondering if the inches will be enough...

Source: le-fitspo.tumblr.com via Lynnell on Pinterest

I'm three days away from my weigh in for my second 2-Month Challenge I entered in at the gym.  If you've read any of my last few post you know I've hit a plateau and not just any plateau because the last I checked I weighed the exact same as I did the day I weighed in to win the last 2-Month Challenge.  So though I could easily throw in the towel and assume I've lost this round, I choose not!  See I have still lost inches so I'm still hopefully that inches will be enough.  Now I know they do the contest by the numbers but one thing the numbers don't show is that I can now do 20 real pushups in a row.  That's right NOT on my knees, I did that today for the first time. The inner satisfaction I felt with that accomplishment, I guess I already feel like a winner.  I'm in this battle for the long haul and the saying above reminds me of just that.  As long as I have air in my lungs and life in my body, I have another day to fight to get closer and closer to attaining and remaining at the goal.

I'm looking beyond Saturday's weigh-in and the announced results.  My trainer, CJ and I have already discussed plans for what's next.  He is going to give me weekly challenges to do also to get me off this island called Plateau.  Per his advice I've switched machines for cardio and I've already started doing the stairmaster (please note I detest that machine) for up to 40 minutes at a time working my way to 60. We talked about working out at the pool and taking a running class too.

I'm not meant to be 200+ pounds. So somebody please send a memo to my body because it's not listening to me!

Lynnell

Source: greatist.com via Lynnell on Pinterest

Thousand Words or More Than Meets The Eye?

Some may say, "Pictures say a thousand words," while others may say, "There is more than meets the eye."  So in this post I'm sharing a picture collage and my thoughts and you decide what the answer to the question asked in the title of this post.

December 15, 2012

I've not put updated pictures of myself on my blog because I've not reached my goal or won any contest lately, but this weekend I did wear my favorite kind of dress, a RED one, as you can see.  What I see in these pictures is a person that is pleased with her progress BUT (yes I am saying but) I've not lost a pound in six weeks and that frustrates me beyond words. I will admit I was remeasured by my trainer and inches are still melting but I feel stuck with the scale not moving.  Now before you send me advice about getting off the plateau, I've gotten plenty so far and I'm doing all the heeded advice but the scale seems to be as stubborn about not moving as I am about it moving.  So this past week, I continued to work out but I had a moment, I will admit, I threw my hands up and enjoyed potato chips, french fries and a few sugary treats.  Now of course the scale laughed at me but thankfully I stopped the "why can't I eat what I want?" train at the weigh-in station by Friday, then Saturday it was time to find something to wear.  As I cursed the two rubber maid bins full of size 14 clothes I can't wear yet, I still found other clothes that don't fit because they are too big hanging in my closet.  So here I am in limbo between hand me downs I can't fit yet and clothes that are becoming loser each week.  But then enters the red dress, when I wore it a couple years ago I barely got in it, it was $10 bucks on clearance and I wore a girdle to get it zipped.  But this time the fit was comfortable and no girdle or spanks needed. It was a reminder that I'm still moving and to leave the junk food pity train behind and the next time I go to put that red dress on it will be too big and find it's fate in the give away bag.

All aboard the I can't stay this weight forever train, next stop is continued healthy weight loss,

Lynnell

"If it doesn't challenge you. It doesn't change you" - Fred Devito

Sometimes you gotta blow that S*** out...

I love Jamie Foxx and I remember seeing his stand up DVD a long time ago and he would say this line, "Sometimes you gotta blow that s**** out!"  I often repeat that phrase in my head when I can tell I'm on the edge.  You know that edge that stress pushes you to and you find yourself fighting for balance so you can push back.  It makes me tense and uptight so I need to remind myself that "Sometimes you have gotta blow that s*** out!"

See this weight plateau has me stressing, I'm working out like crazy and only to find the scale isn't moving.  I'm walking away from holiday treats left and right only to find the scale isn't moving. My trainer weighed me last week and took measurements and though the measurements are still going down that scale not moving is blowing my mood and now my weight loss journey is becoming more mental than physical. My trainer, CJ, told me I was too hard on myself, I agreed and then responded, "there is nothing you can say to convince me I'm supposed to weigh 208lbs for six weeks straight" and he admittedly agreed and then we talked about things to do to get off the plateau.  I'm still hard on myself, that's what works for me. I'm pushing me to get to where I need to go, then I will coast and enjoy the mountain top and curse all the pitfalls and slippery slopes that tried to derail me.

I know the scale will eventually move or I will be the smallest 208 pound person you've ever seen (then maybe I can apply to the Genius Book of World Records, lol). Thank God for Jamie Foxx because today his voice creeped into my thoughts and I was reminded of my favorite line, "Sometimes you gotta blow that s*** out" so I'm going to do my best to relax, keep working and wait for the results to show up on the scale again.

Blowing that s*** out,

Lynnell

"If a man insisted always on being serious, and never allowed himself a bit of fun and relaxation, he would go mad or become unstable without knowing it."
- Herodotus (484 BC - 430 BC)

If I inspire you, know that I need you as much as you need me!

I have had an overwhelming response from people who have expressed to me that I inspire them.  Frankly, I need each of them as much as they need me.  It's a love exchange, it keeps me motivated and lovingly accountable.  The more I share, the more love I receive and the more I am able to keep moving forward.  The support of the ones who call me an inspiration is in fact critical to my success.  I mentioned yesterday how my plateau was messing with my psyche and though today was a better day than yesterday an iHop craving made it's way into my head (no I didn't go to iHop)

I'm NO superwoman, I want to share what I do to get past cravings hoping to encourage those who have given me the honor of saying I inspire them.  So to conquer the cravings monster, I do one to all of the following:

1. I send a text such as "I want a Quarter Pounder" to someone like my sister or my best friend and their response always strengthens me.
2. I find a vegan alternative, like for dinner to tonight I had a Dairy Free frozen lasagna meal by Amy's Kitchen.  So during my next Mom's Organic Market trip I will look for a pancake alternative to put my iHop craving from today to rest.
3. I allow myself a little latitude on food choices.  I have tried to stay away from potatoes especially potato chips because I can't eat just one but I've eaten a small bag of Baked Lay's when that salt craving won't be satisfied with Bean Chips. 
4. I think it is not worth undoing the hard work from the gym. 
5. I say to myself, "it's been so long since I ate that it will probably make me sick."  This belief keeps me away from fast food burgers, friend chicken and even my favorite, BACON!  
6. I remind myself of the emotional defeat I have felt in the past when I've binged on comfort foods that then led to more allowances until my progress was digress.
7. (most importantly) I pray for strength!

Pressing forward with you as my spring board and I can't thank you enough,

Lynnell

"Whenever you are to do a thing, though it can never be known but to yourself, ask yourself how you would act were all the world looking at you, and act accordingly."  - Thomas Jefferson

"The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention."  - Oscar Wilde

"Something that has always puzzled me all my life is why, when I am in special need of help, the good deed is usually done by somebody on whom I have no claim."  - William Feather

Sometimes you have to Encourage Yourself

Summer of 1997
Believe it's my largest size
other than pregnancies

A few years back I sang Donald Lawrence's "Encourage Yourself" at church.  I woke up this morning needing to do just that.  Before I left for the gym, I dug up an old photograph that reminded me of just how far I've come.  Yes that's me over there on the left.

You may wonder why I was discouraged in the first place, well I've hit a plateau,  remaining at the same weight for nearly four weeks.  With just four weeks left in the contest at the gym and feeling like the prize is slipping through my finger tips, I had to refocus my attention, look at the bigger picture, encourage myself.  All day I felt cravings attack from McD fish fillet to Chick-Fil-A Waffle Fries with Polynesian sauce.  I'm proud to say I made it through the day without sabotaging or derailing my progress.  No McD, no waffle fries and to my surprise at the end of the day my friend, Sharron, came by to surprise me with a treat, a Vegan Gluten free gourmet cupcake.  The thought that she while enjoying a full of sugar and flavor gourmet cupcake herself, thought of me was the icing on the cake or cupcake in this case.  I felt loved and encouraged and knew my struggle today wasn't in vain.  I enjoyed 1/4 of it and shared the rest with my kids.

Vegan Cupcake
From Red Velvet Cupcakery

Fighting to the finish,

Lynnell

"The most effective way to do it, is to do it." - Amelia Earhart.

"Our deepest wishes are whispers of our authentic selves. We must learn to respect them. We must learn to listen". - Sarah Ban Breathnach.

"I will decide if I will each Chicken again when I'm wearing a Bikini"

How does it feel...To host Thanksgiving Dinner with all the Traditional trimmings and not to eat any of it?  To carve the Turkey and not even taste a piece?  To see relatives need to unbutton their pants after enjoying their second plates as they head to the desert table?  To cut cake, slice pies and provide cups for ice cream? To stick with my eating habits and not compromise my resolve during Thanksgiving?

Black Bean Spaghetti with Peppers &
Mixed Greens with Onions

Well honestly I felt like a proud hostess, having satisfied guest enjoying the comforts of my home and not feeling any pressure to break my health regimen.  I made my Vegan dishes and had enough to share, which created more laughter than hunger pangs and that's okay.  It was a very gratifying Thanksgiving, from the morning beginning at the gym doing Turkey Burn Boot Camp and ad hoc Zumba class to the Pot Luck Thanksgiving Feast and finally the easy "take all this food with you" clean up afterwards.  I'm Thankful for many things and yesterday I proudly made it through the day.  When I left the gym that morning, a trainer, Keith, said to me, "Don't undo all the work you just did." I responded, "I won't, you know what I'm trying to do." (referring to my quest for a repeat title)

This morning I returned to the gym to find I was one of four regulars for the 6am Cardio Karate class taught by Keith. At the end of the workout, I proudly shared my picture of my Thanksgiving Plate and told them that my family often ask if I'm going to stay Vegan and I respond I'm not sure but tell them, "I will decide if I will each Chicken again when I'm wearing a Bikini."  See I am doing what is working for me right now and I don't recommend anybody do what I'm doing, I recommend they find and do what works for them.  I could never do meal replacement shakes successfully but others have and been very successful taking it off and keeping it off. I'm on a mission to get to that same success story but I know I have to eat food to stick with something, so I've changed what I allow myself to eat only to realize there are a lot of things I enjoy.  Yes I still miss Bacon, but I don't miss the effects it has on my body when I would over eat it.  I rather live without it and just have the memory of it right now, that is what is working for me.  I told my Aunt yesterday that at work Tuesday for lunch, Chick-Fil-A platters were ordered for everyone to enjoy and it was much easier to say I eat Vegan than to struggle over the "one nugget won't hurt conversation" between my brain and stomach if I was still eating meat.

My goal is overall health benefits inside and out (wearing a Bikini to show them off of course, just kidding...maybe, lol)!  Whether I do Clean Eating, Raw Foods or add lean meats or fish back into my eating habits is yet to be determined.  Just know I'm determined to get it done this time.  Lose it and keep it off!

Can someone pass me a fork because I'm eating just not the same things I used to,

-Lynnell

"When it is dark enough, you can see the stars." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"When we complain, we remain. When we whine, we stay behind. When we praise, we raise." - Jim Baker

30 Days To Go...Second Time Around

No this isn't a Countdown to Christmas, though Thanksgiving and Black Friday are just days away. I'm at it again, going for a repeat title having entered the next 2-Month Challenge at Waldorf Fitness.  The weigh in date is December 20th, just a month away from today.  So where am I in the pack, I have no idea.  All I know is my health issue at the end of the last contest hindered me from starting this one with everyone else.  So I'm basically starting this one behind the pack but hoping to make up some ground with increased intensity in the gym.  My goal for this contest is to be under 200 pounds on all scales including the one in my bathroom, the one at the gym, the one in the doctors office, the one in your bathroom, lol.  Simply put, no matter what time of day I step on any scale shoes on or not the number begins with a "1".  Let's do this, time to get the weight off one last and final time and keep it off.

I was recently asked by a friend who was congratulating me on my weight loss, "Any words of wisdom of how to find my will power? What was the "it" moment for you?"  I answered with,

"I finally got sick and tired of being sick and tired. Stress was always my food trigger, well stress seems to have made me a constant target so I finally decided I was sick and tired and that of all the things going on around me, I was going to control what I can control.  One thing for sure, I can control what I eat! So I started with that and then in August joined the gym to tone what I had lost and well, here I am still battling.  Being in the contest at the gym was a great motivating factor for me.  I've always wanted to be the person in the before and after pictures.  Stress hasn't lessened but I still control what I eat.  Hope that helps. BTW all my family and anyone I tell what I'm doing say I have great will power."

Have a great Thanksgiving!  This is Lynnell and I'm headed under 200lbs. before 2013 then on to the next benchmark on the path to Forty-Fine with a Deadline of September 19, 2013, my 45th birthday! Who's planning to party with me?

Thanks for reading my words, they are more than just a string of letters on a page, they come from the heart and I'm glad to share the authentic me on this journey.

30 days left and the second time around is harder but the victory will be sweeter.  See you at the finish line, whether it's to accept the prize or congratulate the winner.

It's not over until the fat lady is no more, she's just a lady,

Lynnell

"Don't live down to expectations. Go out there and do something remarkable." -Wendy Wasserstein

"Motivation will almost always beat mere talent." -Norman R. Augustine

Breathe!

When you make a public declaration that you will do something, it's both a blessing and a curse.  A blessing because all your supporters show you love and give you encouragement.  A curse because for me, I will put more pressure on myself to succeed.

I have personal goals I've never shared publicly and some to no one at all.  I know you can keep a secret so I will share one with you. (Shhhh, between you and me of course)  I secretly want to audition for a stage play, get the part and have it make it to Broadway, then tell all my family and friends about it.  See by not letting the cat of the bag, so to speak, if I never accomplish that no one would ever know I didn't achieve it.

While on the other hand, now that I've made my Fitness goals public and continue to reveal them to more and more people, I'm reminding myself to breathe. Even when I started my blog in my very first post titled This is Lynnell, I didn't even identify that I was starting this blog with the purpose of journalling my Fitness goal.  My goal was simple, "In 2012 I would begin my journey to loose 100 pounds for the last time," which isn't stated in there anywhere.  It wasn't until almost ten months later that I openly talked about one of my fitness goals in the post title Let the Countdown Begin... which at the end I quoted myself writing:

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

In that post, I revealed my goal was to win the 2 month challenge at the gym. Now that I have accomplished that goal, I've shared my victory with a lot more people after I had accomplished it.  So now I'm in the front of the new goal, which is to win the next 2 month challenge at the gym.  Being able to show even more drastic results to bring home the title again is pressure enough.  Now I've told almost everyone I know from my current students, to several coworkers and numerous friends.  You would think I'm trying to go viral, believe me I am not.  Making it to Broadway I'd be all for but going viral with my fitness goal, I'm not interested.  I'm putting enough pressure on myself as it is.  I'm thankful for the encouragement, it cancels out the pressure.  

Taking deep breaths and moving forward,

Lynnell

"Breath. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one  you know you have for sure." - Oprah Winfrey

"Cherish your visions and your dreams, as they are the children of your soul, the blueprints of your ultimate achievements." - Napoleon Hill

Double Dose of Good News Today!

So I will report this good news in the order I received it.

First, in my last post I told the world about my little monsters.  Well today after my procedure my doctor said my anal fissure is no more, it has healed.  Take that you little monsters!

Second, (drum roll please) I WON!!! I won the 2 month challenge at Waldorf Fitness for my category.  My awesome trainer, CJ called me with a congratulations and I screamed.  Well I'm still in shock, but EXCITED!

Time to celebrate both by getting back in the gym next week.

I lost a total of 23 pounds and 12 inches.  Can you tell?

Won this challenge, now going for a second! Transformation in progress, do not disturb!

Lynnell

PS. Oh yeah, I won a year of membership and a month of training at the best gym in town Waldorf Fitness! That's just the icing on the cake though (the cake I don't eat anymore, L0L, because it's time to do it again!)

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do.  So throw off the bowlines.  Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

More Questions Than Answers

Well by now I thought I'd know the results of the contest at the gym, turns out I need to wait a bit longer for the trainers to meet and vote.  I weighed in on October 31 and though I'm anxious to find out how it turned out, I actually am facing other questions:

• When will I be able to return to the gym? Or even a normal routine pain free?
• How will I make it through my first day back to work tomorrow when I've yet to have a pain free day?
• How will the procedure go on Tuesday?  Will I get answers about what's next or more questions?
• How long will I take to heal if the doctor recommends I wait to see if I will heal on my own?
• How long will it take to heal if the doctor recommends surgery?
• How do I prevent this from happening again?
• Did I drink enough water today? Did I eat the right things today to make tomorrow easier?

The list continues believe me.  Now you may be confused by the questions because I've not stated what has kept me in and out of doctor's offices and trying different medicines to alleviate the pain the last TWO weeks.  It's not a mystery or a secret, you could say I have a pain in the ass and no that's not a joke though believe me I wish it was.  I have an anal fissure which is the medical term for it but in Lynnell terms I feel like I have little monsters that wake up every morning and stab me in my booty's exit hole.  I'll let you google anal fissure should you require more information than I'm willing to give attention to it in this post, but don't be surprised if you see a picture of me wincing in pain at the top of the search, L0L.  (Don't worry the little monsters will get me for making that funny later.)  Though I have questions, I know the answers will be revealed in time and as they become apparent to me, you'll know not because I will blog about those little monsters, but I will be blogging about my moving and grooving and loving my CJ workouts, my routine scale checks and my getting it in because believe it or not, I joined the next challenge already!  Yes through Thanksgiving November and Christmas December, I'm NOT playing, I'm going into 2013 under 200 pounds, didn't you know? I'm close, time to get over that hurdle and onto goal weight.

Waving my white flag hoping the little monsters see it this time,

Lynnell

"I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship" - Louisa May Alcott

"Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live" - Jim Rohn

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

One Size Does NOT Fit All

It's simple to understand what's meant by "one size does NOT fit all" especially if we think about clothing, but the reality is that it's true in all aspects of our lives.  Whether it's a fitness and nutrition, education or personal relationships, I've had to face the reality that what works for others doesn't always work for me. Don't get me wrong, I think I can learn a great deal by finding out what works for others.  I cherish all the things I've learned from others, from mentors, friends, coworkers, strangers, etc. But I have to realize when it doesn't work for me, it's time to move on and get the advice from another source.  I also need to embrace what works for me when other's make suggestions for "improvement" based on their experience.  Sometimes the people trying to help are the biggest deterrents to our success.  I've been reflecting on what has worked for me in the past concerning my goal to loose weight and as so I'm writing today to remind myself..."Keep it moving, for without movement, there is no progress."

This is Lynnell

For as long as I can remember, when I make a call to family and friends, as soon as they answer I say, "This is Lynnell."  In the technology age of caller I.D. and cellphone contacts, I still say it when I call people as if they don't know it is me on the other end. I have people I talk to regularly that either respond and say, "I know, duh" or "I can see your face when I answer the call" or "Hello Lynnell, this is..." but yet the next time I call, I announce proudly when they answer..."Hey, This is Lynnell."  I had a conversation recently with a friend who heard me say this for the umpteenth time and I was asked WHY I do this, I said that I like to announce myself and make it clear that it is in fact me on the other end.  My friend on the other hand, knowing me better than I give her credit, said..."You just like to hear your name said."  I burst into laughter realizing, I couldn't dispute that at all. So what better way to start my blog than to announce (and read my name)...THIS IS LYNNELL!