Author: pattysfitnessjourney

This is one of my trainers (Mana) and this is why I feel like there are NO EXCUSES — modifications yes, but no excuses. (This is also why we see results!) 

You can lose on a cruise! Down 2 more pounds for a total of 44 pounds gone since January 18. I am thankful for all of you who continually encourage me. Extremely thankful for all at Gold’s Gym Clifton and Next Level Performance Clifton. I know I’ve been more serious lately but I’m just determined! Deep inside I’m smiling!

Many of you know that I participated in the Gold’s gym 12 week challenge from January to April.  And many of you know of the great weight loss and overall health success I have had in those 12 weeks and the weeks following. The Awards ceremony was last night for our gym and one other gym in town (combined results). Because of technical difficulties (phones on airplane mode may have something to do with it), I am just finding out this morning that I took 2nd place in my category,  To go from not believing I would lose any weight to a second place finish feels really good.  As much as I love to win, it was never just that for me.   I want to live, not win.  I’m on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean hitting their fitness room at least once a day and sometimes twice.

I’m passing on breads and desserts because I want to see forward progress.

Let me tell you, I write blog posts in my head every day.  It’s taking the time to stop and get them down on here that is the hard part.  So let’s see if I can recall some of what I wanted to share.

Some of you know I hurt my knee towards the end of the challenge.  I was jump roping – having an excellent day in fact – and my knee just gave out.  I kept on with the challenge.  I just had to have some modifications.  Then about ten days ago, my right heel started hurting real bad.  I had experienced this before (planter fasciaitis).  That hurts like crazy.  So rest was being ordered for my body.  We decided that my visit to moms would be a great time to rest.

I iced my knee and my heel as we sat and enjoyed each others company.  We did a little bit of walking, but in actuality that really hurt my knee and heel, so I gave myself a break and took it easier.

I did pop over to see my co-workers in Way Pub and to see Rosalie, Melissa, and Marian.  My biggest victory to share was how much better I am feeling and especially the seatbelt story.  Most of you know, but if not here goes.  When I flew out to Ohio in August 2015 that dang seatbelt b-a-r-e-l-y buckled.  I was soooo embarrassed, but sad also because I just could not get the weight off.

At the gym many people are complimenting me and telling me they can see a big change.  Me however, I just see how far I need to go.  BUT when I got on the plane this time and buckled my seatbelt, I could buckle it and I pulled at least 6 inches of slack.  I was SOOOO excited that I tapped the lady I was sitting next to and said, “Can I share a victory with you?”  I then proceeded to tell her all about the 12 week challenge.  I did this again on the next flight to the young father sitting next to me.  I’m so glad they were so kind to let me blab.

Look at all that slack.  To me that was tangible evidence of the progress.  Here are some photos from the visit.

Right before I left moms to head to the airport to head home, I received a phone call from our local Gold’s gym to let me know I am a finalist.  So that is very exciting.  They asked me to submit an essay.  I have done that and if you are interested in reading it, just let me know.

The Awards ceremony locally is May 25th.  We will be in Alaska, so perhaps it will be posted on the Golds Gym Clifton Facebook page or the Next Level Performance Clifton page when the winners are announced.  We are gone May 22-31.  I have no idea what you win, but it doesn’t matter because I have already won.  I didn’t do it to win a prize.  I did it to win at life.

Today I was getting dressed for Bible fellowship and I could not find any pants to fit.  I wore some, but one of my good friends suggested I put them in the giveaway pile as soon as I got home, because they were simply too big.  So it will be interesting to see what tomorrow’s weigh in tells me.  I missed last weeks weigh in and I feel like these two weeks a lot of change has happened.  But we will see.  I’ll update (at least in my head.)

So today is Friday, April 15th and I am feeling great.  No depressing thoughts or sadness going on in this girl today.  My body is tired from working out all week.  In fact Joe just said “Every part of my body hurts.”  We had great workouts all week.

At Gold’s Gym there are age categories and men/women divisions.  I am in the 50-59 women’s age group.  I really don’t know if there are prizes.  I am just finding out that if you place in the top 3 you attend an awards ceremony.  I didn’t know all that going into this.  There is one more group that ends their 12 week challenge on Monday, April 18.  Then I suppose the judging begins.

I lost 33.5 pounds and 18.25 inches and I believe 2% or 2.5% body fat.  I do not plan to stop any time soon.  I’m in this for the long run.  I honestly didn’t believe I would lose any weight, but my trainer believed he could help me.   He took a lot of his own time to think through the best food program and the best exercise program; for that, I am eternally thankful.

Many of you remember me throwing in the towel a few years ago and saying this has got to stop!  I honestly felt like I had no control of my life and that I was going to die young if I kept on that track.  I quit the second job.  We stopped running a Bible fellowship.  I slowly unloaded all my volunteer duties and then by May 2014 I started working on my health.  That is when I tried a Weight Loss Center recommended by my rheumatologist.   I was successful at first by being put on a strict low calorie diet (1000 or so calories).  I was told not to exercise because I would be hungry.  And then I was given a bunch of supplements (actually I bought a bunch of their supplements) that would help me with weight loss.   This never made any sense to my mind because I thought diet and exercise should be how to lose weight, not pill popping.

Every week that I met with this weight loss center, I told them I physically could not take all of these pills.  Could they please just narrow it down to one or two.  Each person I talked to said I needed all of these.  That got pretty frustrating.  And then Joe was diagnosed with scoliosis.  That took over our lives and I stopped going to the Weight Loss Center.  From August 2014 to May 2015, it was all about Joe.

The surgeon had told Joe that just because he was fixing his spine, that was no guarantee for no back pain.  He would especially have to have a strong core for the rest of his life to help with the no back pain.  So Joe asked to go back to Golds.  We signed him up for some personal trainer sessions with a trainer named Zach.  We fully communicated with everyone there what Joe was recovering from.  Trainer sessions were about 50.00 an hour and after 20 – I just could not afford it.  That is when we were told about the NLP Program (Next Level Performance).  It was much more affordable and we were able to work out with a trainer in a semi-private setting 5 days a week as well as attend group classes.  By now Zach had moved away and Joe had a trainer, Mana.  Mana began working with Joe and I joined too so Joe wouldn’t have to be alone.   I think this was August 2015 that we joined NLP.

As soon as I joined, I went every day – once a day with Joe.  I did this faithfully through December and really saw NO weight loss at all, but a lot of health benefits.  This is where I met Ryan (my trainer).  He saw something in me – I don’t know exactly what – but he told me that if I wanted to do the 12 week challenge, he was sure we could be successful.  Like I said above, I didn’t really believe that because I had worked out August-December with no weight change.  But I signed up on January 18th.  I told him I could commit to 1 hour semi-private training, 1 hour cardio, and 1 hour of class a day.  Now I was one of the heaviest people in the classes and a LOT of modifications were needed for me to feel successful but every single person I have met along the way was very encouraging to me.

At first on the nutrition I was told to EAT.  I have been conditioned my whole life that eating makes you fat, so this was very difficult.  For the first six weeks at least, I had to eat 1800-2000 calories a day.  I would start my week doing well with the eating, but I weighed myself every day.  And if by Wednesday, my weight hadn’t changed, I cut my calories because I thought I wasn’t eating enough.  I was NOT doing a good job of obeying my trainer.  By now Dave had joined NLP too, and my trainer told Dave to get rid of the scale(s).  Dave did this immediately and I swear I thought about the scale/weighing myself at least 30 times a day.  But results soon followed.

Every week I lost something – some weeks were better than others; but I saw progress every single week to the point of 33.5 pounds gone now.  It’s been quite a ride.  I’ll make sure I continue to keep you posted as I continue on this journey.  Now I have to decide if I am brave enough to show you the before/after photo.  Only a handful of people have seen this.  But if I do win, I guess it will end up on the wall at the gym – then modesty be damned at that point.

There’s the progress!

(TODAY IS APRIL 15th – I am fine.  Thanks Rebecca and Stephanie for being available last weekend.)

My 12 week challenge ends tomorrow.  I will continue with new goals, but as far as the challenge goes, that part ends tomorrow.  Today is Sunday, April 10.

I am writing this today because I think if I wait to write it, it may not get written.  My trainer asked me how bad I wanted to win.  I said, I thought we should at least try to win – give it our all.  He said, we could taper down on the number of carbs during the 12th week to lose more weight.  BUT if I did that I would need to slowly introduce them again after the taper.  I was all for it.

On Monday, my goal was 150 carbs, on Tuesday 120, on Wednesday 100, on Thursday 80, on Friday 60 and on Saturday 40.  Today was only 1/2 white potato at breakfast.  Now when I say carbs here, it’s carbs like brown rice, oatmeal, fruit, breading on chicken.  There were other things I ate that had carbs like avocado, protein drink w/1 tsp honey.

Immediately on Tuesday morning I could tell the difference.  I told my workout partner that I thought I was going to take a break at working out after the challenge because this was no fun.  I had never thought that before.   I was totally unmotivated.  I asked our trainer that morning if tapering your carbs could make you feel that way.  He said “Absolutely.”  I was actually better after that.  I mean we had been taught from a young age how to control our thinking.  So now I had to tell my mind that what I was feeling was not the real truth.

Well it got worse and worse every day.  Saturday and Sunday I kept myself away from other people because I was having so many negative thoughts.  I took some “after” photos and I thought they looked awful and that there was no way I was going to win.  Why did I try so hard and only make this much progress.  I was angry, mad, sad, depressed.  It was horrible!  I sat at my desk on Sunday and listened to Gospel songs as I worked – just to force the Word into my head.  I texted my friend, and two of my nieces and then I read their responses throughout the day to stay positive.

I have to tell you that I have an entirely new understanding of those who suffer with mental illness.  It’s like your body/mind is telling you and making you feel one way, but you know that it’s not the truth.  It’s the battlefield of the mind in living color.

I am waiting to post this so that none of you worry about me.  I’ll be okay.  I have an awesome husband who I am communicating fully with.  He’s gone out and done the grocery shopping for me.  He’s made the suppers this weekend.  Tomorrow I start the taper back up and I would say by Friday I will be my happy go lucky self again.  I can’t wait.

But isn’t that interesting how “diet” can affect your mind.  Rebecca was explaining macronutrients to me.  I don’t understand it all but I experienced it.

I have also been in touch with my trainer and we agreed that we will not do this again.  He told me to bring some oatmeal to eat after the weigh in tomorrow.  He’s done such a great job helping me.  I so appreciate it.

So don’t worry about me.  By the time I post this, my brain will be thinking happy thoughts again naturally.

I haven’t written much because during Week 9 I was sick with a chest cold.  During Week 10 I had an eye infection (not pink eye) and was on a strong antibiotic.  Then Week 11 (this past week) I was sick with a cold again.  Through it all I continued to go to the gym and sweat it out.    Leading in to Week 9  I think I lost 1/4 pound.  After Week 9 I lost 1.5 pound.  But after Week 10, I lost 6.5 pounds.

I think Monday will be the true test (after week 11) because I feel like the only reason I lost 6.5 pounds was because I was pretty sick the weekend before the Monday.  So I’ll let you know in a couple of days when I weigh in again.   6.5 inches gone from the waist, 5 inches from the hips. 3 inches from the thigh.   But both Dave and my trainer think I am continuing to lose weight at a faster clip because we finally got my metabolism going.  Any way you look at it, I feel good and strong and am having a great time getting fit.

I also hurt my knee during week 10 while jump roping.  Let’s just say I heard a pretty loud pop and then my leg buckled.  I did not fall, but walking was difficult for a few days.  I’ve been taking Motrin and icing.