Brittany's Shape Up Showdown

2-23-11

  So Monday was “Thunder Thigh” Monday which sounded painful as I heard the words come from Donald’s mouth while I was jogging the track.  It was an hour of all leg work including squats, lunges, bicycles, squat thrusts, and much more.  I had this feeling when I was done that I would not be able to get out of my desk at school on Tuesday, but I was wrong.  I am hoping this means I am getting stronger and building leg muscle.

  Tuesday was a great day at the gym.  I was on the treadmill at an incline of 15 and a speed of 3.5mph in between my sets and I had a lady tell me I was her inspiration!  It made my day and I am glad I have inspired someone.  Working out is definitely hard work but it has so many rewards and if you put your mind to it you can do it.

  I am interested to see what Donald has in store for me tomorrow!  When he told me it would be upper and lower body day he had this little laugh so I am sure I will have my work cut out for me.  That’s okay though because I need it and he will be my favorite person when I get my summer bathing suit. 

  Thanks to everyone for your support so far!  It definitely encourages me and helps me on my journey each day!

Brittany

Race for the Cure

  The Race for the Cure was Saturday and I had a GREAT time!  Seven of the other Shape Up Showdown participants were able to attend and we all completed the 5K walk!  Congratulations everyone!  Pictured is me (left), Felicia (middle), Cher (right), and Bobby (back).

 Meeting with the other participants Saturday enabled us to exchange struggles with each other.  I know many of us are having the same battles.   I am grateful to be going through this journey with the Shape Up Showdown participants because it makes it a little easier knowing someone else is in your shoes and can share advice. 

 

 I am not going to lie, the diet started to get to me a little this weekend.  I guess because we are at the end of the second month and I am eating the same foods.  I know a couple of people mentioned some good recipes and I saw Nicole posted some on her blog, so hopefully I will try them soon.

 We all told a few gym stories which were pretty funny.  It is nice to know I am not the only one who has had trouble getting out of the bed and the bath tub.  I especially enjoyed swapping trainer stories with Bobby and David because the three of us are training with Donald! 

 I could physically tell each person has lost weight.  I know we are all having issues with our clothes being too big but that is definitely a great problem to have. 

 Last week was tough because I had a cold but I still managed to workout at the gym four days!  I am excited to meet with Donald tonight!  It is Monday so I am sure he will be stepping up my work out!  :D  Keep up the hard work everyone and I hope to see you all on Thursday!  

 

-Brittany

Week Four

This is week four of training and Donald has stepped it up another notch.  Yesterday I was doing three or four different exercises in a set and then would make a lap around the indoor track.  Usually I am walking part of the track and jogging the other, but yesterday was the first day I jogged the complete lap!  I was so proud of myself because I managed to do it six different times which equaled 6/7ths of a mile!  On the sixth lap I considered jogging around like Rocky… but I refrained.  Before you know it, I will be jogging more than one lap consecutively!

I guess those Subway cookies have been on my mind again, because I dreamed of them last night.  The difference between my dream last night and a few weeks ago is I actually ate the cookie this time.  :O   I guess as long as I am only eating them in dreams it is okay. The thought of putting a cookie in my mouth makes me think of how hard I would have to work in the gym to get it off and it is definitely not worth it.

I am feeling a little under the weather this week, but I am determined to keep pushing myself.   I love the feeling of my clothes being too big and it is awesome that people can tell I am losing weight.  The pain is definitely worth the reward.  I am thankful Donald pushes me and motivates me each time I work out with him.

More to come soon!

Brittany

2/11/11

This week has gone very well.  Monday was the toughest workout yet.  I was doing upper and lower body exercises in thirty second intervals.  It was the first day I have been nauseous in the gym but I was determined to push through it and not give up.

I can tell Donald has made my routine more challenging and I love the feeling of accomplishment I get when I finish the workout.  I am definitely doing things in the gym I never thought I could do from wall squats to jogging.  It is amazing what you can do when someone tells and pushes you to do it.

On Tuesday the camera came and filmed me working out.  I believe that clip may start playing next week on WAFB so look for me sweating and burning off some calories!

Thursday’s doctor’s appointment went well.  No diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol!  I have lost 9 pounds since January 6^th when we had our first doctor’s appointment and I am ecstatic.  Every pound is one less I have to carry around.  Prior to the Shape Up Showdown, I lost weight and overall I weigh 31 pounds less than I did about a year and a half ago.  That’s a whole pre-kindergartener!   

The first month of the Shape Up Showdown has gone extremely well.  The hardest part for me has been getting into a workout routine.  The first week was the toughest but now I am getting used to it and look forward to going to the gym.  There are days I wake up in pain and I try to look at the positive side of the changes I am making.  Change takes pain and pain is temporary.  While I still have a long way to go, I am determined and take this challenge day by day.

"The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person's determination. "  Tommy Lasorda

2-7-11

So last week I worked out with Donald twice.  Monday was upper body and Tuesday was lower body.  I was definitely sore all week.  Unfortunately on Thursday my training and monthly doctor’s appointment for the Shape Up Showdown were cancelled due to the weather.  The gym closed a few days and I worked out a little on my own at home over the four day weekend, but did not do as much as I should have.

It is going to be nice to get back into a workout routine this week.  I am looking forward to meeting with the doctor and nutritionist on Thursday to see the progress I have made so far. 

I have made a number of changes since the beginning January and am surprised at how easy it has been for me maintained them.  I have been tempted to eat a few unhealthy foods but I stop and think about how hard I will have to work to burn off the calories.

Vegetable wise I used to only eat corn and I would have maybe a serving once a week.  Now I eat a small variety of green vegetables and at least one to two servings a day.

I have switched to Ms. Dash instead of Tony Chachere’s to reduce the amount of sodium I intake.  I have also substituted to fresh vegetables or unsalted canned vegetables for canned vegetables which allows me to control how much salt is added.

My weekend eating habits have also changed.  I used to eat out several meals on the weekends and I would skip breakfast. Reviewing the nutritional information from several restaurants was definitely an eye opener.  Some restaurants have a “healthy” menu which has foods that are healthier than their normal foods, but still not as healthy as I would like.  I now eat most of my meals at home on the weekends or I go to Subway. 

Overall, I believe I am making great lifestyle changes which are a slow process but with time and patience I know I can do this.