Is it REALLY Over?

Sunday morning was the Smallest Winner Banquet...the final get-together of Season 5.  They announced the winners of the season, and we all said our goodbyes.  Did I hit the 35 lb. loss mark?  Yes!!  Did I win??

No.  And...yes.

I didn't win the competition.  I came in 2nd place.  Those of you who know me know that I'm a fan of the saying, "2nd place is the first loser."  I'm a little competitive that way.  :)  I was sad, for sure, but ultimately I was so proud of myself and my progress that it wasn't as big of a deal as I thought it would be.

However, I totally won.  Absolutely.  I lost 35 pounds!!!  That is no small feat.  I have a great workout routine, I ran my first 5K in years, I play basketball 2-3 nights a week, I eat to fuel my body (not my emotions), and I'm amazingly happy with my progress.  I've changed my life.  This is truly, honestly, a  lifestyle change that I feel I will be able to sustain.  I'm stronger and fitter than I've been in a long, long time.

I can't thank Mcyveton enough for the support that he has given me.  He's an amazing trainer, and I urge any of you to sign up for some personal training sessions with him.  I know that I will be purchasing a package of sessions this week!!

I would be remiss if I didn't thank The King of the Y.  He has this "bad boy" image...but, there's a great big softy in there.  So, thank you, Derek, for all of your "boooooo"s and King of the Y story-line ideas.  :)

Thank you to Sandy, who became my protein guru...my little "lower your carbs" angel.  My "get up off of the floor and suck it up" circuit class instructor.

Thanks to my Aunt Mary, who was so supportive...even when she was taking pictures of my Thanksgiving food and texting them to Mcyveton.  ;)  You're such an inspiration to me, Mary!!

Thanks to my teammates and the other Smallest Winner contestants!!  I loved working out with you all.  Well, as long as we weren't doing burpees or battle ropes.  Haha.  I wish you the best with your lifestyle change.  Keep up the great work!!

Last of all, thank you to my family and friends.  My husband and daughter have been so supportive (although my daughter says that she misses laying her head on my "squishy" stomach).  Thank you to my wonderful friends.  You all have been the best cheerleaders EVER!!

So...is it REALLY over?  Nope.  It's never really over, is it?  This is my new life.  This is my new, exciting, fantastic life.  I've also decided to sign up for Smallest Winner Season 6.  This was such a fantastic experience, and I still have a bunch of weight to lose, so I just can't pass it up!!  I will continue the blog until then, though I won't post every week, so that I can keep you up-to-date on my progress.

Do you want to change your life?  Join me for Season 6!!  You won't regret it!!

Here's a little picture of me, taken in Times Square, during my NYC trip.  Check out the sign above my head!!!  New thinking, new possibilities, indeed!!

Week 11-ish

Last night was our last team workout with Mcyveton.  Greg and I worked really hard (where was the rest of the team??), and injured Solange stuck her head in to check on us.  It was a great workout...and I'm feeling pretty sore today.  If you haven't checked out the new equipment and rooms downstairs at the Y, do so!!  The new Jacob's Ladders are intense.  We hopped on them at the end of our workout, and Mcyveton had us do 2 minutes.  I though it would be a piece of cake.  Boy was I wrong.  I thought I might keel over after about a minute!!

I really can't believe that the competition is over.  It's exciting and depressing all at the same time.  The support of the Y trainers and staff has been amazing.  I feel like I had a whole team of support behind me cheering me on!  I'll miss that team, but I'll continue to live at the Y long after the competition has ended!!  :)

Tomorrow morning is my 2nd to last weigh-in.  I won't make 40 lbs lost in this competition, but I'm hoping to get to 35 by next Saturday!!!  Wish me luck!!

Week 10

Again, a delay in posting.  I've been so busy and, as the year draws to a close, things don't seem to look like they're going to let up!

I'm now lost over 31 pounds!  It's amazing!  I can really see a difference, and I'm back to enjoying shopping for clothes.  I'm sure that my husband (and my bank account) are thrilled.  I'll love it more, for sure, when I've hit my goal...but it's nice to try something on and have it look ok.

I went to my 20th high school reunion last weekend.  It was fantastic, and I really loved seeing everyone who attended.  I also just returned from a conference in Washington DC.  I had a great time with my friends that I only see once or twice a year.  Food was a source of stress during the conference.  I had no food readily available, and when I'm left to my own devices, watch out!!  Between restaurant options and conference-provided lunches, I was really nervous that I was going to gain weight.  But, I won again!  I tried very hard to avoid anything that my body doesn't need, or doesn't fit into my nutritional goals each day.  I stepped on the scale this morning, and the number is lower than the number it was before I left.  Go me!!!

I think that I may be getting the hang of this lifestyle change!!