Last week Kathleen was approaching a big milestone of 50 pounds lost in 2012. Check in with her during week 11 to find out if she did it…
When we left off in my dramatic journey, I was anxiously awaiting my next weigh in to see if I had done the unthinkable- lost 50 lbs in 2012. And on New Year’s Eve day with my fingers crossed, my breath held, and as-little-clothes-as-I-could-wear-without-making-Alicia-feel-uncomfortable, I climbed on the scale.
IS THE SUSPENSE KILLING YOU YET?!?!?!
Unfortunately, I regret to tell you that I did NOT lose 50 pounds.
I LOST FIFTY TWO!!!! I was ecstatic, bubbling with excitement, and may have used it as an excuse as to why I couldn’t do a plank correctly at least three times during my session. The greatest screenwriters in Hollywood couldn’t have written a better ending to my year.
With this fantastic news practically jumping from my lips, I went off to celebrate an unforgettable year of change, and to ring in what I hope to be an even better one. My fiancee and I escaped to the mountains, and spent New Year’s Day snowboarding. I have been learning how to snowboard pretty much since we started dating and while I’ve slowly gotten better over time, I knew that my weight played a large part in my lack of ability. I was always EXHAUSTED after just one run down the mountain, I’d wake up the next morning unable to roll out of bed, and getting back up after falling? It wasn’t a pretty sight.
Needless to say, I was curious to see what my skills would be like this year. I mean you’ve got to figure… 52 less pounds of weight MUST equal out to a better snowboarder, right?! It was a beautiful morning as we headed up the ski lift. As I strapped on my board and got ready to head down the mountain I thought to myself, “This is 2013. This is what healthy feels like” And as I made my way down the mountain I couldn’t help but BEAM from under my helmet. My suspicions were correct. It turns out weighing less does indeed make you a better snowboarder! Not only was I making it down the mountain without being out of breath, but the fact that I am so active was making me confident in trying to work on new skills. If you’ve ever tried to get up from a fall on a snowboard, you know that it’s really just a burpee. And as we all know, I’m pretty experienced in that department.
I spent a good part of my time on the mountain that day really thinking about all that I had experienced in the past year (Because let’s face it- what better place is there to have a life epiphany than on top of a mountain?!) Besides the obvious big slices of getting engaged and starting a new career there is this huge chunk of incredible new experiences. And to make that even more impressive- so many of them have happened in just the last eleven weeks. Prior to this journey, I was struggling with modified push ups. Now I can’t remember the last time I even did one. Eleven weeks ago if someone had asked me to run 2 “and a nugget” miles after bootcamp I would have rolled my eyes. These days, it’s just my Saturday routine. (Oh, and I don’t eye roll either. At least that Alicia knows of anyways). Eleven weeks ago I thought I’d never find a way to let eating healthy and enjoying my life coexist. And now, we all live happily ever after (well, for the most part).
While most people are out there this week making resolutions to get healthy and make changes, I’d have to say I am one of the few who is resolving to just keep doing what I’ve been doing. I’ve found my groove, I’ve got my goals, and I’m determined to make this year even more incredible than the last.
# of sarcastic eye rolls towards Alicia: My chart is officially collecting dust in the corner of the studio.
# of days I logged my meals: zero…oops?
# of times I ate chicken: 3
# of “real” pushups: I did 10 in a row this week… pretty impressive if I do say so myself!
Be Healthy. Be Balanced.