I’m signed up for my second round of the Pam’s Pals Racing Team; for the 4-mile run in April, which I trained for and missed due to a wedding last year, and for the York YWCA Sprint Triathlon. During my first experience, I was excited to change up my workout routine and give myself a jump start to gaining my body back and having confidence to put a pair of shorts on in the summer. I was down to wearing the same 3 pairs of pants everyday for work and one pair of jeans for my weekends; I refused to buy new clothes at a larger size, I just dealt with wearing the same clothes over and over.
Through my training, I was plagued with pulled muscles, my shoulder locking up from swimming, pain in my hips and knees from running shoes that were wrong for me and not stretching as Lisa Peterson, our trainer, had told us to do. When I felt good, I went on my first 25-mile bike outing with friends which was above and beyond what Lisa had put in our training plan and the pain worsened. I stunk of menthol from sore muscle rubs, but I didn’t care, I was going to get through this stronger, slimmer and happier! June 28th, 2009 came and in 2 hours 7 minutes, it was all over! During my training, I would weigh myself from time to time but tried not to get too crazy over my weight. I was building muscle and muscle weighs more than fat! Well the week after the tri, I took off from the gym to help heal my sore muscles and during this time, I got an email about pictures a professional photographer had done of the tri. The first picture I found of myself was after the swim, I was running down the sidewalk to the transition area, I could barely recognize myself! I started to cry and my boyfriend asked me what was wrong and I showed him the picture and said that can’t be me! I knew I had gained some weight but I was always good at hiding it or so I thought. Again after weighing myself first thing in the morning and naked, yep I had gained weight even during the run/tri training. How could this be? I thought I ate right; I don’t like soda and only drink water, I eat low fat foods and read labels, I don’t skip breakfast and would read my Shape magazine religiously. What was I doing wrong? My boyfriend suggested a nutritionist. Well, I looked at different ones in the phone book but nothing fit. Then one day, as I was walking back to the locker room at Momentum I read (for probably the hundredth time), the 4 goals of Weight Loss Revolution on the wall; Meals, Motion, Muscle & Mindset. I had motion, I had muscle and I had definitely set my mind but meals I wasn’t so sure of. I went to Momentum’s website and looked at the program further and realized for me there wasn’t a connection with these 4 things in my everyday life. So my anniversary present from my boyfriend was WLR, I think that was his best present ever and he’s given me some good ones! As I began my newest journey, I was struck by how well the program tailors to each individual. It’s the foods you like and eat everyday balanced out through 6 meals; yep you read right-6 meals. There were days I told Charlene there was no way I could eat all the food on the plan! Some things I never would have tried on my own (chili on top of a baked potato? Love it!). I travel everyday for work and learned how to pack a better lunch and plan a better way to eat out when I needed to. I found healthy, easy and quick recipes for me and my kids that fit into my lifestyle. I am not what I call a picky eater, I love all fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, whatever (although I get “creeped” out by meat if I have to clean or touch it). I now have more energy than my kids; they have asked me to slow down, which I respond quite quickly with a, ‘No!’
My WLR journey began on August 25th, 2009 at a weight of 134.8 pounds. At my last weigh-in, I was 121.8 pounds with body fat of 24.9%. I dropped 5.8% in body fat and loss 17.25 inches! This year I will not be plagued by injuries or issues of weight at the run or the tri. I’m happy that I pushed myself through but even happier to be so healthy this year and plan to continue with this lifestyle. I’ve also challenged myself to take up climbing and do a half marathon this year! I can’t wait to see pictures of myself from all these challenges and I have already bought myself not one but two bathing suits for the summer!
One of my favorite quotes is from an old Nike ad, “All your life you are told the things you cannot do. All your life they will say you’re not good enough; they will say you’re the wrong height or the wrong weight or the wrong type to play this or be this or achieve this. They will tell you no, a thousand times –no, until all the no’s become meaningless. All your life they will tell you no, quite firmly and very quickly. And you will tell them yes!”
When Charlene asked me to write my story as a Goal Getter, I was surprised— I never thought of myself like that. Of course, I never thought of myself as a runner and I am or a tri-athlete and I’m that, too! So, in the words of my favorite song that runs through my head when I’m challenging myself, “Just go for it, run toward it, dive in head first. Live life with no regret, put your heart out there, don’t be scared you might get hurt, but it’s all worth it in the end, it’ll all work out in the end, because the best is yet to come…” Hinder
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