The challenge is over......or is it?

I began this journey way back in January.  I had no idea of where it would take me but I signed on anyway.  I knew I had to do something to try and change but nothing could have prepared me for all the changes and accomplishments I've experienced.  I'm not sure how to summarize everything I've done and all the changes but I will try to wrap it all up here.

My final results were 32lbs lost which was the second most anyone lost, along with a total of 18 inches gone - 4 from my chest, 6 from my hips and 8 from my waist.  Those are the actual results that have people commenting on how I look, or how my clothes fit.  The other measurable results include what I now know I can do.  My interval training on the treadmill is up to a speed of 6.5 with a recovery speed of 4.5.  When I started 4.5 was my top speed.  I also use 8 or sometimes 10lb dumb bells instead of 5.  I have climbed Knox mountain, gone swimming, taken yoga, done a couple of spin classes and through it all I have learned that I can do a lot more than I ever thought was possible.  When you are 48, over-weight and out of shape you start to wonder if its too late.  There were times through this whole process where I did wonder that but my trainer is a little older than I am and she runs crazy trail races for fun.  It has become apparent that I have no excuse and with Stephanie's help, I gained the most important thing of all......confidence in myself and what I can accomplish.  I have tried so many things, like jumping up on a step with 4 risers, that if Stephanie wasn't there telling me I can do it, I would have walked away.  She said I could, so I would try, and discover she was right.......I could do these things.

I can't thank Stephanie and Global Fitness enough for the opportunity they gave me.  It has become so much more than the weight I've lost.  Its more than the compliments I receive from the people at work or the smaller clothes I can now wear.  Its even more than how much better I feel.  Its about realizing that I can do this and that I actual enjoy being active.  I love pushing myself on the treadmill, or along the Greenway or up Knox mountain.  For the first time in my life I am enjoying seeing how hard I can push myself, how fast I can go or how much I can lift, and I wouldn't have discovered that if someone hadn't pushed me first.  Stephanie pushed me hard, sometimes harder than I thought I could be pushed and there is nothing I can say that would come close to expressing my appreciation.

I am continuing on with this journey.  I want to lose more weight, be able to run faster and longer and just see what this body of mine can do if I give it the opportunity.  I am also more than willing to answer any questions anyone has about what I've done, about Global Fitness or about Get it Back - Give it Back.  I am sure the opportunity will be there next year for a new group.  Maybe it will be your turn to make a change?  Remember, its never too late.

Week 10

Typing week 10 just now is unbelievable to me.  I can't believe that its been 10 weeks since I started this whole process......but I think I've said or at least thought that almost every week.  At least since the half way point anyway.

Monday Team Castanet met like we have every Monday.  The exception this week was that we would be redoing our obstacle course with the hopes of improving our times.  Stephanie still worked us hard but with a little less cardio than usual.  We had a member of Gurv's team join us, and when I asked her what she thought, she said was surprised at how much cardio we did.  A few us of were surprised because we knew we had done less than usual.  It made us realize that each of the trainers have their own way of getting us into shape.  Everyone who has stuck with it though has made progress regardless of which trainer and that is what is important.  

I was nervous for the obstacle course, possibly more so than the first time.  I knew what to expect this time but I felt more pressure.  I really wanted to see improvement.  The first time was hard but there was really nothing to lose.  It was just a starting point.  This time, I had something to prove at least to myself.  My turn came and I did what I could and when I crossed the finish line, Gurv announced that I improved by 19 seconds!  Apparently I really didn't have much to worry about.  The hard work is showing in a lot of different ways and this was one of them.  

There were other challenges this week like using the weight machines upstairs at the gym and running up and down the bleachers at the Apple Bowl.  The biggest one by far was doing the Apex trail at Knox Mountain, not once but twice!  A few of us set out at 9 Saturday morning.  It was definitely a brisk morning but the sun was out.  We had done Knox a few weeks ago but following the road.  I discovered that the road is a little longer but no where near as steep.  I climbed with Donna and we made it up in about 36 minutes and I felt beat.  I honestly had no idea if I could do it again but as we headed down I started to feel better.  My legs seemed to loosen up a bit.  Donna and I actually jogged down a good part of the way.  We took a short break at the bottom and turned around and headed back.  By the time I got to the first lookout, my legs were screaming but we continued on.  I held a steady pace and decided to not stop at all along the way.  It wasn't a time thing but rather, I wasn't sure if I stopped even for a moment that I would be able to get started again.  When I got to the top I checked my stop watch and saw that I made it up in 33 minutes.  I have no idea how that happened.  I waited a few minutes for Donna and then we headed down together.  We jogged again although I don't think we jogged quite as much as we did the first time down.  The last stretch after the bottom look out was the hardest.  My legs were like jello and everything from my waist down hurt but we made it and so did the other members who set out at 9am.  

This week also brought another weigh-in and another 3lbs gone.  I am now at 29lbs lost, and I'm really hoping that this week I will break 30. When I started this program, I was pretty sure I could lose 24lbs which would be two per week, and I had hoped for 30.  It looks like I will beat that goal as well.

Running stairs, climbing mountains, doing push-ups, swimming laps, running on the greenway, spin and yoga classes.......these are just a few of the things I've tried over the last 10 weeks and most of them I would never have thought of trying without a push or at least a gentle nudge.  That's what this program has given me more than anything else......a new found confidence that I can do these things and if I just try them, I may find out that I enjoy them.  (Well everything but spin classes anyway).  Two more weeks to go, and I wonder what challenges still remain?  I'm excited and confident that I can handle it.  Now that's an improvement in and of itself.

Week 9

Another week is over which means there are only 3 left.  That's only 6 workouts with Team Castanet.  When I started this back in January, April seemed like such a far ways off and yet here we are only a few weeks away.  I've started trying to formulate my plan for after this.  Right now all I know for sure is that I've signed up for Stephanie's boot camp.  Meeting with Stephanie and a team once a week seems like a good transition.  I know that I don't ever want to have to start all over again and go through those first two weeks.  Those were the toughest ever.

Our Monday workout was leaning towards strength training.  As I was trying to keep my balance on an exercise ball while lifting weights, I thought to myself, "The cardio has to be coming."  I was so right!  I'm not sure how many sets of stairs we did that night including hopping up them, but it was a lot.  Thinking back to the beginning, I could never have done what I did Monday night way back when.

On Tuesday I needed to come up with some sort of challenge for myself.  Stephanie usually gives us challenges each week but this week it was to be our choice.  I decided to venture out on the Greenway and try to run as much as I could.  I woke up that morning to snow!!  I couldn't believe it but when I packed my gym bag, I packed clothes for the gym and clothes for the Greenway.  I'm glad I did because by the time I finished work it was beautiful out.  I started at the big bridge and headed all the way to KLO and back.  It is somewhere between 4.5 and 5km and I did it in under 40 minutes.  I did discover that running outside on a trail is much harder than running on a treadmill.  Wednesday was just as nice outside so I did the same routine again although this time I was able to run steady for the first 10 minutes.  I did wonder on the way back why both ways seem to be uphill!

Our team workout on Thursday started with a spin class.  I'm so glad that Stephanie has done these classes just for us.  I don't think I'd ever try it with a group that does it regularly.  I still find it difficult but I enjoy the opportunity to be pushed out of my comfort zone.  After 30 minutes on the bikes, (how does anyone handle those seats for an hour?), we went upstairs.  I don't think I was the only one who was expecting some strength training, but we were wrong.  We did more cardio including pushing a weight across the floor, burpees, and stairs.  All I can say is that we worked as hard as we ever have.

I took Friday off.  I'm not sure why I felt like I needed it but my legs were sore and I was tired.  It was a very long week for me.  Stephanie has talked all about balance and I'm trying to learn that lesson.  Its far too easy for me to swing from one extreme to another and in the process exhaust myself.

On Saturday I got up and started to wonder what I was doing.  I'm not sure why, but I was doubting myself as to how far I have actually come in regards to my fitness level.  I can't deny the weight or inches I've lost, but with trying so many new things the last couple of weeks, I realized that I didn't have anything to compare my progress against.  I decided to head to the gym and get on the treadmill.  Remember?  I know all those numbers.  I got on the treadmill determined to see if I could do as well as I had the last time I just tried to run as long as I could.  Well, I proved to myself that I have definitely made progress these last couple of weeks despite doing things other than the treadmill.   I was able to run at 5.0 for 15 minutes which got me past the mile marker.  (I ran for 10 minutes the last time I tried).  I was so excited about that since I have been convinced ever since grade 7 that I would never be able to do that.  I then alternated walking at 4.2 and running at 5 as much as I could so not including my warm up and cool down, I actually ran 50% of my time.  I left the gym tired but happy that I had another measurement of my progress.

This week I've been trying to add more calories into my day.  I'm getting in the habit of using Fitness Pal regularly throughout the day so that I can see how I'm doing and make adjustments.  I've also tried to remind myself to enjoy how far I've come instead of looking ahead to how far I still want to go.  I'm learning to balance my food intake with my exercise output, my need to push myself with being kind to myself and my strange desire to have numbers for everything with trusting that change is happening whether I can measure it or not.  Thinking about all that makes me wonder how much change can one program jam into just 12 weeks?  All I really know right now, is that I am incredibly thankful for all these changes, not just the weight and inches lost.

Week 8

Week 8 is over!  We are two thirds through the program!  Team Castanet is pushing through with the help of our fearless and totally dedicated leader, Stephanie.  She has definitely pushed us this week which is exactly what a good trainer does.

Monday came quickly.  We had to weigh in and take measurements so that Stephanie could report on our progress.  Weighing in on Monday threw me off a little since we always weigh in on Thursday's.  My logical mind knew that I shouldn't expect much on the scale since we had just weighed in 3 days before but my emotions didn't believe that so it was difficult to see only a .6 drop.  The measurements were better and I can proudly say that I've lost another 4 inches making it a total of 14.  Since we only measure chest, waist and hips, I'm pretty pleased with that.  I wouldn't have expected that when I started two months ago.  The workout went well as I was finally feeling like I was stronger than my cold.  We did plenty of cardio along with strength training like most of our other workouts, just pushed to a new limit.

On Tuesday I started to work on the challenges that Stephanie gave us.  My regular Tuesday routine worked  perfectly with 25 minutes on the treadmill and the power sculpt class.  An hour of weight training knocked off the list,  (It was only 50 minutes but I can't make it to the hour class).

On Wednesday I decided to tackle the interval training that was on the list so I hit the treadmill.  Stephanie's challenge was 30 seconds uphill, 30 seconds recovery, 45 seconds uphill, 45 seconds recovery and 1 minute hill, 1 minute recovery, repeat 4 times.  After my warm up I cautiously put the elevation to 6 and did the first set.  I wasn't dying so the next set I pushed the elevation to 6.5.  The third set I went to an elevation of 7 and on the fourth set I took it to 7.5.  When that set was finished I decided to do one more set at 8.  I was pretty proud of that workout.  I did discover that the muscles in my behind are the ones that worked in order to get me up those hills.  Somehow I have learned to enjoy being a little sore.  I like knowing that I've pushed my muscles hard.

Thursday was a rough day and when I arrived for our team work out I soon found out that most of us were feeling the same.....tired and a little discouraged.  It was a very subdued group but we were there and we were working.  Half way through Stephanie stopped our workout and we took time to just chat.  Looking back, I think we needed that chat more than we needed the workout.  I so appreciate the way Stephanie sensed what we were all feeling and took the time to address it rather than hoping it would go away.  After our little pep talk, the energy of our workout improved and we all gave it everything we had.  The last set of stairs, burpees and push-ups had us all exhausted.  I'm not sure we could have given it as much as we did in the end if we hadn't stopped to chat.  Certainly a sign of an excellent trainer.

On Friday I packed both my swimming gear and my gym gear.  I wasn't sure what work out I was going to do, follow Stephanie's challenge or hit the treadmill.  After work, I went to Parkinson, and I actually looked in through the window to see how busy it was.  It wasn't until I saw that it was fairly quiet in the pool that I decided to give it a try.  After I got changed into my swim suit, I stopped by the mirror.  I have to admit that seeing myself in that suit brought tears to my eyes.  I looked so much better in it than the last time I remember having it on.  That alone was worth the effort it took to get me to try swimming.  I swam lengths for 30 minutes and remembered that I actually enjoy being in the pool.  Thanks again, Stephanie.

Saturday I completed another challenge on the list which was to ride a bike for 30 minutes and then do a yoga class.  I'm not a big fan of the stationary bikes but I did enjoy the yoga class.  Since I've done the class before it was one of the easier challenges on the list.

Today is Sunday and I tried on a pair of jeans that I haven't been able to wear for a few years.  Not only could I get them on, they fit properly.  It gave me the desire to clean out the rest of my dresser.  I now have a pile of clothes that I have no intention of ever being able to wear again.  I'll take them to the Salvation Army tomorrow.   In addition to having smaller clothes to wear, I have noticed how much easier it is for me to do everyday things.  Climbing stairs is quicker, carrying groceries is a breeze and squatting down at work to stock the bottom shelves has never been easier.  It comes from all the repetitions of stairs, weights and squats that I've done over the last 8 weeks, and I am certain that everyone on my team that has been doing this with me has noticed the same things.  When we first started this process, Stephanie talked to us about being functionally fit.  She wanted us to be able to go about doing our everyday things like carrying groceries into the house with ease. I know that my level of fitness has grown faster than the scale has gone down and that is an accomplishment I could never have made without this opportunity.  As discouraging as things can get throughout this process, there is no denying the progress that has been made.  4 weeks left and I can't wait to find out where I will be at the end.  Come on, Team Castanet, let's finish strong!

Week 7

This has been quite the week.  From trying to get over a cold to climbing Knox Mountain, I feel like a lot has been crammed into this week.

Monday was my first day back to the gym after taking three days off to try and recover from a cold.  I was still sick enough that normally I would have stayed home.  That was before Get it Back.  I decided that I was well enough to go and try to do something.  It wasn't my best workout, but it was more than if I had stayed home.  I had trouble getting enough oxygen into my lungs during the cardio portions of the workout, but I did what I could.  Get it Back is not only helping me get in shape and lose weight, it is helping me get rid of excuses.  I rested when I needed to but I didn't let it totally upset the routine I've established.

The rest of the week was pretty much a repeat of the previous weeks as far as workouts went.  Tuesday included the power sculpt class, and I found out that adding 2lbs to my weights is actually a very big jump.  I was surprised at how much heavier a 10lb weight is over an 8lb one.  Wednesday I ran intervals on the treadmill for 50 minutes.  Thursday was Team Castanet's workout with Stephanie.  She stepped it up another notch for us.  We worked hard and laughed harder.  I am so happy to be part of this team and to be on this journey with such a wonderful group of ladies.  Friday I tried the random program on the treadmill and when the elevation on level two only went to 2.5, I decided to put it up to level 8.  I discovered that climbing those hills uses a different set of muscles than just walking and running.

Saturday was the highlight of the week with some of us meeting up to climb Knox Mountain.  I have not done this hike since high school so I was a little nervous.  It was hard, but I made it and so did everyone else who came.  It was a beautiful day, and I am looking forward to moving more of my workouts outside as the weather improves.

This week I started to really think about what I have been eating.  Up until last Thursday when I didn't lose anything, I thought I had it all figured out.  Then this week after missing two workouts between weigh ins, I lost another 4lbs.  I ate about the same so it didn't make any sense to me.  Stephanie had told me it was possible I wasn't eating enough so in an effort to figure it out, I pulled out an app on my phone called Fitness Pal.  It allowed me to plug in all the food I'd eaten on that day as well as my work out.  I discovered that Stephanie was right.  (Big surprise, right?)  My net calories that day was only around 800!  My calorie intake was fine when I first started out, but the intensity of my workouts has increased.  I am burning more calories now than ever, and I have not changed what I am eating.  This is an incredibly difficult concept for me to get my head around, but if I'm going to continue to lose weight, I have no choice.  This week in addition to trying to increase the intensity of my workouts, I am going to pay closer attention to how much I am eating with the focus being on getting enough good calories in me each day.  I do not want my body to think its going to starve.  I have 5 weeks left with Team Castanet and Stephanie, and I want to do everything I can to make the most progress possible.  In 7 weeks I've lost 22 pounds, and I'm just starting to realize that this battle is fought as much in my mind as it is in the gym.

Week 6

Week 6, halfway through this journey I started back in January.  6 weeks to go which means only 12 more workouts with Team Castanet.  I can easily remember all of this because I love numbers.  Its the way my mind works.  I know how many stairs I climb, because I count them as I go up or down.  At work, I want to know how many orders went through our printer each day and what the sales were.  When we travel to Vancouver, I can tell my husband exactly where the half way point is, or how many kilometers we have left before we arrive and how long it will take us to travel those kilometers .  He finds that strange and sometimes annoying, but its the way I think.  I do the same thing with this journey.

Monday was a rough day for me.  Work didn't go well, and I was tired, but I got myself ready for our team workout and the charity night.  I packed food for the food bank and a donation for Canadian Mental Health in my gym bag and off I went.  Our team workout was going well with nothing unusual until I tried to stand up after doing some push-ups.  My right foot wouldn't let me put any weight on it.  The pain kept up for the remainder of the workout eventually spreading to my ankle.  I had no choice but to take it easy especially during the cardio portions.  When Team Castanet's workout was over, I handed over my donations to Tracey and limped home.  I was very frustrated and spent the rest of the evening icing my foot and pouting.

Tuesday my foot and ankle seemed to be better so after work I went to the gym and hit the treadmill determined to be mindful of whatever was going on.  I did 30 minutes and then joined the power sculpt class.  It was a much better day than Monday.  I am able to do so much more in that class than the first time I took it.

Wednesday I went back to the gym and hit the treadmill.  I decided that I would just do intervals and not try to run straight for any length of time.  I warmed up for 5 minutes and then ran for a minute at 6.  I then walked for 2 minutes at 4.2.  I kept going back and forth like this for 30 minutes running anywhere between 5 and 6 and recovering at 4.2. I stayed on the treadmill for 60 minutes and did over 4 miles.  It was a good workout.

Thursday, things didn't go so well.  I woke up with a sore throat and at work I ran an orientation for some new associates which meant I was talking for most of the day.  By the time 5:30 rolled around, my voice was almost gone, and I had no energy.  I went to our team workout and did what I could, but I was frustrated with how little I was able to push myself especially during the cardio portion.  I also didn't lose any weight this week which was rough.  After 5 weeks of always losing something, seeing the scale stubbornly stay put was tough.

Friday I woke up with a full blown cold which explained why I couldn't give the effort I wanted to the night before.  I wound up leaving work early and coming home to rest so no workout.

Saturday morning I got up and a cough had decided to join in with all the other things going on with my body so again I stayed home from the gym.  I worked Saturday night and managed to push through my shift with the help of cold medicine.

Its Sunday which is usually my day off.  My sinuses are plugged, and I'm still coughing so I don't know yet if I will attempt any sort of workout.  I may venture outside later for a walk or I may play with my Wii fit.  I want to move, but I don't want to overdo it and wind up allowing this cold to linger any longer than I have to. Its been a frustrating week.  I have only been able to get in 4 workouts instead of 6 and of those I only felt like I could give 100% for 2.  I rarely get sick so getting sick in the middle of this 12 weeks had not occurred to me, but in reality this is life.  We all have things that we have to deal with that try to derail our efforts.  The problem is not that I've had a less than perfect week.  It will only become a problem if I let it completely throw me off track, and I don't have any intention of letting that happen.  I've already come so far and this is meant to be a way of life, not just a 12 week blip.  Tomorrow is the start of week 7, and I have every intention of giving it all I've got.  As for my love of numbers, I am able to quantify everything I've been doing.  The weights that I use during our workouts have gone from 5 pounds to 8 pounds and this week I will move on and try 10.  My treadmill workouts have gone from 40 minutes to an hour, and the distance has increased from 2.8 miles to  4.2 miles.  I know that I can do the first mile in 13 and a half minutes.  My 3 mile time has dropped from 45 minutes to 38, and my clothes have dropped more than a size.  The scale may not always show the results, but there are many other numbers that I can keep track of and use to show my progress.  For a number loving person like me, looking at all those numbers shows that the first 6 weeks have been a big success.

Week 5

5 weeks!  How time flies when you're having fun and how much progress can be made during that time if you dig yourself in and really focus.  I now have well established routines in regards to my workouts and my eating.  These new routines are producing results that people who don't know what I'm up to these days are noticing.  All this hard work is paying off and that is what's making this so much fun.

Monday was family day, but our sold out, completely dedicated to us, trainer didn't want us to miss our workout.  Since all the classes were cancelled at Global Fitness, our workout included a spin class and time in the cage.  I don't know if I will ever become a fan of spin, but I am thankful that I got to try.  I just don't understand how anyone can get used to those seats! :)  I did enjoy the cage and the circuit Stephanie set out for us.  I've watched them smash medicine balls on Biggest Loser, and now I can add that to my list of things I've done.  It was an intense all over workout, and once again Team Castanet rocked!  I love my team.

Tuesday I did 25 minutes on the treadmill.  I am trying with the treadmill to somehow become something of a runner which was why my one month goal was to run for 5 minutes.  Tuesday I ran 7 minutes at 5.0.  Later during the 25 minutes, I pushed it to 6.0 and ran for a minute.  I have to admit, I was pretty pleased with myself.  Doing these intervals keeps me engaged during the workout, and when I'm finished, I know I've given it everything I have that day.  After the treadmill, I went upstairs and did the power sculpt class.  It was a new routine which included the bosu ball.  My last experience with this piece of equipment didn't go as well as I would have liked, but this time was better.  I can tell that my balance is improving along with other areas of my fitness level.

Wednesday I was brave enough to try the cardio funk class.  It wasn't the easiest class I've ever done mostly because I had a very hard time figuring out the steps.  I was describing the class later in the week to my daughter explaining to her all the different types of music we used, and how we ended the class gangnam style.  It looked like to me that she was trying to picture her mom dancing gangnam style.  That made me smile because I'm pretty sure she could not imagine me looking anywhere as silly as I actually looked.......well maybe she could.

Thursday was our team workout.  We were back in the racquetball court doing a circuit of cardio, strength and core exercises.  Half way through, we left the court and hit the stairs.  There was another much younger group doing the same thing, and I have to say, we gave them a run for their money, at least some of them.  Another great workout!  Team Castanet just doesn't give up.

On Friday my workout was just the treadmill.  It sometimes takes me awhile to settle into it especially when I know I'm on there for almost an hour.  After a 5 minute warm-up, I put the speed up to 5.0.  I wanted to run for at least the 7 minutes I had done earlier in the week.  It was a weird run because at 2 minutes I had to dig deep and was feeling like I may only be able to make 5 minutes.  I made the 5 and then took it one minute at a time.  When I got to 7, I decided to try for 8 so that I could beat the previous effort.  When I got to 8, I kept going and made 10 minutes!  When I told my girl-friend that I had made the 5 minutes, she suggested that my new goal be 10 minutes.  I told her I was afraid to say that out loud.  We agreed that I would only say it out loud to her. lol.  10 minutes was hard, but the exhilaration I felt afterwards made it so worth the extra effort it took.  On my way home, I realized that I had doubled my one month goal in just two weeks!  At the end of my 55 minutes, I had gone 4 miles.

Saturday I did 35 minutes on the treadmill and used the elevation for my intervals.  I am able to go as high as 6.0 and still keep my speed up at 4.2.  After the treadmill, I finished week 5 with the yoga for beginner's class.  I enjoy ending my week with the peacefulness of yoga, and I always leave with all my muscles well stretched.

If there was one thing this week that I found very frustrating, it's the new commercial for weight watcher's on-line.  Have you seen it?  Its the one where the lady who has lost over 100lbs talks about how easy it was. The first 20 came off and then the next.  Just like that!  I get very angry watching this commercial.  Losing weight is not easy especially for anyone who has over 100 pounds to lose.  I understand that the program is fairly easy to follow, but that is very different from saying losing weight is easy.  It is not realistic to think that if you gained weight by eating cookies that you can still eat cookies and lose weight.  I've lost 18lbs so far in 5 weeks, and I will not tell you its been easy.  I am enjoying the process, I am enjoying pushing my own boundaries and I am enjoying the results, but it has not been easy, and I don't expect the next 18lbs to be easy either.  I will talk to anyone about what I've done so far in as much detail as you want, but I will not tell you that you can eat cookies or that you don't have to make difficult choices to get where you want to go.  I will tell you exactly what is working for me, but if you are hoping for something easy, you will be disappointed with the path that I am taking.