Sept. 9

       I can't believe it's Sept. already! Things will start slowing down for me "finally"!!! Then I can take a little breather!

  I'm still consistant with my workouts daily, and I've slipped a couple of days on my eating, but I made sure my next work out was a little bit more cardio to burn more calories! I'm still at my 30 lb. loss, and I'm hopeful I can lose the other 10 lbs. at least by Dec. that's my goal. 

     All I can tell you is that, if you're thinking of losing weight, do it....Take it day by day, meal by meal. There's no tricks, magic diets, it's eating healthy, staying away from the junk and carbs, watching your portions, and exercising daily!!! Make exercise fun!! I'm still doing Zumba, the new class starts Sat. at Perry. Painesville twp. Park is checking into having a fall Sat. class as well. Those you can walk in at $7 class or bring a friend you each pay $5/class.

    Things are starting to look up for me, I joined my church choir last night...yikes, what have I gotten myself into this time??!!  I've been playing the hand bells for 7-8 yrs. already, and I really enjoy it! I am looking forward to singing. I'm still not very good, but there's a great bunch of people that are willing to help me out!!! Wish me luck, and those that have to sit next to me!!! LOL

         Still trying to figure out how some aspects of my life have changed recently. No apologies ever given, just an "thats the way it's gonna be" attitude. I deserve better in life than to be second best. Now it's time to move forward, and put the past behind me, as I can see it will never change.  It's still sad, but people come in our lives for a reason, season or a lifetime.

    Did I mention that if you want to lose weight, just do it????  Seriously!!! don't look at the big picture, look at now. Cut down your portion size at dinner today, measure out your snacks for tomorrow, and only eat the snacks you measured out! (make it a healthy snack please)!!!  Trust me, if I can do this, so can you! Take it day by day!!!

   Wishing all of you the best, and much success!!!! Give yourself 6 weeks you'll notice a change, I promise!!!

 

Take Care and God Bless,

     

 

Vivian

Sept. 1, 2011

          I can't believe it's September already. YIKES! Where'd the summer go? Heck, where has the year gone??!!  My oldest son turns 31 tomorrow... I can remember being 31, and it only seems like yesterday.. boy does time fly!

     The last month has been super crazy for me. Lots and lots of changes! Things I've learned:

*I still have a job!

*Actually I still have both of my jobs (I am blessed)

*My hours at my full time job did get cut a little, but hopefully I'll be able to pick up extra work at my part-time job to make up the difference.

*I wasn't as important as I thought I was in someone's life.

*being single suits me right now.

*I'm going to miss Hannah at Slim and Fit when she moves this weekend!

*I've been super stressed this past month, and did NOT eat my way out of it!

*I'm learning how to deal with stress without eating myself into oblivion.

*I've lost 3 1/2 more lbs. putting me at a 30 lb. loss since February 1st.

*I have the bestest family and friends who are there for me in times of need!

*Did I mention that I am truly blessed? I've relied on God more this past month to

get me through the tough times, and as always, God has been there for me, he hasn't given

me anything I couldn't handle, and keeping my faith has made me strong, and I'm better off because of the trials and tribulations.

*****LIFE GOES ON*********

Have a Great Weekend everyone, and keep up the weight loss!!! If I can do it, so can you!!!!!!!!

 

Vivian

Aug. 17

     Had a great work out Monday morning. Rolled off the exercise ball and hit my knee on one of the machines at Perry. OUCH! boy did that hurt, and it's Wednesday today, and my knee is still sore and black and blue.  There's something to be said about balancing and exericising, and staying on the ball, etc...I'm sure the other people there got a good laugh! Scared my friend Bonnie also!

     My life has been very stressful, and still continues. Good thing, I have a job, my hours only got cut by a small portion, so that's a good thing! And hopefully it's only for a year! I'm looking for a part time job to make up for the lost income, so I'll start that journey tomorrow.

   I know I'm stressed, for some reason I woke up at 2 am this morning, and couldn't get back to sleep. yawn....I'll sleep good tonite! Going to work out with Hannah tomorrow. This will have to be my last session unfortunately. I need to cut out any extra curricular activities that aren't pertenant to survival!! I can keep my membership at Perry active for the next year, so that will be my vise for the next 12 months! I was really glad to wear my size 12 shorts that I bought yesterday! I don't believe I've worn this size for at least 30 years! It's a good feeling, I feel better physically, but I'm still struggling when looking in the mirror, I still see the fat Vivian, and in my mind, I'm no different, i'm still the fat girl down the street. I  Reallly need to change the way i feel about myself, I guess in time that will happen.

    I"m still dealing with all the changes in my life that have occured these past couple of weeks. Sometimes distance is the best way to look at situations that we've put ourselves in, and now I'm not looking through rose colored glasses anymore, and everything is so much clearer!

     Change..that's a tough word. We all experience change at sometime in our lives, it doesn't make it any easier. I have my Faith in God, and I know he won't give me anything I can't handle! He has a plan for me, I'd just wish that maybe he could tap me on the shoulder and whisper in my ear what exactly that plan is!!!

    Even through everything that's going on, I'm still staying motivated, and for the first time in my life, I'm not eating to soothe my stress! This makes me very happy! I'm starting to think that maybe I'm figuring out this whole weight loss thing afterall! We'll see!

    Stay focused everyone! If I can do it, so can you!!!!

God Bless,

Vivian

Aug. 13

         It's Saturday, and I'm enjoying the beautiful weather today! The last few weeks have been very stressful for me to say the least, but things are working out as they always do. (someone used to tell me that all the time).

    Things I've learned this week: nothing lasts forever, (I don't think there's such a word honestly), I've always told my children don't settle. I'm living those words this week myself. Going day to day, and not feeling important to the one person you care most about, is hurtful.

     Actions speak louder than words always. I'm moving on to other adventures is my motivation from now on. There's a whole world out there I haven't seen or experienced yet! So look out, Here I come!!! I've committed myself to the Fairport triathalon for 2012. This will help me keep motivated throughout the winter months, and give me more accountability next year. I still need that accountability, and probably always will!

   I'm still working out at Perry, and taking Zumba at Painesville Twp. Park on Wed. nights. The second session just started up again so there's 4 weeks left this time around!! It's 8-9pm if you're interested! It's lots of fun!

    Another positive note, I was able to wrap a bath towel around myself the other day. The reason why escapes me, and I had done it without thinking, but afterwards, I had looked down, and noticed not only did I have it wrapped around, but there was extra towel left!! I have not done that in 30 yrs!! At least not with a regular towel. I done it with beach towels, and extra long bath towels, and I remember justifying the experiences somehow I'm sure.

     I hope everyone continues their weight loss! Life changes this I know. For being such a spastic person, I've discovered, like so many, I don't like change.....It's here, and I know there's more to come starting next week, so wish me luck, and keep me in your prayers, I really  need to be at peace with what life is offering me right now....

God Bless,

    

 

Vivian

Last Weigh-in.

   What a day! I had just flown in after being gone all week, and came right from the airport! I wasn't sure if I had lost weight or not, I didn't have a scale while on vacation, but I was careful to work out almost everyday. It did pay off, and I did lose another 8lbs. I was very happy with that, and with my final weight loss.

    It was a sad day for me. As I had tried to explain to Laura, I felt that we (the contestants) were more of a team, rather than contestants in a competition. Sort of like those on a football team, track team, in marching band etc. We all shared a common goal, and we were in this together. I'm going to miss that "team" feeling. It was such an uplift and great support we had for each other. I hope to stay in touch with everyone, I know most of us still have more to lose, and I really hope we continue this journey!

     When Jamie (Slim and Fit) showed me my before photo when we very first got started, I was appalled. I really thought I had everyone fooled to think that I was thin. Honestly, I did. I wore the stretch jeans that were styled to make you look slim, I wore the "slimming" tops, and even tried to have my hair cut to make my face look thinner. And to tell you the truth, I really thought that all of these things worked! Until I saw myself in that picture. I now realize the only person I was fooling was me.....I really believe that I have an addictive behavior. My drug of choice is food...not alcohol, not drugs, just food. And how easy it is to get food whenever I want! And I can have anything I want as well! I won't go to jail for eating and driving, I won't get busted by selling food, and it's ok to eat it whenever and wherever I want. I have to remember NOT to use food as my crutch, my relief from a stressful day, or happy day, or sad day, or boring day. I need to remember to eat my 3 meals, and I will have to always measure my snacks. I don't know if there's a twelve step program for food addicts, but there should be. I really believe that it is a disease of some sort. It's a way of life for most. And it's soooooo easy to eat! My journey in weight loss continues, and it will be not necessarily a struggle, but a way of life, that I need to keep in my mind on a daily basis, so as not to slip back into my unhealthy ways.

     I'm ever so grateful to the News-Herald for putting on this competition, and for picking me. (I was very apprehenisive at the start), this is a good program you have going on, and it's helped so many people! I also want to thank Jamie and Hannah from Slim and Fit in Concord for being a part of this as well! You've given me insight, you've helped me with my workouts, you've encouraged me, and given me information about nutrition and exercise! You've been my rock throughout this journey and it was a blessing to know that you were only a phone call away if I ever needed to talk to either of you! I encourage anyone who works out, to visit them at Slim and Fit and talk to them. You don't need to go every week, but it was sooo helpful to me!  I'm grateful to the YMCA for the second place contender. They do so much for the community at every level, and to Achilles run shop for their generous gift as well! What a great team effort, I don't know who won, but I have my thoughts as to who the top 3 winners are, and whoever they are they deserve it! It's been such a great journey with such wonderful hardworking and dedicated people! I will miss this without a doubt! To my family and friends, thank you for being there for me throughout this joureny. You called me out when I would start to slip back to my old ways, you encouraged me, and gave me strength to get through this competition! Without all of you, and your positive feed back I would not have been successful with my weight loss!

   And to Laura, Thank you for all that you've done! You've started a great program having this competition each year! You've touched so many people's lives, whether they're in the competition or not, and I appreciated your words of encouragement to us, and the "atta boys" you gave us! I hope you keep this up

     For anyone reading this, if you're contemplating losing weight, just do it...it really is that simple. Don't wait until Monday, next month, when you get back from vacation, after your birthday, after your child's/husband's birthday, do it NOW...Like Jamie said, "Calories in, Calories out". No tricks, no diets, eat healthy, watch portions, and exercise somehow each day.. Start today, and see where you are in 6 months, you will be pleasantly suprised, such as we were!!!!!

 

Have a Blessed Day Everyone!! And good luck to all the winners this year!!!!!!!

 

 

Vivian

July 27  Wow, 2 more days until weigh in, I can't believe this journey is almost over! This week I'm visiting my son and daughter-in-law. My son is recovering from knee surgery, so I"m not able to get to a gym to do my usual work-outs. I did work out yester day morning, and I walked 3 1/2  miles today, and I'll be able to walk again tomorrow while he's in physical therapy. I'm really watching what I'm eating since I'm not working out like I"m used to. I also figured If I haven't lost any substantial weight this month, this last week isn't going to make or break me! (I am secretly hoping for a large weight loss though)!  There's been a lot going on in my life these past 6 mos. and as I had mentioned before, my biggest fear is that I don't want to start thinking, "it's over" I can start eating what I want. I don't want to go back to my old ways, and I'm hopeful that I won't, but in the back of my mind I'm still scared that I will... It's funny, when this challenge started, I couldn't see the end, 6 mos seemed like an eternity, and now it's here. Time flies, that's for sure!  I have to remember to weigh myself if not every few days, then at least once a week. I have to remember this, I've always gone by how my pants fit, and I can gain 15-20 lbs. before they don't fit anymore. I do not want that to happen!

    It's been great meeting all the contestants, and a few of us have been in touch between weigh-ins. That helps a lot. Having someone to talk to about what's going on in my life. We're all in this together. If you're trying to lose weight, get yourself a support group, friends, colleagues, anyone, that will help you be accountable. Or,,, you can submit your essay next year, and be in the challenge yourself! It works!!! It's accountability at it's best!! Until Saturday, I'm wishing everyone much success, and I'll be in touch soon. Good luck everyone!!

 

Vivian

July 23  YIKES! I've almost forgotten to blog this week! It's been very very busy at work, and very very hot as well! As you all know! What a crazy summer! I've been able to make it to Perry to work out 3 times this week. I even made it there yesterdsay morning by 5:15am! It was a great work out! As far as losing pounds, I think I'm only down a couple again this month. I did go shopping last night to buy more shorts, and I was able to go down another size smaller!! YEAH ME!!! I haven't fit in a size 12 since jr.. high!  The funny thing is, as I was trying them on, and I was looking at myself in the mirror, I saw the same person I was last year at this time. To me, I don't look any different. I feel much better, I don't have as many aches and pains, and I definately have more energy! But I think I still look the same. I'm not sure where that's coming from, or maybe I'm expecting to look like one of those super models, and I don't. And I know that's unrealistic expectations for anyone. I don't know, maybe it's how I feel about myself inside... Something I need to give some thought to..Have another couple crazy days at work, then by Tuesday things will calm down for me! (I can't wait)! It's neat to see the green shirts around town from the Johnnycake Jog. They're good conversation starters, and I can say, Hey I was there too!!! I'm still taking Zumba on Tues and Wed. This Wed is a day off, and she'll start up again Aug. 3 for six weeks. It's at Painesville Twp. Park Community Center on Hardy Rd. and it costs $30 for 6 weeks, or just $7 for walk-ins unless you bring a friend then you each pay $5/class.. It's a work-out, and so much fun!! It's a great stress relief as well! Because most of us try to keep up, and can't and we end up laughing a lot!! I really like it though! I hope everyone has a great weekend! 6 more days until our final weigh in!! i"m excited and sad at the same time. This has beeen a wonderful journey, with a great bunch of people!! I can honestly say that I will miss this when it's over!!!!

God Bless everyone, and try to stay cool!!!!

 

Vivian