Living It

It's the start of the sixth week in my 2nd twelve with Revelation Fitness. It's different this time around....

For starters the first twelve week was a challenge with these really aggressive goals hanging out there. I knew everyday how many calories I had eaten, how many calories I had burned, how many pounds I had lost and how many weeks, days, and workouts I had left to reach those goals.

With my goals met I signed up for another twelve weeks. No reach out goals this time. This twelve weeks it was about keeping up a lifestyle I'd spent twelve weeks building. There are also those great friends who I trained with who are still working hard toward their goals and I want to be there to help them reach them.

So it was a bit surprising this week when I looked up over lunch with two of the ladies and asked, "Just what week are we in anyway?" I wasn't sure how I felt about that. Something I had such acute awareness of the first twelve weeks had slipped off my radar.

The answer... I'm more than ok with it. It reinforces that while I certainly respond well to the structure of the original challenge I've also successfully made enough changes to my lifestyle, to the way I live each day, that I am no longer counting down the weeks, the days, the workouts but living them.

I'm not counting calories anymore and I don't wear my heart rate monitor for every workout.

What am I doing? I am eating breakfast. Every day. Oatmeal with dried fruit, cottage cheese, low-fat yogurt, a protein boosted smoothie, maybe a fried egg on whole grain breads on the weekend. I'm taking my lunch to work. Grilled venison and mango salsa, roasted chicken, thai steak and cucumber salad, and leftover salmon tacos are waiting in the refrigerator for my lunch box. I am working out twice a week with Keith, the best mornings of my week, and working out on my own at least another two days. Saturday morning on the trail with the girls, a spinning class at the gym or just a run around the neighborhood.

I don't track what I do anymore but I do make it a priority to do it.

This morning I ran a 5K for time. 36 minutes, a little under twelve minute miles. Not speedy I know but a nice even pace for me. And it inspired me enough to set a new goal. When I told Mariah I ran a twelve minute mile she set a goal to run a 5K in under 32 minutes shaving my time down to 10 minute miles. I found I really run something closer to a 15 minute mile these days and I never did run that 5K after bruising my knee. I'm stronger now. I just did 3 miles at 12 minute miles again. I'm going to run that 5K in under 32 minutes.

Loving "After"

Breaking Up With "Before"

So this is a little out of the typical flow for a blog that was meant to track progress through a twelve week challenge but I think it is time I post my "Before" pictures.

Why now? For those of you who know Mariah you know she is persuasive. She's also an incredible business woman and marketer which is why in a town already crowded with fitness programs Revelation Fitness is thriving. One of the things that makes the program a success in my opinion is the time spent up front in really setting out not just goals but aggressive goals and explaining to you how you are going to be able to meet them. She backs it up with a long list of impressive success stories. No matter how crazy she may sound at that moment the stories give her credibility and plants that seed that says, hmmmm, maybe I can do this.

In addition to the weight, body fat and overall fitness goals she also stresses heavily the vanity goals. Within 24 hours of your orientation you are out shopping for clothes that are 3-4 sizes too small for a photo shoot that you just signed up to do twelve weeks later. Not everyone signs up to do or follows through on a photo shoot but they are fundamental to the Rev Fit business model. Every other week Mariah posts another Revelation Remake to the Rev Fit blog and their Facebook followers, a success story that is really told through before and after photos. Watching for these became a favorite past time as they were hugely motivational but more importantly, at least for someone as competitive as me, they also served to push me toward my goal. You don't want to be the one that just doesn't measure up, the one whose photos are just filed away, who's photos aren't inspiring to yourself or others. So you stick to your diet, you work out like mad and you maniacally watch that scale, your heart rate monitor and that calendar.

Then the day is here. You finished your twelve week challenge, you've met your goals and you are hanging out with a photographer in your new bikini. A week later you get the first five photos back and you are relieved. You do look good, you aren't a fitness model but that isn't what you set out to do in twelve weeks is it? It was at that point I realized I didn't have my "Before" pictures that she snapped during orientation. I was curious to see the transformation in pictures for myself.

I send off an email to Mariah and 5 minutes later I have those "Before" shots along with the first of several emails, facebook messages and phone calls asking if they can use them in their upcoming ads. I think I remember one text from Keith that joked, "Think about the people you could help, do it for the people!" Release them? To that crazy marketer Mariah? My photo shoot is already all over Facebook, their blog and now she wants my "Before" photos?

I had to think long and hard about it but when I stepped back I realized that I didn't really mind the photos. Sure, I was a little heavier than I had thought but I was never really embarrassed by the way I looked. I did this challenge not to lose weight but to get back in shape so I could enjoy all Austin has to offer. To be that weekend warrior again. And most importantly to be sure I could keep up for years to come with the boys. My Dad ran 3 miles with me several times a week literally coaxing me along as I trained for high school soccer. Running three miles with Levi at 15 is daunting. I need twelve years to train! And there was my own desire to raise them to appreciate the Austin lifestyle. I want to teach them to love mountain biking, hiking, kayaking, and wake-boarding. I want them to wake up on Saturday begging to go to the lake or the park, not to play the PS2. You gotta walk the walk.

So the photos? They are me 16 weeks ago. A little heavier than I would have liked or even thought but still me. There is nothing embarrassing about them and when paired with the photo shoot twelve weeks later they are inspiring I think. Hopefully they will help push someone else to realize what a change they can accomplish in only twelve weeks. Maybe Keith wasn't joking when he said to "do it for the people".

I made the decision for those reasons to let them go, to release them to Mariah and let her use them in her advertisements to promote her business. To keep the cycle going as other people's photos had inspired me.

Round Two

I took a short break but I'm back.

Keith demanded everyone take a break for a week before we started back up with another twelve weeks of training. A break from strength training, a break from our diets, a break from really all things associated with the past twelve weeks just to rejuvenate a bit.

I took the break but I took it in pieces. The week we had "off" I had a Rev Fit photo shoot scheduled Thursday afternoon. That meant no break from the diet but I did take the week off from strength training. We were on vacation at the Frio so I did a bit of hiking at Garner State Park and took a morning run around the Pecan Farm but no 6am circuit training.

Then the next week as everyone started back up I headed off for Napa Valley for a quick work trip and used that as my off week with respect to diet. I found I was still pretty careful with what I choose to eat from the breakfast and lunch buffets but it was awfully nice to be able to sit down and enjoy the dinners without focusing on what I should or shouldn't eat. Really the food in the wine country is fairly healthy. I think I had a good deal of fish and lamb all grilled with veggies but I did enjoy those incredible sourdough rolls and several glasses of wine! While I ate as a I pleased I was in the gym each morning before we started doing cardio and getting in a bit of weights.

So really... no true break where I abandoned all exercise and diet but a bit of respite form both and I found that really I had developed some pretty good habits and genuinely missed my routine.

I also took a break from blogging. I set out to chronicle the twelve weeks in an effort to help me push through the difficult bits and maybe to help others who were struggling through the same. I thought I would end the blog with the end of the twelve weeks, goal accomplished. Yet here I am doing another twelve weeks with Rev Fit so what to do with the blog?

The difficult part this time around is I don't have a major goal out there. I don't really have a desire to lose more weight or shift too much my body fat. I don't care if I can run faster, the fact that I run at all anymore amazes me. But I'm doing another twelve weeks because I like being fit, I enjoy the 5am alarm and the workout with my girlfriends, and I want to make sure I maintain a healthy lifestyle as I have two growing boys I'm going to need to chase down in the coming years.

I think that might need to be enough for me. I could establish cross-fit baselines and measure them every few weeks. Not a bad idea but when I thought about it I'm not sure why I care if I can do more push-ups, run a faster mile, or lift a heavier weight 12 weeks from now. I think maybe continuing to improve my BMI is more important to me. Not dropping further weight or body fat but shifting to more lean muscle mass. That probably equates to more training and maybe heavier weights. I'm good with that and it is good for me. It's hard to measure progress on a weekly basis though.

So for now those 5am wake up calls will keep coming but this time through there aren't calories I'm tracking, measurements I'm taking, numbers I'm logging. This time it is just about me and the fact that I enjoy it.

I've decided rather than abandoning the blog I'm going to keep it up for a year. Just a way for me to journal my activity for the next 12 months and see where I am 1 year later and why. Busting your ass for 12 weeks is one thing but did I really develop and can I maintain those healthy habits I had hoped to?

The Photo Finish

When is the challenge really finished? With your last session with your trainer? Twelve weeks from the day you started? For me it was yesterday, with the "after" photo shoot.

I don't love the camera as I'm not terribly photogenic but when I set my goals at orientation with Mariah I agreed to do the shoot because it was something very tangible that I could work towards and also something very public as she is a master marketer and plasters those pictures all over Facebook, etc... so your motivation remains high to look your best.

I took the day off work but still rolled out of bed at 5:30 to meet Keith. Not to work out this time but for coffee to talk about the next twelve weeks. Besides just an awesome workout a few days a week what do I want to accomplish over the next twelve weeks? Really just reinforcing the healthy habits I've developed while easing back into a more normal social life.

After coffee I enjoyed a pedicure then met Joel for a quick trip to Nordstrom's then on to meet Keith and the photographer.

The shoot was actually alot of fun. Bikini, sports bra/shorts, and a cute sundress. Lots of weights, a bench and a bosom ball. Hopefully in the hundreds of snaps she took there will be a good one or two that I can choose from to tape to my closet wall to remind myself why I'm out there running, lifting or cycling every day. Here is a pic that Keith snapped with his camera before he left...

After the shoot I went to Hem and bought two new pairs of jeans. 12 weeks ago my jeans were a size 31/32 and the low-rise ones gave me that dreaded muffin top. Yesterday size 27/28!

Finally, to celebrate, I met Joel for dinner and drinks at Mulberry and Justine's (two of my favorite Austin spots) and enjoyed a few well deserved glasses of wine!

So let's talk about those goals...

• I didn't run the Twilight 5K as it fell when I was nursing that bruised knee but I have no doubt I could go out and run a 5K any night of the week. In 30 minutes? Probably not, I'm still as slow as ever, but the fact that I can walk out my door and run 3 miles if I choose to feels great.
• At 5:30 am the scale read 127. Down 26 pounds, 4 more than what I thought to be a ridiculous goal of 22 pounds in 12 weeks.
• The dress I wore for the shoot was a size 4, down from a typical 8/10 AND was safety pinned in the back to keep it from falling off!
  
• Body fat at the shoot was 11.5% , 14.5% down from 26% at orientation!

When I walked away from the shoot with those numbers and a photo on my phone I finally felt I'd completed the challenge. Not just completed it but knocked it out of the park.

Crossing the Finish Line

I'm not even sure where to start today. The twelve weeks are behind me as of Thursday morning at 7am. That was the last workout of the challenge. That morning I weighed in at 130, two pounds below my goal and one short of the 129 I am hoping to reach by this coming Thursday when we finish off with a photo shoot to see for ourselves the progress we've made.

Was it hard. Absolutely. The workouts themselves left me drenched and drained by 7am every Tuesday and Thursday. Within weeks we were working out EVERY SINGLE DAY, some days twice a day. I think in the 90 days I missed a workout maybe four times and way more than made up for them with all the double ups I did in the last 6 weeks when I realized that Mariah wasn't as crazy as I thought and my goals were actually in sight.

Would I do it again? I've already signed up to train for another 12 weeks with Keith. No, not to lose additional weight, really for no other reason than I enjoy it and I think at almost 40 you'll need to work almost as hard to keep the weight off as you did to lose it. I'm interested in how I'll approach the workouts without such an aggressive goal out there to chase. Must be careful what I ask for though. :-) If I go asking for advice there is no telling what kind of challenge I'll sign myself up for this fall!

Revelation Fitness Rocks!

I am down 20 pounds this morning! Same weight I was when I left college 18 years ago. Who knew it was even possible... I guess Mariah did! Shout out to Keith for keeping the pressure and encouragement coming.

I'm now 132 pounds, down from a high of 152, and am desperately in need of clothes. My slacks are literally falling off. I've defaulted to dresses everyday because my shoulders can hold them up! I'm carving out 1/2 day next week to enjoy my first shopping trip in months. I have no idea what to tell the sales girl when she asks what size jeans I wear, I love it!

132 is the target we set to maintain. My goal is to reach 129 before the end of the 12 week challenge so there is a bit of room to "bounce back". I have two more weeks. Those 3 pounds are gonna be history!

Eight Week High

I started this blog because I wasn't certain how intense the 12 weeks would get. I know it helped me to read blogs from a few other people who had taken Mariah's 12 week challenge, to understand their high and low points and know that they got through the difficult weeks and met their goals. It seemed that it might help me to have a place to document my frustrations or progress and also something to look back on to see just what it took to get through the twelve weeks.

I think I've been remiss about blogging regularly because overall I have LOVED this program. Yes there have been weeks where I've been frustrated. When you inexplicably gain weight despite adhering religiously to the diet and workouts, when I bruised my knee and every workout was somewhat at least uncomfortable if not downright painful, etc... But eight weeks in the rear view mirror and I have only positive things to say.

Mariah said this would be the best summer of my life and I've had some good ones but I have to agree that this has been just what I needed. I'm back to maintaining a very regular schedule with several 5am mornings a week. I work out typically every day of the week, several days twice a day. I feel great and have no hesitation to join in whatever weekend warrior activity Tracey has currently dreamed up. I've lost 15 pounds so far and am wearing shorts again and plan to buy a new swimsuit today.

I traveled to Orlando last week for a large customer event we host once per year. I could not believe the number of people who greeted me asking what I was doing differently as I looked fantastic. Nice feedback when these are people I haven't really seen since I started the challenge. Eight weeks in and they could definitely tell a difference which was all the motivation I needed to get through the next four weeks. And really, like I said, there wasn't much motivation needed as I'm loving these workouts.

I will admit that I'm looking forward to scaling back a few days a week and I am definitely looking forward to a pizza. I think probably for lunch or dinner on my last day, July 29th!

Mid-point Reset

Last week was a whirlwind on the Revelation front and I never found the time to sit down and blog.

The first of the week I spent traveling where I tried to be very careful with what I ate and hit the gym every morning yet gained two pounds. Damn. I lost it again by the end of the week but still frustrating as that netted a pretty flat week. Not to mention the knee. What was sore before developed into visible bruising and swelling. I took to the gym and tried to stay off the streets to rest it best I could but I'm still working out 7 days a week so I can't say I'm really giving it time to heal.

After 5 weeks we got a new trainer, Keith Outlaw. How good a name is that for a trainer?

Keith dropped the excessive weights and moved to more of a continuous circuit of light weight and cardio. This week he was off on vacation so Jim Nettles, Mariah's partner in Revelation Fitness, stepped in.

Wow, these trainers are all fit but Jim was definitely something to admire and so friendly. Again our workouts changed pretty significantly as he did more core and body weight work. Today we used the TRX bands which I'm seriously thinking about buying for the house. An eye hook on the back porch and I could go to town. He also sent me good reminders and tweaks Monday night by email and spent the whole hour going through our diets with us and making sure we had all our questions answered. All of which made for a really good week 7.

So my life as it exists in week 7...
3 days of strength training and 5-6 days of cardio a week.
1000 calories a day, 5-6 small meals/snacks with at least 100 grams of protein.
No carbs after breakfast and fruit only after a workout.
Basically meat, veggies, egg whites, greek yogurt, occasional oatmeal or granola and protein shakes. Have to plan to make sure I enjoy those juicy summer peaches as soon as I get back from the gym.

5 weeks to go, already half way there. I'm loving the workouts and would be happy to sign up for another 12 weeks just to keep training. The diet...I don't mind the diet day to day but I can't say that I'm not really looking forward to the 1st of August. It was quite the struggle to turn down a beer after fly fishing in Colorado last week and on the boat last night as the sun went down.

Today is the end of week 5 and I'm still going strong.

The body camps and format of the whole challenge are great. I got the right mix of exercise and diet about two weeks ago and really began to see a faster drop in weight. My arms are even starting to get back some of their definition. Still some work to be done on my legs and abs for sure but it feels good to actually be able to see the difference!

I've quit trying to keep track of our workouts. I typically go straight from our training sessions to the gym for another 30-45 minutes of cardio and by the time I'm done I'm exhausted, racing to work and can only seem to recall the most evil of the exercises we did that morning. We're getting enough homework exercises on the weekend though that I think I'll have a good selection to pull from down the road.

We are switching trainers next week. I quite like Christina. She's cute with a perfect little body which motivates you to work harder just to look like her. Tuesday we switch to Keith who she described as a small Mr. Clean.

I did notice over the last week that my knee is starting to flare back up. Bad news as I was just starting to enjoy running again. What am I saying? I hate running, always have. But I was getting back to a good place where I could go out and run most of a 3 mile loop and feel good when I got home. I'm going to have to decide pretty soon if I need to cut it out to preserve my knee for our workouts and keep my cardio to bike, crossramp, treadmill or other classes at the gym. Shame as running is the fastest way to knock out a workout on Saturday morning.

Ramping Up

It's Friday of week 3 and this week was challenging.

I struggled a bit with Tuesday's workout. For the first time I took off without a quick yogurt or oatmeal and I also knew I had to get back home and showered quickly if I wanted to drop Levi off for his last day of school and then on to the airport. I didn't bonk but I definitely didn't feel like I was really all in and struggled a bit.

Being back on the road for work was great but challenging when you are trying to eat well. I threw in a few protein bars and asked for my steak grilled dry and substituted the potato for broccoli at dinner (thank goodness my friends are also habitually healthy eaters and did the same without ridiculing me). The wine was definitely off plan though! Coming back through the Phoenix airport was the worst as fast food reigned without even a turkey sandwich in sight. I am going to have to come up with packing strategies for my food. I have a conference in Colorado, another day trip to Phoenix and a week in Orlando coming up in the next month and need a plan to avoid food courts and banquet meals. Just think about all the sparkling water I'll be drinking during the social events, it makes me feel healthy just thinking about it!

Thursday's workout was also difficult. The weights were so heavy that I had trouble keeping good form and I think my shoulders are more tender today than my legs after an hour of squats. There must be a compromise here, we'll see if Christina agrees.

The tweak that I knew was coming but thought would be another week out... we are upping the cardio and getting stricter with the diet. The goal... a total of 5000 calories burned a week. I don't know where I am today but even with the daily workouts and dramatically improved diet I bet I have a lot of work to do to get calories down and exercise up to reach the goal. With this goal we are cutting out carbs after noon.Makes the afternoon snacks a bit more challenging. More list making in my future as I adapt to these new changes.

I think I'll take a quick run despite the fact that I already did spinning this morning, 5000 is a really big number! We are headed to the neighbors for our usual Friday night happy hour and what better way to end a run than in the pool.

The Most Useful Thing I've Learned...

Did I mention that the diet hasn't been a problem yet? Yes, I would like a piece of pizza and I'm really thinking about a taco on my day off Saturday or maybe a chocolate croissant or lemon tart from the new French bakery opening just down the street.

Besides those occasional thoughts though I'm really not feeling deprived at all. I eat constantly trying to get in 5 small meals a day and they are all substantial meals. They might be small but with protein and carbs in each one I'm seldom hungry unless I sneak up on four hours between meals at which point I start to go into a mild panic. This doesn't feel like a diet and really probably isn't... it's just a better way of eating.

We have found some absolutely outstanding recipes that still have me looking forward to dinner and the leftovers. Can you believe it? I'm eating leftovers and enjoying them.

Thank goodness Joel and I are good cooks. Poorly cooked chicken breasts deserve their reputation but a perfectly cooked one, particularly when you buy local/organic, are awesome. Grilled or cooked over dry heat, braised in broth. You name it and I've been eating it and loving it. With grapefruit salsa. Grilled with Peri Peri courtesy Neale. In fajitas (who knew corn tortillas were a good choice?). Slow cooked with pintos and a classic mirepoux.

Fish has been my other stand-by. Seared or grilled tuna, salmon and halibut with a big side of vegetables is one of my favorite. I'm also getting out for lunch once a week treating myself to sushi/sashimi. Next week I think we better throw in some beef just to up the variety.

Not to say that we aren't going to throw a good rib-eye on the grill at the end of the summer or that I'm going to pass up the puffy tacos at Vivo's. But nice to be building up a whole variety of things that I can eat all week long so that I can have that puffy taco on Saturday before I slip on that swimsuit.

Speaking of food... time for lunch.

2 of 24 training sessions down, week 2 done.

Well, not done. I still have to find time for cardio on Friday and Saturday which is the part I tend to find myself dreading. I actually look forward to the training sessions. But still, the really measurable part of the week is behind me.

Today's workout was upper body with enough mat work where my head was below my heart that I'm still a little lightheaded and nauseous three hours later.

WO4:
Warm-up
3 sets 12 each side standing DB rows
3 sets 20 DB chest press followed by 20 DB flies
3 sets 20 caterpillars followed by 20 oblique push-ups

3 sets 20 ? - lay on the ground gripping DB and pull from behind head through to chest
3 sets 20 ? - plank position raising alternating hands

3 sets 20 DB curl-ups

This morning as I dropped Levi off at school I introduced myself to a mom who I had heard is also training with Christina and Mariah. Turns out she is in week 12 and she was headed for her last session. She looked fantastic and was not thrilled that the 12 weeks were over but disappointed that it was coming to an end. I was pleased that I took the time to stop her as it was an encouraging reminder that I can continue to take whatever they throw at us even as it ramps week by week.

After a few months off she plans to start up again in August and invited me to join her as she lives in our neighborhood only a few blocks away. I'm actually thinking about it. First things first though... weeks 3-12.

Week 2, Workout 3

It is easier to knock out a big goal if you can break it down. When the reps are just too much (and 3 sets of 20 of everything we do almost always is!) then I close my eyes and just try to push through to 10 then start again and see if I can't get another 10. That last 10 sometimes has to be broken down into 5s.

We are in week 2 of 12 and I'm still loving this. Week one -check. Week two - in progress; one of two workouts with Christie down. Only 10 more weeks after that. I can so do this.

Sure, 5am is early. But if you put those feet straight on the floor and into your shoes and leave yourself time for a yogurt before heading out the door it is not so bad and at 7:15 when I'm driving down Bee Cave absolutely exhausted yet feeling great I know I've already done something good for myself and still have my entire day in front of me. It definitely helps though that I know I only have to do it 2 days a week. Yes, I have to workout pretty much everyday but I can jump on the bike at home at 6am which seems like a luxury or even hit the gym at work over lunch.

This past weekend we had an extra upper body workout to do on our own. I think that will be the norm. Strength training homework assignments above and beyond the 3-4 days of cardio that is.

3 sets of 20 each:
Dumbbell Bicep Curl, Tricep Pushups, Burpees (Burpees suck)
3 sets 10 each:
Dumbbell Hammer Curl, Overhead Dumbbell Extensions, 40 Mountain Climbers
3 sets:
30 second run followed by 25 chair dips and 30 second plank

This morning was a lower body workout. You burn between 500-800 calories in the hour and the idea that it is lower body is completely false. I can feel every muscle in my body right now from my ears to my toes.

WO3:

3 sets 20 step-ups followed by 10 lateral squats each side
3 sets 12 stand from wall with overhead weight followed by moving lunge & twist
3 sets alternating skips followed by 10 toe dips each side
3 sets 20 incline push ups followed by 20 squat jumps

It's been 4 hours since my last meal and 2 hours since my last latte which counts as a snack at this stage in the game given the protein in the skim milk. I'm starving. A chicken fajita for my 4th 'meal' of the day at 1pm.

Training Tidbits

So the first week of 6am workouts is behind us.

I've certainly been sore all week but the workouts are manageable. The cardio leaves me incredibly winded and I'm forever slow but the second day was better than the first and I expect it will only continue to improve. I enjoy the strength training although with the heavier weights I find I can't always do all twenty reps three times each. My arms in particular turn to jelly before the end of the set and just refuse to lift another weight. I just have to remind myself not to give in too early as I'm only cheating myself if I give in when it merely gets hard rather than when I'm physically tapped out.

I had the thought this morning that it might be smart to try to document the workouts so I can repeat them on my own later when I don't have the luxury of a trainer. So to the best of my recollection I'll try to capture each days workout here.

WO 1:

Orientation, Foam Rolling Techniques & Warm up

• 2 sets ten seconds high knees, fast feet, & jumping jacks;
• 2 sets ten reps squats, trunk extensions, push-ups;
• 2 sets there & back high knees, butt kicks, punter kicks, & lunge with a twist.
• Out & back jog. Quarter mile?

Strength Training: Some combination of squats, dead-lifts and shoulder presses.

WO 2:

• Foam Rolling, warm up, out & back jog.
• 3 sets push-ups 10 each, 20 each I'm not sure.
  
• 3 sets 20 tricep presses followed by 20 alternating oblique push-ups.
• 3 sets 25 kettle ball swings.
  
• 3 sets 25 kettle ball rows.
  

Sunday, Monday and Wednesday were cardio session on bike. I'm looking forward to changing it up a bit this weekend with a run around Town Lake.

It helps that each morning Jacob asks me, "Mom, did you exercise yet today?"

And Then There Was Protein

4 days in and so far so good.

The diet, surprisingly, is the part I am enjoying the best. Probably because it is a puzzle of sorts. No Atkins or South Beach or any other diet that focuses on eliminating certain food groups. This is just about balanced meals, portion control and getting your metabolism up.

My typical diet would consist of a latte around 8:30am, maybe lunch out (Mexican, Thai, pizza, etc...) or maybe I would miss lunch if I got distracted at work, and then dinner out or in. If we eat in I had been cutting back portions and trying to do more meat/veggies and less carbs but if we eat out all bets are off. The worst of days were the ones where I ate no breakfast or lunch and showed up at 6pm with dangerously low blood sugar and an attitude to match.

Now I am eating 5 meals a day, all balanced between carbs and proteins. Ok, that's doable but add in a target to reach 100g of protein a day and do it in under 1050 total calories then it becomes tricky. That is where the puzzle comes in.

I did go grocery shopping last Friday and bought what I thought I would need for the week and once I started putting the puzzle together real-time found that I went through ALL the protein by Wednesday morning.

I suspect as soon as I have the puzzle solved they will modify the diet and I'll be back at square one but for now one week at a time and this one is going well.

Ready to Rumble?

Yes, yes I am.

Am I motivated? Absolutely.

Am I nervous. You better believe it!

Today is the first day of a 12 week fitness challenge that I’m throwing myself into with every muscle in my body.

My goals? To improve the way I eat and lose a few pounds, to tone up this body that has gone soft from years of neglect, and to improve my overall fitness level. I’d like to be able to snow ski with the boys, I’d like to learn to wakeboard this summer, I’d like to be able to hop back on my bike and do two loops at Muleshoe again.

How am I going to get there? Well sitting around and thinking about it hasn’t gotten me much of anywhere in the last several years. What all that thinking did was help me to realize that what I needed was nutrition training, motivation, routine, and most importantly… accountability. That’s when I seem to excel. When someone besides myself is really expecting me to get something done. Then I can move mountains. If I'm only accountable to myself I tend to move wine glasses.

Enter Andrea who, driven by goals of her own, invited me to join her for a 12 week body camp with Revelation Fitness, owned by her friend Mariah MacDonald. Perfect. 5 minutes later and a quick scan of the program I realized it had every element I needed to get this body moving again and I jumped in before I could think twice.

Now the start of that 12 weeks is here.

I met with Mariah last week for an orientation session before we begin training Tuesday. Basic nutrition counseling, goal setting, measurements, and even the dreaded “before” pictures.

I’m glad I got started early because it gave me a few days to fool around with the food logs and learn that grilled cheese sandwiches just really aren’t a great choice when you are looking to lose weight. Of course I knew that but until you see the numbers you don’t realize just how bad a choice it is!

So remember my somewhat modest goals above? Improve my nutrition, tone those arms and legs, maybe lose 5-10 pounds along the way and generally improve my fitness level? Yea, no. New revised goals after 30 minutes with Mariah...

• Run the Hill Country Twilight 5K in 32 minutes at the end of June.
• Lose 22 pounds,
• 3 dress sizes,
  
• and 14% body fat by July 29^th!

I can only imagine how intense this is going to get. But I can do anything for 12 weeks. Particularly when someone is expecting me to do it and has absolutely no intention of letting me fail.

Twelve weeks. That is 3 months. One quarter. Half a semester. One trimester. It is the blink of an eye. And likely the longest 12 weeks I can imagine. I’m sure there will be day,s many days when my commitment wavers but… it’s only twelve weeks. Put one foot in front of the other. Turn the crank. I’ve surprised myself before.