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!