Where Did the Time Go?

I can't believe the final weigh in is THIS WEEK!!!! We're going to have such a fun week with final workouts, hair, makeup, new outfits, and the big party on Sunday! It's going to be like a reunion or something---I've got alot of friends coming and it will be fabulous to have them all in the same room together----old work friends, playgroup moms, volunteering friends, whitewater rafting friends, old school pals. It's so nice that so many people are coming out for this event---I really appreciate everyone's support and friendship, it means so much!
Lisa (FT's owner) is very thoughtful and really wants to see us succeed long after the Extreme Makeover is over. She's planning to meet with us to work out a continued fitness and nutrition plan to make sure we stay on track.

Feaster Five Fun!

The Feaster Five was awesome this morning---I've got the road race bug now! How fun and exciting to be running amongst 8000+ others. It was neat having both the 5K and 5 mile start and end at the same lines, but separate in the middle. We all converged together to complete the race. I'm happy that I was able to run the whole course, including the hill at the end. And I am very proud to say that I crossed the finish line before my trainer Anna. Of course, she ran the 5 miler and I did the 5 K :)) My FT blog buddy Erik made great time too!
No thanks to Brutal Brian, my trainer last night, who made me to hamstrings and quads to infinity----starting with 140 squats. Boy was it hard to get out of bed for the race this morning. He said I'd thank him later for making me do it, but I'm not so sure about that :)
In other news. my EM cohort Cherish spent a big chunk of yesterday at Indra----I won't "reveal" what they did to her hair, but I will say WOW!!! I never saw it before, but I think she looks like Jodie Foster!
My next race (undecided on if it will happen) involves a 3:30 wakeup so I can hit the "doorbusters" on Black Friday.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

To Erik

Erik, you are invited to the Reveal Party. I hope you can attend!

12 days and counting

Yikes! I can't believe we're in the home stretch! I've loved this experience---it's one of the best things I've ever done. But, in the same token, it's going to be nice to focus on some other things that have had to sometimes take a back seat---I've sort of compartmentalized things in my life so I could stay focused. After the reveal party on Sunday 12/7, I'll take care of a little medical issue, spend some really good quality time with each of my boys, make up for lost time with my husband, and get ready for the holidays. Oh, and buy some clothes that actually fit! :) I will also be looking for a gym (any suggestions?) and a job (anyone hiring?).

I absolutely will continue to follow the nutritional and fitness guidelines that have been personalized for me. I have learned so much about myself and my body. I feel so great right now---healthy and not starving! I intend to lose another 10-12 pounds after it's over, and see how I feel there. I know I'll never go back to how I was. Lisa showed me my "before" pictures, taken after I won the contest and Indra Salon---it's not pretty! I had a 'Jabba the Hut' chin and a nasty little muffin top!!!

We did photos today with Anna and Sam. And a mini-reassessment. Oh, and I picked up my race shirt, chip and number today---I'm so excited to run, I mean SLOG (=slow jog) my first Feaster Five!!

Checking in...

Thank you Nichole for another wonderful facial. I like the "nuturing" aromatherapy tonight---she always starts off with a little aromatherapy moment, where you choose from three scents to have infused into the facial. My favorite, favorite part of all is when she massages my scalp!!! A couple days before the reveal I'll visit her one last time for a quick brow wax followed by a DMR (?) treatment with Paula, which is some sort of ultrasonic skin treatment.

Really looking forward to a good morning workout tomorrow with Brian. My Mother-in-law Mary was sweet enough to watch the boy for me, so I'm going in early. It will be a nice change to be able to not have to haggle over times and schedules tomorrow night with Bill....it's been a big change for him to have to "work with me" over these last few months. Prior to the EM, he didn't have to always ask about staying late at work (or whatever), he just did it. Now we have to plan the week ahead on Sunday and then check in for changes all week. But, it works and it's worth it. My four year old seemed resentful at first, not wanting me to leave to workout. He'd cry, tell me not to leave, etc. Now he just knows it's his "daddy time" and gets it. He's learned that what I'm doing is important so that I'm happy and healthy and can take better care of my family. He tells me that he exercises to stay healthy too. That makes me feel really proud! :)

One week from tomorrow is the Feaster Five. Seems like half the people I talk to in Andover participate in it. I'm really excited for it----I really don't have any set time goal, I just want to get through it. I've been getting shin splints toward the end, so I'm trying to increase my endurance and speed as much as I can without making it worse. I'll run/walk the course tomorrow, just to get a better feel for the streets and hills.

Went to Market Basket for chicken (my staple food these days) and noticed my photo on the cover page of the Townsman...an article about the Feaster Five....then another article about the EM on page 14...I've never been in the newspaper twice in the same issue, til today....I may have to start dressing incognito soon :)))

Etc.

Okay, lots to tell. Met with Amy from dresscode. She's planning to wait until we're near the very end of the EM, and then have us come in and have fun trying on different styles. She told Cherish she'll take us out of our "comfort zones".
Interviewed with Bethany Bray from the Townman for the EM, who was doing a little follow up article on how things are going. She'll be at the Reveal 12/7.
Training as best I can for the Feaster Five. This weekend I did the route, walking the first half, running the second. It's a nice route, with a couple good hills. My shins were on fire at the end! Another reporter interviewed me and some high school boys at the starting line. That article and a photo of me and the boys will also be in the Townsman. Their "angle" was having the young athletes speak to the mom/Feaster Five rookie about what to expect.
Visiting my aesthetician friend Nicole on Wednesday for a facial at Indra. I love the sensitive skin Aveda lotion and cleanser she gave me last visit.
This week continues high weights, low reps. It's the type of exercise that makes you feel like you're a wimp in spite of the fact that you know you're stronger, because you're constantly working to the max. If you can do 10 reps, the weights go up! Tonight was all upper extremity---chest and arms. Definitely where I need more strength. Tomorrow is lower extremity and abs. That's the workout that really makes me sweat!
Happy Birthday to trainer Brian this Friday!!! What a guy...he'll be spending his 23rd birthday night training yours truly. Happy Birthday also to my cousin Jason!
Thanks to Cherish for letting me borrow the double jogger stroller today....what a workout pushing a stroller can be when your boys total 65 pounds!
I just love, love, love my teeth---veneers ROCK!
So happy that Aunt Mimi had a great outcome after her surgery last week---we love you!


Down 21 pounds. And counting...

25 days!

There are 25 days left before this Extreme Makeover comes to an end. I'm really excited and proud of accomplishing so much in this short time, but also a little sad to see it coming to an end!
Having a deadline has always been good for me----knowing how many days are left makes me more focused and task oriented.
I really love the workouts we're doing this week---it's alot of heavy weights and really pushing myself to the max. I think I may be able to do my first "man push up" soon :)

I want to send my thoughts to "Auntie Mimi" (my uncle's wife Lisa)---I hope you have a speedy recovery. We love you! :)

Dress Code

Well I finally got the opportunity to visit Dress Code today. There is a nice mix of beautiful clothing in there---some cool vintage looks, great jeans, hip boots and shoes, and dresses fit for the Oscars (like a teal green gown with jeweled shoulders in the window display right now). There was a gorgeous dress in hues of pink that caught my eye the most---it was just so pretty (and a style that I wouldn't have considered ever trying on "pre-EM"!)

I really enjoy just walking around in downtown Andover (especially without both kiddos in tow). There are some great stores and with the nice weather today, everyone was out and about.

On my way out of town, I flew into FT to do a quick mile on the treadmill before Billy closed up. Brian had me doing 1/2 mile fast runs on the treadmill yesterday and got me thinking about trying to improve my time. I'm a slow-poke runner, and it never really occured to me to try to run faster, only to try to run long enough to get through a 5K. But I'm going to switch around my thinking for these last 4 weeks and run for distance and not for time. So, for example, I ran 1 mile in 9:56 today. Instead of doing a 10 minute run before a training session, I'll now run a mile as fast as I can (or 2 mile, 3 mile, etc) and try to always beat the best time. I think I'm going to need to get new sneakers---my treads are wearing out like the tires on my car are :)

Back to Dress Code for a second. Amy, the owner, wasn't in this morning, but I think she has some clothing in mind for Cherish and I already. I'm curious to talk with her about what styles she feels would work best for our new body shapes. I don't even know for sure what size I am anymore, let alone what cuts and lengths I should be looking for! I'm really looking forward to going out after the holidays are over (hopefully with a few nice gift cards from Santa!) to buy some "small clothes". Although I've had this weight loss plateau over the last couple weeks, I can tell that my body is changing and inches are dropping/shifting by the way clothes fit. Most of the jeans I'm wearing now can be taken off without unbuttoning them!

I hope everyone is having a nice weekend!

Brutal Brian strikes back!

Whoo hoo Brian is all business this week with me, and I love it. Don't get me wrong, I throw him evil eyes and pouts and stares, and every bit of it hurts, but I don't even dare to complain to him. Tonight was another total body workout, and it was all changed up from the TBW on Monday. Moving from one exercise to the next so quickly, and doing higher sets of reps really makes it as much of a cardio workout as a strength training one. Whew! I felt great walking out of there!!!
I call him Brutal, but I mean it in the most respectful way! I would never ever have worked out so hard alone. He pushes me to maximize every second there. I really appreciate it, despite my whiny complaints.
My friend Crystal is going to come workout with Anna at the same time I work out with Brian tomorrow----it will be a fun time!

December 5th

Hair design will be done by April on the Friday before the Reveal. Cherish and I will get to hang out together there for a few hours while we get primped.

Beautiful!

Oh my gosh I love my veneers! They are so beautiful. Keri at the dental practice is a doll---she actually came in early just to be there this morning. And when she, Donna and Dr. Nahata took a look at the veneers in my mouth, they decided that they wanted them brighter. They seemed pretty good to me, what do I know, but I appreciated how they wanted to be sure to get the color just right. So I came back early this evening with brighter, whiter veneers fresh back from the lab. I wish I could buy everyone in that office a really nice gift---they are all so great!

Awesome new workouts this week!

The total body workout with Brian Monday was just fantastic. I felt like I'd accomplished so much in a short time. Then yesterday Dorothy spend an entire session with me on some midsection strengthening---awesome exercises that you can actual feel working those hard to reach spots around your waist!!! At one point, Dorothy (and Anna) were both on the floor with me, helping me focus on some really tough dynamic plank execises.
I skipped cardio yesterday as I evidentally caught a bit of the bug that my kids had over the weekend and I've been wheezing and coughing since Monday. I'll take a quick (hopefully quick) trip to the PCP today to see if I need meds. I hate not doing cardio now that I'm in thr routine!
And yes, I am doing the Feaster Five. Probably the 5K run portion. I have several friends who will be there walking and running. Looking forward to it!!!
Oh, can't remember if I mentionned it already, but the "BIG reveal party" is going to be at Glory Restaurant in Andover on Sunday, December 7th at 4 p.m. Yay!!!!

How can it be November already?!?!

Wow time is flying! There is still lots to do before the big reveal, which has been tentatively scheduled for 12/7. I intend to drop another 10+ pounds by then. Cherish and I took a hike today which was terrific (thanks Cherish!). Thank goodness that she won this thing with me---it's been really helpful mentally (and child-care wise!) to have her going through the process with me. I do really miss out core workouts together in the beginning---lots of fun working together, and I'm hoping we'll be able to do a little more of that before it's over. I'm going to have a couple friends join me for a workout this month, so they can see where I've been so much and check FT out for themselves.
On Thursday Dr. Nahata will complete the dental transformation by giving me permanent veneers. So exciting! After having the same dentist my entire life, I am finally moving on to this dental practice from now on----they are AWESOME!
Many of you know that I had a minor medical procedure last month---everything came back fine in that regard---yay! And I get to postpone the other procedure until after the reveal party in December.
Brian gave me a super crazy workout session on Friday----I sure feel it today. Lunges up the ying-yang! :) I told him to be tough on me this month, and he obviously listened. I can't wait to start the week tomorrow!