I'm not the same...

Last year I kind of starting getting fit, it might have even been the year before that, in 2010.  I started running. I mean started! I think the first race I did was a 3k. I thought I was going to die!!  I really am not a runner! 

Even though I had been overweight, and according to BMI and other standards I was "Clinically Obese" which I kind of just thought I was good enough still, I was moving, I was active (or what I thought would be active) I played with the kids.  I wasn't one of those moms at the park that would just sit on the bench because they couldn't play or walk around.  I felt like I often was doing physical things with my family. 

Like I said, I entered a few races, never trained really good enough to really do well at them, basically just barely finishing them.  I would be sore the next 3 days or more from running.  This went through the summer of 2011.  I lost a few pounds but nothing really to notice.  My hubby who is a runner told me to start running and I would drop all my weight that way.  After all that is what he does each year, he gains a few pounds during the holiday, starts running in January getting ready for his big races, and ta-da.... he drops the weight he gained plus more.  Yeah, didn't work for me, plus I HATED running!  It's hard to be motivated by something you dislike so much!

November of 2011, I had a gorgeous perfect friend that invited me to her workout classes.  They started at 5 AM, yes 5 in the morning!  I was like, yeah.... no thanks!!  I am not a morning person.  I would prefer to stay up until 5 in the morning than go to bed and get up at 5 am.  She had done some sort of "challenge" blah blah something and lost body fat.  I was not sure where that fat came from because in my eyes this woman is one of those you want to hate... she is unbealivably beautiful, he hair is alway perfect, she looks good in anything she wears, even when she is shoveling mud she looks cute.  You know the type right...?  Well that is this friend.  I finally decided to try it out.  I thought it would be fun because it was more weight kind of traning and I LOVE weights and being strong.  And anything was better than running!

I go to this class, barely getting out of bed, and here are these other "barbie" workout girls.  I was thinking REALLY?  Here I am, BIG and I can't keep up with them, I am sweating so much I feel like I just stepped out of the shower, and I am having a hard time catching my breath.  Yeah it was that fun. 

I was embarressed to be there with these other ladies that seemed so fit and fabulous, I felt like I had nothing in common with them, I wasn't going to come back!  When I got home I was thinking about it and was really being honest and asking myself, why am I not going back?  The reason I wasn't should be the real reason really to go back.  Be uncomfortable, be imbarressed, what ever it took, I needed to do it to get the happiness that I wanted when I looked in the mirror. 

I'm not talking that happiness when you look in the mirror because you look so HOT and you want everyone to be jealous of how wonderful you look.  I'm talking about the happiness that I could look in the mirror and like who I saw, the happiness that comes from liking the person I am.  Many years I would look in the mirror but not liking what I see.  I knew the person I was/am is an amazing person but I didn't ever see that.  It was hard to see that through the unkind thoughts in my head and how disgusted I felt at myself and the way I looked.

This truly was such a blessing in my life!  My friend surely was inspired to invite me to come with her as a friend.  I was always be so grateful for her to spur me on when I needed it.  The timing was perfect!  The same challenge my friend had done, was being repeated in Feb 2012.  I was up for the challenge of it, and was so glad I did it!  I not only loss some weight but I was finding that person inside again too.  It was very emotional for me and spiritual too. 

This is a picture that was taken in Sept 2009.  I may have lost a few pounds or gained a bit of muscle since this picture and before the challenge, but I was the same weight on the scales really. 

I had a BMI of 38.4 (obese catagory) when I first started working out and then after the challenge I had a BMI of 29.9. Still in the "overweight" catagory.  I lost 6% body fat, and gained 6% muscle. 

I lost 7-1/4 inches off my waist just from the challenge alone. Crazy huh! 

 

The challenge consisted of 12 weeks of workout plans, meal plans, and 4 inspirational sessions.  The things I learned during the challenge I have adopted in my life and my eating habbits and life style.  I became more flexible too which I hadn't really counted on.  I was able to put my wedding ring back on, something I took off shortly after I had my twins who are now 10 years old. 

 

I think the biggest change has really been my attitude, my outlook, and the way I feel about myself.  I think that is the biggest thing I lost.  I did go on to lose a total of 60 lbs which spanned from before and after the challenge until about the time school started again.  With the holidays and other things, I have put a few pounds back on.  I lost a total of 11 inches off my waist and 7 inches off my hips too.  Amazing right!  Something else....  I went from a size 18 (probably really size 20 but I couldn't bring myself to buy that size) to a size 10 in jeans.  Is that amazing?  Crazy really!!  This was all in a 6-8 month time frame. 

 

Sometimes when I am with my husband and we are at a store or something, he wonders off and I do, he can't find me because he forgets I look so different.  Funny huh!  I few times I have seen a picture or video of someone in the back ground and totally thought it was someone else in my family.  Those are the little things that make me smile. 

 

I also ended up running the Epic Relay Race with my husband in August (I think that is when it was).  It is like the Ragnar Relay where it is a 12 man team, each runner runs 3 different times.  It went from Logan, UT to Jackson, WY.  Fun... even if you don't like to run.  I am totally doing this again this year!  (If you are interested let me know, we still need some runners.)

 

With all that being said, it is again that time of year to start getting ready for the challenge if you want to do it.  I am totally signed up for it.  If you want more information, go to her blog for details.  She also has FREE yes, FREE classes on Saturday at Westlake High School at 6:30 am. 

 

I know I still have a way to go, but I feel so much better.  If you have any questions or want more details, feel free to talk to me too.  I would be happy to share with you the things I have learned or have done.  I have wanted to do this post for about 6 months or so, but you know how life gets, and I am also one of those people that feel like it has to go in order.  I am all out of order now...   I'll have to play catch up and go back I guess to do the older stuff. 

The picture below is from Nov 2011, at the Gov. Gala and then the other picture is from July 2012 with my size 18 pants that no longer fit me.  I still have those pants though.... I'm keeping them as a reminder! ;)