Hello, My Name is Bruce.

The first thing I think of when the name "Bruce" comes to mind is the fish-addicted shark in Finding Nemo. After I was told that Bruce was going to be picking up the pieces for Matt and taking me on as a client, my mind went right to that image. Big shark, lots of teeth, scary. Fun stuff, right? I was seriously hoping that this little fishy (me) was going to be a friend, and not food.

I failed to mention in my last post that I didn't work out on Saturday. I pushed myself a little too hard earlier last week and ended up pulling my calf muscle. By last Thursday, my right calf was double the size of my left and I was hobbling from place to place. Since the calf muscle is so versatile and widely used, I decided that working out on Saturday wouldn't be in my best interest. So, Bruce and I decided to allow my calf a weekend of rest and pick up the pace on Monday.

Monday afternoon rolls around, and I have an appointment with Bruce at 5:00. In the entire month and a half I've been working out and following this program, I had never been terrified to go to the gym. However, there's a first time for everything. Sometimes you just have to suck it up. So, suck it up I did. I walked into the gym a little slower than usual. I changed my clothes, locked my things up, and headed to Bruce's office. I was talking to another trainer while I was waiting for him to finish up his session, and she helped ease my fears quite a bit. She said that he was really nice to his clients when he was training him. But was he just going to butter me up before he ate me?

He came over to me and, with an enthusiastic high-five, asked me if I was ready to work out. I started to ease up a little when I saw his enthusiastic yet easy-going manner. I could get used to this Bruce. The session went by quickly, and we even smiled and laughed a few times! Crazy, I know. His regiment is more like Matt's than Ashley's - exercises are timed and more circuit-like. We will be working a lot on balance and core (Lord knows I need help in the balance department), and I feel good with this client/trainer pairing. Long story short, I'm a friend, not food! Yay!

Third Time's a Charm?

Just as I think my personal training frustrations are over, I get clotheslined with another setback. I walk into the gym on Saturday afternoon and head back to the Personal Training office. I see Bruce, the PT director, and another trainer. No Matt. He must be working with another client on the other side of the gym. I step into the PT office and say hello to Bruce and Jason. They both look up at me, and Bruce says, "Well, speak of the devil".

Yes, speaking of the devil, I have a personal training session at 12:30 with Matt. I'm supposed to be here, now where on God's green earth is he?! I ask very politely (yet with a noticeable twinge of frustration) where Matt is on this lovely Saturday afternoon. Bruce proceeds to tell me that, due to unforeseen circumstances, Matt is going to have to step away from personal training. WHAAAAAT!? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! I have lost another frickin' trainer? Is it me? Am I a nightmare to work with? Do they see me walk into the gym and run for cover?

I was never frustrated with Ashley when she told me she had to back down from our original agreement. I understood - she was offered a job in a different city. I was so happy for her to take on a new opportunity! I was sad, and I knew it was going to be rough without her, but I understood. Then Matt graciously stepped in. Unfortunately, I don't think he fully grasped the level of commitment and time this program would demand. I always kind of felt like I was a bit of burden on him, given that the service he was generously providing was not a paid gig, rather a trade-off of services. I was bummed when Bruce told me the news, but I was also a little frustrated because Matt and I could just never get our act together and in sync.

Bruce then tells me that he is going to personally take on this endeavor and train me. PT director, tattoo-ed dude, different personalities than Ashley & Matt, tough..... Yikes!! Let's hope that the third time is a charm. I'm not trying to go for a superfecta here.

Have I Gone Crazy?

There's really not a better way to say this, but..... this week has sucked.  My car dying on me last Thursday kicked off the bad vibes, and since then it's felt like I'm being conspired against. Whether something has been personal, work-related, or even workout-related, it's just plain sucked.

I took the rest of this past weekend to recover from my upper respiratory infection, considering I need a healthy respiratory system to keep from passing out while exercising. I held down my bed to make sure it didn't fly away and caught up on hours upon hours of lost sleep. By Monday I was rested and ready to start working out with my new trainer, Matt. I had talked to him over the weekend, and he warned that the workouts were going to be a bit more intense than Ashley's..... crapola.

Starting with the new trainer was a tad bit frightening, I must say. I had those butterflies in my stomach that felt eerily similar to walking into a new classroom on the first day of school. I've already graduated from college....this isn't supposed to happen anymore!! I crept over to the personal training area preparing myself for some sort of US Army-issued obstacle course. Nothing of the sort had been erected, thank God. I loosened up a little when Matt greeted me with a smile and an enthusiastic outlook on this new endeavor. I warned him that I hadn't worked out in a week, so I may whine a little more than usual. His smile didn't waver too much; I think we'll work together well.

The half hour session went by relatively quickly, and I didn't find myself looking at the clock at all. Relief! I can definitely get used to his workout regiment. He focuses more on circuit-type training (like Ashley), with a little less emphasis on the intervals that I was used to. We'd do work on a muscle group, then I'd sprint on the elliptical for 2 minutes. Repeat, repeat, repeat. First, the good news - I'm not scared anymore! Now, the bad news - he said he was going easy on me. S#*!.

Matt and I played phone tag on Tuesday and Wednesday, since I need a schedule to write down or I'm a forgetful mess. I finally nailed down a schedule on Wednesday evening that will get me through the weekend. Crisis averted. Phew. The last thing I needed was to have another reason to pull my hair out. The workout-related part of my life no longer sucks. Work and personal things... still a suck-fest. I won't get into that, but just know it isn't fun.

Throughout this abso-freaking-lutely lovely first part of this week, I had actually found solace in getting on the elliptical, putting on my headphones, cranking up the music, and running without trying to get to a stopping point. I can erase everything that is on my mind and focus on keeping pace with the beat of the music. I used to think that people who ran to clear their head were fit for the looney bin. Well, strap me in a straight jacket and lock me in a padded room, because I just jumped on that bandwagon. I can't wait to leave work and settle in for a nice long run on the elliptical this evening, because Lord knows I need it!

Life Was Good, Then It Wasn't.

First off, I am going to apologize for my delay in updating my blog. SO much has been going on! In the essence of time, I will try to consolidate a week and a half as much as I can. Secondly, I am so honored by the amount of people who say they check my blog everyday! That's so cool! I've had people stop me at work and I've received facebook messages saying "Could you please update your blog?! I look everyday and every time I don't see a new one, I'm disappointed!" Well, friends, here you go! :)

So, last week was a little lackluster, but only for the first couple days. I kept telling myself that something will happen that will be substantial enough to write about. But nothing happened. Nothing good, nothing bad. Just nothing. I had hit a bit of an impasse with the weight loss, and that was obviously frustrating. I wasn't visibly losing much weight, but I started to feel a change in my clothes. No more muffin top! Yeah, buddy! (The Jersey Shore reference just felt right. Sorry guys.) Monday and Tuesday went by slowly but surely. I worked until 4:30 then went to the gym. This is basically the story of my life these days, which I am fine with. The routine is kind of nice, actually.

Then, Wednesday came. The dark cloud that had eluded me for two days decided to dump that many days' worth of rain on my head at once. As I'm rounding out my 30th minute running intervals on the elliptical machine, I see Ashley out of the corner of my eye. I waved to her enthusiastically and said, "Hey friend!". She waved back and smiled as she made her way over to the machine I was occupying. As she got closer, her smile faded more and more. She said "So, I have some foul news".... "I just took a job in Lexington, so my last day here at the gym is February 2nd..." And the rain, thunder, and lightning gods strike with a vengeance. Great. Grand. Wonderful. Of course I was happy for her, but then I wanted to cry. How in the world was I going to function without my amazingly awesome trainer and friend?! AHHH!!!! If there was a time to panic, now would have been as good as any. So panic I did.

I booked up as many sessions as my body could handle before her last day. I worked hard every time we met after Tuesday, and I put in extra time at the gym. I tried to learn from her as much as I could, since every minute was now precious. She said that the only thought that crept into her mind when she got the job offer was "OH NO! LINDSAY!". I am so glad that we got so close in such a short amount of time, and she will always be considered a friend. We were a great pair, and I truly appreciate every minute she gave up when she could have been making money with another client to coach me and train me.

I approached this past week with a fury to work hard and perform well for Ashley. That fury only lasted until Monday. I was not a happy camper that I lost wind that early in the week. I attended a visitation for a co-worker's husband on Tuesday evening, so naturally that took precedence over the gym; obviously Ashley understood. By Wednesday, my nose was completely stopped up. I sounded like a creepy old guy breathing heavily into a telephone receiver. It was lovely, and I'm sure my co-workers absolutely enjoyed seeing my eyes bug out every time I blew my nose. So, I skipped the gym on Wednesday to pay a visit to the doctor. I had a fever of 100, elevated blood pressure, and an upper respiratory infection. Needless to say, I picked up my prescriptions and scooted on home. My head felt as if it was a balloon floating high above my body, and I now sounded less like a creepy prank caller and more like Darth Vader in surround sound.

I took Wednesday to rest up, and I subsequently took the day off from work on Thursday. I'm an absolute peach to work with when I'm sick, so I'm sure the company would thank me for staying home. The next thing on my list to do on Thursday was to make it to my second photo shoot located in the downtown studio at 4:00. I felt like crap, so I wanted to make sure I didn't look like it too. I put on my new dress, fixed my hair, and took extra time to focus on my make-up. I walked into the studio at 3:58 and promptly stepped on the scale. I hadn't heard how the other ladies did, so I was a little nervous. I stepped on the scale.....I LOST 14 POUNDS!!! Finally, a 14-pound ray of sunshine broke through the dark cloud adorning my head! I can't wait to see next month's issue! Here's my shameless plug: the February issue of Today's Woman can now be viewed online at http://www.iamtodayswoman.com/! Check it out!

I got to my personal training session just in time despite the horrendous rush hour traffic. This was Ashley's last day, and I was dreading not having her by my side anymore. I still wasn't operating at 100%, but I wanted to work hard for her. We started out with squats, which I did 20 of. I stood up, and immediately felt dizzy. Not cool. I told Ashley how I felt, and it took her all of five seconds to decide that I shouldn't be working out. I was disappointed in myself and was even more saddened that I couldn't keep it up for Ashley. So I was on my way home by 5:35. I got to my car, put the key in the ignition, and nothing happened. I repeated the action a good twenty times, and my little Honda wasn't budging. When it rains, it pours, right?

So, Dad came to the rescue. Being a self-proclaimed Daddy's girl, I know enough about cars to correctly (most of the time) diagnose an issue. Sure enough, my feeling that my starter was going bad was on point. Eventually, the car started, and I was on my way home. Add 'fixing the car' to my to-do list. That brings us up to today. I'm feeling much better and can only hope for a better weekend and start to next week.

Cheers to a brighter future! :)

Highlight of the Day: PIZZA!!!!

I ended my week dieting and exercising like a good dieter and exerciser (is that a word? If not, I just made it one!) should. I worked out not two, not three, not four, but FIVE days in a row!!! Which is a personal best for me. I still break a sweat, but the room has quit spinning and I don't have to close one eye to walk in a straight line. That sounded a little more like what happens when I drink too much, but it's the same head rush. Maybe i'll give up having a couple drinks on the weekends once this is over and just push myself at the gym. Who am I kidding? What do I look like, a saint? Come April, bring on the beer!!! :)

As a result of two weeks of strict diet and exercise, I've finally climbed off of the weight loss plateau. 7 pounds and an unknown amount of inches have been subtracted from my rather hefty physique. Ashley and I are going to start measurements on Tuesday so that I don't get discouraged again when my weight loss tapers off. I helped my family move some pretty heavy antiques on Saturday and didn't have to pretend that I was holding up my end of furniture. I was actually putting in noticeable effort. Pretty cool!

But.... the most awesomely amazingly great thing about this week is..... I GOT PIZZA!!!!!! Okay, it wasn't a Pizza Hut ham and pineapple pizza full of tomato-ey sauce and greasy gooey cheese. It was veggies and sauce and cheese on an English muffin.... but it still counted as pizza. I'm a happy girl! But now I want Pizza Hut, and Papa John's, and Spinelli's, and Wick's.... sigh. Some day I'll get to enjoy a piece of pizza, but for now, I'm content!

All is Quiet on the Western Front

Like the subject of this post indicates, everything has been pretty quiet this week. Which means that I don't have nearly as much to report.

I'm getting used to the smaller portions, and I don't feel nearly as hungry as I did before. I'm amazed at how little time it took for me to adjust to healthy portions, and you can bet I'm happy about the end of the stomach-growling phase. I used to easily chug two Diet Cokes with my meals, and now I'm finished eating before I drink half of one! I feel bad about wasting half of a syrup-filled, carbonated drink that I paid for, but that's half of a syrup-filled, carbonated beverage that is not coursing through my veins. All of these small hints have indicated to me that this challenge is definitely about a lifestyle change; it's a marathon, not a sprint.

I can leave the gym now without feeling like my leg muscles would rip and coil up. I tell ya - that feeling of inescapable pain has been the hardest thing about this challenge. Every time I would go back, I would leave hurting worse than when I walked in the door. I missed a workout on Monday (I thought it was on Tuesday - oops!) and Ashley came down with the flu on Wednesday, so I've put it on myself to get to the gym this week. I worked out Tuesday night pretty hard and did the same on Wednesday. AND I DIDN'T HURT! Maybe it's time to up the weights and increase the incline on the treadmill, but I don't want to speak too soon!

I'm off the Aleve, and Epsom salt baths are no longer a necessary part of my evening routine. I can watch TV with only a little twinge of yearning for a Big Mac. I sleep better. My afternoon tiredness has gone away. The weight has kind of hit a plateau at the moment, but I feel that my clothes are fitting better than they did last week. I win!

Lessons Learned

Well, I survived the weekend. Barely. But I did learn a couple of valuable lessons.

1. TV is a bad, bad thing when on a diet. - After working out on Saturday morning and getting together with some friends on Saturday night, I deemed Sunday my "lazy day". No schedule, no leaving the house. As I was laying on the couch relaxing all of the muscles that I brutally beat on Friday and Saturday, I settled in to catch up on some of my beloved television shows that I missed during the week. I bet that 80% of the commercials I had to endure were for food. I kid you not. Don't these TV executives know I'm on a diet?!

Forget eating my turkey sandwich on whole wheat.... I want a Big Mac! Make that 2 for $4, actually. And because I know I can't eat these things, I want them even more. By no means am I implying the food I'm receiving from Home Cuisine is unappetizing, but those Dairy Queen chicken tenders with gravy look so good, it's riDQulous (like the pun?)!

2. I eat when I'm bored. - As Sunday came to a close and I had eaten all of the food that was given to me for the day, my mind began to wander. My idle hands and idle mind floated to the pantry (figuratively speaking - I don't need to torture myself by actually looking at the food too!) for no reason other than boredom. Being mentally and physically stimulated during the week helps to keep my mind off of the food that I shouldn't be eating. Keeping a schedule and forcing myself to stay with the task at hand has worked quite well for curbing the appetite.

 I better stock up on some good e-books on my Kindle so this doesn't happen every weekend. Or maybe I'll watch "Food Inc." and "Forks Over Knives" on Netflix to help combat my fast food cravings. Nothing like the cold, hard truth to keep you from doing something you shouldn't.

I'm also very pleased with myself for making it through an entire week of working out! Thank goodness Ashley keeps changing up the exercises and is creative; otherwise, I'd get bored with it (kind of like what happens every other year I vow to work out more). I couldn't sit down all the way without my legs giving out on me and letting me fall the rest of the descent on Saturday, but this pain is different than what I've felt before. It's well-earned and I know my work is paying off. I already feel like I possess strength I didn't before, and my mind and body are benefitting from this new lifestyle. I am more conscious of how much and what I eat, and I feel more rested and full of energy.

I'm going to take care of myself the rest of today by getting a facial (well-deserved, might I add) and relaxing my muscles. The games begin again tomorrow. I'm no longer scared of what Ashley's going to make me do or whether I'll get through the session without puking or passing out. We're making strides here, folks. Bigger strides than I could ever hope for!

Success!

Exciting news is in order as week one comes to a close - only Saturday and Sunday left to go! In 5 short days (working out and having ready to eat meals 3 of those 5)...........

I'VE LOST FOUR POUNDS!!!!!!!

So, I know four pounds may not seem like a lot right now, but it's proof that this plan is working! Woo hoo! I'm actually excited to step on the scale now. I didn't know that was something to get excited about, until now. I have more motivation than ever to keep the momentum going.

Like I mentioned yesterday, the snow was a bit of a hindrance on my gym routine. Being a native Louisvillian, I'll admit (unlike others here in this city) that I am the worst driver ever in any amount of snow. My muscles tense up, I white-knuckle the steering wheel, and I brake like it's my job. So, obviously, I didn't go to the gym. Annnnd..... I felt guilty about not going. So, I did a little Zumba and some situps and pushups in the living room. The guilt I felt has to be a good sign.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner yesterday were quite tasty. Peach crisp and vanilla yogurt, southwestern turkey salad, and miso chicken with broccoli and wild rice. Mmm mmm good. My stomach still hasn't adjusted to the smaller portions, though, so I'm still battling the mindless snacking and greasy food cravings. Last night, the delicious Toll House break n' bake cookies sitting in the fridge were screaming , "Bake me! Eat me!". So, I made a compromise. I baked the cookies and demanded that my step-dad eat every single one of them. I got to smell the cookies (and I may have snuck a half of one..... 25 calories!) while they were baking, then hand them off.

The trade worked well. He enjoyed the warm cookies, and they were no longer luring me in with their irresistible chocolatey goodness. Apparently they lured the dog in too. The dog scarfed a dozen cookies in no time flat and didn't even leave a crumb! After the initial shock of "OMG she ate chocolate!! She's going to croak!!" wore off, my step-dad grew angry that he didn't have that last dozen to enjoy. He was able to eat 28 (27 and a half) cookies before they went to the dog. So don't complain, daddy-o.

I have my first of two personal training sessions in two days this evening, and I'm ready to conquer it! Howver, the true test comes on Saturday evening (if I'm able to move). I'm going to a friend's house where there will be beer, wine, liquor, and appetizers. I'd rather work out again. I'll let you know how that goes on Monday.

Day 5 - 179 lbs. Still plenty to go.

Disclaimer: My step-dad works a very rigorous job at UPS, so he can eat those cookies and burn them off the next day. I wish I could do that.

Traffic, Snow, and Lasagna

As I'm walking into the gym yesterday to meet with Ashley for my 5:30 training session, my phone rings. Ashley says that she is so sorry, but she is stuck in traffic after an appointment in Lexington. She won't be able to get back in time to meet with me, and she already had to cancel her 5:00 appointment. Inside, my muscles are all doing a little (actually, a HUGE) cheer, thanking Lexington traffic for the day off.

Honestly, though, I was getting excited about trying my hand a second time with Ashley. I had taken her advice to heart - I consumed an ungodly amount of water (94.8 ounces!) and made sure to eat a nutrient-dense breakfast and lunch. However, I can't credit the food to me - I'd still be eating a McDonald's hamburger if it weren't for Home Cuisine. So, the news from Ashley about having to reschedule was a little bittersweet.

I was already at the gym and had put my things in a locker, and I wasn't going to just walk back out and look like a lazy bum. The head fitness trainer instructed me to hop on the elliptical machine for 20 minutes, and I re-scheduled with Ashley for Friday at 5. Please be informed that I will be hitting the gym with my relentless, albeit lovely, personal trainer two days in a row - Friday at 5 and Saturday at 11. Yikes! Somebody better have a wheelchair ready on Saturday afternoon!

I was beyond proud of myself for keeping a steady pace on the elliptical for 20 minutes; I haven't gone that long on a machine in about a year. My toned-down workout helped me work up a sweat and increase my heart rate, but my muscles were still getting a bit of a break. Regardless, I came home and was starving. I was excited for dinner until I remembered what I was having: that itty-bitty lasagna.

I bucked up, warmed the lasagna up, and pulled it out of the microwave. It smelled like it was going to be pretty awesome, I can't lie. I stuck my fork into the lasagna, and expected to pull out part of a noodle. Instead, the layers were broken up by slices of zucchini and squash. Can someone please tell me how something can be called lasagna without pasta?! Anywho, I ate part of the vegetables and cheese (I'm not going to call it lasagna - sorry I'm not sorry), and it was good. I was a little disappointed since I did expect a slice of lasagna, but I ate half of it anyway. My tastebuds are pretty well "American-ized"; pasta-less lasagna doesn't fall in that category. So, half of the food went in my stomach, and half went in the trash. I ate a small salad with less than a tablespoon of dressing to compensate for what I didn't eat.

The potato chips in the pantry continued to taunt me, so I was in bed reading a book at 9:00, far too early for me to call it bedtime. I'm getting a little break today since it's snowing outside - my little car and snow have never been friends. I'm prepared for Friday's session, but I can't promise I'll be as jazzed for Saturday.

Sorry for the longer post, but the lasagna has been a hot topic around the office, so I figured I'd be as detailed as possible :)

Round 2

I was so excited to go pick up my food after work on Tuesday, I couldn't get out of the office building fast enough. The woman at Rainbow Blossom handed me my bag of food, and it was much more than I had expected. I couldn't wait to get home to open my bag of goodies.

I walked through the door of my house, and promptly headed to the kitchen to put all of my food on display. Spinach salad, pork tenderloins, southwest turkey salad, English muffins and eggs, granola and yogurt, lasagna. I had quite the spread. I began to separate the food out by day and thought that something was missing from Wednesday's dinner selection. All I had was a serving of scrumptious-looking lasagna. I thought surely something was missing from this equation. Nope. That's my dinner. Just lasagna.

I talked myself through this apparent digestive dilemma and reasoned that lasagna was a pretty heavy food. If I ate in small enough bites and savored it, I could make this dinner last. Wednesday night hasn't rolled around yet, so I'll let you know how that goes in a future post. The serving sizes are pretty generous (besides that lasagna), given that I'm only eating 1,200 calories a day.

I ate my breakfast at 9:00 this morning (eggs, an English muffin, and a cup of fruit) and wasn't hungry until after 12:30! I couldn't tell you the last time I sailed through three hours without thinking about what I'm going to eat next. I could definitely get used to this. Kudos to Mae at Home Cuisine (http://www.homecuisineonline.com/) for making such filling yet healthy meals!

The next hurdle I'll be clearing is my second personal training session at 5:30 this evening. I am not nearly as sore as I expected to be, since I have been religiously keeping up with doses of Aleve and taking Epsom salt baths. I'm a little scared to get back on this horse since I felt so sick on Monday, but I've heard from so many sources that once I power through this and I gain just a little more strength, I'll be good to go. Let's hope you're right, people.

P.S. - I received an encouragement email from a colleague over in Belgium! How cool is that?! I am officially overwhelmed - I have people cheering for me in other countries! Woo hoo!

Feeling the Burn

I met with my trainer, Ashley, last night for Round 1. I had a trial run with her a few weeks ago, so I assumed that this time would be like the last. Boy, was I wrong.  After ten minutes on an elliptical trainer, we began to "kick tail" (Ashley's words) for half an hour.

Lunges. Push-ups. Mountain climbers. Shoulder presses. Squats. Planks. Down to the floor, then up on my feet, again and again.  Having eaten small meals and only one bottle of water throughout the day was definitely not enough. Needless to say, I was red-faced, shaky, and I felt like I was spinning around and around in circles. Ashley advised that I eat something before working out and drink plenty of water next time. I think I'm going to take that advice to heart.

Regardless of my long list of ailments, I made it through all of my first session! It was HARD, but so worth it! Today, though, my body is like a wet noodle. My legs, arms, shoulders, back, and abs were begging for mercy this morning; this afternoon, they have quieted down to a dull roar.  I'm taking the day off from the gym and will be nursing my muscles to prepare for Wednesday's beatdown. To be honest, I am a little nervous. At the moment, this is much harder than I anticipated. I am down today, but most definitely not out. The encouragement I receive from Ashley on a daily basis is motivation enough to keep it going.

I pick up my first batch of food tonight; tomorrow begins the strict diet regiment. Yesterday and today, I have been closely monitoring my caloric intake and portion size so that I am not thrown for a huge loop when I am given meals the size that a restaurant would deem too small for a young child. Learning about these portion sizes have brought to light exactly why it is so hard for Americans to be fit, healthy, and maintain a healthy weight. I admit, this will be something I will have to get used to since I have been partaking in these gigantic meals for years. All it takes is a little adjustment period.

So, for tonight, I'm going to pop a couple Aleve, soak in an Epsom salt bath, and mentally and physically prepare myself for tomorrow. It can only go up from here!

It All Starts... Today!

I woke up this morning, feeling anxious, excited, nervous, and hungry. Today is the first day of the rest of my new and improved life. Eek! While I was getting ready for work, my phone signaled I had a new text message.  My personal trainer, Ashley, started my day off right. I am always encouraged by her "You Can Do It!" attitude, and that little reminder of the support I have behind me was what I needed.

My first food pick-up is not until tomorrow evening, so I am on my own for the next two days to make healthy, yet filling, meal choices. Oatmeal for breakfast - good one. A chicken breast with some pickles for lunch - on the right track. I'm winning so far!

I have my first personal training session with Ashley this afternoon at 5. To be honest, I am a little scared. On the other hand, I couldn't imagine being paired with a better trainer (I'll probably rave about this girl throughout my journey!).  The outpouring of support from friends, family, co-workers, and my trainer has been overwhelming. I feel like I'm not only doing this to improve my quality of life, but to make everybody proud. What a great feeling to have such a strong foundation to start with. I can't thank everybody enough!

LET'S DO THIS!!!

Day 1 - 183 lbs. Plenty to go.