The official completion

Today was the 5K. It was a beautiful day and a wonderful course. It went alongside Provo River and the sound of the water was so soothing. I was hoping to run the whole way, but after the first couple of miles I had to walk a little and then start running again. I'll bet that out of the 3.1 miles I was able to run about 2.75 miles. That in itself is an accomplishment. Maybe the next one I'll be able to run even farther (I'm planning to run the Strawberry Days 5K), and eventually I'll actually run a whole one! I was able to take 1st in my age group (and yes, there was more than just me in that age group). I was excited about that and I was excited about my finish time.
Last night was our dinner. Everyone looked so good. The food was delicious (best part was I didn't have to cook it or clean up afterwards!!). It was so interesting to hear Traci tell about the accomplishments of each woman. Some were remarkable, but all were impressive as improvements were made in each woman's life.
Once again - I am so thankful for the people that spearhead this whole heart challenge - Janet, Traci, Jalaine, and the others. It must be very rewarding for you to see all the achievements and results. I wish the next group of participants good luck on their path. A new group of hospital employees starts Monday. To those who will be involved next year in the 100-Day Heart Challenge, I hope it's as awesome an experience for you as it was for all of us. Good luck to you.
To my family and friends - thanks again for all your support. I'm so grateful for my own accomplishments and results, and I know a big part of my final success was because of you being there urging me on. To the other participants - good luck as you continue to reach your final goals and continued success in the changes you've made in your personal lives. I was blessed to get to know each of you. Thanks too to my trainer Dylan - I appreciate your pushing me and teaching me.
Overall - this was a wonderful experience and I'm so thankful to have been able to participate.

The End . . . and The Beginning

Today marked the end of our 100-Day Heart Challenge. We were weighed, waist circumference taken, body fat measured, cholesterol, glucose, triglycerides, blood pressure, and heart rate - all checked. I feel good about everything except my blood pressure. I know I've been stressed lately - one of my part-time jobs stresses me out!!
So, with today being the end of the challenge it's also the beginning for each of us. We're now on our own - no trainer, no weekly checkins, no food journaling requirements, no nutrition classes, etc. After talking to several of the women this morning, I think most (if not all of us) plan to continue to watch what we eat and how much we eat, and also continue to exercise. I think we all feel pretty good about where we're at at this point, and although we may not be to our goal, we see it as attainable.
I'm happy to be where I'm at (except for that darn blood pressure!). I feel I've worked hard and done what was asked of us. I'm excited to be down in weight and in clothing sizes. I feel good!!
One more thing - I'm very thankful to have been chosen as a participant in this heart challenge. I feel better health-wise than I've felt in a VERY long time. I'm grateful to all those involved and have been the organizers, the cheerleaders, our leaders and coaches along this experience. Thank you, thank you, thank you. And to those other participants - way to go, and thanks for all I've gained from you - committment, courage, perseverance, friendship, encouragement, etc.

Dinner out!

Last night was our monthly get-together with the "football" moms (minus Shelly - we missed you!). We went to the Blue Lemon in Highland. I had the chicken dumpling soup and raspberry chicken salad. Both were very tasty and delicious. I recommend trying this place if you're looking for someplace new. Their food is "pure clean food, with a twist". "We use fresh ingredients from local farms in our homemade, made from scratch recipes." "Our food is free of preservatives, artificial flavoring and coloring, irradiation, synthetic pesticides, fungicides, ripening agents, fumigants, drug residue, and growth hormones." (Those are all taken from their take-home menu.) As usual, when we get together, we had a great time, lots of visiting, and lots of laughs. I love all of you girls!
Today as I worked out I thought about how - for me - this was the last "hard" exercise workout before the weigh-out Friday. I thought back about how when I first started I'd sit on the ball to do the shoulder exercises with the hand weights and as I looked in the mirror I could see that roll around my middle. I'd pull my shirt loose so it wouldn't show. That roll is almost gone now, thank heavens. I'll work out again tomorrow but I won't include the strength-training (weight machines). I do those 3 times a week. We're not supposed to eat anything after 7:00 tomorrow night or exercise on Friday as it could skew the blood results.
Dylan asked me at our last workout together Monday night how I thought my results would be. I told him that I'm happy with where I'm at right now, although I'm not at my final goal weight yet. I also said that the results Friday aren't just weight loss - it's the cholesterol, glucose, blood pressure, triglycerides, etc. I also mentioned that I know there are several of the ladies that have worked very hard and given it their all and that I admire them. I've read their blogs and I've read that some wished their results to this point were different, but they had positive attitudes and committment to continue to work to get to the point they want to be at after the challenge is done. I've watched some of these women workout, and they've truly "worked their butts off." I'm glad to have been associated with them and have been inspired by them to continue to work hard even when feeling like letting down some. They've kept me going, even though they may not have been aware of that. So - thanks to all you fine ladies and to your hard work and committment. I'm so thankful to have been a part of this challenge and for getting to know you.

Turning 57!

Today is my birthday and I am now 57. I got an email from my missionary son last Wednesday that asked how I felt to be so old - haha! I wrote him back and told him that I feel great and that I'm in some of the best shape I've ever been in. I do feel I'm healthier than I've been in years. I'm also a smaller size than I've been in years and that in itself makes for a happy day!! I went shopping last week to find some capris/shorts to replace the ones that no longer fit, and I was able to find some that weren't too expensive and fit and were cute! I'd bought new shirts last summer (they fit better this year!) so I think I'm ready for summer.
For some reason I didn't sleep real well last night - it was one of those nights you look at the clock every hour. I hate those nights because they're not very restful. However, I did do a little reflecting on some things - like being 57 means I'm only 3 years from being 60 and for some reason that hit me harder than turning other decades. I haven't accomplished several things I have on my goal list, so I need to buckle down and make better use of my time so I can feel more of a sense of accomplishment.
This heart challenge has helped me accomplish a couple of things that I'd wanted to do but put off. One was changing my diet and exercising more so that my cholesterol will (hopefully) come down. My doctor had told me to do that a couple of years ago. The other thing was to lose weight. I'd lost some last year before our cruise but then I gained it back through the summer. I don't intend to do the same thing this year - I intend to keep it off. With the knowledge we've all gained throughout this experience, I think we all plan to do the same thing - keep off what we've lost and maybe even lose more.

You never know when you're an example!

I got my hair cut on Wednesday and stopped in at my husband's work to show it off. I hadn't been there in quite some time, so the girls that work for him hadn't seen me and my progress through most of the challenge. They sure complimented me when they saw me. It felt so good - in fact I went out and came back in just to have them do it all over again!!!
Anyway, my husband came home from work last night and said they're going to have their own little challenge now between the 3 of them. I said - I'm an example? He said you're an inspiration to all of us. Wow, you just never know when you're going to be an example to others. To all the other gals in this heart challenge - thank you for who you are and for the inspiration you've been to me and the encouragement you've given not just to me but to each of us. I have truly enjoyed being a participant in this heart challenge.

Biggest Loser Finale

I haven't been a diligent watcher of The Biggest Loser this year, but I have caught snippets of the program or seen the previews on TV. I did however watch the finale (love DVR - you can just whip through the parts you don't want to see and the commercials and get done in way less time than if you sat and watched from start to finish.) I was hoping Mike would win - he looked terrific and had made a tremendous change in his lifestyle, which we in the challenge can relate to!
I feel like I've been a little sluggish during my workouts lately. I don't know if it's because the challenge is coming to an end and I'm "letting down" or what, but after watching the show last night I had a renewed vigor to finish with more energy and to try to keep working hard and finish strong.

Mother's Day

I hope all you mothers out there had a wonderful Mother's Day. I know I did. The kids living in the area were all here and I was able to talk by phone to our daughter in Ohio and our missionary in the Halifx Nova Scotia mission. I am so blessed with all 6 of our children (not to mention our 7 grandchildren!!). It was great to not have to worry about fixing dinner or cleaning up afterwards!!
One thing I did was try on different pants and capris and get my daughters' opinions as to keep or not. I put on a pair of capris on Friday that were too big, as were the dress pants I put on on Saturday. I didn't have many left to choose from after we got done sorting and trying on. Now, this is a problem I'm not minding having - but at the same time I have some clothes that are fairly new and actually in style that I wish would still fit because they're cute! However, I'll take having to get new clothes over staying the size I was!!!

Holy Cow time again!

I'm working for my friend at the Holy Cow Boutique at the PG Rec Center this week. I work one of my part-time jobs first, then hurry to the boutique and work there right afterwards. I haven't had a lot of time to fix meals in between so I just grab a yogurt and some fruit and take it with me so that I won't "munch" on the yummy toffee, cookies, candy, crackers, rolls (Big Buns), etc. People ask how we can work there with that cinnamon smell all day - but, after awhile you don't even notice it. I enjoy working there because I work for my friend, I see people I know and can visit with them for a bit and catch up on their doings. Plus I get to see all the fun things people are buying and I can purchase things I wouldn't ordinarily buy. It's a fun time, but I did have to be on guard and watch what I was put into my mouth and eating!
I'm trying to get ready for the 5K Run for the Red that will be held May 30. I'd like to be able to run the whole way, so I've been working my way up as far as time. Tuesday I ran (on the treadmill - I know it's different when you run outside) for 27 minutes and 30 seconds. I probably could have run longer, but that was my goal for the day. Soon I will try to run for a whole half hour!!

Cooking by Chef Mike

Today was our last nutrition class and we were blessed to have Chef Mike come join us and cook for us. He made lettuce wraps (with chicken) which are on par taste-wise with those at PF Chang's, but calorie-wise considerably less. It was fun to watch and listen to him, and especially to partake of the end result. He also made a breakfast sandwich using a whole wheat tortilla. I enjoyed the lettuce wrap very much, however - I'm not such a fan of peanut butter, honey, banana, etc. that was in the breakfast sandwich.

It's hard to believe that these classes are over now, but I have learned a whole lot. The things I've learned will be incorporated into my life and hopefully into the lives of other family members. I intend to continue to live this way - watching what I eat, portion control, and exercise. I like where I'm at and plan to continue to stay at this point or lose a bit more to reach my goal weight. There's no reason for me - except pure laziness - to end up like I was at the beginning of this heart challenge.

Thank you to Jalaine for all the good and useful info you've shared with us throughout our nutrition classes. I really appreciate the efforts you've put into teaching us.

Leaving our mark

A few weeks ago, as I was walking into work, the flowering trees were so beautiful. I had my camera with me that day so I took some pictures of those trees. Today as I walked over to get lunch they were cutting down one of those same trees - it had been attacked by the wind and lost! I thought about how I had a picture of that tree and now - any other pictures taken of the same spot would not show that particular tree, yet it had left it's "mark" that it had been here - there's the stump, and I also have a picture showing where it once stood!!
We also leave our "mark" in life. We influence others - in many different ways. We as women especially leave our mark as we are great influences in the lives of those around us - our family, neighbors, friends, co-workers, etc. For most of us we leave a lasting legacy through our families. This heart challenge has left it's mark in our lives as we've learned many new things and have incorporated them not only into our lives but into our families' lives as well. I intend to use the "mark" of this challenge for the rest of my life. I've actually enjoyed the exercise (although I still HATE to sweat!) and I've found that I really don't NEED all the things I thought I needed to put in my mouth. I love feeling much better about myself and finding and wearing clothes I haven't fit into in a long time. I carry myself differently and stand a touch taller than I did before!! Thank you to everyone that has been a part of this challenge and to "my support team".

Ignorance is bliss?

They (whomever they are) say that ignorance is bliss. However, ignorance when it comes to health is not bliss. Ignorance of not knowing you have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, high glucose, gall bladder issues, cancer, etc. is not bliss. I remember when I found a spot on my leg last fall - I suspected it was skin cancer but wasn't sure. I didn't go in until late fall to have it removed and was told it was skin cancer. They got most of it but I had to go back and have a larger spot taken to remove it all. That was not bliss. (Not being able to tan any more which I loved to do - that wasn't bliss either!!) My sister-in-law Beth and dear friend Lena not knowing they had breast cancer until their husbands found their lumps was not bliss. (Thankfully both are fine today and cancer-free).
I am most grateful for this challenge as it has made me more aware of my own health and where I'm at in many different categories. I'm thankful to have lost and continue to lose weight so that I am healthier - less chance of heart attack or stroke - that is bliss! But, I'm not so ignorant any more, and I am thankful for that.

They fit!

About 3 years or so ago I bought a pair of capris at Macy's Department Store. They were on clearance - a $68 pair for $10. I couldn't pass them up, but . . . they also didn't fit. They almost fit, but didn't. I thought back then that it would be just a little while and I'd be able to fit into them. Boy, was I wrong, because in the meantime, I gained, lost, gained, lost again!! So, I saw them still hanging in my closet and decided this week to try them on, just to see if I was getting close. I was very happy that they not only went on easily but I was also able to zip them up and button them without having to suck in (oh how many clothes have I done that?!!). So, I now have another outfit to wear this summer!! That in itself is exciting - and cheap, to be able to wear something you already have!
We only have 3 weeks left. I hope to be able to keep it up as far as exercising and watching what I eat. I have to say - I do feel so much better. Another little sidenote - before I started this challenge I had to take a couple of antacids every night before bed because I had heartburn. I've only taken one once since the challenge started - and that's because I ate later in the evening and I had salsa (not too bright of a mood). So, by eating better my heartburn has definitely disappeared.