The End of the Beginning

So Friday night wrapped up the 10 week Ultimate Body Challenge for me. I must admit, I had mixed feelings about it. A huge part of me really didn't want to go in for my final testing and measurements. I knew the numbers weeren't going to make me happy and I just didn't want to see them. Plus, I knew I was going to continue on and I didn't want to be discouraged when I'm just not done yet.

I said before that I wasn't supposed to weigh myself except at the 5 week and 10 week intervals. I did really good the 1st 5 weeks, but have weighed myself periodically the second five weeks so I knew that not only did I not lose any more weight, I gained a couple back. This is a far cry from the up to 30 pounds I was supposed to be able to lose. Now, I didn't need to lose 30, but if that much was the norm, then a good 10 or 15 would have been good. Going into my weigh in, I didn't want to be hung up on a number, but I felt like I failed. I was getting ready to go that night and was fighting back tears because I just felt like a failure. To look at it honestly, I did not excell in the nutrition part and that was my achilles heal. I haven't given up yet, I just haven't found that balance yet. I like yummy food and I am kinda anti-dieting anymore, but balance has never been my strong suit, so I'm still working at it. I'm taking a week off while I go to Jamaica this week, but when I get back I am going to do weight watchers for a bit because I know it works. It doesn't really do anything I don't already know how to do, but it will hopefully help me track things, and get me into some better habits. At times it has been frustrating because I knew I wasn't eating the greatest, but I was still doing so much better than before and in my mind that should have counted! Baby steps.

While the nutrition part was my weekness, I will admit that I am proud of myself in the fitness area. I didn't make it to all my classes because it is impossible to do that without putting life on hold. But if you average it out, I would say I made it to work out at least 5 times a week - even in frigid -20 degree weather! This is huge for me. The working out this much was the part that intimidated me in the beginning and made me a bit fearful of signing up for this program. I hate exercise and I wasn't totally convinced that it wouldn't kill me. But I quickly found that I actually enjoyed it. I enjoyed getting stronger, more flexible, and gaining stamina. I enjoyed working out with my new friends and got lots of energy from my partner on the bag - Tammie. And I enjoyed being given this time for me each day. There were a handful of times that I didn't want to go, but I always felt great after I went. And when it came down to whether or not I would go to the final testing at the end, I knew I had to because I had to cross that finish line to feel the full accomplishment of it all.

So the results... I'm going to give you my measurements from week 1 to week 10. I went backwards from week 5 on some of my measurements which is because a different person measured us at week 5 so they weren't accurate measurements.

Beginning 10 Weeks

Arms L 11.25 R 11.5 L 11.5 R 11.5

Chest 35.75 35

Waist (natural) 30.25 28.25

Belly Button 32 29.5

Between Hips 41.75 40

& Thighs

Calves L 15.25 R 15.25 L 14.75 R 14.75

Thighs L 24.75 R 25.75 L 23.75 R 24

Weight 156.0 153.6

Body Fat 29 27

Total inches lost 10.5

The 2 places I most notice a difference are in my abs and my arms. My abs have a ways to go, but have started to take a little nicer shape. My arms, actually showed zero change in size, but I can see a lot more muscle tone in them and actually have a little something to flex. These are by all means not drastic results, but I can say with honesty that I am more fit and energetic and I just feel good, so it has made a difference.

My fitness test went well. The results are...

Beginning 5 Weeks 10 Weeks

Push Ups - 24 (modified) 40 (modified) 30 regular - this is HUGE for me!

Sit Ups - 21 30 32 ( I could have done more but I ran out of time - I'm not that fast)

Sit and Reach 19.5 in 21. 75 in 23 in - I'm gaining my flexibility back!

So, I am pleased with these results and do feel a sense of accomplishment. They made me glad I crossed the finish line. And like I said, it isn't the end. It is all just beginning and I actually look forward to seeing what I can accomplish in the n ext 10 weeks. I will not be able to commit to going to my workouts to the extent I have as my wonderful husband has had to juggle a lot to make it possible for the duration of this challenge. However, I plan to go whenever it works into my schedule and hope to still achieve at least 3 times a week. As the weather is mercifully getting nicer, I also hope to add in more walking/jogging and bike riding. I hate running, but I still want to learn to love it, maybe that will be one of my next goals. I'll think about what my next goals will be and let you know soon.