Final numbers

Weight loss 17.2 lb., 12.5 inches (5.75 from waist), 2.4% body fat lost, BMI -3 (fat to muscle ratio).  I am really happy with those results.  If I could measure strength, it would be incredibly different as well.  As I have said before, one of the hardest, but most rewarding things I have ever done.  I am so grateful for this opportunity. 

Thanks to all of you who read my blog and supported me through this journey.  I still have 20-25 lb. to go, but I believe I am off to a great start.  What is an hour of two of exercise a day after doing 7 hours a day for 4 weeks.  Pretty good psychology isn't it?

Had graduation tonight, and I had to say goodbye to many wonderful friends who were on this journey with me.  A special shout out to Dirk Lincoln who was a wonderful brother-son to me, and he is a wonderful gentleman.  Thanks Dirk!  Goodbye to Nicole who is an absolute darling mess (23 yrs old, but I tell her I think she is 12, and she calls me "the elderly woman".

Gotta finish packing for early, early trip to LAX.  I will post more pics when I get home.  Bye for now.......

Three days left!

Three days left -- I can't believe it.  It was just so hard when I arrived -- couldn't believe I had four weeks here.  It has really flown by, and I am so much stronger -- never dreamed my body would respond in this way.  As I have said before, I will never think of my body in the same way again.  Your body really wants to work proficiently if you just give it a chance.

My blood sugars have been remarkably low (normal), and that is such an added benefit to the weight loss.   Hiked 5 miles this morning -- one of my favorite hikes, Malibu Creek Canyon.  I will post some pics of the magnificent scenery.  It is truly stunning, and I have tried to soak it all in.

I kicked butt today in the gym.  Having been running on the treadmill for several days now.  I really haven't run in 25 years -- pretty remarkable.  I can only run for about 2 minutes at a time, but that is still a long time for me.  Two more days of kicking butt in the gym Thur and Fri; Sat is a hike and 1 class (I think I will do stretch) after the hike.  We are then DONE.  Start packing and getting ready to go home.  Graduation ceremony Saturday night.  Sunday morning early flight, and I am on my way. 

Truly a changed person.  I will post a couple of more before I leave.

Thanks for your interest......

Back again!

Sorry it has been so long since an update.  Internet was down here all day yesterday, but we finally have it back.  Great week last week.  Absolutely left it all in the gym; gave it everything I had.  Saturday morning when it was time to hike, my mind was in a great place, but my body had a really hard time.  After running on the treadmill quite a bit last week, my legs had had it.

Saturday at lunch, I went over to ask a woman from Simi Valley how far it was to the Ronald Reagan Library.  She said 30 minutes, and she was leaving in 5 minutes to run home for a few hours.  She took me to the Library and dropped me off at 2PM with a pick up at 5PM.  I had three hours to soak up everything I could.  It did not disappoint.  One of the most amazing, emotional, patriotic, proud experiences of my life.  I will post some pics of my beloved President's final resting place.  Air Force One from President Nixon through George W. Bush was on display, and the tour of that plane will remain a highlight in my mind forever.   It was the actual plane used by 7 Presidents.  I walked in the same door and hallways of some great men of our country.  President Reagan's handwritten Berlin Wall speech was on the President's desk in the cabin.  Unfortunately, no pictures were allowed inside the plane.  Marine One was on display as well.  We weren't allowed in the helicopter.

OK, yesterday was a great day; Sundays are always wonderful!  Except.....we had no internet all day.  Weigh in yesterday morning revealed 4.5 more lbs down.  Total now 15.5 lbs in three weeks.  My goal was 20 lbs, but didn't know if that was really possible.  I believe I can do it.  I pushed myself so hard again today.  Did two circuit classes today -- back to back.  45 minutes of 2 minutes of cardio (treadmill, bike, or elliptical) as hard as you can go; two minutes of weight lifting, back to cardio, back to weights, etc.  I even got a smile from the Fitness Manager -- not an easy thing to accomplish!  Then I did an amazing class called Intensati -- it is a class where you exercise your butt off full throttle while yelling positive affirmations about being strong, confident, courageous, etc.  I am a WARRIOR!!!  Absolutely pouring sweat all afternoon.

This program really works.  It is one of the hardest and most rewarding things I have EVER done. 

Going to follow up with registration for the Turkey Trot 5K on Thanksgiving morning, and the Jingle Bell 5K two weeks later.  I have worked too hard to ever go back.  Just have to keep on, keeping on.

Last week -- can't wait to see family! 

Sorry these pictures are a bit helter-skelter.  Obviously, the beach pictures are Malibu, one of a really crazy guy scaling the side of a cliff.  The remainder are pictures from the Reagan Library.

Marine One

Piece of the Berlin Wall on display at RRL

President Reagan's final resting place which faces the Valley and the setting sun

Man in white shirt on far right scaling the cliff

Sweet hiking friends!

Exact replica of the Oval Office.  Several original artifacts of President Reagan's.  Chair behind desk is his original desk chair from Governor's Office (CA), which he flew to DC, and used it during his Presidency.  At the end, he had it flown back to CA for display.

A little better picture of the original desk chair.  This is a reproduction of the Pres Hayes' desk which President Kennedy used, and Pres Reagan as well. 

Air Force One used for 7 Presidents.  This is a 707; current Air Force One is a 747.

Statue at the front of the Reagan Library

GO NOLES!!!!!!!

Beach Hike 11-9-10

Here are pics from hike today.  I am actually up on a high cliff -- it may not look that way :-)  It was out on a point on high cliffs overlooking Malibu beach.  Enjoy.....  Third picture from the bottom, you can faintly see LA in the background on the left.  Further toward the right, you can faintly see Catalina Island.

I AM A WARRIOR!!!

Good day all.   Started at 6AM with an hour stretch class which gets you ready for your day.   Didn't get to hike today again due to blisters, but they are healing, and "holes" are filling in nicely with new tissue.   I worked my butt off in the gym during the hike time.  It never burns as many calories as hiking, but I felt good about my morning.  Hopefully, I can hike again tomorrow.

Then an 11:15 am yoga class which is just an awesome stretch class.  It is a hard class, and not like the warm up one at 6AM.  Tina, the instructor, is a human pretzel.  She is amazing; not a 30-year old like most of the instructors here.  She obviously practices what she preaches.  She really has you pay attention to your breathing through the whole class, and she reminds you to be grateful to your body and what it is doing for you.  While laying there today, I just kept thanking my heart for doing such a good job for me, thinking about how horribly I have treated my heart and my body, and how quickly they have responded for me again.  I am one lucky lady!

We have a class here which is "intension yoga" and we yell "I am a Warrior" and lots of other chants.  This class is taught by a delightful young lady who has lost 95 pounds and looks great.  She really gets you going.   I feel really strong and like an athlete!   My muscles are really kicking in too, and I am in awe of that too.  I have never been a person who honored by body;  I will never think the same about it again.  It really is a temple to be taken care of during your life.  For all of you out there reading this blog, if you are not taking care of yourself, DO IT NOW!  Don't wait until you are 62.

This afternoon was three hours of classes.  Pump and step class that is insane directed by the fitness manager here, and he is certifiable.  No one should have that much energy.  He gives NO breaks, just 45 minutes of slamming step class with weights.  Then two cardio-interval classes; two minutes on cardio, approx 2 minutes on weight machines, back to cardio for 2, etc.  Great work outs.

Received adorable cards from my granddaughters this week.  Thanks to my daughters and granddaughters for cards, pictures, and drawings.  Thanks Stephanie, Courtney, Jennifer, Sydney, Carson, and Claire.
They make my room really special.  I LOVE getting mail -- everyone is always so jealous because I get mail.  :-)  Thanks to my wonderful husband for re-filling prescriptions and mailing them to me. Love to you all!

Gotta run -- shower and bedtime.  Last week, I didn't get to listen to my Jeff Cameron shows-- had to catch up on the weekend.  This week, I am being smarter, and listening to the program (in replay) while I am typing my blog.  Kind of a tough show today--Noles going backward.  Frustration level-High!   C'mon Noles, you have got to finish strong!!! "If you score 35 points in a football game at home -- you ought to win". JC

Oh, yes, and Dancing With The Stars........ I'll be back....GO NOLES!!!!!

New post -- finally.

Sorry I have been gone so long.  This week has been a little frustrating.  Blisters which have rubbed into open wounds have been been a little debilitating.  I did not let it stop me from the hikes, but that was probably a bit of a downfall as well.  I love the hikes, and I would bandage and go; however, in the long run, it was keeping the areas rubbed raw.  Also made the decision to do pool classes, because running, etc. in the gym e.g. running around bouncing ball, dancing, etc. took its toll on my blisters too.  On Friday, I kind of lost it in the afternoon, and talked with the Mgr.  He decided I should not hike on Sat. morning, so I worked my bum of in the gym -- still doesn't even burn close to the number of calories that you burn on the hikes.

Hoping that a couple of days without a hike will help.  Granulation tissue is starting to grow in the wound areas so that is good news.  This place would drive me nuts without the hikes, so I just have to get back to that.  If push comes to shove, and I can't get them healed, I will opt for the hikes over running around in the gym, and just deal with the wounds when I get home.  I would love to get them healed so I can perform at 100%.  So mad that I let this happen.  After dying the first week, I felt great last week, except for my left foot.

Derek and Courtney sent me their walking sticks, and they are awesome.  They really do take some of  the pressure off your knees going downhill.  As hard as it is getting up the hills, the most painful thing on knees, ankles, (blisters) etc. is the downhill.

OK, I weighed today and lost 3.5 lb this week.  I had been warned it wouldn't be like the first week, but it was still a bit disappointing.  Still 11 pounds in two weeks.   Tomorrow starts another week!!  Begin again.

My friend Christy left today.  That was a tough goodbye.  We had such a connection from Day 1.  Actually we had been facebooking before we even met.   She is one strong, brillant, beautiful, young woman who just made me laugh a lot (and cry a little too).  I called her my sister-daughter :-) 

Another dear friend Dirk who is here with me until the end has been a lot of support.  He is a really neat guy who is smart as a whip and has a heart of gold.   He has two beautiful children, one of whom is disabled, and that little boy is very lucky to have been born to Dirk and his wife.

Another friend is a 21-year-old girl named Nichole who is quite a character.  She reminds of me one of my students, and I joke around with her very similarly to the way I treated my students.  She is just a hoot and has a really good heart as well.  The people who are in this journey with you make all of the difference.

I will post some pictures.  Went on an absolutely beautiful hike this week which was called Charmlee.  Came upon a rattlesnake who was not happy we were in his area.  The guides sort of chased him into the grass, but you could hear him rattling quite loudly.  A guide stood between the snake and the hikers until we passed.  You will see a pic Christy caught of him in the grasses.

Sorry for my absence, it is harder to blog in the evenings that I expected. 

That is not me on the top of that rock posing; however, I plan to do that before this is over (maybe) LOL