40 years and 8 days

Greetings all! It has been a while since I last posted. I am officially 40 years and 8 days old. I didn't quite make it to my 40 x 40 goal. As of October 1, 2011, I had lost exactly 30 pounds (if I had turned 40 before the cruise, it would've been 32.4 pounds). However, I still rejoice. I am in better shape than I was most of my 30s and know that I can lose these last 10 plus the other 8 pounds I want to lose to reach my goal weight. I have lost 2 dress sizes and am intrigued to see where my final goal will put me. I learned a lot about myself over the course of this journey. I'm stronger than I imagined. I have conquered emotional/stress eating. I actually don't loathe exercise, outdoors, and sweat. My public pursuit of this goal has inspired others. I have been asked by several people to help them get healthier, too. Let's be clear, I'm not an expert and am not looking to make a career change. But I am definitely willing to share what I've learned and cheer others on along this journey. I pondered shutting the blog down once 40 came. However, I think I'll keep it going because my journey continues!

2 months to go!

Tomorrow is August 1, 2011. It will be exactly 2 months from my 40th birthday. Where did the time go?

I thought I'd take a moment to update you on my progress toward the 40 by 40 goal. As of this morning, I am 17.6 pounds from my goal. That means I need to lose consistently, about 2 pounds a week for the next 8 weeks. I am confident that I will do this. I've got an amazing support team. Darrell, Rebekah, and Virginia will not let me give up (not that I want to).

Interestingly, I weighed in this morning and discovered that I actually gained 1 pound this month. However, I lost 6 inches! I guess muscle does weigh more than fat! This actually motivated me to keep doing what I'm doing. I don't plan to do anything too drastic. However, I'm going to take a Soror up on a challenge to only drink water for the next 30 days (please don't offer me coffee this month). Virginia gave me a good piece of advice about cutting back on fruits this month. Rebekah's already making plans to help me kick it into high gear!

This month is going to be great!!! I can't wait to see what the end of August will hold! I'm predicting a 10 pound drop!

Feeling Good

It's Saturday. I'm feeling good. Finished my 6th workout of this week. I did bootcamp 3xs, Zumba 1 day, and walked 2days. What I am most excited about is that I am beginning to enjoy exercise. This something I never imagined I would say in my lifetime. My quest to lose 40 x 40 has led me to a change in lifestyle and attitudes. I no longer dread working out and manage to make healthy food choices with consistency.

Just yesterday when some folks at work decided to go for frozen yogurt and suggested walking the .3 miles, I immediately said yes (even though I was wearing some fierce heels)! I know that even in fabulous shoes, I can walk anywhere, any time! I am excited to see what results I get when I add training for the 3day to my current routine. My plan is to continue with bootcamp 5 days a week and add 3 days of training for the walk to that routine! I will be fit and fab when I hit 40!

the journey continues....

Summer 2010 (left) May 2011 (right)

What a Shame

It has been two months since my last post. What a shame! However, it is actually a good indication of what my life has been like over the last 8 weeks. Lots has happened since my last post on April 10th! I officially hit my half way mark (well almost), I've lost 19.8 lbs. I've witnessed the end and beginning of another year at MTR. I can proudly boast that I have worked out consistently for 4 consecutive months and have (for the most part) conquered emotional eating.

Now, the challenge will be to shake these last 20 pounds in the next 3 and 1/2 months. I will begin training for my second Susan G. Komen 3day walk in just 20 days. I hope that adding the extra walking to my regular bootcamp routine will push me toward my goal. I would love to experience the walk 40 pounds lighter! Thanks for cheering me on along the way!

12 down 28 to go!

My 40th birthday is less than 6 months away, and I have officially lost 12 pounds. While I'm thrilled with the loss, I'm most excited about the results I've seen. Friday was the end of 7 weeks of bootcamp. There are exercises I can do now that I couldn't physically do when I started. I can keep a constant jog and stay with the back of the pack (no longer walking behind) when Sgt. Tony tells us to take a lap. I can also do the "body builder" exercise...even after running a part of a lap. I couldn't do that a couple of weeks ago. Progress! Slow and steady! And healthy!

So here's how I see it, 2 months = 12 pounds. If this trend continues, I will should be just a few pounds shy of my goal on 10/1/11!

First Person

Alright! It's official. I received the first feedback that someone noticed the 7.6 pounds (I'm just .5 pounds away from my first little goal) that have officially been left behind in my 30s! Like clockwork, every 3 weeks on Sunday afternoon I go for a manicure and pedicure. Jackie, my nail woman, and I have been talking about losing weight. We agreed that we would work to be different by the time we saw each other again. Well, today as Jackie was massaging my feet (did I mention how much I LOVE pedicures) she looked up and said..."Girl, you have lost weight. I can tell"!

Now, let's be clear, this is not a hint for my readers to start telling me you've noticed the difference. I am not doing this for that reason. I really want to be the healthiest me I can be by time my birthday rolls around. I feel better already. I was quite impressed with myself when I was in DC and able to walk 4 flights of stairs in one of the Senate buildings wearing my 3 1/2 inch heels without being winded! Trust me, I patted myself on the back! But what excited me most about Jackie's comment was that someone who doesn't see me everyday can see the transformation! And if I can do it, anyone can! That's part of the reason I'm being so public about this...#1 it keeps me accountable and #2 I want to motivate others to get healthy, too so we can all live our lives to the way God intends for us to do!

So, I keep moving forward! Making smarter choices everyday! Pushing toward being fit at forty!

Thanks for all of your love and support!

P.S. If you are reading this on facebook or twitter...I'm on a fast from both. I'll be back there on Easter!