Exercise is King, nutrition is Queen, but together you have the entire kingdom!

-Jack Lalanne

At The Gym Today

I went to the spin class today and worked my butt off. Then I did 20 mins on the Eliptical. I was pooped after that so I did my stretches and called it a day. Now I am heading for a nap.

What A Feeling

My new favorite song is What A Feeling by Irene Cara. Most people know it as the song from the movie Flashdance. I heard it one day recently and it really touched me. You can see the video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILWSpOm92G2U

Here are the lyrics to the song:

First, when there's nothing but a slow glowing dream
That your fear seems to hide deep inside your mind
All alone I have cried silent tears full of pride
In a world made of steel, made of stone

Well I hear the music, close my eyes, feel the rhythm
Wrap around, take a hold of my heart

[Chorus]
What a feeking, bein's believin'
I can't have it all, now I'm dancin' for my life
Take your pasison, and make it hppen
Pictures come alive, you can dance right rhough your life

Now I hear the music, close my eyes, I am rhythm
In a flash it takes hold of my heart

[Chorus]
What a feeling, ,bein's believin'
I can have it all, now I'm dancing through my life
Take your passion, and make it happen
Pictures come alive, you can dance right through your life

What a feeling

What a feeling (I am music now), bein's believin' (I am rhythm now)
Ppictures come alive, you cn dance right through your life
What a feeling (I can really have it all)
What a feeling (Pictures come alive when I call)
I can have it all (I can really have it all)
Have it all (Pictures come alive when I call)
(call, call, call, call, what a feeling) I can hace it all
(Vein's believin') bein's believin
(Take your passion, make it happen) make it happen
(What a feeling) what a feeling...

I have been receiving a lot of comments on Facebook some on my wall and some in private messages). I want to share some of the comments with all of you. I will copy them into this post, but I will not say who they are from...I hope nobody minds that I am doing this. I just really want to share everything with all of you and not everyone who is reading this blog is a friend on Facebook.

So here they are...

"Way to go Dawn! I feel as though you are in my head feeling my thoughts..."

"Hey there! You should check out SparkPeople.comI love this site! It has recipes, blogs, chat groups, exercise routes...etc etc! Worth a peak. Even just for some of the articles...I have a goal to lose 30lbs. It feels impossible because I have plateaued for the past year and I've been gaining and losing 10lbs. However I haven't been so vigilant with my running and strength training as I should be. I've just been heavy all my life. Well...chunky and I'm just tired of it. Need someone to help me with my core. Anyways I must say your stories have motivated me to realize that I just have to keep going and working and eventually it'll come off. Anyways hope you had a great workout today and that work's going well."

"Hi there Dawn, I just wanted to send along a quick note to congratulate you on your amazing accomplishments to this point. I haven't seen you ina quite some time but I was talking to your mother a while back and she had told me what you were doing. Thereis no doubt in my mind you will reach your goal."

"Hey Dawn! You are an inspiration...I lost 45 lbs on ____ and then put it all back on...I am so disappointed with myself...Do tell how you are getting 120g protein in a day..."

"Dawn that is amazing! You are one dedicated person!! I am starting to geel better about my body too. I didn't feel bad about it, it was more that I didn't care. So as I was losing I noticed that I am able to fit back into some clothes that I really like wearing etc.
Very proud of you. Do you have a goal weight? Mine is 160 which the doctor told me is the lowest I should go. I was 210 when I decided enough was enough. I had ran out of jeans to wear and I love to wear jeans.
Keep up the treat work. My secret is portion control, I try to eat the same amount my kids eat. And drink way moe water, and exercise on my treadmill, yoga, and an exercise video called Hip Hop Jam."

"What is the secret to your success? How long do you exericse daily? I kind of fell off the exercise wagon lately."

"Hey Dawn, I just read your blog and I must say that you are such an inspiration not only to me but to yourself as well. I have enjoyed reading it and I find many similarities in myself. I thank you for sharing and I look forward to more. When I am having a crappy or hard day I will look to your pages for inspiration and comfort. You are and always have been an amazing person and just like a flower you are blooming to your full potential. Keep it up."

"Congrats Dawn! You're doing AWESOME!!!"

"You are incredible! I loved your blog so thank you for the updates and info!!! Hope to see you soon!"

"Holy crow! Mom told me about what you are doing Dawn, I'm so excited to see you when I'm home next!!! Keep going and keep strong!!!"

"I absolutely love your mission statement! Way to go Dawn, keep it coming."

"Good job Dawn, it gets very addictive seeing the results come and the scale going down is only one of the benefits of being in better shape! Glad to see you are doing so well and thanks for motivating me to get my butt back on track no matter what bumps I have in my road!

"I thank you God for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirit of trees, and for the blue dream of sky, and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes."

-E E Cummings

Support

It is so important to have support when you are working towards any goal. I am fortunate to have a huge group of people for support. I want to say a huge thank you to all of you who have been there to support me during my journey. I want you to know how deeply I appreciate each and every one of you and your inspiring comments. I means alot to me to hear people that I admire (and some that I don't even know) tell me that I am "looking awesome", that I am "doing so well", that they are "proud of me" or that I am "glowing" (and no, I am not pregnant). These comments inspire me to work harder and do better each and every day. I feel like I am not doing this alone, that everyone is cheering me on in the last leg of a really long race. It's like I get a rush of adrenaline whenever I speak with each of you or read a comment from you and I want to Thank You from the bottom of my heart for that.

I truely feel like I am blessed to have Joey as my husband. He has always accepted me for who I was (even when I wasn't myself). I really feel that he didn't care what I looked like, he only cared that I live a long and healthy life with him and that I was happy.

My son Brandon, has always been encouraging to me. Before I started getting healthier, he would ask me if I wanted to go for a walk. He would say "we could go for a short one, or a long one if you like". Now, he keeps me in line with my diet. He tells me all the time, "Mom, you already had a treat. You don't need another one.". Or he threatens to tell my trainer when I am tempted to eat something that I shouldn't.

I have the most amazing Mother in the world. She is so driven (I think I get my drive from her). She has been there for me all my life, taking me to handball practices, and teaching me the important things in life. She has been there to share my joys and has been there for me when I needed to cry. I would not be half the person I am today, if it was not for my mother.

I have so much to be thankful for! I am one lucky girl!

"At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us."
-Albert Schweitzer

Photos

Everyone has been asking me for photos. They will be coming shortly. Hopefully on Friday or Saturday.

I'm having a bit of a rough time the last few days.

I have been working really hard in the gym. I went to the gym and had my regular workout yesterday, then did firewood for about 2 hours and then I went for a hour walk while Brandon was at football practice. My weight has been staying the same and if you've been reading you know that I am only 2 lbs away from letting go of 100 lbs.

Today, I am not feeling very motivated.

I think it is time for some positive thinking!

Gym Today

At the gym this morning, I did my back and triceps. Then I did 40 mins of cardio and 1 hour of throwing firewood onto a trailer. Now I am going to spend the next hour throwing firewood off the trailer and stacking it.

Today's weight

235.4 lbs which means 35 lbs to my goal!

I had a personal training session with Todd today. It was leg day. I did squats and lunges and a bit of abs. I am expecting to be sore tomorrow. Then I did 45 minutes of cardio.

Bumps On The Road

We all know that the road to any goal is not paved in stone. The road is usually an old woods road which is twisty & turny, littered with potholes, and can have fallen down trees. All these obstacles can be very challenging.

I believe that the challenges we face in life are what nake us stronger and help us to prepare for the next challenge that we are going to face. You know that there will always be come sort of obstacle/challenge in your future. Wouldn't life be boring if it was easy?

Even though I am seeing wonderful results on my journey, I am not perfect and neither is the road I am travelling on. I hit bumps, potholes, and fallen down trees quite often. I'll tell you about one bump that I hit a few weeks ago.

I had a great workout with my trainer, Todd. The kind of workout where you know you are going to be sore the next day. I love those kinds of workouts. We worked my legs doing a bunch of jumps (jumping jacks, bunny hops, twists, and ski-jacks) sumo squats, and lunges. Well, the next day, I was sore all right! Not only were the muscles that I had worked sore, but my knees were sore and swollen. I took some Advil and went to work. The next day, I went back to work for another 12 hour shift. During my shift, I pulled my achilles tendon. It hurt like H, E, double hockey sticks! I took some more Advil. My knees seemed to hurt more and more every day and they became more and more swollen every day. I worked my last night shift and was going to be off for 5 days.

I got home and went to sleep. I had 2 hours of sleep before I had to get ready to go to the gym and see Todd again. Just so you know...it was not very smart of me to plan a workout on 2 hours of sleep. I woke up from my sleep and was getting ready to go to the gym. I became very upset and I was really emotional. I was having a lot of negative thoughts and feelings. I was thinking "why bother going to the gym when my knees are sore and my achilles tendon was sore". I convinced myself that I was not going to get a good workout because I would not be able to work hard due to the pain I was in, so why bother go. I was so frustrated with the knee pain that I was crying. I was trying to get into shape so that I could do more and work harder, not to do less and to have to deal with knee pain. I considered calling Todd and cancelling our session. I picked up the phone, and as I began dialing I knew I was making the wrong decision. I put the phone down and decided to look at my options. The two options I could think of were to go to the gym and get the best workout that I could get. Or to stay home and feel sorry for myself. I knew that if I chose the second option, it would involve going to the store and getting some chips, pop, and possibly chocolate. I began to think of the patients that I had taken care of the night before. I can't tell you what they were in with, but two of them were dealing with physical pain that was as big as a mountain compared to my little bump. Then I thought to myself "short term pain, for long term gain". I decided to take a step forward, in my journey, instead of taking two steps back.

So, I got in the car and drove to the gym. I was still feeling a bit negative. Ashley (I think that is her name) was at the front desk and had a beautiful smile on her face and said "Dawn, have a great workout" and I thought to myself "I control whether I have a good workout or a bad workout, and I choose to have a good workout". Todd was great, he modified the workout to accomodate my painful knees and achilles tendon.

I got home from the gym and was very proud of myself. I knew that I had accomplished more than just a great workout that day.

Rememer to keep taking forward steps, even if they are baby steps. You have the power to turn negatives into positives. Everything looks better when you put a positive spin on it. Attitude is everything.

Here are some wise words for you:

"I do believe that when we face challenges in life that are far beyond our power, it's an opportunity to build on our faith, inner strength, and courage. I've learned that how we face challenges plays a big role in the outcome of them."

-Sasha Azevedo

I worked night shift last night. I came home and slept for 2 hours then I went to the gym. I did a 45 min spin class, 20 mins on the x Trainer, and then 20 mins on the treadmill. So, needless to say I am a bit tired. I think I will have a nap and I will try to write a post tonight. Maybe it will be about hitting bumps on the road to your goal.

Inspiration

If you need a little inspiration, click on the link below. It brought tears to my eyes. I hope you like it as much as I did.

http://wimp.com/beinspired

One of My Favorites

"No matter what you do, throw yourself into it wholeheartedly. The more of yourself you invest, the more you'll reap the benefits."

-Donna Gephart

Comments

I want encourage everyone to comment. The comment that I have received on Facebook have been wonderful and so inspiring to me. It would be great if everyone that reads this blog could enjoy the comments as well.

It would be nice if this blog was a 2-way street. I am sure that you have great ideas and stories that others who read would really benefit from reading. So don't be shy.

I changed the settings so anyone can comment and you can even comment annonymously, if you like.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. Others may be wondering about the same things and I am happy to open myself up to all of you. I am putting it all out there.

Starting

For me, starting has been the hardest part so far. For years I told myself that I needed to start taking care of myself but I didn't take that initial step. I told myself that I would start walking, but never did.

When I finally did make that commitment to myself to start, I began by taking a look at what I was eating. I tried every day to eat better than the day before. Instead of eating chips and drinking pop 5 days a week, I cut back to just on weekends. Then I cut back to one day a week. I made changes to my diet slowly. I knew that if I restricted myself in a "cold turkey" kind of way, that it would not work for me.

I bought the Eat Clean Diet Recharged book by Tosca Rena and I learned many tips. Eating clean is basically eating food that is not processed...who needs all the extra stuff they put in foods during processing. I began looking at labels. The sodium, fat, calories, and sugar in the foods that I was eating before began to shock me. No wonder my ankles were always swollen. I was eating WAY too much sodium! I began to watch what I was eating and within a few weeks I had 13 lbs off without even exercising!

But then I hit a plateau. I knew I had room to improve my diet but I knew that it was time to add in exercise. I wanted to start walking before I joined the gym so I would not feel so out of place. I told myself that I would start walking tomorrow. Tomorrow came and I would tell myself that I would begin tomorrow. Tomorrow never came. I then "bit the bullet" and said "I just have to start at the gym" and I did.

I thought that weighing 333.4 lbs, I would feel so out of place at Goodlife Fitness, but I didn't. It was hard walking in there the first time, but everyone is there for themselves with their own goals and the staff make you feel like you belong there. I tell you, I know how hard it was to walk in the first time, so I admire anyone that has taken that step to improve their fitness level by going to the gym.

I have been reading alot about eating healthy and exercising. I faithfully read Oxygen. It's a women's fitness magazine and in my opinion it is the best one out there. One thing that I read caught my eye. It said that letting go of weight is 10% genetics, 10% exercise, and 80% is what you eat! So a great place to start is by looking at what you are eating. But you can't do it with eating alone, you still need to exercise.

So a great thing to do is to take a look at what you are eating for a week and then see what changes you can make to improve what you are putting into your body. Then, get your body moving. You will feel so good about yourself and your energy levels will improve when you do both.

What is holding you back from starting?

Only as high as I reach, I can grow.

Only as far as I seek, can I go.

Only as deep as I look, can I see.

Only as much as I dream, can I be.

-Unknown

Goodlife Fitness

I have to tell you that a lot of my success is due to Goodlife Fitness (formerly Nubody's). I know that I am the one that is doing the work. I'm determined and driven to reach my goals and to be happy. But the employees are the ones that make me feel welcomed, accepted, and keep me on track. Their slogan is "The Good Life. Made Easy." And it is so true they really do make it easy.

We are so lucky to have a gym like Goodlife Fitness in our little town of Antigonish. The gym is always clean and the environment is so accepting of everyone. For those of you who don't know, they have a section that is for women only. I never feel out of place there.

The staff are wonderful. When I arrive for a workout they know me by name and tell me to have a good workout. I remember one day, in particular, that I went to the gym. I was wearing a pink shirt that I usually wore something over it to "cover myself up" beause it was a little snug. This day in particular was the first day that I was not covering the pink shirt up. One of the employees, Dallas (he doesn't work there anymore), said to me "Dawn, you look so beautiful today". Well, needless to say he made my day. I was on such a high for the rest of the day. I told my husband, Joey, that a man at the gym told me I was beautiful and he jokingly said "Do I need to go beat him up?". HeHe

Most of you know that I have a personal trainer at Goodlife Fitness. All the personal trainers are wonderful there. They are so knowledgeable and they are awesome at what they do. I see them working with their clients and I can tell that they truely love their jobs. They are there to help you. The trainers develop a program that enables you to meet your goals. They make sure that you are on track and they are there to push you a little harder every workout.

My trainer is Todd. He is so good at his job. I can't say enough good things about Todd. I think we have a perfect trainer/client fit. He knows exactly how much to push me during our workouts. He knows when it is time to change things up so I don't hit a plateau. He knows what I am capable of even when I don't know it myself. He will tell me to do a particular exercise and I say "do you really think I can do that". He says "I know you can do it". If he knows I can do it than I know I can do it and I do it. He makes it easy for me.

He motivates and encourages me to do my best. He is there to support me. He educates me on things that I am lacking education in. He teaches me how to get the most out of my workout. He keeps me on track with my eating. I track what I eat online and he reviews it periodically. When I am tempted to eat something that I shouldn't I ask myself, "do I want Todd to see that I ate this". If the answer is no, then I don't eat it. Having someone like Todd in my corner, is priceless to me.

If anyone from Goodlife Fitness is reading this, I want to say a HUGE "THANK YOU" to each and every one of you for making me feel welcome. I feel like I belong there and it is like a second home to me. I am there so much I can almost call it my second home.

So, if you haven't been to Goodlife Fitness, stop in sometime and take a tour of the building. I bet you will feel as welcome as I do.

What Made Me Start

The most asked question that I get has been what is your secret. I already answered that question, so I thought I would answer the second most asked question that I am asked. What made you decide to start?

Many years ago, my mother gave me a framed copy of the poem Desiderata. It was hanging in the bathroom and while I was "doing my business", I would read it over and over again to the point I almost had it memorized. I really liked what it had to say and tried to live my life by it. One day I was reading it and the last line says "Be Cheerful. Strive To Be Happy" and I realized that I was not really and truely happy. I decided to look at my life to see why I was not happy.

So, my decision to start begain with a search for happiness. Now, I have been blessed with an amazing husband and son, the best parents in the world, a supportive sister, and friends that I could count on for anything. I have always been happy with my family and friends. The part of my life that I was not happy with, I already briefly wrote about this, is who I was as a person.

For years I have not been happy with myself physically. For those of you who have known me for a while know that as a teenager I was in very good shape. I know what it feels like to be in shape and be happy with your body and I was missing those feelings. But something was always holding me back from getting myself healthier. For a long time, I didn't feel like I deserved to be happy because I felt I was not a good person. Good people help others and I had an intense feeling that I needed to help people and since I was not helping anyone I did not feel fulfilled as a person.

I realized that the job that I was working in did not let me help people to the extent that I needed to help people. Now don't get me wrong, I appreciate all the jobs that I have had in the past because I learned many things from them. I learned organization, professionalism, multi-tasking, and prioritization. I developed a good work ethic and strengthened many skills like communication and even learned how to use a computer. I realize that having those jobs is what got me ready for my new career.

I sat down and really thought about a career that would allow me to help the people that needed it most. Nursing seemed to be the perfect fit for me. Nurses help people who cannot help themselves and that is exactly what I wanted to do. So, I made the decision, with my husband, to go back to school. I thought that while I was learning, I would start taking care of myself, exercising and eating right. But it didn't happen that way. I was not helping people yet.

I graduated in December and had actually put weight on. I was a whopping 333.4 lbs, OUCH! I got a job as a nurse in a very busy unit at St. Martha's Hospital. It was tough physically and emotionally, but I loved it. I was finally helping people. I felt happy. I felt that I deserved to feel happy. I began to like myself again.

I knew that I could help more people if I helped myself. I saw myself in many of the elderly ladies that I was taking care of. Diabetes. COPD. Cancer. I knew that if I didn't do something soon, that I was not going to be able to help people for long. I would be the one needing the help. Also, how can I tell a diabetic that she needs to start exercising and eating healthy, if I was not doing it myself. And imagine the people I could help if I had more energy and felt good about myself.

I decided that I needed to get myself healthy, so I could help more people and helping more people would make me happier. I want to be happy and I deserve to be happy. I now love myself enough to do whatever it takes to make me happy.

What makes you happy?


"You've got to follow your passion. You've got to figure out what it is you love -- who you really are. And have the courage to do that. I believe the only courage that anybody ever needs is the courage to follow your own dream."
-Oprah Winfrey

As long as we continue to think we will be happy in the future, we will never be happy in the moment, and that is the same as saying that we will never be happy. If we think that our lives will be better when we get that better job or retire, stay or go, gain or lose weight, or when our children grow and leave or come back, we are putting off the happiness that there is in today.

Aminu Kano

Today's weight: 237.2 lbs !

My Life at 333.4 lbs

I want to give you a glimpse of what my life was like when I weighed 333.4 lbs. I was a very insecure person who always looked at the negative side of things. My glass was ALWAYS half empty. I felt that I didn't deserve to be happy because I thought I was not a good person. I felt I was not a good person because I was not doing anything to help anyone. I have always had a strong desire to help people but being insecure about myself kept me from taking the steps I needed to take in order to help people in a way which was fulfilling for me.

I felt that I didn't deserve to have such an amazing husband and the best son in the whole entire world. I felt they were too good for me. They both loved me no matter what I looked like and accepted me for who I was even though I did not accept myself.

I felt like I let Joey, my parents and my grandparents ( and everyone else I knew) down when I got pregnant at 19 and I think that was when I started having all these negative feelings about myself. I was never diagnosed, but when I look back, I think I may have been depressed. I never wanted to do anything or go anywhere, especially if there were going to be a lot of people there. I really tried to close myself off.

The biggest thing of all...I didn't love myself!

When you weigh 333.4 lbs, walking is hard. The effort it takes to move one foot forward is more than you would think. I was always uncomfortable because I had such a HUGE belly on me...it felt like I was 9 months pregnant all the time. And yes, I have been asked when I was due. Talk about humuliating. Bending over to tie my shoes and put my socks on was difficult because my belly was always in the way.

Shopping for clothes was never fun...aren't women supposed to LOVE shopping! It was very hard to find clothes that I wanted to wear that looked good on me. The clothes I wanted to wear did not come in sizes that would fit me and the clothes that would fit me looked like something your granny would wear. I usually bought my clothes too big to try and hide what was under them and, of course, that does not look good either.

Going to a restaurant was always a worry...unless I had been there before. If the chairs had arms it would be very uncomfortable because the arms would cut into my legs. I would usually ask for a table because booths were not much fun for me. I would sit with my back against the back of the booth and my belly would touch the table...that was very embarassing for me.

I never enjoyed going to dances because it was hard for me to dance. I would get soo tired physically from just one dance that I would have to sit down. I would watch everyone dancing and having a good time and I would always say to myself "someday I am going to be able to dance like everyone else".

I was scared that if I went on a plane, I would need to buy 2 seats or need the extension for the lap belt. Not fun to even think of.

So that is really just a glimpse of how I felt about myself at 333.4 lbs and some of the physical limitations that I delt with. There is so much more that I could tell you, but it is time to move on and let go of my past feelings.

If you see a person who is as large as I was, just remember that it is hard for them to perform their daily activities. Just getting dressed takes more effort. There is a reason why they are where they are with their weight. Be accepting and supportive of them no matter what.

Today at the Gym

I just got back from the gym where I participated in a 45 minute spin class. It was my second spin class (the first one was a 30 minute class). I enjoyed it sooooo much. Everyone says that spin class is brutal but you can make it as hard or as easy as you like. If you know me at all, you know that when it comes to exercise, I don't like it to be easy. The harder the better. Let's just say that my shirt was more wet than dry and there was a puddle of sweat on the floor under my bike. The instructor, Aimee, took us through a series of hills and sprints. She is an awesome instructor, you should check out her class if you go to Nubody's/Goodlife.

After spin class I did 15 minutes on the treadmill...you know I couldn't have a dry spot on my shirt when I was done, so I had to sweat a little more.

I have to work night shift tonight...it is a plotted in shift. So I am keeping this post short. Tomorrow I am hoping to tell you about some of my feelings and what life was like for me when I weighed 333.4 lbs and how my life has changed so far. It is the small things in life that I can do now that really excite me. I can't wait until I reach my goal to see what life will be like for me then.

Stay tuned,

Add on To Weigh & Measure Day

I forgot to mention in my Weigh & Measure Post that I was retested on the plank and wall sit. When I started 6 months ago, I was able to do the wall sit for only 40 seconds and I was not at 90 degrees (due to my knees). Yesterday, I did the wall sit for 2:36 at 90 degrees and the plank for 2:30.

Every goal that has ever been reached began with just one step and the belief that it could be attained. Dreams really can come true, but they are most often the result of hard work, determination, and persistance.

When the end of the journey seems impossible to reach, remember that all you need to do is take more more step. Stay focused on your goal and remember...each small step will bring you a little closer.

When the road becomes hard to travel and it feels as if you'll never reach the end, look deep inside your heart and you will find strength you never knew you had.

Jason Blume

My Exercise Routine

I have filled you in on how I have changed my eating. So now I am going to fill you in on what I do for exercise.

Like I said before, I am a nurse, so due to my schedule, I exercise 7 days out of 9. Did I mention that I LOVE my schedule? 2 days, 2 nights and 5 days off. It is perfect for someone like me. The 12 hour days fly by and since I am getting healther, I don't find them hard in a physical way.

Three days a week I do weights. I am in the strengthing stage. My weights are broken up like this:
Day 1 - Chest & Biceps
Day 2 - Legs
Day 3 - Back & Triceps
I add abs in at least once a week...if not twice.
I do between 45 & 60 mins of cardio every day that I go to the gym (7 days out of nine) and I see my trainer twice a week for an hour each time. So basically, the gym is my second home.

Here is a breakdown of what I do for weights:
Day 1 - Chest & Biceps
Chest Press - 20 lbs, 15 reps - 25 lbs, 12 reps - 30 lbs, 10 reps
Bicep Stand Rope - 55 lbs, 15 reps - 60 lbs, 12 reps - 65 lbs, 10 reps
Chest Cablefly - 15 lbs, 15 reps - 17 lbs, 12 reps - 20 lbs, 10 reps
Bicep Dumb Bell Curl on Bosu Ball - 15 lbs, 15 reps - 17 lbs, 12 reps - 17 lbs, 10 reps

Day 2 - Legs
I have been having problems with my knees so I have to take it easy on the leg extensions and Leg curls. I do a lighter weight and higher reps. I also had to lower the weight on the leg press.
Leg Extension - 35 lbs, 30 reps x 3 sets
Leg Curl - 85 lbs, 30 reps x 3 sets
Leg Press & Calf - 230 lbs, 20 reps - 270 lbs, 20 reps - 320 lbs, 15 reps
Leg Adduction - 200 lbs, 20 reps - 205 lbs, 20 reps - 210 lbs, 15 reps
Leg Abduction - 200 lbs, 20 reps - 205 lbs, 20 reps - 210 lbs, 15 reps

Day 3 - Back & Triceps
Back Assisted Pull Up - 145 lbs - 12 reps, 10 reps, 10 reps
Tricep Rope Extension - 60 lbs, 15 reps - 65 lbs, 12 reps - 70 lbs, 10 reps
Back Seated Row - 70 lbs, 15 reps - 75 lbs, 12 reps - 80 lbs, 10 reps
Tricep Incline Dumbbell - 30 lbs, 15 reps - 35 lbs, 12 reps - 35 lbs, 10 reps
Back Lunge Dumbbell High Row - 15 lbs, 15 reps - 20 lbs, 12 reps - 25 lbs, 10 reps

For my cardio I usually do 20 minutes on the X Trainer (Elipitical), 10 minutes on the Rowing Machine, and 20 minutes on the Treadmill. In 50 minutes I usually burn between 750 and 800 calories.

For Abs I usually do planks, side planks, leg lifts, and crunches.

That is my exercise routine in a nutshell.

Protein

I was just asked how I get 120 grams of protein in a day. Here was my response:

I keep track of what I eat on a website www.livestrong.com
It is awesome because all I do is type in what I have eaten and it totals everything for me.

To get 120 grams of protein in a day, I eat protein at every meal. I usually have something like the following in the run of the day:
1/4 cup of egg whites = 7
egg = 6
kiwi = 0.9
protein shake = 34
scallops = 22.4
broccoli = 6
grapes = 0.6
grilled pork loin = 36
nectarine = 1.5
cherry tomato = 2

For a grand total of 116.4 grams of protein.

The total of protein that a person should have is based on their lean body mass. My personal trainer told me that I should be having 120 grams of protein i0n a day. He told me that a person should have 1 gram of protein for every lb of lean body mass.

My Secrets

I have been asked on many occasions how I am letting go of the weight and what my secrets to success are.

I will let you in on all my secrets if you promise not to tell anyone. Are you ready for my secrets? My secrets are that there are no secrets. I am letting go of the weight the way it should be done...by exercising and eating right.

I have changed my diet in a big way. I am eating much cleaner which means eating more fresh fruit, vegetables and lean meats. I eat a lot of chicken, tuna and salmon. I bought the Eat Clean Diet Recharged book by Tosca Rena. I read the first few pages and went from there. I am not thinking of how I am eating as a diet. I think of it more like a lifestyle change. I actually hate the word diet because it usually means that you are hungry and feel deprived. I do not feel deprived at all. I allow myself a treat now and then (about 1 per week, sometimes more than that). I am very rarely hungry because I usually eat 4 times a day. I am eating between 1200 and 1400 calories a day depending on whether I am doing weights that day. The day I lift weights I eat about 1400 calories and the other days I am eating about 1200 calories. I have 120 grams of protein a day and I am watching my sodium levels in a big way. At the end of the day, about 40 % of my calories comes from protein, 15 % is from fat, and about 45 % is from carbs.

Like many of you know, I am a nurse and I work 2 days, 2 nights and then have 5 days off. I love my schedule and it is awesome for allowing me time to go to the gym. I go to the gym 7 out of 9 days. I lift weights 3 days a week, meet with my trainer 2 days a week and do cardio every day that I am there.

I have got to go for now to take my son to football practice, but I will let you know what I am doing for weights and for cardio later tonight.

Weigh & Measure Day

Today was weigh & measure day at the gym for me. The scale at the gym said that I was 239 lbs but my home scale said 241.2 lbs. I think I will stick with my scale at home because I can weigh myself frequently on it so my weight today is 241.2 lbs which means only 41 lbs till I reach my goal.

I asked my trainer to photocopy my measurements so that I can share them with all of you. I started at Nubody's/Goodlife in March, so the starting numbers are from March 9th, 2010. Here they are:
Starting Today Total
Weight 320 lbs 241 79 + 13 = 92
Fat % 48.1 % 34.6 % 13.5 %
Fat (lbs) 153 lbs 84 lbs 69 lbs
Lean (lbs) 167 lbs 155 lbs 12 lbs
Shoulder 55 48 7
Bicep Right 17 14.5 2.5
Bicep Left 17 14.75 2.25
Chest 53 45 8
Waist 57 46 11
Hip 58 47 11
Quadriceps Left 30 27 3
Quadriceps Right 30 27 3

So, I have let go of a total of 47.75 inches, 92 lbs, and 13.5 % body fat. Whoop Whoop!

Mission Statement

I have recently completed the Practical Nursing course at NSCC. In order to graduate from NSCC all students need to create a portfolio. In my portfolio, I added my own personal mission statement. Well, I am calling it a mission statement. I'm not sure it is a proper mission statement but I didn't know what else to call it. I want to share it with you so you can get to know a little more about me. I developed my mission statement a year ago and I have been working at living by it. So, here it is:

I will cherish every sunrise, embrace each day as not just another day, but one filled with opportunity and excitement.

I will live each day with courage and a belief in myself and others.

I will live by the values of integrity, honesty, respect, freedom of choice and a love of all God's people.

I will treasure my family.

I will live each day with respect for myself and others, facing life's challenges as they come and learning from my mistakes in order to become a stronger person. I pledge my respect to my employers and I will strive every day to earn their respect.

I will enrich my life and the lives of all who cross my path or share my hearth, by caring, by affirming their unique worth in love, by giving what I have to give and accepting what they have to give me.

I will be known by my family as a caring and loving wife and mother; by my coworkers as a hardworking and honest person; and by my friends as someone they can count on and trust.

I will help others as best I can and I will thank those who help me along the way.

I will behave in a manner so as to become a light, not a roadblock, for others who chose to follow or lead me.

I will show love rather than expect love.

I will continue to grow personally and professionally by stimulating my mind with new learning and positive thinking.

I will strive to be happy.

So, I have a lot that I want to say and share and I am not really sure where to begin. I guess I will begin with the name of this blog and why it is called what it is.

The name Letting Go comes from many years ago when I worked at Mother Webbs. I went to see a fortune teller who told me that at some point in my life, I was going to lose a lot of weight. Now at the time I thought she was crazy because I really didn't have a lot of weight to lose. She told me that they way I was going to do it was by thinking that I was letting go of the weight rather than losing the weight. She explained it to me like this...if someone told you that you lost your phone, your first reaction is to look for it because you want it back. And when someone would tell me that I have lost weight I am to say "thank you, but I have let it go". At the time I was not too sure about this but it always stayed in the back of my mind.

When you think of it, the word lost or lose is a negative word. When you lose something it is usually a bad thing so you automatically panic and try to find it again. When you let something go, it is a decision you made. It makes sense to me, I hope it makes sense to you also.

This blog is about letting go of weight and getting healthier. But in order to do that, there are many things that I needed to let go of, like; things that have been said to me about my weight in the past, my fears, my negative way of thinking, my worries, my past misfortunes, my feelings that I have let everyone down, and my feelings that I am not a good person. I am sure there are more but I can't think of them right now. Really, I needed to let go of all the negative things in my life and to focus on the postive things in my life.

I am going to try to use only postive words in this blog. If you want to comment, please try to keep your comments positive.

I hope I have explained where Letting Go has come from.

I am starting this blog while in the process of letting go of some extra weight that I have accumulated over the past years. I have been over weight and extremely unhealthy for many years now. I have finally taken charge of my weight and I am making changes in my life to become a healthier person.

My goal is to let go of 133 lbs. When I reach that goal, I am going to take a look at where I am and how I feel and I may decide to let go of more weight. When I origionally set my goal, I set it to a weight that I knew I would be able to achieve (it is 10 lbs less than when I got married). I didn't want to set my goal at a weight that I would not be able to get to. My goal is to be at a healthy weight for my body type and I also want to look good. No, I don't want to look good...I want to look my BEST!

Like I said, I am already in the process of letting go of my extra weight. In fact, I have already let go of 92 lbs which means I have 41 to go to hit my goal. I really wish I had started blogging from the beginning. It is a great way to document my journey, but it is better late than never. Right?

So, to do this right, I want to put it all out there and to put it all out there I need to share my weight with you all. I am very shy about telling people how much I weight (because it is more than you would expect). It was only a few months ago that I actually told Joey, my husband, how much I weigh. I know it is not the number that is important, it is more so how you look and feel. So here it is, my starting weight was 333.4 lbs, which means I now weigh 241.6 lbs. My goal is to be 200 lbs, I was 210 when I got married 12 years ago. There, I said it, well, typed it.

I invite all of you to join me in making changes in your life to become healthier. I encourage you all to comment. Say whatever is on your mind. Ask questions and I will answer them to the best of my ability. One of the things that is helping me to do really well, is hearing comments from my friends, family and people that I don't even know. So let's support each other in reaching our fitness and health goals.

Dawn