WOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

DONE! Done...with this part of the program anyway! It is surreal...I can't believe I just completed 8 weeks of this insanity! I am tired and sore just about everywhere...but I am DONE!

Unfortunately, my weigh in does not warrant as much fan fair. I only lost 1 pound this past week. I am confident that I will drop this week...that seems to be the routine for me. So, final "camp" numbers are (insert drum roll)....

In Eight Weeks...
32 pounds
36 inches
9% body fat (pure body fat...does not include lean mass numbers)

Like I have stated before...I am at my halfway point. I have been this weight before...probably a few years ago even...but I have never had the momentum and resolve to continue and lose the rest of the weight like I do now. Also, I am in better shape than I have been in since I was in my twenties!!!

Today, I went on a 40 mile bike ride and did a personal training session with my coach. The rest of the day was spent doing a final session with the nutritionist, getting weighed, measured, dunked and getting my "after" picks taken. I am going to try to get them digitally and MAYBE I'll post some of them...not sure...the "before" pics are really scary!!!

I also spent time with my coach finalizing a workout plan for home...which is still pretty intense...but nothing compared to here!!!!

I am going to continue to blog as I continue my journey....stay tuned world....you ain't seen nothing yet!!!!!

Two more days....and a long flight home!

I don't think I have ever been more ready to do anything in my life! I am packed and counting the days, hours and minutes. So instead of thinking about what I miss at home, I decided to think about what I will miss here when I leave. Such as...

1) Riding bike along the coastline (this is a BIG one)
2) The trainers...they are all great.
3) Friends that I have met here...it is great to be able to talk with those that are fighting the same battle.
4) Being in a safe, no-judgement environment
5) Being able to work out for seven hours or more a day (...I almost wrote that with a straight face! )

That is really about it.... but I'll keep thinking.

On a completely different note... As I have shared, I am only about half way to my goals. My "Journey" is far from over. So I am trying to decide if I should continue the blog when I get home. I welcome your thoughts!

Final Friday!

As I head into my final weekend, I am feeling good. Aside from not getting enough sleep...I am like a kid at Christmas...I can't sleep because I am so excited to go home! Last night I tossed and turned for three hours!!

Today, just like every Friday, we went to the Santa Monica Stairs. I did two trips and then decided that I did not want my calves to be killing me for the next four days. So...I jogged! I jogged all through the neighborhood by the stairs which includes stunning homes and a breath taking view of the ocean....it was beautiful!!! AND I was jogging!! Suddenly, I found a comfortable pace and it just worked. I still mixed in a good bit of speed walking...but I easily jogged more than half of the time.

Back at the gym it was kind of a light day. I had a circuit, a private training session, a nutrition session and a massage. My last massage. It was good. Tonight I plan on starting to pack and I have a little bit of BRG work to complete.

I found this humorous...today within a one-hour span a guy at the gym told me that I don't even look like I need to be in the program anymore...and then...the housekeeper told me I still need to lose more weight (it was broken English...not meant to be an insult...she is actually really sweet)!!! Just goes to show you how subjective this stuff is!!! As far as my opinion...I am happy and feeling good -- have a good way to go, but am happy for where I am!

Hope all of you had a great Thanksgiving and are enjoying the holiday weekend!!

I know I can, I know I can, I know I can...

I have officially moved from "think" to "know". I can't explain the how or why...but I woke up this morning just KNOWING that I could do the Bike, Hike, Bike...KNOWING that I can make it to my goal weight...KNOWING that I can maintain an active healthy lifestyle.

The BHB was amazing. I had completely head-tripped myself into believing that I couldn't do it...and I not only did it...I led the pack and finished it in THREE hours!!! To be fair...I only lead the pack that I left the gym with, while two of the more fit people had left early....they would have smoked me on the mountain (but I can beat them on bike :-) )!

I can't remember if I have described the BHB -- it is a 15 mile bike ride, then a one mile straight up hill on bike, then a 4 mile hike (climbing up almost 1,000 feet in the first mile), then a 15 mile ride home. It is the same hike that I have done in the past...however in the past I was driven to and from in a van! Here are some pics from the hike...

Since I was pretty far ahead of my group, I did the entire trip by myself. I really enjoyed it...riding along the beach, hiking to the top of the mountain where you can see LA, the oceanfront and all of the beautiful homes...but most of all, I enjoyed just appreciating what I am now capable of doing! I just got such a kick out of the fact that me...lazy, lay on the couch, don't like to sweat, don't like the bugs outside, not athletic Jane... was out there just doing it, doing it well, and enjoying it!! Granted, the bugs still suck.

So many people here are afraid to go home. They want to stay in this safe environment and don't trust themselves with their own lives. I can't wait to start my new life at home! This is how I always have wanted to live and now I KNOW I can!

Making My Final Stretch Count!

Next week at this time I will be at home playing with Abby!!! I can not wait to get home! But first, I have a few more things to accomplish. I have four more full workout days (tomorrow, Thursday, Friday and Saturday)...the gym is close on Thanksgiving but am planning on working out on my own. Monday will be a light day since I will be doing all of my final testing and getting my pics taken. In my last four workout days I want to:

1) conquer the BHB
2) jog at LEAST half of the "pier run" -- this is on the beach and we go from one pier to another
3) ride all the way to Redondo beach (next beach down from Hermosa)
4) lose at LEAST 4 more pounds

Tomorrow is BHB and I am trying not to psych myself out. I will be honest...it scares me. I know I can do it ...but it is gonna be painful!!! We are starting at 8:30 in the morning. I need to go to bed now!!

I am going to do the "pier run" on Thanksgiving and I am going to do the Redondo beach ride on Friday or Saturday....and , well, you all know when weigh in is...that's right, let's say it all together....MONDAY.

WHAT??!!??!!

EIGHT pounds!!!! Total for seven weeks....31 pounds and 34 inches!!!! I am baffled...but thankful! Last week I thought that my original goal of losing between 35 and 40 pounds was not possible. Today, the game has changed...original goal is back on!!

I really needed this good news to carry me through this week. Now, I am focused and ready to rip through this week. Started today with a 25 mile bike ride, followed by two training sessions and 90 minutes of cardio...it was an early day for me since I cut back to only two night time boot camps.

I found out today that the gym is not even going to be open on Thursday. Kind of a bummer...I was planning on just pretending it was just a normal day. The gym is getting really empty. After tomorrow, the only people left here are going to be the international folks...Mila and me (Mila is the lawyer who moved here after 12 weeks on the program). I think there are only six of us. One woman from South Africa and one from England are talking about going to Universal Studios on Thursday. I am thinking I will get up and do a long bike ride that day and then join them.

I am off to eat yet another mediocre meal...but I can deal with that since I had a GREAT weigh in!!!!

Legs on Ice for the Weekend!

I am getting lazy on my blogging! It was a very relaxing weekend. Friday night I had some friends over to watch movies. We stayed up until after midnight...which I have not done since being here!! It is really great talking with others going through the same struggles. Although sometimes the conversation can backslide into gossip and complaining...negative energy is NOT what I need or want.

Saturday and today I really just chilled. I watched movies and worked on jewelry while continuously icing my legs. They are starting to feel a little better. I actually walked over to the store today like a normal person!! I am a little nervous about taking two days off, but my legs really did not give me a choice. On Friday, one of my trainers told me that I should take the two days to recover...he was speaking "off the record" of course!

Tomorrow will conclude week 7 and start MY LAST WEEK!!!! I am so excited to go home. I want to be in charge of my life again! The routine here is very stale...as is the food. I have been figuring out my workout and eating plan for regular life...and I am actually optimistic about living a healthy life...while still having some fun ;-) !!

Abby went to the pet resort today. I have been watching her on the cybercam all day until they turned off the lights at 9:00 EST...don't they know mommies might be on the west coast???? She seems to be doing okay so far. I wish the camera had audio so I would know if she was whimpering or not. Maybe I am better off not knowing!

I hope all of you have had a good weekend and are looking forward to a short week and LONG weekend!!