What? A phone call from Zach Vargo?

Last night the most amazing thing happened. Well, not the most amazing, but something that I've been wanting to happen. I think Zach Vargo was excited and was trying to tell me he was excited. Zach is not an overly emotional, excited guy. I mean he is, but he just keeps all that stuff to himself. Anyway, I'm telling the end before I tell the beginning. 


So, there I was in Kelly's kitchen and my phone rings. I see that is says Zach Vargo. (I have to first name, last name him. I don't know why, I just have to refer to him by all names.) My first thought was that something was wrong with Janelle. My second was that it was about my bodpod from the day before. I answered because I was sure it was about the first reason. Zach never calls me about my bodpods. He usually tells Janelle to set a time for me to go over and talk about body fat and meal plans. He also has never looked a bodpod so fast!


Well, it was about the bodpod and it was awesome. Basically, Zach told me that I have 29 pounds until I reach my goal weight and I will be at 20% body fat. Right now I'm just over 30%. 


For the sake of time and typing I'm going to put the rest in list form:


- My chances for disease have severely decreased because I'm no longer carrying around all this extra weight
- I have about 101,500 calories to burn before my goal weight. 
- When I started it was something like 5 million and some calories to burn before reaching my goal weight (Zach Vargo does everything in numbers and I'm telling you it works. Just looking at your weight and activity on paper as a math problem really hits home for some reason.)
- At 20% body fat I will be at the bottom of the "lean" category. Right now I'm moving into the "moderately lean" category. He said that Janelle is usually more than 20% body fat when she starts training for a show. 
- When I reach my goal weight I will be 135 pounds. 


I could tell from the way Zach was talking that he really was excited, even though the words "I'm really excited" never came out of his mouth. He also had one more thing for me....


He is now working with another woman who is pretty  much where I was 2 and 1/2 years ago. She is using a meal plan, but is struggling with the eating every three hours. She feels like she is eating way too much, even though she is consuming about 1/2 the calories that she used to. Zach thinks it would be a good idea for her and I to talk. I'm all about it. Hopefully we set something up and find a time to meet and talk about what we're both doing.  Zach pointed out that he can't really talk to her about the emotional side of things, but I definitely can. I'm all about it. I would love to help someone else while they are trying to adjust to a new way of looking at food and eating. 


Anyway, this was a longer blog than I've written in a while. I'm just really excited right now. I'm so close to my goal. Janelle was even texting me after Zach and I got off the phone. She was telling me that he could not stop talking about my bodpod and goal and whatnot. 


I was smiling the whole time I was on the phone with Zach, I was smiling while telling Kelly about the conversation, I was smiling while texting Janelle, and I'm smiling now while writing this blog. Hell yea. 

Got a bodpod!

First things first, I will be scanning and posting my bodpods. It's been on my to-do list, and I've said for a long time now that I'm going to get them scanned and posted, but for some reason it just never happens! I promise, it's gonna happen. 


If you have no idea what a bodpod is you can read about it here.


Anyway, I managed to lose 16 more pounds from the end of November until yesterday. My body fat also dropped 5% since November. Basically, everything is still moving in the right direction. 


Soon I will be getting a new meal plan. I've been ready for a new meal plan for a little while now. 


Yesterday was also fun because I got to spend some time with Janelle. It's been really difficult lately for our schedules to workout where we can hang out. She rode down with me and we talked all about baby names and what we should do for her baby shower. She's not due until Nov. 4, but it's never to early to plan a baby shower!


After my bodpod I made dinner for myself and some friends. Seriously, I had an awesome day yesterday! I didn't win the Mega Millions, but I'll try that again on Friday!

Where has Janelle been?

I had to get permission from Janelle before writing this blog. I'm glad she said yes, because this topic was just too funny to pass up.

So, I'll try to make this long story short. Well, as short as I can.

Janelle doesn't really go to the gym much anymore. She uses Garage Gym at her house. You know, the garage that her husband converted into a gym so he could train right out of the house? I think I've mentioned it before.

I split my time between the Garage Gym and regular gym that has given us nothing but crap about working out together. Apparently, it looks like Janelle has been "training" me and they just won't stand for it. They threatened our memberships and everything.

They have noticed that she isn't going in there and they have started asking questions as to why. The real reason is because of Garage Gym, but that's really hard to explain. So my easy response is, "she's having a baby." It's also a true response. That's right, Janelle is having a baby and that has made it so much easier for me to explain why they don't see her.

I have been asked by employees, regulars from the gym, people that I have never spoken to that recognize I'm usually with her, etc, etc.

One lady came over and asked where my partner was. I was like, "Oh you know, she's knocked up." :) Another guy asked about "my partner in crime," and one other dude was just like, "where the hell has Janelle been?". I've given them all the standard response, "She's having a baby." Everyone is really excited for her. Hell, I'm excited for her.

It is funny that everyone notices that we are typically together. It is messing up the chi at the gym that I'm working out alone. It is also a little scary that people we don't even know recognize that we are always working out together. They must all think I'm lost without as my regular workout buddy. A few years ago I would have been lost. Now I'm totally ok with solo workouts.

It does bother me though that they employees are so inquisitive as to where she is. They didn't want her there when she was, because she was doing so much "training", but now that she's not they appear to be bothered. I think she made them look good. I bet they told perspective clients that they train her and she competes. I bet now that she isn't there they've lost their star female gym member! (I hate the people that work at my gym....if you couldn't tell.)

It's also funny that I scheduled for Janelle and I to have bodpods and promptly had to call back and cancel  her appointment. You don't really need to measure your body fat when you are pregnant. I will still be getting my bodpod this week and then getting a new meal plan. I'm excited.

A random mess of info and babbling

Lately I've felt like this blog is a chore! I do love my blog and my bloggy fun time, but since the weather has been nice I can only think about Spring and being outside!


Also, I haven't really had much on the weight loss related front to talk about. 


I have continued to workout on my regular schedule. I've been getting in more walks/jogs at the Reserve and I've been recruiting more people to take walks/jogs with. I also have an upcoming bodpod. 


I have been trying to jog for longer amounts of time. I find it is much easier to jog when someone is with you. It is easier to keep pace and keep going. You don't want to be the first one to stop jogging! It's good motivation to keep moving. Janelle and I also take her dogs with us. I find that the dogs help me as well. It's like they keep me on pace. I'm sure any of you that walk, jog, or run know what I mean. 


So, I have a bodpod next week. I don't even know how many this makes. I will have to count them. I'm excited. This could possibly be the last bodpod before I reach my goal weight, whatever my goal weight happens to be. I'll have to get the bodpod and decide from there. (and when I say I have to decide from there; I mean Zach will have to tell me what my goal weight will be.) I am excited that after a bodpod comes a new meal plan. 


On to more randomness....I had to buy new shoes for workouts. One of my other pair of Nike have totally crapped out on me. It's about time too, I've been wearing them for 2 and 1/2 years. They are pretty sweet. They are all black and they make my feet look really skinny. I also bought a bunch of new clothes for Spring and Summer. I'm pretty much wearing mediums these days and I've been in size 8 pants for a while. I'm pretty excited about all of it. 


That's really all of I've got these days. I've not so much been busy as much as I've been distracted by the nice weather. 


And...if you have a blog that I don't know about, let me know! Leave a comment and I'll take a look when I get a second!

Pullups?

Way back when I started this blog I did a post about pull ups and I have done a few more from time to time. Specifically they are posts about my lack of ability to do pull ups on my own. I have to use some counterweight to help me lift my body for pull ups.

Over the past 2 years I have used less and less weight to help me do the pull ups. I'm lifting more and more of my body weight.

Now that I work out at Garage Gym (Zach's garage that he has converted to gym and it's awesome) I use resistance bands to do my pull ups. It is hard to explain how it works, but it does work and I'm totally lifting even more of my body weight and getting less support from the bands.

I'm feeling like in 10 more pounds I will be able to do a pull up on my own. That will be a super exciting day. Janelle has me try like once a week to do a pull up on my own. It is usually a very funny time in our workout. I try to hard to pull myself up, but I just struggle. I kick my feet and flail back and forth more than anything. I just feel like kicking my feet well propel me up the bar or something.

All I know is it must look funny because Janelle and Ashley can't stop laughing when I try. I'm getting excited for the day a real pull up happens. I might get so excited that I'll just let go of the bar and fall to the floor.

Ow! My legs are so sore!

It has been so nice here. The sun has been out and the days have been warm. I look forward to nice weather for two reasons: 1 - I can wear flip flops and 2 - I can workout outside.

On Saturday I worked out at the Reserve. I talk about the Reserve a lot in the Spring and Summer. I spend a lot of time there. I take my walk/jogs there and I also to a lot of hill workouts there. On Saturday I did a hill workout. I never thought I would say this about working out, being outside, and getting sweaty, but it was so amazing. It was so nice to be outside in the sunshine and moving around. I was feeling so cooped up in the gym.

My workout was awesome too. My legs were dead by the time I was done. I could hardly keep my legs functioning to walk back to my car and drive home.

When I woke up on Sunday my calves were soooooo sore. I forgot how sore they got from hopping and running up steps! So naturally, with all that soreness I went for a walk/jog with Janelle on Sunday evening! I was not at all concerned about the soreness in the legs. It was 65 degrees and the sun was shining. I was not going to let a little soreness get in the way of being outside. We managed to get in an hour at the Reserve.

I've missed all the outdoor activities. I'm getting antsy to go outside right now! It's supposed to be beautiful all week. I can't wait for more outdoor workouts. This weather has really put the motivation back into my life! I was feeling pretty touch and go about everything for the past few weeks, but now that I feel like I have a different way to mix up the workouts I'm unstoppable.

I bet I'm not the only one

So, from time to time I have to go to the doctor. That's not unusual at all. Everyone has to see at doctor at some point.

Today I had to go see my gynecologic oncologist. That is not typical for everyone, but hey, I like to be different. I had to go for my yearly check up. This is 7 years cancer free. Woot woot. The appointment went fine.

Anyway, here is what I thought was funny. I was in the shower this morning trying to figure out what to wear to work today. Then it dawned on me that I have to see the doctor before work, and with the doctor comes a scale. I immediately ruled out wearing boots and a heavy sweater. I was shampooing my hair thinking to myself that I wanted to wear my lightest clothes I can find because I don't want my weight to look too heavy.

After that I started laughing because I realize I did the same things a few weeks ago when I had to see a different doctor.

I put together an outfit that I thought would weigh less than my other clothes and be close to the weight of my gym clothes. That way I could see if my weight was going up or down. Crazy, right?

In the past it would have not even crossed my mind to wear "light" clothes to the doctor. Now I'm trying to find ways to shed a few layers of clothing before they weigh me because I want it to be super accurate.

I slipped off my shoes when the nurse told me to get on the scale. She told me that I didn't have to bother and I told her that I most definitely did have to take off my shoes. I almost took off my cardigan too, but I decided I would look like a crazy person. After she looked at my weight from the last two appointments (all a year apart) she understood. She asked how much I had lost and if I was purposefully losing weight. I briefly explained the last 2 years of my life.

Anyway, I thought it was funny that I would plan my whole outfit around a scale and look for an outfit that weighs less than my regular work clothes. God, I crack myself up some days.

Update!

Well, I always forget the February is so short.

I totally did not even get my measurements for the month. I'm just going to say that they have not changed. Quite honestly, they haven't been changing much anyway. I'll get them next month.

I did, however, manage to lose another 5 pounds for the month. Which means I have lost a total of 122 pounds. Totally awesome. I can't believe I've lost as much as some adults weigh. In some cases, I've lost more that what some adults weigh.

I'm getting closer to my goal. and quite frankly, I don't even know what my goal is right now. When ever I get a bodpod it changes ever so slightly. My goal is based off my lean mass and the appropriate pounds of fat a person should have. I'm due for a bodpod and a new meal plan sometime in March. Next month I should know more.

I've still been maintaining my workout schedule. I still manage 5 or 6 workouts a week. I don't worry about falling off the workout wagon though. I enjoy my time at the gym. I even enjoy working out alone these days. It gives me time to think.

Everything is getting back to normal. I was a hot mess there for a second. I had, like, zero energy and I felt like I was really have to force myself to do everything that needed to be done. I think I'm back on auto pilot now. Everything seems easy again.

I've not had much time to read blogs lately. I'm trying to catch up when I can. If you're newish to this blog, leave a comment and let me know if you have blog. I like to check out as many as I can!