Shelly Weber

O.k…I’ve tried to write a final blog 3 different times and when I read them back they sound wrong somehow.  How can I express just how much this experience has meant to me and do it justice?  I’ve decided that I can’t, it has meant more to me than words can say.  I was a freight train out of control at the beginning of this competition and I didn’t even know it.  I signed up to  lose a few pounds,  but when I found out that my cholesterol was alarmingly high I found a new focus and was driven by fear.  In the process of  running scared, the weight has come off.  (26 ugly pounds of it)  I’ve lost 6.5 inches around my waist that I don’t ever want to find again, I feel GREAT, and the best part was getting my cholesterol back down into the safe zone.  I still have some work to do because it’s teetering on the border, but at least it’s within the suggested range.  I worried that it might be genetics and that diet and exercise might not lower it much, but last Friday at the weigh out, I was pleasantly surprised.  I lowered my total cholesterol by diet and exercise alone almost 100 points!  That is more than I had hoped for and I could barely contain my excitement.  I could have ran all the way home my worries washed away and spirit lifted.  The Heart Challenge and it’s staff may have just saved my life…how can I ever thank them enough??  While this may not be enough to win the prize, I am thrilled, grateful, excited, smarter, healthier, stronger, and determined to stay that way! 

My plans now are to go shopping for some new clothes that fit.  Between working full time, the gym, and kids I haven’t had time to shop at all.  I can take my levis off without undoing the buttons or zipper, so a few new things are a must.  I also want to start playing raquetball and try some different cardio exercises, like water aerobics and maybe a cycling class.  (maybe Shirley will give me raquetball lessons Ü)  Rob and I have also started playing on a co-ed softball team so that should be entertaining.  I want to hike  Timp this year and I have an Elk hunt in my future so I need to be able to keep up with my super hot hunting guide. (that would be my husband, Rob Ü)  We are going on vacation to Alaska in July so that is the only big hurdle that I see in my near future but Jalaine has taught us well and given us the tools we need along with permission to eat and enjoy. 

I look forward to celebrating each others individual success tonight at the Chef’s Table and wish the best for all of you tonight and forever.  TTFN  Ü

My workouts have been great lately!  I find the harder that I push myself, the better I feel.  I have more energy than I have had in a very long time.  I’m getting so excited about working out.  I think I might be getting addicted to exercise!

 I have to thank my husband for being the best work-out partner and for being so supportive and proud of me throughout this challenge.  He calls me the “fitness queen.”  Without his help running kids, pushing me a little and helping me remember what body part I’m working that day, I would have been sunk.  He worked out with me each night unless I was at the Wellness Center and has lost quite a bit of weight as himself.  He looks so FINE and it’s kind of a fun date!  Thanks babe and I love you!!

Good luck on Friday girls!

Only 8 days left in the competition and I feel like a runner sprinting towards the finish line.  I am trying to make the most of each work out and it feels so good! 

The scissor machine at Golds Gym and I are understanding each other better, I ’ve told it to “just give up the 300 calories already and nobody gets hurt!”

I had to get a new swimsuit this week, something that I have been dreading.  It wasn’t as painful as I anticipated,  I found a cute one for a great price at Cosco and I dropped 2 sizes which was a bonus!

I want to thank the entire Heart Challenge Team for all that they have done for me.  I will never look at food the same again and all of the training has been so valuable to me.

Good luck girls and don’t stop short of the finish line!!

So…..I had some personal goals that I set for myself at the beginning of this competition and I have worked my buns off trying to get there.   Needless to say, I am a few pounds (6 lbs.) away and it’s not looking like I will make it.  I’m still working hard and eating right, but based on my past weight losses….it’s just not mathematically possible.  It might take me longer than the 100 days, but I’m not giving up!  This has been the best thing I have ever done for myself, I feel great and people are noticing a difference which makes me feel even better.  I think Evelyn’s idea is great!  We should be invited to the next Heart Conference and be able to have all the testing re-done and show the new class that it has indeed been a lifestyle change and not just a contest.  That would also give us a little added incentive to continue the habits we have developed thus far.  Who knows, if we all suggested this, it might happen.  Have a good week.  I hope your scales are moving along with the rest of you.

I want a Big Mac!  I know that I should go ahead and get one so that I don’t overdue it when this is all over, but I want to see how much I can lower my cholesterol with a healthy diet and exercise in this 100 day period.  I won’t always be such a freak about it, I just want an accurate picture of how my body will process this new way of living.  I wonder if a Big Mac will even taste as good as I am imaging….I’ll let you know in 25 days.  I will of course take off one of the buns and one of the peices of meat, (if it’s even real meat) and get a salad or apples on the side with a diet soda to keep things under control as much as possible on this splurge.  I don’t ever want to go back to the junk food junkie that I was before we all began this journey.  My husband and I are still working out each day and are planning to continue for the rest of our lives.  I just feel so much better about myself!

Have a great week everyone! 

I have to be honest…I was (was being the key word) feeling a bit burned out, but I’m not a quitter so I work through it.  I expect my kids to play through if they are sick or injured so why should it be any different for me? 

I went to exercise class last night and Josh tested my body fat again.  I was so excited to find out that I have significantly lowered my body fat, and increased my lean muscle mass!  Josh said that by increasing the muscle mass that my BMR should go up (and it did) which would allow me to eat more calories since my body would naturally burn more.  I don’t know how I can eat any more though.  The gals at work already make fun of my huge lunch sack.  It is bulging and heavy…I guess oranges and celery weigh more than the Doritos and Ding-Dongs used to.  (heehee)   

Even though my scale seems to be stuck this week, at least other numbers are improving.  That was just the boost I needed.  Just 5 more weeks until I can see how my cholesterol is doing…the suspense is killing me!!

Wow!  The last two days have been so beautiful outside.  We did yardwork after church on Sunday and then went for a short bike ride.  Oh my gosh…I am so sore today from pulling weeds that I don’t know how I will get through my work-out this evening.  Soooooo Josh and Traci, I am wondering, does that count for working my lower back, glutes, and hammies?

I did not like the scale this morning and so like Susan (Dr. Steffan), I have decided to keep Traci in suspense until tomorrow.  I don’t know why, but I weigh less on Tuesdays.  I hope our final weigh in falls on a Tuesday! 

Have a great week everyone…see you all at exercise class.  Ü

Yesterday I woke up at 5 a.m. to get ready for work.  Once I’m out of the shower and ready, I start a load of laundry and fold what is in the dryer, pack my husband and myself a heart healthy lunch, load/unload the dishwasher, and let the dog out.  I eat my oatmeal while the car warms up and then take off to be at work by 6:30 a.m. 

I am the supplies coordinator in the Operating Room and that keeps me hopping pretty much all day until I’m off at 3:00-3:30 or so.  Then it’s straight to my daughters softball games.  She plays on the J.V. and Varsity team which usually lasts until around 7:00 p.m.   As soon as the games get over I hurry to make us something healthy for dinner, (sometimes I even have to go to the store before this can be accomplished)  and then it’s off to the gym.  We rush in at around 8:00 or 8:30 p.m. to get our weight training and cardio in for the day, if we have time we hit the hot tub for a bit.  The gym closes at 10:00 p.m. and then we head for home.  I haven’t seen the kids all day and so after a half hour or so of catching up on the days events, we head towards bed.  By the time that I get my teeth brushed and jammies on it is nearly 11:00 p.m. and I am BEAT!  If you do the math that leaves me about 6 hours to sleep before I have to wake up and do it all again…Ahhhhhhh! 

Now…my daughter doesn’t have softball every night, but I have 3 other children so if she doesn’t have a game you can bet that I have cheer fittings, dentist, orthodontist appts., track carpool, PTA meetings, etc. that fill that precious 3 hour slot in my day. 

I still have a positive attitude about it all though and always hope that tomorrow I will find some time to clean the toilets or mop the floors.  My only fear is that my leptin and ghrellin (spelling) levels are dipping.  For those of you who don’t attend our AWESOME nutrition classes, these are your sleep hormones and if you don’t get 8 hours of sleep each night, these levels can dive and affect your weight loss.  I have got to find a way to get more sleep!  Hang in there everyone…we are all busy moms, but we can do this!!

Today marks the 46th day of the Heart Challenge.  Wow!  I am amazed at how quickly the days have passed.  Today is Monday and that is the day of reckoning with Traci.  I was so excited to be able e-mail her that I had acheived one of my goals.  My first goal was to make eating healthy and exercise a priority for two weeks, enough time to create a habit.  My second goal was to hit 150lbs, which I did today 149lbs. was my official weigh in.  My third and ultimate goal is to land at 135lbs. and have my cholesterol in the safe zone.  I only have 14 more pounds to go to get to my goal weight, but Traci wants me to work on my cholesterol for a good year and ultimately the rest of my life. 

I am feeling so much stronger, I have lots more energy and just a general feeling of well being.  I feel so lucky to have been chosen to participate in this challenge, the other gals and our teachers have been a huge motivation for me to stick with it! 

I too have had people notice a difference in my appearance and it feels GREAT!  The other day I was getting dressed and my little girl said, “Mom, you’re getting so skinny.”  This made my whole day. 

I have this favorite pair of jeans that are so baggy on me and I have to keep tightening my belt.  I haven’t bought new ones yet, because I’m not where I want to end up yet.  My husband calls me baggy britches when I wear them, but they are still my favorite pair and in fact I love them more because they remind me how far I’ve come. 

Looking forward to learning more at exercise and nutrition class this week!  I hope you all get what you want out of this challenge.  I hope Angie gets to go to Israel and that Evelyn acheives her weight and medication goals, that Susan can unbox all of the clothes she thought that she would never wear again, (and celebrate with a Pina Colada shake and succulent onion rings from the train station.)  I hope we all have healthier hearts and smaller wardrobes and better self esteem.  Good Luck gals!  See you soon.  Ü

I just got back from Sunny St. George.  It was AWESOME!  On Easter Sunday the temperature was 75 degrees.  We just layed by the pool until around 6 p.m. before we decided that we’d better get home and ready to get back to work. 

I did great while we were away.  I took my little rolling cooler with us and went to Albertsons once we got there and loaded it with granola bars, apples, oranges, grapes and yogurt to take to the softball games.  I felt a little bit sorry for myself that I couldn’t get a hot dog at the snack stand, but when I got home and was 2 lbs. lighter I didn’t feel bad anymore.  Ü 

We went through the Wendy’s drive thru and I had my little eating out guide that Jalaine gave us and was telling everyone in the car how many calories were in there value meals when it hit me…I used to eat that many calories and fat grams every day and sometimes when on vacation I would eat value meals 3 times a day.  No wonder I was consistently gaining 3 or more lbs. per year and my cholesterol is sky high. 

I ordered the chili and a 99 cent salad and made myself a taco salad.  It was 1/3 of the calories and much better for me. 

We found Golds Gym down there and got our work-out in each day and I didn’t give into the Easter Candy either.  (Angie…I wanted a Reeses egg too!  Those are my all time favorites.) 

See you all tonight at class!  Keep on keepin’ on.  Ü