Author: pattimassullo2017rbl

Well this is it, the end of a twelve week journey to health. But wait! Does it have to be?

No way! Even though the “formal” part of Rob’s Big Losers is over, I plan to continue my health journey. This was a kick off to the rest of our lives guys!! Now that we have formed some good habits, learned to eat better and why we eat and that exercise can actually be fun, let’s continue. I have learned it is a lifelong process. Does it mean we will never eat wrong again or skip an exercise day? No! but being ok with that and getting up the next day and doing it right THAT day is what matters to me.

It is true! Habits can be formed with repetition. Last night I went to Zumba, knowing this was our last couple of days. No one was going to hold me accountable for that except me. The point being, I wanted to go! It has become a habit.

I am forever changed by this experience. Not because I won or even had the best results but because I have changed how I think about food and exercise… baby steps

I have made friends I believe I will always stay in touch with. I have seen “Jesus with skin on” with Misty and David at the YMCA and know that if I ever need a helping hand, they are there! Everyone who works there are amazing!

Have made friends with Danielle and have been doing a bible study with her. She teaches a mean CDB class 🙂

Thank you Rob Dempsey for this incredible opportunity! Your story and determination has been a great role model for all of us.

This is not good bye… this is the beginning of the rest of our lives, hope you all join me in that and hope to see you all at the YMCA and own Facebook!

 

God Bless!!

Well here it is! Week 12. It is hard to believe that twelve weeks have passed! This is not the end for me. As a matter of fact it is just the beginning. I have learned so much that it is hard to put into words. Here is just a glimpse.

I am in a competition with me, myself and I

I am finding out that I have more strength and physical endurance then I ever thought

I am enjoying the process of watching my body change

I feel better when I make good choices

Habits are formed from consistent and steady changes

Losing inches is equally as important and weight

Age is just a number. I am 60 years old. I do not feel 60 and my body is way more flexible then I gave it credit for

Limitations are what we put on ourselves

Real change comes from making one good decision after another

Beating myself up because I didn’t lose what I wanted in a week is not an excuse to give up

I have time for taking good care of myself

When I feel better I am a better wife and mother

Slow and steady really wins the race

God loves me and wants me to be my best self

I LOVE Zumba!

I want to thank Rob Dempsey, His Radio and the Eastside YMCA  for their commitment to health and this incredible opportunity

Looking forward to celebrating life change this Saturday at the 5K

My motivation is totally to get healthy and that will mean losing some weight in the process. I want to be stronger, have more energy and be around when grandchildren come along ( none yet) to play and run around with them

It is not to compete or to keep up with anyone else in this journey. Everyone has a different motivation and that is fine.
Mine is for long term benefits and habits that I know I can stick with for the rest of my life.

What that means for me is not “dieting”. It is making much healthier choices, eating and not starving myself, having a treat when I want it and not feeling guilty, being conscious  of when I eat and why. It also means exercising consistently and watching the change in my body which I see and feel so much more then when I started this journey. Moving every single day. I work at a computer most of the day so I get up every hour or so for 10 minutes and move. Sometimes take the dog for a walk or just do some stretches.

I have joy in this process.. I am a different person than I was just eleven weeks ago!

As we wind down with a couple of weeks to go, don’t give up now! I personally am pushing hard these last weeks so I can finish well. Not to win. Not to be better then anyone else. To finish well… for me.

I am healthier than when I began, am down about 8 pounds and 6-1/4 inches. Not earth shattering but a start. This twelve week journey is just the beginning. I do not plan to go back to the old life. For me that was exercising when I made the time, eating healthy most of the time… Now, I am going to exercise regularly because it has become a habit and I have friends doing it with me. I am also “watching” what I eat. I am not dieting. I am being very aware of what I put in my mouth every day and not being so strict that I can’t live with it for the rest of my life

This has been life changing in that new habits are formed and new friendships have been made.

Let’s go the distance and finish well friends!!

The last couple of weeks have been challenging to get to the gym because of a crazy schedule. Still planning to be there three times this week

i downloaded the Couch to 5 K app on my phone so I can start practicing for the upcoming 5 K. I do not plan to straight run. I will walk/run and walk fast

I am loving this new lifestyle of getting healthy through regular exercise and healthy eating. Coinciding with this, doing a bible study with Danielle from the Y amd eight other ladies, Made To Crave. All about learning to use food for fuel. Eating to live and not living to eat!

 

I must have over done something this past week because I had to miss my beloved Zumba Thursday night! You know I was in pain if I missed that one, LOL. I think I just pulled a muscle or something because even though it still hurt this morning, I made it to Cardio Dance Blast!!

It is hard to believe this part of the journey is winding down to the finish line! I am going to work extra hard this second half to reach my personal goals!

 

Here we go….

It has been such a learning process, this whole thing. I am learning that I have muscles that I have not used in a while. It is a good feeling to see the changes, small though they may be. I am praying they will be lasting and become part of my every day life.

My muscles are hurting and stretching and that is a good thing. I am learning it is ok to push myself. I have had a problem with my left arm most of my life because of a herniated disc but I am seeing that even that arm is getting stronger!

Getting stronger and noticing that I can do things I could not do just a few short weeks ago is amazing!

Thank you Lord!!

I am missing my Zumba so can’t wait for tomorrow night!!  🙂

I am finding that the more consistent I am with my workouts and “watching” what I put into my mouth, the better off I am.

Went out to eat for a friend’s 50th birthday last night with a group of women. I ate something with higher calories but I did not eat it all! And I did have birthday cake but a very small piece. Went to do Cardio Blast this morning and pretty sure I left there with all those calories gone, LOL!

The consistency of going  to work out when I don’t “feel like it” is paying off..

Body is changing one inch at a time 🙂

I keep reminding myself and say it out loud, I am competing with ME, MYSELF and I.

I know we are in a competition but the reality of it is, when the competition is over I have to live with me and I have to sustain what I have done and continue to do. I am changing my eating habits and my exercise habits one day at a time.I cannot worry about what everyone else is doing or I will get stressed out. I have to be the best ME I can be. I try to take the same attitude in my business. There will always be people making more money, working more hours and doing things I am not doing .

I will concentrate on my personal goals and for me it is to get healthy, get rid of Sleep Apnea completely,  keep my heart healthy, lose weight at a reasonable rate that I can maintain and develop new eating habits. oh and.. there is a new dress I want and will not buy till I get where I want 🙂

I love learning new things and last night I went on a Grocery store tour  and learned so many things about heart healthy eating and how to really read labels and make good choices. Very informative! I recommend everyone do it if you can!

I am happy to be part of a great team at Eastside. I love my fellow RBL’s and LOVE Misty!! and of course by now, everyone knows I LOVE Zumba 🙂

I love being part of a team and the accountability but the competition is for me. At the end of the day (or the end of the competition) if I do not meet my goals, it is on me!

Is it worth the struggle? I think so…

 

Tomorrow starts week 5 already! I am finding I love the classes way more than the actual weight machines but I know I need to do both to transform my body so this week I will step up my game in that area!

I feel myself getting stronger and yesterday I was able to keep my leg up the whole time in the stretch at the end of Zumba! Could not do that four weeks ago…

Baby steps, friends! As my son keeps telling me, “You are changing bad habits one day at a time and developing new ones and it will pay off”. He should know, he did it himself!

Love having him as my cheerleader and accountability partner 🙂

Week 5 here I come!