TRANSFORMATION

September 12, 2010

I tried to find one word that would best describe my life at this very moment. TRANSFORMATION is the word that I came up with. I looked up the word in the dictionary....it says:
1. The act or process of transforming.
2. Change in form, appearance, nature, or character.
Wow, that is the perfect word for me! I think of the process that a caterpillar goes thru to become a beautiful and transformed Butterfly. It is amazing to witness and you can only wonder what the caterpillar must think of himself by comparison...yet one day he goes to sleep and the next time he wakes up, he is transformed into something so beautiful and different....I remember feeling miserable....it hasn't been all that long ago. I didn't like the way I looked. I was quite unhappy. But after finding this awesome program I have began to transform. I am starting to see the changes now for myself. You go thru a season of seeing the numbers move, but not seeing it in yourself just yet. Others are noticing, but it takes you awhile to see it for yourself. I know that not only my outside is transforming, but inward too... I smile more, I carry my head up..not down..I feel worthy.

Up to this point, I have taken steps to transform my eating and lose the excess weight. I have been successful and I am happy to report that to date, I have lost 85 pounds.I am ever so close to my initial weight goal. As I grow closer to my goal weight, the loss has become slower. I did start exercising, and as I mentioned in my last post...I began karate. When you have been overweight for so many years like I had been...running was not top priority on your list. In fact, it was like Climbing Mt. Everest in my mind. I truly hated it. Now it wasn't always that way for me. I was quiite the sports person in my younger day. I ran track and field, did the shot put, long jump, high jump, hurdles....you name it in the area of Track and Field, I did it..But that wasn't all the sports I did... I was on the Basketball team, the Volleyball team, Field Hockey, I played Softball, Powderpuff Football, was in the Flag Corp, and the list goes on. My Big Brother was athletic, so I guess that is where I got from because no one else was athletic in our home.. In fact, growing up in an Italian home....the biggest sport was Pasta rolling! Who could roll the most pasta on the fork and get it all your mouth...LOL... Of course I was pretty good at it. I guess it caught up to me. Ok, enough of that....getting back to what I was gonna tell you about running.

I started my karate classes, and I thought what did I get myself into? Pretty much every class, I have been made to run the mat. I was kinda like what does this have to do with the latest karate moves I should be learning... Well, I didn't complain..I just figured it wasn't gonna hurt me to face my fears of running. I had kinda been dealing with that already anyway with running the bridge during my husbands Blackbelt run. we actually kept it up weekly until it got warmer. I was starting to get better at it. While I am no speed runner at this point, my last 2 mile run was 28:39....I hadn't run much since it had been too hot... Just some time on the treadmill.

I've been taking 2 karate classes a week now since I started. I even got to do my first cross fit testing...it was tough. I look forward to seeing what my numbers are like in 6 months from now.. I wasn't too good with pushups and sit-ups...I just have not built up my core yet. I tried my hardest. I have also taken in some kickboxing classes since I got back at it....I must say, I LOVE kickboxing....not a little bit, I LOVE it a lot.....I just wish I was years younger...I am so glad that kickboxing is in a lot of my classes....So far so good. I know I am working parts of my brain that have not worked in a while. Memorizing all the forms and movements will come in time...hopefully.

Ok, so I have taken on karate and things are going ok....so what else could I have to tell you? I took on a 21-day Boot Camp. No, I am not crazy...or at least I don't think so right now. It actually started tonight and I couldn't wait to blog about it. Since weight loss is moving along, I am going to take the next 21-days to move you thru the next step in my journey to be slim....BOOT CAMP! Get ready.....
Before I start, I do want to mention about the slowing weight loss.... I have been working with the clinic coaching team, and we have added some extra protein to my diet...just to help with the extra calories I am burning right now...as a result I am not in ketosis so weight loss will be slower...part of me changing and taking this to the next level.... This my friends is where exercise is suppose to come in....With this program...everything come in the proper time. I have spent since January working on the diet and following the program.. I was told to keep the exercise to a mild form which I have until recently...now that I have the energy, I can take on more and more. That is what will help to keep it off....that and of course continuing to watch my foods and eat properly.... I hope to lose a lot of weight during the Boot Camp..

Here goes:
Boot Camp Day One-Orientation
Day one begins with introductions, housekeeping rules, etc... What is so awesome about this Boot Camp is this is not only going to transform us physically, but mentally, and spiritually too... (ooh there is that word again...TRANSFORM). Tonight we filled out some medical paperwork, and who to contact if we pass out or get injured. With that out of the way, we went over some core value scriptures, and some of the habits we will form...next it was time to get our numbers so we have something to compare to. It amazes me how much this is lining up with the weight loss process I have done... I took measurements and weighed when I began as a way to compare my progress....this is the same. we will measure our progress by running 2 miles and getting our starting time, and then tomorrow we will get sit-ups, pushups etc... I assume. I'll let you know how that goes... So anyway, we went to the bridge to run...and when I hit the finish line, Master Garza gave me my time....it was 25:43.....that is like 3 minutes better than the last time I ran the bridge.... I was so excited...can't wait to see what it will be in 20 more days. We will do all of that again at the end of Boot Camp.

Well, that's it for tonight..I start Day 2 tomorrow... I will update you as I can. Oh by the way, I will be getting my first belt of color the end of this month...I will be a yellow belt soon.. I must continue to get in my classes over the next month... I will be doing karate and Boot Camp back-to-back for some of the days... I know it will be challenging for my body, but I am up for it, and will work thru any pain I might have..just say a prayer for me....see ya soon..