Bootcamp rocks

Have I told you that I love Bootcamp?? I love my Bootcamp family and I love the support we all show for each other, even when we are dying and can barely move, we still cheer each other on and encourage each other to keep going. It makes me happy!

Today was good. Loved the workout at Bootcamp and I also went to the gym with my friend Sheryl. It was tons of fun. Katrina gave us a good workout and we had a good time. 

So tired, so sore. Glad that tomorrow I only have one workout. My back is kind of hurting. It is in a place that is hard to stretch. Maybe I need to put a heat pad or something on it. I don't know. I do know that ibuprofen is on the diet today!! 

I have been doing really good in regards to eating healthy. I have stayed away from the cookies and candy and have eaten so much healthier. I refuse to give up my hot chocolate. It's gettin cold!!! 

My weight has started coming down again (I know, surprise!!) or not....it's all about the eating!!! 

So that is today's post. Hope you all have a fabulous evening. :)

Gonna feel it in the morning

Today is endurance leg day. I endured it. Twice. 

Killer workout and if I wasn't a glutton for punishment, I would have walked out the door before the 9amers showed up.......ahem.....well one of them anyway. Alas I stayed and did the workout with the pt that showed up. 

Sitting in class tonight was fine, until I had to move. Then I didn't like it so much. 

I LOVE BOOTCAMP!!!!!

Here is the most recent picture of me. Hope you are all well. Thanks for all the great support!!

Veterans Day

To the men and women who have willingly put their lives on the line to protect my freedom and this great country, I say to you 

I am so blessed to be surrounded by so many good friends and family who have willingly served this country. I would feel very ungrateful if I didn't say Thank you. 

Today was good. I felt good and my knee held up pretty well. I was able to run at a 5.0 today. I'm hoping this is the beginning of better knee days. My shoulder was having trouble, but is survived. Pretty sure there is a storm coming in. It tends to act up when that happens. I've been trying to do better with my eating again. I got a little lax and allowed myself to eat things that are not necessarily bad, but also not on the diet. I have maintained my weight but not lost. The inches are still coming off though!! 

Tomorrow is a new day. :) I am so thankful for  the people in my life who have helped me to change. Thank you all for the support!!

Fourth and accountability <---yes I did just make a football joke

I start my forth session tomorrow. Fourth!! When I began my journey, I had no intentions of staying with it this long. My measurements keep going down and I am having to buy new clothes just to keep them on my body. I have been blessed with several gifts that have helped me to get some clothes that fit. I have some very awesome friends and family. 

I bought a couple nice shirts this weekend thanks to a gift from a friend.  Both shirts were the most expensive clothing items I have ever bought in my life. I bought them from the regular women's section, not the "big" section. I love them. 

I feel different. I feel happier, healthier, and stronger. Bootcamp has made a huge difference in my life. It has changed my life for the better. I know that without Bootcamp, I never would have done it or still be doing it. Yes the song from WICKED "For Good" is going through my head. (My life is a song)

I have recently been going to a trainer to use up some training sessions I have been paying for at my old gym. I have stuck with her for several weeks and I know that has helped as well. She is awesome!!

 I have lost 23 inches around my stomach now. When I think about how big that is, it is crazy. Seriously that is one inch short of 2 feet!! I was watching a video of one of my voice recitals and I couldn't believe how big I was!!! Insanity!!!  Maybe I will post it for you to see. Just don't judge me for my vocal skills.

I am truly looking forward to starting this new session and kicking it into gear!! I'm going to start blogging every day again to keep myself accountable. Instructor Thomas, I give you permission to drop me if I don't stay accountable.

Thanks for being such awesome supportive people. You are all the best ever!!!

http://youtu.be/9w4bAJS1u5Q <------link to see how big I was. That was not my biggest, but it gives you an idea. Those clothes are way too big on me now!!!

Two Weeks! Oops!

Well, I just realized that I didn't blog last week. Shameful. I should drop for that. Maybe later.

I hope you are all doing well. I am excited to tell you all about the last few days.

Today was the last day of my 16th week. 16 weeks! And I haven't missed a Friday, yet! I am doing really well, with the exception of my knee being hurt. I go to the doctor in two weeks. If I can just nurse it along until then, I will be good. Some days are worse than others with it. Take today for example. I had to improvise a lot today. Yesterday, hardly at all. So day by day I figure things out and change things up to do them and still keep going.

Yesterday and one other day a few weeks ago, I had the wonderful (Cough, cough) opportunity to train by myself at bootcamp. I was the only one to show up, Again. It was a hard workout too! He really kicked my behind yesterday. I was sore by the time I got home! I felt it today too. Crazy hard workout. So all you awesome PT's that are supposed to be coming to boot camp, You all missed out! You should all be jealous! OH, and Get your behinds back to UTAH! I need you! :) Missed you all yesterday, if you couldn't tell.

I absolutely love Boot camp! It makes me happy. Seriously! I still hate getting out of bed every morning, I still hate driving all the way to Murray every day, but I am happy to be doing it. My life has changed a lot. I used to get out of breath walking up the stairs to my condo every day. Now I can walk up and feel fine. Half the time I race my kids up the stairs now. It is fun. Another thing, I RUN with my kids! I do! It is fun to run with them and not be walking behind them. I can do more things that I would have never dared do before. I sleep better, I feel better, I am not sick as much as I used to be. I often get the urge to go walking or running now. These things have so changed my life.

I have run 3...count them 1- Electric Run, 2- Color me Rad, and 3-Autumn Rush, 5k's. That is correct. I have run 3. Crazy! I don't even think I could have Walked one before I did boot camp. I keep seeing 5k races being posted on facebook and I wonder when I will be crazy enough to do another. My kids like the 5k's too. Every time I sign up for one they ask if they can come too. They love that I can do more with them than I used to.

I don't spend as much time sitting around as I used to either. I can't stand to sit for very long....school is about killing me in that regard. I do love school though. I am learning a ton and moving along quickly.

Anyway, What I am getting at is this: I FEEL AWESOME!

I can see the difference in my body, I can tell when things fit better, I can feel the difference, and I know you have all been able to see the difference too. I don't know if you can tell if my energy is different or not, but I can tell it is.

I couldn't have done any of this without all of you. I have been so blessed to have so many people watching me change. It has been nice to have people to be accountable to. I haven't lost a lot this go around, but I am losing inches and gaining muscle. I hope to keep hearing feedback from all of you.

If you ever feel like you can't do it. Please know that you can! I did! If I can do it, ANYONE CAN!!

PT Miller

Plateau frustrations

Holy cow, I have been frustrated with this stupid weight loss plateau. Today I got measured at the gym. I have lost 3 1/4 more inches around my waist, and  an inch around my arms. 2 inches around my thigh and .2 inches around my calf. That was in a month.

In just two weeks (because I had this stuff measured on 9/27/2013), my body fat % went down from 46.8 to 45.6. My Lean body mass % went from 53.2 to 54.4. My Fat mass went from 132.4 pounds to 128.5 pounds. My lean body mass went from 150.55 pounds to 153.4 pounds. That is right folks, I gained 3 pounds of Muscle in two weeks. Crazy eh?? I feel a little better, but seriously, it is still frustrating when the scale doesn't move, right??

Well this week was hard! Monday was a killer workout and I'm pretty sure by Thursday everyone was burned out and that is why I found myself as the only one to show up! Made for a great workout. I got a one on one session with instructor Thomas. It was so hard! It seriously kicked my butt. I hope he knows how much I love that he cares enough to kick my butt. I haven't done a workout that hard in a long time.

I went to bootcamp this morning. SOOOOOO COLD!!! The grass was all frosty and it was hard to not slip and fall on the hill. It was good though, instructor Thomas spiced things up and changed the workout this week. It was fun. I enjoyed it a lot more. It was still hard with this stupid knee injury, but I survived it.

I'm so sorry I haven't been blogging as much. School work is taking all my reading time and my blogging seems to take a back seat. I promise to at least write once or twice a week though. I will not leave this blog and let it get lost in the internet world.

I hope you all know how wonderful I think you are. You are all so amazing and I just love you all! Thanks so much for the continuing support!

PT Miller

Avoidance

Admission. I have been avoiding blogging.

There I said it. I just was not into it this week. SO, I am back now. :)

HUMP DAY!!
Today is Wednesday! YAY! I have been using the new rowing machine at Bootcamp. I honestly really like it. my back doesn't though. It is super sore, but I know as I keep using it, my back will get stronger and it won't hurt anymore. I love trying to get 4 miles in on it. It takes me about an hour to reach 4 miles, but if I push myself I can get pretty far, pretty quickly. It was funny when Instructor Thomas tried to increase the difficulty and it was already as far up as it could go. He just stuck his tongue out at me....it was funny. The workout was really good today. We got a little messed up, but we figured it all out, it wasn't a big deal....it was actually pretty funny.

Anyway, yesterday was competition leg day. Talk about killer work out!! Holy cow, it was so much fun too. I love competition leg days. It is always fun to see how much more you can do than the last time. I am pretty sure I was able to do a whole lot more than I used to be able to do. OF COURSE, the last competition leg day was during my 3rd or 4th week and it was against Charlie company. I KNOW I did better than I did then. :)

Monday was chest day. I noticed that there was a new bench at the chest press and asked instructor Thomas about it. He told me I was observant. Ha.

I injured my knee, but after massaging it today, I think it is getting a little better, it is not quite as bad as it was yesterday and this morning. I am hoping it is just a little bit of inflammation and I will be able to get back to my normal working out self soon.

Well I hope you are all well. I have greatly appreciated the support of those who watch my daughter in the morning and take her to the bus stop so I can keep going. I am so thankful to all of your kind words and all the wonderful support you have all given me. I could not have done this without all of you! You have greatly increased my chances of succeeding in my journey and I can not express my gratitude enough.

Hope you all have a wonderful day. :)

PT Miller

Strip Day, Friday, 5k

Yep I totally rhyme. I am a poet, read the title!

First things first, I experienced my first Strip day. Let me just say this. HOLY CRAP! It was hard. I loved every second of it, well except the part that hurt. Which was everything. I am still so sore. I am pretty sure that the soreness from this is worse than the soreness of wearing the vest for a week. INSANE. Will I show up for it again? You bet! It is nice to finally feel my muscles again. :)

This morning was bootcamp at the park, just like every Friday. There were no new PT's so we all did a really hard workout. Okay, it might not have been hard for everyone, but for me, it was. I didn't stop though, I pushed through and I kept going and I made it. It was a fun workout. It was nice to do something different.

Tomorrow I am running the COLOR ME RAD race in Orem. I am excited. I picked up my shirt and stuff today. It will be tons of fun. My mom and my friend are running with me. We are team RUNNING ON EMPTY. My husband was supposed to bring the kids, but he ended up having to work tomorrow and so the kids are going to bring their scooters and "RUN" with me. It will be good for them. :) No worries, I got permission and filled out waivers for them.

On another note, today marks the end of my 12th week 12!!!Can you believe it?? It is super crazy that it has gone by that fast. I can't wait to start week 13 on Monday. Thank you Jesse for putting up with me for so long! I love my Bootcamp Family! 

So this has been a crazy week but I have had a fun time. I'm sore. It is a good sore. :) Hope you all have a fantastic weekend!!!

What Day IS IT???

Today is what day???

That's right it is HUMP DAY!




So this week has been a tough one, but it is half way through. I can make it!

I am running a second 5k on Saturday and I am getting excited about it. :) It will be fun. Rain or shine! IT is the Color me Rad race in Orem at UVU. I think this time will be easier and harder. I know how long 5k's is now and I am prepared for that, however I know that UVU campus is very HILLY. On the bright side, I get to do it with people I love. My mom is coming and doing it and my friend Kelli is doing it as well.

Today was my daughters 6th birthday. I threw a party for her and her friends. They had a lot of fun. I am so lucky to have her. I am glad I am taking steps to be around longer for my kids. It is the best decision I have made. I run with them more now than I did before, they love to race and I sometimes egg it on.

They are looking forward to going to Lagoon next year. I know that may seem like a silly goal to you, but I promised them I would be healthy and skinny enough to go with them next year. That is how I am getting them to support me! It works! Now when I am tempted they tell me that they will be sad if they can't go to Lagoon. Good motivation for me!

So things are hard, but I know I will figure out what I am doing wrong and I will feel better about it when I can fix it. I was pretty frustrated this morning, as I am sure Instructor Thomas could tell, but I am better this afternoon.

Well I hope you all have a happy HUMP day! Enjoy your evening and I am off to help make a birthday dinner. Only my children would choose, brown rice, grilled chicken and carrots for their birthday! Gotta love them  :D

It's Been a while

Well, as you can see, it has been a while since I last posted. Sorry for the lengthy break of time.

I have been doing well. I am loving bootcamp, today was probably the hardest day I have had in a while. I am not doing well on the weight loss. I am doing my best to eat the way I have been, I am just stuck. I know that instructor Thomas wants 3 pounds a week, but it isn't happening. I am still losing, I can tell in my clothes and in the way I feel that I am doing better. I am trying not to be too frustrated. I feel like I am working out ALL. OF. THE. TIME. anymore. Is it possible to exercise too much?? Maybe I am not eating enough. I just don't know. I have been drinking my water. Maybe I need to increase my water intake. I just don't know. I don't!

All in all, I feel so much better, I know that my inches are still getting better. I just hope this Plateau is going to go away soon.

So this is the 12th week of boot camp. I have lost 41 pounds so far and a lot of inches. I feel like a different person. I have a bit more confidence, although I would love to have more. I don't feel depressed as much as I used to. I do have my days, sometimes weeks. Anyway it is all good.

I ran a 5k on Friday. The Electric Run. It was super fun and super hard. I pushed myself harder than I have ever done and it was worth it. The feeling of accomplishment was well worth the work. I will be running the COLOR ME RAD race this coming Saturday. Wish me luck!!!

Hope you all are doing well. Here is a little video for you to enjoy.
PT Miller

41 pounds and counting!!!

Well well, if today isn't just amazing! I hit 41 pounds lost today!! It has been tough, but dang!!! 40 pounds!!! That is beyond amazing to me. I honestly didn't believe I would ever lose this much this quickly. 

There was one person who did though. That was Jesse Thomas. He believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. I am so glad I reconnected with him when I did. He has helped change my life for the better. Seriously, I had no confidence and really low self esteem. I didn't believe I could ever lose weight and I had resigned myself to being overweight for the rest of my life. He changed that. He helped me see that I can be confident and have good self esteem and I can lose weight and feel better. I still have a long way to go, but I'm getting there. Working hard and eating healthy and having a good support system is what is working. 

You have all been so great and helpful. I love seeing the comments of encouraging words and seeing that you are being inspired to get out there and do the same. It does my heart good to hear someone say that they are trying to be healthier just because they read my blog, or saw my picture on Facebook. It truly helps me keep going. So thank you all!

Here it is, my transformation picture so far. I started week 11 today (missed yesterday because the kids were really sick). Here is to 40 more pounds!!! Wish me luck!!!

Happy Friday!

Well clearly you can see that I missed yesterdays post. Sorry about that. Yesterdays workout was a killer one. I asked if I could wear the vest and he told me no. I know I am a glutton for punishment, you don't have to tell me. Anyway, I am really glad he told me no. It was a tough tough tough workout.

Today was pretty good, with the exception of the run around the park, I did really well. It was killer though. It rained most of the workout. It sure felt good on my face while we were laying at the top of the hill though. I love going on Fridays, it is a fun challenge.

I have been paying for a trainer at Golds Gym because I am on a contract with them, so I decided to use my sessions I had built up. I have been going every week for the last 3 weeks and I have been getting my butt kicked by Katrina. She is great. She called me a Kick Ass today after the workout. I just laughed. She is so good though. She loves instructor Thomas because she bought her Precor treadmill from him.

Anyway, my child has been sick for the last two days. I suppose I should go take care of her and make sure she is ok.

Here is a picture of me at my highest weight ever. 367 pounds. Crazy to think. I have a hard time thinking about it sometimes. I hope I never get there again. I am starting to feel so much better and I have more confidence and I just overall feel great. I know I will continue to feel better. Enjoy, and remember if I can do it, ANYONE can!!!

9/11/2001

Today is Wednesday (Hump day, Yeah). Workout was tough, but good. My mom left me a really nice surprise at bootcamp. It was a brand new pair of shoes (which I desperately needed) accompanied by new socks, a new water bottle, shoe inserts and some fun shoelaces. I truly have the greatest mother in the world! I know you are all jealous!

On a more serious note, today is 9/11. 12 years have passed since that day and I still remember very vividly what I was doing when I found out what had happened. That morning I sent my husband and his brother off to the school for classes and work. About twenty minutes later as I was cleaning out my closet in my bedroom, they came home. I looked at them and asked them why they were there. They told me that some people hijacked some airplanes and they crashed them into the world trade center buildings. They kept trying to get me to believe this crazy story and I didn't believe them. Finally after begging them to stop telling me stories, they looked a me and turned on the television. I remember watching in horror as they showed the footage of the plane crashing into the building. Then as we watched the live coverage, the first tower began to collapse. I remember wondering how our country would get through all of this. Then things got worse, the second tower fell and a plane crashed into the pentagon and another plane went down in Pennsylvania. It was insane. I felt helpless, I felt scared. I was pregnant with my first child and I remember wondering how I would raise a child in a war torn world.

12 years later I still feel those feelings as vividly as I did then. I will never forget. I will always remember that day and I will always be proud to be an American. I love my country and the freedoms we have here. It is something worth fighting for. I am so proud of the soldiers, police officers, firefighters, and many other people who risk their lives to keep me safe and to keep our country safe. I hope I can live up to them and do a good job. I hope we never forget the day our lives changed.

Peace be with you all on this day.

PT Miller

Leg day zombie

So today was another tough day. Surprise! Only kidding on the surprise. I have been super tired lately. I need more sleep. Anyway, I did my workout without my knee brace today. It was ok. It wasn't any more painful than when I wear it. I'm thinking I will take it a day at a time. We will see how it feels in the morning.

Today, although hard, was fun. I really love all the great people in my Bootcamp family. It is always a party at 0800!

Have I mentioned how much I Loathe (LOVE) endurance leg day? I mean seriously if I could miss (never miss) a day that would (would not) be the day to do it! Well, it has been a few days since I last blogged, so I thought I would get back on that.

Have a great night!

PT Miller

Friday

Today was a good day. I finally, after 9 weeks of Bootcamp, ran the full distance without walking or resting!! I am very impressed with myself. Sherbon ran with me and kept me going. Not only that but I made the whole workout without giving up at anything. Yes it sucked and yes it was hard, but it was sooooo worth it!!!

I put on a pair of pants this week that I pretty much have always squeezed into and they fit with room to spare!! Also, my Levi's are getting loose as well. I am still losing inches everywhere. I also put on some shorts that I wear at bedtime that were too tight and now they fit with room to spare too!! The only problem with this is I can't afford new clothes!! #bootcampproblems

Hope you have a great weekend!!

PT Miller

Leg day

Oh my goodness, today was hard, it didn't help that I was completely exhausted today. I didn't go to sleep until after midnight last night. 20 minutes later, my husband woke up and was sick. He finally went back to bed and 20 minutes later my oldest child was standing next to my bed in tears. She had woken up and couldn't fall back to sleep. I told her to get her pillow and blanket and come lay down on the floor by my bed. I finally get back to sleep, I woke up to turn over and I couldn't move my feet. They were stuck under two more children who had climbed into my bed and fallen asleep. I can't move the no matter how hard I try, so I give up and just go back to sleep. 20 minutes later.........my alarm goes off!!! So I'm running on about Maybe an hour and a half of sleep.

I did finally get about a 20 minute nap before the children woke me up asking for help on their homework. Needless to say,I was pretty tired this morning.

Today was hard. Leg and shoulders. I was out of breath ALOT!!! I know I got yelled at for not moving a lot today too. Oh well. I'm sure I will feel it tomorrow anyway. I'm so sore.

Time to take the boy to karate. Hiya!!

A dream of blues

P.s. after yesterday's workout my arms hurt so bad that I couldn't type, so you didn't get to hear about it. I'll tell you a little bit about it though. I worked hard during the workout. The weight on most of the exercises was increased. A lot!! I even did 40's on the bent over row! Playing with the big boys now!! Well I'm tired, I am going to try and sleep.

The ROOM OF DOOM!

So, today was a good day, went to Bootcamp this morning and did THE ROOM OF DOOM, but not before laughing a lot!!

Instructor Thomas kept telling us he was sore and I told him I was crying a big ol' alligator tear for him. He couldn't see it though.....ok, so maybe I was just giggling. So he goes to show us what exercises we have to do and he does a squat and he says it hurts his butt. Yeah, the whole room burst into laughter as Someone is screaming at him that there is no crying in the army. Oh we laughed, and we had fun.

Then came THE ROOM OF DOOM! It wasn't as hard as I thought, but I learned not to say the words, I can't. Yeah I had to do push-ups today. Not my greatest moment, but I did do them on my feet!! Which was a good moment. We did a lot of constant exercising. It was a good thing. I quite enjoyed it. I might be exaggerating a little bit, but, I finished!!

I felt accomplished today. It was a good day. I also got my car fixed. The crack in the radiator was 5 inches long and was getting worse. I love love love spending money on my car. The car I absolutely loathe. At least I have a car, I should be grateful for that. I'm really glad I don't have to keep asking for rides though. It will be so much easier.

Thank you so much to all of my awesome friends who drove me everywhere this last week. I have greatly appreciated your kindness and help. It may be nothing to you, but it means so much to me.

Have a good evening!

HiLo

Today I experienced HILO. It is pretty much awesome!! It was Like Richard Simmons meets bootcamp,on crack!! I quite enjoyed it and I will definitely sign up again next time. It was a lot of fun, it was also hard, but I did it.

Seeing the Instructor in spandex shorts was interesting.....lol....but the whole class was awesome. We did 20 extra minutes of workout too! I guess we all just love being in pain!! :D

I have to say I have amazing friends. If it weren't for them, I would not have been able to make it to several sessions of Bootcamp. I am so thankful to all of you. You know who you are. My car should be fixed tomorrow. I hope.

Also, I got this nice little note from my Bootcamp buddy today.....so sweet!

So I just have to share a thought I had today at HILo class. It was toward the end when we were about to die, sweatin' like dogs and you and I high fived each other. As we walked to our stations I thought, "Miller is Rockin' this HiLo class. She can do anything she sets her mind to do." You're amazing PT Miller. So proud of you and all the progress you are making. Woo Hoo!  ~PT Kelly

I am so glad to have such a great support system. Thank you all!!

A dream of blues

Frustrated

Well, I ended up not being able to get to this last night. I was driving home from school last night when the temperature gauge started climbing and before I knew it, my car was overheated. I made it to our church house and when I opened the hood of my car, radiator fluid was spraying everywhere. Oh the joys of the car I loathe.

Anyway, I am sad that I won't be able to make it to Bootcamp today. I seriously need to be there. My heart is truly broken. I wish that there was some way to pay for a new car, but we can not afford the monthly payments. It sucks.

As for yesterday, Bootcamp was great. I quite enjoyed the workout. It was hard, but I really felt like I did a good job. Instructor Thomas has a way of making our conversations awkward and hilarious. I seriously love him!! I may now know more about him than I ever wanted to know, but that's the way he is.

So today I get to figure out how to fix my car yet again, with no money and no hope to see the light at the end of the tunnel of car problems and medical bills, but hey, that's life. So I'm just going to figure it out and hope for the best because that is what we have to do to survive.

Have a great day!!

A dream of blues

Tough workout!

I experienced being yelled at by two instructors tonight AND instructor Thomas threw his hat at me!! Better than his boot I guess. That was one of the hardest workouts I've done at Bootcamp so far. It was tough, but I didn't die. I feel awesome for finishing and I learned something today that I didn't know. If I would have known that bending over when out of breath was not a good thing, I wouldn't be doing it. So thank you Instructor Paul for teaching me that. Now I know, I will do my best to avoid doing that.

It was fun to work out with some awesome people. It was nice to meet everyone and know that no matter what group you work out in, we are all family. I can't wait to get back to 0800 tomorrow though! Missed you all this morning!!

Well, my bed is calling my name. Sorry for the short post, goodnight!!!!

Ten Years ago

This morning was a very emotional and hard morning. I have been stuck at 286 for several days and I had hoped to make it to 283 today. Today I scraped by and made it. I was sure nervous. I was 283 the day I found out I was pregnant with my son. I found out on Labor day weekend of 2003. Guess what this weekend is! That's right, Labor day weekend. Coincidence?? Probably, but it makes for a good story, so I am going to use it. ;) Ten years ago was the last time I was this weight.

I am thoroughly amazed at how fast things have changed in my life. I am in week 8 of boot camp and I have lost 33 pounds, a tshirt size, a pants size, and the passenger side seat belt is loose and I don't have to squeeze into it anymore...which means my husband can drive more now!! Woot Woot!!

Seriously though, I am stronger, I am happier, and I have made some great new friends and family. I can honestly say I have higher self esteem and I just feel so much better over all. As for my knee, yes it hurts, but it is getting better. I have been able to increase my speed a little on the treadmill, not a lot, but it will get there.

I am training for a 5K at the end of September. I hadn't been out and running outside yet, but this weekend when I was worried about the numbers, I ventured out to do just that. I was fairly surprised at how well I did this weekend. I remember about 2 months ago when I was walking with my friends every morning, I was always out of breath and I didn't really LOVE doing it, but I did it because I needed to. I was able to run the same distance I walked with my friends and I felt great. I went even further last night and did 2 extra laps! I am getting better. I am not a fast runner, by all means, but I am trying. I hope to get enough endurance to make it through the full 5K without passing out. ;)

I am loving exercising and I feel so much stronger. I am getting there. I appreciate all of your support and your help. I am learning so much. I would not have the strength to do it if I didn't have all of you.

A dream of blues (PT Miller)

Sooooo sore!

Today I woke up and I felt it! I forgot how much it hurts to wear that vest. I think I have hit a plateau and I'm hoping to make three pounds lost by Monday, but my confidence that it will happen is not good. I can't see a way that it will happen. I will go do some more exercising this weekend and see if that helps. I really don't want to wear that vest again, especially since I just voluntarily did it.

I don't like feeling like I am not going to succeed and it terrifies me. I am not looking forward to Monday at all. I have kept to the diet and have done really well. Maybe I'm not getting enough water, maybe I need to increase my cardio. I don't now, I just know that it is frustrating.

I ran a lot further today. It helped that instructor Stone was back there pushing me. I didn't do as well on the mountain, my knee was killing me. Still I was dripping with sweat by the time I was finished. Maybe I just need to do that a few times a week!

My determination is still there, just feeling a bit down about it today.

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

A dream of blues

30 lb. vest!!

Holy cow!! What a day!

Today at Bootcamp we wore the 30 lb. vests. Holy crap that was hard. I'm pretty sure a few swear words came out of my mouth today. (I know, shame on me) How I ever did that every day of my life is beyond my comprehension. I was out of breath very easy and everything just hurt. All through the workout I kept saying, how did I ever do this!? I'm sure as more weight comes off I will be able to better appreciate what I've already done. Oh, and guess what!? He put the vest on me and it fit!!! He didn't have to use the extension!!! I was so excited about that, I think I smiled for a good 2 minutes ;) (I stopped when we started to work out....)

This week has been rough, emotions have run rampant and I look at myself and even though you can clearly see a difference, the pain of being overweight is still there. I know it is going to take time and I know I have a long way to go yet. Today after wearing the vest, I have realized how much I have done and how much I have changed, it was fun and hard, and I would do it again. The minute he took the vest off I felt so much lighter. It was crazy awesome.

Anyway, this seriously works and well. I love Bootcamp and instructor Thomas, and my awesome Bootcamp family who are all the most amazing people ever!!!

Have a great day,

A dream of blues

Day 3 of week 7

Another late post,

Today was good. Only three of us showed up. It was a tough workout, but not too bad. I am quite tired tonight though, so forgive me for the shortness of this blog.

Good nights,,

A dream of blues

P.s. what day is it??

Week 7 day 2

Week 7 day 2

New clothes!! I got some awesome boot camp sweats today, check them out!!

I have been truly blessed by Instructor Thomas and I owe him a LOT!! After 20+ years of not seeing him (seriously I was like 12 the last time I saw him) he has taken me under his care and has shown me so much love and kindness. I continue to learn and grow, I have found that he truly truly cares about all of his PT's. It feels like family all the time. It is so nice. Thank you Instructor Thomas! 

Endurance leg day today.....I swear that leg day comes so fast and I'm never ready for it. Still, I survived and It feels awesome!! Had to bring my daughter today, she was very well behaved and she told me on the way home, "Mom, I figured out why you are always so sweaty...it's because of Jesse, huh?!" Ha ha, yes sweetheart, it is!!!

Well today was good, I'm tired and I think bed sounds nice. Good night my dear dear friends!!

A dream of blues

P.s. I went to TOPS for the first time since February and lost 35.6 pounds (is it sad that 29 of them happened in the last 6.5 weeks?) OH! And did I mention I LOVE THESE AWESOME PEOPLE????

Round two!!!

Round two!! Today was day one of week 7 for me. I am officially down 29 pounds and I am feeling good. This weekend was super busy, but I was able to accomplish a lot.

I have a great feeling of accomplishment as I begin this new session of Bootcamp. I finished one session already!! It wasn't easy, but I did it. Not only that but I feel better, stronger, and healthier. I went through millions of emotions as I went through the first few weeks. Emotions about myself that I had held in for a long time. My self esteem is higher and I have more confidence in my ability to do this.

I know this is working because people are starting to notice. Yesterday at church I was called the incredible shrinking woman. Totally made my day! ;) I have had am any people tell me that they can tell I'm losing weight. It feels so good to hear it. I only have me complaint.....my clothes are getting too big and I don't have the money to get new ones!!! Lol!!! #bootcampproblems!!!

I love BOOTCAMP and I Love instructor Thomas. Thank you for conditioning my mind and my body. Something I could never have done on my own. I'm glad I took the plunge and let you help me!

Hope you are all well, thank you for reading my blog and supporting me. I truly appreciate it.

A dream of blues

6 weeks before and after

When I started boot camp six weeks ago,this was my picture

Today minus the jacket I took the same picture.....it is amazing how much I have changed already. 

 I still have a really long way to go, but I will get there.

Week seven starts on MONDAY!!!! Gonna keep workin hard to get this weight off. Thank you all so much for the love and support you have given me. I am going to keep blogging every day and keep working hard. Love you all!!!

Have a fabulous weekend!! 

A dream of blues

100 day (and a little from yesterday)

So just to tell you all, I got on the scale yesterday and I weighed in. I have officially lost 25 pounds! I still have a long way to go, but I feel pretty good about that. Instructor Thomas told everyone in 0800 and try all cheered. I felt pretty awesome. One of the PT's asked me who I was and told me I reminded her of someone, but she was 25 pounds heavier. Ha ha, so cute.

The last 6 weeks have helped me learn so much about myself and I have gained confidence in myself and done some things I never thought would be possible. I have found that as this journey progresses, I am learning more and more about myself. I am loving boot camp and I am definitely going to keep going.

Today was 100 day, it was probably one of the hardest workouts I've done so far. I hear strip day is bad too. My whole body hurts right now. Really, it hurts, I mean it. Tomorrow I am going to go to the park and try again. Every week seems so hard, but I feel like it is getting easier as time goes by.

I need to get training outside for my 5k, I need to find the time to do it. I've been so busy with kids, Bootcamp, school, and life that I haven't had time to do any extra things. The kids start school next week though, so I should be able to fit it in sometime. I am super excited about the color me rad 5k. I've never run a 5k before, I've walked one once before and that was in 2009. So this will be an adventure I never thought I would take again. I'm excited to see how I do.

Well, a nap, dinner, children and husband are all calling for me, I better go decide which one I have to listen to and Then do something productive. Have a great evening.

A dream of blues

Endurance leg day

Today was endurance leg day......so not my favorite day of the week. I made it through it though and that has to count for something!! I am starting to really feel stronger, well that is until I try jump roping and I jar my knee worse than it was. Word of the wise, don't try jump roping on a hurt knee.

So only a few more days left in week 6. I'm really happy with the results I have had. I really don't have much more to say today.

I hope you all are well and that in some way I have motivated you to make some kind of change in your life. Whether it is health related or not. 

Have a great day!!

Motivating others=happiness

Today was a little tough, but I made it through. My new equipment (knee brace) is slightly annoying and I dislike it, but if it helps my knee get better, I will wear it.

It is fun to see when someone is motivated to go out and exercise because of this blog. Today a friend messaged me on Facebook to tell me that because of me the decided to start running. It makes me happy when I hear stuff like that. It wasn't the first time I've heard that either. I received an email from a friend telling me that because of what I was doing, they decided to do the couch to 5k program. I have re ieved several messages from various different people saying they are now working out because of me. It is awesome!!

I hope that more follow and that somehow I am able to help them make a difference in their lives. I have done nothing special to get people to do it. All I did was make the decision to change my life.

It is so much fun to be at church or at school and hear people tell me that I'm starting to look good. It is proof from others that what I am doing is working. It really helps my self esteem and makes the hard work truly worth it. Today even instructor Thomas told me I was starting to look thinner!! People are noticing and that is so amazing to me. My clothes are fitting better, some are getting too big.

This program truly works. I love it.

Hope you all have a most fabulous day, and remember, 

"When you are ready to dawn that uniform, you will do whatever it takes to get there"- Bill Crook (he has no idea I've been quoting him....he he he, guess I better tell him!!)

A dream of blues

And the WINNER is............

Who wants to know who won the $25 gift card???

Oh? You do??!!! 

Ok, ok, fine, well I had my 9 year old son pick a name from a hat (not really a hat, more bowl like) and this is the name he chose......

Drum roll please....

The winner is ................. DANCIN MAMMA!!! That's right it is none other than Christa Terry. 

Thank you to everyone who entered. Christa, just message me your address on Facebook and I will get that sent off to you :) 

I truly appreciate all of the support and love I have gotten from so many of you. It has helped fuel the fire of my determination and kept me going on days I thought were not worth the fight.

Next giveaway will be under 250!!! 

Love you all!!!

A dream of blues

End of week 5

So today ended week 5 of Bootcamp. I survived yet another workout at the park. I do have to say, I'm starting to feel stronger though. I am losing weight and feeling so much better.

 Today I went to my doctor for the first time since April and he was pleasantly surprised. He said I looked happier and looked like I felt better. I would have to agree. He approved of me doing Bootcamp and he has asked if I would like to be a part of their weight loss program. I agreed and will be giving him feedback about their program. It shouldn't be hard because I am already doing the things they want me to be doing.

Now for the bad news. Instructor Thomas, this is where you skip reading and go to the next paragraph. Did you stop reading?? Good. Well the doctor looked at my knee and I have a minor problem. I have strained my MCL and have a slight problem with the position of my kneecap. Now back to the good news, and I know you are still reading Instructor. I was not placed on any restrictions except to not overdo it. I have a good knee brace and things should be much better. So I can still keep going. Yay!! I also have to do some strengthening exercises for my knee. It's all good. 

I can't believe next week is week 6. Crazy how fast it has gone by. Well, I still have two papers to write before Monday, they aren't going to write themselves. Have. Fabulous weekend!!!

You still have time to enter, if you post on Facebook it will count too! -----http://adreamofblues.blogspot.com/2013/08/under-300-giveaway.html

Leg day. Day 24!

Today was leg day! One more day and I will have completed 5 weeks. Crazy that it has already been that long. Today's workout was tough, but I kept up with everyone and that was an accomplishment.

I am truly so sore this week. It's a good sore. Today wore me out, wish I had time for a nap, but I have so much homework to finish that I can't. Oh well, off I go!!! Have a beautiful day!!

Don't forget to enter the giveaway!!! ----> http://adreamofblues.blogspot.com/2013/08/under-300-giveaway.html

Blueberry Pancakes

I walked into the house after Bootcamp to the smell of pancakes!! My oldest daughter has learned how to cook a few things and she had made some. She tried to surprise me by making a couple blueberry ones, she was very happy to get to eat the blueberry ones when I told her that I couldn't have them.

Such a sweet girl. I'm glad she understood that I couldn't have them and didn't get upset.

Biceps and back today. I'm hurtin!!! It's all good hurt though. I am still rather baffled at how fast the weight is coming off. I am not complaining, just surprised. I love this program and what it has done for my health and even my self esteem. It is seriously amazing!!

Just a reminder, if you haven't entered my giveaway yet, you have til midnight on the 9th!! Enter here-----> http://adreamofblues.blogspot.com/2013/08/under-300-giveaway.html

Thank you all!!

A dream of blues