Home stretch!

Actually, we've rounded third and are just about at home base... what an amazing journey this has been.. I was watching the videos from when we first started and then the following weeks. I can't even believe the person that I see in the first videos. Who IS that girl in the purple pants? I don't recognize her... at all!! I watched the way that I was moving, the weights I was able to use, how much I struggled, just to move from one exercise to the next.... Makes me ask, what the F was I thinking back then? Why did I think that that was ok? Or, I knew that it wasn't ok. I can tell you what I was thinking back then. I was thinking, I don't like myself. I don't like how I look. I feel terrible. I'm sick of this. I need help. I can't even begin to tell you just how much this whole journey has changed my life... how it has SAVED my life!!! I feel great about myself.. I actually love myself!!! I'm starting to love how I look (I have more work to do on that part, but it's coming along VERY nicely!! Don't you worry!). Best of all, I am positive that most of my medical problems have been resolved. I'm sure that my type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol are all well within normal ranges. I can't wait to go back to my doctor to find out for sure!! =) I do still use my c-pap machine to sleep at night, but I am VERY proud to say that I've made an appointment with the sleep lab to get reassessed. I seriously can't wait for that. I've been having trouble getting a good night's sleep lately. I have to wear earplugs because my mask leaks and it's really loud. Plus, I wake up in the morning with "cotton mouth" which means that I'm opening my mouth at night. That means that the pressure is too high on my machine. That is a great thing because it means I don't need the machine's pressure (or not as much) to keep my airway open at night. I am definitely getting closer to actually not using that machine anymore. It will be a momentus day when I can say that I no longer need that machine to sleep. No one deserves to be strapped to a machine at night. No one.

I had no idea when we started this journey that the hardest part would be the emotional side. I thought it was going to be all diet and exercise... But SO much of this is gaining what you never thought you had (confidence, happiness...) or for some, gaining it back (because you were once thin, but then for one reason or another gained weight). I was always the fat girl. The funny fat girl. Starting with my early teens and compiling from there. Well now I can be the funny skinny bitch!! LOL...

I feel extremely blessed and grateful to have been chosen for this opportunity. Thank you a million times over for everyone that voted for me. Thank you to my family, friends, co-workers and community for supporting me this entire 16 weeks. I couldn't have done this without any of you. A special thank you to my wonderful husband of 4 years. My best friend, my soul mate. He has been there encouraging and supporting me every single step of the way. I love you Micheal. Forever & always. =) Of course, a very big thank you to MOO92 for sponsoring this contest. I am so grateful that you did this! Thank you Erica, Missy, Tonia and Christine. This has been a crazy and emotional journey and I couldn't have made it through without you guys. Thank you for being my friend. And if you think just because this is over that you're rid of me you have another thing coming!! LOL.. Ben, well, there just aren't enough thank you's for you. You have supported, pushed, and encouraged me more than you can ever know. You have helped me to change my life and really, save my life. How do you say thank you for something like that? I don't know, but I'm certainly going to try. =) I look forward to taking bootcamp classes from here on out and know that you will continue to help me become a better me.

Well, I'm going to sign off now.... Tune in to Moo92 on Friday 6/12 (or log on to www.moo92.com and click on "listen live on demand"). The other MOOsers and I will be on and the winner of "The Biggest MOOser" will be announced!

~L

Who's that girl?

yes yes.. it's ME!!! =) Now just wait until you see the full length picture on week 16!! =)

Friday, it was cardio day again and we did intervals inside, then went for a 20 minute run. I believe we had to run inside at IROC because the weather wasn't cooperating. =( But, T & I had our Ipods and the lady at the desk at IROC was nice enough to turn the radio on so E had something to listen to. As we started I vowed to myself that I was going to run for the whole 20 minutes. I hadn't done that to date and I knew that I could do it if I just pushed myself and MADE myself do it. And I did!! I ran for the whole 20 minutes and I'm very proud of that!! =) I believe we run just over a mile as well. It kinda sucked to have to run inside, and no offense to IROC, but the walking track is boring to run around. It's only 1/10th of a mile so it takes 10 times around to make a mile. So running/walking 2 miles or more ends up being very tedious.

Saturday was good. E & I were back at IROC and we did this: Started with rounds, 8 reps each of pull ups and squat presses. Then: A). Reverse Lunge Band Row x 6 reps per side, Stability Ball Push up Jacknife x 6. Complete as many rounds as possible in 10 minutes. B). Squat Press x 6, Pull ups x 6. Complete as many rounds as possible in 10 minutes. The pull ups were especially difficult because IROC doesn't have a bar or rings that we could do pull ups on. We had to use these two handles that were built into one of the weight benches. They were way over our heads (even E! who is fantastically tall!) so we had to stand on a little bar that was a brace for the bench thing and then grab onto the handles and do the jumping pull ups. The real trick was to be sure of where your feet landed when you came back down. The bar wasn't directly under us, it was more in front so we had to be careful. There was one time that I wasn't careful and my feet slipped off the bar and I went all the way to the floor. Don't worry though, I wasn't hurt. It just startled me more than anything. Let me tell you, my arms were still sore yesterday from that one. WHOA! After our rounds, we went outside and did sprints. 1 1/2 minute sprint 1 1/2 minute rest x 2.

Sunday was pretty good. It was another all protein day for the 28 day diet so it was a little rough, but not too bad. We also went to my sister-in-law's and hung out with her, her husband and their beautiful girls (neice playtime!!!!). I brought my food for the afternoon with me so that part was fine. I drank a LOT of water!! LOL..

Yesterday it was back to BBC... and I was very glad!!! We all did our thang last week without Ben, but I could tell I was lacking that extra push that he always gives us. I did push myself, and busted it in the workouts, but I missed hearing "Get there!" "Come on! Push! Go all out!!!". I think we all did. Anywho... we did: Front Squats 4 sets of 8 reps then, A). Band Lunge Row x 6 per side, Stability Ball Crunch Jacknife x 6. As many rounds as possible in 10 minutes. B). Squat Press x 6, Pull ups x 6. As many rounds as possible in 10 minutes. Finished with 6 rounds of 30 seconds high intensity 90 second recovery sprints. Kicked my ace!!!! I do have to say that I definitely like the long runs rather than sprints. I seriously suck at sprints!! I would rather do the D run again than do sprints!! Ha! What does that tell you!!! =) Crazy!!! Oh, and did I mention that I wore my grey BBC t-shirt for the first time???!! Hells yeah I did!!!!! And it is a LARGE! Large!!! I started out in a 3x!!! Get the F out!!!!!!!!! You want some motivation to lose weight? That's it right there!!! NEVER in my life did I think that I, Lisa Cordeau would be wearing a t-shirt that was a large. NEVER. Yet here I am. It's just amazing. I get teary just thinking about it. Trust me, those are tears of joy. Even better was after class when E, Ben & I were stretching & talking. Ben said that when I first walked in he hardly recognized me and that I looked like a different person. =) Nice!!!!!!!! Fantastic is what it is!!! I couldn't be prouder of the progress/changes that I've made. I have truly changed my life, and it's all for the better. =)

Today was cardio and we did intervals again. The stations were bike, burpees & sprints. We did 1 minute of work, 1 minute rest, 1 minute "active" rest of get up sit ups. We did this for 5 rounds. Afterward we went outside (it was a little cold, but not too bad) and ran for 20 minutes. Again I pushed myself and made myself run the whole 20 minutes. It felt really good. Like really really good!! =)

Never have I been more "up" than I am right now. I have never felt better and I will only feel more and more fantastic as I lose more weight! I have no doubt that that will happen. I hope that everyone reading this blog that wants to get healthy and lose inches and/or pounds will be inspired to do so and will inspire others to do so as well (pay it forward!). =) =)

~L