Meltdown Results and Celebration time!

After six weeks of doing the Meltdown Challenge at Sweat360 for my second time I can say that I have come out a more well rounded, healthy, and aware person. I am ready to continue for real this time, and keep eating the way that I have for these past few weeks. For some reason this time around it really clicked for me. It wasn't about just doing this for 6 weeks to see how much weight I lost, or how much body fat I could get rid of. This time I really wanted to dive deeper, feel more, and see more and make myself realize that this was a sustainable lifestyle for myself.

 I weighed in and did my bod pod test at 4:45 AM on Friday morning. (Yes, holy  $%&^ that was early!) After weighing myself, getting in the bod pod and doing the test, I have had some amazing results! After six weeks I dropped 14 pounds, and a ton of body fat! I felt like this time around I am more lean, stronger, and more energetic about the choices I have made within the last few weeks. I feel like for myself anything is possible. The one thing that I am proud to say I stopped doing and will continue to not harp on, and not obsess over is the scale. I remember I had chatted with one of the owners of my gym around week three and had told him that I was frustrated because of course, the scale was not where I wanted it to be at that point during meltdown. The thing that he told me that I stuck with  for the last few weeks was to not step on the scale. If I was eating right, working out and doing the things that I know I needed to do, he told me the scale would take care of itself. That had to be the one thing that I was proud of myself for doing after these six weeks.

If I could walk away with anything I have learned and felt strongly about was that the scale will no longer define me. I have become so much stronger and have not  and will not let my weight stop me from accomplishing anything.  I also feel that I am where I need to be now, and I have Ben on board with me. While being away for five weeks for work, he dropped 25 pounds! This was just by changing his eating habits, and staying active through working. Now, with him being home and more local he has decided to get back into working out, and also taking up jujitsu. I am SO proud of him. I know he is going to have so much success and I can not wait to walk and even run through this new journey with him!

The next step in my journey is to try more new things! I am now taking gymnastic classes on a regular basis, and working out in new and different ways. I have decided that I am really wanting to try surfing. A wonderful couple at my gym surfs on a regular basis along the Oregon Coast so I decided, what the hell why not?! So very soon I will be testing out the waters. (With a wetsuit of course!)  I am excited to see how this goes!

Nothing is impossible for me! I am making the impossible totally possible on a daily basis!

Here's some photos from Sweat360's Anniversary Party Saturday!

Me before the party :) 14 lbs down and that Coat is a size SMALL :):)

One of my "cheerleaders" Ms. Mary Jo who I work out with at Sweat. Love this lady!

Good stuff is happening! Heading into week 5 of meltdown :)

Just wanted to share a few things that I have been noticing during my experience this time around in meltdown. Lots of good things have been happening and I thought I'd share:

#1:    Yup, the pants, shirts and all clothing are getting looser! 

  Wow, can I just say it feels awesome just to be feeling clear, not bloated and aware of my mental and emotional state. These past few weeks not only have I seen the scale go down but I also am grateful for the amazing body I have. I have learned over these past few weeks to be proud of the things that are me, and to drive with all my might to keep pushing forward. The scale does not define who I am as a person. I am amazed at my mental clarity these past few weeks as well. My emotions, stress levels have all been in so much more of a checked state. I have been able to  maneuver through almost any obstacle in these last few weeks and come out stress free. Amazing what a little bit of healthy eating and working out can do!


#2: I hit on this a little bit in the last paragraph, but becoming secure and okay with how my body is, how it has changed and not always seeing the negatives in my body is something I have really hit hard on working on. 

  Telling myself, "This is your body, you have transformed it, and made it what it is", is something that at times can be my worst enemy. Realizing that I need to let go of the self conscious thoughts, unhappy body attitude and just work on it day by day, little step by little step is something that hasn't been easy for me but I AM WORKING ON IT. I will be okay with who I am, I am unique, special, beautiful and REAL! (Yea, that took me a little while to write but it is true!) But I believe it and I feel that everyone, no matter what shape, size, fitness level and lifestyle should know that!

#3: What you eat or put into your body MAJORLY effects your all around energy level. 

  Yea, I have finally seen the light! When I was still drinking caffeine, eating dairy and gluten I would at times feel like (and especially in my workouts) that I couldn't push hard enough, and my body wouldn't cooperate with me. Now, after 5 weeks of  not having caffeine, sugar, dairy and gluten in my daily eating habits the level of energy I feel is AMAZING. I want to continue this, to feel this way, think this way and just be this amazing feeling that I have! It takes determination, and dedication but I am ready to dedicate my life, and succeed.


#4: You can do anything you put your mind to, you just have to take the first step of saying I am going to do this, I may fail or mess up; but I am going to keep on trying. 

 Before I joined Sweat360 I felt like I knew of what I was capable of. But I had my limits. I told myself, sure you can lift weights, run, do tons of cardio and do a few road races. But those really were my limits. Never would I have thought almost a year ago that I would be able to now Deadlift 170lbs (yea, that's right a new PR was set on Monday!) , go into yoga and be able to do multiple bridge poses , be taking gymnastics class and actually getting a handstand on my own, or running a 20 mile trail run and finishing! All of these things would have been off limits years ago but no more! I am setting new goals and flying by them with achieving each and every one.

#5 Paleo is a sustainable lifestyle and way of eating for me.

   Yes, I am saying this to myself and to the world. I have never felt better, had more energy, and felt more in line with my body, mental and emotional well being as I am when I following the eating and lifestyle of Paleo. For awhile I felt like it was restrictive, and that I was "denying" or "depriving" myself from certain things like drinking, eating dairy, sweets, and gluten. But now, when I think about it I am just setting myself up for more success in other areas with eating the way I am now. If I want to run a marathon by this time next year, it is possible; or if I want to finally try a triathalon sprint, I CAN do it. Realizing that there are endless possibilities for me in life is so wonderful! And as far as eating the way I am as of right now I am so ready to continue this! It's easy and helps in so many ways. I have loved all the recipes I have found so far, and have loved finding things that I enjoy or work for myself. I am not depriving or denying myself of anything. I am influencing and improving myself only for the better by following these guidelines that Paleo has set for not just myself but for many others. It works, it has great results and I feel awesome!


So there you have it. I have realized so many wonderful things in these past few weeks, and you know what even after 6 weeks I am going to keep at it. Who knows what other awesome things I will discover for myself. Things can only get more awesome and more amazing! I am going to keep on moving and checking off new goals!