Major Miracle or Dammed Hard Determination?

Check out the picture!!!! Yup, that's from this morning! Wahhhooooo! I am so ecstatic and so proud of myself. I have 2 1/2 days left of the Waist Watchers contest and am working my ass off to lose as much weight as possible. I'm grateful we got an extra day because I was able to lose a pound since yesterday so there's still hope.

I'm back at the gym spending an hour on the stair master, elliptical, and bike (total, not an hour on each, ACK!). This morning I actually stayed on the elliptical for 12 minutes! I burned 323 calories total for the hour! A month ago, the last time I was at the gym, I could only stay on the elliptical for barely 5 minutes. On Thursday I'm hitting the gym one last time before heading to the station for the 4 o'clock news. Only the winner goes on air but I have to go for the weigh in and will be proud to show off my non-Slacker Fattie body.

I pretty much already know the outcome of the contest, however, and it's not looking good for me. I'm fine about this because 1. I knew from the beginning I didn't have a shot in hell at winning and 2. I got my pre-Slacker Fattie body back. Had I weighed over 200 lbs, the contest would have been more fair but like I tell my kids, "Life's not fair." Everyone I've talked to has said it should have been judged by fat percentage instead of total pounds but it's too late to change the rules now!

I'm proud of myself for the weight that I've lost knowing from the beginning I wouldn't win. Channel 10 and Waist Watchers the musical gave me the motivation I needed by forming the contest. AnyTime Fitness gave me the tools I needed to get in some fantastic cardio workouts that I wouldn't have been able to do in my kid infested home. My awesome trainer, Douglas, gave me the big swift kick in the ass that I needed. Without the exercises he showed me, stressing the importance of cardio (lots and lots of cardio), and The Dreaded Meal Plan, oh excuse me, the Sexy Meal Plan, I never would have gotten to where I am now. EVER.

Losing weight is hard. Losing weight sucks. A LOT. You have to really want to lose the weight and want to lose it for the right reasons. If you just want to win a trip or a shopping spree your hard work will be in vain once you win. You will most likely go back to eating junk and not exercising. I didn't join to win I joined to become healthier and to feel better about myself (ok, I did join to win but quickly discovered I had no chance but stuck with it anyway). I may not be going to New York on a fancy trip but I'm eating foods that are much better for me and my family. My clothes all fit again and I feel good about the way I look.

Thanks to Douglas, I've been given the tools I need to continue a healthy lifestyle and not ever become over weight again. I know that I will not stick to the meal plan for the rest of my life because it's not realistic for me. It wasn't meant for forever, just to get me where I am not. I will, however, eat more veggies and much less precessed foods (sorry Rice-a-Roni!). When we get take-out, I will choose healthier foods and eat smaller portions. I am the left over queen so more yummy meals for me!

On my journey to win the Waist Watchers contest, I've learned a few things:

I've learned that, though delicious, processed foods are very unhealthy.
I've learned that I need to be a better mom and make sure my kids are eating healthy, too.
I've learned that in order to lose weight, calories consumed must be less than calories burned. And in order to maintain my weight, they must balance.
I've learned to like some foods I'd never tried before and different ways to fix veggies.
I've leaned that I do not like oatmeal and plan to never eat it again....yuck!
I've learned the more you lose, the harder you have to work.
I've learned that just because I'm a mom, I don't have to look like a mom.
I've learned that it's ok to hit a bump or fall off the wagon as long as you brush yourself off and get back on.
But most importantly, I've learned that I can do anything I set my mind to. Please check back on Friday for the contest results and bathing suit updates. I'll have my editor post the pictures this time so they're not so tiny. :)

Oh, and to answer the question of Major Miracle or Dammed Hard Determination? Dammed Hard Determination, hands down. I worked my ass off to get to 118.2 pounds and I hope to never get anywhere close to 140 pounds again.