Sunday, January 31, 2010

Pain, pain go away...come again another day.....(JCE)

I am still moving in slow motion. It hurts to stand up, sit down or climb steps. I think that this is the longest time that I have had pain. I am thinking that it is related to me sitting for 3 days and not moving for 8+ hours while getting my hair done. Hopefully, the pain will go away and I will be back to normal in a few days.

Well, my journey with Sisterlocks have started and I'm EXCITED!!! After almost 24 hours of sitting, Now, I just have to wait for them to grow. I am in the short phase now, but you will see the changes as they come. I am going to post pictures monthly so you that you can follow my Sisterlock journey as well. It feels great to be natural and not have to worry about the daily stresses of hair. I am excited about the freedom that I am about to experience for the rest of my life.

Today, I got so many compliments at church that it made me feel GREAT and know that my hard work is paying off. My church is starting a health and wellness ministry and I am going to be apart. I think that it will allow me to stay focused on my journey. One issue that I have is stepping out of the box when it comes to trying new foods. It seems that I am hesitant when it comes to new things. For example, my Sisterlock consultant eats a only raw food. She made a dish and I was SCARED to try it. I didn't want to try it because I did not know what it was. After a few minutes, I tried it and it was OK and she then told me what is was. I was eating something like tuna/chicken salad, but it was made out of carrot pulp, veggie mayo and some pickles(or similar). I don't think that it would be my choice for a sandwich but it was OK. I am going to challenge myself to start trying new things more often.

We made it 31 days without Soda!!!! Diamond even made several GREAT choices this weekend and I am PROUD of her. While at her Girl Scout meeting they were having soda and she drank water instead. Her dad took her out for the afternoon on Saturday and they had Subway instead of McDonald's My work at home is paying off and she can make better choices when I'm not around. Her dad, Stephan, told me that she gives him advice on his food and tries to get him to make better choices. WAY TO GO DIAMOND!!!

Well, I better get into bed.....5:45 comes fast....I will write more tomorrow and let you know if some of this pain has went away.

JCE

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

I made a GOOD choice and wanted to share (JCE)

I went to the courthouse for work and prior to going I was a bit hungry. My coworker told me about this restaurant at underground that has REALLY GOOD food. On my way back to the car, I decided to go and check it out and get something,because I was hungry. That mac-n-cheese looked SOOOOOOOOOO GOOD.....my mouth was watering......as I stood there in line, because everyone wanted to eat at this place....I started to think....JoQuita what are you doing...you are able to have a meal that is way over 2,000 calories....and not a choice that you should make....I WALKED AWAY...then I was headed to another restaurant and started to really think.....you made lunch last night that took you a while to make and you are going to blow it all for lunch at Underground. I WALKED AWAY and now eating the salad that I prepared from home. I am EXCITED that I made the right choice.........I just had to share it with my FitWit family and anyone else reading this.

I was walking in slow motion and one of the clerks from Fulton County asked me was I OK...I told him yes that FitWit has put my body into shocked and we joked. He said that I would never be able to do any type of camp. My reply was, think POSITIVE and get POSITIVE RESULTS!! Make an EFFORT and NOT an EXCUSE!!!( I think that is my new saying for the month)

JCE

Decatur: Hello Monday, Meet the March of Death.

Wow, that weekend off sure went by fast. Two days off and here I am back for more on a Monday. Week four. I can't believe it. I can't believe I made it this far.

So, Monday - week four. March of Death. You know it's bad when they give it a somber name. Everything else is named after campers and after some of those, I thought I was going to curl into a ball and just cease to exist. So, when something has the moniker March of Death, you know it's going to be hardcore.

(By the way, during warm-up I jogged two thirds of the track. Yay me! Not very fast, but it was a jog nonetheless. I'm hoping by the end of this six weeks I can jog once all the way around without being sidelined by the shin splints.)

Here's what I read on the blog that morning.
Partner ladders (1-5) of pushup, situp, squat, pushup burpees
March of death – 30 min.
Lunge half of track
Bear crawl or crab walk 1/4 of track
Then, run the rest of the way
Repeat.

Alright, let's go! Partner ladders, I got this. I got an awesome partner in Vanessa who cheered me on all the way. (Who also got major brownie points when she pointed out I looked like I lost some major inches. But more on that later.) Partner ladders are our time to really practice form and a great way to stretch out. I found that my pushups are coming along nicely and much easier than when I first started. My situps could still use some work, but I'm able to do much more of them each session. My squats are getting nice and low and I'm starting to really feel the pull in my legs. I can feel the strength when I push upwards. It's a truly rewarding feelings. I still cant' do a regular pushup burpee, but I do my step back ones and I still feel a great stretch in my arms and the back of my legs. I think my little goal by the end of this session is to be able to do one real pushup burpee. And maybe a regular pushup, no knees down.

Now, it's time for the March of Death. Michelle grins evilly as she explains our path and why the cones looks so far away. She tells me instead of bear/crab walk, I'll do high knee marches. I'm a little disappointed until one of the campers so ably demonstrates both. Yeah, high knee marches, I'll take 'em!

So, we begin. First lap of lunges, and I'm ok. A little tired and I have to stop to stretch that stinking shin splint I discovered, but I make it to the cones okay. High knee marching, I go. Nice and high, I get though it. Now, I jog. That's right. I JOG. Those of you that know me, know I only run if someone's chasing me or there's a zombie attack. Well, there was neither and I jogged. Back to the beginning.

Here comes the lunges again. Wow. Okay, those are kind of starting to hurt. Halfway through the lunges again, I'm hurting again. That shin splint has me on the side stretching and almost crying. Back to the lunges. Michelle is starting to see me struggle and she comes over to talk me through. And she says the one sentence that keeps me going all through the night. "Look at where you were four weeks ago, and look at where you are now. Just getting off the couch and coming here, you've made a huge difference. Everything else is just icing on the cake." Four weeks ago, you'd have never seen me do lunges. Much less jog. So she's right. In four weeks, everything has changed. I'm out DOING something for my body, my brain... for me. And it's making a huge difference in everything I do. That alone keeps me pushing through the rest of the track. I get through the high knee march and I jog AGAIN.

Back to the lunges. Right there I say, I'm going to get through at least three laps if it kills me. Three. I can do three. So, I keep going. I'm faltering left and right on my lunges, I'm so tired and my legs are screaming audibly at me. But I keep going. I slow down to get the form right. Michelle always tells us that this is the most important time to do it right, when you're tired always keep your form. It's not about speed, it's about doing it correctly. I'm thinking if I go any slower, I'm going to be a damn statue. But I keep going. I get to high knee march and I start to go and almost fall over. Okay, baby steps. I'm going to go until the pillar and then rest, then go again. Michele's shouting out time and I see my goal of three just slipping away. I'm not ready to give up. I have to GO. I tell my legs, we have go to go, just get it together. So, I go to each pillar and rest. And I'm THROUGH! Yay! I start to jog and can only get halfway before I break into speed walking. So. Very. Close.

And I made it! There's still time left! Vanessa is by my side. "C'mon, you can do it, I'll do it with you. We'll go until Michelle calls time," she says. Alright, I can do it. I can keep going. But it's slow. I just follow the line on the floor. Just follow that and keep going. So, I do. And I get halfway down the lunge part of the track. And I almost don't hear the sweetest sound I've heard all night. "Aaaaand time, people!" shouts Michelle.

I made it. I did it. I did three laps and a little extra. I competed against myself and I did it. I set my goal and I went further than my goal. Four weeks ago, I would've given up halfway and said I couldn't do it. Today, I KNOW I can do it.

Next time, let's try for five.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

I feel the PAIN!

I feel the pain and boy do I feel the pain! The March of Death from Monday and to the workout from tonight(I think it was called Lisa)....got a sista sore! I feel like I just started camp. I must say that I am getting better at pushing myself and I was able to do 15 sit-ups without stopping. I stopped for about 15 seconds and then did the other 10. Josh modified the workout for me. The first round I did 120 jump rope jumps, 25 sits-ups, and 10 push ups and the 2nd and 3rd rounds, I did the same except 75 jump rope jumps. My speed has increased, but my warm up lap has was a bit slower tonight. I think that it is from the March of Death on Monday. I have been moving in SLOW motion all day and moving slower than a turtle. It hurts to sit, to walk or even to lay down..lets not talk about walking up and down steps...what am I am going to do. It seems that when I was packing my lunch I was dropping things and it took me forever to bend down and pick it up. At least tomorrow I will have a night off from FitWit, but I am considering taking Salsa Fit at Dance 411. I think that will keep me moving for an hour! My daughter, Diamond, had a jazz/hip hop class tonight and she said she had FUN!!!! She is ready for her next class and I am excited that she is having fun and exercising at the same time. She has been able to maintain her weight and we must keep it there. I lost 2 pounds last week, so I am excited to be down almost 10 pounds in 3 weeks of FitWit. My goal is to lose 10 pounds a month. My family and friends are seeing my results and it is boosting my self esteem. My cousin, Trish, is joining me on bring a friend day and I really want her to make some changes in her life and join FitWit. I realize that she has to want it and when she wants it bad enough she will do it....I will be here to help her along the way and any way possible. Many times my friends want to know what I am doing. I always tell them FitWit and all about portion control and making the right decision when it comes to eating. Joining Weight Watchers made me aware of portion sizes and making better choices. This weekend was bad for me. I had a date with my daughter on Friday and a party on Sat. and Sun. I ate things that I would not normally eat, but I had smaller portions. At one party I chose to eat cake and ice cream instead of pizza and wings. I had a salad before I went and didn't need anything else to eat.............Well, I am in pain from sitting and typing....so I will chat later.

Thanks for all the feed back that I get during class..................

Oh yea, I know some of you are saying....what in world has she done to her hair.....Well, I wanted to lock my hair several years ago and I got negative feedback from friends and my boyfriend at the time. As you can see.....I listen to them and did not do something that I really wanted to do...Well, I decided that 2010 is ALL ABOUT ME!!!...I am doing things that I would not normally do and locking my hair is one of many.......it is going to take 30 hours to lock my hair and I am starting Thursday morning at 6:45-4:45pm....I will still be at camp, but may look a bit funnier...it is OK come and look b/c only part of hair will be done. I will go on Friday and Saturday and should be finished up then. I am excited about getting Sisterlocks and it will be just another stop that I made along my journey. I am excited....I am going to post lots of picture....2010 has been a GREAT YEAR for me sooooooo far and I am LOVING it!!!


Make an EFFORT and NOT an EXCUSE!!!!


JCE

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Camper of the Week (Grant Park)

I am CAMPER OF THE WEEK!!!!! I did not expect to get camper of the week at all. I feel that being able to do FitWit was enough for me. I must admit that I was 99% not going to attend Friday. My grandmother(85 yrs old) was admitted into the hospital the night before with serious things going on. I was not feeling well and left work early. My co workers were telling me that I did not like I felt well and a few told me to take the night off and get in bed. I was torn with myself for a while and didn't know what to do. I saw my mother at the Dr office and she felt me and said that it felt like I had a fever. I went to CVS and got a thermometer and I did have a temp. I took some medicine and wondered how long it would take to clear my headache. I sat in my car and decided that I was going to head home. I received the email from Josh about camp news and I started sending him a msg to let him know that I was not going to be there. I tried to send the msg but I couldn't. I just kept thinking to myself, I am going to go home and get in the bed or I could make it 60 mins.......I decided that I would just get dress and make the best of it. I didn't go home to ready b/c I feared that I would not make it back out. I changed clothes at Wendy's and headed to camp. I know that Friday was going to be tough since we were running and I was just going to walk instead of even trying, but the more I thought about it the more I knew that I needed to be there. Josh asked me, Jo are you ready? I said NO! Can you run a lap? I said NO! .................but I was able to do the whole workout and only missed one 300 meter when Josh told me to sit that one out, but I DID IT!!! I was able to RUN!!.........Yes, I was tired at the end, Yes, I wanted to give up, but at the end I was able to do it!!........I realize that your mind is important on your outlook on life. If you are ALWAYS thinking that you can't do something then you will not be able to do it..............THINK POSITIVE to get POSITIVE RESULTS!!! No PAIN no GAIN!!!

I am excited about bringing a friend to camp with me and my cousin is considered joining FitWit. She will be there on Thursday!!! I am pushing and challenging her to join me on my journey.


JCE

Wanna sandwich? Foot long or 6inch?

OMG 6am is NOT FOR ME!!! I attended 6am class on Thursday and "energy" was a bit different. I think because it is 6am! I was still tried from the night before and had a hard time getting up at 4:45am to get ready for camp. Our workout was the "sandwich". Josh modified my sandwich and I will call it at 6in instead of the footlong. I jogged/walked 4 laps, 100 squats, 50 sit-ups, 30 push-ups, 25 sits-up, 50 squats, and 4 laps. I wasn't able to make my whole sandwich, but I did it all but the ending 3 laps. When I looked at the board, I was thinking that I was not going to be able to do those squats.....but I DID!! I was in slow motion the whole day, but I got satisfaction that I was able to do this workout. There were times when the sweat was burning my eyes and I wanted to just lay there from one sit up to another then I would hear Josh say.......Jo WAY TO GO and YOU CAN DO IT!!! Josh always knows when to give me words that keep me going.

Would I do 6am again? Yea, but only if I had a conflict for the evening. Working out in the morning makes you think about the choices that you make during the day vs. night time workouts allows to make up (somewhat) from choices that you made during the day. I did feel weird that night when I wasn't working out at my normal time and often those about my peers as they were pushing to make it through the workout.

Week 3 is almost over and time is flying.......................


JCE

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Already?...Week 3 @ Grant Park

It is true when you hear someone says, "Time flies when you are having FUN". I am having fun and enjoying every minute of it(except when Josh is counting...LOL!!) (Josh it is a JOKE!). I am starting to hate long weekends. I must admit that I was loving the time at home and relaxing, but when you are laying around like a bump on the log then it shows the next day you return to camp. I feel like I had to wake up my body up all over again. My legs did not want to move or lift. I had to give myself a mental pep talk and push a bit harder. Trevor (trainer) really helped me out tonight. He modified the abs portion of the workout and challenging me to get my legs up about 6 inches and act as if I was riding at bike. He challenged me for 5 secs at time. I was able to do it for 4 seconds, but I know that is something that I need to work on and will start trying each night for a minute or two. We finished our workout with a floor exercise and at this point I was drenched with sweat, tried, out of breath, and trying to count down the secs until we were finished. I thought that I was hallucinating when I was hearing someone chanting...Jo...Jo....Jo...Jo....Jo.... then I realized it was Stacy. Just to look over there and see her working hard was motivation enough to get me through the last couple of minutes. Stacy is one of the reasons that I am HERE at FitWit. She is my co worker and told me about the contest and encouraged me to enter. I must admit that it helps when others believe in you and encourage you to strive for goal that you have expressed that you want to achieve. As I sit here with tears running down my face, I know that I can finish this journey that I have started. Some days are harder than others and I doubt myself at times, but having a strong support team helps. My co workers at Atlanta Legal Aid (DR unit) are the BEST!!!! They listen to me countless hours during the week as I tell them about FitWit and my experiences on the journey. Megan(6am camper and the other reason that I am HERE) always gives me words of wisdom and encouraging words. We share about our aches and pains from camp and she always listens. Thanks Megan!!! I have gotten several co workers to join me on this journey and I'm encouraging them to come out and take the FitWit challenge. We will see if I get them to come to bring a friend to camp day!

Well.....it is 2:51 am and I need to go back to bed! I am planning on attending 6 am camp on Thursday morning, so check back and I will tell you about my experience.

JCE

Decatur: Week 3, here I come!

It's really time to get my head into the game here. It's the beginning of week 3. The midway point and I feel like I'm slugging behind everyone else. In FitWit, you're only competing against yourself. I know that, but it's hard not to feel badly when you're the last one at everything, even warm-up. It makes me feel awkward, like I'm sticking out like a sore thumb (or hamstring).

So, I joke. A lot. I'm so accustomed to using self-deprecating humor to make myself (and anyone within earshot) feel better. My old habit of laughing at yourself first, so no one can laugh at you. I got admonished a tad by a fellow camper when I apologized ahead of time for sucking to the team. No self-sabotage allowed, she told me. She's right. That's exactly what it is: self-sabotage. I'm limiting myself to what I think I can do, not what I can do. It's as simple as that. But I can't help but feel slrightly terrified every time a FitWit session starts. Can I do this? Am I going to need modification again? Am I going to be last?

I can't even explain what has me so scared. Hard work never killed anyone. No one is laughing at me. In fact, they are so supportive I almost feel like I'm taking advantage of all the encouragement. (If I had any breath left, I'd give it right back.) No one is going to call me to the head of the class and make fun of me, make me an "example" or anything else embarrassing.

There's nothing to be scared of at all. It's time I realized that and do the best I can. As long as I try, no one can say I didn't. And who knows, maybe all that trying will fall right into succeeding.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Week 2 @ Grant Park

Week 2 was a BLAST!!!! Each day offered something NEW and EXCITING! I learned another form of counting. This form is used byJosh and when he says you have 15 more seconds then it really means 60 seconds, or one more round really means 2 or 3. LOL!!!! I thought that I was the only one that thought seconds seemed like minutes until the vets talked about being on "Josh central timing". Thursday was workout with a "buddy". My "buddy" was a bar that I could not put down for the entire session and held it throughout my workout. On Thursday, I reached a personal goal that I set for myself, I was able to jog the entire warm up lap! I am excited about my progress in a short period of time. I had SOOO much fun on Friday. We did a team race and my team, team #1, WON!!!! I was a bit nervous about doing a team exercise, because I am not the fastest and did not want anyone on my team to get upset with me for moving a bit slower or us not winning. OMG!!! It was FUN and my fear went out the window. My team was VERY encouraging and we motivated each other. I worked hard to help my team and we WON!! I can't say it enough......FitWit feels like family and I look forward to each night.

On Tuesday, I attend a nutritional class that was full of valuable information. I learned lots of information and it was different from my current Weight Watchers plan. I talked to Josh a bit b/c I was feeling overwhelmed with continuing with WW or changing. We decided that I would continue with WW. I have been tracking my points and staying within my allowed points. This week I lost 5 lbs(total 6.8). I will admit that I was getting upset because I did not see a big number on the scale last week, I felt that I was eating right and working out hard. I had to remind myself that it is not all about the scale and that some weeks are better than others. I am able to jog a lap or do 15 sit-ups........that is something that was a challenge for me just a week ago. Just think......what is going to happen next month?............I maybe able to do the Victoria without wanting to cry.....LOL!

My daughter, Diamond, will be taking classes at Dance 411! She took a Hip Hop class this morning and had fun! It was a great way to get her moving for an hour without her thinking about exercise. My mom is even going to take a class on Tuesday night. I am thankful for Dance 411 for sponsoring FitWit and for FitWit being able to use Dance 411 on the snow day which allowed me to go into the studio. I was able to find out all the classes that they offered for children and adults. Now, they have 2 new students.

Today, I had an appointment to get my test locks put in for my Sisterlocks. I will have them installed in just a few weeks. I will be cutting several inches off my hair and will have a baby Afro. The process takes 3 days to complete and I have expressed to my consultant that she has to have me out on time to attend FitWit. I will be sitting for 10 hours for 3 days and on the last day could be a bit longer. I should have about 400-450 locks when she is done!


We will have camp next week on Tuesday-Friday. I am planning to attend the 6am class on Wednesday. I will share about that experience.

JCE

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Victoria.... oh, Victoria.

Victoria, I'm sure you're a very nice person. If you're reading this, I'm sorry... but, your workout was punishing.

I have never been so tired, or pushed so far until the Victoria. Newbies started off with 5 laps around the gym. Most ran, I did the power walk. I'm still scared of running long distances, but I'm going to work up to it slowly. Really, I am. I swung my arms like a champ, though! After those five rounds, it was onto the dips.

Dips, they sound cute, yeah? Not so much. I was using everything I had to keep pulling my body up with my arms straight and tight. "Like a suitcase!" cheered Michelle, our trainer. Well, I have a heavy suitcase, folks, so it wasn't easy. But I did my 20. Then, onto squats. I'm getting better on my form, but I'm still feeling that twinge in my knee. So, I'm either going down too far, or I'm not using my heels to push up right. I'm working on it, but it's not an easy form to master when you're heavy. It was time for pushups, next. 20 of those, but just getting over a stomach bug, I opted for some more squats. Better to work on my form, than push my stomach past its limit. Then came what I thought was going to be the easy part... the shoulder press. I sat down, all comfy, knees bent and I got ready to go. I pushed that bar right over my head, snapping my arms by my ears and I felt every. single. core. muscle. I mean, I felt every one of them. And they were angry. Boy were they angry. I kept going, but soon, I was grunting like a vet.

And then... (yes, there's an "and then"), it was off for more laps around the track. 5 more for the fitter folks, and three for the speed walker extraordinaire. By the last leg of that third one, I was a little wobbly, but I made it back. All I concentrated on was making it one more lap. I did it. I did all three!

Back to more squats, shoulder presses and dips. What!? Oh, for the love of... Alright. Off I go again. Got to haul that heavy suitcase up. 20 more dips. It took me forever, but I got 'em in there. This time I was resting every five. My arms and my lats are just screaming at me. My shoulders are begging me to put down the damn suitcase. But no, I'm going to finish my 20. And I did. Onto to more squats, resting every five squats and then more. I got all the way to the shoulder press with the bar. I sat down, and let me tell you, that felt incredible. Just to plain sit down. Wow. Then, I raised the bar over my head and my shoulders were on fire. That bar couldn't have been but 3 pounds but you could have had an elephant sitting on that thing as far as I was concerned. I snapped my arms up, elbows to my ears and I swear I think I heard screaming. I'm pretty sure my shoulders were about to go on strike. First the suitcase, now this!? But I kept going. My core was tight. So tight in fact, I almost couldn't relax when it was time for more squats.

That's right, I said more squats. I got out 10 more before I heard the best words in the English language from Michelle. "Annnnnnnd time!"

So Victoria, I'll say it again. I'm sure you're a perfectly nice person, but your workout, was in fact, not nice. It was brutal.

But I survived it. I daresay, if I had to do it again, I would. I walked away and I felt like I accomplished something huge. And I think, maybe I did.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Week 2 @ Grant Park

Who is Victoria? Last night, I out workout was called "Victoria". OMG! My leather coat was heavy for me to put on and walk to my car. I wanted to cry when I got in the car, but I was too tired. I am thinking that Victoria loved to run and a challenge. The workout was a CHALLENGE!. I was able to complete one round in about 21 mins which consisted of 5 laps around the cafeteria, 20 of the following: dips, incline push ups, shoulder press, and 40 squats. Josh modified the workout a bit for me. I was able to start on round #2, 3 laps, I started my squats and was able to do about 10 squats and then Josh had to me finish it up with shoulder press. My legs were trembling while I was doing my squats. I guess I had all those muscles working that are normally not use to be used. At the end of the workout, I was still breathing and got through it. I am still moving in slow motion today and about to head to camp. Prior to camp, I generally go on and read the workout, but I realize that know is POWER and I need it to come as a SURPRISE! I am going to wait and see what is happens today.

Let get going.....I don't want to me late......

JCE

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Homework w/ family time workout





























Josh gave us our first homework assignment.




Workout: 5 rounds for time of the following:


10 push-ups


10 sit-ups


10 squats





We had to record out time and I completed mine in about 7 1/2 mins. I am still doing my push-ups against the wall, but I am working on doing them on the floor. My family was there cheering me on and they joined in with me. It seems that I am able to do my sits-up faster and working on my format for my squat. I am going to check with Josh to make sure that I am getting low enough. I took pictures of us having fun! My daughter was having fun doing sit-ups and then danced to several up beats songs. My mother has lost about 70 pounds was doing push-ups against the wall and really started to feel it burn in her arms. She is limited with exercise due to a back injury several years ago. I was able to show her several things that I learned and we had FUN doing them together. I just realized that exercise doesn't have to be boring and you can make it fun. My daughter, Diamond, was excited about dancing and did not realize that she was exercising and the more that I cheered her on the more she wanted to dance. My boyfriend, Ian, challenged me with several exercises that he wanted me to do. He works in a federal prison and showing me things that the inmates do often.

I ended up doing my homework several times today. My mom was recording my time and I think that she made a mistake, b/c my time was a bit lower than others. I did again and it was about 1 1/2 mins off. I also did the assignment doing my push-ups on the floor and was able to do it in about 9 1/2 mins. I am going to check with one of the trainers to make sure that my format it correct with my push ups. I want to make sure that they are correct.
The pictures were taken from my BB so they are a bit fuzzy b/c of the motion......Enjoy!....I have prepare for tomorrow, but will post a blog after camp tomorrow night.
JCE







Saturday, January 9, 2010

"Me Time"

Well, part of the day was all about me. I started off at my weekly Weight Watchers meeting. I was a bit upset with my weigh in, but I did lose 1.8 pounds. I was hoping for a larger number. I did stay on track this week and wrote down everything that I ate and planned my meals. For the past week months, I have been at a plateau on losing and gained 2 pounds from November to December. I am realizing that I am back on track and in the right direction with my weight loss.

I took my braids out and got my hair done. It has been a while since I've got my hair done, because it was braided. My stylist and several others gave me complaints on my weight loss and I have the pleasure of telling them about FitWit. I am in the process of going from permed hair to natural hair. Several other clients were doing other local boot camps and I was able to tell why FitWit was different. I have a consultation to get my hair locked next week. I am excited! My hair is straight now, but that will change as I sweat....it may be a different story after Monday night....LOL! I am not worried about how my hair will look, but working hard!

I took the day off and planning to do my homework after church. I am no longer sore and I guess that is a good thing.

JCE

Friday, January 8, 2010

Day 4 @ Grant Park

We had day #4 at Dance 411 since the school was closed. It was an intense workout, but I enjoyed it. I was able to do 12 sit ups in 20 seconds! I was proud of myself for jogging the entire time when we did touches. This is a start for me jogging the entire warm up lap. After we did several rounds, I was out of breathe and did not feel that I could do another one and thought it was over until.......Josh yelled lets do it again.....I was thinking.......Again?.....I can't do this.....I quickly changed that thought(remember I am taking CAN'T out of my vocabulary). I was ready when she said GO and make it!!! I just had to give myself a quick pep talk. My fellow campers were supportive and cheered me to the finish line. Bwaa has us jumping rope. Trevor was taking the time to help me get on track. I have not jumped rope in years, but I can tell you that I am going to buy a jump rope so that I can get the hang of it.

I am EXCITED that I have finished my first week and look forward to the next one.

JCE

Day 3 @ Decatur.

No more newbie special treatment. It was time to go and go hard. Lots of running, footwork and some serious ab work.

Day 3 and I managed to SPRINT! I haven't sprinted since I was in high school. Every day it gets easier. This time I didn't have to modify the lunges to just one leg. I got to do both, and I got down lower than ever before. I was panting like a crazy woman, but I loved hearing my heartbeat race in my ears. The soreness is starting to fade a little more each day. I don't wake up every time I have to turn over. But I have a feeling that it's not going to be long before that feeling returns. I almost look forward to it. I means I'm working. It means I'm doing something good for me and for my body. It's only day 3 and I've lost 5.4 pounds already.

I can't wait to see what the rest of the week take me!

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Day 3 @ Grant Park

OMG!!!! Can you say SORE! I am moving in slow motion. It seems like the warm up has gotten intense as the week as went on. I challenged myself and worked hard tonight. Special thanks to Tina, a vet, that was by my side and kept me going. We even jogged together and she did not let me slow up for a moment. THANKS TINA!!! Trevor made the superman look EASY as he did about 10 of them to show us newbies how they were done. Think again, it was a bit harder especially when you are using muscles that you normally don't use, but when I got into my grove it was on and popping! :-) Rebecca (trainer)was very encouraging as I was doing my spidermans and superman. She even made a modifications for me as when I needed it. I did a lot of jogging in the first session and I'm challenging myself to jog a complete lap and I am pushing a bit further each time. Hopefully, I will be there in the next couple of weeks, but at the end I still able to complete each workout. Josh and Amy had us set up in 5 stations for 1 min for a total of 15 mins. Doesn't sound like much huh?! Think again.....remember I told you that those seconds seems like minutes. I can still hear Josh say, "Way to go Jo" and challenging me those last few seconds and pushing it the end.

Overall, I had FUN!! I feel apart of the family and I know that I have to work for the next 6 months and nothing is going to come without pain..No Pain! No Gain!

If you are reading this blog and not apart of FitWit then you are really missing out. If you want to get healthy and be in an environment with positive trainers that are going to push you and encourage you to do your best then FitWit is the place for you. Getting in shape is something that doesn't happen overnight. It take HARD work and dedication. It took we a while to get on this path and I looking forward and not backwards. I can sit here and think of million reason why I am overweight and didn't do it before now. On the other hand, I can think of a million reasons why I desire to change all those old habits and make getting in shape and living a healthy and happy life. I have made short and long term goals for myself and encourage you to do the same.

My quote of the day is "A man that falls down gets up faster than a man who lies down"
-Unknown

Please feel free to ask me any questions or make comments to my postings.

JCE

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Day 2 @ Grant Park

Today was my 2nd day and it was more intense than day #1. My body is SORE and it took me a few moments to get into the car. I worked HARD tonight. Honestly, after the warm up I was tired. We went at a must FASTER pace than last night. The warm up seems much harder today than yesterday. The encouragement was still there and I like cheering for others and it helps me when I know that they are pushing me to work hard and cheering me on. We did the 17 touch drill and I completed mine in 2.35. The entire camp was cheering for me as I finished ALL 17. Below is the workout that was set for today.

5 Stations (5 min. station) 1 min. rest between stations
Band Ladders – Bicep curls 30 reps, Tricep kick backs 20 reps, Side Raises 10 reps, 5 burpees Med ball throws against wall – non-stop with a variety of throws
Ab Circuit/Plank series
KB Station – 1. One leg swan dives – 10 each leg 2. 20 shoulder presses
Cone shuttles/suicide drills

Trust me 5 mins seems like LONG time when you are working out! When we get to 90 secs before it end they announce it....that 90 secs seems like 5 mins itself! It feels like the clock stopped for a min or two then started back. LOL!!! We have to give that last 90 secs our ALL.

The hardest part for me was working on my abs. It felt like someone holding my legs down while I was trying to lift them. I could feel muscle in my stomach contracting that I did not know that I had. The vet that was beside me was very encouraging. As I was talking to myself she was reinforcing it! I am in the process of learning names, so give me a few weeks.
I have set 5 goals for myself for the next 6 weeks. I just wanted to share, so that I will push to achieve these goals by the end of my first 6 weeks.

1. Take the word "CAN'T" out of my vocabulary
2. Perfect attendance
3. Jog the entire warm up
3. Be able to do a burpee and regular push-ups
4. Use correct formats
5. Work hard and push myself

Prior to camp was a little bit harder for me prior to camp. My daughter was sick and I was home. So, I found myself wanting to snack. So, I packed my lunch and only ate what was in there as if I was at work. That was a bit helpful. I am currently a member of Weight Watchers and I tracked(wrote down everything that I ate) the entire day. I stayed within my points. I am proud of myself for increasing my water. I am almost at 8 glasses a day. It is my goal my next week to be at 8 glasses or more by next week. My family has given up soda (diet) for the New Year. We are drinking Crystal Light(limit amount) but mainly water. I have planned meals an increased our vegetables. I must be doing something right, my boyfriend lost 2 pounds this week and he is not working out. I think that I might be excited about a weigh this week since I am on the right. Eating healthy and FitWit! If you want to know how much I lost then you must check back and follow me on my journey.........

JCE

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

First day of FitWit @ Grant Park

I made it through my first fitness camp at FitWit! Before camp started, I got a chance to meet many vets that have been doing FitWit over a year and on camper, Dawn, has been with FitWit for four years. Many shared their story and how FitWit has changed their life. It makes me EXCITED, because I know that I will be able to share my story with others one day. Camp started with a jog and then Josh took the newbies to the side and went into detail the correct format for various exercises that we will be doing for the next 6 weeks. Some of the exercises he modified for me. For example, I did push ups on the wall instead of on the floor and I squatted to a chair. Squatting to the chair was to make sure that my format was correct. He stressed the importance of formats so we would get the most out of the workouts and too reduce injuries. The vets yelled encouragement to the newbies throughout the hour and clapped when we made it through the hour. At the end, they welcomed us to the family and encouraged us to keep up the HARD WORK!

I am not sore yet, but I know that it is coming. I took some Aleve a few hours before and will take some before bed.

Stay tuned for more details on my journey with FitWit………..





JCE

Monday, January 4, 2010

I survived my first FitWit!



Here's me, before my first day of the FitWit experience!

Wow! I made it! I got through the first bootcamp!

That was an intense first day. And they took it easy on us newbies! It was a great environment to be in, everyone being supportive of each other. There truly was no judgment. I had a few exercises modified for me, but there was nothing I couldn't do. It was the hardest hour of my life, but it was so worth it! No soreness yet, but I sure am hoping the Advil and that screaming hot shower staved it off.

The BIG DAY is almost here......

Well, tomorrow is the BIG DAY, I start FitWit, and a but nervous. I'm EXCITED and ready for the challenge and the other part of me is SCARED! I still think back when I went to bring a friend to camp in December. I was the guest of Megan and she was LAUGHING when I told her that I ironed my clothes, so that I would not be the only wrinkled one. I left the office and got there early and thought that I was in the wrong place. Prior to going, I went on the web and researched FitWit. It gave me a mental picture of what to expect since I have done boot camp before. Honestly, it was different and EVERYONE was positive and encouraged me to do my best. Josh modified several of the activities for me, because I was not at the level of some of the other campers. It was GREAT to have someone to take the time to make sure that I continued to work hard and push me. The trainers pushed us by using POSITIVE encouragement. That night was a challenge and when I got home, I had to crawl up my stairs. I had to mentally prepare myself to sit down or even stand up. I think that is the part that scares me!! I know that it will only last a few days.........so make sure that you check back and I will blog about my first night and the morning after.

JCE

The essay entry.

Here it is!

I never thought I’d get to this point. I’d had a vague idea in the back of my head, that eventually, someday, I’d need to lose weight. There was always something more pressing, something more important that took my attention. I was terrified of simple things. I constantly lived in fear that someone, somewhere would see me not fit into something that skinny people take for granted. An office chair, an airplane seat, a bench, the space between tables that you’re winding your way through, a bathroom stall…

I had a whole host of excuses. My bad knee, my weak ankle, my chronic fatigue. It was always something. But most of all, it was never me. It was always something beyond my control. Some type of physical limitation, some restriction imposed on me. It was never my fault.

But it was. I chose not to do anything about my weight. I kept waiting for the magical weight loss fairy to come and grant me my skinny wish. I was at my heaviest when I got the most exciting news, I was expecting. We hadn’t planned on it, my husband and I, but we were happy that there’d be a little one in our family. Those first few months were a whirlwind and I never once thought about being heavy. My first visit with my OB doctor changed all that. Suddenly, I was lost in a statistic. It was assumed that I was a bad and lazy person. No one believed that I could be overweight by a significant amount and have a healthy pregnancy or baby. I was lucky. Under all that fat, I was still healthy and the baby was, too. I’d dodged another bullet. So back under the rug it went and I busied myself with taking care of my son.

Then, it came. That one pivotal moment that changes you. My son was 18 months old and I was at a playground with him after day care. There were a few other children out, but none his age. I stayed close and watched him play with one or two of the older kids. From behind me I hear, “That lady is fat.” I whipped around and said, “And you’re rude.” The kid ran off and I thought it was the end of it. I was playing with my son on the swing and I hear two children start to chant, “fat lady, fat lady” over and over again. I turned my back to them, but it got louder as more children joined in. I was thoroughly humiliated. It was only after I started asking mothers who the children were, did the chanting stop. I had never felt so low in my life. As the children were trotted up to me to apologize, I realized that this is it. This is what has to change my life. I’m never going to get a wish from the weight loss fairy. I had to do it myself.

So I did. I started that night. I tracked every calorie. I was astounded at what I had been eating. Suddenly, having everything in front of me made me accountable for what went into my mouth. With little busts of exercise, like yoga and a recumbent bike, the weight started to come off. Little by little I saw the graph on my chart go down. And before I knew it, 6 months later, I weighed 50 pounds less. But I still have so much more to go. I want to be healthy. I want to be happy. I want to see my son grow up. I want my husband to pick me up and twirl me around. I want to race my husband, and win! I want to challenge myself. I promised myself I would never give up.

Sunday, January 3, 2010

The essay that I submitted to FitWit







Take a moment and imagine that you stand five feet eight inches, weigh 318 pounds, wear a size 24/26, and a single mother of a six year old that weighs 94 pounds that is under a doctor’s supervision for health issues that are related to her current weight. Your child comes to you and tells you that her classmates are calling her names such as fatty or slow runner. As you hold her in your arms to comfort her, you are sobbing inside. As you strive to make things better to help your child, you are frustrated because you feel like a failure and can’t even help yourself. You can’t turn to the child’s father because of his weight problem that kept him hospitalized several times during the year in ICU for congestive heart failure due to weighing more than 450 pounds. You start to feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders and you strive to find a solution. You begin Internet searches on programs or activities that will help with the battle, but money is an issue. Knowing that all household funds are being used to supply the basic needs for your family, you feel hopeless and all alone.

You get anxiety to travel on an airplane. The fear trickles through your mind as you walk briskly in the airport, out of breath as you try to get a flight that you are moments from missing. The fear of crawling over other passengers and through the aisle because the flight is full, fear of taking up part of your neighbor’s seat, not wanting to drink because the fear of having to cross over others to reach the bathroom is racing through your mind. Imagine going on a church trip on a chartered bus and not being able to fit into the bathroom. Fear of going to Six Flags because you may not be able to fit on a ride, getting on a ride and being told that you exceed the weight limit and can’t ride since the seat belt does not fit. Because of the fear of bumping into someone or not being able to fit between the tables, going to a restaurant during a busy time is absolutely out of the question. These are a few simple things in life that a non-obese person would never think about.

Lastly, you sit in your doctors’ office for a yearly exam and he tells you that you are morbidly obese and that you weigh the average of three females. He says, “if you want to see your child grow up or your grandchildren, then you MUST change the path that you are on.” He hands you a referral and information about bariatric surgery and suggest gastric bypass. The surgery gives you a 50% chance to live or die and your cousin underwent the surgery and almost died. She was in the coma for several months and hospitalized for one year as a result. Leaving the office and sobbing in your car, you realize that you are in the parking lot alone and business hours are over.

Well, welcome to my world…….

My name is JoQuita, I am single mother of a six year old, an employed full time with a non-profit organization. I feel that I make a difference each day working for a non-profit organization and volunteer regularly through my sorority, Zeta Phi Beta, Sorority, Inc. I am in DESPERATE need of HELP! I have many sleepless nights, as I lay awake and cry. I wonder how I let myself get to be over 300 pounds. I feel like I am broken into a million pieces and many times like there is no hope. I need to be fixed, but don’t know where to begin. I know that exercise is essential, but what exercise do I start with? I can’t start without knowledge. I feel that I am making the first step by asking for HELP. I am confident that FitWit can HELP me to make that change. It will change my life, my daughter and my family.

I am current member of Weight Watchers, which I started in January 2009. I have lost over 35lbs and the program has helped me to change my eating habits. I have been committed to the program and it holds me accountable for the daily choices. Now, I need help in getting in shape while losing weight. I have attended several boot camps/group exercise classes for several months, but due to financial obligations, I had to discontinue. Even though the classes were saving my life in order to support my family, I had to make a conscience decision of providing the basic needs for my family over an exercise class. I am employed with a non-profit company and enjoy helping others.

I sit and dream about having someone to HELP me with this battle; someone to hold me accountable and encourage me or give me constructive criticism; and, most of all someone to take the time to educate me and provide me with resources to make this change. I want to break this obesity cycle in my family, but I need HELP!

I WILL be able to make this change and thank each of you for voting for me, as I become part of the FitWit family. You will be able to say that you helped me find the pieces and get put back together and back on track. I will be able to share with others through blogging the difference that FitWit has helped me to achieve my goals and encourage others to take journey or continue with me. I am asking for the opportunity to be given to me and I will prove to each of you that I CAN DO IT! FitWit can make my Dream into a Reality!

Thanks,

JoQuita Etchison