Every class there is a Boot Camper of the Class.....it's never me! Sure I want it, I give it my all but I workout with some animals real die hards! On Saturday it happened I was Boot Camper of the class everyone clapped and cheered for me......it was a great moment. Did I deserved it probably not felt like I was working out with the best of the worst....but hey it was my Mary Catherine Gallagher moment! Yes Superstar!!

or my Sally O'Malley moment :

Yes I'm 45 and I can Kick and Stretch......

My daughter was impressed.....she always is!!

My bumpy road to success....

I haven't posted on this blog in a long while...It's been a bumpy road this journey of mine. Some days I start out right and do really good and somewhere along the way I hit a bump or a detour. I feel defeated, a failure, frustrated and most of all fat! Everyday I start again and hopefully one day it will not be a challenge and I will see success and smile at how far I have come.

Today I'm in pain from head to toe. Yesterday was a tough bootcamp class, the whole idea is to shake up your body, keep it guessing! My body is pissed and in pain...hopefully it will respond and get stronger.
We did boxing in part of our class omg I loved it....I actually said to the trainer wow that was fun....I've never said those words while exercising!

Here is what our class looked like....the newest form of torture is working out with sand bags (the black duffles) oh my....it was tough.

  This picture is the best of the worst forms of torture exercise! It's part of the journey, the easy part for me...the hard part is in my kitchen and the choices I make.

I guess I want to say I'm still here, still working on it and still on the journey.

Two weeks and a foot and half..

I just returned from my weight and measurement appointment for my Bootcamp transformation contest....I was so nervous that I would have any success. I'm about a foot and half in the door on the nutrition part and good on the exercise. 

I haven't had any wine in two weeks...but I did have two beers...shhh don't tell! Plus it was Mother's day yesterday so hello enough said there. I'm trying to shake my life's to short not to enjoy_____( fill in the blank) I seem to justify anything these days! I'm trying to adopt the attitude life will be shorter if you don't get control of this weight.

So after two weeks I'm down 5 pounds and 1% of body fat. Lost half inch in hips, 1.5 inches in waist, over an inch on my thigh, half inch on arms, and 3/4 inch on chest!!

Okay I think that is success and might be enough for me to jump in with two feet and be 100% committed!! 

Off to workout and burn some calories....I hope I can ride this high and stay motivated!

Life is good!

Today is the first day of my TRANSFORMATION Contest.....coming off vacation I need this more than ever. Even though we walked our asses off....I also indulge in too much of everything. My mind set was this is it....enjoy it now cause your life is changing. 

I really want to be successful at this journey, my family is supporting me and I have the will and drive. But I also have that little voice in the back of my head that is telling me life is short enjoy! But enjoy what the muffin top I'm sporting or the heart burn, painful achey knees, short of breath and tiredness....life is short and life is good...I want to be here a long time and enjoy it to the fullest. 

I really felt my extra weight on this vacation. It was a slap in the face daily....I was in pain, tired and struggled to keep up. I hope this is the slap I need and the reminder to be successful in the next six weeks and many weeks and years after.

My bloggy friend Patricia aka PVE posted this recipe for a Detox soup....I think I'm kicking off my transformation with this recipe

Detox Green Soup Recipe with Broccoli, Spinach and Ginger

This easy detox soup can be thin or thick, depending upon the amount of water you add. It cooks up fast. We served ours with a modest scoop of hot cooked jasmine rice in the middle. Super good.

You'll need:

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons diced onion
1 inch of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
4 cups fresh broccoli, cut up
1/2 pound of fresh spinach leaves
3 parsnips, peeled, cored, chopped
2 ribs of celery, trimmed, chopped
A handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Fresh water, as needed
Sea salt and ground pepper, to tatse
Lemon or lime juice


Using a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and stir in the garlic, onion, and ginger to season the oil. Add the broccoli, spinach, parsnips, celery and parsley, and stir a bit until the spinach wilts and collapses. Add just enough water to cover the vegetables. Remember the spinach will cook down quite a bit, so don't add too much water at first. You can always thin the soup later, if you need to.

Bring to a high simmer, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to a medium simmer. Cook for fifteen minutes or so until the veggies are softened.

Use an immersion blender to puree the soup.

Taste test. Does it need brightening? Add a squeeze of citrus.

Off to have my weight and measurements and before picture taken....yikes!

Have a wonderful Monday!

I signed up

I signed up for the Transformation Contest at my Boot Camp Class. It said it's for serious CAMPERS....not sure if I qualify as a serious camper...but I'm ready to make the next step in committing to complete Nutrition and Fitness.  I think I have the fitness down but have struggled with the nutrition.

It's only a 6 week contest....6 weeks starting after Easter....yeah one last hurrah with my Peeps! It's a pretty strict diet...no wine or coffee....yes you heard me right....no wine or coffee. So basically I'm going to be a bitch for the first two weeks and possible all six weeks without those two items in my routine.

But if I can make it I can lose 15-20 pounds and that would be a great jump start to my goal. And we all know what's around the corner....shorts and swim suit season.....ugh!!

Wish me luck, I 'm going to need it....no freaking coffee and wine people!!

Still on this journey...

It's been a while since I've posted.....I'm still on this journey! It's just taking me down some roads along the way. I love my boot camp it's a guarantee ass kicking three times a week. I think I have done pretty good on the other days. I'm so sore and tired...feeling really defeated. Not getting the endorphin high from exercising like I should. Not feeling the boost in energy from all the changes in my life. In fact the last four months I have felt worse than ever before.

I don't think it's the exercise or changes in diet. But I feel like it's something else, something not right. You know when you need to listen to your body, it's that kind of feeling. I have been losing my hair in alarming amounts. Since I've had Katelyn 17 years ago, I have been thinning but this is bad. The last four months wow theres no hiding the bald spots. My only saving grace is I don't know a lot of people here and any future friends need to be under 5'4''!

Not only the hair loss but I'm so tired. I fall asleep fine but never have good nights sleep. I have been falling asleep during the day, little short naps. I have never been a napper...not since preschool! I get up early  and exercise and complete my daily chores or whatever needs to be done but one chore at a time leaves me exhausted.

I went to an Endocrinologist last week for blood work and have to come back next week for results. He thinks my Thyroid is fine but perhaps I'm in MENOPAUSE!! What did  he say.... but I'm only 40 45! At this point I just want to feel good and see the benefits of trying to live a healthier life style.

I guess there is more to this journey than simple exercise and diet....I hope I get answers next week.

This is my horrible before picture from my first day at Boot Camp. My eyes are closed it's lovely I think I was thinking omg....please make this be over! That first day was many months ago...I thought I'd do a three month picture, I should have taken on a few weeks ago. But  I think in my mind it won't look any different and than I will be frustrated. Progress has been slow for me, I feel stronger see some toning but I want more.

Today is the first day of Lent. I'm not the most devote of Catholics, but I do participate in Lent. I'm hoping to use this time to really reflect  and live a simpler life. In turn I hope my spirit will be renewed and maybe this pepto bismo pink shirt will look better on me!

It's forty days I want to really try to stick to this .....and see if I can see the benefits and feel the benefits!
I hope to post a picture at the end of my forty....I stronger leaner more confident boot camper!