Well I made it. Today was the final day of the challenge! 40 days of constantly tracking my food, working my tail off in workouts, turning down drinks and treats (well most of the time), lots of vitamins, 10 day cleanse, minimal coffee, and lots of really healthy foods without the extra fun foods.
We had one last Survivor Sunday class at BFF, which turned out to be a really nice yoga class which I greatly appreciated. It made me realize that maybe I should get certified some day down the road (after I'm done with school of course). Over the course of the morning, we took our turn going in for measurements and "After" pictures. I wish I could describe the camaraderie and support that goes on in that building. Everyone sat around talking about how everyone else looked and how impressed everyone was with each other's dedication while they waited. Difficulties were discussed, cheats admitted, and lots of smiles and laughter were shared. I'm so proud of every single transformer. We were a diverse group, but all with the same goal. The fact that we were in a competition didn't mean anything because we were all each other's cheerleaders. Some admitted that they were going to rush out and get their missed item that they gave up for the challenge and others said they were going to keep staying strong and not make any changes. But while everyone chatted to each other individually or in little groups, there was the reoccurring sense that this gym has created such an amazing environment. It is an environment that invites women of all shapes, sizes, backgrounds, ethnicities, and personal styles to come together, work hard towards healthy lifestyles, lean and toned bodies, and most importantly good self-esteem.
I am so blessed to be a part of this place and even luckier to be an employee. I honestly don't know what I would do without it. While I've been very happy since my move from AZ, it's been hard in a lot of ways. Luckily, Bella Forza Fitness has made up for those times when I feel alone, for the times when I don't like my program at school, and for the times when I'm not really happy with myself. BFF has more than filled that void. I know I'm getting really mushy and sappy, but I just wish that all the women in my life had a BFF. I want everyone to move to Cincinnati so they can experience the strength that comes from this place.
Ok off my mushy soap box.
All that sentimental stuff aside....I've decided I'm not going to talk to the winner for a week. It will be my way of protesting that I didn't win. I suppose that wouldn't be very fair of me, so I'll pretend to give them the stink eye in my mind but smile and congratulate them for real. Apparently this challenge has brought out the poor loser in me, because I honestly am going to pout when I find out I didn't win the cash and bike. While I want everyone to lose weight and look hot, I just don't want them to lose more than me. I think that's very fair of me anyways. I don't have my final results yet, but from what I figured out quickly, I only lost a couple inches. I was really expecting to lose 5-6 inches so that was kind of a let down, I'm not going to lie. BUT keeping my last post in mind, my body looks way better. It's more toned and fits in smaller jeans. So that will be my prize from the challenge. Maybe I should just go buy myself a bike and pretend I won...now there is an idea, except let's be honest I probably wouldn't really ever ride it. Maybe a new purse would be more useful. I'm really liking this idea, yes, I shall go shopping.
Workout:
yoga - 1 hour
Treats:
I decided tonight I could eat whatever I wanted. I could go out to eat and be social and not feel an ounce of guilt. While I had a little trouble finding a date for tonight (I almost ended up going out to eat a dinner by myself - lonely, table of one?), Kristen saved the day and joined me for a feast of Pad Thai and wine. It was so good getting out, being social, and not caring how many calories were in my meal...well I might have googled it, but I didn't let it stop me from eating it.
And if you know me at all, you can guess where I went after dinner. I'll give you a second to think about it. ... If you guessed McDonald's to check to see if by some miracle they still had shamrock shakes on tap, then you would be absolutely correct! And it was amazing because they actually did! At first I thought the girl was lying to me. How could this be?! So I did my little happy dance and promptly placed my order. I only got a small so I thought that was very responsible of me. I swear in AZ last year they were out the week after St. Patrick's day. I think the big guy was looking out for me this year and I greatly greatly appreciated it :)
P.S. Final Results and Pictures to follow at a later date. (well depending on how good they are...)
