RUN w/COLSIG

EDITOR’S NOTE: Jeanette Balmut has been selected to participate in the Year of You, a fitness challenge hosted by The Manteca Bulletin, CalFit Manteca and CORE Athletic Performance. Balmut is keeping a weekly journal, highlighting the strides and struggles of her fitness journey.

Day 232-238

Ok, many of you are probably tired of hearing the same thing day in and day out. What I eat, how I work out, how the weight is just staying around and NOT COMING OFF. I sure am! Change the channel, right? As I sit down to blog about the week and what my goals, my expectations, my commitment is…

I have to stay on track. Day in and day out I am eating right, portions, content, etc. I am working out, harder than I ever have. My training days with Javi are going great. He is putting me through things I never thought I could do. He forces me to look in the mirror as I do exercises (oh, is that hard to do) and then continually encourages me to keep it up, push it, work hard, don’t stop. I do all of this and I end the session dripping with sweat. I know I have done something right. On the days I am on my own I have exceeded my expectations. I have done at least six to seven miles. I have done every cardio machine at the gym. I run, I climb, I lift, I crunch. I do it all….so I know that it will eventually start to drop again.

I’ve had a few highlights this week. One being, me on the treadmill, cranked up to the full hill with 25 pound weights in each hand and Javi standing next to me telling me to keep it up. The gal that comes in after me and works out with Javi, (cute, young, and SMALL) walks through the doors with her two young sons. One son points at me and says something to his mom. Me, thinking to myself “either he just said, wow, she’s big mommy” or hopefully, something better. After my work out I go straight to her and asked what her son said. Sure enough she tells me he said “mom, she looks like you”. WOOOHOOO! That right there was the best compliment I have had since I started this! I jumped up and down and screamed out loud. The entire gym stared at me. I was so excited! It just reinforced that this IS working and I am succeeding! That just gave me the extra push to keep on going.

Another highlight included a three mile run without stopping. As the clock was ticking and the miles were clicking from 2.95. 2.96. 2.97 — my lip actually started to quiver. I was holding back tears. Can I really have gotten to the point where I can do this? I never in a million years would have imagined me being able to.

The biggest highlight of the week — canceling my Lane Bryant account. It’s been one of my best friends for 15 plus years. I loved the store, the catalogs, the clothes —however, I’m DONE. I am never going back. There is nothing better on the planet than being able to go to a store and get clothes that don’t start with an EXTRA before the size or the “big girl” section. You have served me well Lane Bryant, but I am vowing to never see you again!

We had a garage sale over the weekend and just to confirm my devotion I officially SOLD ALL OF MY BIG GIRL CLOTHES. I stood in the garage and my husband took pictures of me in my size 22 dress pants. I honestly think my son could have fit in them with me. It’s the best feeling!

I had a great weekend. Friday night I worked out hard with Javi. He wasn’t thrilled with me because every time he would give me a drill to do I would start by saying “I can’t”. And then of course, I could and I would and I did. I tried to explain to him that I am just intimidated and not sure that I have the ability to do some of the things he asks, but he reminded me to trust him and trust myself and know that I CAN DO IT. I drug myself into the gym on Saturday (I had a garage sale in the morning and I was just exhausted and wanted to rest and watch football) but I managed to get there and do a good hard work out.  Sunday - Mike and I got up early and went to breakfast. We split an omelet (Mike said, “are we really this old, do we split all our meals now”) and then we did our usual grocery shopping for the week. We did something else that was rare for us, we took Mitch and his girlfriend to Chili’s for lunch. We wanted to spend some family time since Monday was our 25th wedding anniversary. We splurged and had some stuff that really isn’t on the diet plan. Its ok, it was worth it. Later in the day I did something I haven’t done in a LONG time — I GAVE MYSELF A REST. You heard me, I didn’t work out. The guilt almost consumed me. I will be paying for it on Monday when I work extra hard!