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Showing off her weight loss
Jeanette Balmut has dropped 60 pounds so far in her journey
FITNESS Balmut before
Balmut on Christmas morning last Christmas.

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 204

The start of week 30. I am feeling great. I love working out with Javi and I LOVE working out with Myklyn. I will be sad when she returns to college and I am back at this by myself. Today is weight training and I drag Myki along and we do biceps and back. Javi has us doing dead lifts and rowing and other machines. I am feeling good. I actually feel like I am doing and looking good until I see Myklyn do it and I realize I’m still the size of a house. Yes I have lost almost 60 pounds, but when you look at the entire picture I still have A LONG WAY TO GO. After our 40 minutes with Javi we get on the elliptical and go for a mile and half. We left drenched, but feeling great!

Day 205

With all the things going on this week, the wedding, moving the girls back to college, squeezing in all the errands I have to run and work, I am feeling overwhelmed. I opt for a morning workout before work. I am the first to arrive and I head right for the elliptical. I am going to town, earbuds in and TV show on and just doing my thing. I had a new member come up and ask me to show her how to use the machine. I explain it and show her it and coach her for the full minute and a half that she lasted. She said it killed her legs and there was no way she could continue. I just told her I knew exactly how she felt. Six months ago that was me. Remember the first time I got on the elliptical? OMG, I thought I was going to die too. I could sympathize with her and all I kept telling her was don’t quit, keep it up and every day you will get further and further. Had my normal breakfast and lunch and for dinner we had barbequed pork loin and broccoli and cabbage salad. So good!

Day 206

Training day! I swear I am getting more and more jazzed for training days. I love that each time I get stronger and work harder and try new things and feel like I am actually doing something to transform my body into muscle and fitness. It’s addicting!

My last workout with Myklyn before she leaves to go back to school and my last workout with Javi for the week. Since we have a crazy busy next few days, I won’t be able to train just come in before work and do my cardio. Its ok, I will look forward to next week when I’m back and ready for the next goal. Javi has me to a new machine (squats with a WHOLE LOTTA WEIGHT ON MY BACK) and then move to leg presses and then the dreaded lunges and back to some more machines for the back of my legs and my butt. OH LORD it was tough. All I could think was, please let me be able to move tomorrow and for the wedding.

Day 207

Up early, to the gym for cardio and then a half day at work. We have appointments today and we have packing and loading and all the last minute stuff to do before leaving for two days and then on the road to Southern California. Starting to get nervous that we won’t get it all done. This morning was my last workout till next Tuesday. UGH, the thought of that terrifies me but I know there will literally be no way to get it in.  I just hope yesterday’s workout sustains me!

Day 208 through Day 211

This is it! The weekend I have worked so hard for. People have been asking me nonstop if “I made my goal”. In my mind…no, I didn’t.  On my scale I got to 203….that’s three pounds over goal. On the gym scale I got to 198. So if you go by the gym scale, yes…I did…but I am going by mine! We decorate the venue; we work all day and into the night. We head to the rehearsal dinner and prepare to PIG OUT. It was amazing and I don’t even care how many calories it was. We went to Memo’s Cocina in downtown Turlock. Not only was the food amazing but the atmosphere and the rehearsal “party” was so much fun! Crashed by eleven and then up early at six am to get ready and head to the venue to start the set up for the big day. I chose to sling the chairs around to get my workout in…I tried to do as much of the manual stuff so that I could at least feel like I was doing something physical. The wedding was everything we had hoped for and more. Absolutely amazing, from the venue to the bride to the bridal party to my gorgeous sister (the mother of the bride). It was so much fun and I danced all night and hopefully burned off the incredible cake that I had a HUGE piece of! I loved every second of the day. The best part was the pictures. Honestly, a year ago I would never have been “in” the picture. I would have crouched down in the back and tried my best at hiding. Today, I was excited to pose with the bride and groom and my family and friends. What a great feeling. I’m not done. Not even close. I have a little less than 50 pounds to reach my overall goal. I have basically five months left of this “competition” but a lifetime of staying on track and keeping it off! I can and I will!