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Introduction Text JULY 2, 2008 My name is Sue Ann C. and I am a 40 something who has been trying live a healthy lifestyle. I just joined a gym 3 months ago and I go about 4 days a week. I take 3 group classes that use barbells and do at least 1/2 of cardio 2 out of those 4 days. I am also trying to eat correctly and to have protein before and after a workout to maximize the workout results. I try to leran something new about nutrition/excercise everyday through excercise forums on the internet. **************************************************** July 3, 2008 I joined this group yesterday. It took some time to navigate my way around, figure out the whole process of tracking my stats, cardio and exercise, food and such. I have spent a couple of hours reading up on other people's journey and am sooooo impressed! There are people trying to lose so many pounds and achieving their goals, I should feel inspired but am in my own personal trials with weight. Some people who look at me might not think that I need to lose but I know what I look like without the protection of clothing! I have had two children, gaining 44 pounds with my first child and 19 pounds with my second. The sad part is that I am at the same weight I was when I was 9 months pregnant with my daughter! That was 9 years ago. I joined a gym on April 28th of this year. I have managed to go at least 4-5 days a week since then. I do group classes and cardio on the treadmill and the elliptical trainer. I do at class called Body Pump www.lff.com/GroupFitness.aspx . It involves using barbells with weight (you can add on weights as you progress) and we do squats, lunges, bicep curls, tricep stuff, planks, ab work and more. I have not ventured to the machines. I feel intimidated by those. I have had a personal trainer who works for the club go through the machines with me and feel that I could do it but I still feel out of place. I have belonged to a couple of gyms over the last 20 years with no success. I have never made it past 2 months of training. Something clicked this time. I have been begging y husband for a tummy tuck and I know we can not afford it but I tried anyway. My husband kept saying that I didn't need a tummy tuck, I just needed to work out and that he would train me. Well, we started last January of 07 with changing what we ate. We switched all breads to whole wheat. I started eating whole wheat pasta instead of white pasta. Vegetables and fruits became staples (but expensive at times) We started walking 3 miles about 4 days a week. I was 144 pounds. I didn't see any changes at first. I felt better and was proud of myself for taking the time to come home after work, change into my walking clothes and just do it. It took over 6 months for me to see any weight loss. In August, I weighed in at 136 pounds! I had lost 8 pounds. I was so excited, I was able to buy size 8/10 for work clothes and it just felt so good............................then the holidays hit. It just crept up on me. I work in a school office and the way parents say thank you, happy holidays is with food. Doughnuts, cake, cookies, candy.....it was everywhere! Holiday lunch, breakfast, parties, I just couldn't say no. It was just a little bit here, little bit there........January 2008 and I am 140 pounds. I had gained 4 pounds of the 8 I had lost. BUMMER! My 15 year anniversary came on April 18th of this year. My husband was so sweet, he gave me diamond earrings, and he was so understanding when I asked him if I could return them so I could join a gym. He had no problem with that request, did not hold it against me and went with me to check out the local gyms. I joined a month later. This it the VERY first time that I truly started gung ho and am still gung ho. On the mornings I have class, I wake up and automatically get my gym clothes on. I put on my sneakers, put my hair up in a pony tail and then there is no reason NOT to go that day. I do not work in the summers so I can go either in the AM or PM but prefer to go AM while I can because when school starts, I have to go after work which is 5:30. That really digs into the family time but I HAVE to do it for me. This week marks 3 months of my gym commitment and my lifestyle change commitment. After reading some of other sparkers blogs, I realize that this is NOT a quick fix, I WILL NOT see dramatic results like in the Biggest Loser. I am not 400 pounds. I will NOT see 30 pound weight loss each week. I do NOT have a personal trainer, I am NOT in a secluded facility where I work out 5-6 hours a day with no family commitments, no work commitments. I DO have the support of all of you, my family and my friends. I owe it to myself to do this for ME, for my children, so they can see how mom takes care of herself and hope that eating well and getting fit will be a way of life for them as well. It will not be easy, I will have setbacks, I will have sabatogers along the way, well meaning friends but I have to just make this commitment. I hope you come along the ride! September 30, 2008 It has been almost 6 months of this new way of living. During the summer I was so dedicated, went to the gym 4 times a week and really watched what I ate. Now that I am back to work, I am only going to the gym 2 sometimes 3 times a week. It has been really hard with all of the food being passed around at work. I am dedicated and know that I just have to say no and bring in food I CAN eat.

Goal to get to 125lbs Lose 10lbs - (12/2/08) Lose 15lbs - (4/09) Lose 20lbs - To get the courage to step out on the gym floor and get myself a workout routine using a variey of machines, cables and free weights. To get away from the boundries of "group classes" due to time constraints. (Attained September 2009)

I try to Eat Clean as much as possible. No quick frozen dinners, no boxed quick foods. Fish and chicken is a major part of my diet. Workouts Monday - legs/glutes/shoulders/abs Tuesday - Cardio Wednesday - Back/Biceps/Abs Thursday - Chest/Triceps/Abs Friday - Rest Saturday - sometimes cardio, sometimes not Sunday - Rest Things I can not live without: 1. iPod 2. Lifting Gloves 3. Water 4. Protein/Shaker 5. Cute Workout Clothes

Personal Goals: Beginning Weight: 144lbs Goal: 125lbs Current: 128lbs Run a 5k - Run a 10k - 1hr/11min (Attained on 3/7/10) Run a 5k in better time than the first! Run a 1/2 Marathon Run a full Marathon Get rid of my apple shaped mid-section!

-Huge Bon Jovi fan -LOVE 80's Hair Bands Whitesnake Van Halen Foreigner Skid Row Dokken

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