Now You See It, Now You Don't

I wish the title of the blog were accurate, but I guess it is close enough. I know some of you have been waiting on pins & needles for this post:) It is finally here...DUM, Dum, dum...my "Boot Camp 1 Year Anniversary Before & After Pictures". I can't believe that I am actually posting these pictures and results!

Before the total embarrassment begins we must have a serious moment. While I am totally reluctant to reveal these pictures, the reason for this post is to hopefully be an inspiration to others who struggle with their weight. Whether it is stress, laziness, illness, time crunch, whatever the reason, I am here to tell you it is so worth it to take time for yourself. I am not down to my goal weight yet, but I have come along way and made progress that I am more than happy with. The best part about my results is that I did it all natural. No pills or gimmicks, just exercise & diet!

3 Things I Love About Being in Better Shape:

1. I am finally to the point where I enjoy shopping again. I don't leave a department store teary-eyed and feeling more lousy than when I entered.

2. I have 100 times more energy than I had a year ago. In a few weeks I will be running my very first 1/2 marathon!

3. MY WEDDING RINGS FIT AGAIN!!!

So, here is what you all have been waiting for...

Summary- What I have lost & kept off in 1 year:

25lbs.

Chest= 5 1/4 inches

Waist= 5 1/4 inches

Hips= 5 inches

Biceps= 1 1/2 inches (each)

Thigh= 1/2 inch (each)

Calf= 1 inch (each)

I also have to add that I went down 4 dress sizes and 3 cup sizes!!!

I recently read an article in Runner's World Magazine that said "maintaining weight loss isn't any easier than loosing the weight in the first place." At first when I read this the statement was very daunting, but it just reminds me that this an ongoing struggle and I will have to stay on my toes.

I am so lucky to be surrounded by family & friends that are incredibly supportive. It is unbelievable what encouraging words can do for someone who is in the middle of a weight loss battle. Thanks again to all of you who have supported me. It really means a lot!

A Special Thanks To:

Niki G, fitness trainer Goddess, Without your boot camp program I would not have been able to reach this level of fitness!

Sherry Organ, my wonderful Mother-in-Law, You know what you did!

Mike, my sweet husband, I especially have to thank you for putting up with the 4:30am weekday alarm, the 6:15am Saturday alarm, and the financial support and permission for what turned out to be a not-so-cheap hobby:)

Zoo Run Run

This past Saturday Mike & I ran in the Zoo Run Run 5K Race. The proceeds from this race benefit the Nashville Zoo. The neat thing about the Zoo Run Run is that the course actually runs through the zoo. It was a little difficult to enjoy the animals while running, but we had a great time anyway! The weather was perfect and who doesn't like an event where they serve pasta and beer afterwards:)

Below is a picture of my boot camp ladies...I still think we should have all dressed up like cougars!

Blvd. Bolt 2009

It is hard to believe that Thanksgiving Day 2009 has already past! Where does time go? Sorry I have been lacking in the blogging department, but things in the Organ house have been crazy.

Those of you who know me or who follow this blog know that running has become a big part of my life and Thanksgiving morning was no exception. This year Mike & I participated in a 5 mile race called the Blvd. Bolt. Over 8,000 people participate in this race each year and all the proceeds are used to help the Nashville homeless community.

For this race, I was part of a running group put together by my boot camp instructor. Our team theme for the Blvd. Bolt was "The 80's". All 9 ladies wore 80's inspired attire and everyone looked great. My outfit was complete with bright blue eye shadow, Shutter Shades, headband, lace gloves, off-the-shoulder shirt, & leg warmers.

I do have to give a special shout out to the 3 husbands (mine included) who bravely ran with their 80's clad wives. You all deserve a special award! What a great way to start the Thanksgiving Holiday. Now I will leave you with the incriminating evidence!

This last picture is of the two of us after we arrived home from the race. Unfortunately before we made it home we had to stop at Kroger and pick up the turkey. That meant that I had to go into a grocery store looking like I just stepped out of an Olivia Newton John music video!

Run 4 Mercy

This past Saturday Mike & I, along with our friends Amy, Rebekah, & Brad, participated in the Run 4 Mercy 5K. This 5K benefited Mercy Ministries which is a national biblically-based program that helps women ages 13-28 overcome life-controlling problems such as: drug & alcohol addiction, depression, eating disorders, unplanned pregnancy, physical & sexual abuse, and self-harm. We were so happy to be able to help out such a great cause!

As far as the race goes, we all did really well on our time. This course was definitely one of the harder 5K courses that I have run. It had a ton of steep hills, so it was challenging to say the least. No matter how hard the course, we are hooked. Mike & I already have our next 5K picked out. It will be the Dunkin' Donuts 5K on November 7th benefiting cancer research.

Where's Waldo?

No the real question is where are Mike & Michelle? This picture was on the front page of this weeks Brentwood Journal. The pic was taken right as the South Nash Dash 5K was starting. Mike and I are in the picture somewhere, if you can't find us you can refer to this post to see what we were wearing. Also, I can't finish this post without giving a big thanks to our friend Karina who called to tell us we were front page news:)

5K Victory!

This morning Mike and I participated in the South Nash Dash. It is a local 5K race that promotes sense of community in South Nashville or Brentioch (as some may know it). We were desperately hoping that the rain would hold off until after the race and we got lucky. The rain stopped about 30 minutes before the race and it didn't start up again until were were leaving.

We took this picture right before the race started. Poor Mike had been up all night due to food poisoning (not my cooking, he ate meat and a local restaurant:), but like a trooper he ran the race anyway. You can totally see in his eyes how drained he was from the last 12 hours of being sick.

We both did really well. Despite Mike's food born illness, he ran it in a flat 27:00 minutes. I was able to run the 3.1 miles in 26:22. I am very proud of my time because the last 5K that I ran I finished in about 35 minutes.

What a great way to start off the weekend. We are already looking forward to the upcoming 5K races.

Boot Camp Update #5

This morning officially starts my 6th month of boot camp, so that means it is time for my monthly Boot Camp Update! The weight and inches are still coming off. It is amazing how different the results are from month to month. For example, last month my measurements changed the most and my weight barely moved. This month it is totally the opposite. I did have some improvement on my measurements, but it was nothing compared to my weight loss. Go figure, I guess my body just wants to keep me guessing.

I am most excited this month about my run time. Since my time for last month was 8:05, my goal was to make it under 8:00. Meaning 7:59 would have made me happy. I remember thinking as I was completing last month's fitness test that there is no way I could possibly run any faster. So I was actually worried that I wouldn't make in under 8 minutes. But I ran my heart out, almost literally. My chest hurt, my arms went numb, but it paid off because I ran my mile in 7:41. I couldn't believe it! I cut another 24 seconds off my time. It is amazing how much pressure you can put on yourself!

Since this is my 6th month of boot camp I decided that the end of the month would be a good time to post my before and after pictures and my before and after stats. So keep checking back to see possibly some of the most embarrassing pictures of me ever:) One decision I have come to is that I am going to continue boot camp. I have just come to far to stop now and it has become another addiction.

My New Addiction

If you read our blog regularly you know that 6 months ago I started a boot camp fitness program. A ton of great things have come from me starting that program. One of them being running. I have never been one to enjoy running. I always found it kind of boring. My dad and my brother are the long distance runners in the family. What little track I did dabble in, I was a sprinter. But boot camp has helped me find a new appreciation for running, well, boot camp and my iPod:)

Back in May I ran my first 5k and I absolutely loved it! 3.1 miles is not a very far run or walk. The races are usually challenging enough but at the same time fun. Most 5Ks are stroller friendly and sometimes even dog friendly, so this is something the whole family can do together. As a bonus you usually you get a new t-shirt and free food & drink. The unfortunate part is that this hobby can get expensive since the registration fees add up, but the money usually goes towards a great charity and is tax deductible.

With the weather getting cooler it is starting to be 5k season again. I wanted to post a list of some of the upcoming Nashville area 5k races. These are just a few races that Mike and I are going to participate in (or like to support), but if you go to active.com you can find several in all areas of Nashville or were ever you live.

9/12/09: Christie Cookie 5k (Green Hills YMCA)

9/19/09: South Nash Dash 5k

10/3/09: Soles4Soles 10k/5k

10/10/09: Race for the Cure 5k

10/24/09: Run for Mercy 5k

10/31/09: I Run for the Party Halloween 5k (free beer & you get to dress up!)

10/31/09: Joe P's Rally Run 5k

11/7/09: Dunkin Donuts 5k

I don't think I am ready for a 1/2 marathon yet, but maybe one day!

South Nash Dash 5k

I wanted to let everyone know about the South Nash Dash 5k coming up on September 19th. The race will take place in Lenox Village. It starts at 9:00am and there is a kids fun run at 10:00am. Entry fee is $20 if you sign up before 8/22/09. You can find out more information here.

Boot Camp Update #4

After 4 full months of boot camp, the results are in. While my weight is slowly decreasing, I am seeing the most results in my measurements. This month alone I lost another 1.5 inches off my waist and 1 inch off my hips.

As far as the strength & endurance portion of boot camp goes, my mile time for the month of July was 8:05. Which means I shaved 17 seconds off the previous month's time. My number of sit-ups stayed about the same, but I did increase the number of push-ups from the previous month.

Overall I am happy with the results from the month of July. So happy in fact that I went ahead and signed up for the month of August. I know in my previous boot camp post that I said I was not going to do boot camp anymore, but I changed my mind:) The more I thought about it, the more I realized how worried I was that I would loose everything I worked so hard to achieve. And to be honest, I really love boot camp! I love knowing that by 6:15 in the morning I have already burned about 500 calories and now I have 15 hours left in the day to do whatever it is I need to do.

So now it is on to month #5. This month I will be doing 5 days of boot camp per week instead of 4 days/week that I have done the last 4 months. So I will be very curious to see how that impacts my results. If you want more information or would like to sign up for boot camp you can visit http://www.brentwoodbootcamp.com/.

I can't end this post with out saying thanks to all the family & friends that have cheered me on throughout the whole boot camp experience. I really appreciate all the kind words, whether it be through email, blog comments, phone conversations, or conversations in person. Thanks a ton!

Boot Camp Update #2

Today marks the first day of my 3rd month of boot camp. So it is time to give an update for the month of May.

I will warn you that I am writing this post emotionally upset with myself. I did not have any movement on the scale or measuring tape this month. I guess I should be thankful that at least the number on the scale didn't go up. But it is so frustrating to think that for the last month I have gotten up at 4:30am for 4 days a week and worked really hard and I didn't have better results.

I do know that all my hard work is paying off in other ways. I was able to cut another 40 seconds off my mile time and I increased my number of push-ups. I probably had too high expectations since the first month I lost 9 lbs., 2 inches from my chest, 2 inches from my waist and cut 2 min. 40 sec. off my mile time. But I am sticking with it and still giving it my all.

I started this boot camp in April because I felt it was time to take control of my weight and quit blaming it on having PCOS. When I made the decision to start working out again I remember thinking that I have just been lazy and how nice it has been to have the PCOS as an excuse. I thought I would work out for a few months and get back down to the size I was at our wedding, a size 4-6. Boy was I wrong! Unfortunately, I may be learning that having PCOS does make it really difficult to loose weight.

I know that I am only starting my 3rd month and it usually takes a few months of training before you start seeing any major results. So I will keep you posted. Thanks for letting me have my little pity party and now I'll put on my big girl pants, refocus, & continue to work hard.

Run 4 Kids

Me, Sharon & Kristin

This past Saturday I ran in the "Run 4 Kids" 5K race. A race which benefits the Tennessee Baptist Children's Home. This is the first 5K race that I have actually ran (only walking maybe a total of 30 secs. during the race)! I finished the 3.1 miles in 35 minutes. Two of my friends from work ran it with me. Once we all finished the race we ate some of the free food and then headed off for a session of boot camp. I think I need a massage!

Anyone Up For An Urban Adventure?

Attention All Nashvillians!

I wanted to share with everyone the information for the Nashville Oyster Race. A friend of mine emailed me the link and it looked like so much fun I wanted to pass it along. You can even do the race as a relay team so you don't have to do the entire course. I am thinking about doing it, but I haven't made up my mind yet. The race is on October 24th.

Check it out!

Boot Camp Update

Well it is official, I have finished my first month of boot camp. I have to be honest, I wasn't sure if I would like getting up at 4:30 in the morning & being told what to do. But I loved every minute of it. There is something to starting your day early. I feel like I am more productive during the day and even though I do get sore from the work outs, it is a good sore.

Here is the video that our trainer, Niki, put together for advertising purposes. I am in several of the shots and my friend, Kristin, who is in boot camp with me is the one with the curly black hair being interviewed.




Sorry everyone, but I do have to brag a little.

In 4 weeks:
1. I have lost 10 pounds and quite a few inches
2. I cut 2 minutes & 40 seconds off my mile run time
3. I doubled the amount of push-ups I can do & tripled the amount of sit-ups
4. I have more energy than ever!

I have already signed up for the May Boot Camp & my plans are to also do the June camp. I would love to stick with it through September, but we'll see:)

If you are wanting to improve your health or get into shape and have trouble staying motivated I think boot camp is just what you need. The larger the city you live in the more options you have. I know here in Nashville you can find boot camps in every part of the city at all different times of the day. If you liked what you saw in the video, check out Niki G Fitness Boot Camps!

I will post another boot camp update at the end of May.

Fitness Boot Camp

Well, it's official, I just signed up for my first ever Fitness Boot Camp. I'm really excited! I have been wanting to start a work out routine, but I have a hard time motivating myself to workout especially when it seems to take forever to see results.

I was talking with a friend and we decided we wanted to take a Zumba class. We thought it would be fun and something different. With her work schedule we either needed a class early in the morning or later in the evening. After searching one afternoon I wasn't having any luck finding a Zumba class that would work with our schedules, but the one thing I kept coming across were early morning Fitness Boot Camps.

After reading about fitness boot camps I knew this would be perfect workout for me. I discussed it with my friend and we decided to sign up for Niki G Fitness Boot Camp. The program is 4 weeks with 1 hour workouts on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday. We meet at 5:15am (yikes!) at a local park. Everything is provided: water, towels, yoga mats, weights.

10 DAYS TILL BOOT CAMP!

I'll let you know how it goes:)