Wasatch County Biggest Loser!

I have heard the stories of people who lost weight without the help of surgeries, reality tv shows, special products, etc. But I never thought I would be one of them. Until now.

On April 2, 2011, Scott and I started in a competition that we hoped would be a kickstart to a better, healthier lifestyle. The Fit Stop in Heber City put together their own Biggest Loser competition to get the community motivated and healthy. Even the creators of this program were shocked at the results! Who knew that in 10 weeks, 35 people could lose a total of 1,029 lbs??? How cool is THAT!?!?

35 contestants were chosen - all different ages, sizes and personalities. We were put into teams of 5 and given some of the most amazing trainers that exist in this world. We had two weekly team workouts, full access the the gym and rec center, and weigh ins every Saturday. Scott and I were put on different teams, due to our opposite work schedules, which actually turned out to be a really great thing.

Scott was put on the orange team, with 3 AWESOME girls and one, well, not so awesome guy. Their trainer is one of the most experienced and qualified trainers around. Scott's trainer teaches a Dynamics class that I attend every Monday and it never fails to kick my trash. Scott loved every minute of his workouts with his trainer and it showed.

SCOTT LOST 58 LBS IN 10 WEEKS!!! He ended up winning third place overall!!!!

Check out that skinny boy!!

My team and my trainer turned out to be the PERFECT combination of friendship and motivation. Every woman on my team is a very special and unique person, with incredible strength!! We worked together like a charm, motivating each other to do our best during our workouts. My trainer, who hails all the way from across the pond (Manchester, England) is one of the most amazing people I have ever had the privelage of meeting. When I first met Juliette, all 101 lbs of her, I knew I was in for a real treat. She is a little spitfire, with a personality that is way too big for her tiny little body! But she showed me something that no one in my life ever has: That I can do ANYTHING I put my mind to. Juliette saw things in me that I couldn't see in myself. She pushed me in the gentlest, most comforting way to break through my limitations and accomplish greatness. I owe her so much. She will never know just how much she has affected my life for the greater. I am excited to be able to spend every Wednesday night at her kickboxing class, as well as Saturday morning soccer games!

In 10 weeks, I lost a total of 27 lbs. AND I RAN A 5k!!!

Let me tell you something about this 5k. My sister, Amy and I decided to run it together. She could have run ahead of me, and gotten a great time, but she stuck with me, and I am SO glad she did. People have always told me that there comes a point in your run where your body kind of just, well, clicks on, and you no longer feel tired or out of breath, but you can just RUN! I had never experienced that until today. Amy would set little goals for me - she would say, "Let's just run to the mailbox and then walk for a bit". So we'd run to the mailbox and then we'd walk, briskly of course! For the first 1.5 miles, that's how it went. After we passed the halfway point, we began to run again. She set another goal for us, another mailbox, and as we approached it, my body changed. My breathing became smooth and even. My leg muscles loosened up. My mind cleared. And I knew that I would finish this race without walking. I would run the rest of the way. And you know what? I did. I ran that full mile and a half without a second thought. I felt like I was floating. I don't remember ever feeling so good. As I rounded the corner toward the finish line, I saw my parents, Scottie, and all my new friends that I've made in the past week, standing there cheering me on. Amy told me to sprint to the end, so I did. When I crossed that line, I was overcome with emotion. I had accomplished something - something I never thought I could EVER do. Now I know that 3.2 miles doesn't REALLY seem like that much, but for someone like me, who's been overweight my whole life, who's never been able to run for longer than a minute at a time, this was HUGE.

That moment will stick with me forever. It will continually give me strength to do things that I never thought I could do. When I'm struggling with something in the future, I will look back at today and KNOW that I can do anything that I put my mind to.

Today was a wonderful day. These past 10 weeks have been nothing short of amazing. And now I have a clear picture in my head of how my future will be. No more sitting around at home wondering what it would be like to be healthy and fit. No more feeling those jealous pangs when I see beautiful, thin women shopping at normal clothing stores at the mall. No more worrying about needing a seatbelt extender on an airplane. No more having to request tables at restaurants because the booths are too small. No more feeling uncomfortable through a movie because I am too large for the seat. No more stares from people who are secretly thankful they don't look like me. And more importantly, no more fears of what medical ailment I'll fall victim to due to my unhealthy weight. My life will be carefree, healthy and full of joy!

To all the people that have been there for me through all of this: THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! You never realize just how important it is to have support until you start to do something you think you won't be able to do. To my teammates: You are AMAZING and I am so thankful I was able to spend such a wonderful 10 weeks with you - and I look forward to many days together at the gym! To my trainer: Thank you isn't not NEARLY enough - you've given me hope, you've given me life, you've given me dedication, and above all, you've given me heart. There is a very special mansion for you in Heaven - I submitted the request the day you taught me that I COULD do 5 more pullups...

I look forward to what the future will bring- I should be at my goal weight by this time next year. That will be a total weight loss of 144 lbs. It's a ways to go, but I'm already on the road!


My awesome team before the 5k!


The best trainer in the WORLD!



Scottie and I after finishing the 5k

Life Update of 2011

It was recently brought to my attention that I haven't updated my blog for a while. I didnt realize until tonight, however, that it hasn't been until December. And let me just tell you that a LOT can happen in 5 months. So here is a new update from Warnerland.

Scott:

Scottie went back to school in February and obtained his CNA license. He got two jobs, and is doing really well at them! He works for Danville Services, which is a group home for adults with mental and physical disabilities. He also works as an in-home health care CNA for Salus Homecare. And just recently he got a new client. You may or may not heard of Dale, the wrestler from Wasatch High School who had his neck broken during a practice. It's been a huge deal for this community, and the whole city has rallied around him. Scott started caring for Dale this week. He really likes it, and it's a great opportunity for him. Dale's support page can be found here.

Alison:

I also have a new job. On May 2, I returned to work for the Division of Child & Family Services as a CPS worker. (Child Protective Services) After two years of advertising sales, it's a huge breath of fresh air to return to my field of study. And if you know me at all, you know that I LOVED my job at DCFS when I worked there in 2008. It's only been two weeks, but so far I REALLY like my co-workers and I really like CPS. I did permanency before (in-home/long term work) but now I will be doing the initial investigations. I'm really excited about it and I hope I will be there for a really, really long time!

I will be going back to school in July to finish my LPC. I decided to switch programs in February after spending a few months in an internship. School counseling is not for me. I realized I needed to go where my true passion is - so I switched to the Mental Health counseling program. I'm excited about it. It's two + years more of school, but I will be SO much happier!

Together:

We moved into a house (an actual house) in February. It's really nice to live in a home that's separate from other people's homes!! It needs a lot of work. We painted almost every room, installed some new light fixtures, plumbing fixtures, etc. It still needs a lot more, such as new carpet, new hardwood floors and other small, cosmetic things, but we have a while to do that.

We have also been participating in the Wasatch County Biggest Loser competition. Check out the blog here

The competition started April 2. It goes until June 11, so we are about half way through. So far Scott has lost 35 lbs, and I have lost 16! Our trainers are AWESOME, and it's been a really incredible experience! I love seeing the little changes, like clothing fitting a teeny bit better, and seeing how my habits have changed. Sure I still mess up from time to time, but what matters is that I'm learning how to live a better, healthier life. I'm excited to see how things will be a year from now!

I think that's all the updating I have to do - of course many other things have taken place, such as the amazing cruise I went on with my sister and my best friend (which was SO MUCH FUN) but that's another blog for another time!