Transformation Challenge - Week 8 Reflections

Only four weeks left of my Transformation Challenge at the gym and I am a bit sad. I don't want it to end. First, and most importantly, because it has been an amazing and seriously life-changing experience. Second, I'm not ready. I'm not ready for it to be over...I'm not where I wanted to be, I feel like I have so much further to go. I feel like one of those contestants on the Biggest Loser who say they're not ready to go home yet. I'm not ready to leave the comfort of the "nest," to leave the Transformation Challenge.

But....

I also know that it will never be over for me. My Transformation Challenge might have started 8 weeks ago, but my transformation will continue for the rest of my life. Each day, I will be striving to be better than I was the day before. One day at a time. Just one day better at a time. That's all we can ever ask of ourselves. It will probably take me over a year to get to my goal. It's not a short-term commitment and not for the faint of heart. But you can bet that I will keep the faith. I have made huge changes to my eating habits, my workout habits, my LIFE and I will never go back to those old ways again. I have made friends in my teammates, friends in the other women on the other teams, friends in my trainers. And those relationships and those friendships will keep me going long after the challenge is officially over. I will see them at the gym, I will train with them still, we will email and call and facebook and still connect. And still support and encourage each other and cheer each other on. I will see the trainers and take their classes and maybe even schedule some training sessions with them as well. And I know that they will be watching me, encouraging me, happy to see my face around the gym, happy to watch me succeed, happy to help me succeed.

I've learned a lot about myself as well. I've learned that I can do new things, try new things on my own or with friends and no one is going to laugh at me.

I've learned that even though my life has a lot of challenges right now with work, the kids, going to school, etc, so does everyone else's. We all struggle in different ways. It's about making tough choices and prioritizing. Making the priorities in your head match the priorities in your life. If you say your health is important to you, then don't go home and eat ice cream on the couch every night after dinner. Don't say that family is important to you if you aren't taking care of yourself enough to be there for them in 10 years.

I've learned that I'm a lot stronger than I thought I was. I had an enlightening moment during a Step class a few weeks back. It was filled with a bunch of Poly Dollies and a handful of my teammates (all thinner than me). When it came time to do tricep dips, I was kicking the Poly Dollies' hinies! And again, when it was time to do pushups, I was on my toes for all 15 of them and not one of those college girls were doing that. Shoot, some of them couldn't even manage to keep their form while doing the "girly" push ups. I might still be heavier than all of them, but I am a heck of a lot stronger.

And not just physically stronger either. I'm stronger emotionally than I ever thought I was. It has been hard. It has been a struggle. I haven't been around as much for my k ids, which is a very difficult thing for me and for them (not to mention my poor husband!). And the stress of work, homelife, school, the challenge has made me break down and cry more than once in the past 8 weeks. Just last week I had one of those days and I remember thinking, "I can't do this. I can't keep trying to be all things to all people AND take care of myself!"

But I can do this. It goes back to setting priorities as I mentioned before and putting myself and my family's needs before everyone else for a change. PTO brownies and Girl Scout Leader Appreciation Day will have to wait. Not forever, just for now. And I can do anything I set my mind to. I may have doubted that a lot in the past, and probably will still occasionally in the future. But it's the truth. In my heart, I know that. And when I doubt myself in the future, I will think back to these 12 weeks of my life and realize that I can really do anything I set my mind to.

So here's to my last four weeks of this challenge! My teammates and I have all vowed to step it up big time and kick this challenge's butt. We may not be the team with the most points, but we are by far, in my opinion, the team with the most heart.