We Are the Champions

Yesterday we had a celebration at my gym.  If you recall, back in March we started a “diet” competition called Game On!  You can read about it here and here. 

My team was the Wonder Women.  We placed 2^nd out of 3 teams.  I participated the first 3 weeks here at home, then finished out the last 5 weeks in California. 

The competition culminated  with an 80’s dress up night and karaoke.  The losers had to serenade the winners.  I missed it, but everyone there had a great time! 

The gym gave the participants 2 weeks off then started another 8-week round of Game On! mid-May.  I was still in California, but opted to participate again because I figured it would be yet another point of accountability for me.  My first 2 weeks I participated while in California but finished out the last 6 weeks at home and my daughter, fresh back from college, joined me.  I released 20 lbs in the 8 weeks and my daughter released 11.  By the time this contest ended right after July 4^th the Wonder Women were the Champions and I was the Winner or Biggest Loser. 

Yesterday the 5 teams converged on the gym armed with “legal” food and gifts for the winning team.  No singing or dancing this time, but some of the stories were very inspiring and some were downright hysterical!

The new Game On! begins tomorrow for 7 teams – as more people find out about the success of the program at the gym, they decide to give it a whirl.  There are a few men participating this time around as well – Let’s Hear It For The Boys!

Alas, I have opted to sit out this round.  I did 21 consecutive weeks between Game On! and LIFE and I need a bit of a break.  But don’t worry, I’ll still be on track releasing pounds and keeping up with my workouts.

Maria’s back home in Miami and we’re using the buddy system to keep each other going.  Together we’ll be Champions!

Roll With the Changes

Keep on rolling...   Keep on rolling...

oooh...   oooh...   oooh... 


I have been down for the count the past few weeks.  My cervical discs are still acting up.  I had the cortisone shot which has prevented me from having pain higher than a 5…hooray!  But that niggling, annoying radiating pain into my shoulder & bicep still persists.  Some days my neck feels the pain, but it’s never higher than a 4 or 5. 

The problem is it’s still preventing me from getting any good workouts in.  And I haven’t done any upper body lifting since leaving LA – a situation which needs to be seriously rectified.

Last week I was feeling pretty good, so I went to they gym on Wednesday for an hour of treadmill sprint intervals.  I basically did Trainer Jonathan’s cardio boot camp: a combination of sprinting and walking at different speeds and for different times.  After that came lower body weights followed by 10 minutes of abs.  I felt great the rest of the day and my neck/shoulder/arm didn’t bother me at all.

Thursday I went back to the gym.  If you recall, I began really running towards the end of my time in LA and I had an IT Band issue.  I didn’t want to have a relapse so I did incline intervals on the treadmill: a combination of walking at 0% incline up to 12% incline for different time periods.  That was followed by lots of stretching. 

I still felt great so I decided to go for broke.  Went to Zumba that night.  Ouch!  It’s the dancing.  When I dance I use my whole body including my head.  Actually, just listening to music gets my head bopping.  I bopped a little too much because my neck was sore the next day.

Maybe I need a neck brace for Zumba!

This week I have been a slug again due to many different circumstances.  I do my neck exercises and some light walking, but I’m really itching get back to the weights.  I’m driving my docs nuts because all I talk about is how I NEED to get back to working out.

I know they think I’m a little obsessed. 

Maybe you do too; however, I know me.  I’m worried that if I get too complacent I may lose the fire in me to keep going until I reach my goal.  After all my hard work I cannot let that happen!

So, I’m rolling with it…doing what I can when I can.  It’s really my only option right now.  I can’t complain too much as I’m down 12 lbs since leaving LA.  I just gotta keep workin’ it!