Trophy Wife

Good Thursday evening to you, folks.  My procrastination hit me in the face today when I realized I had no clean gym clothes, so I spent the earlier half of the day doing loads and loads of laundry.  You should be impressed with my ability to be domestic.  I spent the past couple of hours at the gym doing power hour.  I performed what I would deem as circuit training so that I could get a full body work out.  Lucky for me, the Vols were on TV, so I was often pausing to watch them. 

The next two weeks are going to be busy busy busy.  I have three personal training sessions, two 5k races, an appearance on Live at Five at Four, my mother is going to Las Vegas, and of course I have to fit in social time before school starts back.  What a busy bee I am.  Oh, and today I was stalking myself on the Covenant Health website, and to my horror, they put my starting weight and body mass index on it.  Mind you, I knew good and well that they were going to do this, but something about actually seeing it on my computer screen really struck a nerve.  The mental image of it was going through my head all night at the gym.

However, I am bound and determined to be the Biggest Winner.  I have been doing everything that I am supposed to and have been giving it my all every single day.  Even if I don't win, I will still have won because I'll have a rocking body to match my super rocking personality.  (that wasn't meant to sound concieted).  But if I do win, maybe I'll get a trophy.  And since I can be domestic by doing laundry and I can cook too (see previous post), then they might as well just call me a trophy wife, right?  :)

Winner winner, chicken dinner

Let me begin by saying that I hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas holiday and that Santa was good to you.  What a productive day I had today.  I enjoyed some quality beauty sleep til around eleven, which did my body good.  Then I spent two hours at the gym working hard.  I tried a lot of the exercises in my program design, but still lacked motivation.  I really just need a workout partner.  Things always go faster when I have someone to talk to.  I went home for a nice nap, and headed back to Fort Sanders for our weekly nutrition meeting.  Tonight's topic was in the format of a support group, so we basically sat in a circle and talked.  To my luck, three fellow team members were also in attendance, so I was glad to have the opportunity to talk to them for a bit.  Following the meeting, I went back to the fitness center and put in another hour of working out.  I did mostly cardio, but incorporated some ab work and strength training too. 

The wonderful picture above was my dinner this evening.  You did not know I was the Rachael Ray of Knoxville, did you?  The recipe was super easy.  All I did was thaw a chicken breast, rub it with some Mrs. Dash spices and seasoning (the sodium free versions), and threw it in a heated pan on the stove top.  Five minutes later and I had a delicious chicken dinner.  The spices really gave it a kick so it was not just your ordinary bland chicken.  The best part?  It was actually healthy and filling.  I'm gearing up for my big new year's day 5k this Saturday.  I competed last year and finished in over 37 minutes. I am looking to finish in about 33 minutes this year.  Wish me luck. 

Hips Don't Lie

Okay all you young people, I know that the title is the same as that of a popular hiphop song, but after my runner's evaluation today, it definitely rings true.  This afternoon, I met with Phil Bevins.   Phil is a physical therapist in addition to being an exercise physiologist.  My consult with him today consisted of multiple stretches, as well as being observed both standing still and running.  He tested how tight my leg muscles were and came to the conclusion that I have very strong hips.  Who knew?  Well, hips don't lie now do they?  His overall opinion was that my muscles looked great and that I had really good flexibility, especially in my ankles.  This is such exciting news and now I can continue my training and hopefully stay injury free.

Tonight was also our weekly nutrition meeting.  Stacey Smith taught the class and focused on small ways that we can squeeze in physical activity during the day.   Keep in mind that physical activity is more of a daily movement, rather than structured exercise.  Her small tips were super convienient and I can't wait to start implementing a few of them into my daily routine.  Also in tonight's news, I would just like to inform everyone that as of tonight, I have lost a total of 18 pounds.  Whew, that's a lot.  I still can't fathom how fast it came off but it did and I am immensely proud of myself.  Stay tuned for more updates on my journey in the Biggest Winner.

Wahoo!

Greetings, everyone.  Day seventeen of this wonderful journey of the Biggest Winner.  This past week has been full of fun and travel.  I have spent some fun time in Nashville at a concert and up in Kentucky visiting a friend from college.  I know what you are thinking, "Kelsey went to Nashville and pigged out with all the locals then stayed up all night with her college friends eating junk".  Wrong.  Kelsey actually packed her own meals for these trips and was able to stay right on track with her meal plan.  Even in Nashville, we ate at Subway since they offer healthy options that are completely filling.  Planning ahead was way more simple than I thought and it paid off because I made good food choices. 

 See the picture above?  Yeah, thats Chip.  Don't let his good looks and charming smile fool you.  He is secretly Hitler, but he's actually a good Nazi.  I met with him today to make a fitness program and to say he kicked my butt would be an understatement.  But it hurt so good and I left feeling good about myself and my newly discovered abdominal muscles.  He better be ready next time because I will be the one doing the butt kicking :)


Also, if you have not done so already, go register for the Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon.  Don't be alarmed by the name because they have a half marathon option, a 5k, and even a kid's run for your youngins.  Visit http://www.knoxvillemarathon.com/ to sign up and I will see you at the fifty.  And if you are feeling like an overachiever and want to come participate in the Knoxville Track Club training runs, then join us on Saturday mornings around 8am.  Don't fret, they have groups for any pace.  Visit http://www.ktc.org/ to check out the running schedule.  Here is a nice little picture of our last group run.  We were freezing in the picture, but shedding our layers within five minutes.

A Bag of Ice

Wahoo!  Let me begin by saying that I am now a huge believer in a new form of exercise.  Sledding.  I took some kids sledding recently since all the local schools were closed and I was so sore the next day.  Its amazing how you can be bundled up like Randy from A Christmas Story and then trek up hills over and over to get some exercise in.  So, note to self: sled more often. 

This has been a phenomenal week for me.  The Covenant Health Weight Management Center offers classes three nights a week, and we are to attend one of them.  Topics range from a comforting support group to modifying holiday recipes.  Anywho, I attended the meeting this past Thursday and upon arriving you are to weigh yourself.  If you remember in earlier posts, these scales are not normal.  They not only tell you how many pounds you weigh, but how many of those pounds are fat pounds.  It also tells your BMI, your water weight, and other information to get you motivated.  So I hopped on and when my reciept printed out with my information, I was in tears.  I had lost 10 pounds!  10 pounds.  Someone said "That's as much as a bag of ice".  10 pounds, I still cannot believe it.

No one said this was going to be an easy journey, but its a lifechanging one.  I am constantly telling my friends that this is not just some fad or some diet.  This whole experience is a complete lifestyle change, and that is exactly what I am doing.  Simple things such as drinking milk everyday, eating a fruit, journaling my food, hitting the gym, going for walks.  All these things are small improvements to make a healthier and happier me.  I am still so grateful and so blessed for the opportunity that has been presented to me and I can not wait to step on that scale next week. 

Foxxy and Freezing

This past Friday, the marathon team and myself were invited to appear on  WBIR's Live at Five at Four show.  It was filmed from Market Square and was right next to the ice skating rink.  Ironically, Missy Kane's daughter was having a birthday party with 26 of her friends at the rink that day, so Missy was being both mom and marathon motivator.  We all huddled around as Beth Haynes interviewed Missy and as my family and friends tuned in from home. The team even showed off our rad dance moves by performing the "Foxxy shuffle" which was as simple as moving to the right 4 times then moving to the left 4 times.  It was a super great experience and hopefully a lot of people watching at home can realize that they too can complete a 5k, half, or full marathon.
                                

Also this week, I began my meal plan from my registered dietician, provided by Covenant Health.  Mind you, my idea of a vegetable is mashed potatoes with lots of butter and salt.  So Friday I woke up and ate breakfast, which is a rarity in itself.  I devoured some dry cereal and an apple.  AN APPLE.  It was such a big deal for me.  My breakfast was accompanied with a glass of low fat milk.  All of this is so new to me.  I'm not used to consuming strictly 1200 calories a day and eating 20g of fat per day.  But the change is good and I am feeling great about my progress.

What's a veggie?

It is no shocker that I absolutely loathe fruits and vegetables.  My idea of a veggie is mashed potatoes with extra butter.  Yeah, not kidding.  So obviously you can imagine the horror today when my dietician was going over my file.  I sort of felt embarrassed, but I had answered her questions with complete honesty and she could not have asked any more of me.  I really stumped her, and due to my "picky" eating habits, she just did not know what to do.  We drew out a make shift meal plan for what I would be eating for the next month.  I made a huge compromise and told her I would attempt carrots and bananas.  In the meantime, I now have to eat at least one fruit or vegetable a day.

So, with my mealplan in tow, I headed to Kroger to see what sort of goodies I could find.  I ended up not buying a lot, but enough to last me for at least a week to try out my new nutrition plan.  For breakfast each morning, I will be eating either dry cereal or oatmeal, both of which can be paired with a fruit.  Beverage of the morning will be orange juice or milk.  I am allotted a midmorning snack, so Kashi will be helping me out with some yummy and nutritious granola.  Lunch each day will be a good old fashioned turkey sandwhich on whole grain wheat bread with a spicy mustard spread.  My side item would be a banana, apple, or orange.  Then, each night for dinner I get to eat chicken in any healthy fashion.  Looks like the George Forman will be recieving some quality usage here soon.  Of course, a side item of yogurt, or a fruit.  Major lifestyle changes headed my way.

This afternoon, I also underwent a fitness evalutation at Fort Sanders West Health Club.  My trainer, Chip, was super fantastic and definitely lightened the mood since I was nervous going in.  He took my blood pressure, weight and did a few measurements.  My heart rate got checked while walking at different speeds on a treadmill.  It got a little down and dirty for the flexibility test.  I had to keep my legs straight in front of me then reach out to push a bar as far as I could.  It was all actually decently fun.  Part of the evaluation also included a number of crunches and push ups.  Lets just say I need to work on strength training. 

Our first training run is this Saturday, and I'm looking to cover about 5 miles.  Can't wait! 

It Hurts So Good

My body hates me.  I can almost hear my arms and legs screaming curse words at me in a ungodly like fashion.  Yesterday was my first chance to work out at Fort Sanders Health and Fitness Center.  I was feeling extra motivated (or crazy) so I spent 30 minutes on the run simulator then proceeded to walk/run 2 miles around the indoor track.  On each running simulator, there is a tv screen where you can watch anything you want.  I really showed myself to be a true hypocrite as I tuned in faithfully to Paula Deen and watched her make a delicious grilled cheese that I'll never be able to taste. 

After my "warmup", I then did a few leg lifts, bicep curls, and some more weight lifting.  By now, about an hour had passed, but like I said, I was motivated.  So, I trekked downstairs and signed up for spin class.  For all of those who don't know, spinning class and casually riding your bike down the bike trail are total opposites.  Not even remotely the same thing.  I'm pretty sure I sweated at least 7 gallons during the whole ordeal.  You know what I say, "Bless My Heart".

This morning, I was scared to get out of bed at the thought of what my poor legs would feel like.  After a nice hot shower and some ibuprofen, I was good to go.  I keep telling myself that it hurts so good and I still would not leave out the classic saying of "no pain no gain".

I have a busy two weeks coming up.  I have my first dietician/nutritional specialist meeting on Thursday as well as my fitness evaluation.  Next week is finals, but since I took two of them early, I only have two left.  Then I get to meet with my exercise physiologist to make sure everything is in good standing so I remain injury free.  There is way more to this whole fitness thing than I ever imagined, but I am so excited about it and can't wait to hit the gym and knock those pounds off.  Woo!

The Big Day!

This past Saturday was "D-day" as I affectionately referred to it.  It was the day that me and my Biggest Winner teammates got to meet each other for the first time and begin our exciting journey on our weight loss challenge.  First order of business was trying on our precious fleece vests with our team logo on them.  Then onto the thing I was dreading most: blood sample.  In case you didn't know, I would rather jump in the river in January than look at, think about, or let alone give blood.  But I was a trooper and let her poke my innocent finger and take a sample.  The whole purpose behind this was to check our cholesterol and glucose levels. 

After this minor incident of torture, we feasted in Einstein bagels, coffee, and fruit.  Yummy, and I loved how they were already feeding us.  After a short information session we recieved our gym membership passes, and a voucher for a free pair of running shoes from New Balance Knoxville.  Such fun swag!  Then, the fun began.  We got to participate in a group photo shoot!  I felt famous for about 20 minutes, and the camera crew even filmed us a little bit.  Woohoo for stardom!  I genuinely felt like I was on NBC! 

Now, let me begin by saying that after stepping on our scale for our initial weigh in, I really cannot comprehend how the real Biggest Loser people get on that scale in front of millions of people.  I could barely get on in front of one person.  This was no ordinary scale either.  You had to get on barefoot and not only did it tell you how much you actually weighed, but how many of those pounds were pounds of fat.  It told your fat mass, your body mass index, your muscle weight, your water renention.  Then, to add insult to injury, it printed all of this info out on a little receipt.  Oh the joy.  But if this is what it takes to lose this weight and win this competition, then I'm all for it.

Wonderful team sign

Bet you won't recognize us in a few months

Showing off our muscle, or what will soon be muscle.

Introduction

Greetings!  My name is Kelsey Godfrey and recently I applied for Covenant Health's weight loss challenge, Biggest Winner.  After evaluating applicants, they chose 9 of us to compete.  I was initially shocked because I never actually thought I would be chosen.  One thing that I will really be dealing with is accountability, and that is basically the purpose of keeping this blog.  Let me tell you a little about my previous fitness history.

I was born weighing in at over ten pounds, so I was definitely a butterball from the get go.  The weight only increased from there.  By high school, I weighed over 250 pounds.  My senior year, I decided to shed a few pounds for a semi formal dance that my school was hosting.  I ended up dropping down to 215 and that was the lowest I got.  I managed that weight up until college, then the endless buffet at Pearson's dining hall failed me miserably.  I got back up to around 230 and stayed there.  I completed the Knoxville Half Marathon this past March and it took a huge toll on my body.  Then, from September 25-November 13, I completed 4 more half marathons.  I have also completed dozens of 5k, 8k, and 10k races in 2010.  The keyword is completed.  I was not in it to win it, nor even in it to compete.  My confidence level was sparked solely on the fact that I crossed the finish line.  That's all about to change, because I want to be able to compete with other young ladies my age and actually finish with a good time.

I'm sure you have all seen Biggest Loser on TV, and although the goal is the same, the path to get to that goal will not be so dramatic.  Missy Kane will not be standing on our backs while we do pushups (at least I hope not).  It's going to be a lot of fun and both myself and my teammates are so blessed with this opportunity.  We will be provided with a gym membership, personal trainer, dietician, and an exercise physiologyist.  After 4 months of training, we will all be competing in the Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon.  Some of us will do the 5k, some the half, and some the full.  The goal is the finish line and we all look forward to finishing at the fifty!