This morning, before he got dressed, Tucker put on catcher's gear. This means that he was wearing underwear, a chest protector, leg pads, and a helmet. I SO wanted to take a picture, but he's nine now. At some point that has to be illegal, right?
I survived Academy with the boys twice today. They tried to sneak out and go without me because without me they spend WAY too much money, but I caught on to their little trick and tagged along. Tucker and Keaton both really wanted those titanium necklaces, and they had enough money to buy them today. It took two trips because Tucker was indecisive.
Tonight we grilled steaks and vegetables and then we sat out on the patio and enjoyed the evening. The Zac Brown Band Pandora station played in the background while we relaxed and the boys...wait for it...threw a ball back and forth. It just doesn't get much better.
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Now, on to the contest.
It's over.
We don't know the winners yet. They should be posted some time next week. The total weight loss was reported as a teaser, and the girls won that. I think it's to throw us off the course, and in the end the boys won. It's really impossible to tell, though. Here are my final results in case your interested:
Total weight loss: 15 pounds, 9.2%
Body Fat Percentage: down 4.6%
Measurements:
neck: down .5 inches
chest: down 2.75 inches
waist: down 8 inches
hips: down 3 inches
plank hold: increase 390% (from 30 seconds to 2 minutes, 27 seconds)
push ups: increase 300% (from 6 to 24)
squats: 43% increase (from 81 to 116)
row calories burned in 5 minutes: 56% increase (from 39 to 61)
I did all of this math myself, so it could be wrong. It wouldn't be the first time I screwed up at math. :)
My reaction?
Oh my holy moly goodness!
First, I lost 14.25 inches from my body. That's more than a foot! I can't believe that's even possible, much less in eight weeks. It's still a little surreal.
The day before my final assessment, I did a little practice in my living room so I could have goals to shoot for. I had Keaton time my plank hold, and I did one minute easily. I knew I could do at least two, so I went in with a goal of more than two. I wish I had held on for three more seconds because I like round numbers, but I really gave it all I had.
(By the way, when I practiced, I had Coach Tucker helping me out. "Planks? You mean hover? I LOVE hover! I bet I can hover more than you! Let's do it together. Come on! Come on! You can last longer than that! PUSH!" It was funny and a little...well...weird having my nine year old work as my personal trainer.)
Have I mentioned that push ups suck. They really, really, really suck and I hate them. I would rather do burpees. For reals. I told the trainer before my final test that I knew I could do 15, but I wanted to do 18 because that would be three times as many as when I started. Then, when I was in the middle of it, she said, "Go for 24!" and I did. I'd like to point out that I actually did 27 push ups, but three of them were not low enough to be counted. I think those combined should at least give me 1 1/2 more.
I also had to take a written test about the movie Food, Inc and the book The Paleo Diet. This was the only thing I got mouthy about because I'm really good at taking tests. It was a ten question test, and I got a 70. A 70! When Brad told me, I knew exactly which three questions I missed because I had it narrowed down to two answers and picked the wrong ones. I would like to point out that I got every question from the book correct, and two of the three questions I missed were about numbers. It was that darn movie that got me. In my mind, I could see the graphics on the screen that answered the questions, but I couldn't read the numbers.
I did my fitness test during the first half of Thursday's workout, and I really couldn't do much in the second half. My hamstrings cramped (from the squats, I'm sure) and I was just completely out of fuel. I mostly just stretched during the second half. I knew that I gave it everything I had in the fitness test, so I can't really be disappointed if the girls lose.
When this whole thing started, I told Trey I'd like to lose 20 pounds, and after losing 15 it seems silly to stop now. I need to get a plan together for working out, and I've decided this includes putting the gym on my calendar two or three days a week. That way no one schedules anything in my afternoons that seeps into my gym time. It also makes me go, which is great.
I think I'll also suggest to my local gym that they begin posting a "workout of the week." Part of the beauty of BCS Fitness is that we never did the same thing twice. At the gym by myself, I know that I'll just do the same thing over and over, and that thing won't be the hardest exercises. I need someone telling me to do something different each week, something that will make me push myself.
I also need to continue my meal planning and cooking at home. I've discovered lots of stuff that I didn't know I liked - like asparagus - and I need to keep looking for those healthy foods and adding vegetables to every meal. I learned that I like protein bars (these are my favorite), and while they aren't low calorie health food, they are better than having a candy bar or pretzels or some other nutrition-free snack when I'm starving and have to eat in the car.
I guess the most important thing I've learned is that I was lying to myself. In my contest entry to BCS Fitness, I wrote, "I feel like I'm just made to be over 160 pounds." Well, I'm not. I feel better at less than 160 pounds, less than 150, and being heavier than that is because I'm too lazy to take care of myself. It feels a little harsh, but it's true.
And so, the journey begins. I'll post later about whether or not the girls won and I get another 8 weeks of free training.
I'll also be on the lookout for new experiences to blog about. Anything with heights is out because I'm terrified of them, but I'm open to other suggestions.
Travel blogs are always fun. Remember How do you Say Buggy in Spanish and The Korean Spa Adventure? If anyone would like to send me on a trip, I'd be happy to write about it.
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