The Finish!

My final blog is finally here... wasnt really sure what to say... other than it was a journey that I will not forget and certainly a journey that is not over.  I set out on this journey thinking I was going to school to learn about nutrition and to learn about exercise.... I learned about these things and I learned more.  The friendships that are formulated through this process will be life long... the struggles we travelled together- the pick me ups, the falures, the successes.... when one of us was down- everyone was there to pick that one up and carry them through to the next day when the day refreshed.  Everyone of us had our struggles- not one more difficult than the other- they were unique to us and for these struggles we are stronger.

You learn about mental strength, mind over matter, commitment, execution, hard work, team work, work until failure and then get back to it and do it again.  The internal strength rediscovered in ourselves is invaluable...  we walked the walk...  we made the commit... we travelled the path... and we executed.

My journey had it's share of rough patches and I was not able to exercise shortly after the halfway point.   Later, I did not travel the journey on the nutrition standpoint as well.  The effects of following the plan that Patrick has shared with us brings, health, happiness, energy, confidence, definition, weight loss....  I can speak from first hand that when you dont have the exercise and especially when you dont have the diet...in a very short period of time-   lathargy kicks in, lack of motivation, depression, weight gain.. it really kicks you in the A$$.  The natural high is gone and it is not what I want to have missing in my life anymore.  I gained a couple pounds during this period of time and then I took it off plus a couple more by just doing the diet.

This journey and experience is a life long change and although I did not reach my peak performance within these 3 months - I will reach very shortly.  Thank you all for this experience and I cant wait for the reunion  :)

I hope you enjoy my photo shoot  :)

Dottie

  

The photos below are outside and inside Fenway Park on Monday April 18th...  celebrating my 36th bday  :)

Love yourself

Day 75, 15 days to go

okay- thought that I was on the rise and was able to blast out the rest of this project with everyone...  well- I feel like I got kicked in the stomach...  but really it is in the back.
Couldnt do the work out last night because pain in back and arm was excruciating.  I woke up through the night with lower back pain... real sharp.... and got up this morning not being able to stand up straight.

I went to the doctors this morning, an orthopediac this time instead of calling my chiropractor.  They said I have tendinitis in my arm and in my lower back.... I have a degeneritive disc ... doctor circled it down below.

He said I have very good reason to be complaining about lower back pain.  He has put me on an anti-inflammatory, muscle relaxer, and pain killers and prescribed me 4 weeks of physical therapy 2 times a week.  Says also I have the curve in my back... not sure why but maybe related to the disc.. maybe not- also the other top to bottom view shows my spine is not straight- curves out- but he didnt give me a copy of that xray.  I want to have an MRI done to take closer look- but he said no.... go have physical therapy, no volleyball and no working out unless PT says so and if I do- I need to listen to my body.

BAD NEWS ... BAD NEWS... BAD NEWS!!!!

So I am going to complete this program with my team.... but I am going to be able to do nutrition only and I will walk for an hour a day so it will be like getting the jumping rope in but non impact.

I had to cancel out of my volleyball league that started tonight, the rest of my Thursday night league, and cancel the volleyball tournament that I was suppose to play in this Saturday.

THIS SUCKS!  I AM VERY DEPRESSED....  I can never seem to get past the injuries I have and buoild strength to overcome them...

So my job for the rest of the project is to be there for all of you- support you- push you and see you all to the finish.... and I will have to do it all again when I am cleared to start again.

I pretty much have missed at least 3-4 weeks total or so of this program...  just wait until I am healthy....  :)

Day 74, 16 days to go...

Everyone thanks for your support and boost.  Missing all the workouts and fun have really had an impact.  Interested read from Patrick yesterday- as what he is talking about is exactly is what has been happening to me...  I have been in slump and not on natural crack....  but never had the issue when working out on the program... felt real good and happy to be back on track at it again.

Jump ropes did not go so well- arm starting hurting so I am going to have to do the running or walking instead until my arm fully heals... stinks because jumping takes so much less time.

I committed to blogging every day so I am going to do this but lots going on that I cant spend time on it.  It is end of the quarter... lots of work to do, presentation to prepare, expenses to submit, found out my uncle passed away so I have his services Thursday and Friday which are over an hour away so will stay with my parents....

16 more days to the finish line and then back to maybe day 45 is where I want to repeat from....

Day 73, 17 Days to go

Ok, I am back on the workout saddle... been on the injured reserved list for almost 2 weeks.  Chiro told me to cut out the workouts.... my back was busted up, my knee was having issues, my wrist flexor in my right arm was inflammed.  I have been getting treatment on all these areas, icing, advil, and resting....  I have mentally felt like crap because I want to be part of the action... but doing diet only doesnt feel being part of the action at all.

Well- good news is that I am cleared to tear it up again so going to crush it over the next 17 days to finish out the program with everyone.  I am down 17 pounds from the start... so not too bad since I have been battling these injuries but have been solving problems that have kept me up and down for over 10 years--- so I am thankful for uncovering causes and finding solutions.

I am committed to blogging and maximizing the final stretch of this program and then going back and starting where I first had to miss due to injury and redo this and complete it from start to finish-- I dont want to miss you ....

Looking at everyone pics is amazing-- unbelieveable transformations!  I love it!  :)  Going to post pics tonight... but not really difference as muscle has not been toned-- but what are you doing to do

Day 61, 29 more to go.....

First day since Patrick's email about morning jumps that I have not gotten up and started my day with jumping rope....  I woke up to find out a good friend of mine has been admitted to a Hospice Center in Michigan.  He is losing his battle to brain tumors that refuse to stop growing.  He does not have much time left.  I tried making it into an 8am yoga classes so I could relax myself.. but I was 5mins late so door was locked.  Don't have a lot of focus today - just a real heavy heart.  I need to find the energy to want to lose myself in my workout..
Just another day in the real world... but happy that I have PCP to focus on my health and hopefully prevent future illnesses in my future.
Thank you Patrick and everyone for travelling this journey with me.  I am happy I dont have to jump it alone

Day 60, 30 more to go...

Thanks everyone for comments on Friday night.  Don't worry- I did not drink on Friday night or since...  I have been very strict on my liquid intake and have not had anything except for water, milk, and recently I have been having coffee.  I did meet up with one of my girlfriends and it is easy not drinking with my friends.  They know I am not drinking for this PCP project and my allergy experiment.  It has been such a relief because do stay active and enjoy going out with my friends.  It is also nice to know that I am always a Designated Driver so I know everyone will be safe at the end of the night- 100% alcohol free.

I too as everyone else has been coming out of this crazy slump.  Last week I didnt do any yoga or my raquetball.... just PCP and volleyball league.  I felt very tired last week and over the weekend and even the weekend before.

Over the weekend I played in 2 volleyball tournaments.  I played one co-ed tournament... our end results were 10-2 for the day and we had battled it out in the Finals and won.  It was a great day for me not because of the win... but I played my position as a setter on the mens net and then I was able to be the hitter on the womens net.  I had an exceptional day hitting.  I had lots of power, I felt like I was jumping higher than I have in the past, and I got quite a few compliments on my game.  People were impressed with my strength of the day.  Sunday I played with my women's team...  I thought I would be tired and sore from playing the day before... the day was 9-6:30pm.... and had to play again at 9am on Sunday.  Well, back to setting all day and chasing after good and bad passes.  I do lots of short sprints throughout the day and jumping- but my blocking skills are not strong at all as I do not have very strong vertical from standing position.  We had a great day together...  we excelled in areas where we struggled in the past- our attitudes were great- they usually are but we had tons more laughs this day than usual.  We ended up losing in the finals in the 3rd game so finished this day with a record of 14-2.  I was so exhausted when I got home I went straight to bed and missed dinner and snack.

Yesterday I made it back to yoga afterwork and today I feel good about it...  I have been feeling really overwhelmed and I have been feeling really tired.  I am not able to pinpoint the why and the how of it... just trying to find that spark again.  I have lots going on around me and I dont feel like I have much control of it.  I have been learning to not worry about it much and to control only when I can control--- but outside people are interrupting that I cant make them stop and am not able to remove myself from the situation.  Tough position to be in... and I have found help in yoga a couple weeks ago... so I am trying to make it a priority to get to it this week so I can release this pressure and stress that I am forced with so each day can start new and fresh.  It is impacting me negatively and I have fallen to it in the past... but really fighting to beat it this round.

I also feel some hope in trying to unite with some of my family...  my sister cut all ties from my family about 8 years ago and has detached her children from us since then as well.  At the time, I had a 2 yo niece, 3 yo nephew and 6 yo nephew..... now they are 10, 11, and 14.  I have never known the reason for the separation but not seeing these kids has killed me over and over the years.  I ran into some of my brother-in-law's family over the weekend and we chatted.  I have connected with them yesterday on FB and am hoping to make a connection to my oldest nephew through them- they have been disconnected from my sister's family too for the last 3 years.  I learned that my nephew told their family that all family photoalbums that included pics of my family and bro-in-laws family- with the exception of only pictures of my sister, brother-in-law, and the kids... have been taken out and burned.  Something is really messed up with my sister mentally along with other information I know--  it upsets me and saddens me that she is so sick inside.  I just hold on to the hope that someday my family can be re-united with her kids.

Day 56, 34 more to go....

Thank goodness I am on this PCP program....  if I was not- I would be drinking lots of alcohol right now

Need to leave work now and go do my workouts-- my new way of surviving a really bad day