I was far, very far from last!!

This is a week I will not soon forget. My week began with a 3 pound weight loss, weeks that start with me being 3 pounds down or more are always great. Damir had two boot camps in one day on the holiday Monday. The first was an awesome, Kristy and I were partners and at the end of the workout my shirt was soaked wet. It was nice to spend time with Kristy doing the thing we love, Exercise.

Tuesday was a very emotional and eye opening day, after an awesome training session Kristy and I watched the Biggest Loser season finale. As we watched all the contestants step back on the scale I noticed that only one of them lost more weight then I have while they were on the show. Yes they did it in four months, most of the time in very controlled bubble not having to do it while working full time. Yes they did really well, but I say try doing it with a fulltime job with real temptation everywhere. My full time Job has a freaking McDonalds in it. That is true temptation, so perhaps I am one of the real biggest losers.

I don’t remember much about Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I had really great workout on those days but nothing stands out.

Saturday was fun; I started the day on the arc Trainer at 2110 Fitness. I love starting the day sweating! After my cardio I ended up going to Damir’s Kickboxing boot camp to hold Pad for Kristy. I had so much fun working out with her on Monday; I wanted to try to see if we would have the same fun kickboxing. We did it was an awesome class; again it was so awesome to spend time with Kristy exercising. Later in the day I went for a walk with my good Friend Sandra. We had a 5k in the morning so we walked it.

Sunday was such an awesome day. As Sandra and I stood at the starting line it brought back memories or doing it last year. Last year I did the 5k with my friends Ryan and Pam. That was a tough day and I was worried that it would be as rough and I was still concerned that I would finish last like last year. Just as we were about to start Sandra Fist bump me and said “see you at the finish line!”

I started to jog, it was very weird, I was keeping up with the large group, and I was stunned. I was thinking, ok once we get to the end of the street, people will start passing me like crazy. I got to the end of the street and some people had past but not much. I thought ok once we get to the first bridge, people will start to pass me. But that did not happen; in fact I was passing a lot of people. We hit the first bridge I realized I need to figure out how to start moving up the group because this is too slow, so I follow a thin girl as she cut through the crowd. As I hit the beginning of the second bridge if found the large group I would do most of the 5k with. This jogging thing was very new to me; I have done a little with Damir but not as much as I have already done in the first 20mins or so. As I reached just over half way I was walking more then I was jogging, that when my shins started to hurt. I said to myself “no I am still going to jog” so as I started to jog my shins didn’t hurt as much. I slowed to walk and they just started to hurt again. It was like Damir was there saying “come Brian lets go, Jog!!” As I started down the last stretch I saw Sandra walking back down the course looking for me, at that point I was done jogging, and I was just walking. Sandra smile and I think she said “you can totally beat your time if you start jogging again!” but I am not sure as I was not all there. But we started to jog again and walk and jog and walk. As i reached the hardest part of the course the very steep hill close to the end, I saw Kim running across the field to the top of the hill. As I reached the top of the hill Kim said “come on Brian your running to the end with me let’s go!” Here is the thing she ran the half marathon earlier and now she was running again to get me over the line under an hour. So I started to run as I reached the last part where people the lined street, she ran beside me outside the course. It was loud, people were clapping and cheering I could here Kristy and Lara, they were so excited! It was very loud, but I could still hear Kim yelling “don’t you stop” I would love to say I didn’t walk but I did for a few second, then I heard Kim “You can finish running, you can do it” as look to my right I saw she was still there walking fast, so I took off running as hard as I could. Then I saw the clock in the distance, it was under an hour, I started to cry, I past under the finish line at 55:10.08.

I turned the corner and Kim and Sandra were there waiting, that when Lara came running to hug me, Lara was crying, I was crying, it must have been quite the sight. Kristy arrived also crying and put her arm around me and gave me the biggest kiss. It was awesome. I am very lucky to have such great friends and family in my life. I was far, very far from last!!

Burpees Baby!!

There have been many milestones in my journey, tonight I reached a very big one. In Wednesday night’s boot camp Damir set up circuit training at the top of the “winding hill of doom”. In the circuit Damir put out a ladder, now I usually step and squat up each rung of the ladder which I did the first time through. On my second time through I was doing the station before the ladder, Kim was doing the ladder and I was watching how she did it, she was hopping and squatting up the ladder. I thought I think I can do that. Just as I was about to try, my partner came up the hill and tagged me out of the circuit to do the hill. As I did the hill I was so excited to try and hop up the ladder. Of course when I got to the top my partner was nowhere near the ladder. As I did the circuit I decided I was just going to do it and not ask Damir if I should try. Finally I was at the ladder and I hopped into the first rung. Wow I can do it I continued up the ladder and Damir said something, not sure what it was so I just went back to the old way. That is when I heard Damir “you can’t continue hopping, hop but squat when you land!” so I started to do what he asked and I could do it!! I glanced over at Damir while I did that last one; he had that big ass smile on his face he gets when I reach a milestone. Hopping was a milestone, but not the biggest one I reached this week.

Tonight on the way to 2110 Fitness for my session, it hit me if I can hop maybe I can do burpees without the modification. So after Damir showed Ryan and I what the first part of today’s session was I asked “do you think I can do real burpees now that I can hop” he just smile and said “try it now” . I dropped down and hopped my feet back and hopped forward then popped up. .... I did it!!! Now he was very excited, his smile was huge, this was a very big moment. You could tell he was thinking where he was putting in the burpees into our workout. So later in our session we were tossing the Big Ass Tire and Damir say Burpees with that big ass Smile. So we stop with the tire and started burpees, I was about eight or nine in when Damir leaned in and said “how are your legs, it much harder on the legs with the hopping” wow he was correct about that they just were burning. Although it was hard and brutal, I must have had the biggest smile on my face.

Another great example of my new favourite quote “success is not a goal, it’s a by-product” This was the milestone we have been striving for, see great workout in my future lots and lots of burpees!

"Success is not a goal, it’s a by-product.”

I have had many difficult weeks on my weight loss journey; none come even close to this week. I normally write about my crazy ass workout. The crazy ass thing this week was not the workouts, they were tough, but this week I was put to the test with my addiction. It all started last Friday when Kim sent me a text, it said I really want you to stop drinking the Coke Zero; it is time to get off that shit! Well that was the just of it. When I arrived at boot camp again it was brought up. She went a little Jillian Michaels on my ass again. I said ok next week I stop drinking it. I did the boot camp and thought nothing of what I said. Monday morning I stepped on the scale and I was down 4.8 pounds. As always I texted Kim & Damir and headed to work. On my way to work I have a habit of stopping at Mac’s to grab a 1l bottle of Coke Zero for the day, and not remembering that I promise Kim that I would quit this week I bought one. As I ate my oatmeal at work Kim texted me back about my weight loss from last week. She was happy I lost 4.8, and suggested I set a new goal. While Kim and I were Texting Damir got back to me. Also happy I lost 4.8 but thought I could have done better. So Kim and I agree 8 pounds will be this week’s goal. That when it happened, Damir said if you don’t eat out and you quit the coke zero you could do it. 8 pounds is possible!!

Ok, yes I started to panic a little, but agreed I would not have another coke zero. I made it through Monday without having at coke zero. At boot camp Damir or Kim not sure which one it was asked if I had any more Coke zero at home. I did I had an unopened case of 12 and two cans left from last week. When Damir heard that and said you won’t lose 8 pounds if you have that shit at home. More about that later.

Tuesday was a blur, it went by pretty quick. I made it through without having a coke zero. It was hard, no it was very hard. I asked everyone at work not to loan me a loonie as I left all my change at home so I would not be tempted. My training session was great. Tuesday was a good day.

Day 3 did not start off to a good start. I did not sleep well, at Monday’s boot camp Damir informed us that Wednesday’s boot camp would be on the “hill of Hell” so I tossed and turned all Tuesday night. So on my way out the door I grab one of the loose cans of coke zero and headed to the bus stop. As I waited for the bus I opened the coke zero and smelled it. It smelled so good. As I lift it to my lips I saw the reminder on my left arm, “would Kim approve” I stopped and pour it out. Nope I didn’t even have a sip; I promise I would not do it so I did not. About 5mins or so after I poured it out Kim texted me “How’s it going, U ready to do the hill!” it was like she knew I was slipping. Kim is awesome like that, she will send out a support text just to see if I am on the ball.

The “hill of Hell” was great I was able to make it up the hill the first trip up without stopping. At the top of course it was not catch your breath and go back down, nope not in Damir’s Boot camp we did a Tabata workout at the top it took about 4mins. So when I went down the second time as Kim was just coming up to the top, so I tried really hard to make it back up before she started to run down and I did it. The third was hard, but I rocked it. On the fourth time, I was at the bottom of the hill when Stephanie came up and said hold this for me, it was her very cute Dog and I said I was good and she started to run up the hill. That is when the dog I was holding took off after Stephanie, the dog pulled me up the hill, I ran faster then I have ever run before. It was awesome, when we arrived at the top, the dog was panting, I was panting even more then the dog I think, I just laid down right there in the grass. As I am lying on the ground I hear two thumps beside me. I open my eyes and Damir is standing above “Cleans with the kettle bells, let’s go Brian!” I stood up and did the cleans until he said to stop. It was an awesome Boot camp!!

Thursday was a though one, but I made it though without having a coke zero. Now for the past month or so Thursdays have been Big Ass Tire days, in our sessions, Damir would have us do something with the tire. No Big Ass Tire This week! It could have been because a class was working out in the fake grass, but that class did not go the whole hour of our session. It could have been Damir wanted to change things up, but I am pretty sure that the tire is like Burpees, it is a staple in working out with Damir on Thursdays. I like to think he was taking it easy on me as I was giving up the coke zero. Don’t get me wrong the Thursdays session was brutal just not the normal extremely brutal!!

Friday Day 5 Coke Zero Free this was a hard day. I really wanted a Coke Zero!! But I stayed strong and did not cave in and have one. This was also a though day because one of my biggest supporters at work was going on Mat leave and Friday was her last day. Jocelyn has been my food cop at work. Many times in the beginning she took chocolates, chips and candy right out of my hand. Always excited when I lost weight and she kept me grounded. I am really going to miss her.

Friday’s boot camp was intense. I showed up to boot camp with the 12 pack of unopened coke and handed it do Damir and said “I don’t need this shit anymore” it was a good boot camp.

Saturday Day 6 still coke zero free. My Saturday started with cardio at 2110 fitness. I do 2 hours of cardio on Saturdays.

On the TV show Friday Night Lights there was a line that coach Taylor said that will stick with me for a while "Success is not a goal, it’s a by-product.” This week I feel I have been very successful, whether I lost my goal of 8 pounds this week or not. I have worked very hard to cut out my addiction. Next week I will stand tall, and maybe it won’t be as hard.

I am a very lucky guy

I have been blessed with an awesome support team. I am a very lucky guy. How many people can say that they have friends that will go above and beyond? I have said this many times “Friends don’t let Fat friend eat at MacDonald’s!” Last week I had a very hard day at work, I have been working alone for awhile and on Tuesday this snowball out of control. I decided to skip lunch, mistake number 1, when I was able to finally take a minute to eat I went to MacDonald and grabbed a Big Mac and a cheese burger. On my way to the staff lounge to inhale it, a friend saw I was slipping and took the bag out of my hand and threw it in the garbage, And said “I know your having a bad day, but you are not eating that on my watch, one day I will slip too Brian and when it happens I want you to help me the same way I am helping you.” Although I didn’t eat it I beat myself up over it. I am supposed to be stronger than that.

This is not the only time I slipped, this week I was upset about something not really sure what it was, but it was when I was leavening work, I grabbed my favourite chocolates. At the till my good friend saw I was slipping and said “I will ring through this stuff, but I am not ringing through the chocolates sorry, and I am telling all the cashiers at the front not to ever ring them through for you. YOU DONT NEED THEM.”

Now I have been on this journey for 23 months, next month it will be 2 years. I have learn allot, but for some reason I still have bad days. This week I have been struggling with the food, so I decided enough is an enough and I was reaching for something bad to buy to eat, when I stopped and thought if I had a reminder on my right wrist I may think twice about what I was eating. So before my day really started today I had a Friend write in permanent maker on my right wrist. “345, would Kim Approve?” now the 345 is this week’s goal, 7 pounds down, I figured lets shoot for the moon! It worked very well; I had a much easier day!!

Now, support also comes from my fellow boot campers! Boot camp is always fun, and I have allot of support. If I stop to catch my breath either my partner or the person beside me says “come on Brian let’s go!” I can honestly say everyone in the boot camp has said it. So thank you Ladies I do appreciate it!! Please keep it up!!

I get a different kind of support in my session with Damir; I do my sessions with Ryan. The support from him is a little different. It’s more of slap in the back of the head, like you see Gibbs do to Tony on NCIS. But Ryan uses his words to slap me. A great example of that was in tonight’s brutal session! We were flipping the Big Ass Tire to each other. Now on the last set of flips I could barely lift the dam tire. So after a few flip I was taking my time, that’s when Ryan said “the slower you Flip, I will flip it faster” so after I Struggled to flip it, he just stepped into the tire very fast and flipped it like it was nothing.....bugger! So I struggled again and he again just flipped it like it was pillow....very fast so this went on until we finished. Damir also likes to pit us against one another, but as of late I don’t catch what he is saying to push us as my heart is pounding and I am in the zone so it usually sounds like “Wha wha wha wah” so I usually hear about it on my way home when Ryan tells me.

I am very lucky I get lots of support from my wife, my friends and my Coworkers. I have so many great people in my Life!

Thank you everyone!!