Fitness, Gold's Gym, Health


by Melissa

on
April 13, 2010


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“The End” by Melissa Schwab, Gold’s Gym Challenge Participant

So I survived my “after” pictures this morning. It feels so great to be done. I can hardly believe it. The past few months have been a lot of hard work and I’m proud of how far I’ve come. I want to thank all of you for joining me on this journey. It’s been a lot of fun to connect with people and share this experience. I’ve really appreciated all the comments and feedback on the blog. I feel like I’ve learned a lot about myself and hope you have too. I want to wish all of the fellow “challengers” the best and I look forward to seeing you at the gym. Thank you!
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Fitness, Gold's Gym, Health


by Melissa

on
April 5, 2010


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“What’s Next?” by Melissa Schwab

April 5, 2010

It was good to see some of the “flight 1” participants already back at the gym. For me, I’m planning to take the weekend off and head back on Monday. A whole two days away from the gym…amazing! But I’m already enlisting the help of my workout buddies for next week and making plans for a new routine. I’ve worked too hard to go back. Someone commented on another blog about giving ourselves “time and patience” on moving forward. I LOVED that because we have the rest of our lives to use what we’ve learned to be healthy. Knowledge is half the battle. My goal is to find the right balance for me between working out and eating. I’m not sure EXACTLY what that will be, but I now have a lot of knowledge, time and hopefully patience to work on it. In a way, I’m excited for the new phase of maintenance. I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t trying to lose weight. I’m even more excited to go shopping for clothes. What will you do with your former clothes? Some say to keep them, so you’ll remember how far you’ve come. Some say to clean them out so you’ll never go back. Looking forward to the start of a new goal….just a few more days and counting.

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Fitness, Gold's Gym, Health


by Melissa

on
April 2, 2010


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“Finish Line” by Melissa Schwab, Gold’s Gym Participant

I’m finding it more and more difficult to keep my focus. I have a week to go and I can see the finish line. I’m ready to be done. It’s like the end of a big workout, the final few reps or the final quarter mile. You’re sweating, your muscles are burning, you’re tired and ready to be done. But you also know that it’s this last push that will make all the difference. You know that when you’re done you can enjoy the best part….the satisfaction of being done. That sense of accomplishment that you get from working out and pushing yourself. That “Yay, me!” moment. I know I have to keep pushing because it will be worth it in the end. The satisfaction of completing the challenge will be an amazing feeling. One more week to go and I can run through that finish line ribbon….in a swimsuit no less.
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Fitness, Gold's Gym, Health


by Melissa

on
March 29, 2010


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“Food” by Melissa Schwab, Gold’s Gym Challenge Participant

So is it wrong to watch the Food Network while working out? I can tell that I’m at the end of the challenge…I’m starting to dream about food. Sad, I know! After months of tracking every calorie, measuring and weighing and planning all my food, I’m ready for a break. I still plan to eat healthy but I’m looking forward to having an opportunity to relax a bit. I have to admit that I’ve found a new love of foods during the challenge. Fruits are especially appealing to me now. I can’t believe what a treat it is to have a banana or an apple. They’re so sweet! Yum! It shows me how easy it is to saturate my diet with sugar and salt, and lose that taste for natural foods. I’m looking forward to taking what I’ve learned and enjoying a happy, healthier and balanced future.
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Fitness, Gold's Gym, Health


by Melissa

on
March 25, 2010


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“Spring” by Melissa Schwab, Gold’s Gym Challenge Participant

Spring has officially “sprung” in Wenatchee and I’m lovin’ it. It’s amazing how the change in weather can lift your spirits and re-energize you. It was amazing to leave the gym at 7:00pm last night and still have light outside. Yay! I’m also enjoying the opportunity to change up my workouts or just burn a few more calories. I love taking the kids to the park, and going for walks. We even dusted off the bikes and hit the trail. We’re in the final stretch of the challenge and it’s time to re-energize our workouts and have some fun.
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Fitness, Gold's Gym, Health


by Melissa

on
March 22, 2010


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“Stress” by Melissa Schwab, Gold’s Gym Participant

This weekend was a weekend of temptation for me. We were surrounded by a lot of family and also surrounded by a lot of food. My house was filled with pastas, casseroles, pizza and multiple desserts. It took every ounce of my willpower to refrain from eating what was in front of me. I somehow managed to stick to my workouts and my food plan. So when I stepped on the scale this morning I thought that I would have found my reward. Maybe even some bonus points for willpower alone. Instead, I found that the scale went in the opposite direction. I was dumbfounded….really?? I realized that I’d actually hit a plateau over the last week, despite keeping up with my workouts and being good with my food. So what’s the deal? How much does stress play a part in weight loss? Of course now I feel even more stress because there is only a couple of weeks to go…how will I meet my final goal? I guess my goal for now is to try to de-stress after an extremely hectic week and focus on moving forward from here.
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Fitness, Gold's Gym, Health


by Melissa

on
March 15, 2010


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“Workout Buddies” by Melissa Schwab, Gold’s Gym Challenge Participant

One of my favorite things about going to the gym is the opportunity to catch up with my friends. I get to run into old friends I haven’t seen in a while. And I get the opportunity to make new friends at the gym because I LIVE there right now. There is nothing better than having a friend with you during a workout. Maybe it’s a friend that will push you to try a new workout. Or a friend that will laugh with you as you fumble through a class. Maybe a friend that will bring out that competitive nature in you and push you to work harder. My favorite is a having a friend that you can chat with and before you know it you’re done with a great workout. A helpful reminder for me is to make a personal commitment to my workouts and vow not to let workout buddies schedules influence my own workout schedule. You know how when your “buddy” can’t make it to class that day, then you decide to give up and not go either. I’m thankful to have a group of friends that like to workout, so there is usually someone I can drag with me to the gym. Or even better, someone that will drag me to the gym. So a shout out to all my workout buddies who make my workouts more fun…. Sarah, Jessica, Jen, Sara, Katie, Kari, Flicka, Bethany, Cara and of course my hubby Shawn.
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Fitness, Gold's Gym, Health


by Melissa

on
March 12, 2010


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“Fear” by Melissa Schwab, Gold’s Gym Challenge Participant

So we’re down to the final few weeks of the challenge and I’m surprised to find myself filled with a bit of fear. Have I done enough to reach my challenge goal? With only a few weeks to go, I have to stay committed to my food tracking and my workout schedule. Anyone else dreading those final pictures? Since I’ve seen my “before” pictures, I’m a little nauseous just thinking about having more pictures taken. I’m praying for MAJOR changes. Lastly, I’m fearful of ever going back to the way I was. I like the way being healthy makes me feel, but for me I know that it comes down to daily commitments to staying healthy. What keeps us from falling back into old habits? Maybe it’s the fear of going through all the hard work again. Maybe it’s just the fear of taking another terrible “before” picture. What will you use to keep you accountable?
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Fitness, Gold's Gym, Health


by Melissa

on
March 9, 2010


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“Emotional Journey” by Melissa Schwab, Gold’s Gym Challenge Participant

Who else is finding that your weight loss journey is about more than just food? I’ve been working on losing weight for more than a year and I realized that I didn’t get to where I was by mistake. The way that I deal with my emotions is directly tied to the way that I eat. Many of you that know me also know my wonderful daughter, Makenna. She is a beautiful, sweet and intelligent little girl. She was also born with a rare joint disorder that caused her to be born with dislocations throughout her body. She has undergone numerous surgeries, endured many casts and gone to countless doctors appointments. She is a miracle! The doctors couldn’t tell us whether or not she would ever walk. But she not only walks now, she even runs and dances. She has endured a lot and overcome a lot. As parent, it has definitely been an emotional roller coaster. And this past week, I realized again how I turn to food for my “comfort”. We went to an appointment in Seattle for her and leading up to the appointment I so badly wanted to find a comfort food to alleviate my anxiety. Then when we actually received good news at her appointment (YAY!!) all I wanted to do was find food to celebrate. Making the commitment to this challenge has allowed me to recognize the situations where I use food and it’s helping me overcome them. I stayed strong that day and didn’t give in to my emotional temptations. I realized I had the perfect inspiration right in front of me…Makenna! If she can overcome the obstacles that she faces each day, then I can overcome FAT, right? So I challenge all of you to look at your emotional journey and find a new inspiration. Thank you Makenna for being my miracle, my inspiration and my HERO!
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Fitness, Gold's Gym, Health


by Melissa

on
March 4, 2010


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“The Climb” by Melissa Schwab, Gold’s Gym Challenge Participant

So I was listening to the Miley Cyrus song The Climb. (I have a 7 year old daughter…it’s a requirement) and couldn’t help but see how it related to the challenge. “I can almost see it, that dream I’m dreaming but there’s a voice inside my head saying you’ll never reach it”. Somedays I feel like I’ll never reach my weightloss goals and the negative self-talk can get in my way. I feel like I’m constantly fighting the “uphill battle” of my weight and a healthy life. But I realized like the song says that “I’ve got to be strong and just keep pushing on”. A healthy life is a journey. It’s about being proud of myself right now in this moment. The fact that I’m even doing the challenge! Maybe it’s as simple as completing a workout, an interval or about resisting that extra cookie because you know it’s worth it in the end. All of us can look back and say “I did the Gold’s Gym Challenge in 2010, look at what I accomplished!” This can be the turning point that we look back to. We’re halfway there already! So, in the words of Miley, “Keep on moving, keep climbing, keep the faith, baby. It’s all about the climb!”
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