Rock and Roll Half Marathon

Nutrition Notes: July 15th

Michelle said today after her triathlon that her legs feel a little heavy, but otherwise she is not sore from the triathlon. Not only her physical training but her dedication to healthy eating is what helped her get through the triathlon and not be completely sore afterwards. She has been so good about eating well that she deserves a treat every once in a while – like the goodies she got from her friend the chef.

Trainer Notes : July 13th

A big congratulations goes out to Michelle for completing the Trek Triathlon in Pleasant Prairie yesterday! Michelle said it was very challenging but she was surprised at how good she felt throughout the race. She said her workouts here at FT have definitely paid off, because she felt physically ready for the demands of the triathlon. For anyone who’s never done a triathlon let me tell you, Michelle accomplished a feat yesterday! Great job!

Michelle Trek Triathlon Recap

Michelle Video Blog

Michelle Video Blog

Healthy Decadence

I had the amazing honor and pleasure of meeting Chef Devin Alexander in Chicago for a one-on-one workout date! We met at a gym in downtown Chicago - Devin mentioned that Oprah works out at the club we were at, but alas we didn't see O anywhere.

Devin and I completed a cardio circuit, and we talked the entire time. It was so refreshing to talk to someone that "gets it". Our date went by so quickly, and before we knew it, an hour and 10 minutes had flown by. Devin had to leave quickly because she was a featured chef at the Taste of Chicago, but before Devin left, she gave me a box of her Healthy & Decadent Treats



I was so excited - I couldn't believe Devin actually took the time to make these treats just for ME!!! When do you ever have a world renown chef cook for you?

My little box contained two chocolate chocolate brownie cups, 2 fudge mint iced brownies, and a glazed lemon bundt cake. It was so hard not to inhale the treats all at once - they looked and smelled so yummy, and tasted even better! The fudge mint iced brownie was pure decadence - so rich, and bursting with flavor. :)

We then met up with Devin again at Taste of Chicago where she introduced me to the crowd - it was rather exciting! We watched her presentation - she demonstrated her McDonald's: Big Mac, Green Potato Salad, and Chocolate Chocolate Brownie Cups. Let me tell you - if you love McDonald's Big Macs, you simply MUST try Devin's healthy recipe (found in her Fast Food Fix cookbook, and also shared in yesterday's post). Devin has recreated the "special sauce" to perfection!

Meeting Devin was an experience I will keep with me always! Devin has openly spoken of her food addiction, and how it continues to affect her life. Knowing that she continues to succeed and overcome her addiction every single day gives me immeasurable hope for my future. She is such an incredible inspiration because instead of running from her food addiction, she embraced it and taught herself how to live a healthy, decadent life. She's shown me how to create more balance with my nutrition and showed me it's possible to eat like a "normal" person yet be so healthy at the same time!

MIchelle Video Blog: 6/20/2009

Miller Ride For The Arts

My kids and I completed the 15-mile ride in today's Miller Ride for the Arts supporting UPAF. It was really fun, despite the chilly weather. The rain held off until we were done with the ride, which was perfect. I briefly thought about trying to shoot video of the ride itself as I pedaled along, but I'm far from graceful and much too clumsy, and decided both hands were needed on my handlebars at all times. We witnessed a pretty bad crash between two bicyclists near Mile 10 that had me quaking in my seat, and immensely grateful when we hit the finish line in one piece. Trying to get my leg up and over my bike was rather difficult, but the sense of accomplishment that flooded my entire being made the aches and pains worth it!

Michelle Video Blog: 6/6/2009

We started a new program this week - it's challenging to say the least! Kurt gave me a reprieve this week, with just 3 workout days. I didn't realize how much I needed it until I found myself oversleeping in the mornings, and passed out by 8pm in the evenings. I'm also very surprised at how much working out has become an integral part of my life. I seriously found myself missing my workouts on my extra rest days!

Nutrition Notes: 6/3/2009

Working with Michelle on her eating habits has been easy – but not so easy for her. She has been a “perfect student” even thought I know it has been tough for her. That proves how important it is for her to be surrounded by good people as she faces the challenges that come with this transformation. I think that Michelle’s transformation is not just physical, but mental and probably spiritual on some level. Thanks to her family, friends, co-workers, and other supporters for helping her out!

Trainer Notes: 6/1/2009

About a week ago, it became obvious that Michelle needed a bit of a transition to lower intensity training for a short amount of time to allow her body to heal and recover. This week, she is only completing three workouts and told me she feels rested and rejuvenated already. Rest is so important in getting results and I feel this will be good for Michelle both physically and mentally. This challenge has been tough for Michelle in both respects and she has been extremely tough. Thank you Michelle.

I'm worth it!

This competition has been the most physically challenging experience of my life. I know many people think this should be easy for me, particularly because I started the competition with a bit of weight loss success. However, that is far from the truth. Just because I've lost some weight before the contest does not mean I've been "cured". I struggle every single day, battling temptation and cravings. There were many mornings I wanted to swat the alarm clock off my nighstand, and curl back in bed, skipping my workout.

I'm not sure if many of you know, but I'm a single mom. I don't have any family in the area, heck, I don't have any family in the continental United States. If I don't do "it" (whatever "it" may be - work fulltime, take care of my children, household chores, projects, etc) then "it" doesn't get done. My children have responsibilites around the house, and really do their share of helping out, but the rest fall on my shoulders. It's not easy, but it's my life, and giving in and quitting is not an option for me. So I keep pushing myself to do more, go farther, be stronger, live healthier. It's not easy. It's mentally and physically exhausting.

I pretty much got to the end of my rope on Friday - parts of my assessment didn't have the results I wanted, and I just didn't know what more I could do. I left my workout in a daze, utterly spent, discouraged, and defeated.

It's crazy how things can kind of fall into place and certain things will happen just when you need them to - I was fortunate to receive an invitation to a homecoming party for Kristin Steede and Cathy Skell, the mother-daughter duo from Wisconsin who were on The Biggest Loser Season 7, for Friday evening. Cathy and Kristin looked AMAZING, and were so kind and gracious. I think the best part of meeting and speaking to Cathy and Kristin was that they're in the same boat I'm in. They've had huge success with their weight loss from the show, but they aren't done yet. They have the same struggles that I do, battling daily temptations and food addiction. But they're not giving up, and neither am I. Hearing them speak about their experiences really inspired me and reminded me why I'm doing this. They reminded me that I'm worth it, that the time, sweat, and tears is worth it, and that I'm becoming a better person with every single breath that I take.

Also, like Cathy and Kristin, I have an amazing support system in my trainers at Fitness Together - Brookfield. Knowing that they truly care and want me to succeed keeps my alarm clock from being blasted into smithereens each morning. There is NO WAY I could be doing this on my own, and having Paul, Kurt, Tina, Cara, Paul Z and Sarah in my corner is an incredible blessing!

xo
Michelle

"Sometimes all you can do is struggle. But as long as you're struggling, you ain't giving up, and that's the half of it." The Gunnar in "Stoneheart" by Charlie Fletcher

Nutrition Notes

We are trying a nutrition technique in which we get a little more strict with intake for three days of the week. On three consecutive days, Michelle only eats lean protein and fibrous carbohydrates. Then on the remaining four days of the week, she can add her starchy carbohydrates back into her balanced meals. This will help her release more body fat, but it can take a little getting used to at first because it takes more restructuring of her plan. We don’t want to do this for too many consecutive weeks either because it could have adverse effects. We’ll only do it for a couple weeks at a time.

A great accomplishment!

Just a quick post - Paul shared a great accomplishment with me at the end of my cardio workout this morning ... I have to get the exact start date, but "in the beginning", I completed 2.4 miles in 25 minutes.

Today, I did 2.4 miles in 22 minutes.

OH YEAH!!

xo
Michelle

"The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me." Ayn Rand

Michelle Video Blog: 5/27/2009

Well, it took my son less than 5 minutes to create today's video - it's a mix of my workout this morning with Cara at FT - Brookfield. I think it came out really well, and it a bit more fun than my usual talking head videos :) I like working out with Cara (as I do with all the trainers) - they each bring something different to my workouts, so while it may be the same program, it feels different depending upon the trainer I'm working with that day.

Kurt gave me the following recipe a while ago, and I finally made it for dinner tonite ...

Barbeque Roasted Salmon
Yields 4 servings

1/4 cup pineapple juice
2 T fresh lemon juice
4 6oz salmon fillets
2 T brown sugar
4 t chili powder
2 t grated lemon rind
3/4 t ground cumin
1/2 t salt
1/4 t cinnamon
cooking spray
lemon slices (optional)

1. Combine pineapple juice, lemon juice and salmon fillets in a zip-top plastic bag, seal and marinate in refrigerator 1 hr, turning occaisionally.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3. Remove fish from bag, discard marinade. Combine sugar, chili powder, grated lemon rind, ground cumin, salt and cinnamon in a bowl. Rub over fish, place in a 11 x 17 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 13 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Serve with lemon slices if desired.

I made minor modifications to the recipe - I omitted the salt, and marinated the salmon overnight. I had my salmon served over a tossed green salad (romaine lettuce, broccoli, cucumber, carrots and tomato), while my kids had their salmon with steamed white rice and broccoli. It was absolutely delicious, and the kids gave it two enthusiastic thumbs up, so this dish is definitely a keeper. Thanks Kurt!

xo
Michelle

"We are indeed much more than what we eat, but what we eat can nevertheless help us to be much more than what we are." Adelle Davis

Trainer Notes

We are preparing Michelle for a shift in training stimulus next week. We’ll be changing her program so she will notice a change in intensity. She has proven to us that she can endure high intensity workouts, but we also want to make sure she is getting proper recovery in order for her body to repair.

Michelle has been putting her heart, soul, and obviously physical effort into this and has done well. Show your support for Michelle and the rest of the contestants!

Michelle Video Blog

"You've got to get up every morning with determination if you're going to go to bed with satisfaction." George Lorimer

Michelle Video Blog:

"What this power is, I cannot say. All I know is that it exists ... and it becomes available only when you are in that state of mind in which you know exactly what you want ... and are fully determined not to quit until you get it." Alexander Graham Bell

Bring your daughter to the gym day!

I brought my 8-year old daughter to the gym with me this morning - she was curious to see what my workouts are like, and I promised her that she could bring the Flip video with us to try to tape some of my workouts. I think she had a great time, she got alot more footage of herself talking than me working out, but I'll do my best to edit some of the video to piece a mix together. On the way home, I asked her what she thought of the gym and my workouts. She said everyone was really nice, and it was a really long workout - she said she was tired at the end. I laughed and told her to imagine how tired she'd be if she was the one actually working out! :)

Kurt shared the "secret" he mentioned earlier this week in his blog with me ... it's a new approach to my nutrition, and I am going to get started with it tomorrow. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to reach my goal, and will do whatever my trainers tell me to do - after all, they're the experts!

One of my favorite things at FT - Brookfield is a portion of the gym that has motivational and inspirational quotes posted on it. I read them every day while I'm on the elliptical, and they never cease to move me. The following quote is one of my favorites ...

"Hidden inside each of us is an extraordinary force."

I can't help but smile when I say it to myself, because this simple quote is the key to my success ... once I really and truly began to believe in myself, the possibilities were endless. If you think you can't do something, you probably can't. But if you believe you can, then you most likely will succeed.

I'm also reminded of a Chinese fable my mother would tell me, with a similar message ...

Once upon a time there was a stone cutter. The stone cutter lived in a land where a life of privilege meant being powerful. Looking at his life he decided that he was unsatisfied with the way things were and so he set out to become the most powerful thing in the land.

Looking around his land he wondered to himself what is it to be powerful. Looking up he saw the sun shining down on all the land. "The sun must be the most powerful thing that there is, for it shines down on all things, and all things grow from its touch." So he became the sun.

Days later, as he shone his power down on the inhabitants of the land, there came a cloud which passed beneath him obstructing his brilliance. Frustrated he realized that the sun was not the most powerful thing in the land, if a simple cloud could interrupt his greatness. So he became a cloud, in fact, he became the most powerful storm that the world had ever seen.

And so he blew his rain and lightning, and resounded with thunder all over the land, demonstrating that he was the most powerful of all. Until one day he came across a boulder.

Down and down he poured rain and his thunder roared, lightning flashed and filled the sky, striking the ground near the boulder. His winds blew and blew and blew, and yet, despite all his efforts, he could not budge the boulder. Frustrated again, he realized that the storm was not the most powerful thing in the land, rather it must be the boulder. So he became the boulder.

For days he sat, unmovable, and impassive, demonstrating his power, until one day, a stone cutter came and chiseled him to bits.

Moral: Sometimes the most important thing to remember is that you have everything you already need, right inside of you.

xo
Michelle

"We can have more than we've got because we can become more than we are." Jim Rohn