First of all – Tenisha, you little over-achiever! You are the talkative one! That’s why we love you!
So I woke up this morning a little late, but I got going right away. We just moved into a new house (my definition of “just†is 3 months ago) and we are trying to paint EVERY room. Yes, I’m that crazy. My husband, DJ, is absolutely LOVING that quality of mine right now (she says sarcastically). You should have seen the look on his face when I told him we were painting stripes! 
Another Kodak moment gone forever. *sigh*
Well, we got the living room taped off and ready to go this morning. DJ left the house to head to work so I headed to the gym. I have to admit, my mind was dead set against going. So I pretended there was an imaginary line around my waist attached to DJ so I would be forced to follow him out or be dragged behind the truck like a fallen waterskier skipping down the road.
I did manage to eek out 25 minutes on the conveyor belt o’ death, I mean, treadmill. Since this was my first time on a con…treadmill…in a long time, I started slow. I did intervals between a fast walk and a moderate jog. However, the “moderate†jog had me breathing so hard, the mirrors on the opposite side of the room were fogging up. And although I probably had all of the grace of a hippo doing ballet, I felt great afterwards and I’m looking forward to getting better! How’s that for optimism?
Take care and until next time…
“Don’t ever be somebody’s slogan, because you are poetry.†-Sandra Bullock in 28 Days
It’s about that time and I want to go the dang vending machine my mouth is watering as a type this. So I guess this means that the sugar is not out of my system yet! The good news is that I am on day 3 of SB 11 more to go. I had to go to the website to make sure I am doing it right because those popsicles they say you can eat are really good! I guess I won’t raid the vending machine and will wait until I get home to eat my yummy popsicle 
By the way am I the only one blogging here I don’t want to look like the talkative one I need to get these people on here!
Until I need to vent again later!
I can’t believe I ate all of that! I had everything I wanted on Friday because today the challenge started
The Angels and I went for a nice walk by the bay and I must say it was hot I felt like I was the bacon in someone’s pan!
We all talked and got to know each other better and I must say that it really is a relief to speak to people who understand where you are coming from, I’m happy to have them around. Today’s blog I figure would be about me since everyone else has spoke up about themselves in their first blog and I vented in mine!
About Me:
I 27 years old, I have a 20 month old and got engage in October. I like some of the other players am at an all time high with my weight 236.6 to be exact. I have high blood pressure (yes at 27). The weight seems like it came on over night and to let my daughter off the hook this is not baby weight I actually was 189 after I gave birth to my daughter, so it’s all me :(
I moved back to Tampa after 10 years in my hometown of NEW YORK. It seems like since I have been back to Tampa the weight keeps going up and up and up (it’s all the drive-thru stuff who wants to get out the car when you can pull up)
When it comes to diets I have a lot under my belt I joined the known ones WW and JC a couple of times thinking each time that this is it but it’s not (I know they love to see me walk in the door because I help them make their quota). My fiancee is very supportive (telling me I can get the weight off while he is eating a hamburger, chips, cookies, etc.) I can’t put it on him because he does not hold a gun to my head when I pick up the cookies, or chips. Like some I figured if I keep eating I will be able to have my stomach staple, or even better get my jaw wired shut (sorry if i am giving out never thought of ideas) and I would lose the weight and it would solve everything but in the end I know this is not true because I am the type of person that will get my food even if they have to put it in my veins or blended it so I can sip it. Although I hate being this size and weight I do not let it define me or even stop me from doing things like hanging out, shopping, taking pictures, etc. I am still going to be outgoing, talkative, fun, and outspoken because that is me and has been me. If I have figured out one of the main reasons why I accepted to do this public challenge is because I want to be around for my child. I know if I keep doing what I am doing I will just end up dead from a heart attack, believe me I’m no fool but with that said this is reality and when I do over do it I say to myself this is it tomorrow you will start, when tomorrow comes the vicious cycle repeats itself. The good news is that the buck stops here because I have officially started South Beach and I hate it but I have come to terms with that as well because I hated all the other diets also. The difference is that I did not go off the South Beach track YEAH MEEEEEE!!! one day down 13 more to go before phase 1 is over then my carbs come back into my life yeah! I just thought I would share especially if anyone thought I wouldn’t make it I did! So besides us challenger’s if anyone has started something today and was very successful at it I want to take the time out and say KUDOS for you baby! YOU DID IT! LET’S KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK! Until next time.
The weight loss challenge….Hmmm…. Questions always arise when an event that may change your life begins. Today is that beginning and there are questions.
1. Who am I?
2. How did I get to this point?
3. Why do I need to succeed?
I’m just a guy that grew up in the Tampa bay area, attended Brandon high, played baseball for the fighting eagles moved on to college at UCF and finished up at Saint Leo…After, going into my junior year in college I was 180lbs and in great shape…Running and working out was one of my daily routines.. However, along the latter part of my path, I decided that a rounder Ramon was a happier Ramon… The gym was traded in for books, work, movies, and any stationary “Activity†you could find.
So here I am at the cross roads of my life, 27 yrs old, working fulltime while coaching/playing on my men’s baseball team (http://www.tampatrojans.org), umpiring high school baseball, and now going to be a new father. My current weight of 255 doesn’t support most of these activities. In the years I should be at the prime of my physical condition, I’m sitting watching life go by… Those days are soon to be done…
HERE IS MY PLAN
Well, I guess there is no more eating out 5 days a week. Dinner, dessert, and snacks will end at 7:30pm (I mean just dinner…Dessert and snacks are things of the past). One hour of cardio per day… They say it takes 21 days to form a habit. The first day is alway easy; I’ll let you know how it goes by day 10…
What will I get out of this when I succeed? I will be a healthier person, a man that can run after his daughter and not have to stop every 2 minutes. A coach that looks like a player more than the team’s mascot and an umpire that gives the kids 100% even in the last inning.
I’m excited to get started….
As I clear the sleep from my eyes this morning, my muscles are tight, my stomach not quite settled from last night’s “last hurrah.†It was a fine, fine evening, with trips to MacDinton’s in SoHo, the Tampa Bay Brewing Co. in Ybor and another nearby watering hole. Good friends, great food, some refreshing beverages.
This, I hope, was my final “last hurrah,†seeing how I’ve held such events several times in my life. My previous last hurrah was Dec. 31, as I used the flip of the calendar as my catalyst for changing my lifestyle. I quit eating soda, cut out the fried food, and started walking 2 miles a day. I didn’t even last ‘til Valentine’s Day – and my backseat quickly became a depository of fast-food bags.
The walking ceased and the excuses started. Instead of going to the produce stand, I went to Dunkin’ Donuts. Instead of ordering grilled chicken or salad, I went for the No. 2 at McDonald’s – what they would call a “Royale with Cheese†in France (see Pulp Fiction for clarification).
One thing I thought would help me lose weight was the chance to participate in a contest such as NBC’s popular reality show, The Biggest Loser. I contemplating attending an audition in Orlando a few months ago, but backed out because I learned the show would be taping this month – not really the best time for a teacher to check-out for vacation.
I figured being on national TV and playing for a half-million dollars would be a driving factor for success. Of course, I know losing weight so I can lead a long, active life should be the top priority – and it is – but I couldn’t help but get excited about that kind of money. Plus, as my friends and family would tell you, I’m hyper-competitive.
So, here I am. As I polished off supper at the last hurrah, a cheeseburger with melted cheddar at the Brewing Company, I thought about how today could be the first day of my new life. My guess is this venue will force me into making healthy decisions about what I eat and when I exercise. I WILL NOT lie on this blog. You should expect the truth in the coming months. Soon, I’ll write about my goals, both long and short-term, and what factors motivate me to take this journey.
I look forward to your advice, your feedback and, when necessary, your “tough love.â€
What does your fortune hold? What truths in your life are there to discover?
Click on the fortune cookie and find out.
The day was February 23rd. It started like so many of my other birthdays…loved ones calling me to sing the traditional ‘Happy Birthday’ song. In my book, it’s not official until you hear that familiar tune. So there I was…‘officially’ 45 years old.
With birds chirping and the sun shining I quickly darted off to my scheduled doctor’s appointment. That’s when my world began to turn upside down. The doctor’s office is where I heard those fearful words…‘Let’s add one more pill to your medications’.
Let me just say it…I’m diabetic. I have been for five years. Yep, that’s right. I’m one of those people who get up every morning and shoot themselves in the finger with a pointy little pin just to get a drop of blood. We test that drop of blood and hope that the sugar levels read ‘normal’. Well lately, the numbers have not been reading normal. Perhaps it was the extra slice of pizza…or that extra glass of wine with dinner…or the fact that I’ve been hibernating on the living room couch since November!
Those fearful words meant that it was time to do something about my health. I knew the situation was out of control and I needed to take action. Something had to change…and that something was me. I needed to get in shape. Not for vanity’s sake but more importantly for health’s sake.
So, in a nick of time, came the request from the Tampa Tribune for volunteers to participate in a Weight Loss Challenge. I submitted my information and as luck had it , they picked me! My sister says it was divine intervention. I’ll take that.
I was pretty nervous on the day of the photo shoot. This was the day to meet the other ladies on my team for the first time. I liked them both, right off the bat. We were three lucky gals who would eventually become known as ‘Marty’s Angels’..or simply ‘Angels’. We may have diverse backgrounds but we all share some common goals, like wanting to be healthier.
So here’s my goal for this contest: Lose 10% of my body weight…hopefully through a combined exercise and balanced nutrition program. Portion control has been a BIG problem for me(think Super Size). Luckily, we have a great trainer (Erin) to rely on. I’ll be picking her brain every chance I get.
Join us in this adventure and see how the challenge unravels. My money is on the Angels!
Here we are…poised at the starting line of what will be a long race. Each one of us imagines what the finish line will look like and each one of us sees something different. Each one of us has to maneuver around different obstacles along the way. Each one of us is starting out on a journey and no two journeys will be alike. Let me tell you a little bit about my journey.
For almost 10 years, I served on active duty in the United States Air Force. I returned to civilian life this past January. Being active duty, I was subjected to countless Physical Training (PT) tests. Therefore, I was in pretty good shape.
In 1998, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Despite starting a lifelong regimen on synthroid, I still managed to keep my weight in check. FYI, I’ve been cancer-free since 2000. In 2004, I gave birth to a bouncing baby girl. Like my mother before me, I gained a lot of weight during the pregnancy…thanks, Mom! (Side note: she looks great now!) I gained 55 pounds! However, I dropped 25 pounds in the first two months after my daughter was born, bringing me down to 150. I thought “I’ll be back to my old self in no time!†Then the medical monster reared its ugly head again. I developed several large blood clots in my left lung. The doctors told me I had suffered “substantial pulmonary emboli.†I was put on Coumadin for 6 months and the doctors wouldn’t allow me to workout while I was on the medication. Tack on another 3 months for tests and before I knew it, I had tacked on another 15 pounds.
Since then, I’ve been deemed “healthy†and I’ve been given the green light to work out to my heart’s content. However, I don’t look very healthy. So here I am waiting for the starting gun. When I imagine that finish line, I see health and a long life of hearing my husband and daughter laugh. I see us running, jumping, and playing…all without me running out of steam or needing a break to catch my breath.
Now that the depressing stuff is out of the way, let’s have some fun! The women, a.k.a. Marty’s Angels, are ready and raring to go and we need your support! Whether it’s cheering, words of encouragement, or stories about your own journey, we’d love to hear it! Tenisha and Kaye have already proven to be the best teammates. Their enthusiasm and desire to reach their goals are incomparable. I’m grateful to have them sharing in this experience. That being said – bring it on guys! Let’s see what you got!
On your mark…get set…
I would first like to say any writing, statements, opinions of Tenisha is not a reflection of TBO, The Tribune, or the women’s team! Now that is out of the way my name is Tenisha. I am very thankful for this challenge and my teammates Kaye and Gina we call ourselves Marty’s Angels (Marty is the HCIC of the challenge so we decided to give him KUDOS for putting this together). Many people (my family particularly) are wondering why I am participating “in such a public thing” and to answer that question I don’t know. Maybe I am thinking it will embarrass me and I will lose the weight, maybe it will give me the support I need, maybe it won’t, maybe it will allow me to express my feelings to others who have no IDEA of what I am going through, maybe it will team me up with people who have an idea of what it’s like. I don’t know what my thinking was when I accepted but I do know that I want to get this weight off, having 5 other people who can relate to being over weight or struggle with weight loss has been comforting, and that this is my last hope before I eat myself to death. I have tried almost every diet, and I am sick of being this way. My weight has been within the 200 pound class for the past 4 years! It does not make me happy to say that but I am not here to fool myself or anyone else weight is just a number to me and I do not hide behind it; if you ask I will tell. I think the one thing that I have not come to terms with is the fact that in my mind I did/do not think I was “big” for instance the picture that is posted on line of me and my teammates, well I did not think that was me because in my mind I look like I’m a size 10 and not a 20. When I saw that picture I was like whaaatt! Am I that big oh my gosh! WOW! Pictures don’t lie people do! So today I will eat my last chicken wing, chocolate chip cookies, movie theater butter popcorn and tomorrow I will be ready for the first day of the challenge and my new “lifestyle change” I will be starting the South Beach diet my teammates are controlling their current food portions, I can not. JUNK FOOD and certain foods like wings, pizza, or yum a good hot dog it’s my down fall I need to re-train my mind and body about food and from what I have read and everyone else is telling me SB- (South Beach) is the way to go. Before anyone starts writing I am not swearing off those foods I will be a fool to say that. I am simply saying I have no control when it comes to those foods it’s like the food speaks to me in a bug voice “eat me, I am good”. I hate that I talk about food like this but that is my reality which I want to change I hate that I live to eat and not eat to live. Being over weight to me is a diseases, FYI I am putting the Dr. before my name in the next couple of sentences. This is a disease and for those who think it’s not Question: What is the difference between an anorexic and an over weight person Answer: NOTHING! Food is the common enemy in both cases. An anorexic won’t and can’t eat because they don’t want to gain weight. An overweight person eats because of weight. We both are killing ourselves in some way by not eating or too much eating. Both instances people want help and a way out but it’s hard to do! O.k. my PHD moment is over.
So if you are wondering what am I trying to accomplish: I am going to work hard to get out of the 200 class in the next couple of months, I want to start exercising at least 3-5 times a week,
I want to learn how empower myself when it comes to food. Well folks until next time. Tomorrow is the first day of the challenge and the Angels and I are going walking to kick it off! Blog to you all soon
Tenisha
P.S. HCIC = Head Caucasian in Charge
OK, let me get this out front right off the bat: my personal challenge is probably not going to be as interesting or dramatic as that of my fellow participants. I’m in this thing to drop another 10-11 lbs., and my motivation is not driven by how I’ll look in a couple of months down the road, but how I’ll feel. More accurately, how I’ll feel in the water. Some people manifest their mid-life crisis by buying red sports cars; others might take up sculpting or write a novel. As I approach the big 5-0, my chosen outlet is through competition, and my sport of choice is swimming.
Here’s the deal: if I get a little lighter, I’ll get a little faster. I guess it would be a bonus if I lost a couple of chins along the way, or maybe actually saw faint muscle definition on my belly, but aesthetics are definitely not my main focus. I’ve lugged around 10-15 pounds of excess weight throughout most of my forties…despite a fairly routine workout schedule and pretty good eating habits. Despite the extra weight, I managed to eek out a couple of national championships along the way. Now, I’m at the older end of my competitive age group, and I’m looking for an edge. So now it’s time to walk the walk, lose some ballast, and haul a** at some big national and international meets coming up this season.
I actually started in earnest at the beginning of this year, when I weighed in at 209. In mid-February, I took a resting metabolic analyzer test to determine my baseline daily caloric intake (1,987 calories) and got my body composition measured with a BodPod (http://www.bodpod.com). It’s a new machine that measures body fat using the same principals as the water displacement test. It’s extremely accurate (much more precise than skin fold calipers). The NFL used it during the Combine in Indy (hmmm…wonder if Vince Young’s body fat percentage was higher than his Wonderlic intelligence test score?) My score depressingly came in at 23.8%, in the same general category as the Arctic Walrus. Would be nice to get that down to 15-17%.
So, how the heck am I going to accomplish my goals? Step up my workouts? A gallon of water a day? Hummus paste and daisy petals for lunch? Or…please say it ain’t so…LAY OFF THE BEER?? I’ll leave that up to Erin (our trainer), and will share with everyone out there what she recommends. I’ll be the flag bearer for the legions of people in the Tampa Bay area who really want to lose those last 10 pounds, for whatever reason. These are the people that are already working out, the people that generally eat (and drink) sensibly, the people that can’t shake those last few pounds. We are…. the “Plateau Peopleâ€. Stay tuned!
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