2011 Ringing in Prepartion

I declare:  Its 2011....today is THE day...time to get rid of all the spiderwebs in my life.  As I sit here I KNOW...its time to throw out the trash....I will collectively go around the house, starting with my stocking candy and introduce it to my garbage can.  I will go through my cupboards and collect all the starchy salties and part ways.  I will clean out the frig and freezer and make sure they are ready for some long lost friends of mine...broccoli, spinach, peppers, onions, asparagus, and so many more friends of mine.  Yes these are some of my greatest friends...they fill me with good things working hard to repair any damage caused from the sweets n salties I allowed myself to consume.  My sweets will now be replaced with berries and other fruits.

If you have been keeping up with my other blog, Cats 1 life you know I welcomed the summer as a case study for a book that just now came out.  That book introduced me to so many pleasures with raw, natural foods as well as many hot meals I never would have thought to make.  I found myself so excited by this plan that I went out and bought new cutting boards, knives, measuring cups, garlic presser etc..etc...  I went from eating my regular 1200 calories to 1500 calories.  Unfortunately at the time I was so consumed with the crunch of making  "Alice in Wonderland" costumes that exercise had to be put on the back burner.  How could it be then that I lost 10 pounds in a month by "adding" 300 more calories to my eating???  While barely working out.  Meeting Cynthia Sass, a woman with a title too long to mention introduced me to a way of eating that combines a perfect combination of fiber, protein, fruits and vegetables and healthy fats.   No I haven't stayed with her plan everyday and obviously I fell off the tracks and gained weight back, but I know how to get right back on.  Her book is called "Cinch" and if you want to acquaint yourself with a great combination of food, eating 4 meals a day, I recommend her book.  Oh yeah, you will find me in the book on 2 of the pages. (PS this is not an advertisement, just my own personal declaration!)

Part two is my office.  Like many people, I have to share my workout equipment in a room full of other things.  Today is the day to make my workout room, my most important feature.  It is after all a very important feature in my life. I must MOVE and KEEP MOVING to achieve great health.  In this room I am placing a dry erase calender on the wall that shows 2 months of blank spaces.  This will be my reality check.  I will pass this wall daily and it will remind me of my calorie deficit.

As before I will count every calorie and right down everything I consume.  I will keep a note pad in my kitchen so I have no excuse to NOT keep track of what I am eating.

My ratio of eating to exercise will once again be my motivation and remind me that the truth is in the numbers.
And looking back to last January, I am reminded that by this exact way of life, I managed to take off almost 20 pounds in 2 months.  Now if that doesn't motivate me!  well...it does!

So by organizing, removing temptation and making sure the right things are available to me...I will be back on the downward spiral in inches and pounds and on the uphill gain of strength and good health.

Happy * Healthy* 2011 to us ALL!

Happy New Years Eve!

Happy New Year to All!

Once again we contemplate the things we didn't achieve in 2010 and add them to our resolution list for 2011.  This year, the one thing that I want on my resolution list, is to stay a winner throughout the year.  To stay driven, and not fall back.  I want to find myself one year from today making the resolution to do exactly what I did in 2011.  A year of living a healthy lifestyle.

I would bet that living a healthy lifestyle is the number one resolution out there.  Staying fit consist of so many things from quitting bad vices such as smoking, drinking and over eating, to moving and exercising.  Another form of living fit, is emotionally, living positively, being spiritual.  Most of us would like to be more financially secure as well, however without a healthy lifestyle these other securities will fall flat.  

I pledge that one year from today I will be fit and happy with my body size, I will be living a positive life and finally over 50 years in the making will have managed to stick to a resolution.  That is not my plan, that is my reality!  I will find ways of dealing with my hardships without reaching for the wrong foods and I will always make plans for exercise at least 3 days a week.  So, I guess my resolution really is being able to emotionally make it through 2011 without falling in the same traps as every year before.  This year I will come to grips with my emotions and I will stay strong, as the greatest reward I can give myself is the reward of a healthy lifestyle.

In conclusion, I want to thank "The Biggest Loser" program for showing the world that you can be everything you want to be.  For joining forces with Fitness Ridge to create a place where you can really get a kick start to a healthier life.  I want to thank "Cynthia Sass" author of the book "Cinch" for everything I learned being apart of her study.  She is one of the most amazing woman I have the pleasure to know, she has created a plan that gives you total balance when eating, leaving you feeling full and not depriving you of your chocolate.  I want to thank "my readers", you keep me in check, reminding me I am not alone, we are all having similar battles.  Your comments give me strength and help keep me motivated.  I want to thank my family and for their constant support, for the education of my daughter Michelle,
may she never forget how important her degree really
is as she helped me and Alan get back our life.

I wish for everyone to have a healthy New Year full of positivity and may all your resolutions persevere!

Getting Motivated

Today was "d" day, or should I say "m" day.  Today was the day I got my motivation back.  My house is presently filled with all he delights of the holiday, cookies, chips, cake, chocolates and so much more.  How tempting it is for me to reach for these and say tomorrow I will begin.  That is going back to bad habits I formed ages ago.  I started my day by being honest, I weighed myself.  To say I was disappointed would be an under statement.  Not only am I disappointed in myself, I am concerned that I let my readers down.



I have been run through a mill this summer and fall and I let it win.  Unfortunately for me, I rewarded myself with all the wrong things, and never took time for me to workout, walk or move.  I know my "rewards" are really punishments but I fell in to my old traps of weight gain and failures.  So here I sit declaring that I have put many pounds back on.  I was almost in a size 8 at the beginning of the summer and am now a size 12.

Its really ironic that to get my motivation back, I went back in this blog.  I started reading it from day one.  When I got to February I stopped reading, took my clothes off, got on the scale, starred down on my reality.  I then whipped on my workout clothes and sneakers.  I grabbed a rubber band and 2 water bottles and head down to my treadmill.  The remotes were still resting on the machine just as I had left in more than a month earlier.

To my relief, I wasn't back where I was in February, doing 1/4 mile walking followed by a short jog.  Instead I was able to push myself for an entire mile  jogging, followed up by walking on an incline of 7-11 steadily for another mile.  My cell phone rang as I was jogging and it reminded me of some of the stresses that allowed me to gain back pounds.  This time I must get a grip on these problems, and find rewards in eating healthy and exercising.

One of my Christmas presents this year is Jillian Michaels kettle balls and video.  Unlike previous years, it didn't take months for me to open it up and try it out.  Today was the day.  I am super excited to add this workout to my schedule so I can get a good core workout and great strength training.

Last January I had high hopes of losing so many pounds by a certain date.  This time, I know it can be done, proof is within my blog.  I just can't be a quitter, and really I am NOT a quitter, I just sometimes put me on standby.

So to all of you that have received inspiration from me in the past, forgive me for falling off the wagon, but I promise you I am back.  And this time I intend to work on my emotional issues a little more so that I won't be writing about my failures to you again but instead of my strengths.

Well, tonight is the Devils game, and me and Alan are attending which means an opportunity to eat horrible.  Instead we are leaving early, (since he is home on reruns) and will be eating at a restaurant nearby.  Better choices for me to eat right, and we have to walk from our parking garage to the restaurant and the arena.  More exercise for me! Weeeeeeee!!!   I am rooting for a win for the Devils, as we have both been on a terrible losing streak its time for winning!

Go Devils, Go Cat!

2010 to end....what will it bring in 2011

Most of you know, I have not blogged on this page since Spring, mainly due to the name of my blog.  I added a second blog called Cat's 1 Life.  But here I sit this late December morn, once again opening up this blog and writing.

I made a decision last month, that once again that I would like the Biggest Loser Resort for my Christmas present.  I knew I wanted to go back in April but for 2 weeks this time.  Knowing how popular going there is, I knew I would have to be wait listed for the weeks I wanted to go.  Sure enough that was the case.  I told my husband, give them my cell phone number to call and I kept it on 24 hours a day.  I almost missed out on the first call because it was early morning for me and being a DJ I prefer shut eye when they called.  I took the area code and quickly googled it to realize it was Fitness Ridge calling me.  I called them back and luckily they hadn't moved on yet to the next person waiting.  Only one week was available, but I was confident I would get another call at some point.  My second call came on December 26.  I was ecstatic to get both my weeks.  So it is now official that I am once again counting down to the Biggest Loser Resort.  I will be at Fitness Ridge in Utah the last 2 weeks of April.

I am extremely blessed to be going back again just one year after my first trip.  I sit here before you after a very trying 2010.  From the beginning of this blog, I weighed in at just under 200 pounds, in a size 18/20.  Today I sit here a size 12, one size bigger than when I left the Resort.  

I sometimes feel we are given challenges to keep us humble. From the beginning of summer till now, I have run in to many stumbling blocks.  I have been under great stress, so bad that I started to see changes in my health.  I had the sound of a truck rumbling in my right ear, and I am certain my stresses caused them.  My weight started changing with a lack of exercise and even my food didn't matter much to me.  What a far cry from where I started in late January.  It is easy to let your troubles in  life take over and make you ignore what is  important most, YOU and YOUR HEALTH. 

For me it's always been easy to go back into the mode I was raised on.  I've been having a bad time with things lately, so its time to have a meal or snack that satisfies me.  Its not even like I am consciously thinking about it at the time, its just "habit".  I skinned my knee, I got a cookie.  Kids were cruel at school, mom made  something good to eat.  Whatever the case, I find myself going back to habits I grew up on.  Habits like that never die inside you, but lay dormant.   I think that is why I have often had the yo-yo affect.  

So as I confess to you that I have gained back weight, I also profess to you.  I will once again be getting myself ready for my upcoming trip to Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge, with weight loss, exercise and a constant check on my eating.  

What will make 2011 different than the years before is getting to the "head" of it.  I am going to work on the habits that have caused me failure my entire life, reminding myself, that eating right and exercise are the greatest gifts I can give myself and my family.

So if you have fallen like me, pick yourself up, brush yourself off, and start again.  And try and keep your dormant habits in check so you can have great success along with the good health it provides.

Link to Links

My continuing journey starts here...this blog has ended with this new one beginning:

http://cats1ife.blogspot.com/

Also if you haven't friended me yet on facebook my facebook link is:

http://www.facebook.com/cat.chez1

My daughter the nutritionist started a blog, to share her knowledge, follow her at:

http://ifyourfoodcouldtalk.blogspot.com/


(PS you can ask her questions about nutrition and leave her comments as well)

Hope to see you all on my new blog...

Thanks for following!!

Love, Cat

Viva Las Vegas!

(pictured me on the far right, my first week at Fitness Ridge)

This is my last blog entry for my Countdown to Biggest Loser Resort.  The only one that will follow will be my new link to my new blog that continues my healthy journey.  Working on the new name for my blog, any suggestions will be greatly appreciated?  We all don't get to go to the Biggest Loser Resort, and those that did still have to continue what they learned when they get home.  I hope to have my new blog guide me and those that want to follow through the perils of my persistence to good health.

I arrived in Las Vegas around 5:30pm on Friday night, greeted by my two sisters, two nieces and my mom.  All their jaws dropped when I jumped off the shuttle.  It is funny because when you are at Fitness Ridge the room mirrors are only from the sink up, and the gym mirrors are a little distorted so you really have no idea what you look like.  The camera shots for the most part make you look bigger than you really are.  The revelation comes when you stand in front of an "honest mirror".  As posted earlier I went shopping and was tearfully surprised to see my much smaller body.  So when I arrived in Las Vegas, mirrors suddenly were my best friend instead of my worst enemy.

I was super excited to start my night with a cup of coffee.  It wasn't as good as Starbucks or my coffee at home, but it was delightful either way.  I ended up getting a suite with 2 queen beds at the Pallazo hotel connected to the Venetian Hotel.  We all fit comfortably in the room.  It was a little scary joining the real world and all it's temptations once again.  My sister Terry brought me a bottle of wine and we all drank to my great success.  Apart of me wasn't worried about the wine or the dinner I would be having.

Dinner was a hodge podge of appetizers.  We had chicken lettuce wraps, Ahi Tuna and vegetable rolls.  Everything was low in fat and processed carbs.  I had a modest amount, as one thing I really am taking home from Fitness Ridge is the portion sizes.  Dinner was super enjoyable!  There is a lot to be said about eating food that is good for you, because it makes you happy!  I bought a book that has that quote in it and it really is true.  You know the food is good for your body, there is no guilt - only pride that you are doing right for your body.

I hit $500.00 on a slot machine in about 5 minutes while waiting for my mom to use a restroom.  We went to a shop and I fell in love with a denim jacket, and bought it with my winnings.  It is cute and "small" and I looked good in it!  More rewards for my weight loss!

We woke up on Saturday and I said I wanted to go to the gym and workout.  My nieces wanted to lounge by the pool.  My sister Clare stayed with my nieces while my mom and sister Terry went to the gym and worked out.  They have a 40 foot rock wall, and for the first time in my life I felt I could do it!  So I booked a climb and got it done!  It was a challenge but I succeeded straight to the top with ZERO FEAR!




































We ate both breakfast and lunch in the spa area of the Venetian, where breakfast was oatmeal and lunch was Quinoa salad and hummus.  I was in heaven being there all day and having all the right foods at my disposal.


At dinner time we headed another casino where I had Ahi tuna with wasabi mashed potatoes.  I didn't finish anything on my plate but the asparagus.   I once again used portion control. Following dinner my family dropped me off at the airport where I reflected on an awesome 24 hours in Las Vegas.  I was confident about going home and weighing in on my own scale.

I weighed in at home and since my first blog entry in January I have lost a total of 30.5 pounds.  I have lost 4 pant sizes.  And will be going through my closet because I don't fit in 90% of the clothes in there anymore.  My husband says I have never looked better and thinks I am a perfect weight.  I on the other hand know I want to lose another 20 pounds or so I am ready to venture forward on this new path to continued weight loss followed by maintenance.

Day 27 Fitness Ridge - Final Day

Today has been a bittersweet day for me.  I say goodbye to what has become normality for me.  I have spent 27 days eating a fixed meal 3 times a day.  I have worked out numerous hours for days on end.  I have been on 23 hikes and met numerous people who I will forever call my friends.  I have become a slave to exercise and am the happier for it.

When I say I will miss Fitness Ridge, it is an understatement.  It is a home away from home, and I will be forever grateful for all that I have learned, all the kindness I have been shown, and all the love from the many guest that I have had the pleasure to spend time with.

I started my day with my test out, which is meeting with a trainer and getting weighed and measured.  I knew before I came here that I had lost near 20 pounds and I had been eating right and working out for almost 3 months.  I didn’t expect magic numbers that happen when you first start a new regimen because I had been on a healthy program for awhile.  I had hoped to lose at least 10 pounds, but more importantly I hoped for muscle gain.  Marjorie did my test out at 7:00am and my dear friend, Teresa came with me for moral support.  As I stepped on the scale I watched my number as it climbed and finally came to rest giving me a 12 pound weight loss.  That followed my measurements which totaled a 16 inch decrease.  4 inches had melted away from just my waistline, 3 inches from both my hips and chest, and an inch off each calf,  And those arms I have documented as hating,  lost 2 inches per arm. Those 16 inches are just from the body parts they measured.  And I can’t forget that I am proudly wearing a size smaller jean. 

I brought my adopted daughter, Ivy some items I wouldn’t be needing at home, such as my over the door storage and many aches and pains items.  I also gave her a birthday card and present.  She was adorned with gifts from the many guest that have fallen in love with her in the past month.  I will truly miss her, however she comes to the NYC area a lot so we will see each other again.  I plan on seeing many of my new friends again, and will continue to stay in touch with the beauty of the internet.

I am writing my last day blog entry on my St George Executive Shuttle as it drives me to the Las Vegas Airport.  I will be meeting my sisters and my mom in Las Vegas where we will enjoy a 24 hour visit in Las Vegas.  Saturday night I will join the skies for my 5 hour plane ride back to Newark and to my life and family.  I am super excited to be heading back to my family, friends and dogs.

I left Fitness Ridge a day early because of the Ironman, there were concerns with getting to the airport on time.  I am disappointed I couldn’t stay since all the Fitness Ridge guest will participate in a 10K that day along with many of the Biggest Loser Contestants.  I may be missing that race, but I plan on getting on board many races and walks at home.

 I will post my night and day in Las Vegas as my final blog entry for Fitness Ridge, as the journey does not end at Fitness Ridge.  And as I  continue my journey to the new improved me I will start a new blog related to my continued success.  Feel free to comment with blog name ideas for the new blog!  I hope you have enjoyed reading about my experiences and look forward to those who join me on my new blog that will continue my journey to great health!

PS My last post will have my before and after pix!!