Great Work out and new swimsuit!

Did my final 'free' personal training session today. I used my LTBucks to join a T.E.A.M. class that was doing a treadmill routine that focuses on keeping you in heartrate zones 2&3 (fat burning zones). It was a really good workout! I was sweating a ton and the ladies in the class were all very nice and welcoming even though I was joining their 'group' for only one class. We could choose our own speed (in order to keep us in zones 2 and 3, but the trainer told us when to change our incline from 4-15 and also told us when to do weights or bands with our arms as we were walking. It was a really good workout and I wanted to do it so I could copy it at home on my own treadmill :) After class I did some of the machines that Treasa had showed me how to use. It was a little weird NOT doing a group fitness class while I was there, but that's ok. That's what I am trying to do, broaden my workouts and workout more effectively not just more exhaustedly. I am really hoping this pays off, because as I've said, I really don't want to be jumping around for the next 20 years, I would love to learn some new lower impact things that keep me in shape and keep me motivated and working out.  It was a good day.
Then it became even better when my package arrived from Land's End with a new swimsuit in it. I have been looking for the past year for suits that aren't matronly, but aren't showing cleavage. I don't even have big boobs, and even with my small cleavage I feel when I am around men other than my husband that there is too much showing (only stuff my hubby should see). I don't care if other mom's see it, I just don't like other men to see it. And I admit, I wear triangle top string bikinis when I am home at our own pool with no male guests almost all the time, because it allows me to get a fuller coverage tan and then when I wear a more concealing suit there are no untanned areas peaking out.  I also like bottoms that cover my cheekers! Which is impossible if you buy a suit intended for a 'junior', they all seem to be cut with the intention of letting cheeks peek out. ugh. Anyway, I have a booty, and I'm a mom, and I just don't like cheeks hanging out on anyone(I don't care how old u are! and on that topic I can't stand the new fad of wearing suits so small that not only your cheeks hang out , but your butt crack is intentionally showing too! gross! Kim Kardashian, this is NOT attractive!!!!)  Anyway, so I am always looking for good bottoms that cover and fit the hips of a WOMAN , not a 17 yr old who hasn't had kids yet! A few years ago I fell in love with Tommy Hilfiger suits because their bottoms did this (tops still show a bit too much cleavage for me, but I have several anyway). Well, this year when I went to buy some new ones I realized they must have changed the styling on the bottoms because they weren't as full coverage as before :(   I don't like spending a lot of money on swimsuits, in fact I usually buy at the outlet mall out of season and get each piece for between $5 and $10. But I was having such difficulting finding the coverage I wanted, that I ventured into online swimsuit shopping (scary! since u can't try it on!!!)   Land's End has a good return policy that u can return to a local Sears store and not have to pay return shipping. They were recently running a special of $20 off plus free shipping, so I ordered some stuff to give it a try, knowing if it doesn't work out I can return it for free (love Zappos this way, but they don't carry Land's End  and usually don't have much in the line of sales, although I did order about 20 pieces of swimwear recently from them and returned all of them, blah!)
So I see this suit in Land's End that is on sale and it has full coverage bottom AND a top that has a few inches of fabric between the band on the top and the cups. I've realized that if most tops just connected the fabric at this middle point it would cut out the cleavage I am trying to conceal. I was excited to see the style and I liked the pattern, plus it has some little nautical ties that make it cute.  I LOVE IT! Here is a picture, because even though I don't look perfect in it, I am super happy with it and the fit! It achieves my goal so I am willing to share my picture(even though I'm working on losing 10 pounds still) I am even posting the not super flattering rear shot (really HOW flattering can a behind picture be when you've got junk in the trunk like me? ;) ha ha, but I'm ok with showing you, because I think this suit is great and good enough to wear in front of  men besides my hubby and not feel weird.  Plus I think the top is secure enough to do water sports and not run the risk of readjusting or slipping out.  Great suit! Loved it so much I went back on line tonight to try to buy it in more colors, but sadly they are out. Hopefully they will carry this same cut, in new prints/colors next year :) fingers crossed!

5 pounds down, 4 days in

I have tried something new that my friend is using and selling. It's called Plexus Slim. Its not a cleanse, a meal replacement shake, or a diet per se. Its a supplement you take once a day before a meal. It tastes great (u mix it with water), and it is made of all natural ingredients. It gives u more energy (although I don't really notice that) and it curbs your appetite and cravings (I DO notice that!)  In fact, I started it Sunday morning, and its only Wed night and I am already down 5 pounds! My husband is taking it too and only down 2 or 3 , so he is complaining that my weight is yo-yo 'ish. Hey, if its going down, and quickly(!) I'm not complaining! I feel good and no bad side effects, so its interesting. If you want some let me know and I'll give u the website and my friend's code to put in when u order it. Its about $100 for a 30day supply. I am looking forward to seeing how well and how long this works.
Although on a similar note (weight), I will always admit that I was never comfortable wearing those black stretchy workout pants that so many people wear, until about a year ago when I decided that 'you know what, almost no one looks perfect in those things so I can quit being so hard on myself and just wear them anyway even though I don't thing I look perfect in them, no one else does either!'  So today, when I put them on I was reminded again by the mirror that my thighs touch in the middle and I don't like that....well, while at the gym today I noticed  every lady I looked at who was wearing them (even trainers) had the same issue (thighs get wider right there in the middle of your legs). So maybe its not really a huge issue. Maybe its just being a woman (not a 19 year old teenager, because let's face it, lots of them don't have that issue).  Oh well, I will take what I can get and be happy with it no matter what. It sort of stinks that the aging process is beginning to show more sagging and cellulite, but what can you really do? you can't get younger!!!!!


I guess I sort of rabbit-trailed there for a minute, I will keep u posted on the Plexus Slim.

I am not a stalker... I Promise!

So as you probably know, I am a big fan of the Biggest Loser. We watch it every week as a family, and we use it to try to teach our kids that our bodies need to be healthy on the inside too. Eating bad stuff not only adds fat, but hurts our heart, arteries, blood sugar (diabetes), etc. So you can imagine how excited we were last season when TWO of the contestants were from our town/area. Even more exciting as the season progressed was that one of those contestants became the winner (Danny Cahill).
Now I'm not a stalker, and I've even seen celebrities or psuedo-celebrities in person before (usually at the airport), like David Spade and Mrs. Bonatucci (that might not be her name, right now I can't remember it. She was the wife of the New Jersey body shop owner who had an affair with a teen girl, who then came to their house and shot his wife in the face-tabloid lore from about 15 years ago). Anyway, when seeing these people, I didn't feel the need to say hi, or get their autograph or picture or but into their lives in any way.
However... with the BL, we followed them every week and rooted for them, and sort of felt a "connection" just because they live in the vicinity. Plus our class at the gym would always discuss the episodes and root for him. Soooo, when I saw him, I just HAD to MEET him. Now I have to admit... I was hoping to someday actually meet him, but I thought it would be at a different gym that he supposedly normally goes to. My friend goes there, and I figured I'd need to do a "guest pass visit" and hopefully get to meet him. And of course get my picture taken with him too :) Every time I see this friend I ask her "so, did ya see him yet? Did you say hi? did you tell him about your weight loss journey(hers is incredible too, and she did it all on her own-over 100 pounds!)" , and every time she'd say "no , I haven't seen him".
I'm a bit of a fanatic I guess.
So imagine my surprise when today I was on the AMT before class just chugging away watching my little tv with my earphones in, when I realize Danny Cahill is standing not 2 feet from me talking to his wife! That's right! Danny Cahill at MY gym! I didn't even have to visit that fancy expensive gym to get to meet him in person! ha ha. So this is how it happened...
I'm almost done with my program so I take off my earphones and turn off the tv and my eyes just start wandering around the room for the last minute or so, when I realize that the guy standing not 2 feet away from me is Danny Cahill! I take a second look, and start to doubt myself. "Maybe that's not really him, maybe its just someone similar, boy would I be a fool to say something and then it NOT be him!" But I look at the woman one machine over from me(her friend was on the machine next to me) and I realize, "YES indeed THAT IS his wife, so that HAS to be Danny!" Silly as this is, I start getting nervous. I want to talk to him, but what do u really say? There is so much I want to say, but I don't want to be a freak! lol After all our discussions in class, I really want them to come to our classes and work out with our group so we can all get our butts kicked together by our version of Jillian, Shelly-Core! But how do you tell someone "yea, I want to work out with you so I can see you sweat as I sweat and then I'll somehow feel like I've gotten a "last chance workout" in with you" ????
Its really not normal is it? lol
So anyway, I DO, interrupt their conversation, and very quickly I say that I just realized who they were, and I'm so excited to meet them, and my kids and everyone rooted for them "Go BA", and so excited about what they've accomplished". He thanks me and shakes my hand, and I leave as non-chalantly as possible (is that even possible?)
And why on earth is NO ONE ELSE molesting them like I did???!!!! Am I the only crazy one here? Is that why they came to this gym, to get away from the weirdos at their old gym? Did I just run them off from our gym with my silly exuberance?
I hope not. I think it would be really cool if they became regulars there and actually took the same classes I did. Because quite honestly, (I'm competitive-surprise, surprise!), and I want to see if I can keep up or work out harder than someone who has survived the wringer of Jillian and Bob. Yes, its true, and now I've said it out loud. I want to see if I'm as tough as him.
So please, Danny, if you ever read this (yea right lol) come to Shelley's classes so we can all workout together! LOL :)

Oh by the way, I didn't have my camera with me (Darn, Darn, Darn!), so I have no physical proof of this encounter, but I really wish I did! Ooohhhh I so wanted a picture of me and Danny Cahill, or Me and Jillian-that would be even better! (Although I'd probably look like a freakish amazon next to her because I hear she is just incredibly tiny tiny tiny).