Mary W.

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So I have utilized my personal fitness training and nutrition information from weight loss surgery to pursue a profession in Personal Training.  I have been studying  for my National Academy of Sports Medicine certification.  I chose that certification because it is the most widely accepted...and for good reason.  You REALLY NEED TO KNOW YOUR STUFF to pass this test!  I couldn't believe how challenging the test was.  But the important part is not the test, but learning the excellent information NASM provides in their study material.  I haven't had any reconstructive surgery  (and choose not to).  And although I was considered a lighter-weight, weight loss surgery person, I have alot of excess skin.  So, I don't expect to ever looked "ripped" as they say in the personal training profession.  But my experience with becoming physically fit, because of my weight loss surgery, has been INVALUABLE.  I know nutrition, I know documentation of nutrition, exercise, etc. and I really know personal training because of my studies and my personal trainer who helped me through my whole weight loss surgery experience both before and for 3 years after.  Personally, I can eat bad stuff and good stuff....but for me....the exercise makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE both physically AND MENTALLY.  Hope this will help those of you who are really serious about becoming the person you can be.

No updates worth providing.   Put still POSITIVE!

I suffer from an anxiety disorder and want so much to conquer it.  So I decided to undertake a ballroom dance on a major stage in Detroit.  Its called Music Hall.  Fred Astaire sponsored the event and we were the stars.  OMG!  I can't tell you how stressful the preparation for the dance was.  Training was vigorous.  There wasn't anyone that didn't have a brace on while training..  The rehearsal at Music Hall left me, literally, shaking.  I was shaking for hours after the rehearsal.  Many of the students felt the same.  Then, the main even came.  400+ people in the audience.  OMG!!!  OMG!!  I had a performance that included 3 lifts and 2 splits to Conga by Gloria Estafan.  Let me tell you something about that song....its incredibly fast!  My dance number was so difficult!  However, I was determined to make the best of it.  I didn't want to not remember anything about my performance after I was done.  I wanted to take it all in while I was performing!  I heard the cheers.  HUGE cheers...most likely my family!  But other performers mentioned the big cheers I got.  I fell apart afterwards.  The stress drained from me and the high intensity of the emotions got the better of me on the way home.  It wasn't pleasant.   But I did it anyway and became a star for a night on a stage that only famous people appear on.  I feel special for that. 

I have to wait to post more news.  sorry if you are following me. 

Yeppers.  I am now "dancing with the stars".  I am associated with a dance studio that is ASSOCIATED WITH DANCING WITH THE STARS.  I am actually practicing a dance that was choreographed by a "Dancing with the Stars" choreographer.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE  the exercise, but am very nervous about the attention.  The great thing is that I am doing all the gymnastics that I did 30 years ago as a cheerleader!    How many women at 50 can say that?  Like my personal trainer, Peggy, always tells me...your "muscles have memory".  SO TRUE.  Its like I haven't aged.  I can do the splits, and do all kinds of athletic performances with my dance partner at Fred Astaire Studio. 

Time to update, huh?  Well, I have had some challenges since my last post, to say the least.  I am now on medical leave from work due to an anxiety and stress disorder.  But I am working on it, and have had successes in doing so. 

But the WOW moments keep happening!  One thing I have not stopped is my physical fitness training.  As a result, I am one of the people involved in a fashion show at the Novi Rock Financial Expo Center in November.  The theme of the Expo is Fat to Fit.  I've purchased my fitness clothing for the show on Saturday, and plan on doing my splits and possibly a backbend--with a kickback if I can get that far.  For Sunday's show, I think I will wear my 1977 prom dress.  It was custom made and is a classic style...so it doesn't look out of date.  Of course, the splits and/or backbend will be out of the question wearing that on Sunday.  LOL. 

I should probably change my avatar because for the first time in my life, I have short hair.  It was so hard for me to "go there", but I had lost so much hair, I just couldn't keep up with the long style.  So I saw a Victoria Beckham (Posh Spice) haircut that I really liked, and went for it.  My hair stylist was very enthused and it turned out beautiful.  I've had so many compliments! 

I've stayed pretty consistent with my weight.  I've been ranging between 129 and 136 here and there.  When I have a particulary stressful week I can drop 6 pounds in that week.  Stress can really play devil's advocate on my weight.  But to me, its not about pounds, as you well know from my Intro.  Its about body fat percentage and muscle mass.  For some reason, that seems to fluctuate ALOT.  I'm thinking I'm not eating enough protein.  So I pump up the protein and BAM! ... the percentages change in one week's time.  I stay within a size 4 and a size 6 (I have alot of muscle mass due to my Sicilian heritage). 

My surgeon, Dr. Mark Pleatman and his whole office have been a God-send.  My personal trainer, Peggy Staycoff, is now my best friend.  She is truly a total Life Coach. 

Oh...and I had another WOW moment over the summer.  My husband and I went to a concert and were walking to our vehicle, and a group of guys were "hooting and hollaring" to me (and I don't wear "suggestive clothing---I tend to be fairly conservative).  Then on that same journey to the vehicle, another group of guys yelled to my husband, "Dude!  You rule!".  Of course they were a bunch of drunk younger guys, but it was nice to hear (taken with a grain of salt). 

So wish me luck on my fashion show adventure, cuz with anxiety and stress I may be walking out there shaking like a moth in a spider web. 

DATE	TIME	WEIGHT	BODY FAT %	BODY Water %	MUSCLE MASS	BMR	BONE MASS	Metabolic Age
3/2/2007*		217.8
9-Mar	4:05 PM	213.6	49.9	36.2	101.8	1545	5.4	50+
3/11/2007	6:00 pm DST	212	48.7	37	103.2	1556	5.6	50+
3/20/2007		207.6	45.8	39	106.8	1587	5.6	50+
3/23/2007	12:30 PM	204.6	47.6	37.7	101.8	1527	5.4	50+
3/29/2007	7:45 AM	202.8	47			1526		50+
4/7/2007	9:00 AM	199.2	47.8	37.5	98.8	1485	5.2	50+
4/13/2007	8:00 AM	196.6	46.5	38.3	99.8	1492	5.4	50+
4/20/2007	8:25 AM	196.4	44.2	39.9	104	1537	5.6	50+
4/27/2007	12:00 PM	190.2	45.4	38.9	98.6	1468	5.2	50+
5/18/2007	7:00 AM	182	43.5	40.2	97.8	1445	5.2	50+
5/25/2007	8:00 AM	178.4	43.3	40.2	96	1420	5.2	50+
6/6/2007	12 noon	174.6	42.4	40.8	95.6	1412	5.2	50+
7/2/2007	1:00 PM	168	38.5	45	103.5	1453		50+
8/4/2007	8:00 AM	156.8	39.3	42.5	90.4	1325	4.8	50+
10/1/2007	3:00 PM	147	28.9		104.5			50+
11/1/2007	3:00 PM	139	28.8		99.1			40
12/15/2007	8:00 AM	136.4	28.8	49.3	92.4	1310	5	33
1/9/2008	12:00 PM	133.2	27.6	50	91.4	1296	4.8	30
1/17/2008	7:00 AM	130.2	26.7	50.5	90.6	1281	4.8	28
1/23/2008		129.2	26.1	50.9	90.6	1280	4.8	27
2/8/2008	9:30 AM	134	25.9	51.2	94.2	1326	5	27

*Highest weight was 234 (lost 17 prior to surgery).  Highest body fat percentage was 52%

	2-Mar	13-Apr	29-May	29-Jun	20-Aug	1-Oct	1-Nov	18-Jan
Neck	15.50	14.25	13.00	13.00	12.75	12.75	12.50	12.00
chest	48.00	47.50	41.00	40.00	38.00		35.75	35.00
Waist	46.00	41.00	34.50	33.75	32.00	29.50	29.00	28.00
Hips	55.00	49.50	43.50	42.50	40.50	38.00	38.75	36.50
Biceps	17.25	15.50	14.00	13.00	12.25		11.75	11.00
Thighs	32.00	29.00	23.75	24.75	24.00		22.50	21.50
Calves	19.50	18.50	17.25	16.50	16.00		15.50	15.00
forearm		9.50	10.50	10.00			9.25	9.00
ankle				9.50	9.00		9.00	9.00

Being the cover story of Health & Leisure has surely been my most wonderful WOW moment so far.  Check out the magazine at http://www.healthandliesureonline.com

I had my photo shoot with Health & Leisure magazine today. www.healthandleisureonline.com.  

They took pictures of me at my personal trainer's (Peggy Staycoff) fitness studio at her house.  [email protected].  We took several pictures in my workout clothes in the fitness studio, then I changed clothes into something more dressy and took some more pictures from her formal living room.  Peggy has a beautiful home, and the cathedral ceiling with floor to ceiling windows in the living room was beautiful.  I am so thankful to Peggy for suggesting that we do the photo shoot there.  I felt like a star, but felt a little uncomfortable.  I would have liked some more specific direction on posing because I am not used to having my picture taken and what posing looks good for me and what doesn't.  They showed me the pictures before the shoot ended and they looked pretty good.  There were alot of problems with lighting/shadows.  Some of the best looking pictures of me had shadows so won't be able to be used.  

I also found out that I will be ON THE COVER!!!  I am so excited.  Its really something I would have never imagined for myself.  Although, if I think back in my life, this kind of thing does happen to me from time to time.  

They said the issue will be released sometime at the end of January, around the 27th.  It is distributed in many locations in Southeast Michigan, but can also be downloaded from the web site in PDF format.  

They provided me with a couple of previous issues.  I have to say that I am really impressed with the information in the magazine.  I will be sure to keep reading it.  There are ALOT of very good articles. 

I also weighed myself prior to leaving for the photo shoot.  I was shocked to see that I had lost 4 pounds in the last week.  I had been under the weather, so maybe that contributed to it.  I now weigh 129 and am at 26 percent body fat.  My goal is to get to 25 percent body fat.  My doctor told me he didn't think I would be able to get that low because of excess skin and having a larger bust size.  Well, I guess he wasn't correct in his assumption.  Additionally, my surgeon told me that the ideal body weight for someone 5' 2" is 126.  Of course, that doesn't take into account age or muscle mass.  

Since I wasn't feeling well last week, I wasn't able to work out.  Consequently, I also lost a pound of muscle mass.  I gotta pump it up to get my muscle mass back up there.  Peggy, my trainer, said she is going to adjust my workouts to get my muscle mass back up.  At one point it was at 103 pounds.