24 August 2010

I Submitted MY Story

I saw this blog post and decided that I needed to send in my story. There is also a chance to win some Body Pump workout clothes so that is a major bonus!
Thought I would share what I sent in with you. Let me know what you think!



How BodyPump has changed me:

When I joined the gym and started taking classes I didn't actually believe that I could make changes to my body that would be visible. I mean, I had been overweight my entire life! I weighed 186 lbs in the 5th grade and was over 200 lbs by the 7th grade. I had not weighed less than 200 lbs since. I actually started out taking only Body Step. When I finally got to where I could keep up (with just the step, no risers and low impact options), I decided to add other classes. Next, I tried Body Attack and fell in love with that instructor. She believed that I could do it way more than I believed that I could do it. Then I found out that she also taught Body Pump, so I got brave and tried that class. I fell in love with Body Pump. I could do it, I could keep up, AND I was finally seeing real changes in my body. I was taking Body Pump twice a week and eventually moved up to three times per week. I was challenging myself and started working to increase the weight that I was putting on my bar. I made up my mind that I would increase my bar weight in at least one track per week and no matter what, I would stick with that weight and keep getting stronger. A year later I had dropped a grand total of 80 lbs from my body and I was out lifting almost every Body Pump instructor at the gym! Then everyone started saying that I should become an instructor. See, I had started challenging the people around me. I was encouraging them and I was bringing friends. That Body Attack / Body Pump instructor that first believed in me was still pushing me and challenging me. She finally approached me and encouraged me to sign up for her next Body Pump training. (She is Jaime Maddox, Body Pump Master Trainer). So, I decided that IF she believed that I could complete the training then I would believe it too. I attended training in January of this year and trained on Body Pump 72. I am now a Body Pump instructor at the same gym where less than 3 years ago I was in the back corner trying to blend in with the wall. Oh and since I am teaching now, I could really use some of the new Body Pump clothes!!! Thanks for giving me the chance to share my story.

Also, here is a blog post I wrote about my Body Pump training experience:http://daviddickeyfamily.blogspot.com/2010/01/stronger.html

I was also featured in the local paper back before I went to training:http://daviddickeyfamily.blogspot.com/2010/01/me-featured.html

What do you think?

I probably could have written my story better but I basically waited until the last minute to submit my story. Sigh. That is the story of my life...
Cross your fingers that I win the drawing!
What do you think? Is there something that has had lasting effects on your life like Body Pump has changed mine?

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12 August 2010

Mockingjay

I've mentioned before that I enjoy reading, particularly fiction. The part that I enjoy is escaping to another time and place far far away from the stress in my reality. Getting the gift of a Nook has even increased this love of reading for me. Now I can fall asleep reading and I don't have to figure out where I left off because my Nook just goes to sleep too. I also don't have to worry about a certain little someone that likes to pull my bookmark out of my book and bring it to me
with a very proud look on his face and say, "Mommy, I found this for you, it was lost in that book over there."

Anyway, my favorite series this summer has been the Hunger Games trilogy (well the first two anyway, the third comes out later this month). It is a series by Suzanne Collins that is published by Scholastic. I happened to notice that there was a Hunger Games Official page on Facebook, so I Liked it and have been following blogs and discussions. They are even doing a district tour around 13 blogs, all with fabulous prizes up for grabs. Just the other day I got an email that I had won a Mockingjay pin and a copy of Catching Fire. I think my odds are good because this is a series for "youth" and most of the sites require you to be over 18 to enter to win. Yeah me.


So, if you haven't read the Hunger Games yet then you need to. If you have read it then I'm curious, who is your favorite character?

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