Cam's New Lease on Life Journal (comments welcome!)

[keenercam]

Thank you so much, Beth and Tracy. I really really appreciate your support. You guys are amazing. I have been missing you both so much and will really look forward to catching up with everyone next week.
Love and hugs, guys!

 

[DisDon]

Hi Cam, wow, tough stuff! Here's a and some and and

 

[keenercam]

Thank you, Don! I feel very out of touch with a lot of my WISH buddies. When I get back on line next week, I want to find out all about your first trip to WDW a few weeks ago. Thanks for all the good wishes! :

 

[Blueeyes101817]

Cam-
I am so sorry to hear about all of the medical issues goign on with your family--you guys definitely have my prayers!
As for the half-i cannot wait to see pictures of that donald medal that you WILL get!!!!! You have done a great job and i cant wait to hear about..Tracy said shes rooting from ohio and you got me in jersey!
you can do it!!!!!!

 

[toystoryduo]

Howdy Cam!

Looking forward to hearing about your marathon experience! Did you hear me cheering you on from Ohio? Do we get to see the Donald "bling"?

Have a great weekend, Cam!

 

[gradtchr]

I hope you had a great race and can't wait to hear all about it!

 

[keenercam]

Hi, everyone! Thank you so much Tracey and Jen & gradtchr for your support! I felt the positve vibes all the way in Orlando! Can I just say I had absolutely the most amazing and rewarding experience of my life? I have never "trained" for something and followed it through to the end. The support I received here on the WISH board carried me through beyond the finish line. I did a bit of a summary on the 1/2 marathon results thread. Here it is:

WOW! Where to start? Certainly not in a cold EPCOT parking lot at 3:45 a.m. on 1/7/06. The journey started about 50 weeks before that and while I'd love to tell you all in great detail just how much the year meant to me, I'll condense it to say I would not have made it through this year without all of you.

I had thought that your support and advice would bring me to the START and it would be up to me to get myself to the finish. But the reality was so greatly different from that. You were all with me for what my Garmin said was 13.24 miles, in my heart and in my head. I thought of your advice and the joy I'd get to share with you when I finished without being swept. And you were right there on the course with me -- Honeibee was tracking my results and I could imagine her smile. Seeing Lily and her son on the course for the last several miles, enjoying the journey, taking pictures at mile markers and being just so wonderfully upbeat and joyous. . . Seeing many other WISHers in their green shirts, including baloou and others. Most of all, I had the unbelievable pleasure of sharing the day with akasleepingbeauty (Rhonda). What a sweetheart! We had so much fun -- I can't begin to tell you. But you should see our grins in the pictures!

There were so many highlights to the weekend that I can't think of where to begin -- we met John Bingham and Jenny Hadfield as they left the Expo Hall on Friday. With Howard's help, I had the courage to catch up with them to just say thanks for "MfM" -- I said I'd had heart surgery a year before and the 1/2 was my celebration and they hugged me and congratulated me and autographed my stuffed penguin. When they heard what Howard was going through they were so wonderfully supportive and encouraging. They autographed our MfM book, too, and we all shared hugs and (my) tears before they went on their way.

Meeting the WISHers at TE was so exciting! It would have been great if we could have all grouped our tables together but as Lisa mentioned I think the management barely tolerated our presence.

Another amazing moment in the weekend was when Craig (Calcio) spotted us in front of Beach Club and doubled back to give hugs and congratulations! Seriously, it was amazing to be congratulated by someone who was doing the Goofy. Kind of like hugging Lily on Sunday morning at breakfast.

I was so excited to be there Sunday cheering on all of the marathoners. The people around us came and went, but we were having such a great time and we stayed in place for almost 2 hours and 45 minutes. Howard called out names as he read them on the bibs, so that we could cheer for friends and strangers alike. I am so glad that Craig spotted us because I almost missed him! I never had any doubt you'd make it, Craig, but I was so relieved as I saw each of our WISHers go past. I am soooo impressed by all of our WISHers who set out to accomplish whatever their personal goal was and went out and did it.

As for me? Here are my results:
Start time 6:14:29 a.m. (yes, it took us nearly 15 minutes to get to the START line)
10 mile – 2:44:28 (we spent so much time weaving in and out of walkers!)
Finish – 3:21:59 (way ahead of the sweepers!)
Pace 15:24 (looking forward to some serious improvement this year! )

I am so glad we all shared this experience -- Special thanks to Judy and Liz --you guys are just awesome and I can't wait to share this experience in person in 2007!

There is so much more to tell, including the pure joy of walking around the parks with a Donald medal on and being congratulated by CMs, people with no medals, Donald's, Mickey's and Goofy's. Do you know how surreal it is to be congratulated by someone wearing a Mickey or Goofy? Just that bit of acknowledgment by someone who went even further (not to say anything of the Donald's who likely went faster) was like a happy pill. I felt like I was lit up from inside. Words do not suffice.

So, today I am back to my regular life, sitting at a desk, WISHing I could surround myself with the likes of you who all understand what it was like and what it is like now. My Donald is sitting next to my phone at my right elbow. I look at him every once in a while and I imagine there is a big, random grin that just appears suddenly on my face. I am still basking in the pleasure of the moments. And looking forward to 2007.

I am happy to be back and though I've heard of the post-race depression and all of that, I am hoping that having more events to look forward to will keep me motivated and upbeat. The most important thing is that I really, really need to get my eating under control again. The past couple of months have been so difficult in many ways and I've eaten too much in moments of stress and moments of celebration. Now it is time to have food be fuel again. I need to take off the 7 pounds I have gained in the past few months and get back on the losing track instead of yo-yoing. But I know I can definitely do it and I am motivated to continue to get in shape. I was very excited to see that I looked less like Jabba the Hud in pictures from this trip. I have some definite trouble spots on my body and will become more focused in the coming months on doing targeted exercises to improve those areas.

On a positive food note, I will confess (with a huge smile on my face) that I ate everything and anything I wanted on this trip and promised myself no guilt about it. That being said, I know that the food was not necessary to having a fun trip and I know that I could just have easily made better choices. There were times that I did make good choices, but mostly, I ate what I wanted and committed to being back on track this morning.
Here are the food highlights of the weekend:
Thursday --
Ghirardelli small dark hot fudge sundae
Olivia's -- crab cake and conch fritters
O'Hana's for dinner

Friday -- turkey on bagel for breakfast; chocolate croissant at Main Street Bakery for treat
Trails End for dinner (ate very light -- one piece of turkey, bites of orn&stuffing, clam chowder. Didn't want to overdo the night before the race)

Saturday -- bagel w/turkey & 1/2 banana before race; oranges, banana cake, powerade, banana after race
lunch -- fish & chips at England in Epcot
dinner -- maple glazed salmon & maple creme brulee at LeCellier in Epcot

Sunday
Brunch -- 1/2 of double cheeseburger & onion rings at Beaches & Cream; angel food cake
Cape May Buffet for dinner
Pamelia's Punch (alcoholic drink) at Adventurers Club

Monday
Boardwalk Bakery for breakfast -- ham,egg & cheese on english muffin; fruit bowl
Lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern -- field greens salad & delicious turkey panini sandwich
snacking on chex mix at airport
pierogies at 11:15 pm on arrival home, starving

No wonder I gained almost 2 pounds!

I am back on track now. Started a 100 day challenge. Will begin training in less than 2 weeks for the Minnie 15K in May.

 

[toystoryduo]

Cam,

Sweetie, you have accomplished so much in the past year. I am so very proud of you! Your success last weekend and your post has me crying happy tears....

I know without a shadow of a doubt that you CAN accomplish anything you put your mind to, Cam! You are an amazing woman!

I know that the past year has been difficult.... Please be sure and look at that Donald medal everyday and remind yourself of what a strong and courageous person you are. YOU DID IT CAM!!!!! I am so, so proud of you!

I pray that this marathon is the start to an amazingly blessed 2006 for you and your family, Cam! Take good care of you!

 

[goldcupmom]

Cam, I'm so inspired by your 1/2. YOu have just done an incredible job this year.

I hope all is going better for your family. You're all in my prayers. Hopefully I'll get to see you next January for the 1/2.

 

[keenercam]

Thank you so much, Tracy and Julie. I appreciate your support and encouragement and joy in my success so much. It feels really good to share it with you guys, since I could not have made it this far without you.

I am thrilled that I have been on plan for 2 full days and have seen a very significant drop on the scale since Tuesday morning. That is so weird for me but I think I was bloated, etc. from the weekend. I was so bummed when I stepped on the scale and saw I was into the next "decade". I am thrilled to see my final numbers this morning being --6.5. Thank you, God! I am hoping to stay on track now as I train for the Minnie marathon weekend (9.3 miles) in May. Having that to look forward to will be a great motivator.

I was stunned to see pictures of me and Howard from this weekend. I don't even look like the same person I was in the July 04 or March 05 pix from WDW. Except for my fat calves and my big droopy tummy, I could actually stand to look at my pictures. My face wasn't so moon shaped and my eyes didn't disappear into my fat cheeks when I smiled. And believe me, I was smiling HUGE!!! What a great reward for the hard work this year. Even if I was truly good only 50% of the days, the results are so reassuring. The pictures of me with my Donald medal really tell the story. Look at what I have accomplished -- weight-wise AND fitness-wise.

I could not have made it this far on my very long journey without the support of my WISH friends here. I am going to be so diligent about journaling again and about journaling every single bite in my WW journal. I have 15 weeks before the Minnie. I'd LOVE to lose another 15 pounds by then, but would be satisfied with 10. So, here I go.

Food yesterday:
B: 2 sl whole wheat toast (dry) (2); hard boiled egg (2); coffee w/cream (throughout day) (2)
S: fruit & nut bar (3)
L: garden salad w/croutons & 1 hard boiled egg (4)
S: pretzel crisps (2)
D: 2 morningstar farms corn dogs & corn (7)
S: 6 RF wheat thins w/.5 oz cheddar; 1 hershey's kiss (3)

AP -- walking to and from court lugging heavy briefcase (1)


Today:
B: 2 sl whole wheat toast & hard boiled egg white only (2); coffee w/lite creamer (througout day) (2)

 

[keenercam]

Good thing I didn't have a big breakfast and I plan to have almost no dinner (maybe a green salad w/ff dressing). My colleague and I ended up going to a very nice restaurant for lunch where I had:
thin slice of bread w/scrape of butter (2)
crab cakes w/fontina cheese over english muffins (I am guessing 16 pts?)
freshly made potato "chips" with old bay seasoning (I am guessing 8 pts?)
1 small macaroon cookie (1.5)

That is more points than I am allowed in a day! Thank God for flexpoints! At least I haven't ruined my 100 day challenge because it is so early in the week and I hadn't used any of my FPs for the first 2 days on plan. I feel like a slug, though, and am looking forward to not feeling so full (hey, at least I am not hungry 3 hours later, like I usually am much sooner after every meal!)

DS12 got a lead role in his school's spring musical and I imagine our lives are about to get crazy with accommodating his schedule, so I am going to have to work really hard to fit workouts into my evenings. If I can, I will plan on leaving work early enough to get in an hour at the gym and then swing by his school to pick him up. On the nights that his rehearsals go until 8:30 or 9 that should be easy. If he is done at 8 pm, DH will have to pick him up if I want to squeeze in a workout.

At least it feels good to have a tentative plan. :

 

[DisnyMama]

Hi Cam! Wow! Wow! Wow! You are truly GREAT!!!!!
You set out and accomplished. YOU DID IT!!!! I am very proud of you and happy for both you and Howard. Saturday night I was on the DIS reading some results and I was thrilled when I read about the two of you finishing in time. I hope he is doing well. Thats great new about your DS. It seems like we are always on the run with our kids. My DS just joined the track team at school (Shot Put and Discus-not sure about the spelling of either) so he's keeping busy. I hope DD is doing well also.

Well Cam, it's great to be in touch again. Take care and have a great weekend.

Shannon

 

[hccb]

I just sat here for hours reading your story Cam. Teared up, laughed, applauded you in my heart, and gained more respect for a person I don't even know quicker than you can say Godiva Truffle.

Right here, right now, I am changing my life. Again, and finally. Thank you!

 

[agotta]

Morning Cam!! I just wanted to say how proud I am of you. You have been doing so good. And I love that you don't let the little bumps in your life get you down. Just get right back up there and try again! I hope you have a great day and I hope to hear from you later.

 

[frogmommy]

Hi Cam-

Sorry it's been so long since I've been by. You are amazing as always, and you remind me to be proud of my accomplishments just as you are. Way to go!!

 

[SunFloridaDisney]

Hi Cam,

You continue to amaze me, congrats on all you've done, and hoping you can keep going strong despite the situations going on in your life.

Best wishes for DFIL and Howard.

 

[plutosmyfav]

Hi Cam
Congrats! You did AWSOME!!!!! I'm so happy for you and Howard. I can't tell you how much it meant to me to see you on the Boardwalk during the full. Did you hear me scream, "Cam"?

I can't believe you haven't blown your 100 day challenge. You rock! I was very, very bad at WDW Now I'm paying the price.

So you're thinking about a Mickey medal, huh? I know you can do it! You're halfway there already!

I'm so glad we got to meet at TE and BW.

Sunny

 

[goldcupmom]

Sounds like life is busy as usual. But you're doing GREAT!!

Have an awesome weekend!

 

[toystoryduo]

Hi Cam,

Stopping by to wish you a wonderful weekend! Take care!

 

[keenercam]

Hi, Shannon-- Thank you so much! And congratulations to your son for being on the track team. He must have great upper body strength to do those two events. Think he could give me some tips?

hccb -- I am so glad that you are inspired. I am really looking forward to watching your progress. The journey is long and it has its ups and downs but I have met so many wonderful people here along the way and LOVE knowing I can always find support here.

Hi, Amanda! Sorry I have been out of touch. Howard's surgery was yesterday so we were at the surgicenter by 6:45 a.m. It went well, and after some xrays and another dr. appt this week, we are hoping they will take the stent out soon. They'll biopsy the stone fragments to figure out whether there is anything he should be doing differently. Right now, the doctors say drinking lots of water should help the situation. I told him so!

Heather -- It is so wonderful to see you here! I have been thinking of you so much and wondering how you are. I have been derelict about visiting journals, but am going to get back into the swing of things now that life should be a little more uneventful.

Kate -- Thank you so much for stopping by and for your support. I really appreciate it. I know that the only way I will stay on track is to be here more often, supporting others and taking advantage of all the support I can get. I can't believe it has been about a year since I first started this journey and I am so blessed to have "met" so many wonderful people who have touched my life.

Sunny -- I was so proud of you and over-the-top happy for you for all you have accomplished. I felt like I was meeting one of my heroes when I met you last weekend. I really, really want to take all you have taught me on this journey and incorporate it in my life. You have completely changed your life and you inspire me to reach for so much more. I loved having breakfast with you and your son on Monday. He is so gorgeous and gregarious! What a pleasure! I feel like those memories are mental snapshots that will carry me through this next year. As you passed me during the full and I stood there screaming, I wanted to tell everyone around me that I knew you and to brag about all you have accomplished. I know I was beaming for you! Enjoy that Mickey, sweetie!

Tracy -- Thank you so much for being here for me. What would I have done without you this past year? I am looking forward to catching up on your journal and getting re-connected. I hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

Hi, Julie-- I was thinking about how joyous you must be this week! I can't wait to stop by your journal and see if you planned that girls' weekend away with your DD. I hope you are making time to enjoy life instead of just letting the busy life of a mom of 3 (plus your furbabies) sweep you along!

I am so excited to be here and to gather up all the positive vibes from my WISH friends! I have come so far in a year but have a very long way to go. Realistically, I think I am about halfway to my ultimate fitness goals, and taking it at a reasonable pace gives me a measure of confidence about long term health.

I got up at 7 this morning (after many late nights and early mornings) and went to the gym. I only did an hour on the bike but if felt good just to burn some calories. I made veggie soup last night that is almost no points, so that I will have that option when I have some high-point meals.

Food so far today:
7:15 a.m. pre-workout -- fruit & nut bar (3)
during workout -- gatorade & water (20 oz)
8:45 after workout -- coffee w/creamer (1)
10:00 breakfast at work -- lots of water; apple (1); turkey on weight watchers rye toast (3)

We are heading to some friends' for the rest of the weekend and food is always a huge deal and issue there, so I am going to try to be very sensible when food is within my control so that I don't blow my 100 day challenge. 4 days down and 96 to go! UGH!