Me, rock climb?!

That’s me!

First of all: I never thought I would rock climb – not just because of my weight but also because of my extreme fear of heights. But when Rocksport (on Oddie and Silverada) said they’d love to sponsor our group and wanted a couple of us to try it out, I agreed, and I dragged Tee along to try it with me.

We showed up at 9 am sharp and met with Kate, the operations manager. She was all ready to get us up this wall and, to our disbelief, she said it was possible even for us. We got our special climbing shoes on, then got a lesson on putting our harnesses on. They were quite… interesting… to get into, and I admit I never thought I’d be able to get into it. But I did! After that we learned how to “rope in.” Kate pulled an eeney-meeney-miney-mo to determine who got to go up first, and Tee lost and had to go first. Kate showed me how to belay her, that is – I was the one who stood at the bottom and the climber. Tee, had to put her life in my hands

We had plenty of safety equipment, so it wasn’t that risky.

After Kate convinced us that this was easier than it looked, I got hooked up and approached the wall. I took my first step and it wasn’t too bad, so I took a few more. Then I got about five feet up the wall and Kate decided to show me a technique called a “take.” This requires the climber to call down to the belayer “take!” which prompts the belayer to take up all the slack in the rope. Then the climber sits back and lets go of the wall, leaving the belayer holding the climber while they descend back down. Now, this was easier said than done for someone as afraid of heights as I am. I tried to do it first with just one hand off the wall, but Kate wasn’t going for it. So I sucked up my fear and let go! I didn’t fall, I didn’t even slide a little. I mustered up the courage to climb down the wall without clinging for my life. Kate did one thing for me that I have had a hard time doing for myself, she believed that I could do it. This gave me a new confidence that I had a hard time finding in myself.

After an hour and a half of climbing, we were doing it without Kate’s assistance. We had a great time and are ready to go back next week! I believe this experience gave me a new outlook, I now have more confidence and I am not going to count myself out of an activity because of my weight! And I think this is something I will continue doing even after I’m done with weight-related issues.

- Maria

Four days ’til weigh-in!

My name is Maria (pronounced Mariah), I am a 33 year-old, stay at home mom of three boys and I run a home daycare. My husband, Patric, and I have been married for almost 10 years.

I have always battled with my weight, but having three kids and then ignoring the problem didn’t help. After my youngest son was born I was diagnosed with high blood pressure, not what I wanted to hear, and about three years ago started noticing how tired I was and that I didn’t have the energy to play with my kids. Then I realized I wouldn’t be able to be around for my boys if I didn’t do something about my weight and health.

My husband has been into martial arts for the last 10 years, but because of the economy he hasn’t been able to actively for awhile, so his health was going downhill too. I had one of my dear friends tell me of this program that was starting in Reno on New Years Day, so I told my husband, and we decided to show up to see what it was all about.

When I showed up to the first meeting, I was a little nervous and even thinking twice about what I was doing. The meeting went well and I actually got to talk to a few of the people I didn’t know (I only knew two besides my husband). I am a very social person so it wasn’t hard for me to adjust, but I think even more was that we all had the same problem. We all had too much extra “baggage” and the lack of people who understand that is usually the one reason I don’t join gyms. I have always been on the big side and that gave me something to overcome when meeting new people. But now it was something I had in common, which was almost as comforting as chocolate.

So we all went our separate ways on January 1, with not much more than a private group web site connecting us. I became addicted to the site, and found myself on it more than Facebook. I was checking on my team mates, seeing when people were going to the gym so maybe I could meet them there. With a daycare and three boys I have a hectic schedule, so meeting at the gym isn’t always ideal, but I found myself rearranging my schedule as much as I could to get there. The more I went to the gym, I met more people and everyone I met was so supportive! I started to feel as if I had known these new friends for years.

We had our 1st team challenge that Saturday, kinda scary having only spent time with our teams for an hour a week ago. But it was a very well-laid out obstacle course, and, to our dismay, Team 2 won. (We will get them next time!) Everyone seemed in good spirits, so we took the tour offered by the gym. That’s when friendship started to build, we were all just cracking jokes and laughing.

Our first official weigh-in is still a few days away, but when we started this journey I weighed in at 338 lbs (ouch) and couldn’t even use my Wii Fit, due to the 330lbs limit. After being very discouraged and wanting to give up, I got on the web site. After looking around at comments people were posting, I thought: I shouldn’t be on the computer! So I found an exercise show on TV that I knew I had passed them up numerous times before. I did a whole show and then some yoga. So then I had to tell all my new friends that I didn’t give up. I got so much encouragement that I knew I couldn’t give up on this group.

So now three weeks have gone by since we started, and it seems like just yesterday I met my new friends. We have seen each other at the gym, hung out at the bowling alley, and even met for a day at the spa. I can’t wait until our official weigh-in, because I know I’ve lost at least enough that I can now use my Wii Fit!!!! So I can’t wait to see what I have actually dropped!

I will leave you with this for now, but I’ll be back. I’m going to try rockclimbing at Rocksport with another team mate, and will let everyone know how that goes. Until then just remember whatever you set to accomplish, you can be your own worst enemy. Take some friends along, they will keep you plugging away!

- Maria

Member voted out, group feeling changes for the better

The Biggest Little City Losers January mid-month meeting was held tonight at South Reno Athletic Club, where we discussed changes we’re experiencing (from confidence boosts to energy levels to newfound interests in exercise), upcoming challenges, and made a decision to vote out a member of the group who hadn’t participated since we began – leaving us with a solid 34.

We’re just five days away from weigh-in. The winner this month will receive a great prize package from discount indie bookstore, Grassroots Books. Stay tuned!

Brie’s “Butt Kicker” class a success!

South Reno Athletic Club trainer, Brie, whipped 16 of our 35 members into shape yesterday morning during an hour-long intensive workout that included running, calisthenics and team relay sports in fast succession (she was generous enough to give us a two-minute break halfway through), and boy are we feeling it today. But it’s a good pain, and not nearly as bad as the soreness and wobbliness I felt a week ago after my first intense class at SRAC. Progress!

We had a great time as a group, pushing each other, cheering each other on – so much so that we’ve decided we’ll do it again this coming Saturday, and probably just about every Saturday between now and the end of the challenge in June. Thanks Brie!

Two weeks down, 23 to go

Is that some long-lost definition I see beginning to re-emerge?

You wouldn’t know by watching and listening to us when we meet at the gym that we’ve only known each other for barely a couple of weeks. Friendships are being forged, workout partners are hooking up to support each other, sub-groups for boot camps and athletic classes are taking shape around interests. This project has taken on a life of its own, and some days I feel like I get my workout in just trying to keep up. I’ll take it!

We’ve got some hardcore members who’ve grabbed the bull by the horns, to use a terrible cliche, and are still hitting the gym just about every day, pounding it out, sticking to routine, pushing through the urge to let up or take a break. But for many of us, the honeymoon of the hyper-energized first week is over, and that weighted sense of hard work and long-term commitment has kicked in.

We don’t have a Jillian Michaels hovering over us, pushing us on (or a contract that says we have to or face legal action, for that matter) and so that motivation has to come from within, and from each other. And we’re workin’ it. I’m VERY encouraged that there’s only been one day of the past 14 that I’ve walked into South Reno Athletic Club and not run into at least one or two of our 35 members there working out at the same time, and several members have walked away from the scale smiling this week. Let’s keep it up!

Check back in a few days to see how our group’s exclusive Beginner’s Total Body Workout class with hardcore SRAC trainer, Brie, goes this Saturday. Wish us luck!

Team Challenge #1

We had a great time at our first-ever team challenge Saturday morning, January 9  despite that team 1 (my team!) placed 29 seconds behind team 2 in the five-station obstacle course. Sara led her team to victory with a collective team time of 6:38 to team 2’s 7:07. The prize: free haircuts for the winning team at Charlie’s Hair + Nails on Baring Blvd. in Sparks!

Kudos and thanks to South Reno Athletic Club

I can’t say enough about how great the staff at South Reno Athletic Club has been as we get the group signed up and on their way to shedding 50 pounds. They’ve made room for us to hold our own classes and challenges, accommodated our members with kids by extending hours in the gym’s free day care center when we have an official meeting, and has offered us some pretty sweet perks to our group.

Many thanks to SRAC manager David Gentry and his team for making us feel welcome and cheering us on toward our goals!

Off to a great start!

Just six days into our challenge and it already feels like we’ve all known each other for months. I’ve been to the gym every day this week so far, and never fail to see someone else from our group there, and I definitely notice I stick around for a longer workout when I’ve got somebody else I know doing it. The same seems to be true for most of us in the group, and I anticipate some big successes here over the next several months.