Milestone!

I have decided that I should continue to write about Briana's progress in this blog. This week is a true milestone for her. She deserves to be celebrated. When she began her journey, she weighted 227 pounds. Yesterday, she weighed in at 154 pounds. Briana has lost a total of 75 pounds! This little lady has changed my life. She inspires me everyday and reminds me that anything is possible. We all have bad days. We all stumble and lose sight of our goals. We all make mistakes. We have all had life take us by surprise and been devastated at some point. I believe Briana was brought into my life to remind me how similar we all are and how our struggles are all the same. I believe she can overcome any challenge life throws at her. I hope she will inspire others to do the same. Please celebrate her success by subscribing to this blog and sharing it with others.

Week 52

It is hard to believe that a year has passed since Briana set her goal of modeling in the Be Beautiful, Be Yourself fashion show. It is even more difficult to believe how much Briana's life has changed in the past year. When I look back on our journey, I am more certain than ever that God has a plan for everything. A year ago, Briana was dependent on her mother for everything: cooking meals, helping her dress, helping her shower, putting on her shoes. She didn't have the stamina or gross motor skills to do many of these things for herself. If she had not been blessed with the opportunity to train with me, she would still be extremely dependent on others for her care and well being. So I believe it was God's plan to have me prepare Briana for living a capable, independent life. When I look at her now and see that independence, I am overjoyed. However, by no means do I take the credit for Briana's success. It truly took a village to make this happen, so I want to dedicate this final week of the year to thanking everyone that has been involved in this amazing journey. First and foremost, I must thank Pat McDonnell of the McDonnell Family Foundation. If it weren't for you, none of this would have been possible. Your loving heart and generosity brought Briana and me together. You have blessed me with a year of work that never felt like work and that I will continue to do for the rest of my life. Second, I want to thank Biana's mom, Lorrie Carrey, who is now an angel in heaven. She was the backbone of Briana's success from day one. She made sure she followed my meal plans consistently and she taught Briana how to say no. There were many times that she skipped work parties or social engagements where she knew it would be difficult for Briana to be there and not be tempted to eat things she shouldn't. Without Lorrie's dedication, Briana would not have been successful. Next I would like to thank Trish Morris from the Global Down Syndrome Foundation. Thank you for being there to support me when things got rough this summer when Lorrie became ill. You have been a stable person in Briana's life and she considers you family. I also want to thank Gladys Upton, Briana's aunt and guardian. Thank you for all the time you spent on the phone with me, talking about Briana's diet, trying to understand everything that we had been doing, and supporting the process. You have been a blessing. Which brings me to Sandy and Crystal, Briana's new host family. It isn't every day that you see people open their homes and hearts the way you have for Briana. I am overjoyed that she has you in her life now. I know she is in good hands, and I appreciate you both making the effort to support her diet and fitness progam. I know it isn't always easy. Last, but definitely not least, I want to thank Briana. You are an angel in my life. I have learned more from you this year than you have learned from me. I will forever be inspired by your determination and you are always in my heart, reminding me to live in the moment, to love big, and to be honest in all things. And so it is with gratitude and love that I end this post, and with great pride that I can say Briana looked amazing on the runway last Saturday night. She will forever shine in my heart. This is just the beginning of another journey for both of us, so check back soon to see what happens next. Until then, live in the moment and celebrate the gifts you have in your life.

Weeks 50-51

Briana called me on Monday night. Our conversation went something like this: "Hello?" "Roberta, I have something to tell you, and I don't want you to be upset, okay?" "Okay, Briana, what is it?" I asked. "Today, for lunch, I had something that wasn't on my diet." "What did you eat, Briana?" "I ate casserole. It was at the Denver Rescue Mission," she answered. "You ate casserole at the Denver Rescue Mission? What were you doing there?" I wondered. "We went to volunteer!" she replied excitedly. "So you were volunteering and they fed you lunch?" "Yes, they did. Is that okay?" she asked? "Well, when you do special things like that and don't have a choice, it is okay to eat what they offer you. I'm not mad about that," I assured her. "Oh, good! Well I have to tell you something else. I took my lunch. I had a sandwich and juice and fruit," she said. "So you took your lunch and ate it AND had casserole?" I asked. "Yes, I did. Is that okay with you?" "Briana, next time that happens, I want you to eat the lunch you brought and skip the casserole. It isn't good to eat two lunches. If you don't have a lunch, you can eat what they offer you. If you do have a lunch from home, that is always your best choice," I informed her. "Okay. I just wanted to let you know," she said. "Thank you for telling me and that and thank you for thinking about making good choices," I told her. "I will see you tomorrow for your workout." "Okay! Love you! Bye!" she said as she hung up the phone. This conversation was just one of many we have been having lately. Briana is a new world with new opportunities. Everything is very different than it was six months ago. Before, the grocery budget was extremely small, so I didn't have to worry about excess or abundance of food. Her mom provided exactly what was allowed on the meal plan and there really wasn't room for anything else. Briana only went out occasionally, which meant she was rarely exposed to temptations or situations where she needed to make choices. Now that Briana is living with her host mom, she is out and about all of the time. She is part of the family, which means she is visiting friends and relatives and finding herself "celebrating" many things with many people. What used to be a rare special occasion has turned into a packed social calendar. This is all good news, but I am realizing that my job now is to educate Briana. It can't always be up to her host mom to tell her no. She needs to know a good choice from a bad choice and be able to stand up and say no for herself. So, over the past weeks, I have made lists of approved food choices for Briana. She and her host mom know where they can stop to grab a bite (and what they can grab) when out and about. They know which crackers Briana can have with her soup if she really wants crackers. They know how many days a week she can have cheese. They know what foods to use as substitutions for "treat foods." They know how to make good choices. When I talk to Briana and she tells me that she made a good choice (which doesn't happen quite as often as I would like) I really celebrated her success. She thrives on making me proud. So when she makes a bad choice, I simply have to say "that doesn't make me happy," and she will always come back with, "Okay. I am going to do my best. I won't make a bad choice anymore." Day by day, meal by meal, she is starting to think about her choices, which makes me proud. What makes me even more proud is that it finally starting to show. For the first time in weeks, Briana lost weight at a weigh in! She weighed in this week at 166 pounds for a total weight loss of 61 pounds! Hallelujah!

Weeks 47-49

A few hours after I posted my last blog, I received a phone call from Briana. She called to tell me that her mom had passed away at 3 p.m. My heart sunk as I told Briana how sorry I was to hear the news. She told me she just wanted to let me know about it. I asked her how she was doing and she simply said, "I'm fine." Needless to say, things have been a bit inconsistent these past few weeks. The good news is that Briana is maintaining her weight and has come to call her host family "home." She has many people in her life that love her and will continue to look out for her. She says that she has an angel in heaven now, and she knows her mom can always see her. I am dedicating this blog to Lorrie Carrey, Briana's mom. She was born August 4, 1958 in Oskaloosa, Iowa. She died September 3, 2012 from liver cancer. Lorrie was 30 years old when she gave birth to Briana. From the beginning, she loved her with all her heart. She made sure that Briana was able to attend mainstream schools and receive a good education. Friends say that in high school, Lorrie was always at the school helping out to make sure that Briana stayed in school. Because of Lorrie's dedication, Briana is a high school graduate. After high school, Lorrie made sure that Briana remained active in social and educational programs. She signed her up for dozens of events and activities and made sure she got her there. When I met Lorrie just over a year ago, she knew that Briana was severely overweight and was happy to have the help to turn it around. I credit Lorrie for having both the strength and the courage to manage Briana's diet. It is not an easy thing to do, changing your eating habits. I know that Lorrie had to be the one to say no many times to help Briana stay on track, and I am grateful to her for that. For the short time I knew Lorrie, I am touched to have had her pass through my life. She reminded me that regardless of how much we may or may not have, at the end of the day family matters most of all. Because of Lorrie, I now remind myself each day to put my children and family first and provide them with unconditional love regardless of circumstances. Lorrie was memorialized on Saturday, September 23 at 1 p.m. at a beautiful ceremony. Briana sang her favorite song and invited all of the special people in her life to say something about Lorrie. Briana was able to grieve and celebrate her mother's life surrounded by all of the people who love her.

Week 46

This journey is about more than just weight loss. This journey is about quality of life. I am amazed when I watch Briana in our sessions together. Her quality of movement, her strength, and her endurance are so far ahead of what they were nine months ago. Nine months ago, it took Briana five minutes to get from the car into my front door. Now when she gets dropped off, she is out of the car and in the door in less than two minutes. Nine months ago, I supported fifty percent of Briana's body weight to help her down the stairs to work out. The journey down took us five minutes. The journey back up took almost three minutes. Now, Briana is able to walk down the stairs on her own. It takes her less than one minute. As part of her work out, she goes up and down the stairs three times. The entire set of three takes her five minutes. Nine months ago, I had to help Briana take off her shoes and put them back on at the end of her Pilates exercises. Now she can do both all by herself. Nine months ago, it took a lot of work on my part to help Briana lay down for her Pilates exercises. She was very weak and complained about her back hurting and her stomach hurting all of the time. Now, Briana can lay down and get herself situated without my help. Occassionally, she will complain about her back when I increase the intensity of her workout. She never complains about her stomach hurting anymore. Nine months ago, I had to use all of my strength to pull Briana up from a lying position to a sitting position. Now she sits herself up quickly and easily without my help. Nine months ago it took Briana a full hour to get through a handful of exercises. Now she does two complete sets and several different rotations of different exercises in one session. Her rest time has drastically decreased, and she works hard in every exercise. Nine months ago, Briana would call me to ask if she could have a cookie, or pizza, or cake. Now she makes healthy choices when they are available, and she is beginning to understand the importance of moderation with "treat" foods. So, this week I celebrate Briana for all she has learned and all she has gained on this journey. The value of her efforts is priceless.

Week 45

Briana and I have worked ourselves into a new routine. On Tuesdays and Fridays, I pick her up and bring her to work out then take her back to her program. On Wednesdays, she gets dropped off for her workout and is picked up by her host mom at the end. Since I only have 75 minutes with her (including travel time back and forth), Tuesdays and Fridays have become our "short and strong" workouts. On Wednesdays, we end up getting 75 minutes of workout time, so I focus on endurance and stamina. The "short and strong" workout begins with ten minutes on the treadmill at an incline of 2.5 and a speed of one. This is a huge step up for Briana. (Nine months ago she started at zero incline and a speed of one for only one minute). After the ten minute warm up, Briana does her weight and cardio intervals. These intervals include two sets of 12-15 reps of bicep curls then two sets of 12-15 lateral raises with one minute bursts of cardio between sets. Following this circuit, she gets a water break, recovers, then begins the next circuit. The second circuit includes two sets of 15-20 squats followed by ten overhead throws with a weighted ball and concludes with leg and arm work using an exercise band. Again, Briana gets a water break and time to recover. The final circuit is all cardio. Briana walks up and down one flight of stairs three times. She gets more water, recovers, stretches, then heads upstairs so I can drive her back to her program. Although this workout may seem easy to the average person, Briana has developed a lot of strength and stamina to be able to complete it in 45 minutes. Nine months ago, it took Briana 45 minutes to get through the first circuit; it was her entire workout! What about Wednesdays, you ask? On Wednesdays, Briana warms up on the treadmill at an incline of two and a speed of one for twenty minutes. Following the treadmill, she does her Pilates exercises. I primarily use the tower exercises with her, because she has more stability and is able to get the most benefit from them. Following the Pilates exercises, Briana does one weight circuit. This circuit includes two sets if 12-15 overhead presses, two sets of 15 standing twists with a weighted ball, and two sets of 15 squats holding a weight. We end the workout with five minutes on the treadmill and stretches. Again, Briana has shown tremendous growth in the amount of work she can accomplish in one workout. When I look at how far she has come, I am not only proud of her growth, but excited to have the opportunity to challenge her more. By the way, at this week's weigh-in, Briana was down two pounds. She lost the pound she gained plus one more! Yay Briana! We are back on track, and I couldn't be happier.

Week 44

I don't believe in giving up. In the past few weeks, Briana and I have met many challenges with her healthy eating and exercise habits. It would have been easy to write it all off and decide there wasn't any hope. Luckily, writing things off and giving up aren't in my nature. I remained hopeful that things would work out. I called, texted, and emailed the host family to make sure they knew I was here to support them. I told them to call or text anytime with questions and I was more than happy to be there for them. So imagine my joy when Briana's host mom picked her up this week armed with meal plans, a cookbook with recipes she had marked, and a list of questions for me. Hallelujuah! She said that Briana was determined to lose ten more pounds before the fashion show and she wanted to help her do it. This is what I wanted to hear. In order for Briana to succeed, she had to have this support. Without support, it would be difficult for her to maintain her weight let alone lose more. My focus for the week came down to nutrition. I spent time with Briana and her host mom going over her diet once again. Her host mom had great questions, and I felt like she was truly interested in making changes. I know change can be a challenge but having the will and desire to change is the first step. I felt encouraged about Briana's future when I witnessed this will and desire from her host mom. As for Briana, she worked hard this week. She spoke to me about diet and nutrition quite a bit. She, too, seemed to have the will and desire to make progress and lose ten more pounds. I cheered her for this and told her I was so proud. "I sure hope it's good news when you weigh me next week," she said. "I hope so, too, Briana. Just keep making healthy food choices and be sure to exercise!"