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!"

Weeks 42-43

I have good news and bad news. The best news is that Briana was selected as one of the models in the Be Beautiful Be Yourself fashion show. This is the goal she has been working towards for the past nine months. She was thrilled, proud, and excited when she called me to share the news. The other good news is that Briana seems to be settling into her host home nicely. She is able to visit her mom on weekends, and she happily celebrated her mom's birthday with her. She talks to her mom on the phone almost daily and is getting emotional support and encouragement from her. Briana is also getting support from her aunt and uncle. Although they are unable to provide her with permanent home with them, they have taken over guardianship and are making sure that Briana has the best place to live to meet her needs. Based on my interactions with her host family, they seem to be patient and nurturing. I can sincerely say that Briana's mood has been calmer since she has been placed with the family. She is clean and cared for and happy. The bad news is that we are experiencing a brand new learning curve with Briana's diet. The host family has two small children, ages two and six. Although they shop for good foods, they also have many things in the house that Briana cannot eat. Having these foods in the house proved to be a big temptation for Briana. I feel her pain. It is difficult to say no when the people around you are able to say yes. I can also sympathize with the host family. It is difficult to change your eating habits to match someone else's. Needless to say, there were several bumps and slip-ups in Briana's diet over the last two weeks. These slip ups equaled a one pound weight gain on the scale. One pound may not sound bad, but it was devastating to Briana. This was the first time in nine months that she had gained weight. She had one weigh-in where she didn't gain or lose anything. For every other weigh-in, Briana lost one to five pounds. So, as devastating as it was for her, it was also a prime opportunity to empower her. "Briana, you know which foods are healthy and which foods are not. I want you to teach your host family how you eat and find a way to say no. If I would say no, then I want you to say no," I told her as she did her treadmill warm up. "You know what, I'm going to do it," she replied. "I'm going to eat healthy, and I'm going to teach them, and I'm going to lose eight or ten more pounds before the fashion show. I won't make bad choices again. I won't," she promised. This made me happy. Briana's promise is good as gold. When she puts her mind to something, she is committed and strong. Perhaps the one pound weight gain will serve as an inspiration to her and remind her to stand firm in her commitment. At the end of the day, it is always going to be in her hands. My focus from this point forward is to keep talking to Briana, keep educating her, and find a way for her to stand strong with her healthy habits even when there are other choices available to her. This is what will help her most in the long run.