Before and After

Well, the day has finally arrived where I get to go home.  I remember how sore and tired I was after my first day and thought to myself that 8 weeks on this program will be a long time.  Now that it is 8 weeks later, I still agree that 8 weeks on this program is a long time.

Yesterday was my final day of activity and what a day of activity it was.  The morning started off with an RMR test, then the hike was at the beach.  I was slightly upset because the weather was windy and cold, so I needed my jacket or coat.  If it was a sunny day I would have brought my bathing suit and spent some time playing around in the ocean.

After the hike I went to stretch class and had a VO2 test before lunch.  I don't think that I talked about the VO2 test earlier, but it is a good test.  Have you seen anyone run or walk on a treadmill wearing a mask?  If so, this is a VO2 test.  The purpose is to start slow and increase the heart rate to a very high level.  The computer will measure how many calories per hour the person burns at various heart rate levels.  So when I an in the gym I can get a more efficient workout.

In the afternoon I went to a shoe store called Future Track.  I posted about this store several weeks ago.  I brought my hiking shoes to them and explained about the blister problems and they easily solved the problem.  This time I wanted a good pair of shoes to take home with me for use in the gym.

When they measured my feet, it turns out that my feet are a half of a shoe size smaller than when I started.  This makes total since because I have noticed that my body has burned a lot of the fat in my feet.  Whenever I look down at my feet I see a lot of definition.

Every Saturday night after dinner is graduation.  Yesterday's graduation was one of the best.  When the microphone was passed around, almost everyone had an inspiring story or mentioned about their personal achievement for the week.

A few days ago I sent the videographer a few before and after pictures of myself and asked if she could put them in this week's video side by side to really compare the progress.  She agreed and when that picture came up, everyone in the room cheered.  It was great to see that on the big screen and some people commented afterwards that seeing those pictures will motivate them to keep going either here or at home.  What an awesome feeling it was to hear that.

So, let's get to the before and after pictures.

Here I am in my first week.  The other guy is Sam from the Biggest Loser season 9 whom I've gotten to know well and will miss him when I go home.

Here's a full body shot taken on the beach on the same day.

And now for the after picture 8 weeks later.

Here I am on the beach in my final week.  If any of y'all know how to take these pictures, crop them down slightly, and put them side by side, please let me know.  I'm pretty sure that I could figure out how to do it, but I'd rather spend my time packing this morning.

Even though my time at the BLR comes to an end in a few hours, please check back for future postings. I will be posting about some of my recommendations about coming here, how the transition from BLR to home is going, etc.  From here on out, I will not be posting every day, but will post often, so please add this blog to your bookmarks or favorites.

Closing thought for the day:  There is a saying that a picture is worth a thousand words.  I believe that the pictures above speak for themselves.