coach jenna

so this sunday is my one year valley's biggest loser anniversary. what am i doing this weekend to celebrate? well i am lucky enough to say i have the honor of coaching the fourth season of the competition! i was extremely interested in coaching as to help other people change their lives like i was able to so when they asked me to, i jumped on the opportunity. it also will help me build skills as a personal trainer by working closely with the contestants and the actual trainers. i am SO excited!! the opening ceremony is tomorrow and i get to meet my new team.

with the opening ceremony tomorrow, all i can think about are the feelings i felt when i was about to weigh-in for the first time. i was SO nervous. i knew absolutely no one but i had a world of family, friends and even facebook acquaintances that helped support me by donating $$ toward my $500 goal that i was able to achieve. and now look, i have met a best friend and many many other friends that will be part of my life forever. i also think of my before picture...

it's amazing the transformation i've gone through. oddly enough, i'll be coaching the blue team which is the color of shirt i wore on that first day. :)

i also think of the types of workouts and daily life i was living then. i was conciously trying to eat healthy and go to the gym. but tomorrow is different. i am waking up at 5am to make sure i get my 8 MILE RUN in before i go to coach. i also learned that tracking my food was the best and most honest way to keep my nutrition on track. with that, i started tracking my food again this week and i've lost at least 5lbs in just a few days from eating clean and drinking my water. so not only is this coaching gig going to give me experience working with people but it is also going to help me stay on track.

on the first night of VBL nutrition class, i was told to write down goals. goals that i wanted to accomplish by the end of the challenge. here's what i had written down holding back tears in my eyes:

1. lose 40-50lbs ....... CHECK!
2. make exercise part of my lifestyle. 6-7 days a week ........ CHECK!
3. have confidence in everyday life ........ CHECK!

then we had to explain WHY we wanted to acheive those goals:

among other things, the one thing that stands out the most to me was " to teach my nephew to be healthy and active"

this one is obviously ongoing but he's truly my world and i will work my butt off my entire life with him to help show him how important it is to live life that way. thanks to my awesome mom and sister, he's one of the cleanest eating 1-yr-olds that i know! :)

so what are some things that i have accomplished this past year that i hope to help others accomplish?

• pushed a firetruck
• ran a mud run
• lost 9lbs over the holiday season (christmas/new year's)
• ran a record 5k
• ran my first 10k
• ran my first half marathon (and signed up for two more before the end of the year)
• signed up for my NASM certification
• got TRX certified
• have TWO gym memberships 
• lost 50lbs
• learned how to live a healthy lifestyle
• lost 5 pant sizes and two shirt sizes
• have inspired many others
• learned that sometimes i need to come first

i'm ecstatic about these major life changes/accomplishments. some may seem so small to others but they truly touch me and keep me going each and everyday. i did this. i did it all on my own. and i cannot wait to help touch the lives of others and help them achieve goals they never imagined.

go blue team!!! :D