Bodfather: More Than What I Seem

Subject #5 in the "Bodfather"
Witness Reduction Program: Billie

 Height: 5’4”
Starting weight: 411 

Current weight: 397
Loss: +3.2

Total Loss: 14.0 lbs.

I was getting a little worried about Billie, the fifth and final participant in my “Bodfather” program. To those just joining us, I’m playing the “Bodfather” to five individuals who’ve agreed to share their weight-loss stories over a six-month period here on JSGF. Since I’m not a personal trainer, dietician, medical doctor or gifted motivator, my assistance is somewhat limited; however, I do provide email encouragement and support and have hooked each of them up with a free Philips DirectLife activity monitor. It’s the least I can do, and I’m always about doing the least I can do…

So anyway…

I knew Billie was having a rough month. While she’s still down from her starting weight, the past few weeks on the scale haven’t been all that kind to her. To Billie’s credit, she’s recognized that some of that is due to her fat-to-muscle transformation.

“I know I've built muscle (my arms are most certainly stronger), and oddly, pants fit that weren't fitting before. But I can tell you this--no matter what muscle I'm building, I still need to see a downward movement on that scale.”

Then I didn’t hear from her for a while. Just like with bloggers, when things go dark, it’s rare that anything positive is happening.

But Billie’s not your average weight-loss warrior. Here’s her message to me yesterday:

How am I doing?? Well, let me just tell you...

This morning's workout:

20 minutes, Treadmill. 2.5-2.6 mph. Upped that incline, 2, 3, 4...man. Nothing adds intensity like incline.

Elliptical: 40 minutes. Incline, 10-11. Resistance: 8-10, RPMS 94-132

I felt VERY STRONG today.

The sun is shining.

I am a ninja.

Not to say that I am an undercover mercenary. What I mean by that, is this:

If you would pass me on the street, you would have NO idea that I just did an hour of cardio, or that I would be remotely capable of doing so. I can barely believe it myself. 

Ninja literally means, "One who is concealed." I think that there are a lot of ninjas running around--those of us that you would look at and assume are incapable or unfit, when really, they are superstars incognito!! 

It reminds me of a hefty guy I saw at the beginning of the Ironman triathlon in Kona a few years ago--I saw him in the water, and I thought, "Oh man, how could he possibly finish?" I mean, this guy was definitely in the Clydesdale category (and I'm not being insulting--it used to be an actual category for this triathlon). The camera panned in on him, and the announcer said something like "...and for some, you wonder why they even came out at all..."  I watched the highlights from the race, and all the jubilant people who made it to the end. The very last shot of the program, was him walking across the finish line with his wife and two young children. =) Ninja!!

I even wrote a haiku.

The sun is shining
I'm much more than what I seem
I am a ninja

Billie, I’m still going to worry when you go into stealth mode on me, but I promise you one thing: I’m not going to doubt you anymore.