Count Your Blessings...and Your Inches

When I'm feeling down about what the numbers say on the scale or even where the measuring tape falls, I find it helps to go back and look at my journal to see how far I've come.

Not all milestones can be reduced to a number. What are the milestones you have accomplished? What else do you want to accomplish?

Here are some of my goals:

• Train my brain to realize that fullness and satiety are different. Learn that fullness is a physical feeling, not a mental idea of how much I need
• Lose the bloat and feel great!
• Move down a size at Lane Bryant
• Go faster and longer at the gym
• Fit into certain clothes in my closet again
• Fit into Express again (it's been since 2002, I can't even really say that I like a lot of their clothing, but it's still a goal)

Things I have accomplished already:

• I've become more trim (see my friend Chris' blog about what muscle looks like vs fat here).
• Broadened my fitness horizons by trying kettlebells and yoga
• I finally get out and see the beautiful scenery Southern California has!

During UKC the scale really never moved in my favor like I wanted to, but at the end it was so rewarding when I learned I had lost 15 inches. Our relationship with the scale is that of a fair weathered fan. What got me through those six weeks was the energy I felt, the fact that I was moving down in sizes, other clothing was fitting better, and I actually felt that I can do this!

Just remember that losing weight is nearly 100% mental stamina and you are a strong human being who can accomplish nearly anything you put your mind to!

PCOS & Blood Sugar Levels

Just over a year ago I was surprised to find out I was pre-diabetic. Even though I was well aware that diabetes is related to obesity, I always thought I was one of those healthy obese people. (Yes, I know how that sounds!)

I hadn't even heard of pre-diabetes but was surprised to know that I began showing some symptoms years before. My blood sugar wasn't actually that bad. The majority of symptoms I actually show are related to PCOS, or polycystic ovary syndrome. PCOS and pre-diabetes go hand in hand for many women.

I was initially very angry when I first was diagnosed. How many times had doctors drawn blood and nobody caught my blood sugar levels were rising? How many times had I told doctors that I had heavy irregular cycles?

It just goes to show that you know your body and need to stand up for yourself. Most doctors probably hear menstrual complaints from most female patients so it probably goes overlooked a lot of the time. I am probably going on a rant here, but my mom had endometriosis when she was younger and was essentially told to "walk it off" at the time. Before she was diagnosed with leukemia she laid on the couch for months withering away. You have to be proactive in your health care. Don't resign yourself to an average or less than average fate.

A side note, my mom's doctor had run most of the tests that she could have and my mom has a lot of other conditions that affect diagnosis so I don't blame her doctor. But, being proactive in your overall wellness will help you in the long run. Doctors see dozens of patients a day, but you live in your body 24-7.

What have I done differently in the past year?

1. Metformin. There are other drugs, but metformin is used to treat PCOS and pre-diabetes for most people diagnosed
2. Cut out as much sugar or "white" foods as possible. Obviously sugar is a culprit of high blood sugar levels, but what many people fail to see is that the body breaks down fats and starches into sugar. White foods tend to break down faster than alternatives. For instance, your body will burn through white rice much faster than brown rice.
3. Cut out as much gluten as possible
4. Eat fruits and veggies. Above and beyond the nutritional basics, they are natural to your body
5. Cut out processed foods. A lot of processed foods contain soy and
6. Green Tea. PCOS can cause elevated testosterone levels which can be combatted with green tea. I love Starbucks' Green Tea so I drink it when I can (you can actually buy gallon bags like they get in the store to save money). I also take green tea supplements

For more information regarding PCOS visit http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/polycystic-ovary-syndrome.cfm.

If you want to start seeing a doctor who practices alternative therapies try searching on American College For Advancement in Medicine's (ACAM) online search engine. The database includes doctors and other types of practitioners such as nutritionists who believe in treating the patient, not the symptoms.

EDIT: June 14th. Okay, so I encourage anyone who hasn't already done so to Google pictures of PCOS. It isn't pretty and thoroughly grossed me out and enraged me at the same time. Some friends of mine get regular ultrasounds too which are a great idea and I'm going to talk to my doctor about. When I was diagnosed my primary care doc was pretty vague and I think there is a serious discussion we need to have now.

Last Coke

Okay, I have a ton of draft posts that are really old now but I still wanted to share. Just keep in mind this is about a month oldnow.

One of my major addictions since childhood has been Coke. No, not "the hard stuff", a coke-a-cola. I have a feeling that as time wears on we will find out that soda is just as damaging as drugs in the long run.

I gave soda up as a New Year's Resolution in 2007 and went just about a year without a soda. I slowly started treatig myself to one every now and then and then in the past couple of months since the end of UKC, I have been drinking it fairly regularly.

A familiar feeling returned, the absolutely worst cravings ever. Bad food and soda go hand in hand with me, so why not go for the burger. Who doesn't have coke with pizza? What's worse though is the soda cravings. I remember sitting in class in college thinking that I needed a coke as soon as class was out. I sat there thinking my body language must make it look like I am a smoker.

When I gave up soda I started drinking a lot of water which is good, but I also started substituting it with juice which is also bad. Old habits die hard, I accidentally poured myself one the other day at lunch. I felt bad and bought it since it was already in the cup, but I threw it away before I even got into the office.

Here are some coping strategies I have found:

1. Drink tea. I personally love Tazo Green Tea from Starbucks, I had 2 venti cups of iced tea on Saturday and Sunday and it helped take the edge off
2. Read up on soda and what it does to your body!
3. Suck on ice cubes
4. Eat something sweet like fruit or sorbet or put fruit in your water
5. Get moving! It always makes me crave water
6. Occupy yourself with something. Preferably you should keep yourself active, but putting in a movie or playing a game should suffice in a pinch
7. Journal about it! It will keep you on track as well as help you work out your dependency on soda. I fully believe a lot of people transfer addictions so even if you are only a casual soda drinker it may help you develop positive behavior as a substitute for other self destructive alternatives

My Goals

Okay, so I haven't been on track which is an absolute shame (on me). I was looking at the calendar and realized I am "behind", it's amazing how it's so easy to say you are going to be a certain weight by a certain time, yet so hard to actually execute!

So, inspired by what Alysia said at today's LiveFit I decided to re-sync my goals and milestones and here's my commitment:

I have a lot of milestones and events coming my way, my cousin is getting married in September, but first I'm going in to Michigan to see my family for a wedding shower in June. Many of you know my big picture goal for UKC was to wear a "raunchy" (Alysia's term, mine was slutty) Halloween costume when I am in Las Vegas for Halloween, that still stands and I have to look good.

More seriously, I'd like to be 145-150 by Christmas and a healthy 135 by my 27th birthday, new year, new me!

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

Okay, so I know that the show ended a few weeks ago, but I just caught up. What did everyone think?

I thought it was remarkable what he was trying to accomplish, I had heard a bit about what he did in England and if anyone needs help it's America. It was shocking to see the carbs and sugar that were being fed to children who are expected to sit in class all day and learn. This is what we're fueling our future on. My jaw was on the floor when he got in trouble for not having enough starch or the time when he didn't have enough vegetables, yet the french fry line got a pass.

I understand that it's good television, but I couldn't believe there were so many neighsayers! But then I thought about it and a lot of the things that happened on the show parallel adopting a healthy lifestyle overall.

1. There are people who don't like or cannot accept the change
2. After adoption has been complete, people fall off the wagon and need to be nudged back into the right direction

I was so happy to see that so many people were receptive to the changes and that the neighsayers eventually saw the light. It was hard for me to relate to Jamie's main adversaries since he was trying to help besides the fact that it makes for great television.

What did I come up with? Other than the fact that he is British and not as widely popular in the States as he is in the UK, it can be frustrating when someone comes in and points out your flaws and claims to have the solution to something you struggle with daily. The British part may sound funny, but I truly think that if Rachael Ray came into a small town in America to help out that she would have a different reception. Now, her and Jamie's backgrounds and approaches may have also been quite different.

One of the most shocking moments, to me, was the chicken demonstration. I don't think I'll ever see a chicken patty or nugget the same way again. And how crazy was it that the kids wanted to still eat them? I was pretty old (2nd Grade) when I realized where meat came from and was thoroughly disgusted. Yes I know, I was naive. I think I knew chicken came from chickens, but beef from cows blew my mind. That was my first (and probably longest) attempt to go vegetarian.

I think that overall this has opened the eyes of a lot of parents, in conjunction with the mass popularity of a lot of different documentaries out there. I definitely feel encouraged that the First Lady is taking an active hand in childhood obesity and nutrition, I feel like it's a great first step forward.

Who Made You Fat?

So my friends at ACAM run a wellness blog called Community Table with a lot of great stuff. Earlier this week they posted an article from London Free Press that got me thinking. It centers around why we are fat, who or what is at the root?

Steve Siebold, author of Diet Fat or Get Tough, "Getting fat is 100% your fault. It's not partly your fault; it's completely your fault."Siebold is well aware of the tolls obesity takes as a former "fat-tub-of-lard with my belly hanging over my belt." The article, of course counters that there are medical reasons for obesity.

As you can imagine this mentality has gotten a lot of flack for its hard hitting blunt mentality.What do I think about it? I have to be a chick and make a Sex and the City reference to the infamous "He's Just Not That Into You" episode. I want to talk about how my brain is hardwired and how it was too late by the time I had a real choice, but alas the option to put the fork down has been staring me in the face ever since I realized there was a choice.

I had it all written out - how habits are formed from the crib and so forth - but if that is truly the case, why was it that during UKC I experienced a significant reduction in cravings? Well, my body was detoxing from all of the toxins first of all, but what I was left with was what I think normal people experience. Things sounded yummy, but I didn't have the hard hitting cravings I was once a slave to; which, came back after I started reintegrating certain not-so-good foods into my life, by the way.

Lets take a look at some of the 'Die Fat or Get Fit' fundamentals

* "Fat people eat for pleasure; fit people eat for health" While this assumes non-fat people are fit, how many times have we heard, "I used to live to eat but now I live to eat" on The Biggest Loser?

* "Fat people believe there's a secret to getting fit; fit people know there is no secret" Where is the magic diet pill people have died trying to find?

* "Fat people are obsessed with food; fit people are obsessed with success." I actually see the other side, fat people are obsessed with success so much so they get in their own ways trying to find perfection.

* "Fat people believe 99% compliance is good; fit people believe 99% compliance is terrible" Well, that's a bit extreme for me, that fit person sounds a bit crazy in my opinion

* "Fat people negotiate the price of success; fit people just pay the price" Okay, I see that. Trying to find the easy way out or talking yourself out of that 1% compliance. But once again, doesn't everyone do that?

So what do you guys think? Fact or Bull? As Mr. Siebold says, "This epidemic will continue to escalate until people wake up and realize they are the problem as well as the solution."

Yoga For Dummies

So everyone that knows me is well aware that I'm lacking in the balance/coordination department. Kettlebells have helped with that a lot and my flexibility has increased as well.

Lately my hips have been tight, I'm not as good with stretching as I should be, so why not try yoga as a one stop shop exercise?

I have to admit that I have a ton of fitness DVDs that have gone unused for years. Years ago I bought a lot of Yoga DVDs when I worked at Best Buy. I did a Kathy Smith one and was so lost that I stopped. Well last night I popped in Yoga For Dummies DVD and liked it!

It really is the basics, but it gave a good overview of where each part of your body should be and what it should be doing at various stages of the moves which I found helpful. I was actually mad at myself that I've had the program for a long time and never used it.

I'd try to get it on Netflix or the library since it was really basic, but the instructor was helpful and the "dummy" tips were useful too.

Who Made You Overweight?

So my friends at ACAM run a wellness blog called Community Table with a lot of great stuff. Today they posted an article from London Free Press that got me thinking. It centers around why we are fat, who or what is at the root?

Steve Siebold, author of Diet Fat or Get Tough, "Getting fat is 100% your fault. It's not partly your fault; it's completely your fault."Siebold is well aware of the tolls obesity takes as a former "fat-tub-of-lard with my belly hanging over my belt." The article, of course counters that there are medical reasons for obesity.

As you can imagine this mentality has gotten a lot of flack for its hard hitting blunt mentality.What do I think about it? Sort of a "he's just not that into you" moment. While he makes many good points about personal responsibility and us being the masters of our own destinies, you have to admit that some habits start pretty much from the crib. Sure when you're older you can decide to eat a salad or pizza, but the question is whether or not the brain is already hard wired.

But alas, am I BSing myself? Is this indignation I'm feeling caused by my own doubt? If food is hardwired into the brain, why did my cravings significantly drop when I was doing Ultimate Kettlebell Camp? Well one, the toxins started to exit my body without replenishment and what was left was head hunger. Things sounded yummy, but I didn't have the hard hitting cravings I was once a slave to; which, came back after I started reintegrating certain not-so-good foods into my life, by the way.

Lets take a look at some of the 'Die Fat or Get Fit' fundamentals

* "Fat people eat for pleasure; fit people eat for health" While this assumes non-fat people are fit, how many times have we heard, "I used to live to eat but now I live to eat" on The Biggest Loser?

* "Fat people believe there's a secret to getting fit; fit people know there is no secret" Where is the magic diet pill people have died trying to find?

* "Fat people are obsessed with food; fit people are obsessed with success." I actually see the other side, fat people are obsessed with success so much so they get in their own ways trying to find perfection.

* "Fat people believe 99% compliance is good; fit people believe 99% compliance is terrible" Well, that's a bit extreme for me, that fit person sounds a bit crazy in my opinion

* "Fat people negotiate the price of success; fit people just pay the price" Okay, I see that. Trying to find the easy way out or talking yourself out of that 1% compliance. But once again, doesn't everyone do that?

So what do you guys think? Fact or Bull? As Mr. Siebold says, "This epidemic will continue to escalate until people wake up and realize they are the problem as well as the solution."

The Purpose

Hi Everyone!

Welcome to my blog. Please see my 'Finding My Healthy Self' entry for a full background on me. All the posts you see before this one are from a different blog I was working on.

Here's the deal: I've been fat all of my life. Well, first stocky, then heavy, then fat, then morbidly obese. Gosh that stings. I've finally committed myself to get healthy, I'm sick of being the person I am now, what people see is only a shadow of who I feel like I truly am.

I am on the top of my game when I'm writing down my feelings and what is going on which brings us here. I'm not here to get notoriety or recognition, this is just millionth + one wellness oriented blog. I'm not the best writer, I don't always have the most interesting stories, I don't know a lot of technical stuff about writing, but here I am!

- Megan

UKC Numbers

Here are my stats for UKC for 6 weeks (42 days)

Intake: 51,925 calories
Output: 131,763 calories (per BodyBugg, KBs burn a lot more!)
Deficit: 79,838

Pounds Lost: 19
Total Inches Lost: 14.75 !!!!
Neck: 1.5 inches
Arm: 2.0 inches
Waist: 6.25 inches
Thigh: 5.0 inches

In The Interest of Full Disclosure

I thought I'd piggyback off of Chris and post my weights at various times for full disclosure.



My weight has been a constant struggle, I first started to notice it in 5th grade, but definitely in 6th grade. I only weighed 125 or so that year, but I couldn't fit into the juniors section (Limited Too, lol) that my friends could.

I remember weighing myself the summer between 7th and 8th grade and could not believe that it said 156. That was when my first real diet started. After that it was about 10 pounds every year from there, I'd lose some weight and gain it back. Eventually, I started to gain more back than I had lost so my dieting really served as a way to stave back the weight gain.

I fit into Limited / Express up until the second half of my first year in college. After that my ability to lose weight deteriorated, which I now know was due to lack of muscle, lots of fat, and probably PCOS (which BTW my doctors lacked to diagnose me as until 2009!)

That is why I'm proud of the 12 pounds I lost in 2009, I actually did lose a total of 18, but slipped towards the end of the year. But, the important thing was that UKC made sure that I stuck with my goals and thanks to it I have continued the downward trend.



I'm not going to say what my Week 6 numbers were (stay tuned this week), but I will say I finally felt validated with my progress above and beyond how much better I feel physically and mentally. I will say that the next dot on the chart does put me at "only" severely obese status. It's a hard pill to swallow, but yes that is a good thing. :)

Last Day of UKC

We had our last day of official UKC today. I can't believe that we all met exactly 6 weeks ago for orientation. People say it takes 3 months for a full turnaround and confirmation of behavior, but I feel like we have a good head start.

I feel the change in me. My aftercare plan is really to keep moving because I know that's really important. I know that it is a slippery slope food wise so I'm not planning on making any dramatic additions, the longer I go with the original plan the longer I prolong my momentum. (I am looking forward to brown rice tortillas of all things though, oh and balsamic).

I want to start doing morning workouts, if not at the gym then at my house doing videos/kettlebells/pool. My Bodybugg shows a bigger burn when I workout in the morning, so why not capitalize on that?

Unlike other plans, my stomach has shrunken so much, too. It's unbelievable actually. What usually happens is I lose 15 pounds and I'm in the same pants and they are baggy in the legs. This time I've lost some of my tummy, I started in a XXL workout pant from Old Navy and as of this morning I fit into the large sized pants.

Honestly, I feel like I'm sprinting past other "diet" plans I've been on, as of last week I'm lower than I was a few years ago when I lost a bunch of weight and as of today I am following the weight loss track of when I did the UCI meal replacements plan in 2004.

What's the official number? You'll have to check out Wednesday's episode.

My Progress...

So I was feeling down after the weigh in, but I know there's progress being made in terms of how I feel and how my clothes are fitting. It should be interesting to do measurements on Saturday.

These are what the past year have looked like, 'Wk 0' is around Mother's Day 2009 and I'm at about my heaviest, 248. 'Wk 29' is December 2009 and 'Week 40' pics were taken yesterday.

Confession...

So in complete honesty, I fell off of the wagon last night which is made even worse by the fact I had just left our group counseling session. I think it was mainly about it being an ingrained tradition for my birthday and having that feeling of food and family around me.

I had made plans to meet family at Friday's of all places for dinner. It's easy to get to for everyone and the portions aren't humongous like other chains. I had resolved to eat grilled chicken and steamed veggies, but I went a little too long without eating and BS'd myself into having one potato skin and a burger - no sauce and only the bottom bun. But I digress, not having the sauce or the top bun don't make the offense any lighter, I committed myself to the program and I broke my promises.

I usually avoid black and white thinking, but I know it is a slippery slope and accountability is my thing, which is why I'm posting for all to see. I've even thought about waiting even longer to reintegrate things back into my diet for that very reason. Part of the only reason I'm actually posting this is because my body felt terrible last night and this morning and I told Chris.

Yesterday I had a light breakfast and salad and got in extra cardio. But, all of that PLUS everything I'm doing today is only to play catch up for the moment of weakness yesterday, no matter how I look at it. All of the cardio I do today will not be to move me forward, it will be to make up for setbacks last night. (I still had a calorie deficit and that was with the Bodybugg's interpretation of KBs).

It's been a tough week with cravings, but in a way this has recommitted me. Emotional eater me won last night, but I'm making it a priority to be stronger the next few weeks until some not-so-bad things come back into my life.

What's done is done. I woke up this morning, took all of my vitamins, my apple cider vinegar, packed all of my food for the day, have consumed 40+ oz of water and am planning on going to the gym at lunch and in between work and UKC tonight.

Oh, BTW, my allowance system takes money away for these very things. Booo :(

There, I published it, now I have to do it.

My Birthday Wish This Year

There's nothing like a birthday to make you reflect on what you want for yourself. I'm personally not one to celebrate just me, my birthday is usually about spending time with friends and family, but at any holiday I can never get the thought out of my head of what things will be like NEXT year.

I always say I'm not going to be as fat, I'll feel more social around people I don't know, it'll be different. So is next year finally my year or will I discover things still aren't so simple?

Only time will tell, but at least I'll look good!

Jump Rope

Did you guys see me jumping rope in the video? How amazing was that? I surprised myself with that one! Gotta love the Rocky-esque montage of me we got to see last night, pretty bad ass, lol.

Finding My Healthy Self

Having been "chunky" and then "heavy" and then "overweight" and eventually "obese and beyond" throughout my life, I have constantly struggled with my weight. Active but stocky as a child, the weight piled on incrementally for 15+ years.

After consulting with an integrative doctor I was referred to Alysia Gadson, a personal trainer and spinal care specialist in my area who specializes in balancing the body after sports injuries predominantly using kettlebells. Alysia and her phenomenal "team" were in the process of assembling a web production following the lives of overweight individuals making significant lifestyle changes in real time while living their real lives. Their vision transformed into the Ultimate Kettlebell Camp (UKC) and was built around the concept that many lives and entire families can be transformed by one person's efforts to better their lives.

I have never been fit or anywhere near balanced, coordinated, or athletic in all of my life, so I was hesistant to interview for a spot in the camp when the opportunity presented itself. Not only would it involve me telling people about it, but also revealing my weight. I always figured that I would have a revelation - a bolt of lighting would hit me and I would be fervently motivated and undeterred by my environment and would shed the weight like magic. The thought of exposing myself like that seemed unthinkable. But then I looked back at my life as an overweight individual and realized that maybe this WAS my big moment to change the cycle of poor choices and ingrained habits.

After contemplating on why my past nutrition and fitness goals have fallen short in the past, I decided that accountability has been a huge factor in my successes and setbacks. Here I was, presented with hours of personal training sessions with an expert and the only payment requested in turn was my time and effort. How could I not attempt to get into the UKC and join 4 fellow campers on an amazing journey of self discovery?

In short, it has been a great experience. From our initial orientation I have felt connected with my fellow campers and Alysia has a natural compassion to the plight of the overweight community that is a rare quality to find in the fitness world.
I had limited knowledge of kettlebells, I had read they were used in Russian military training and knew they had become popular with celebrities, but was alarmed when a quick internet search brought up an abundance of pictures and videos of bodybuilders doing all sorts of crazy things. Something was missing, information for beginners and those who simply cannot deadlift a car over their heads. I found the missing link when I went to Alysia's site and watched videos, read blog entries, and read recipes that all made logical sense. What I have come to realize is that many kettlebell moves are very basic and easy for beginners, but can be modified using different weights and positions for advanced users.

Even though it has been dreadfully embarrassing showing my friends, families, co-workers, and anyone else on YouTube my weight, I have found it to ultimately be freeing. It is amusing to think that that number held me back for so long, a number that I am sure most people could estimate on their own. I will take that one step further and share that I was already 12 pounds out from my highest weight when the camera started rolling. Since starting UKC I have lost an additional 12 pounds and feel myself shedding the angst and fear I used to carry around with me. Furthermore, in addition to the new muscles I am now noticing, I have also gained a sense of accomplishment and for the first time in a long time I realize there may actually be an end to my struggle with obesity.

In addition to number based accomplishments, I have achieved other milestones in the past month, my legs are more firm, my belly has shrunken, I have more energy, sleep better, and am wearing clothing I grew out of long ago. More amazingly, the program has gotten me past (big breath) 230 which seemed to be a personal barrier for the longest time and even past 225 which is the lowest I was able to get during a fitness push a couple of years ago.

I have genuinely done many diets and unlike some of the crazy fad diets you read about, the Ultimate Kettlebell Camps's nutritional focus was on clean whole foods and our workouts are supplemented with homework involving exercise and personal introspection. Without the crazy cookie diets or supplements warning users to only take it 3 weeks at a time for personal safety reasons, I have seen actual results. I did not think muscle toning with my body composition was possible in such a short amount of time. The main difference I have seen with the kettlebells as opposed to just cardio and regular weights is that it works all muscle groups and gives you a cardio experience at the same time, no gym and virtually no space required to use or store. Yes, I have been sore most days of the program, but I have a new appreciation for the soreness and have come to realize that if I'm not sore it's time to move to a heavier weight!

Looking back I can't say that I still don't cringe when I watch my videos, but I am proud that I took the step of sharing my experience and have taken ownership of my responsibility to my body.

Week 5

I'm excited to be going into week 5 and am feeling trepidation that we are 2/3 of the way over. I'm amazed at the progress we have all made and am ready to fully throw myself into UKC this week.

I plan on upping my cardio and trying to keep moving at night, even when I'm watching TV. Fatigue has been winning, but it's just a feeling :) Lets cross our fingers for the best!

Rounding Out Week 4

It seems absolutely crazy that we have been at this a month! My friends and family keep telling me I'm half way done, but I'm looking at it as we ONLY have 3 weeks left. (Officially 2 weeks tomorrow!)

The day before weigh in is always a bundle of nerves, I know I've worked hard and feel changes in my muscle tone, can feel "new bones", and my clothes feel better, but the scale hasn't been showing the change as much as I would like.

Over the past few weeks I've struggled with making this MY journey, not a competition. It's incredible how much I rely on my buddy calls with Chris and talking it out with everyone else before/after workouts.

While I try to keep up with people at workouts, I've ultimately decided it's all about completing everything and putting my whole effort in, not how I measure up speed or weight wise with everyone else. We all have our stronger and weaker points, but our commitment to each other and the program is what shines through at the end of the day.

Oops, gotta be up in 6 hours, better go to bed!

~Megan~