Current Weight: 248

What's something you've accomplished since last month?
"I have made some significant progress in both the areas of nutrition and exercise. I keep a food journal and write down all of my meals and snacks. I have learned to be extra diligent about reading food labels and looking at not only the calories in certain foods but I pay much more attention to the overall nutritional content. I have accomplished this through the help of my dietitian and my own determination to actually change my eating habits permanently and not just for the duration of whatever the latest greatest diet is I am trying. I also now do my core workouts and stretches about three to four days a week and I am incorporating cardio about four days a week. I have been able to accomplish this because of several reasons. My husband will take care of our two-year-old if I need to get a workout in some days and my trainer provides me with “homework” every week. I really try to stick to the homework assignments because I don’t want to disappoint my trainer, my family, the readers or myself."

What's something that you've learned from your trainer?
"I have learned that you don’t need fancy gym equipment to get a really good workout. We have been using a stability ball, foam roll and fitness band as part of my workout and I leave the gym sweating and exhausted. Even when I do my workout assignments at home with simple equipment I feel like I have accomplished something when I have completed my workout."

What's something that you've learned from your dietitian?
"I have learned how to really read nutrition labels or look up nutrition information on line if I don’t have a label available for a particular food item. I actually thought I was making “good” choices the first week of the challenge but, upon review of my food journal we discovered I was consuming way too much sodium per day. That is not good for two reasons. The first reason is that the extra sodium does nothing to help my high blood pressure. The second reason is that I retain a lot of water when I consume too much sodium and that causes the scale to go in the wrong direction. The first week was about just developing an awareness of what I was eating, and now I am trying a variety of lower sodium healthy food options, along with more vegetables."

What has been difficult about your new lifestyle?
"The most difficult thing has actually been fitting in all the new changes I have made. I am balancing a full time job that sometimes requires more than 40 hours a week. I have a really busy two year old at home who requires a lot of attention and I still have to find time to play with him and just enjoy spending time with him while he is young. I now have to really think about what I am going to pack to eat for two snacks and lunch throughout my day at work. Dinnertime has been a challenge too. I now have to make sure I have plenty of healthy, yet quick options to accommodate our busy schedule."

Have you noticed any physical changes?
"Yes, I have noticed a few physical changes. I don’t get as winded now at home walking up and down the steps. I am getting a lot stronger every week I work with my trainer. I couldn’t even do 10 push-ups three sessions ago but now I can do three sets of 10 to 12 push-ups. I also notice that areas on my body that were flabby are now starting to shrink a little. I am not so uncomfortable in my own skin anymore. I was able to put on a pair of scrub pants the other day for work that were too tight to wear before Christmas."

Have you noticed any non-physical changes?
"I have noticed a few changes but not too many yet. I feel really proud of myself for all I have accomplished to date. I am still really self-conscious at the gym around really fit people but it gets less intimidating every week. I also feel like I have had more energy."

How have those around you taken notice of your new lifestyle?
"I don’t talk about the challenge all the time, but I did share my weight loss with everyone I knew. My friends, family and co-workers have all been supportive along the way and proud of the steps that I have taken so far towards a new, healthier lifestyle. I was so excited to see the first issue with my picture in it I even showed the article to the cashier at the check out line at the grocery store."

Have you inspired others to start living a healthier lifestyle?
"I don’t know that I actually have to date. Most of my co-workers already were starting to make healthier lifestyle changes on their own. I would hope that by the end of the challenge someone would be able to see me on the cover and say, “if she can do that so can I”. That would be worth all the pain, sweat, tears and hunger pains I will have endured throughout the challenge. After all, that is why I decided to apply to take part in the challenge. I saw the cover of a Healthy & Fit Magazine at the end of the lifestyle challenge for 2008 and I said to my husband, 'I want to do that', and here I am."

What are you looking forward to in the upcoming month?
"I am really looking forward to tying out all the new information I have learned throughout the first month and building on that foundation. I want to maybe try some new healthy foods I haven’t tried. Also, I am excited that we are going to start incorporating some weight training into my workouts. I think I have no place to go but up, while the scale continues to go down."

Have you set any new goals?
"I have set a pretty big long-term goal that I am pretty sure I can accomplish. Next year I will be 40 and I have decided that I am going to train and get myself ready for a mini-triathlon. The one this year at Hawk Island is too soon but I talked to my trainer and he feels I could be ready by next year. I am no Dara Torres but if she can swim in the Olympics at the age of 40+ and she has a toddler than I can compete at the local level when I am 40, and healthy and fit next year."

Justin Grinnell, Senior Trainer at the MAC on Amy

“Amy has come a long way since the first day I saw her. Her schedule is packed with a demanding job and family schedule and she is now learning how to balance everything. It was tough for Amy to get her workouts in at first. She has now gotten in the groove of working out, and I think that she is beginning to notice how much she needs it, and she feels much better when she does workout. Amy has changed her eating and workout habits dramatically and getting four to six workouts per week. Amy has always kept a great attitude. She is ready and willing to do what it takes. She makes no excuses and lets me know when she messes up regardless of the situation. I like that. Accountability is huge.”

Melanie Stanczak,
RD Hayes Green Beach Memorial Hospital on Amy

“Amy has worked toward making better food choices at every opportunity. She has taken much of the processed food out of her diet and is working towards more whole foods choices. She is keeping track of how much fat and sodium she eats in order to make healthier choices. Initially, Amy struggled with balancing all the aspects of a healthy diet. It isn’t easy to balance complex carbohydrates, lean protein, eating enough fruits and vegetables, and choosing low fat and low sodium foods. Amy has become really motivated, especially after making some poor choices early on. We had a great discussion when Amy said she was feeling guilty after making bad food choices. I encouraged her to really think about how she felt after that meal. I told her to use that guilty feeling as a motivator to avoid those mistakes in the future. Next time, she’ll remember that the taste of the cake or donut is not worth the guilt we often feel afterwards.”