NYTC final pix

Final Results of the NYTC (April 2nd, 2009)
Name: Elisa Sterling-Cowan Age: 33
Weight: 145 lbs to 144 lbs (- 1 lb)
Height: 5'5" to 5'6"
Arms: 11" (same)
Chest (above breast): 33" to 35 ¾" (+ 2 ¾ “)
Chest (under breast): 31” to 33 ½” (+ 2 ½ “)
Waist: 29” to 29 ½” (+ ½ “)
Abdomen: 30.5” to 31” (+ ½ “)
Hips: 36” to 37” (+ 1 “)
Thighs: 21 1/2” to 22 ½" (+ 1 “)
Calves: 15" (same)

My Goal: To hit it with intensity and focus. I want to set the foundation of success and accomplishment to jump off in other areas of my life. I want to increase my strength using pullups and my 3 year old as a guide (how long/far I can carry him) . I want to get back to my nutritional convictions. Over the last few months I have made best scenario choices and I would prefer to just eat as I would like to nourish my body best (if that makes sense). As much as I want to plan my meals, I will have to gauge that with other priorities in my life, but I will try new recipes and set a schedule for the times that we will be eating through the day and will aim to cook dinner by lunch time and maximize when I am most energetic in the day. I want to tackle what I have been putting off and be a woman of action and get back to perseverance and discipline.

This has been a time of intensity and perseverance for me and my family. And with the many challenges we faced together, we are growing in our hope and patience to see things through and fighting the feeling of bailing out before the finish of what we have started.

I came into the challenge ready to get back at it and see what I could accomplish, in my fitness journey and in other areas of my life. And with so many things on the go, I felt as though I wasn't giving my all to this challenge and not hitting it with the intensity I did at first. In the first 4 weeks I saw how my clothes fit differently and I was losing weight and inches and I was excited. But after those 4 weeks I saw the weight and the inches going up and at first I was concerned, thinking I was slacking off and not keeping it up and just getting down on myself. I decided that since my focus was divided, I would just continue to make supportive choices and keep pushing to get in my workouts and be active and enjoy life while working on the other things I wanted to accomplish. As I look back over the last 12 weeks, I can see how I managed to maintain my health and the health of my family, and my sanity and manage to meet all the goals I started out with and more. I was able to ramp it up give that extra push at the end and find a way to get get in the intensity, but also to make the most of the efficiency of the FYM workouts.

I am definitely stronger and able to carry my son for quite a distance and time. I have muscle tone in my arms, back, and legs that I didn't before and I know it's been a while since I have. I gained new nutritional convictions, learning that I will continue to tweak each day something in my diet, trying out new recipes and foods that are high in nutritional value. I want to keep it sustainable, something I will do for a long time, not just a diet that last for 30 days. I have raised my standard and am now eating more in the 80 / 20 range and it's doable for me. I can enjoy making “treats” with my kids and still have it be healthy.

In the other areas of my life I have gone after my undone list and finished off things I had started. I got my learner's permit for driving after putting it off for 13 years and it has inspired others to go and succeed in writing their learner's test as well. I have noticed that many are inspired by the actions I take and since I want to live an inspiring life, I am truly encouraged when others around me go after what they want and succeed. That has been my motivation, is to help and motivate others. God has enriched my life with this blessing and as I take more action, others around me take more action. As I step out faithfully, others around me are encouraged to help and to step out on their own faith as well. It can be hard to trust in the unknown, but I have only been pleasantly surprised at every step forward I have taken. I am eager to RUN! I pray that I will not let fear trip me up on my journey and that as eager as I am to run, I still want to walk and enjoy this journey I am on for life (I may through in an interval here and there though).