THIS is What Friends are For!

Via Pinterest

Today I had the BEST day, all thanks to one of my newer friends!  Before I tell you what happened, let me give you some background.

BeautyJunkie824 and I “met” online through YouTube, and when we discovered that we only live about 40 minutes apart, we knew we had to meet.  Originally we decided to meet up for the first time at a WLS support group through Kaiser, when we were both pre-op.  We spent an hour at the meeting and then we headed to Starbucks and stayed for hours, just chatting, getting to know each other and realizing just how much we had in common.  BeautyJunkie824 got VSG surgery about 8 weeks ago, and looks fantabulous!  She’s lost over 66 lbs – 30 lbs since surgery and the rest from her pre-op diet.  She’s one of my inspirations on this weight loss journey, and I’m so lucky to have met her.  It really was kismet.

So today, BeautyJunkie824 and I met up at Starbucks again and talked for another 3 hours about losing weight, wls, life, and everything in between.  As she let me ask her “20 questions” (probably more!!) about her experience with VSG, I got more and more excited.  To think that that could be me in a matter of a few short months is incredible.  She said that she felt like VSG was truly a miracle for her, but pointed out, as ScaleWarfare did in her post today, that it is all about the healthy choices she’s making.  BeautyJunkie said that she could easily eat a ton of ice cream and never workout and she’d be putting on the pounds.  Instead, she eats protein first, is up to running a 5K several times a week, and make sure to get in all her water.

I told BeautyJunkie824 that I knew I had to ramp up my exercise (calorie burn) if I was going to see the weight loss results that I wanted, and she reminded me that I don’t always have to hit the gym to get in that extra workout.  Again, life’s not all black and white; an idea that keeps repeating itself to me, and will continue to do so until I start living it, I guess. Anyway, she mentioned that when she first started back with exercise this time around, she began with the Leslie Sansone Walk Away the Pounds DVDs.  Scale Warfare also mentioned those, and I just so happened to have bought this DVD from Amazon about a month ago.  (I haven’t opened it yet, but I will, this week).  And then I remembered that I have a few Biggest Loser DVDs (Boot Camp, Yoga, and 30-Day Jumpstart) that have been gathering dust in my garage for about a year.

As I was leaving, BeautyJunkie824 told me that she’d brought something for me.  We headed to her car, and she took out 2 huge bags filled with clothes for me!  All sizes 22-18!  I’m not in those sizes just yet, so this is even more incentive for me to keep up my good work and get these pounds off!  I have great clothes just waiting for me.  (On a side note, Scale Warfare is also being wonderfully generous and sending me some of her too-big clothes!!  Between these two ladies, I’m going to be all set until I get to my goal weight!)  I am so  touched by this generosity!  It’s overwhelming, and definitely something that I will “pay forward” once I’m out of these sizes.

Between BeautyJunkie824 and Scale Warfare, I feel so loved, encouraged, and supported!  It’s amazing to have these two women in my life.  They’ve both been through the VSG surgery, so I can learn from them, but even more importantly, they are two people whom I met online and whom I felt an instant connection with.  Like we’re meant to be friends and will always be in each others’ lives.  This is the power of blogging and vlogging that you just can’t beat!  Meeting up with BeautyJunkie824 makes me want to meet Scale Warfare even more, too!  Someday soon, lady!!!!

I was so motivated that when I got home, that I took Sofi for a 30-minute, quick-paced walk and then came home and did Week 1, Day 1 and 2 of the Bigges Loser 30-Day Jumpstart DVD.  Day 1 was 10 minutes of cardio and Day 1 was 10 minutes of upper body strength/core training.  The plan for this week:

• Wednesday: Walk Sofi; 30-Day Jumpstart cardio (10 min.); Walk Away the Pounds (level 1 – 18 min)
• Thursday: gym day – 35 min. on elliptical; walk Sofi; 30-Day Jumpstart lower body (10 min)
• Friday: Walk Sofi; 30-Day Jumpstart cardio (10 min.) (We’ll see if I feel like doing more)

I’m rocking it with my food.  So much so that I’m going to make a video tomorrow about my latest “haul” from Bariatric Choice.  December 17th is totally within my reach, and I know I’m going to make my goal.

Who have you inspired today? 

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Need Motivation? Check These Out!

I’m always on the lookout for new shows, blogs, etc. that can offer me motivation in my weight loss journey.  I’ve recently found a few that I’m really enjoying and I thought you might, too.

For me it all starts with food.  The best defense against insane cravings taking me off track is to stockpile some quick and delicious recipes that I’ll enjoy making as much as I’ll enjoy eating.

I love a good cookbook and this one from South Beach Diet is a keeper.  The recipes are clearly marked “Phase 1” or “Phase 2” and the directions are easy to follow.  It has tons of photographs throughout, which is really important for a visual person like me.  The recipes themselves look delicious, and I plan to make a few of them in the coming weeks, so look for posts.  Even if you’re not following SBD, these recipes are healthy, flavorful, and easy – perfect for summer.

Once you’ve got a cadre of great-for-you recipes the next element is working out.

Have you guys seen this new show on ABC?  I really like it because it’s not a competition show – it’s just one person working hard and losing weight.  Yes, the weight loss is extreme, but so are the starting weights.  The trainer/life coach Chris Powell’s approach is kind and effective.  He doesn’t need to scream and yell at his clients like Jillian Michaels in order to get them to comply with his plan.  He treats them with respect, understanding, and honesty.  They trust him with their lives and they get results.  I’ve watched three shows and found all of them to be so motivational.  If people who are much bigger than me can workout hard and stick to a diet plan then so can I.  Yes, they’re in the gym for 5 hours a day, which is unrealistic for most of us, but the concept is the same.  And since I’m off of work this summer and have nothing but time on my hands, there is nothing stopping me from working out to my full potential, too.

And since this is a lifestyle and not a diet with an end date, what better way to stay motivated than with a new site that offers tips on weight loss, fitness, fashion and fun?

Remember the purple team from the last season of The Biggest Loser?  Olivia and Hannah have come up with their very own blog called My Fitspiration.  I loved these girls on the show, and I can’t wait to see what they come up with on this blog.  It’s going to include videos as well as written posts and will have a little bit of everything – Q&A, motivation, fun finds.  It’s already in my blogroll, and I think it should be in yours, too.

What new weightloss or fitness finds have you come across?  Please share in the comments!

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Scary scale

Yesterday I got on the scale, and even though I said I wasn’t going to post that weigh-in on the blog, I felt the need to write.

The number that I saw Wednesday morning was SCARY!  It’s the highest number I’ve ever seen displayed on the scale, and it’s not a number I ever want to see again.  I was really disappointed to see that the 4lbs I’ve lost so far are gone and I’ve gained more.

I really don’t have a great explanation for it.  My eating has been hit or miss.  Either I’m really on point and tracking everything and eating healthy or I’m not.  I haven’t really been working out, but I have been taking Lulu on fairly long walks and I was busting my butt moving/lifting/unpacking heavy boxes, cleaning and organizing, and I figured that had to count for something.  Not enough,  I guess.

Besides that, my feet have been incredibly swollen lately, so I am retaining water, although I’m sure that’s only a small portion of the scary number on the scale.  The swelling began the weekend I moved and has stayed with me ever since.  Soaking my feet helps, but other than drinking a bunch of water, I really don’t know what I can do to make the swelling subside. Any suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated.

Seeing that number was eye-opening.  It’s an indication that unless I check myself and really start taking this weight loss seriously again, I’m going to gain and gain and gain.

I also watched Biggest Loser last night, and say what you will about the show, I  get so much inspiration from it.  Seeing those people struggle to reach 500 steps or run the 1 mile really hit home.  That could so easily be me, and I wonder if I’d be the one that didn’t make it onto the show because I couldn’t push through the pain.  (I have a feeling that my competitive nature would take over and I’d do whatever it took to win, but who knows).  Hearing the desperation in some of the contestants’ voices was like hearing myself talk about LapBand surgery.  The thing is, that feeling of urgency (or desperation) also brings with it a sense of hope.  Hope for a better (thinner/healthier) future.  Hope to finally become the person I know I’m meant to be.

So forgive me if this seems a bit rambling or philosophical.  I have the flu and I’m feeling sort of loopy and out of it.

P.S. – Over 6 weeks smoke free!!!

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Weigh-In Wednesday – Perspective

This past week was a struggle for me.  As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I had some issues around keeping things in perspective in terms of getting off track of this healthy lifestyle.  The post really resonated with so many of you, and the comments were truly insightful.  For anyone who’s been struggling in any way regarding weight loss, I highly recommend that you go back and read them.  You’ll definitely come away with a heightened awareness about your own journey.

The thing I realized after reading everyone’s comments and spending some time really thinking about it was that often I make an insignificant slip-up seem like a much bigger issue.  It’s that perfectionist side of myself that I’m trying to combat.  In reality, I probably wasn’t over my Points by much this weekend, and I did get in some good exercise.  No one feels like they’re on track in all aspects of weight loss (or life, for that matter) 100% of the time, and I am working on reframing my thinking so that I’m able to bounce back from setbacks much more quickly than I have in the past. 

After all of that worry and strife, let’s see what the scale showed this morning:

 which means I gained 1.3 lbs this week, for a total loss of 5.1 pounds overall. This is actually a fantastic result, considering I just got TOM.  I usually gain between 2-5 lbs, so this is actually a smaller gain than I have had in the past 3-4 months.  I’m attributing that to my increased water consumption (minimizing bloating), and increased exercise over the past few weeks. 

Which really shows me that I need to get a grip on myself sometimes.  I’ll never be a calm, mellow person – that’s just not in my nature.  But I can probably be a bit more zen about this weight loss journey.  Every speed bump is not a cause for alarm. 

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Did you guys see Biggest Loser last night?  I won’t ruin anything for those that haven’t seen it yet, but I will say that I was overwhelmed, inspired, and just so moved by the entire episode.  It was exactly what I needed to help put things into perspective.  Even though I’m a very positive person overall, sometimes I focus so much on the pounds and what’s not going well, when I should also focus on is how much I’ve grown in terms of my abilities.  BL reminded me of that.  Also, can I just confess that I have had the biggest crush on Michael since the beginning of the season, but it has solidified even more last night.  He really seems to be coming into his own now, and I find him very inspiring.  Even if you’re not a regular view of the show, I really recommend going to the website and watching the episode, because it’s worth it.

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Lots of us are in the middle of 21-day challenges.  I’m working on water consumption, Scale Warfare‘s wearing her GoWearFit, and Seattle Runner Girl is getting up early every day. 

Well, the girls at The Sisterhood are in on the fun too, and have started their own version of  the 21-day challenge for everyone to join in on.  They just ask you to commit to starting or changing 1-3 habits for the next 21 days and then reporting back weekly to them on how you’re progressing.  I’m going to join in, because I can use the extra accountability.  How about you?  Do you have something you’d like to work on (I’m sure you do).  Why not join in on this challenge and make (or break) a new habit?!

My new habit: drinking 8 glasses of water per day.

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Rubenesque Ladies Running – Week 5 Recap

This week’s recap can be summed up in one word – FAIL!

Yes, that’s right, I didn’t do any of the trainings this week.  And no, not because the fear of jogging for 3 full minutes took over.  😛  It was because I got a nasty cold that stayed with me all week. I knew I couldn’t workout at all this past weekend, because I was feeling so lousy.  I don’t need to get into all the gory details, but let’s just say, I could barely make it standing on my feet, let alone moving them.

I did attempt to do the training on Tuesday, but I was still just too congested.  I did end up walking for 30 minutes, though, so I got some exercise in, at least.

Ok, so where do I go from here?  Well, I just go on to the repeat week that’s coming up and keep on with the training schedule.  I’m not too disappointed in myself because I definitely had the desire to train, but the cold just knocked me on my ass.  It happens.  Getting sick is just one of those things in life we can’t control.

I’m looking forward to starting the repeat week today after work.  I am going to try to do 4 days of the training (adding one day), just so I can feel like I’m making up for some lost time.

Make sure to check out Scale Warfare’s blog, because I guarantee you she had a much more successful week than I did.

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In other news, I’ve made a difficult decision that is somewhat related to RLR.  Lately I’ve been feeling very overwhelmed with all of the workouts.  I feel like I never have any time to myself during the week, because every evening has something going on.  I’ve been feeling this way since January, when I started back with personal training.  My heart just hasn’t been in the training.

As much as I have loved seeing what I can push myself to do with Jimmy’s help, I really feel like I need a break from the personal training right now.  I texted him (our main form of communication) and it almost felt like I was telling him I needed a break in a relationship:

I think I have too much going on in my life right now to keep focused on personal  training.  I need to get some breathing space so I can get my drive back.  Can we put my sessions on hold ’till the summer when I’ll have more time and I can focus?  I really hate to disappoint you, but I feel like I’m being pulled in all directions right now.  Working with you has been so amazing, and I want to feel positive about training again, but I can’t put my whole heart in it right now with everything else.  I hope you know how special you are to me as a personal trainer and that you’ll let me train with you again in June when life gets less hectic.

Phew!  I really poured my heart out in the texts, but it felt like the right thing to do.  I’d been giving it a lot of thought these last few weeks, because as I said to him, I really felt like I was just going through the motions and my heart wasn’t in it.  Jimmy asked when we could talk about this, and I told him he could call any time, but he hasn’t contacted me yet.

Part of me wonders if I’m just giving up, but then most of me knows that I made the right decision.  I want to give my effort to the RLR training right now, and I feel like all of it is just too much.  I want to get back into using my Wii games – the Wii Fit Plus, EA Sports Active, Biggest Loser Challenge.  Not to mention the DVDs I have – the BL Boot Camp, BL Yoga, and Jillian’s 30 Day Shred.  I want to go to the gym and just get on the elliptical or take a group exercise class.  I guess I just don’t want the incredible intensity right now.

Maybe it’s just this lousy winter weather – maybe I would just rather be home and working out with DVDs/Wii instead of battling the rain and wind and cold (granted, it’s California cold, but sometimes cold is just cold no matter where you live) at 6pm or 7pm on a weeknight.

Plus, I just feel like I lose more weight the weeks when I don’t do the personal training, for some reason.  Yes, I’ve lost inches, but I haven’t really lost weight.  It’s discouraging.  I don’t want to seem lazy, but when I start feeling like this, I know that I get overwhelmed and then I just shut down and don’t do anything.  And I definitely don’t want that to happen.  I just want to enjoy working out, without any pressure.  I think putting the personal training on hold until the summer when I have more time is the best decision for me.

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Weigh-In Wednesday – Week 1

 Today is the first weigh-in day of the new 2010 weight loss journey and I definitely had mixed feelings on my way to the scale this morning.  On the one hand, I have been doing really well on tracking Points, preparing meals ahead of time, keeping my portions moderate, and exercising (I earned 19 APs this week). On the other hand, I was did use all of my flex points and quite a few of my APs this week – NYE and my attempt at cold-turkey quitting used lots of points.

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Still,  no matter what the scale showed, I knew I was going to be proud of myself for staying really positive and motivated all week long, even in the face of some challenging moments.  But let’s get to that scale shot:

 Which means that I’m up 1.7 lbs.  this week, for a total of 1.7 lbs gained in 2010. (Notice the nice pedicure – finally, a scale shot where my feet look nice! :))

Am I disappointed that my first week of the new year shows a gain?  Yes.  Am I  going to beat myself up over it and let it destroy my momentum?  No!  I am in a really good place mentally right now, and I feel like nothing can slow me down.  I know that I overate this past week because of NYE, trying to quit, and a dinner out at a Mexican restaurant, which didn’t help matters.  As I said above, I ate all of my flex points and a lot of my APs.  But today is the start of a new week. So, onward and downward from here!!

Goals for the coming week:

• Drink all of my water.
• At least 30 min. of activity every day.
• Start organizing the recipe binder.
• Make 1 new recipe.

Check in next Wednesday to see how I did.

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Biggest Loser

How happy was I that BL is on again?  You guys know how much I love that show.  I admit it, I like the personal stories (and sometimes the drama that comes with them) as much as I like the motivation and inspiration I get from watching it.

I absolutely love the White Team, but then again, they are Italian, so I gotta show my ethnic pride, right? I love the positive attitude Mike has, even though he is the biggest player they’ve ever had.  The Green Team has so much heart!  I see shades of Tara from season 7 in them – so much determination and drive.  The Pink Team and the Purple Team make me want to root for them, just for the “girl power” aspect alone.  I’m not sure what it is, but I am really not feeling the Red Team.  I think we’re going to see some shifty game play from them.

Who are you pulling for?
Who could you do without?

Just in case you haven’t already, make sure you sign up for the Pound for Pound Challenge.  I’ve pledged to lose 50 pounds by June. How many will you pledge?  You can get more details about the challenge by clicking on the widget on my sidebar —————–>

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Pound for Pound Challenge

Anyone who saw the finale of The Biggest Loser last night (don’t worry, I’m not going to give anything away for those who haven’t had a chance to view it yet), probably saw the spot about the Pound for Pound Challenge sponsored by The Biggest Loser and General Mills.

I’ve been asked to participate in the challenge, which worked out perfectly, because I was planning on doing it anyway.  When my journalism class and I volunteered at Second Harvest Food Bank last month, it became clear just how many hungry people there are in my area.  I want to do as much as I can to help this cause.

General Mills is also encouraging Americans to fight hunger in their own communities and help Feeding America deliver millions of pounds of groceries to local food banks by joining the Pound For Pound Challenge. Americans can get involved by pledging to lose weight online at www.PFPChallenge.com.  For every pound lost, General Mills will donate $0.14 to Feeding America (up to $800,000), enough to deliver one pound of groceries to a local food bank.

So, I’ve pledged to lose 50 pounds (the maximum allowed) by June 30, 2010.  That may be an ambitious goal, but I’m going to do my best to make it happen.  I have the weight to lose, so I figured this would be a great way to stay motivated and support a worthy cause all at the same time.

Will you join me?  It only takes 5 minutes to sign up, and think of all the good you can do for yourself and those in your community!

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Weigh-In Wednesday – 7 weeks left!

This week I was expecting a gain on the scale for two reasons.  My weekend dinner parties that had huge point totals each day and the fact that I was so sick that I couldn’t workout.  My cold has now escalated to bronchitis, but I went to the doctor yesterday and got a prescription for heavy-duty codeine-laden cough syrup and an inhaler.  Last night I was finally able to sleep through the night and didn’t wake up until 5:30 this morning (the night before I had a coughing fit that finally forced me to wake up for the day at 2:30am – not fun).

So, what happened with the scale this week?

Which means that I’m up 0.8. Not the direction I was hoping for, but considering the factors I’ve already mentioned, I expected a scarier number on the scale.

Last night I watched The Biggest Loser and was very inspired by what Daniel said toward the end of the show.  I wish I would have written it down last night because I can’t recall his exact words, but what he really struck me.  He said something along the lines of “I just finally stopped making excuses, stopped being scared, and just started to take this journey seriously.”  The full episode isn’t available online yet, so I can’t find the quote.  Once it is, I’ll come back and edit this.

(On a side note: Did you guys happen to catch the commercial last night for the Biggest Loser Resort?  It’s in Utah, and basically offers the “Biggest Loser Lifestyle” for for $1595 a week, double occupancy.  That’s an incredible amount of money, but look at this:

Sample of our daily schedule:

6:00 am – Open Gym or Class
7:00 am – Breakfast
8:00 am – Hike / Walk
11:30 am – Water Aerobics
12:45 pm – Lunch
1:15 pm – Education Series: Cooking Demo
2:30 pm – Kickboxing
3:30 pm – Circuit Training
4:30 pm – Stretch
5:30 pm – Dinner
6:15 pm – Education Series: Intuitive Eating

If I was wealthy, I would spend the money and go for two weeks this summer.  In a heartbeat.  But maybe I can just try to replicate it myself.  After all, they don’t have Jimmy at this resort.  😉 )

The point is, I’m on the right path.  It’s been very bumpy for me, but I think I’m putting the tools in place to show significant results in the coming weeks and into next year when the pounds will really start to come off. I’m not giving up on 2009, but sheer numbers and math tells me that 2010 is going to be the year that the majority of my weight comes off.  I’m not hoping for it, it’s a fact.  It WILL happen.

Goals for this week ahead:

1. Once the coughing subsides, get back to working out.  For now I’m going to stick with less intense workouts, but I’m hoping I can get back to my training with Jimmy within a week.  I miss those workouts!
2. This might be TMI, so you could skip to #3 if you want to.  I need to make sure to take a fiber supplement this week (Benefiber or Metamucil) so that I stay regular.  The cough syrup the doctor prescribed has a warning that it may cause constipation, and that’s the last thing I need.
3. Spend part of my day off today cooking two make-ahead meals for the rest of this week and into the future (love the freezer!).
4. Continue tracking every bite. I tracked every single day last week, and it was reassuring to know that while those two dinners were huge, I still managed to make it work within my points.
5. Continue my accountability emails with Scale Warfare.  I love our nightly emails for so many reasons, but most of all because I feel so in control when I have “closed the kitchen,” prepared the next day’s lunch, and sent the email.  I feel so supported and I’m hoping that SW feels just as supported by me.  I highly recommend emailing someone else your food journal if you’ve been struggling with eating in any way.  It helps so much!
6. Get a pedicure!  I know this one really doesn’t have anything to do with weight loss, but I’ve neglected my toes too long, and I want next week’s photo (which WILL show a loss) to feature nice looking feet.  😉

I’m feeling really positive going into the last 7 weeks of the year.  My mind is in the right place, my eating is in control, and once I’m healthy, my intense activity will resume.

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Wouldn’t you know it?

This morning I got a call from my doctor’s office letting me know that she had called in sick for the day.  This happened to me one other time and I remember thinking that it was so rare that a doctor would actually be sick.  Apparently, not as rare as I thought.

So, now I wait until next week to see the doctor because my schedule is so packed.

The good news?  I’m continuing to lose weight.  Today I weighed in at 2.3 pounds down from last week’s weight!  Of course, that’s completely unofficial until tomorrow morning, but it’s a darn good sign that things may be taking a turn towards normal, which is awesome!!!

It sort of seems like now that I finally made a doctor’s appointment, my body is getting back on track.  But that’s fine, I still want to see what the doctor has to say, because there definitely may be a medical “thing” happening.

Speaking of medical issues, did you watch Biggest Loser?  What an episode.  Now I usually cry every single time I watch that show, but last night I thought I wouldn’t be able to make it through the whole show.  What a group of contestants!  These people have some really serious emotional issues that they’ve been dealing with for a very long time.

It  was so cool to see the cutting-edge medical testing that they did on the contestants this year, and the fact that researchers are studying them in the hopes of working on obesity-related issues.  If only we could all get such thorough examinations!

I really think we’re going to see some amazing transformations (both in body and in mind/spirit) this season.

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Biggest Loser Finale – She was robbed!

I was really looking forward to the finale last night.  This season has been so much better than the previous one, and although there was som game play involved, no one was ugly or awful to each other.  I truly liked most of the contestants, and would’ve been happy seeing any of them win, although I was rooting for Tara, because she deserved it. 

Tara was far and away the best player.  She dominated every challenge and had a good attitude throughout.  There were moments where she seemed a bit obsessive, but I can totally relate to that.  I also understand her ultra-competitive nature, because I’m the same way. 

<Sigh> I wish that Tara had one!  </Sigh>. 

Still, I’m ok  that Helen won because she really did work her ass off.  Didn’t she look a bit too skinny, though?  I mean, she looks great, but she did have that emaciated look about her. 

I thought the same thing about Jerry, the older man who won the at-home money.  He’s younger than my dad by 5 years, yet he looks sooooooo much older than my dad does.  And he was acting so weird last night.  I know he was excited to win, and I imagine it has to be a bit nerve-racking to be on live TV like that, but he almost seemed like he was a bit out of it.  Didn’t he? 

I’m looking forward to the next season.  I wonder how long it’s going to be before it comes back on?  Does anyone know?

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