EDITOR’S NOTE: Jeanette Balmut has been selected to participate in the Year of You, a fitness challenge hosted by The Manteca Bulletin, CalFit Manteca and CORE Athletic Performance. Balmut is keeping a weekly journal, highlighting the strides and struggles of her fitness journey.

Day 358 
MONDAY.  I am a little sore from yesterday but not bad.  Today is my workout with Javi.  I only have three left, I am getting so nervous to do this without him. 
I get to the gym early and do a two mile walk.  I take it easy since I am still a little sore from yesterday.  By the end of the two miles all the soreness has gone away and I feel great. 
Javi has me do all core today.  That means sit-ups, crunches, leg lifts and the dreaded planks.  All much needed.  I haven’t done core in a while.  I leave sweaty but feeling good.
I race to my SCC meeting and then off to grocery shop.  I load up on my salads, my flax, my veggies, meats, etc.  And then race home to start dinner.  Thank goodness Mike had already prepared the lean ground beef for taco night.  I used a wheat tortilla and loaded it up with lettuce, cilantro, fresh avocado and salsa.  I avoided the good stuff like cheese and sour cream!

Day 359 
Today was up and early to the gym since I have a hair appointment after work.  I do a one hour cardio and race home to shower and get ready for work.
After my hair appointment I decide to pick up Luu’s chicken bowl.  I order double veggies and only a quarter cup of brown rice.  PERFECT meal!

Day 360 
I am down to just two more sessions with Javi. I get to the gym, warm up and then we start shoulders and back.  OUCH.  It’s been awhile since I did this and man I can tell.  Javi reminds me to slow down and keep tension and contraction and reminds me I will be on my own soon and I have to do it all right so that I don’t hurt myself. He has me to 5 different drills and I finish in pain but worth it.  I move on to the elliptical.  I crank up my tunes and get to work.  I am literally rocking out to some oldies but goodies…..I am seriously moving to the music and I am running on the elliptical.  I look around and think “man, everyone must think I’m a freak”….but I don’t care, it makes me happy and I love blasting the music and thinking I can conquer anything.  Its then that the Flashdance song comes on, you know the one at the end of the movie, her “try out” song…..I am now at a speed of 170 on the elliptical, I have my sweatshirt over one shoulder, I have my leg warmers pushed down and my leotard pulled up high on the sides….I am reaching and kicking and flipping my hair just like Jennifer Beals.  I am her at this very moment…..at least I see it in my mind!
I finish with five miles!!! Whew….gotta love it.
Day 361
Cardio day.  What I like to call…..easy day.  It’s funny how I consider cardio day the easy day now.  Makes me laugh really.  Who would have thought that running six miles was the “easy” day for me?

Day 362 
MY LAST DAY WITH JAVI…..What am I going to do?  I feel like the training wheels are being pulled off.  I know I have what it takes to keep going I am just so scared to do this on my own.  I know I have made enough friends at the gym and I know that the trainers at Cal Fit will be there for me if I need help, I am just nervous to do it right and remain healthy. 
I get to the gym and I start my workout with a three mile run.  I move on to lunges with weights and then jump squats.  Javi shows up and puts me through a complete leg day…..the hardest day for sure!  I leave dripping sweat, exactly the way it should be.  We have a date for Monday……the very last day of this one year journey.  Weigh-Ins, measuring and final pictures!!! 

Day 363-Day 364
The last two days are going to be all out war.  I have been working extra hard for the final weigh in. I was home alone all weekend so that means — eat good and work out hard.  I did just that!

Day 365
ONE YEAR AGO…….I can’t believe how fast it went.  I have to say I am more than proud of how this turned out.  It was everything I had hoped for and more.  I look back at the initial interview and what I was hoping for and what I needed to do.  Remember when I stated that I couldn’t bend down to tie my shoes?  I was breathing hard watching TV?  I wanted to look good for my hubby and to actually take a picture again.  Well…..check, check and check.  Now I barely get winded running six miles. I remember being so scared to step into the gym, now its home. I remember stepping on that treadmill the very first time….now I am on it daily and it has become one of my best friends.  I remember being so unbelievably embarrassed about taking pictures on that first day.  That GOD-AWFUL green shirt I wore (basically the only thing that fit) and I especially remember thinking OH NO, everyone is going to know my weight.  My husband assured me “its OK, that is the last time you will ever be that weight again, it’s only going down from here”.  He was so right!  And of course….the blogging.  I didn’t know what I was going to say every day.  Or how I was going to be able to divulge my biggest secrets.  I learned.  By putting it on paper, it became real and with you all reading it, it became necessity for me to fight harder!
OK here we go.  The FINAL WEIGH IN.  The final measurements. 
I am beyond excited to post that I am 189.4 pounds.  I have dropped 72.6 pounds of pure FAT.  I have dropped 40.5 inches off my body.  I went from a size 22 pants to a size 12.  I went from a XXL shirt to a medium.  I have run three races this year, two 5K’s and one 15K.  I can count on two hands how many times I have missed a workout in 365 days.  Majority of those were due to vacation. I think I only missed ONCE because “I just didn’t feel up to it”. 
I am not done.  I have 33.4 pounds to get to my overall goal.  The original goal was for me to weigh what I weighed on my wedding day — 156 pounds. 
I will not stop.  I will not give up and I will not quit.  I will get there.  The original calculations were for me to hit that June 2016 so I am right on track.
I have lost an average of 1.3 pounds per week since the start of this.  My phone app that I use for all my weight goals shows that I went from a 41 BMI to a 29.7.  However with the machine I started with at the gym it shows I started at 48 and now I am at 36.  Either way….it’s a drastic change!
I have provided my entire log of the year.  Each month’s weight and all the measurements that were taken.  Just like Mike said, the numbers will fall if I do the work…..AND I DID IT!
Thank you all for supporting me throughout the year.  It has been nothing short of a miracle. I am so thankful for everyone that helped me on this journey.  The Manteca Bulletin for giving me the opportunity, for having this competition and for picking me!  Javi, I seriously can’t thank you enough.  You have given me tools to get me through the next half of my life. You have trained, encouraged and developed me as a legitimate athlete.  I thank you from the bottom of my heart.   CAL FIT…..Steve, how can I thank you for the past year?  You literally saw me every day for a year.  You never missed a “high five” or a “good job” and I have loved every minute of being at “my new home”.  To my supporters, there are so many of you.  The texts, the e mails, the Facebook posts, each one of you inspired me, helped me to succeed and pushed me to get up and go every single day….I needed you all more than you’ll ever know!  To my coworkers, for putting up with me for a year.  The daily talks about how sore I was the “I can’t eat that” and “I won’t eat that”, thank you for being there for me.  To my family, thank you so much for your unwavering support…Mom, you were right…the old Jeni is back and she is a competitor, and she’s got this!  And finally to my hubby Mike.  This would never have been possible without you.  You gave me exactly what I needed to get through this.  The cooking and taking care of me, making it possible for me to get to the gym daily, the encouragement and all the compliments along the way.   I love you and you almost got the girl you married back!  We’ll do the final 33 pounds TOGETHER!
I hope this inspires anyone reading this to reach for their goals.  Don’t wait another minute.  You CAN do anything you put your mind to.  Stay focused and you will succeed. 
I will miss this more than you know….signing off!