Monday Motivators: Jessica B.

This one has been a long time coming. We all have those friends who always make you laugh, will always make you realize you don't suck, and will always dance like a fool with you - my friend Jessica is one of those people. She's the reason I've started Team in Training for the Leukemia and Lymphoma society - and after my first run on Saturday, I can't thank her enough for getting me involved!

Jess and I met back in 2005 - we were both in sororities and I ended up hanging out with her sorority sisters a lot. They are good folks. Anyway, she's always been super active in all sort of activities and what not. I swear she started this TNT stuff because she had spare time or something and it just wasn't sitting well with her (Kidding, I have zero clue why she started Team in Training, but I'm super glad she did).

As evidenced by the picture to the left, we were recently both bridesmaids in our friend Leah's wedding. That's a pretty normal Jess face. Do you see why I love her so much?

Anyhoo, Jess is the reason I got involved in TNT - she chatted with me about the whole thing after she did her 1st half marathon with them and watching her update her FB on all of the training she has done and is doing has really just made me want to work harder. She's a mentor for Team in Training too and is pretty much all over it.

How's this for motivation? The other day, Jess went and drank a few beers and THEN went on her bike ride. I would never workout after drinking...but she's so much of a champ she did it. She's my hero.

I love my Be-Niggy-No. I can't thank her enough for getting me into TNT - after my first run, I can already tell I'm going to love it!  Even if she ditched me for San Francisco and is going to do the Metairie half marathon instead, I'll still be her friend, I guess.

Thanks for the motivation, help, and sanity phone calls. I love you, JB!

Monday Motivators: Becky - She's got an electric smile.

This is Becky.

Yes, she always smiles like that.

I touched on Becky a bit when I did my Gate River Run post in March, but I honestly feel that Becky deserves her own Monday Motivators post. Here's why:

Becky Before:

Becky After:

Did your jaw drop? Did you say "Oh My God"? Did you say "SHE LOOKS AMAZING!"? Because that's what I did. Becky's lost over 150 lbs on Weight Watchers. 

Becky is a f*cking rockstar. 

I first met Becky back in 2003 when I was working for one of the most amazing radio stations to ever exist - WAPE in Jacksonville, FL. She was a board-op and I was a promotions assistant. She got to sit on her butt in a chilly studio and listen to Casey Kasem while I lugged around a tent and tables in the Florida heat. I won't lie, she was a big girl - but I wasn't skinny myself, so I never really thought anything of it, until I saw her this past March. She looked like a different person! She basically WAS a different person - except for her attitude. Still the perky, happy, positive Becky I've known and loved. 

She even smiles when she RUNS.

She's been running 5k's, now has a 10k and 15k under her belt and is still going strong. She's also a Zumba fanatic (She's a lover of all things Latin!) and is the most positive and enthusiastic person I've ever met. She's literally someone that brightens a room just by walking in, and now, when she walks in, she's strutting her stuff. 

I love you, Becky! Keep up the good work! You're an amazing person and an inspiration. I'm so proud to be able to call you a friend.

YOU ARE AWESOME.

This is for you:

Monday Motivators: Jessica (Jesse...or as she'll always be to me, Jemsey)

Everything has a beginning. That seems like an obvious enough statement, eh? Well, when it comes to this whole weight loss, running, eating better, being a happier person thing - it started with one of my best friends, Jesse.

I like to put Jesse in headlocks.

Jesse and I have been friends since I was in 6th grade and she was in 7th. I won't go find any pictures from back then because seriously, we were (okay, ARE) big dorks and I doubt either of us want proof of that on the internet for the rest of our lives. But here - this should prove to you that we're actually friends - this was taken in 2006 in front of Mellow Mushroom in Jacksonville, FL. We're really friends. You can be jealous.

When I got married in 2010, I weighed approximately 220 pounds. I wasn't feeling fat, really, but I most definitely wasn't feeling "good." My friend Jesse was one of my bridesmaids, even though I hadn't seen her in over a year, she'd always been there for me so she had to be there for me when I decided to wear a big white dress and marry a boy who likes dragons.

Jesse - pre-WW

Nothing against Jesse, but she (and I) had always been chubby, but at 5'3 (or 5'4, whatever, she's effing short) it was just more obvious on her, of course I loved her anyway. We were the ones who dressed more like boys because girl clothes just didn't work on us as well as they did on other people. We bonded over some things that we have had to go through that others haven't - and of course boys. Jesse has always been my "therapist" when it comes to boys. She's always been my "Here, help me talk this out" person - this might be one of the reasons why she's always been such a big influence in my life.

<----Anyhoo, this is Jesse back before she joined Weight Watchers and starting being all super freaking awesome about her weight and food and working out. She's probably going to want to kick my butt for putting it on here, but she'll survive. Because I'm just about to show you how HOT Jesse looked when she came to New Orleans for my bachelorette party. But not just yet.

From the moment I saw her in New Orleans I knew that if Jesse could do it, so could I. She taught me tricks about eating out, taught me about spray butter (!) and most importantly, was there to cheer me on when I needed her. I'd call with food questions and she'd give me all of the information she could. She was my first big motivator.

Jesse in NOLA! HOT!

Jesse looks so amazing now and you can tell she feels great. She's always been beautiful of course, but she looks so healthy and confident that it really just gets the emotions flowing when I think about her and what she's been able to accomplish. She runs now and completed her first half marathon on the same day I did mine (hers was at Disney though). Jesse and our friend from high school, Jen have been super tight as long as I can remember.  Jesse got Jen started going to Weight Watchers and they've both lost a lot of weight - Good Housekeeping even did an article that featured them! Yes, the one with the flamingo leg is my wonderful friend Jesse. They made her stand like that. I still think she looks amazing -
I'm so damn proud of her. 


Thank you for everything you've been to me over the years, Jesse. Thank you for pushing me when I wanted to stop and for telling me that I really could do this whole thing. Thank you for doing it first, too. I wouldn't be able to do this without someone else blazing a trail. Thank you for always being a friend, even when I wasn't in touch like I should be or when I was a pain in the butt to be friends with (let's be honest, this happens a lot). Oh - and thanks for teaching me about spray butter, natural peanut butter and the joys of almond milk. I love you Jemsy!

Us all gussied up so I can get married

Us getting ready for my wedding