I was in shock and so very excited. Out of the 1.3 million people who had registered for this contest, I had made it to the Final 200. WOW! I quickly forwarded the email off to my little support group of family and friends who have cheered me on and then I tried to calm my nerves.
The next phase was to wait for one of the Dr. Oz Producers to contact me. On Tuesday(April 10), I received my 1st phone call from Annie, at the Dr. Oz show. She was super nice and wanted to hear all about my journey and how the contest/Dr. Oz had inspired me to transform myself. That phone call lasted about 45 minutes. I was so excited and was talking a mile a minute. She had to ask me to slow down because she had to type all of my responses :-). Again, she was super sweet. We said goodbye and I hung up the phone and wondered what my chances were?
Annie called me back on Thursday and we chatted a little bit more about my health and how it had changed with my weight loss. I told her that I had considered myself a healthy(happy) fat person. Even with the extra weight, I did not have high blood pressure. I did not have high cholesterol. I did not suffer from heart disease. I was simply a young Mom to 4 boys who wanted to live/lead a healthier life. I want to be around to watch my boys grow up and do amazing things. In order to do that, I knew I had to make some changes in my world and I did. I want to inspire others to find a healthier version of themselves. I want others to be happy. After a 25 minute phone conversation, I hung up the phone. Again, wondering what my chances were.
I am not gonna lie. It was longest weekend and the longest 5 days of my life. I hadn't heard anything and it was driving me crazy. It was Tuesday(April 17th) afternoon and we were on our way out the door to a baseball game. I hit the refresh button my laptop one last time to see if there was a new emails. It was there! In my inbox! There it was! Another email from Dr Oz/Sharecare. This email notified me that I did not make it to the next round/the TOP 50. My heart sunk. I'm not gonna lie, I was so disappointed. I began to replay the conversations that I had had with Annie, wondering if I had said something wrong. I am only human. As I sit here today and share my story via my blog, I am nothing but proud of what I have accomplished. I have worked hard. I have replaced bad habits with good ones. I have found an exercise routine/gym that I LOVE. I am happy and healthy and I feel great! I know I lost all of my weight in a very healthy way! I didn't take any short cuts. I worked hard for every single pound I lost.
At this point in the Million Dollar You Contest, they should have it narrowed down to the top 10 finalists. I am so anxious and excited to see who actually wins the Million Dollars and the trip to New York(what I was most excited about). I will be cheering that winner on simply for the fact that I know, first hand, how hard it is to make big changes.
Within a weeks time, I learned that I was the 3rd place winner in the Green Tangerines Biggest Loser contest and that I had placed in the Top 200 for the Million Dollar You Contest. Those two contests kept me moving towards some BIG goals. I am thankful for the push and challenge both of the contests gave me.
Many people have asked what I will be working towards next. My new goal is to have Michelle Obama arms :-). I saw her on the Biggest Loser working out with those contestants and was in awe of her very defined arms. I have decided that will be my new goal/challenge :-). With some hard work, I am convinced that I can check that goal off of my list in the near future!
