But before I take off, I wanted to say a few thank yous. First, a humongous thank you to the people of NutritionData.com, especially my nutrition mentor Monica, who held my hand through this entire process and kept me from cracking when I felt like it was taking forever to see some progress. You rock!!!

I also want to thank all of you who read this blog, and who left comments of encouragement and advice. It was awesome to know that I was not winging it all by my lonesome, that there was support there, helping me every step of the way.

And last but not least I have to thank my husband and kids, who were the loudest cheering section of them all, keeping me honest and keeping me sane:) I love you to pieces.

So was it all worth it? Absolutely! I not only know how to eat more healthfully so I can enjoy lifelong health, but I also am convinced that I will have a more empathy for my clients in my burgeoning career as a caterer and private chef. I will know how hard it will be to transition them from challenging eating habits to a healthier lifestyle. And I will hold their hands through it, knowing what lies ahead for them if they can just hold on, because I can honestly say I have walked in their shoes.

This has been an experience I will never, ever forget. (Imagine me jumping up in the air, clicking my heels and yelling "yahoo!" at the top of my lungs:) Next week it's back to my food blog, Food Lovers Like Me, and life after this championship season. It's been quite a ride. Ciao for now!

Well, I have to say that I have surprised myself this week. I've stayed away from fast foods, opting for salads and at-home preparations instead. In fact, the only indulgence I've allowed myself is a plain donut from Entenmenn's Baked Goods. I would give myself a pat on the back, but I'm still sore from last week's workouts!:)

What all of this shows me is that it is truly possible for me to continue down this path, that it is utterly realistic that I can maintain the new  habits I've developed and not abandon them. As I countdown to my last days with this blog, I feel encouraged. Really encouraged. All I can say is: WOW!

I would love to hear from all of you what you do to stay motivated. One of you mentioned that when you are tempted to cheat, you think about how that food will affect your internal organs--she imagines the food attacking different parts of her body and harming her health. Graphic, yes, but effective? I think so!

So I have to find my own mantra, my own way of keeping my eyes on the prize every day. What seems to be working for me right now is knowing that swimsuit season is right around the corner and we will be spending some time at the pool in just a few months.

It's a moment-by-moment, meal-by-meal choice I have to make, and it's really hard when my schedule gets overwhelming, even after all the coaching from Monica.

Hey Monica, what are your best tips for staying the course?

In their place I've rediscovered the joy of simple foods--great salads, nuts, fruits, grilled meats instead of fried foods. It's been such a revelation for me. And my body feels 100 percent different, too.

I agree with Monica that the changes were subtle, but truly effective. And they are changes I believe I can sustain--especially knowing what kind of results can happen by sticking to the game plan. Now I feel I want to go even further. I want to see if I can bring my LDL lower by the end of the summer  and increase my HDL ("good" cholesterol) even more. I am a woman on a mission!:)

So of course I did a bit of research. I found out that VLDL stands for very-low density lipoprotein. Like LDL and HDL, this number measures your risk for heart disease--the higher it is, the worse it is.

VLDL contains the highest amount of triglycerides, which are best kept low if you want to stay heart-healthy. Triglycerides have been linked to hardening of the arteries, obesity, and a host of other ills I'm trying to stay far away from!

My VLDL cholesterol number, 10, is on the low end, it looks like, which is a good thing. Whew--one less thing to worry about. Now I just have to keep it that way!

Nutritiondata.com actually sent me to a lab where I could have the results sent directly to me, so at least I knew I would be able to see for myself right away what was going on. The drive to the lab--about 1.5 hours away--was longer than the actual time I spent at the lab office! It was a quick draw of blood, and then I was out the door.

I didn't have to wait long to get the news. I was actually able to get my results the very next day. So, I bet you're wondering how it went? Well, not to be a tease, but let's just say--things are looking up!

Monica is going over the results and comparing them to where I was at the start of this program, so we'll talk more about that--and what I need to do to keep up the momentum--next week.

One thing I will share: I learned that I am now 50% less likely to develop heart disease over the next ten years, just based on the changes I've made to my diet and getting more exercise! 50%!!! As long as I maintain these numbers, or better yet, if I can build on what I have going right now, I will be a champion for life!

This news is a pretty good Mother's Day gift--one I will never forget.

So yesterday I decided to test out my newly-semi-whittled body to see how well this diet and exercise routine has been working out in real life. I haven't tried on a pair of jeans since last summer--I just didn't have the stomach for it (LITERALLY!:)

I went to a department store with the intention to buy a new pair of jeans. I didn't grab for the size 8s either--brave soul that I am, I made a beeline for the size 6 jeans.

Drumroll please...the size 6 fits! And I didn't have to roll around on the floor or hold my breath until I turned blue to make that happen. So I not only bought one pair, I bought two!  I swear, it was one of the best days ever:)

Writing can make you feel so isolated at times. And it certainly is one of those things that keeps you in front of the computer instead of being out and about! Through this process I've been able to make time for myself, make time to work out, to get to the supermarket and shop for healthy foods, and to think more about how I want my body to look and feel. And you've been right here with me, every step of the way.

So I just wanted to say thank you, because I believe in having an attitude of gratitude. For those of you who read and left comments, I truly appreciate you taking the time to do so. For those of you who read and just sent positive vibes my way, I appreciate that too, because I truly felt your support. And I wish for all of you the same support and success on your health journeys:)

Things certainly have changed! If I have potato chips, it's only once a week now; I'm more likely to grab some wasabi peas, microwave popcorn or unsalted nuts. And the Luna bars are great for satisfying my sweet tooth; the fact that they are fortified with all kinds of vitamins makes it even sweeter. I've also made it a point of buying more fruit to have around--when I don't do this, that's when I tend to backslide.

The thing I don't want to do, though, is fall into a rut. So I'm hoping to find even more foods that make for great, healthy snacks. If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear about them!

But, the happy news is--I've made it this far. Of course there were slip-ups. But I have learned from them, and jumped right back on track. I don't squander so much of my daily calorie intake on sweetened drinks, french fries or salty snacks as much as I used to. And, the funny thing is, I don't feel like I'm being shortchanged or deprived. I've found other ways to fill that need. And seeing the results in the mirror, on the bathroom scale, and the change in my energy level has been a sweet payoff too.

The biggest change I see in myself: now I think before I bite. I measure the cost to my health--and my hips!:) And I'm finding that those foods that I absolutely had to have before--well, not so much. And when I do allow myself a few potato chips, or a cheeseburger or a piece of fried chicken, these foods don't even taste as  good as they used to. I think that's my body telling me that it wants something more; I'm getting better at listening.