After Week One on the 100 Day Challenge, I felt comatose, stunned by my first experience of the gym and weight exercise.I felt pain in places where I never knew I even had muscles; pain gained from exercising on machines I had never seen, let alone used before.From the beginning of Week Two, I found myself eating constantly. I was under the impression that you have to eat less to lose weight but that is not the case.I discovered multivitamins; Omega 3-6-9, and protein shake with rolled oats, raw nuts, fruit and soy milk which is yummy not!I managed without butter (saturated fat); without ketchup (sugar), and without mayonnaise, which is bad, bad, bad.My biggest meal was at lunch time, when I could eat meat, vegetables and (yippie!), a starch. Dinner is my smallest meal and the ‘no starch’ rule means no rice, no potatoes, and no mac & cheese (my favourite!).Instead of meat and potatoes I follow the rules with meat and vegetables... and only meat and vegetables!Thanks to my enthusiastic and supportive morning trainer, I have now had the pleasure of running on the road in the early morning light.That’s not in daylight, of course. It’s the light from all the pedal bikes going up and down the North Shore Road route we took from the gym and back.Who said exercise in the morning gives you energy? I guess I am the opposite because I practically had to pin my eyes open with paper clips for the rest of the day after that run!Between the road running, and charging up and down the National Stadium stairs and running around the track, I seemed to be losing control of my knees although everyone tells me I am getting fit!I’m looking forward to the next few months!The last two weeks were all about the food situation for me, but Week Four is an ‘about everything’ situation. After watching the 100 Day Challenge TV Show I went into panic mode.As one of the smaller people in the competition I feel I have to work harder to keep up with the other contestants’ weight loss.After hearing that I have lost only a mere pound and a half, after two weeks, I was devastated.I thought I was actually achieving something by starving myself (that is, denying myself the good stuff like cookies, cake or fried chicken) and going to the gym at least once a day.So, after the show I stepped it up a notch by going to the gym from 6.30am to 7.30am in the morning as well as in the afternoon for an hour in addition to the 90-minute session with the team.One morning I found myself in the gym at 6.30am with just my morning trainer Jenille Smith.I thought, great! I can have one-on-one training. This will make the difference.She showed me some new exercises that I have never done or seen on any posters before (using machines weights and a half ball).All was well until for the next two days, not only was my knee non-existent, but my legs were no longer trying to move. They weren’t just hurting they were on strike like the buses the other week.As much as I tried to walk normally, they would just give out at any time.Well, as much as I love my Sea View trainers, I now have a different feeling towards them because I have been made to do things that on a regular basis I would not even think of doing, let alone doing alone.I have to say that in spite of the constant eating I am still hungry. I think if I was able to sit down to one regular meal of meat (steak or fried chicken), a starch (I’m not fussy at this point potato or rice as long as it’s starch) and then some vegetables, I would be very happy.I’m not going to dwell on the food issue because I have my bad days as well as my good days. It’s all about a life change for me.As for the other things, like training sessions at Nationals on these cold days and swimming in the middle of winter hmmmmm.These are not good at all for people like me, especially as I don’t go into the water until way after May 24, like in June or July.However, I am resolved. I will keep on looking at the bigger picture and aiming for the new body shape and fitness that will come with all that we (the Sea View Team) continue to do.