This morning was a new day, a new week, and I knew that I had to get up and head to the gym. There is still so much going through my mind, and yes, my face is blotchy from the occasional tears which still sneak down my cheeks, but what I know for sure is that my journey is NOT over! On Saturday I reached 63.4 pounds! I am half way there. I really wanted to hit that mark, and pictured myself standing next to Dr. Oz, inspiring others, because although I had achieved so much already, I was half way there, and knew that I was in it to finish it. That part has not changed…I am in it to finish it.

Today, I am walking through a few more tough moments, as I’m sure many others are, who didn’t make it to the final 10. One of the hardest parts of finding out you didn’t make it, is telling everyone, everywhere you go, that you didn’t make it. This has been extremely hard for me, as the people at the gym, my church, my local Starbuck’s, local stores, friends, family,  even strangers whom I have given my blog card to…everyone has rallied around me and has been waiting to find out when and how to vote for me.

So, now all of us who have made it this far, only to find out this weekend that we didn’t make it to the final 10, everywhere we go, we need to let people know that the challenge is over for us, we didn’t make it.

Yesterday at church, I let more people who hadn’t read my blog yet know…and they all comforted and encouraged me…this morning I got up and headed to the gym. It was the second hardest time walking through those doors for me (the first time was months ago when I decided to try the gym, filled with intimidation)…now, I stopped for a moment in the parking lot with Meg, and had to get the tears to stop before walking into the gym to tell “my gym family” that I didn’t make it.  I brought a copy of what I wrote on the blog and left it for everyone who works there to read. And, of course, just like my family and friends, they all continued to encourage me. It’s still not easy, though.

During the tough workout, I continued to just pray for the Lord to give me strength, and to remind me that my journey is not over, and He hasn’t left me on it, either. From there, we went to Starbucks to let everyone else know there, as they were also excited to put posters up and have everyone vote for me. I left my story for them to read there.

This afternoon, I will sit and watch the Dr. Oz show as he announces the final 10, and although I know it won’t be easy, I am excited to see other lives that were transformed. I will have a box of tissues ready, and I’ll get through it surrounded by friends and family. I also sent in my information to the show, as they asked if anyone in the challenge who made it would like to be in the audience, so I hope I get to go and be a part of that show.

So, as I walk though this day, I still hold onto the fact that this journey is not over for me, I am halfway there for weight loss. I am excited to continue to push myself to do things I have never dreamed of. I hold onto all of the Lord’s promises to get me through, especially…He works all things together for my good….and promises to do abundantly more than I could ever ask for or imagine! So after praying for months,  to be standing next to Dr. Oz, winning the million dollars…if He hasn’t chosen that path for me, I’m holding on and having faith that this journey that is not over yet is going to be even more amazing than that.

So, although it’s been sooooo hard to get through these last 3 days, I’ve been sooo blessed walking through this miraculous journey so far….and  excited to see where this all leads. And through it all, I am so grateful for how my life has been transformed.

On Saturday, it was really placed on my heart to send a note to thank everyone who created this challenge, because win or lose, it truly transformed my life. And since you have all walked through this with me, I wanted to share it with you, also…

Dear Dr. Oz Team, WW Team and Sharecare Team,

Win or lose, I had to write to thank you for creating a challenge that truly transformed my life inside and out! Although I just got the email yesterday that I didn’t make it to the final 10, I knew I had to write this letter to all of you.

This journey, since you launched it 7 months ago, has been a journey of transformation, inspiration and many miracles. I actually got to stand with Dr. Oz a few weeks ago and tell him that I truly believed that I would be the one standing next to him when he announced the winner of the challenge.

Since September, when I put the “just 10” bracelet on, lost 10 pounds, and then sat on the edge of the sofa when Dr. Oz announced the challenge, believing for the first time that I could win the battle with weight….I am 63.4 pounds down as of weighing in at ww this morning, all of my doctor’s numbers are in the optimal and perfect range. My doctor actually told me how proud she was of me when I went for the physical when I made it into the final 200 winners….she said at that visit that I had “the heart rate and blood pressure of an athlete!” It was a huge moment for me.

As an overweight woman who was afraid to walk through the doors of a gym, I now do things I never dreamed of…cardio blast, zumba, circuit training, spinning, weight training, rowing….and during this challenge the owner of the gym tagged my blog about the challenge on the facebook of the gym, and also put my picture up on the walls of the gym to inspire others. This journey has been beyond words. Learning in this journey that an overweight woman could inspire others now, before getting to my goal weight (which is still another 63 pounds away), that has been incredible.

I also was able to learn and take in something that I couldn’t take in for over 30 years…the fact that I am beautiful and was beautiful 63.4 pounds ago. That is something that I wished I could have shared with all of the women in america, when I pictured myself as the winner of the entire challenge. I just want every woman to really and truly believe that she is beautiful right now, as she is.

Weight Watchers, along with everything I have learned keeping my Dr. Oz notebook when I watch the show everyday, along with all of the knowledge sharecare has been sending….it has ALL finally come together, in order for me to make one small choice at a time, one small change at a time…which has me on the amazing road to victory over the battle with weight and changing my life for a long healthy life ahead.

It was impressed on my heart early on, to keep a journal, which turned into a blog where hundreds of people have been following me on this journey. (wendyweighsin.com) In fact today, when I put the last blog up, where I had to let everyone know that I didn’t make it to the final 10, as I write this, the most amazing emails of encouragement are filling my mailbox, facebook and blog page. Right now, they are all getting me through the really tough reality that I didn’t make the next cut.

I don’t know what this journey is going to lead to. I have felt, since the beginning that it will lead beyond the actual challenge. Although, as I told some people at the show, along with Dr. Oz….I honestly and truly believed that I would be the one standing next to him on 5/23/12.

Do you know when people tell you all about a restaurant or a vacation that they went on…they tell you where to stay, exactly what to order, what excursions to take, what do do exactly….and they can’t wait until you return and tell them, “it’s all that you said it would be!”…..well that is what you all did for me….you gave me all of the information, knowledge and wisdom, told me which choices to make and how…..and I am here to tell you, even though I am exactly half way there……IT’S ALL THAT YOU SAID IT WOULD BE!!!!

I am in a size I have not been in for over 25 years, I have the heart rate and blood pressure of an athlete, my body is able to do things that I never even dreamed of, and now with each challenge met, I add another one…because I truly believe that I can do it.

So, thank you all, for your commitment to transforming lives. You created a challenge and equipped me with everything I needed to be successful and make changes that will last a lifetime. I have gone from pity and feeling deprived of what I can’t have….to feeling fully empowered by what I can have. Each good choice, each piece of wisdom and knowledge has all come together for such a time as this!….and I am so grateful.

This journey at times has left me in awe, left me in tears of joy, and left me absolutely breathless as I have walked through it. I know, although I am still stunned and tears are still running down my face all weekend after finding out that I did not make the final 10, this journey is not over for me. And it has just been impressed all morning on my heart that, win or lose…I HAD to thank all of you for changing my life, and the lives of so many people who came alongside me to cheer me on and learn what I learned from all of you. I will continue to share it all with the world. I am living testimony that miracles still happen!
Many thanks,
Wendy Trunz