I am so happy to report that I lost 4.4 pounds this past week. I can’t sufficiently relay the feeling of joy, relief and success I felt as I looked down at the scale. This week’s weight loss brought my total to 8.6 pounds for this challenge with just week to go.

The big drop last week may be the result of eating more. That’s right – more.

Coach Lisa Hall told me to try increasing my caloric intake to 1,400 per day. Up to this point in the challenge I have been eating about 1,200 per day. Last week, I doubted I could hit my 12-pound goal, but now I think I will come close; I will just have to lose 3.4 pounds this week.

At Friday’s workout class, we did a lot of sprints up and down the gym floor. I haven’t done that much running since high school, nearly 35 years ago. After 10 sprints, I doubted if I could do any more. As I struggled through the rest, my teammate Patti Jo Averill kept telling me I could do it and to my surprise I did.

“Do you think you could have done that four weeks ago?” Averill said. I can honestly say no. The exercise program has definitely made me physically stronger.

With the challenge coming to end, I am starting to have a little fear, fear that I will lose the momentum I have gained in this challenge.

I have to admit when I signed up for the challenge, I was suffering from pain in my back due to bulging discs. Despite that condition, I feel proud that I have been able to work through my pain (with a few exercise modifications) and complete most of the physical challenges.

For Week 5, I earned 105 of a possible 126 points. The points I didn’t earn came from having dairy or grains. I earned 40 points for fitness, which included four cardio classes and 20 miles of walking.

It's safe to assume the Pink Ladies will finish last, but we lost a team member with some health problems, so we have been down to three people since Week 3. But Wiscasset leads in the town vs. town challenge with Bath and Bowdoin with the highest percentage of weight loss.

For the final week of the challenge, Hall has told us to pick our own challenges based on previous weeks and stick with it. I have decided to eliminate sugar and grains and cut down on my carbs.

For the physical challenge we are encouraged to burn as many calories as we can. Hall recommended we use a heart rate monitor to track calories burned. “... it is the most accurate,” she said. Our final weigh in is Friday, April 5. I will post my final results next week.

Over the last five weeks, many people have told me they have been following my progress in this challenge – and that has motivated me. “I feel your pain,” “I can’t wait for the next article,” “You go, girl,” are just a few of the comments.

It's my hope that by sharing my real life experience, others will understand that any weight loss program is a personal journey and no two people are the same. You just have to figure out what works for you.