I am in bed, still partially asleep but not able to fall back asleep. I am absolutely loving vegging in bed in my quiet apartment with this grey weather outside.
I think I'll do this for a little while, then maybe grack a light snack and head to the gym. Then I will make myself a nice big brunch with eggs and cheese, asparagus and cooked tomatoes, maybe some yogurt and fruit or toast... mmmm.
Some people either don't have time for mornings like these or can't be bothered to slow down every once in a while to relax, and I am not one of them. I think after spending my teenage and university years being a workaholic (honestly, as ridiculous as that sounds), I have now managed to master the art of doing nothing (within reason) and enjoying it. I am able to tell myself to relax, and tell others NO finally. I can say no to overtime, no to side projects, no to going out for the sake of my overall sanity. It's a nice feeling.
Tonight I have been invited to attend the Rogers Cup womens' semi-finals in a VIP box... I don't understand tennis at all, but I am very excited to see it live and see what this box is all about. A couple girls are going so it should be nice.
For my upcoming canoe trip I just bought the ugliest pair of shoes. I even negotiated with the sales girl (I figured women understand the following complaint) saying that 'it kills me to pay this much (not a lot actually, $50) for such an ugly pair of shoes that I have to have for one trip, and asked her if she could give me a discount. It worked! She gave me 20% off! I am a customer who NEVER complains and never asks for what I want, but I was exhausted and a little sassy as a result, and it worked for me. Yay!
Alright, I'm going back to just lying here for a bit longer, then it's gym time I suppose :)
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
progress
I feel skinny today. yay! My favourite thing about getting thinner and feeling "tighter" is that clothes just hang in all the right places. It's no longer a constant effort to hide this and that. Yes, I still have parts that bulge or fold in not so appealing ways, but with time and a lot of effort that will change. I'm willing to do the work, I just need to be patient. Like Buddha. Except the not eating part.
I did not sleep a wink last night. I am angry about this. I like my sleep. I will come home from work this afternoon and crash, if that doesn't happen throughout the day. I went for coffee to see my friend who's just returned from Algeria, and to say farewell to a close friend who's leaving to do international development work in Iraq for a year. I am happy and sad all at once.
So yeah, I was careful enough this week to get back down to 155, so next week's mission is getting to 153 again and then beyond.
Have a nice day at work everyone!
I did not sleep a wink last night. I am angry about this. I like my sleep. I will come home from work this afternoon and crash, if that doesn't happen throughout the day. I went for coffee to see my friend who's just returned from Algeria, and to say farewell to a close friend who's leaving to do international development work in Iraq for a year. I am happy and sad all at once.
So yeah, I was careful enough this week to get back down to 155, so next week's mission is getting to 153 again and then beyond.
Have a nice day at work everyone!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
heaven is...
a small amount of coconut yogurt with fresh blueberries, raspberries and pecans. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
working hard today, no rambling.
working hard today, no rambling.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
more rambling
I am bored again.
However, I have been invited on a canoe trip and I am suuuuper pumped about it. I will be with a bunch of French people, my Polish-Canadian friend and myself. Given the origins of my fellow campers, the food will be less hot dogs and burgers and more duck and raclette and fine cheeses, yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuum! Plus, we wont even need to feel bad about the fatty foods because we'll be hauling canoes all over the place and canoeing all day. I might even get a tan, bonus!
Since I haven't been able to take any vacation in the last 1.5 years, and probably wont for another 6 months, this trip is the most exciting one yet. I absolutely adore canoeing/rafting, and almost never get to do it. The last time I canoed was 2 years ago, and the last time I rafted was in the white waters of Nepal 4 years ago. So this trip to Algonquin Park (which I have never seen) is looking to be a fun one.
I am also trying to plan a trip to Ottawa and to Collingwood at some point. These small trips will get me through more months of my agonizing living situation.
I am back down to 156 today, hoping to be down to 155 by tomorrow or Friday. My workouts have been short and intense, and as always after a few days off, I feel like I haven't worked out in months. I have volleyball tonight, so that should be fun and painless, then tomorrow I'll have to hit the gym again. Friday will likely remain my day off because with a whole week of working out in me, I NEVER feel like doing anything at all on Fridays. I usually feel recharged by Sunday and have great workouts then.
Alright, I'm going to heat up my lunch (two tiny Angus beef sliders on tiny buns with cheese and condiments, with a large tomato salad with fresh mozzarella cheese, oil, vinegar, pepper and my new fleur de sel) mmmmmmmmm... Then I am forcing my cousin, who works downtown just next to me, to go on my usual walk up a steep hill for 10 minutes then down again for another 15.
Have a nice afternoon!
However, I have been invited on a canoe trip and I am suuuuper pumped about it. I will be with a bunch of French people, my Polish-Canadian friend and myself. Given the origins of my fellow campers, the food will be less hot dogs and burgers and more duck and raclette and fine cheeses, yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuum! Plus, we wont even need to feel bad about the fatty foods because we'll be hauling canoes all over the place and canoeing all day. I might even get a tan, bonus!
Since I haven't been able to take any vacation in the last 1.5 years, and probably wont for another 6 months, this trip is the most exciting one yet. I absolutely adore canoeing/rafting, and almost never get to do it. The last time I canoed was 2 years ago, and the last time I rafted was in the white waters of Nepal 4 years ago. So this trip to Algonquin Park (which I have never seen) is looking to be a fun one.
I am also trying to plan a trip to Ottawa and to Collingwood at some point. These small trips will get me through more months of my agonizing living situation.
I am back down to 156 today, hoping to be down to 155 by tomorrow or Friday. My workouts have been short and intense, and as always after a few days off, I feel like I haven't worked out in months. I have volleyball tonight, so that should be fun and painless, then tomorrow I'll have to hit the gym again. Friday will likely remain my day off because with a whole week of working out in me, I NEVER feel like doing anything at all on Fridays. I usually feel recharged by Sunday and have great workouts then.
Alright, I'm going to heat up my lunch (two tiny Angus beef sliders on tiny buns with cheese and condiments, with a large tomato salad with fresh mozzarella cheese, oil, vinegar, pepper and my new fleur de sel) mmmmmmmmm... Then I am forcing my cousin, who works downtown just next to me, to go on my usual walk up a steep hill for 10 minutes then down again for another 15.
Have a nice afternoon!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
I'm a little teacup, short and stout.
Oh the symbolism. First, my 200th post I officially dub the symbol of my escaping my close brush with 200 lbs. I know of fellow bloggers who would be happy to get to 200 lbs, and I wish them enough persistence to get there and beyond. But for me, 200 lbs at my height would have been a major blow, and I am convinced that if I had reached 200 lbs I would have kept going and going. I had enough health/bone issues at 183 to know that 200 would have been a mess for me considering all my other bad habits.
So this being my 201st post, I have symbolically overcome that fear. I have realistically put 30 lbs (since I wasn't yet AT 200 lbs exactly) between me and there, and I am no longer afraid of gaining a pound or two. I certainly want to lose more, but I am not in such a rush about it, but am still committed to it.
When I did the Game On! challenge I found most of it relatively easy because I had been training myself to eat well since January, but the rigidity of the diet was the push I needed to cement my habits and now that it's over I can really tell it worked. I make healthy choices without any resentment, fear, stress or compulsion, and I am more acutely and innately aware of the true value of certain foods.
Diet Coke, which was my biggest addiction left, was the hardest to cut. And now that I have had the chance to start drinking it again (and I was very excited to be able to indulge in it after the challenge was over), I have had it once or twice on it's own, and once in a mixed drink. Summer is the time when I have it most because I like alcoholic drinks with Diet Coke and I like it with BBQ meals, but this will calm down in fall.
Sugar is also a funny thing. In the diet I realized it's very hard to give up sugar at first, but it becomes second nature almost right away, EXCEPT I still felt the need to sweeten a lot of my food just a little with honey or maple syrup, which is mostly all I use anyway. I have begun cutting the sugar in my rare coffees, and try to use less sweetener. I have also continued to buy sugar-free bread just because it is actually really good. I didn't eat a lot of sweets in general, but now I am aware of the sugar in most foods and I make choices (today I put back a juice I was about to buy in favour of the apple I had brought to work as a snack).
I always tell myself that if I still desperately want whatever I am craving later, that I will allow myself to have it. The craving usually dies and then I feel fantastic about the choice. When the craving doesn't die, I try to limit myself by buying a very small quantity or giving the rest away or throwing it out, for the sake of my health. If I eat it all, I work it all off with exercise and proper eating the next day. For example, I've been craving McDonald's for months. I've managed to stave it off through education about the nutritional value, however, I have made a deal with myself to have it in September (a year from the last time I had it, I think).
Sorry for the rambling, but I am bored at work. So I will keep rambling until I have something to work on :) Perhaps I'll break it into a few posts though...
So for the teacup reference, this is a symbol of my celebrating my body type. First of all, I am very grateful for my body because it functions almost perfectly and I am very strong. I am also thankful because even though there are things I find unattractive about my body, I know that it is not bad and in fact looks pretty good for someone who had previously really let myself go for years. So I am trying to accept that I am short and stout (I've never actually had a problem being short, it's the stout part that got to me). When I lose a bit more weight I would like to be able to wear shorts/skirts that show my legs. I know I won't have the most feminine/modelly legs, but mine are thick, athletic, muscular legs and I could do worse.
Now that I don't worry about my health at all I can start focusing on the little stupid things like this that will improve my self-esteem and self-acceptance. I think I am almost where I want to be in terms of self-esteem: I finally don't find myself disgusting, hideous, etc. and have learned to care for me whether I am fatter or thinner than what I want to be... However, I have my moments where I find it disconcerting to see myself and find myself too this, too that...
Alright, I am bored with boring you. I will stop rambling now. Point being that all is slowly getting to almost semi-perfection in Leanne-land.
So this being my 201st post, I have symbolically overcome that fear. I have realistically put 30 lbs (since I wasn't yet AT 200 lbs exactly) between me and there, and I am no longer afraid of gaining a pound or two. I certainly want to lose more, but I am not in such a rush about it, but am still committed to it.
When I did the Game On! challenge I found most of it relatively easy because I had been training myself to eat well since January, but the rigidity of the diet was the push I needed to cement my habits and now that it's over I can really tell it worked. I make healthy choices without any resentment, fear, stress or compulsion, and I am more acutely and innately aware of the true value of certain foods.
Diet Coke, which was my biggest addiction left, was the hardest to cut. And now that I have had the chance to start drinking it again (and I was very excited to be able to indulge in it after the challenge was over), I have had it once or twice on it's own, and once in a mixed drink. Summer is the time when I have it most because I like alcoholic drinks with Diet Coke and I like it with BBQ meals, but this will calm down in fall.
Sugar is also a funny thing. In the diet I realized it's very hard to give up sugar at first, but it becomes second nature almost right away, EXCEPT I still felt the need to sweeten a lot of my food just a little with honey or maple syrup, which is mostly all I use anyway. I have begun cutting the sugar in my rare coffees, and try to use less sweetener. I have also continued to buy sugar-free bread just because it is actually really good. I didn't eat a lot of sweets in general, but now I am aware of the sugar in most foods and I make choices (today I put back a juice I was about to buy in favour of the apple I had brought to work as a snack).
I always tell myself that if I still desperately want whatever I am craving later, that I will allow myself to have it. The craving usually dies and then I feel fantastic about the choice. When the craving doesn't die, I try to limit myself by buying a very small quantity or giving the rest away or throwing it out, for the sake of my health. If I eat it all, I work it all off with exercise and proper eating the next day. For example, I've been craving McDonald's for months. I've managed to stave it off through education about the nutritional value, however, I have made a deal with myself to have it in September (a year from the last time I had it, I think).
Sorry for the rambling, but I am bored at work. So I will keep rambling until I have something to work on :) Perhaps I'll break it into a few posts though...
So for the teacup reference, this is a symbol of my celebrating my body type. First of all, I am very grateful for my body because it functions almost perfectly and I am very strong. I am also thankful because even though there are things I find unattractive about my body, I know that it is not bad and in fact looks pretty good for someone who had previously really let myself go for years. So I am trying to accept that I am short and stout (I've never actually had a problem being short, it's the stout part that got to me). When I lose a bit more weight I would like to be able to wear shorts/skirts that show my legs. I know I won't have the most feminine/modelly legs, but mine are thick, athletic, muscular legs and I could do worse.
Now that I don't worry about my health at all I can start focusing on the little stupid things like this that will improve my self-esteem and self-acceptance. I think I am almost where I want to be in terms of self-esteem: I finally don't find myself disgusting, hideous, etc. and have learned to care for me whether I am fatter or thinner than what I want to be... However, I have my moments where I find it disconcerting to see myself and find myself too this, too that...
Alright, I am bored with boring you. I will stop rambling now. Point being that all is slowly getting to almost semi-perfection in Leanne-land.
Monday, August 16, 2010
My 200th post.
And oh how eneventful it will be ha!
First of all, I already wrote today, secondly, I'm about to talk about digestion. Oh, I will add some pictures too so you can see what I look like recently, after losing 30 lbs.
I wanted to confirm that my usual purging routine worked. If you are feeling bloated or constipated or just crappy overall, try it. The most important ingredient is eating a kiwi every day (with the skin ON, thoroughly washed). I cut it into quarters and it is so yummy right before breakfast. After a few days, you should see a noticeable change in your digestive output, to put it delicately.
For more immediate results, I add a half glass of pure pomegranate juice diluted in water.
The final trick is to drink two glasses of warm water first thing when you wake up.
All of these suckers work as well if not better than other people's "coffee and cigarette" laxative.
For me, having no particular digestive problems, this simply leaves me feeling lighter, less bloated and healthier. Kiwis have a ton of vitamin C (more than oranges) and other great things. I don't advocate weird diets or dietary obsessions, but the kiwi thing really helped make everything in my body run more smoothly. And I noticed that change before I knew anything about its nutritional value, so it's not some hocus pocus.
In any case, though all my bloating from the weekend was purged early in the day, the afternoon brought with it time of the month bloat and back pain. I downed an Advil and have been drinking a glass of water about every 30-60 minutes. I am also eating pretty light food. After breakfast I had a couple crackers and some yellow pepper slices with hummus. For lunch I made a salad with mixed greens, pears, tomato, cucumber, walnuts, turkey and blue cheese. The dressing was a DELICIOUS blend of balsamic, olive oil, honey, fresh basil, fresh garlic from Quebec, pure sea salt and pepper. That was my most successful dressing yet. I make a variation of this dressing all the time (with maple syrup not honey), but I found this recipe online to go with pears and blue cheese. I made it the other day but today's had more oil and was just a little less intense, so more mellow and delicious.
I am defrosting shrimp now to make some garlic/ginger/honey goodness with collard greens and other veggies later. I am in my gym clothes now, jus waiting to go workout. I don't know if I'll have the energy to work out intensely, but I will give it my best shot.
Okay, here are some pics of me in the last month. The one where I am more tan was this weekend, the other about a month ago when I first got my hair cut. After losing 9 lbs in the challenge, I looked very different again, but even with gaining back just 4-5 lbs it made the difference. I look similar between the two photos. When I achieve the body weight/measurements I am aiming for I will do a proper before and after body picture, but for now just the face will have to suffice.
Have a great evening everyone and Cheers! on my 200th post!!
First of all, I already wrote today, secondly, I'm about to talk about digestion. Oh, I will add some pictures too so you can see what I look like recently, after losing 30 lbs.
I wanted to confirm that my usual purging routine worked. If you are feeling bloated or constipated or just crappy overall, try it. The most important ingredient is eating a kiwi every day (with the skin ON, thoroughly washed). I cut it into quarters and it is so yummy right before breakfast. After a few days, you should see a noticeable change in your digestive output, to put it delicately.
For more immediate results, I add a half glass of pure pomegranate juice diluted in water.
The final trick is to drink two glasses of warm water first thing when you wake up.
All of these suckers work as well if not better than other people's "coffee and cigarette" laxative.
For me, having no particular digestive problems, this simply leaves me feeling lighter, less bloated and healthier. Kiwis have a ton of vitamin C (more than oranges) and other great things. I don't advocate weird diets or dietary obsessions, but the kiwi thing really helped make everything in my body run more smoothly. And I noticed that change before I knew anything about its nutritional value, so it's not some hocus pocus.
In any case, though all my bloating from the weekend was purged early in the day, the afternoon brought with it time of the month bloat and back pain. I downed an Advil and have been drinking a glass of water about every 30-60 minutes. I am also eating pretty light food. After breakfast I had a couple crackers and some yellow pepper slices with hummus. For lunch I made a salad with mixed greens, pears, tomato, cucumber, walnuts, turkey and blue cheese. The dressing was a DELICIOUS blend of balsamic, olive oil, honey, fresh basil, fresh garlic from Quebec, pure sea salt and pepper. That was my most successful dressing yet. I make a variation of this dressing all the time (with maple syrup not honey), but I found this recipe online to go with pears and blue cheese. I made it the other day but today's had more oil and was just a little less intense, so more mellow and delicious.
I am defrosting shrimp now to make some garlic/ginger/honey goodness with collard greens and other veggies later. I am in my gym clothes now, jus waiting to go workout. I don't know if I'll have the energy to work out intensely, but I will give it my best shot.
Okay, here are some pics of me in the last month. The one where I am more tan was this weekend, the other about a month ago when I first got my hair cut. After losing 9 lbs in the challenge, I looked very different again, but even with gaining back just 4-5 lbs it made the difference. I look similar between the two photos. When I achieve the body weight/measurements I am aiming for I will do a proper before and after body picture, but for now just the face will have to suffice.
Have a great evening everyone and Cheers! on my 200th post!!
I'm back: fat and happy
Hey y'all,
I survived a week of indulgent eating and laziness and I am ready to get back on track. It would have been impossible not to gain weight this week. This morning I was all the way back up to 159 from about 155 most of the week. I am not upset, I am actually pleased for having let myself relax a bit.
First of all, I had cupcakes. These aren't just any cupcakes, they are the pride of NYC, Magnolia Bakery cupcakes. For about 6 years I've tried in vain to get someone to bring me some back, but this time my Italian and British guests succeeded. And though not everyone was as enthused about them as I, they were as spectacular as I recalled. I just polished off the last bites this morning.
I not only had those visitors, I also had my best friend in from Toronto and a visit from another from Quebec City. I ate relatively well at the restaurants, but the homemade food was the killer. I ate loads of cheese and desserts too, so that didn't help. All in all, it was a resounding success and now it is time to get my ass in gear.
Aside from eating the last bites left of each of the cupcakes (I was eating them in quarters) I had a kiwi and a bowl of greek yogurt with Kashi, blueberries and a little honey, plus two glasses of warm water and now a glass of water/pomegranate juice. All of this is meant to PURGE my digestive system so I can start afresh.
I want to be back to 155 by the end of the week, and hopefully next week I can work on getting below that to get back to 153. I think that will be a toughie, but it might be doable, we'll see. My motivation is my best friend. She and I have similar body shapes, except she is like a condensed, fit version of me. Recently she has put on a few pounds and honestly, she looks AMAZING! She looks like Betty Boop with slightly smaller breasts, incredible. I know she is always very active and is fairly careful about what she eats, and I think I may be able to achieve this too if I am as committed as she is. I want to wow myself too.
Alright, that's enough from me. Have to start work shortly...
I survived a week of indulgent eating and laziness and I am ready to get back on track. It would have been impossible not to gain weight this week. This morning I was all the way back up to 159 from about 155 most of the week. I am not upset, I am actually pleased for having let myself relax a bit.
First of all, I had cupcakes. These aren't just any cupcakes, they are the pride of NYC, Magnolia Bakery cupcakes. For about 6 years I've tried in vain to get someone to bring me some back, but this time my Italian and British guests succeeded. And though not everyone was as enthused about them as I, they were as spectacular as I recalled. I just polished off the last bites this morning.
I not only had those visitors, I also had my best friend in from Toronto and a visit from another from Quebec City. I ate relatively well at the restaurants, but the homemade food was the killer. I ate loads of cheese and desserts too, so that didn't help. All in all, it was a resounding success and now it is time to get my ass in gear.
Aside from eating the last bites left of each of the cupcakes (I was eating them in quarters) I had a kiwi and a bowl of greek yogurt with Kashi, blueberries and a little honey, plus two glasses of warm water and now a glass of water/pomegranate juice. All of this is meant to PURGE my digestive system so I can start afresh.
I want to be back to 155 by the end of the week, and hopefully next week I can work on getting below that to get back to 153. I think that will be a toughie, but it might be doable, we'll see. My motivation is my best friend. She and I have similar body shapes, except she is like a condensed, fit version of me. Recently she has put on a few pounds and honestly, she looks AMAZING! She looks like Betty Boop with slightly smaller breasts, incredible. I know she is always very active and is fairly careful about what she eats, and I think I may be able to achieve this too if I am as committed as she is. I want to wow myself too.
Alright, that's enough from me. Have to start work shortly...
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Back to the routine
So I am officially back to my regular weight-loss routine and I hardly know what to do with myself ha! After such a structured diet, I find myself caught in between my old good habits and the habits developed in the game.
The game made me realize a few things, now that it's done: my regular diet contains a lot of carbs and fats (mostly good fats though), and not enough protein. I eat enough veggies in general, and I drink enough water. It also brings my attention to the fact that I eat a lot of foods with lots of sugar in them (without eating candy or sweets, for example my organic raspberry jam), but now I am just moderating the amount of these products that I eat, without cutting them. I am also going to try to stick to as little Diet Coke as possible (my addiction, though I usually have about 1-2 per week), not because it makes you fat but because it has no nutritional value whatsoever. If I am to treat my body well, I want to stick to a consistent diet of foods with few additives and foods that are rich in nutritional value even if they are high in fat or carbs, etc.
I have a fantastic workout yesterday. I was planning on not working out this week, but as soon as I got home I had put my workout clothes on, and it's funny because I didn't even feel like it. But I am glad I went because I was pumped once I started. I dit HIIT (running/walking in 1-minute intervals for 30 mins, with 5 mins of cooldown), followed by some abs, leg lifts, squats and deep stretching.
Instead of cutting my workouts altogether this week, I think I will just do it when I feel I need it, and eat well when I have the motivation to (right now that's most of the time which is a pleasant change). And I will try not to get worked up if I see the scale go up, since I know I'll go more intensely next week after all my guests have left (I have an Italian and a British visitor for a few days as of Thursday, then my best friend is coming over from Toronto for a couple of days, so it will be paaaarrtyy time). But so far, after my day of debauchery on Saturday, I have seen the scale go back down faster than it did during the challenge, mind you I am not eating 5 meals a day anymore.
Instead, I had two toasts with PB and jam yesterday, then for lunch I made a big salad with tomato, cucumber, peppers, mixed greens, oil/balsamic. I split that into a late morning snack and lunch, and accompanied it with slices of low-fat cheese and some uber healthy crackers. It was a nice, well-rounded meal. For dinner, I made two eggs scrambled with zucchini, tomatoes, hot sauce and threw on a quarter of an avocado. I followed that with a bowl of plain yogurt with blueberries, a bit of Kashi GoLean cereal and honey... mmmmmmm.
Ookay, just realized I have to get going to work, have a great day and sorry for rambling on.
The game made me realize a few things, now that it's done: my regular diet contains a lot of carbs and fats (mostly good fats though), and not enough protein. I eat enough veggies in general, and I drink enough water. It also brings my attention to the fact that I eat a lot of foods with lots of sugar in them (without eating candy or sweets, for example my organic raspberry jam), but now I am just moderating the amount of these products that I eat, without cutting them. I am also going to try to stick to as little Diet Coke as possible (my addiction, though I usually have about 1-2 per week), not because it makes you fat but because it has no nutritional value whatsoever. If I am to treat my body well, I want to stick to a consistent diet of foods with few additives and foods that are rich in nutritional value even if they are high in fat or carbs, etc.
I have a fantastic workout yesterday. I was planning on not working out this week, but as soon as I got home I had put my workout clothes on, and it's funny because I didn't even feel like it. But I am glad I went because I was pumped once I started. I dit HIIT (running/walking in 1-minute intervals for 30 mins, with 5 mins of cooldown), followed by some abs, leg lifts, squats and deep stretching.
Instead of cutting my workouts altogether this week, I think I will just do it when I feel I need it, and eat well when I have the motivation to (right now that's most of the time which is a pleasant change). And I will try not to get worked up if I see the scale go up, since I know I'll go more intensely next week after all my guests have left (I have an Italian and a British visitor for a few days as of Thursday, then my best friend is coming over from Toronto for a couple of days, so it will be paaaarrtyy time). But so far, after my day of debauchery on Saturday, I have seen the scale go back down faster than it did during the challenge, mind you I am not eating 5 meals a day anymore.
Instead, I had two toasts with PB and jam yesterday, then for lunch I made a big salad with tomato, cucumber, peppers, mixed greens, oil/balsamic. I split that into a late morning snack and lunch, and accompanied it with slices of low-fat cheese and some uber healthy crackers. It was a nice, well-rounded meal. For dinner, I made two eggs scrambled with zucchini, tomatoes, hot sauce and threw on a quarter of an avocado. I followed that with a bowl of plain yogurt with blueberries, a bit of Kashi GoLean cereal and honey... mmmmmmm.
Ookay, just realized I have to get going to work, have a great day and sorry for rambling on.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Game On! Game over!
I would like to say I am disappointed in myself for not playing with as much enthusiasm as my fellow Game On-ers, and for being largely responsible for us losing the game (I do not like to lose, and normally don't, ahem!, hahahah), but really, when I weighed in at 153.6 on Saturday, I was too excited to notice.
It's not really the number that excited me (though I desperately wanted to NOT lose more points for my team), it was the fact that for the first time in my adult life, I felt like I look like a non-overweight person, and I actually felt kind of thin. I felt light. I felt like my body looks right-er.
It's incredible, but up until now, my body pretty much looked exactly the same at any weight. I know things have changed, but I can't see them with my eyes--instead I use measurements to remind me I am making progress and not to give up. But the visual difference between 155 and 153 was shocking. Who knew 2 lbs would be the difference, the switch? Of course, since Saturday was my day off from the diet, and I was at a friend's cottage, I went overboard on ketchup chips (I'd been craving forever) and hot dogs and fresh caught trout and veggies and salad, etc... So after all that, I am today at 156. And while I don't care at all that I gained back a couple pounds, because I'm thrilled to have lost any at all, I SEE a clear-cut difference in my body from 153.
What I have also noticed though is that things are pretty flabby and pale and hairy and pasty-white. I think I will proceed as follows for the remaining work on my body:
1. Take a week of rest from intense workouts and eating overly carefully without binging.
2. Get back to regular workouts and semi-careful eating for a few weeks
3. Start another Game On! challenge in mid-September for 1 month, to lose another 5-10 lbs
4. Once I have moved (if this ever happens), start going to a personal trainer to tone up and get rid of some of the flabbiness, without getting excessively muscular. On my own I am getting big arms and such, and I want lean muscle, not big bulky man arms!
5. Take a relaxing vacation to reward myself for this hellish year and all the hard work I've done, and get a tan so I don't look quite so sick!
6. Once I have reached 140-145 lbs, just enjoy it and do basic maintenance while not becoming obsessed and still enjoying life to the fullest!
Done and done!
Oh and I really need to not be so lazy about waxing, it desperately needs to be done. But I imagine that if I go on vacation to tan, I will want to go at least so I don't throw up when I put on a bikini hahah!
Alright, I'm out for now. Have a great week everyone!
It's not really the number that excited me (though I desperately wanted to NOT lose more points for my team), it was the fact that for the first time in my adult life, I felt like I look like a non-overweight person, and I actually felt kind of thin. I felt light. I felt like my body looks right-er.
It's incredible, but up until now, my body pretty much looked exactly the same at any weight. I know things have changed, but I can't see them with my eyes--instead I use measurements to remind me I am making progress and not to give up. But the visual difference between 155 and 153 was shocking. Who knew 2 lbs would be the difference, the switch? Of course, since Saturday was my day off from the diet, and I was at a friend's cottage, I went overboard on ketchup chips (I'd been craving forever) and hot dogs and fresh caught trout and veggies and salad, etc... So after all that, I am today at 156. And while I don't care at all that I gained back a couple pounds, because I'm thrilled to have lost any at all, I SEE a clear-cut difference in my body from 153.
What I have also noticed though is that things are pretty flabby and pale and hairy and pasty-white. I think I will proceed as follows for the remaining work on my body:
1. Take a week of rest from intense workouts and eating overly carefully without binging.
2. Get back to regular workouts and semi-careful eating for a few weeks
3. Start another Game On! challenge in mid-September for 1 month, to lose another 5-10 lbs
4. Once I have moved (if this ever happens), start going to a personal trainer to tone up and get rid of some of the flabbiness, without getting excessively muscular. On my own I am getting big arms and such, and I want lean muscle, not big bulky man arms!
5. Take a relaxing vacation to reward myself for this hellish year and all the hard work I've done, and get a tan so I don't look quite so sick!
6. Once I have reached 140-145 lbs, just enjoy it and do basic maintenance while not becoming obsessed and still enjoying life to the fullest!
Done and done!
Oh and I really need to not be so lazy about waxing, it desperately needs to be done. But I imagine that if I go on vacation to tan, I will want to go at least so I don't throw up when I put on a bikini hahah!
Alright, I'm out for now. Have a great week everyone!
Friday, August 6, 2010
Week 4 almost done!
Hiya,
So, I'm in the final days of this challenge and I am thrilled. By tomorrow I should have lost at least 1 more pound, which will bring my total weight loss for the 4 weeks to 8-9 lbs. I expect to gain about 3 of those pounds back, but that means I am at least 5 lbs down officially. I am at 155.8 today. I hope to be at 153.7 tomorrow just to make weight for this challenge, but it is unlikely. However, in the first two weeks I dropped 2 lbs in the last day.
I found the challenge mostly easy to do if you isolate yourself (except for your day off / meal off), but in social situations it is just plain annoying. The best part was the daily contact with the other girls, the great skin I now have from eating more veggies and drinking more water, and the boost in motivation for exercise. The drawback was having to plan 5 meals a day, 6 days a week, but even that becomes fairly easy after a few days.
I realized that no matter how much weight you have to lose, everyone approaches weight loss differently. But the great thing is that by communicating with others who are trying to lose weight, you share your "best practices" and eliminate some potentially unhealthy habits/obsessions. For example, others will remind you that you will gain a bit of weight from muscle, that all bodies are not created equal (ahem! in reference to the BMI), that deprivation only pays off in the short-term and moderation is key, that it's actually GOOD to take a day or a week off sometimes...
In my case, I am a very muscular person, always have been. So even when I looked my thinnest (when I was 13-14 probably), I was always heavier than I appeared. So even though I "should" be between 110-130 lbs for my height (5'2") according to BMI charts and statistics, I am aiming for a healthy 140-145 lbs. I think that's when I'll have achieved my goal of getting my outer self to reflect my inner self. I mean that I am a hyper, extremely active person, and I always hated feeling like people see me as lazy. Now I don't care so much what other people think, but I do care about my body's ability to actually perform as I get older.
At 183 lbs I was already starting to feel pains all over and have hip and sciatic nerve problems (and a few years back I was almost 200 lbs). Now, with physiotherapy and careful exercise and diet, I can function so much better. It may have taken 7 months to lose almost 30 lbs, but it's a very important 30 lbs to me. It is very difficult for me to slim down. I am built thick and my body likes to stay this way. I normally would get more and more depressed as I got heavier, and thus less likely to persist long enough to actually lose weight, but this time life pushed me into a corner. I am thankful, because without the breakup, the horrible living situation at times, and this constant state of not knowing where I'll be in the next few months, I would have never focused so adamantly on my health.
For those trying to lose much more weight than I had to lose, I send you persistence. That is all it takes. You will fall off the wagon sometimes, but what's important is starting over, again and again. Make it fun for yourself as it gets easier. Make it a little more challenging. Try new things, new foods, new exercises, new good habits. And when it gets really tough, take a day off and start over the next day. Don't focus strictly on weight loss: take measurements, focus on how many veggies you eat in a day or how much water, and naturally the weight will come off as a side effect. Focus on every aspect of your well-being and your body will thank you.
I still have another 10-15 lbs to lose and these will be the hardest of all I am seeing. I keep seeing the scale go up and down like never before. I am doing everything I can and it's going at a snail's pace. So even though it's only 10 lbs, I still need that strength too...
Good luck everyone!
So, I'm in the final days of this challenge and I am thrilled. By tomorrow I should have lost at least 1 more pound, which will bring my total weight loss for the 4 weeks to 8-9 lbs. I expect to gain about 3 of those pounds back, but that means I am at least 5 lbs down officially. I am at 155.8 today. I hope to be at 153.7 tomorrow just to make weight for this challenge, but it is unlikely. However, in the first two weeks I dropped 2 lbs in the last day.
I found the challenge mostly easy to do if you isolate yourself (except for your day off / meal off), but in social situations it is just plain annoying. The best part was the daily contact with the other girls, the great skin I now have from eating more veggies and drinking more water, and the boost in motivation for exercise. The drawback was having to plan 5 meals a day, 6 days a week, but even that becomes fairly easy after a few days.
I realized that no matter how much weight you have to lose, everyone approaches weight loss differently. But the great thing is that by communicating with others who are trying to lose weight, you share your "best practices" and eliminate some potentially unhealthy habits/obsessions. For example, others will remind you that you will gain a bit of weight from muscle, that all bodies are not created equal (ahem! in reference to the BMI), that deprivation only pays off in the short-term and moderation is key, that it's actually GOOD to take a day or a week off sometimes...
In my case, I am a very muscular person, always have been. So even when I looked my thinnest (when I was 13-14 probably), I was always heavier than I appeared. So even though I "should" be between 110-130 lbs for my height (5'2") according to BMI charts and statistics, I am aiming for a healthy 140-145 lbs. I think that's when I'll have achieved my goal of getting my outer self to reflect my inner self. I mean that I am a hyper, extremely active person, and I always hated feeling like people see me as lazy. Now I don't care so much what other people think, but I do care about my body's ability to actually perform as I get older.
At 183 lbs I was already starting to feel pains all over and have hip and sciatic nerve problems (and a few years back I was almost 200 lbs). Now, with physiotherapy and careful exercise and diet, I can function so much better. It may have taken 7 months to lose almost 30 lbs, but it's a very important 30 lbs to me. It is very difficult for me to slim down. I am built thick and my body likes to stay this way. I normally would get more and more depressed as I got heavier, and thus less likely to persist long enough to actually lose weight, but this time life pushed me into a corner. I am thankful, because without the breakup, the horrible living situation at times, and this constant state of not knowing where I'll be in the next few months, I would have never focused so adamantly on my health.
For those trying to lose much more weight than I had to lose, I send you persistence. That is all it takes. You will fall off the wagon sometimes, but what's important is starting over, again and again. Make it fun for yourself as it gets easier. Make it a little more challenging. Try new things, new foods, new exercises, new good habits. And when it gets really tough, take a day off and start over the next day. Don't focus strictly on weight loss: take measurements, focus on how many veggies you eat in a day or how much water, and naturally the weight will come off as a side effect. Focus on every aspect of your well-being and your body will thank you.
I still have another 10-15 lbs to lose and these will be the hardest of all I am seeing. I keep seeing the scale go up and down like never before. I am doing everything I can and it's going at a snail's pace. So even though it's only 10 lbs, I still need that strength too...
Good luck everyone!
Friday, July 30, 2010
Should I be writing?
Dear fairly-public diary,
I am in week 3 of my challenge. My weigh-in is tomorrow. I would have to be 2 lbs lighter than today to get my bonus points for losing 1% of my body weight (I use my weight on Saturday mornings, then have all Saturday off and it usually takes a week to get back down below the weigh-in reading from the week prior). If I do not get the bonus points, my team will lose, and all because of me. But I suppose it's not all bad; this challenge has allowed me to lose 7 lbs so far and take on some healthy habits and eliminate a couple of bad ones.
I am not sure I should be writing today. Since I stopped blogging daily, I seem to end up blogging only when I have time to myself to sit down and reflect. The problem is that this year has been a painstaking exercise in learning NOT to think about things. So whenever I find myself alone, not out running around, I end up sad. And a few people on Facebook seem to think I am reaching out for help based on my statuses... While I can truly say that things inside my head and heart are not good, I have days that are great too. Those who see me regularly know that I can be very exaggerated/intense/passionate/overdramatic (you choose your personal perspective), but that is because I feel things very intensely. I am never just sort of happy or sort of sad, I am all out all the time. I am intense.
So I think I should force myself to write more when I am a little upbeat as well. I just don't want to paint a really sorry picture when truly, I am so grateful for so much that I have in my life, including the most generous, supportive and loving family and friends.
In any case, today I am sad. It is absolutely ridiculous too. I usually love my alone time, relish in it, because with so many great people to see, I rarely get time for myself. Lately though, when I am unable to find someone to hang out with, I get miserably sad. I spend almost every day out with the same one or two people just relaxing, just so I don't spend too much time wallowing at home. Keeping myself busy has been my escape from depression while I am unable to escape my precarious living arrangement. But the millisecond I know I CAN'T have 24/7 access to whichever friend I fancy at the time, I become like a child.
I am trying to keep things in perspective, but what is wrong with me, seriously!!! My former therapist once casually mentioned that I may experience some form of separation anxiety and suddenly, all these seemingly unrelated issues appeared to make sense. I don't like to self-diagnose, but separation anxiety would cover the bulk of my issues in friendships, with family and in relationships. But what to do?
For now, I just remind myself that 99% of my thoughts are irrational, and then explain to myself why they are irrational and eventually the emotion dissipates. I think this blog has helped me scratch away at this funny feeling inside. So I am going to go eat a small cookie (I am allowed 100 calories of anything I want per day :) and hope that my mind is a little clearer with some sugary badness in my system.
Thanks for listening, whoever's out there.
I am in week 3 of my challenge. My weigh-in is tomorrow. I would have to be 2 lbs lighter than today to get my bonus points for losing 1% of my body weight (I use my weight on Saturday mornings, then have all Saturday off and it usually takes a week to get back down below the weigh-in reading from the week prior). If I do not get the bonus points, my team will lose, and all because of me. But I suppose it's not all bad; this challenge has allowed me to lose 7 lbs so far and take on some healthy habits and eliminate a couple of bad ones.
I am not sure I should be writing today. Since I stopped blogging daily, I seem to end up blogging only when I have time to myself to sit down and reflect. The problem is that this year has been a painstaking exercise in learning NOT to think about things. So whenever I find myself alone, not out running around, I end up sad. And a few people on Facebook seem to think I am reaching out for help based on my statuses... While I can truly say that things inside my head and heart are not good, I have days that are great too. Those who see me regularly know that I can be very exaggerated/intense/passionate/overdramatic (you choose your personal perspective), but that is because I feel things very intensely. I am never just sort of happy or sort of sad, I am all out all the time. I am intense.
So I think I should force myself to write more when I am a little upbeat as well. I just don't want to paint a really sorry picture when truly, I am so grateful for so much that I have in my life, including the most generous, supportive and loving family and friends.
In any case, today I am sad. It is absolutely ridiculous too. I usually love my alone time, relish in it, because with so many great people to see, I rarely get time for myself. Lately though, when I am unable to find someone to hang out with, I get miserably sad. I spend almost every day out with the same one or two people just relaxing, just so I don't spend too much time wallowing at home. Keeping myself busy has been my escape from depression while I am unable to escape my precarious living arrangement. But the millisecond I know I CAN'T have 24/7 access to whichever friend I fancy at the time, I become like a child.
I am trying to keep things in perspective, but what is wrong with me, seriously!!! My former therapist once casually mentioned that I may experience some form of separation anxiety and suddenly, all these seemingly unrelated issues appeared to make sense. I don't like to self-diagnose, but separation anxiety would cover the bulk of my issues in friendships, with family and in relationships. But what to do?
For now, I just remind myself that 99% of my thoughts are irrational, and then explain to myself why they are irrational and eventually the emotion dissipates. I think this blog has helped me scratch away at this funny feeling inside. So I am going to go eat a small cookie (I am allowed 100 calories of anything I want per day :) and hope that my mind is a little clearer with some sugary badness in my system.
Thanks for listening, whoever's out there.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Split personality affliction
I wish I could come up with an abbreviation of some variation of split personality disorder that would spell out SPAZZ. That is me.
I am torn between two lifestyles, two mes.
On one hand I have never been healthier in my life and have never stood up for myself so strongly to protect my health and sanity and well-being. No longer will I be a pushover. If I do something kind for someone, it will be willingly. If I feel guilty, it will be because I have done something wrong and not because I am so concerned with how other people feel over my own feelings. Forever after will I trust my instincts.
On the other hand, I am stuck in every sense of the word, and all because of something I typically see as trivial: money. My circumstances are such that I have been living in the condo I bought with my former boyfriend a few years back, and we broke up last August. Though he did move out for a good six months, I have been living with him for 6 of the other months of the year. For numerous complicated reasons I cannot leave until things in his own life are sorted out. Everything I do depends on him at this point, and I am going broke in the process. It is killing me. And now it has carried over into my work (along with the work environment just generally sucking). I cannot make any moves. None. Unless of course I want to further indebt myself, which I do not.
So I have many good days, interspersed with terrible ones. Today has been both. The last few days have been sprinkled with meltdowns, followed by moments of peace. All I really want right now is to shut myself away in a cottage somewhere alone for a month. I don't want people, I don't want work, I don't want exes, nothing. Not even the amazing people around me. I want to be ALONE. Unfortunately, this is impossible for now.
Meanwhile, I spend a lot of time with my great friends. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy myself with them, but I really need some escape, anything really.
But just when I was feeling like drastic measures are inching their way closer in my mind, I received a package in the mail from my good friend, with unfailingly impeccable timing. It brought tears to my eyes. She sent me two CDs (from Sweden) with some pleasant music just because she thought I would like it and thinks of me. I can truly and honestly say that knowing her, as well as a handful of other friends and family members who have shown me nothing but love and support, has saved my life. I hope one day, when I have the energy again, I will be able to show them how much they mean to me. But to this friend in particular I am most grateful, because she has always managed to make some small gesture just at the most critical moment, and that small gesture becomes monumental...
...in less depressing news, the diet challenge is going well. I am ready to just be done with dieting and all that right now, but I know this is paying off and this is the only thing within my control, so it is a healthy alternative to drinking, drugs or whatever other less healthy form of escapism I could find...
I am torn between two lifestyles, two mes.
On one hand I have never been healthier in my life and have never stood up for myself so strongly to protect my health and sanity and well-being. No longer will I be a pushover. If I do something kind for someone, it will be willingly. If I feel guilty, it will be because I have done something wrong and not because I am so concerned with how other people feel over my own feelings. Forever after will I trust my instincts.
On the other hand, I am stuck in every sense of the word, and all because of something I typically see as trivial: money. My circumstances are such that I have been living in the condo I bought with my former boyfriend a few years back, and we broke up last August. Though he did move out for a good six months, I have been living with him for 6 of the other months of the year. For numerous complicated reasons I cannot leave until things in his own life are sorted out. Everything I do depends on him at this point, and I am going broke in the process. It is killing me. And now it has carried over into my work (along with the work environment just generally sucking). I cannot make any moves. None. Unless of course I want to further indebt myself, which I do not.
So I have many good days, interspersed with terrible ones. Today has been both. The last few days have been sprinkled with meltdowns, followed by moments of peace. All I really want right now is to shut myself away in a cottage somewhere alone for a month. I don't want people, I don't want work, I don't want exes, nothing. Not even the amazing people around me. I want to be ALONE. Unfortunately, this is impossible for now.
Meanwhile, I spend a lot of time with my great friends. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy myself with them, but I really need some escape, anything really.
But just when I was feeling like drastic measures are inching their way closer in my mind, I received a package in the mail from my good friend, with unfailingly impeccable timing. It brought tears to my eyes. She sent me two CDs (from Sweden) with some pleasant music just because she thought I would like it and thinks of me. I can truly and honestly say that knowing her, as well as a handful of other friends and family members who have shown me nothing but love and support, has saved my life. I hope one day, when I have the energy again, I will be able to show them how much they mean to me. But to this friend in particular I am most grateful, because she has always managed to make some small gesture just at the most critical moment, and that small gesture becomes monumental...
...in less depressing news, the diet challenge is going well. I am ready to just be done with dieting and all that right now, but I know this is paying off and this is the only thing within my control, so it is a healthy alternative to drinking, drugs or whatever other less healthy form of escapism I could find...
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Great!
Yes, I am now consistently feeling great. I have reached a weight "area" where if I gain a pound or two I don't get depressed and scared that I will never lose the weight. Yesterday, I made my weight for the challenge, I was 155.2!!!! Holy crap! I haven't weighed this little since high school.
After a great day off the diet, I am back up to 157.4 and I'm not worried. I have seen that this diet is really effective and as long as you don't cheat it will pay off. Only two weeks left of it, so I hope to be another 5 lbs or so closer to my goal! I didn't overdo it on my day off, but I did treat myself. I had toast with PB and margarine and a kiwi and pomegranate juice for breakfast. After volunteering in the kitchen at Santropol all morning, and snacking on very healthy little cookies and a piece of apple cake, I went for a tuna wrap (I intended to have fries and decided not to, and only took water), then I had two scoops of Ben and Jerry's ice creammmmmmmmmm. I got home to go workout, but snuck in 3 bites of a pecan pie. Afterward, I went to my friend's place, who was making us real Lebanese food. It is suuuper healthy food and I didn't eat too much of it, just one plate with mostly veggies, hummus, stuffed vine leaves, kefta, etc. mmmmm.
So I am going for brunch this morning for my weekly "meal off", then it's back to the diet. I did a killer workout yesterday, and today will be a longer, slightly mellower workout most likely. I'll also need to stock up on Greek Yogurt and veggies for the week. This week I am much more enthusiastic about the diet than in the second week. Maybe it's because it's halfway done, maybe I've gotten used to it, or maybe it's the amazing results. I truly have always thought I would never ever have a nice body or be in shape, and it is happening right before my eyes! In a very healthy way!
Alright, I am off to enjoy some brunchety goodness before I get back on the diet train.
Have a fantastic week!
After a great day off the diet, I am back up to 157.4 and I'm not worried. I have seen that this diet is really effective and as long as you don't cheat it will pay off. Only two weeks left of it, so I hope to be another 5 lbs or so closer to my goal! I didn't overdo it on my day off, but I did treat myself. I had toast with PB and margarine and a kiwi and pomegranate juice for breakfast. After volunteering in the kitchen at Santropol all morning, and snacking on very healthy little cookies and a piece of apple cake, I went for a tuna wrap (I intended to have fries and decided not to, and only took water), then I had two scoops of Ben and Jerry's ice creammmmmmmmmm. I got home to go workout, but snuck in 3 bites of a pecan pie. Afterward, I went to my friend's place, who was making us real Lebanese food. It is suuuper healthy food and I didn't eat too much of it, just one plate with mostly veggies, hummus, stuffed vine leaves, kefta, etc. mmmmm.
So I am going for brunch this morning for my weekly "meal off", then it's back to the diet. I did a killer workout yesterday, and today will be a longer, slightly mellower workout most likely. I'll also need to stock up on Greek Yogurt and veggies for the week. This week I am much more enthusiastic about the diet than in the second week. Maybe it's because it's halfway done, maybe I've gotten used to it, or maybe it's the amazing results. I truly have always thought I would never ever have a nice body or be in shape, and it is happening right before my eyes! In a very healthy way!
Alright, I am off to enjoy some brunchety goodness before I get back on the diet train.
Have a fantastic week!
Friday, July 23, 2010
Come on get happyyyyy!
Hey!
So I weighed in today at 157.2 again. No change there. But I wont complain. Aside from needing to lose 0.5 lbs by tomorrow morning to get my bonus points, I am trying not to worry so much what the scale says anymore. I have a little ways to go to reach my goal, and it will likely be difficult and slow because it's coming up on the last 15 lbs, so I don't want to become obsessed then get disappointed.
I have been measuring myself, which is a good idea for anyone trying to lose weight. It's the best way I have found to NOT focus on weight, which can at times be a poor indicator of progress. For example, there were weeks where I didn't lose weight but my waist shrunk by an inch. I was clearly gaining muscle, which would later help me lose more fat, so there was no need to fret. Also, after eating a salt-heavy meal I took on a whole 8 lbs in one meal, so measurements kept me from losing my mind.
I am most impressed with myself for not giving into my urge for Diet Coke even when I am allowed on my days off. I haven't drank any alcohol in two weeks as well. I am looking forward to a nice drink on a patio in a couple weeks, but doing this will help me lose the weight for now. And the Diet Coke is an ongoing struggle...
Anyway, got to work now!!
So I weighed in today at 157.2 again. No change there. But I wont complain. Aside from needing to lose 0.5 lbs by tomorrow morning to get my bonus points, I am trying not to worry so much what the scale says anymore. I have a little ways to go to reach my goal, and it will likely be difficult and slow because it's coming up on the last 15 lbs, so I don't want to become obsessed then get disappointed.
I have been measuring myself, which is a good idea for anyone trying to lose weight. It's the best way I have found to NOT focus on weight, which can at times be a poor indicator of progress. For example, there were weeks where I didn't lose weight but my waist shrunk by an inch. I was clearly gaining muscle, which would later help me lose more fat, so there was no need to fret. Also, after eating a salt-heavy meal I took on a whole 8 lbs in one meal, so measurements kept me from losing my mind.
I am most impressed with myself for not giving into my urge for Diet Coke even when I am allowed on my days off. I haven't drank any alcohol in two weeks as well. I am looking forward to a nice drink on a patio in a couple weeks, but doing this will help me lose the weight for now. And the Diet Coke is an ongoing struggle...
Anyway, got to work now!!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
unbearably excited
after a moment's reflection, I think it may be the double espresso with maple syrup I just had... but anyway, I will write this post as if this excitement is completely natural.
I am so excitttteeeeedddd for zumba tonight! If you don't know what zumba is (not that anyone is reading my blog anymore), check out the link for Bamboofit (the place I go for classes, and they have some cheesy video demonstrating a zumba class). It's basically a really fun, goofy (only because no one can do the moves properly) aerobics class that is broken up into short 'routines' by song. This makes the time pass quickly and hilariously.
I don't know why I am suddenly so excited for it (pretend I never told you about the espresso).
I am also excited I weighed in at 157.2 today, that's one more pound down. I still have two more weigh ins before my day off, so hopefully I can knock off one more pound to make my weight bonus for the week (I would technically need to lose 1.6 lbs for 1% of my body weight to earn my 20% points bonus).
Volleyball was fantastic yesterday, and eating is on track. I am absolutely stuffed from my lunches: remember, I have to eat roughly every two hours, but I have to have double veggies for 2 of my 5 meals, and I decided to make my lunch one big pile of veggies (yellow/green zucchini and red/orange peppers) with feta and rice. The feta's making me more thirsty than usual, and the veggies and rice are sooooo filling. I plan on having a burger (just the patty) with extra lean beef and maybe a little avocado and some tomatoes as carbs (in this game tomatoes and fruit are counted as carbs).
All of my fellow players have noticed that our skin is now looking amazing, which we unanymously agree is mostly due to drinking so much water. I think it has to do with the amount of veggies and watery foods we need to eat and lack of excessive fatty meats, etc. Either way, my pores have always been massive and now my skin looks wayyyy smoother and clearer, so I am impressed. I already drank a lot of water to begin with, but now I am drinking roughly a third more water throughout the day to achieve 3L. Today, because of the feta, I'll likely reach 4L...
In any case, as unenthused as I am about preparing food in advance, this game is extremely effective and is designed to counter the feelings of deprivation associated with most diets. Seriously, I am a pretty big fan, despite hating 99% of 'diets'.
I am so excitttteeeeedddd for zumba tonight! If you don't know what zumba is (not that anyone is reading my blog anymore), check out the link for Bamboofit (the place I go for classes, and they have some cheesy video demonstrating a zumba class). It's basically a really fun, goofy (only because no one can do the moves properly) aerobics class that is broken up into short 'routines' by song. This makes the time pass quickly and hilariously.
I don't know why I am suddenly so excited for it (pretend I never told you about the espresso).
I am also excited I weighed in at 157.2 today, that's one more pound down. I still have two more weigh ins before my day off, so hopefully I can knock off one more pound to make my weight bonus for the week (I would technically need to lose 1.6 lbs for 1% of my body weight to earn my 20% points bonus).
Volleyball was fantastic yesterday, and eating is on track. I am absolutely stuffed from my lunches: remember, I have to eat roughly every two hours, but I have to have double veggies for 2 of my 5 meals, and I decided to make my lunch one big pile of veggies (yellow/green zucchini and red/orange peppers) with feta and rice. The feta's making me more thirsty than usual, and the veggies and rice are sooooo filling. I plan on having a burger (just the patty) with extra lean beef and maybe a little avocado and some tomatoes as carbs (in this game tomatoes and fruit are counted as carbs).
All of my fellow players have noticed that our skin is now looking amazing, which we unanymously agree is mostly due to drinking so much water. I think it has to do with the amount of veggies and watery foods we need to eat and lack of excessive fatty meats, etc. Either way, my pores have always been massive and now my skin looks wayyyy smoother and clearer, so I am impressed. I already drank a lot of water to begin with, but now I am drinking roughly a third more water throughout the day to achieve 3L. Today, because of the feta, I'll likely reach 4L...
In any case, as unenthused as I am about preparing food in advance, this game is extremely effective and is designed to counter the feelings of deprivation associated with most diets. Seriously, I am a pretty big fan, despite hating 99% of 'diets'.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Hump and Bump day
The week's halfway done everyone, and it's time for volleyball! I am so glad I signed up for this league, because now I look forward to every Wednesday! We are starting the summer season now, and I have the same team plus two new players. I think I will assertively tell the crazy beatch I play with that she will no longer be able to only play in the back, because some of us would like to as well.
Today is my day off swearing, yay! I will still try not to, even at vball, because it's hard to get back into it once I've let myself go. I find myself cursing a lot in my head, so I hope that habit will eventually break also.
I was at 158.6 this morning. I really hope I can get down by 1.5 lbs from 158.2 by Saturday morning! Otherwise I won't get any bonus points. I am sticking to the diet to the letter. I even wrote this poem to my competitors to taunt them last night before bed (we're encouraged to trash talk, but I can't curse so I have to be creative):
Fair competitors, friends and ladies
Damsels not born in the eighties
I fear your strength is waning
Since all we hear's complaining
Ne'er ye fret alas
This slump will come to pass
With pharmaceuticals a'plenty
And daily workouts o'twenty
Twould not be fair to tease
As you recover from disease
Instead we patiently wait
For your illness to abate
And even before you've had a chance
To do a little happy dance
The rug will be pulled from beneath your feet
And your defeat, our victory, will be sweet
- Your Amazingness
I can't wait to see how they'll react to it this morning.
Yesterday I took a walk at lunch and did a 40-45 minute workout after work. I did high-intensity interval training (HIIT: alternating from super fast to regular speed in intervals) This time I did 30s fast / 30s regular on the bike for 31 minutes... I was soaked through and through with sweat. yay! This means it's pushing me harder than my regular old workout. It's great to learn new stuff so that I can start seeing progress once again, because I fear I might stay at this weight forever.
Alright, have a great day! Hope it goes by quickly so I can just get to beach volleyball!
Today is my day off swearing, yay! I will still try not to, even at vball, because it's hard to get back into it once I've let myself go. I find myself cursing a lot in my head, so I hope that habit will eventually break also.
I was at 158.6 this morning. I really hope I can get down by 1.5 lbs from 158.2 by Saturday morning! Otherwise I won't get any bonus points. I am sticking to the diet to the letter. I even wrote this poem to my competitors to taunt them last night before bed (we're encouraged to trash talk, but I can't curse so I have to be creative):
Fair competitors, friends and ladies
Damsels not born in the eighties
I fear your strength is waning
Since all we hear's complaining
Ne'er ye fret alas
This slump will come to pass
With pharmaceuticals a'plenty
And daily workouts o'twenty
Twould not be fair to tease
As you recover from disease
Instead we patiently wait
For your illness to abate
And even before you've had a chance
To do a little happy dance
The rug will be pulled from beneath your feet
And your defeat, our victory, will be sweet
- Your Amazingness
I can't wait to see how they'll react to it this morning.
Yesterday I took a walk at lunch and did a 40-45 minute workout after work. I did high-intensity interval training (HIIT: alternating from super fast to regular speed in intervals) This time I did 30s fast / 30s regular on the bike for 31 minutes... I was soaked through and through with sweat. yay! This means it's pushing me harder than my regular old workout. It's great to learn new stuff so that I can start seeing progress once again, because I fear I might stay at this weight forever.
Alright, have a great day! Hope it goes by quickly so I can just get to beach volleyball!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Progress
Well Saturday didn't turn out to be such a bust, quite the contrary actually. I rode my bike to a friend's place, then we rode to buy a volleyball and went to play beach volleyball in the scorching heat. Just as it began to cool down, a really fun group of people offered to play with us and we had a grand ol' time.
Along with the cool breeze came signs of a looming storm. Since it was my day off I had decided I NEEDED Dairy Queen though. We rode to DQ, just a few blocks away, and I enjoyed it deeply, while getting wet in the beginnings of the storm. Just as we went to ride back to her place, the worst of it barreled down on us. Luckily, we were wearing bathingsuits and sport clothes, so we were having a good time.
As part of my day off, I had eaten a regular, healthful breakfast. I didn't eat lunch aside from ice cream, but we went to buy groceries (including nice cheese from the famous Hamel) and I made homemade burgers. I just ate one, with smoked gouda and all the fixins! I also ate a few baked chips, about half of a baguette with olive oil and vinegar, and drank some pomegranate juice.
Naturally, my weight went up over the weekend. It had gone from 162 to 158.2 last week, and yesterday and today I am at 159 lbs. I am not sure why it's gone up a half pound since yesterday, because I ate all my meals according to the diet and got an amazing workout in, but it's still 2 lbs or so of weight lost, which is healthy. I just hope I can continue to lose 2 lbs per week for the next three weeks. It's making a nice difference.
Sunday I mostly spent shopping at the sidewalk sales on Ste-Catherine, stopping to eat my prepared meal, going for coffee and shisha, stopping to eat my prepared meal, going to my friend's house and stopping... No actually I realized I also get 1 'meal off' per week that I hadn't used and would lose if I didn't use it that day, so we went out for some fancy pizza. I had my favourite: arugula, tomatoes, goat cheese, balsamic glaze, oregano/garlic. Mmm mmm good!
Anyway, today I am in pain from my workout yesterday after work. I will workout after work as well tonight. For now, I have to go to work, bllleeeehhhhhhhh!
Along with the cool breeze came signs of a looming storm. Since it was my day off I had decided I NEEDED Dairy Queen though. We rode to DQ, just a few blocks away, and I enjoyed it deeply, while getting wet in the beginnings of the storm. Just as we went to ride back to her place, the worst of it barreled down on us. Luckily, we were wearing bathingsuits and sport clothes, so we were having a good time.
As part of my day off, I had eaten a regular, healthful breakfast. I didn't eat lunch aside from ice cream, but we went to buy groceries (including nice cheese from the famous Hamel) and I made homemade burgers. I just ate one, with smoked gouda and all the fixins! I also ate a few baked chips, about half of a baguette with olive oil and vinegar, and drank some pomegranate juice.
Naturally, my weight went up over the weekend. It had gone from 162 to 158.2 last week, and yesterday and today I am at 159 lbs. I am not sure why it's gone up a half pound since yesterday, because I ate all my meals according to the diet and got an amazing workout in, but it's still 2 lbs or so of weight lost, which is healthy. I just hope I can continue to lose 2 lbs per week for the next three weeks. It's making a nice difference.
Sunday I mostly spent shopping at the sidewalk sales on Ste-Catherine, stopping to eat my prepared meal, going for coffee and shisha, stopping to eat my prepared meal, going to my friend's house and stopping... No actually I realized I also get 1 'meal off' per week that I hadn't used and would lose if I didn't use it that day, so we went out for some fancy pizza. I had my favourite: arugula, tomatoes, goat cheese, balsamic glaze, oregano/garlic. Mmm mmm good!
Anyway, today I am in pain from my workout yesterday after work. I will workout after work as well tonight. For now, I have to go to work, bllleeeehhhhhhhh!
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Day off... slow start
Hiya!
I just had the worst 9 hours of sleep I've had in ages. I couldn't fall asleep for hours, then I'd wake up every half hour, then muscle pains and numbness... In any case, it is now Saturday and my DAY OFF BEGINS!
I weighed in for the week and I am 3.8 lbs lighter! I am extremely happy about this. I wouldn't want to lose too much each week because then it means it's usually not sustainable, and I also don't exactly want to end up skinny and yucky looking. I would be happy with a steady 2 lbs per week, and I'd be halfway to my goal. But 4 lbs is pretty awesome, and now I may gain one back with my day off. I intend to eat some fatty meat like a burger, possibly homemade because those are usually the best. I also want some ice cream and for lunch maybe a sandwich on fresh baguette or white fresh baked loaf of some other kind.
I do need to workout today, and I was counting on volunteering, but they never returned my email. I think I will call them to see if they need help, or simply just walk up there anyway (an hour each way) and if they don't need help, make a stop at Dairy Queen and pick up some bread.
I have no one to hang out with today so I will have to figure out what I am doing. I feel like I need to carefully structure this day to get all the foods I am missing in without shoving everything in my face at once hahah! For now, my tummy is grumbling so I will go have a healthy breakfast of cereal with milk and some fruit. May sound boring but I am keeping it light in preparation for the rest of the day.
Have a good one!
I just had the worst 9 hours of sleep I've had in ages. I couldn't fall asleep for hours, then I'd wake up every half hour, then muscle pains and numbness... In any case, it is now Saturday and my DAY OFF BEGINS!
I weighed in for the week and I am 3.8 lbs lighter! I am extremely happy about this. I wouldn't want to lose too much each week because then it means it's usually not sustainable, and I also don't exactly want to end up skinny and yucky looking. I would be happy with a steady 2 lbs per week, and I'd be halfway to my goal. But 4 lbs is pretty awesome, and now I may gain one back with my day off. I intend to eat some fatty meat like a burger, possibly homemade because those are usually the best. I also want some ice cream and for lunch maybe a sandwich on fresh baguette or white fresh baked loaf of some other kind.
I do need to workout today, and I was counting on volunteering, but they never returned my email. I think I will call them to see if they need help, or simply just walk up there anyway (an hour each way) and if they don't need help, make a stop at Dairy Queen and pick up some bread.
I have no one to hang out with today so I will have to figure out what I am doing. I feel like I need to carefully structure this day to get all the foods I am missing in without shoving everything in my face at once hahah! For now, my tummy is grumbling so I will go have a healthy breakfast of cereal with milk and some fruit. May sound boring but I am keeping it light in preparation for the rest of the day.
Have a good one!
Friday, July 16, 2010
Day 5 almost done!!
Okay, so this whole food preparation thing aside, this diet is not really that much of a hardcore diet, and all the things involved are pretty easy.
Even the food preparation is easy if you're a decent planner. Personally, my brain is allergic to instructions of any kind, and tends to get them all backwards. So it took a bit of effort for me to figure out how to eat, but it's paid off. I have lost 3 lbs so far. Tomorrow is my day off, so I can eat whatever I want, which means I won't be losing anything. And today was my day off working out. I also get 1 other meal off, which I think I will keep for my Sunday brunches with friends.
I am very pleased because I am not doing anything so drastic that I would gain all the weight back when I stop. Eating five meals a day is a little bit of a challenge because we have to include all their food groups, but in general I could manage continuing to eat like this portion wise, it just might not be distributed quite the same way. For example, they want you to have protein at every course. This can be anything from a little bit of Greek yogurt to lean meat or low-fat cheese, but I would rather eat more protein at dinner and lunch than during snacks and breakfast.
But seriously though, this whole game is a great way to lose weight, and this is coming from the person who HATES diets and fundamentally disagrees with them. Insofar as a diet is considered deprivation of some kind. However, mild deprivation (of the junk food kind) is essential for true eaters like myself who tend to continuously gain weight.
In any case, I am about 15 lbs away from my goal weight, which is so close, but the hardest part. So I am so thankful for discovering this game so that I break through to the other side.
http://bookingmama.blogspot.com/2009/07/review-game-on-diet.html
Even the food preparation is easy if you're a decent planner. Personally, my brain is allergic to instructions of any kind, and tends to get them all backwards. So it took a bit of effort for me to figure out how to eat, but it's paid off. I have lost 3 lbs so far. Tomorrow is my day off, so I can eat whatever I want, which means I won't be losing anything. And today was my day off working out. I also get 1 other meal off, which I think I will keep for my Sunday brunches with friends.
I am very pleased because I am not doing anything so drastic that I would gain all the weight back when I stop. Eating five meals a day is a little bit of a challenge because we have to include all their food groups, but in general I could manage continuing to eat like this portion wise, it just might not be distributed quite the same way. For example, they want you to have protein at every course. This can be anything from a little bit of Greek yogurt to lean meat or low-fat cheese, but I would rather eat more protein at dinner and lunch than during snacks and breakfast.
But seriously though, this whole game is a great way to lose weight, and this is coming from the person who HATES diets and fundamentally disagrees with them. Insofar as a diet is considered deprivation of some kind. However, mild deprivation (of the junk food kind) is essential for true eaters like myself who tend to continuously gain weight.
In any case, I am about 15 lbs away from my goal weight, which is so close, but the hardest part. So I am so thankful for discovering this game so that I break through to the other side.
http://bookingmama.blogspot.com/2009/07/review-game-on-diet.html
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
small yay!
Okay, big yay and a happy dance: my team won the finals for Tier B. So we are the best losers, the best of the second best!!! I am mainly impressed because I don't know the people on my team, we all signed up as individuals, but we worked well together in the end. Aside from the crazy girl, I am looking forward to possibly continuing with this team for the summer.
In other news, I didn't swear too much, but I did swear, so thank god I won't lose points for that. We played hardcore, and even played 2x2 for fun after our two rounds of 3 sets... I am in paaaain, but it's the kind of pain that feels sooo good in a hot then freezing cold shower.
Angry I can only eat cucumbers as a snack according to this Game On! business. NO, it is not a starvation diet. Quite the opposite, I was so full all day. But you are not allowed to snack on anything but cucumbers/celery (ick) or 100 calories of anything you want, which in my case is a piece or two of dark chocolate every afternoon around 3 p.m.
K time to watch some toob...
In other news, I didn't swear too much, but I did swear, so thank god I won't lose points for that. We played hardcore, and even played 2x2 for fun after our two rounds of 3 sets... I am in paaaain, but it's the kind of pain that feels sooo good in a hot then freezing cold shower.
Angry I can only eat cucumbers as a snack according to this Game On! business. NO, it is not a starvation diet. Quite the opposite, I was so full all day. But you are not allowed to snack on anything but cucumbers/celery (ick) or 100 calories of anything you want, which in my case is a piece or two of dark chocolate every afternoon around 3 p.m.
K time to watch some toob...
Day 3: Success
Well, aside from a minor slip up (I accidentally took a container filled with strawberries to work instead of my lunch), I did not lose any points today (so far, obviously). To save myself from losing my team a million points, I chose today as my day off from my 'bad habit elimination', so I don't have to worry if I instinctively curse throughout volleyball finals tonight. I will still make every effort not to swear, but this way I wont lose points for it.
I got a friend to bring me my lunch, so all is well in meal land. I am extremely ANTI-DIET, but I decided to partake in this one for several reasons. Mostly, it's a competition, and I like to win. Also, it doesn't focus on how much you weigh, nor will you lose the game if you don't lose any weight, that just counts for bonus points. They are trying to instill in people healthy habits and break bad habits, but in all aspects of your life. For me, I have managed to make sure I get enough sleep, exercise more than enough, take better care of my overall health... except I never quite managed to really explore my relationship with food in any healthy way. Though I am having an odd (not difficult, just strange) time planning my meals, I am never hungry and am eating a healthy variety of foods. Eventually I would like to be able to always look at food as a friend, an energy source, and a pleasure.
Speaking of pleasure, it would appear as though the spell has been broken. I am now down to 160 lbs. The other girls have lost between 4-6lbs already, but that is largely water weight (I don't have much water weight because I already drink a ton of water). So I am quite pleased about seeing the scale move in the right direction, and am looking forward to the 150s. That is a place I haven't seen since high school.
I have to head home to eat a quick meal (I am actually really full from my meals today, so this will be tough) before volleyball. Wish me luck!
I got a friend to bring me my lunch, so all is well in meal land. I am extremely ANTI-DIET, but I decided to partake in this one for several reasons. Mostly, it's a competition, and I like to win. Also, it doesn't focus on how much you weigh, nor will you lose the game if you don't lose any weight, that just counts for bonus points. They are trying to instill in people healthy habits and break bad habits, but in all aspects of your life. For me, I have managed to make sure I get enough sleep, exercise more than enough, take better care of my overall health... except I never quite managed to really explore my relationship with food in any healthy way. Though I am having an odd (not difficult, just strange) time planning my meals, I am never hungry and am eating a healthy variety of foods. Eventually I would like to be able to always look at food as a friend, an energy source, and a pleasure.
Speaking of pleasure, it would appear as though the spell has been broken. I am now down to 160 lbs. The other girls have lost between 4-6lbs already, but that is largely water weight (I don't have much water weight because I already drink a ton of water). So I am quite pleased about seeing the scale move in the right direction, and am looking forward to the 150s. That is a place I haven't seen since high school.
I have to head home to eat a quick meal (I am actually really full from my meals today, so this will be tough) before volleyball. Wish me luck!
Monday, July 12, 2010
so far, so good.
Okay, Day 1 done. I lost 6 points for forgetting to include carbs in one of my five meals, argh! However, I lost no other points and am pretty impressed with myself for that!
I just prepared my meals for tomorrow: same breakfast as today (and I think I'll make this my "thing" for simplicity's sake), for two of my snacks I have low-fat cheese (protein), a fruit (carb: 1 banana and 1 apple), some walnuts (fat) and my vegetable will likely be salad since it's already made :). My other meal consists of spinach, almonds, chopped up sandwich ham and pineapple, which covers all the meal groups. I opted for fruits as carbs because there's only so much rice and quinoa I can handle, and I like to save the bread as a treat. I am not sure what I will do for dinner, but perhaps shrimp.
Dinner tonight looked terrible but tasted pretty good: grilled red peppers and tomatoes with sea salt and cracked pepper, 2 scrambled egg whites, a piece of bread with almond butter and a few more glasses of watahhhhh! And my meal requirements are done for the day!
The only forseeable problem for me are my wednesday nights, when I don't have a whole lotta time to prepare things, but I should still have some salad left to use, and perhaps I will go for tuna sandwiches or some other simple thing. I should hardboil some eggs for the end of the week.
In any case, I am pretty shocked I lost points, but equally shocked I didn't lose more. We'll see how I fare the rest of the week....ugh!
I just prepared my meals for tomorrow: same breakfast as today (and I think I'll make this my "thing" for simplicity's sake), for two of my snacks I have low-fat cheese (protein), a fruit (carb: 1 banana and 1 apple), some walnuts (fat) and my vegetable will likely be salad since it's already made :). My other meal consists of spinach, almonds, chopped up sandwich ham and pineapple, which covers all the meal groups. I opted for fruits as carbs because there's only so much rice and quinoa I can handle, and I like to save the bread as a treat. I am not sure what I will do for dinner, but perhaps shrimp.
Dinner tonight looked terrible but tasted pretty good: grilled red peppers and tomatoes with sea salt and cracked pepper, 2 scrambled egg whites, a piece of bread with almond butter and a few more glasses of watahhhhh! And my meal requirements are done for the day!
The only forseeable problem for me are my wednesday nights, when I don't have a whole lotta time to prepare things, but I should still have some salad left to use, and perhaps I will go for tuna sandwiches or some other simple thing. I should hardboil some eggs for the end of the week.
In any case, I am pretty shocked I lost points, but equally shocked I didn't lose more. We'll see how I fare the rest of the week....ugh!
and so it begins...
I woke up late for my first day of the challenge, but it was a blessing in disguise. If I had gotten up on time, I would have done my same old-same old workout. Instead, with only half as much time available, I decided to try the high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workout recommended by the Game On! people. And boy, is it effective!
In this challenge, you only have to workout for 20 minutes (vigorously) per day, six days a week or more. I normally do 1 hour x 5 days a week plus volleyball (2-3 hours), walking for volunteering (2-4 hours) and occasionally zumba (1.5-2.5 hours if I walk to and from). I also walk to work and back... so it's hard for me to do any more than I already do. So finding shorter, more effective workouts is a blessing, since I can't afford a personal trainer right now.
I weighed in at 164, but it's that time o' ze month, and I ate Angus beef hot dogs and chips as my "last supper" haha! Yesterday and all week I was 162, so I am using that as my official start weight. This means I will need to lose 1.6 lbs per week to get my bonus points. Otherwise, everything else is falling into place. With a lot of preparation, I have my breakfast done (Greek yogurt, no fat, almonds, blueberries, a couple strawberries and some kiwi). For two of my meals, I am splitting one piece of peppered trout, quinoa and asparagus, and for my other meal, I premade a salad and dressing for the week, and just threw in pine nuts and ham for protein and fat (there is veeeeery little oil in my dressing). I don't know about dinner yet...
I have downed almost 2.5 glasses of water (not including sips at the gym), so about 8 more to go for the day which isn't too bad. It will help this bloating go down. I prayed last night and I have been really good about not cursing, so all is well so far.
Alright, wish me luck getting all that water and all my meals in... have a great day!
In this challenge, you only have to workout for 20 minutes (vigorously) per day, six days a week or more. I normally do 1 hour x 5 days a week plus volleyball (2-3 hours), walking for volunteering (2-4 hours) and occasionally zumba (1.5-2.5 hours if I walk to and from). I also walk to work and back... so it's hard for me to do any more than I already do. So finding shorter, more effective workouts is a blessing, since I can't afford a personal trainer right now.
I weighed in at 164, but it's that time o' ze month, and I ate Angus beef hot dogs and chips as my "last supper" haha! Yesterday and all week I was 162, so I am using that as my official start weight. This means I will need to lose 1.6 lbs per week to get my bonus points. Otherwise, everything else is falling into place. With a lot of preparation, I have my breakfast done (Greek yogurt, no fat, almonds, blueberries, a couple strawberries and some kiwi). For two of my meals, I am splitting one piece of peppered trout, quinoa and asparagus, and for my other meal, I premade a salad and dressing for the week, and just threw in pine nuts and ham for protein and fat (there is veeeeery little oil in my dressing). I don't know about dinner yet...
I have downed almost 2.5 glasses of water (not including sips at the gym), so about 8 more to go for the day which isn't too bad. It will help this bloating go down. I prayed last night and I have been really good about not cursing, so all is well so far.
Alright, wish me luck getting all that water and all my meals in... have a great day!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Strugglin'!
Well the nightmare will begin at midnight, but it's a healthy kind of nightmare. I am starting the Game On! Diet Challenge tomorrow morning, for the next four weeks.
I have done what I can to prepare. I have made a weekly batch of brown rice and a batch of quinoa (the part of cooking I hate most -- preparing things that take more than 5-15 minutes). I also cut up two cucumbers (the only snacks allowed between our 5 meals) and some fruit (pineapple, strawberries, etc.). All my fruit/veg are washed.
Now I have to figure out 5 meals for tomorrow, plus cook my "last supper". Since I am still generally being pretty good about my eating, I wasn't going to eat too badly since it's counter productive, but heck, I reaaaaallly wanted chips, which is something I never ever eat anymore, for the past 6-7 months. So I am having Angus beef hot dogs, Diet Coke, ketchup chips and some lemonade - all things I am not allowed for 4 weeks. In any case, once the four weeks are up I don't want to eat like this, so I am just doing this as a "goodbye" to my remaining bad habits.
I haven't been swearing much, maybe 1-2 per day. I keep forgetting to pray at night, but I do it whenever I think of it. I will put a note to remind myself next to my bed or something tonight.
Alright, I am off to finish watching the World Cup finals and preparing food for this week... by the way, it is impossible to find bread, ham, wraps, cereal, sauces, or virtually anything that does NOT have sugar or some sugar fakeness in it. So thank god I found a few things without, otherwise, thank god this is only for 4 weeks!!
I have done what I can to prepare. I have made a weekly batch of brown rice and a batch of quinoa (the part of cooking I hate most -- preparing things that take more than 5-15 minutes). I also cut up two cucumbers (the only snacks allowed between our 5 meals) and some fruit (pineapple, strawberries, etc.). All my fruit/veg are washed.
Now I have to figure out 5 meals for tomorrow, plus cook my "last supper". Since I am still generally being pretty good about my eating, I wasn't going to eat too badly since it's counter productive, but heck, I reaaaaallly wanted chips, which is something I never ever eat anymore, for the past 6-7 months. So I am having Angus beef hot dogs, Diet Coke, ketchup chips and some lemonade - all things I am not allowed for 4 weeks. In any case, once the four weeks are up I don't want to eat like this, so I am just doing this as a "goodbye" to my remaining bad habits.
I haven't been swearing much, maybe 1-2 per day. I keep forgetting to pray at night, but I do it whenever I think of it. I will put a note to remind myself next to my bed or something tonight.
Alright, I am off to finish watching the World Cup finals and preparing food for this week... by the way, it is impossible to find bread, ham, wraps, cereal, sauces, or virtually anything that does NOT have sugar or some sugar fakeness in it. So thank god I found a few things without, otherwise, thank god this is only for 4 weeks!!
Friday, July 9, 2010
Quick note
I think the universe is keeping me from working out.
After my amaaazing meal last night, I came home and did a 20-minute walk on the treadmill, thinking that I didn't want to go too hard because I'd workout in the morning. Well, mysteriously, my second alarm never went off even though it was set for the right time and day... Yesterday it was because when I got up to get ready for the gym, I realized I had forgotten to put my gym clothes in the dryer after washing all the sand out from vball.
I won't likely be able to workout today, and depending whether or not the severe thunderstorm forecast comes true, I may take a good walk at lunch and after work. I will also workout tomorrow, which is typically my day off...
Alright, off to get readaaaayyy!
After my amaaazing meal last night, I came home and did a 20-minute walk on the treadmill, thinking that I didn't want to go too hard because I'd workout in the morning. Well, mysteriously, my second alarm never went off even though it was set for the right time and day... Yesterday it was because when I got up to get ready for the gym, I realized I had forgotten to put my gym clothes in the dryer after washing all the sand out from vball.
I won't likely be able to workout today, and depending whether or not the severe thunderstorm forecast comes true, I may take a good walk at lunch and after work. I will also workout tomorrow, which is typically my day off...
Alright, off to get readaaaayyy!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Amazing high
I could potentially be in a state of mania right now, or simply elation, but either way, don't care because I am in a fantastic mood.
1. Even though I dread ever showing my (freakishly shaped, according to me) legs, and never ever wear anything above the knee (which means I am always wearing jeans, even in this 40 degree weather), I bought oh-so-fashionable leggings!!! I have decided that f$%^$ it, I am letting them loose (though my legs are still covered, the pants are form fitting). This is a huge step forward for me, or perhaps a step backward in some people's eyes haha!
2. I went shopping at lunch, and to my surprise, I enjoyed myself so much! I hate shopping. I hate trying things on. But this time, I grabbed plenty of stuff, tried it all on, and left with two long light tops to go with my leggings. I actually didn't disgust myself under the painful lighting, and I even fit into size 28 jeans!!! That is incredible for me! I still have about 20 lbs or so to lose before I think I will be a weight that gives me enough leeway and health, but a size 28 just makes me so excited.
3. I am going to L'Entrecote for steak tonight, which I KNOW will be great, and in amazing company too.
Thanks ICE QUEEN for the comment by the way, I love this background too! I read your blog every day and think you're doing an amazing job. Trust me, all this hard work you're doing will pay off because it will only get easier as you get lighter and moving around is less tiring. It motivates me so much to know that it's normal to really struggle, and that you truly have to stay focused. I also see in you how hard we all are on ourselves, and hope you and I will both slowly learn (or are already learning) to give ourselves the credit we deserve. You're probably a great mom and wife, now you just have to treat yourself as though you deserve only the best so you can keep leading a happy, healthy and stress-free life, with many many days of BBQing.
Have a great evening everyone! (on second thought, this good mood could be a PMS upswing! hahaha)
1. Even though I dread ever showing my (freakishly shaped, according to me) legs, and never ever wear anything above the knee (which means I am always wearing jeans, even in this 40 degree weather), I bought oh-so-fashionable leggings!!! I have decided that f$%^$ it, I am letting them loose (though my legs are still covered, the pants are form fitting). This is a huge step forward for me, or perhaps a step backward in some people's eyes haha!
2. I went shopping at lunch, and to my surprise, I enjoyed myself so much! I hate shopping. I hate trying things on. But this time, I grabbed plenty of stuff, tried it all on, and left with two long light tops to go with my leggings. I actually didn't disgust myself under the painful lighting, and I even fit into size 28 jeans!!! That is incredible for me! I still have about 20 lbs or so to lose before I think I will be a weight that gives me enough leeway and health, but a size 28 just makes me so excited.
3. I am going to L'Entrecote for steak tonight, which I KNOW will be great, and in amazing company too.
Thanks ICE QUEEN for the comment by the way, I love this background too! I read your blog every day and think you're doing an amazing job. Trust me, all this hard work you're doing will pay off because it will only get easier as you get lighter and moving around is less tiring. It motivates me so much to know that it's normal to really struggle, and that you truly have to stay focused. I also see in you how hard we all are on ourselves, and hope you and I will both slowly learn (or are already learning) to give ourselves the credit we deserve. You're probably a great mom and wife, now you just have to treat yourself as though you deserve only the best so you can keep leading a happy, healthy and stress-free life, with many many days of BBQing.
Have a great evening everyone! (on second thought, this good mood could be a PMS upswing! hahaha)
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Updateooooo
So, I think I mentioned that I am starting the Game On! diet on Monday... well I am almost halfway through the book. While it's only four weeks long, I am already dreading certain food restrictions (keep in mind the game is not meant as a crash diet, but there are several small restrictions that I would NEVER agree to were it not only four weeks long). Such restrictions include: no sugar...ahhhh! I don't even have that much of a sweet tooth, but this restriction alone even eliminates the boring old All Bran I eat for breakfast! I can use a bit of maple syrup or honey though, which is amazing because that's pretty much all I use anyway, so I can still make my amazing salad dressing with just a little less, and a little less oil too. I'm all about the vinegar anyway.
I just finished off 3 hours of beach volleyball in 40 degree weather. Most were complaining but I loved it personally. I breathe better in humid weather (in sports specifically).
I may be a pound or so less tomorrow morning, which is great news, but since a good friend is coming to town who loves steak, and I have been craving L'Entrecote steak frites for sooooo long now, I will probably gain it all back in wine, profiteroles and peppercorn sauce...not to mention those wee fries and yummmssy steakety goodness. I know I wont have anything like that for the next 4 weeks, so since I was truly craving it, I had to get it in before Monday.
I have only been cursing at my ex and at volleyball. I have managed to keep all the rest in check. I did forget to pray after the first day however, but I will do it tonight.
Alright, I am off to actually relax for once. Yayyyyyyy!
I just finished off 3 hours of beach volleyball in 40 degree weather. Most were complaining but I loved it personally. I breathe better in humid weather (in sports specifically).
I may be a pound or so less tomorrow morning, which is great news, but since a good friend is coming to town who loves steak, and I have been craving L'Entrecote steak frites for sooooo long now, I will probably gain it all back in wine, profiteroles and peppercorn sauce...not to mention those wee fries and yummmssy steakety goodness. I know I wont have anything like that for the next 4 weeks, so since I was truly craving it, I had to get it in before Monday.
I have only been cursing at my ex and at volleyball. I have managed to keep all the rest in check. I did forget to pray after the first day however, but I will do it tonight.
Alright, I am off to actually relax for once. Yayyyyyyy!
Monday, July 5, 2010
Game On! early
So as I mentioned yesterday, I will be doing this Game On! challenge starting next Monday. As part of this competition, you must give up one unhealthy habit and take on one positive habit for the entire game period.
For my positive habit, I have decided to reinstate something I did almost my entire life but had stopped following a severe bout with depression, and never really took back up: prayer. Now hear me out, I do not abide by any religion, but I feel and have always felt that prayer is a healthy practice. It's a bit like meditating combined with journalling for me. I typically express what I am thankful for, think about the things I am doing wrong, and say what I would like to happen in my life. I find this grounds me, and I have been in desperate need of grounding for the past few years.
For my bad habit, I had a really hard time coming up with something. I thought about giving up Diet Coke (though that's part of the diet anyway), or shisha, but my friend has decided to give up swearing, and it struck me that that is a perfect flaw for me to work on. My potty mouth has simply gotten out of hand, and frankly that's unattractive and a sign of laziness. I am a translator, I write for a living and have an extensive vocabulary, so there's no excuse for me to resort to bad words every five seconds to more dramatically state my point.
Even though the challenge starts next week, I began working on these yesterday. I want to WIN, and I really want these behaviours to become habitual, so it's never too soon to start.
Much to my surprise, this morning I woke up on time and made it to the gym despite going to bed late. I went pretty easy on myself even though I "slacked" last week, because I only slacked in terms of gym time; I actually did a lot of other activities. I think I hadn't eaten red meat in a veeeerrry long time, and yesterday I ate a homemade burger patty (Dijon, ketchup, seasoned bread crumbs, yellow curry, salt and pepper). So the reason I have been sooooo exhausted lately may be partly a result of that, and this night I slept so well and am pretty energetic today.
I am off to work now, grumble. I will talk to you all later!
For my positive habit, I have decided to reinstate something I did almost my entire life but had stopped following a severe bout with depression, and never really took back up: prayer. Now hear me out, I do not abide by any religion, but I feel and have always felt that prayer is a healthy practice. It's a bit like meditating combined with journalling for me. I typically express what I am thankful for, think about the things I am doing wrong, and say what I would like to happen in my life. I find this grounds me, and I have been in desperate need of grounding for the past few years.
For my bad habit, I had a really hard time coming up with something. I thought about giving up Diet Coke (though that's part of the diet anyway), or shisha, but my friend has decided to give up swearing, and it struck me that that is a perfect flaw for me to work on. My potty mouth has simply gotten out of hand, and frankly that's unattractive and a sign of laziness. I am a translator, I write for a living and have an extensive vocabulary, so there's no excuse for me to resort to bad words every five seconds to more dramatically state my point.
Even though the challenge starts next week, I began working on these yesterday. I want to WIN, and I really want these behaviours to become habitual, so it's never too soon to start.
Much to my surprise, this morning I woke up on time and made it to the gym despite going to bed late. I went pretty easy on myself even though I "slacked" last week, because I only slacked in terms of gym time; I actually did a lot of other activities. I think I hadn't eaten red meat in a veeeerrry long time, and yesterday I ate a homemade burger patty (Dijon, ketchup, seasoned bread crumbs, yellow curry, salt and pepper). So the reason I have been sooooo exhausted lately may be partly a result of that, and this night I slept so well and am pretty energetic today.
I am off to work now, grumble. I will talk to you all later!
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Still at a standstill
Wow, two weeks or a week or something have gone by (and in reality two months) and I have still not lost a pound. I have not gained a pound though, so that's good. I am maintaining most of my good habits. The main thing is that when one thing goes off balance, my whole routine is off.
I need to regain control of my eating. I hardly cook right now, and it is partly because I've been mildly down and not feeling like cleaning, so my kitchen isn't appealing. If I have to clean to cook, only to have to clean again, I am not interested. If I don't eat at home I eat with others, late, so the scale is off. Then, when I am out late all week, I don't get to bed by 10:30, which makes it virtually impossible to get up at 5:55 am to hit the gym.
The good thing is I get a ton of exercise anyway with volleyball, volunteering (I walked for 4 hours yesterday), walking to-from work and during lunches, zumba classes and all the other walking I do to get downtown to meet up with friends.
Life is chaotic. I haven't gone into details because I don't necessarily want everyone who was reading this blog to know exactly how I have been feeling over the past year. But let's just say I have been slowly emerging from a period of fairly severe depression, and for various reasons I have had to avoid thinking about much that's happening around me (because it would not change the fact that it's happening), and in this process of denial, the sadness is coming out in all kinds of bizarre ways. The depression is subsiding, and thanks to working out and eating well and taking things a little more slowly, I am feeling better about most things. I have also managed not to get so upset about not losing anymore weight that I start regaining. That is a huge victory for me.
Here is the great news: I am going to do the Game On! challenge with 3 other women. If you haven't heard of it, check out the book The Game On! Diet. It's a challenge to get in shape that is based on points instead of pounds lost, and it structures everything from how many meals you eat a day, to how much exercise to bad habits. It sounds more complicated than it is (for me at least since I am already doing most of the things involved), and it is NOT a specific diet! It's 4 weeks and you are strongly encouraged to badmouth your opponents (in a friendly competition way), which makes it all the more worthwhile. I am hoping this will give me the boost in motivation I have been needing for a month now.
Alright, I am off to meet a friend for brunch. My challenge starts Monday, July 12th, but I am going to try to start implementing all the strategies this week to get prepared.
Have a great week everyone.
I need to regain control of my eating. I hardly cook right now, and it is partly because I've been mildly down and not feeling like cleaning, so my kitchen isn't appealing. If I have to clean to cook, only to have to clean again, I am not interested. If I don't eat at home I eat with others, late, so the scale is off. Then, when I am out late all week, I don't get to bed by 10:30, which makes it virtually impossible to get up at 5:55 am to hit the gym.
The good thing is I get a ton of exercise anyway with volleyball, volunteering (I walked for 4 hours yesterday), walking to-from work and during lunches, zumba classes and all the other walking I do to get downtown to meet up with friends.
Life is chaotic. I haven't gone into details because I don't necessarily want everyone who was reading this blog to know exactly how I have been feeling over the past year. But let's just say I have been slowly emerging from a period of fairly severe depression, and for various reasons I have had to avoid thinking about much that's happening around me (because it would not change the fact that it's happening), and in this process of denial, the sadness is coming out in all kinds of bizarre ways. The depression is subsiding, and thanks to working out and eating well and taking things a little more slowly, I am feeling better about most things. I have also managed not to get so upset about not losing anymore weight that I start regaining. That is a huge victory for me.
Here is the great news: I am going to do the Game On! challenge with 3 other women. If you haven't heard of it, check out the book The Game On! Diet. It's a challenge to get in shape that is based on points instead of pounds lost, and it structures everything from how many meals you eat a day, to how much exercise to bad habits. It sounds more complicated than it is (for me at least since I am already doing most of the things involved), and it is NOT a specific diet! It's 4 weeks and you are strongly encouraged to badmouth your opponents (in a friendly competition way), which makes it all the more worthwhile. I am hoping this will give me the boost in motivation I have been needing for a month now.
Alright, I am off to meet a friend for brunch. My challenge starts Monday, July 12th, but I am going to try to start implementing all the strategies this week to get prepared.
Have a great week everyone.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
bleh
well I finally got back into things this week. It has been a challenge for several reasons: an overactive social life, sleep and eating patterns thrown off, and oddly, thumb injury problems.
I have not lost any pounds since May. That is not to say my body hasn't changed, but I am still pretty let down. I have really slacked on the eating, and it's been hard getting back into working out regularly with such a crazy schedule. I am seeing more muscle in my body, which means I think I am getting leaner and less fat, literally. Unfortunately, the scale isn't showing it, which is a little discouraging, but I can't let that silly thing get to me.
I am going for physio for my fingers (ridiculous, I know, but necessary) as well as for my hip. So hopefully that will be all stronger soon.
As for the rest, I am weaning myself of restaurant dinners with friends for my birthday, and back onto home cooked meals. So far, I would say I am halfway there.
I need to clean my apartment badly, so that I even feel like cooking. I am also going to get my hair done tomorrow and my eyebrows in the next few weeks, so that might give me a little boost.
Alright, back to work I go...
I have not lost any pounds since May. That is not to say my body hasn't changed, but I am still pretty let down. I have really slacked on the eating, and it's been hard getting back into working out regularly with such a crazy schedule. I am seeing more muscle in my body, which means I think I am getting leaner and less fat, literally. Unfortunately, the scale isn't showing it, which is a little discouraging, but I can't let that silly thing get to me.
I am going for physio for my fingers (ridiculous, I know, but necessary) as well as for my hip. So hopefully that will be all stronger soon.
As for the rest, I am weaning myself of restaurant dinners with friends for my birthday, and back onto home cooked meals. So far, I would say I am halfway there.
I need to clean my apartment badly, so that I even feel like cooking. I am also going to get my hair done tomorrow and my eyebrows in the next few weeks, so that might give me a little boost.
Alright, back to work I go...
Monday, June 21, 2010
Photos!
Alas! I have posted some skydiving pictures for those not on Facebook. It was an incredible time and as you can see as I look out the plane I was mostly pretty calm (surprisingly) because I was admiring the view. My cameraman and instructor were wicked too!
In other news, after a week of birthday dinners, outings and rest, I got back to the gym yesterday. It was hard to breathe and my muscles felt a little like I hadn't worked out in a few months, but I made myself sweat til my t-shirt was soaked front to back. I did a workout longer than an hour, trying to get all my muscle groups activated.
Today however, it took a crap load of convincing to get me to the gym. When I got there, I had to use the bik as usual, but they have replaced the worn in seat with a nice new one. Unfortunately, the new one is adjusted much higher than the old one, and even on the lowest setting it feels awkward. I did a slow 30 minutes, followed by some abs. Really unfortunately, right in the middle of my muscle training I decided to stretch my thighs, and upon grabbing my foot from behind to stand on one leg, I kicked my injured thumb. I felt like I was about to pass out or vomit or both. Since there was someone else in the gym I went to the ladies washroom to curse and cringe in pain. I immediately came back upstairs to put it on ice, take an Advil and then put hot water over it. I think I should get this checked out soon...
I hadn't gained any weight this week, except today I weighed 165.0 but feel extremely bloated. I am bringing a lunch and ate a breakfast to cleanse. Cereal with All Bran and organic blueberries wit organic 1% milk (I don't like milk, butI thought I'd give this very expensive organic stuff a try and it's much nicer. My wallet however will have me back to regular milk next time). I ate a banana as well. For lunch I have a vegetable soup and some sliced orange bell pepper and rice crackers. I also have an apple.
My schedule has been really hectic, so I have fallen out of the habit of preparing lunches and dinners. I am hoping the "not minding" that will come back soon.
Alright, I am off to work, tired and in pain. Have a wonderful day and keep up your good work for those of you working on your own goals!
In other news, after a week of birthday dinners, outings and rest, I got back to the gym yesterday. It was hard to breathe and my muscles felt a little like I hadn't worked out in a few months, but I made myself sweat til my t-shirt was soaked front to back. I did a workout longer than an hour, trying to get all my muscle groups activated.
Today however, it took a crap load of convincing to get me to the gym. When I got there, I had to use the bik as usual, but they have replaced the worn in seat with a nice new one. Unfortunately, the new one is adjusted much higher than the old one, and even on the lowest setting it feels awkward. I did a slow 30 minutes, followed by some abs. Really unfortunately, right in the middle of my muscle training I decided to stretch my thighs, and upon grabbing my foot from behind to stand on one leg, I kicked my injured thumb. I felt like I was about to pass out or vomit or both. Since there was someone else in the gym I went to the ladies washroom to curse and cringe in pain. I immediately came back upstairs to put it on ice, take an Advil and then put hot water over it. I think I should get this checked out soon...
I hadn't gained any weight this week, except today I weighed 165.0 but feel extremely bloated. I am bringing a lunch and ate a breakfast to cleanse. Cereal with All Bran and organic blueberries wit organic 1% milk (I don't like milk, butI thought I'd give this very expensive organic stuff a try and it's much nicer. My wallet however will have me back to regular milk next time). I ate a banana as well. For lunch I have a vegetable soup and some sliced orange bell pepper and rice crackers. I also have an apple.
My schedule has been really hectic, so I have fallen out of the habit of preparing lunches and dinners. I am hoping the "not minding" that will come back soon.
Alright, I am off to work, tired and in pain. Have a wonderful day and keep up your good work for those of you working on your own goals!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
THE GRAND FINALE PT. 2
Okay, so here I am to wrap up this shizz! Let's start by looking at how I did in numbers:
BEFORE:
Weight: 184.6 lbs (though I was counting from my morning weight of 182)
Waist size: 36 in
Hips/belly: 41 in
Butt: 43 in
Rib cage: 32 in
Chest: 37 in
Neck: 13.5 in
Thighs: 26.5 in
NOW:
Weight: 163 lbs
Waist size: 29 in
Hips/belly: 35 in
Butt: 39.5 in
Rib cage: 30 in
Chest: 35 in
Neck: 12 in
Thighs: 23
TOTAL LOST
LBS: 20 lbs
Waist: 7 inches
Hips/belly: 6 inches
Butt: 3.5 inches
Ribs: 2 inches
Chest: 2 inches
Neck: 1.5 inches
Thighs: 3.5 inches
I am pretty proud of these results, and I am only halfway there. I pledge to continue to maintain the momentum and motivation you all have helped me keep this whole time! Hopefully by December I will have attained my goal weight. I will check in every once in a while to track my progress and keep note of anything special I do to achieve this...
Okay, now about skydiving. What an incredible feeling :) I sadly can't look at the photos on this computer, so I will have to add them later, but let me just say that I went with a great group of people, the staff were amazing and we had the most beautiful weather we could had asked for. I was scared, bu not the entire time. The first sign of fear was when I stepped out of the car, saw the plane and burst into screams and laughter which led to crying hahah! This outburst lasted only a minute, but it did happen again a few minutes later. Before going up we had quite a bit of time to sit outside and see other people landing and getting ready, so I had time to gather my thoughts. By then I was pretty calm inside, but dancing around and hyper on the outside. We finally got strapped up and our camera people started filming us. Then, we loaded into the plane and sat nervously waiting to get to the 13,500 feet mark.
At some point (later found out, at the 5,000 ft. point) someone jumped out of the plane. This was very confusing to us, but it was explained that some people just want to practice landings, for example. In any case, by the time we got to our spot, the door opened and out we went, one by one, with our instructor strapped to us and my camera guy floating in front of me.
The view was very pretty. The freefall felt amazing. The floating part was very nice and my instructor was super sweet and was showing me what things were on the horizon, like Mont St. Bruno and Lake Champlain. The landing was surprisingly smooth and once on the ground, we were all relaxed.
I am so happy I forced myself to do this. I have to say that in some ways it was less scary than bungee jumping, but that's mostly thanks to the instructors, who try to mess with your head the whole time, which I am convinced is a tactic they use to distract people from the fear, and it works.
Alright, thank you everyone for reading me even when it was just my grocery list and workout schedule. You really helped me get through a tough time in my life in a very positive way. As I said, I am going to keep the blog, but I will remove you from the email list. So you can check me out if you like, though I wont post every day. I will likely put some skydiving pictures up soon, so check in if you want.
Either way, have a fantastic summer, a great 2010! I will be working my ass off to be sexy for New Year's!
BEFORE:
Weight: 184.6 lbs (though I was counting from my morning weight of 182)
Waist size: 36 in
Hips/belly: 41 in
Butt: 43 in
Rib cage: 32 in
Chest: 37 in
Neck: 13.5 in
Thighs: 26.5 in
NOW:
Weight: 163 lbs
Waist size: 29 in
Hips/belly: 35 in
Butt: 39.5 in
Rib cage: 30 in
Chest: 35 in
Neck: 12 in
Thighs: 23
TOTAL LOST
LBS: 20 lbs
Waist: 7 inches
Hips/belly: 6 inches
Butt: 3.5 inches
Ribs: 2 inches
Chest: 2 inches
Neck: 1.5 inches
Thighs: 3.5 inches
I am pretty proud of these results, and I am only halfway there. I pledge to continue to maintain the momentum and motivation you all have helped me keep this whole time! Hopefully by December I will have attained my goal weight. I will check in every once in a while to track my progress and keep note of anything special I do to achieve this...
Okay, now about skydiving. What an incredible feeling :) I sadly can't look at the photos on this computer, so I will have to add them later, but let me just say that I went with a great group of people, the staff were amazing and we had the most beautiful weather we could had asked for. I was scared, bu not the entire time. The first sign of fear was when I stepped out of the car, saw the plane and burst into screams and laughter which led to crying hahah! This outburst lasted only a minute, but it did happen again a few minutes later. Before going up we had quite a bit of time to sit outside and see other people landing and getting ready, so I had time to gather my thoughts. By then I was pretty calm inside, but dancing around and hyper on the outside. We finally got strapped up and our camera people started filming us. Then, we loaded into the plane and sat nervously waiting to get to the 13,500 feet mark.
At some point (later found out, at the 5,000 ft. point) someone jumped out of the plane. This was very confusing to us, but it was explained that some people just want to practice landings, for example. In any case, by the time we got to our spot, the door opened and out we went, one by one, with our instructor strapped to us and my camera guy floating in front of me.
The view was very pretty. The freefall felt amazing. The floating part was very nice and my instructor was super sweet and was showing me what things were on the horizon, like Mont St. Bruno and Lake Champlain. The landing was surprisingly smooth and once on the ground, we were all relaxed.
I am so happy I forced myself to do this. I have to say that in some ways it was less scary than bungee jumping, but that's mostly thanks to the instructors, who try to mess with your head the whole time, which I am convinced is a tactic they use to distract people from the fear, and it works.
Alright, thank you everyone for reading me even when it was just my grocery list and workout schedule. You really helped me get through a tough time in my life in a very positive way. As I said, I am going to keep the blog, but I will remove you from the email list. So you can check me out if you like, though I wont post every day. I will likely put some skydiving pictures up soon, so check in if you want.
Either way, have a fantastic summer, a great 2010! I will be working my ass off to be sexy for New Year's!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
THE GRAND FINALE PT.1
Hey everyone!
Well this is it. I am sorry I didn't write at my regular time, I was sleeping :) I took the day off work to do my big activity, which most of you now know is SKYDIVING! That's right. I am leaving in about 40 minutes to go jump out of a plane. I will obviously have to write about it, which is why this is merely part 1.
So for the basics, I am down another 0.5 inches on my waist and thighs, which is fantastic! My weight is still stuck between 162-163, but as long as inches are shedding, for now I am content. I didn't workout since I had relentless back and hip pain yesterday that brought me to tears and had me leave work early. I am doing much better today, I think it was the rainy weather that aggravated it.
I am so pleased that in the last six months I have done the following: quit most of my bad habits, taken MUCH better care of myself, lost 20 pounds, become active doing activities that I LOVE, helped others through volunteering and the Relay, eliminated some unnecessary drama, improved my emotional and mental health as much as I was capable of. I have cut down significantly on bread and potatoes, I always take the stairs at home, I hardy watch TV anymore and I have a much better sense of self-control. I have done a complete medical checkup and am in great health. The only area where I have failed is Diet Coke. I drink it less, but still more than I'd like, but it is so darned good.
Alright, I will leave the bulk of my message for post-jump. Wish me courage to jump out without having a heart attack before I get the chance :)
Have a great day and thanks for al the birthday wishes everyone!
Well this is it. I am sorry I didn't write at my regular time, I was sleeping :) I took the day off work to do my big activity, which most of you now know is SKYDIVING! That's right. I am leaving in about 40 minutes to go jump out of a plane. I will obviously have to write about it, which is why this is merely part 1.
So for the basics, I am down another 0.5 inches on my waist and thighs, which is fantastic! My weight is still stuck between 162-163, but as long as inches are shedding, for now I am content. I didn't workout since I had relentless back and hip pain yesterday that brought me to tears and had me leave work early. I am doing much better today, I think it was the rainy weather that aggravated it.
I am so pleased that in the last six months I have done the following: quit most of my bad habits, taken MUCH better care of myself, lost 20 pounds, become active doing activities that I LOVE, helped others through volunteering and the Relay, eliminated some unnecessary drama, improved my emotional and mental health as much as I was capable of. I have cut down significantly on bread and potatoes, I always take the stairs at home, I hardy watch TV anymore and I have a much better sense of self-control. I have done a complete medical checkup and am in great health. The only area where I have failed is Diet Coke. I drink it less, but still more than I'd like, but it is so darned good.
Alright, I will leave the bulk of my message for post-jump. Wish me courage to jump out without having a heart attack before I get the chance :)
Have a great day and thanks for al the birthday wishes everyone!
Monday, June 14, 2010
1 DAY
The timer is ticking... I am at the last day of my challenge. eeeeee!
I am feeling pretty good today. Aside from several different pains all over my body, I am feeling in shape. One day of work then I have a day off tomorrow, so that feels nice as well.
I did not workout this morning. It took me hours to fall asleep last night and I initially woke up groggy and angry. Waking up an hour later made all the difference, aside from the fact that I had some pretty horrifying dreams during that hour.
I was 162.6 this morning. I knew I would go back up, but that means I'd be 161.8 or so post-workout :) I may or may not workout tonight, it depends on my plans for grocery shopping and potentially getting a hair cut, and whether my hip still hurts as much as it does right now. I said I would go easy on myself this week, so that's what I am doing :) I should have groceries by tonight though, which means my eating will be easier to manage.
My mission this week is to cut back on sugar a little. In the last month or so (since my schedule's been insane and I haven't been cooking and eating as many veggies), I have been eating probably too much fruit, in addition to becoming a little addicted to sugar in its less healthy forms. The main reason I want to cut back is my teeth. So since I haven't been eating my usual cereal and dairy breakfasts, I ate a slice of cheese this morning, and will try to get something with milk in it, without overdoing it on the fruit. I am still eating products with sugar in them, but I will mainly try to avoid juices and sugary treats... we'll see how the weaning goes.
Time to go to work... I have to think carefully about what to get for breakfast now. Wish me luck :)
I am feeling pretty good today. Aside from several different pains all over my body, I am feeling in shape. One day of work then I have a day off tomorrow, so that feels nice as well.
I did not workout this morning. It took me hours to fall asleep last night and I initially woke up groggy and angry. Waking up an hour later made all the difference, aside from the fact that I had some pretty horrifying dreams during that hour.
I was 162.6 this morning. I knew I would go back up, but that means I'd be 161.8 or so post-workout :) I may or may not workout tonight, it depends on my plans for grocery shopping and potentially getting a hair cut, and whether my hip still hurts as much as it does right now. I said I would go easy on myself this week, so that's what I am doing :) I should have groceries by tonight though, which means my eating will be easier to manage.
My mission this week is to cut back on sugar a little. In the last month or so (since my schedule's been insane and I haven't been cooking and eating as many veggies), I have been eating probably too much fruit, in addition to becoming a little addicted to sugar in its less healthy forms. The main reason I want to cut back is my teeth. So since I haven't been eating my usual cereal and dairy breakfasts, I ate a slice of cheese this morning, and will try to get something with milk in it, without overdoing it on the fruit. I am still eating products with sugar in them, but I will mainly try to avoid juices and sugary treats... we'll see how the weaning goes.
Time to go to work... I have to think carefully about what to get for breakfast now. Wish me luck :)
Sunday, June 13, 2010
2 OR 3 DAYS?! An early birthday treat!
This time of year is always full of mixed feelings for me. My birthday is important to me, mainly because it's an opportunity to try to get all my friends together for a good time and because I hear from everyone I love. It's sometimes a time of disappointment as I reflect on the past and worry about the future, but generally it's one of my favourite times of year.
I got an early birthday gift today, I was 160! However, and it's a BIG however, it's mainly from not eating over the last two days. Friday I ate so badly at the Relay that I felt nauseous (in addition to the fatigue) for most of yesterday. I went to a baby shower, so my only meal of the day was a yummy burger and snacks and sangria :) Today, after working out I was 160.2. I am so happy that at least I got to see 160, though I am well aware I might be back at 163 tomorrow :)
I have eaten almost nothing today so far too. It's not that I'm starving myself on purpose, it's mostly laziness. I have to clean my apartment, so I wanted to get that done and go workout before going grocery shopping. So that my body doesn't think it's starving, I ate an apple, but that's almost all I have at home and I am putting off going out for food because I'm still kind of tired... I think I will go buy something "take out" to go outside and take a walk, and try to do big groceries tomorrow night at the store that has all the stuff I like.
So yes, I am super excited to have gotten to 160 before June 15th. I am also excited about my plans for Tuesday. Most of you probably know what my plans are, but for the rest of you I will keep it a secret until the 15th. I am taking the day off work, and as I said, I wanted to end this with a bang :)
Alright, I have to get moving. I am so enjoying my alone time right now that it's hard to get myself out the door. But here I go, have a great day everyone!
I got an early birthday gift today, I was 160! However, and it's a BIG however, it's mainly from not eating over the last two days. Friday I ate so badly at the Relay that I felt nauseous (in addition to the fatigue) for most of yesterday. I went to a baby shower, so my only meal of the day was a yummy burger and snacks and sangria :) Today, after working out I was 160.2. I am so happy that at least I got to see 160, though I am well aware I might be back at 163 tomorrow :)
I have eaten almost nothing today so far too. It's not that I'm starving myself on purpose, it's mostly laziness. I have to clean my apartment, so I wanted to get that done and go workout before going grocery shopping. So that my body doesn't think it's starving, I ate an apple, but that's almost all I have at home and I am putting off going out for food because I'm still kind of tired... I think I will go buy something "take out" to go outside and take a walk, and try to do big groceries tomorrow night at the store that has all the stuff I like.
So yes, I am super excited to have gotten to 160 before June 15th. I am also excited about my plans for Tuesday. Most of you probably know what my plans are, but for the rest of you I will keep it a secret until the 15th. I am taking the day off work, and as I said, I wanted to end this with a bang :)
Alright, I have to get moving. I am so enjoying my alone time right now that it's hard to get myself out the door. But here I go, have a great day everyone!
Saturday, June 12, 2010
3 DAYS
Okay, so I am a little dumb. I said 3 days left, but really, counting the 15th, I have 4 hahaha! Just realized that now...
Okay, so now for the Relay. Well on Thursday night, after working late into the night I remembered to pack a back for the Relay, which included blankets, pillows, warm clothes and food. I lugged all that to the office the following morning. All my meals were aimed at giving me energy for the evening: a salad wrap with tofu, oranges and spinach for lunch and a chicken skewer with a bit of rice/potatoes (I only ate a little bit, seriously!) and veggies.
So at 5 pm I made my way to the Olympic Stadium, where I got a little lost trying to find Parc Maisonneuve, but all's well that ends well: I made it and the skies turned extremely sunny and warm. All day it had been miserable, so this was a welcome change.
We gradually set up shop and welcomed all my teammates. Our walking portion began at about 8 pm. I am proud to say that almost everyone on my team walked for 80% of the night. If you include the walk to and from the metro and the bathrooms, it makes about 85%! We walked in groups of two, at our own pace. It just so happened that most of us just wanted to keep on walking. We would stop every 1-2 hours for a 10-minute break. At one point, around 4 am, I fell asleep :) After a 40-minute nap we restarted and walked until about 5:30. From about 2 am onward it had been raining, so packing up wasn't much fun, but we left during the breakfast because we were all reaching our breaking point of sleep deprivation.
Overall, it was a very nice experience. And as an added bonus, I ate a ton of food and still managed to come home at 162 lbs :) I didn't eat too much, it was more the timeframe within which I ate it, and the variety of food I ate that was a little disturbing. My stomach is still a little iffy.
Well I am too tired to write about the more moving aspects of the Relay, but let's just say that a pathway lined with paper lanterns with messages for cancer victims or survivors and a lap for cancer survivors are pretty powerful, more powerful than I had expected.
Alright everyone, I am off to rest a bit more and clean up all my wet stuff...
Okay, so now for the Relay. Well on Thursday night, after working late into the night I remembered to pack a back for the Relay, which included blankets, pillows, warm clothes and food. I lugged all that to the office the following morning. All my meals were aimed at giving me energy for the evening: a salad wrap with tofu, oranges and spinach for lunch and a chicken skewer with a bit of rice/potatoes (I only ate a little bit, seriously!) and veggies.
So at 5 pm I made my way to the Olympic Stadium, where I got a little lost trying to find Parc Maisonneuve, but all's well that ends well: I made it and the skies turned extremely sunny and warm. All day it had been miserable, so this was a welcome change.
We gradually set up shop and welcomed all my teammates. Our walking portion began at about 8 pm. I am proud to say that almost everyone on my team walked for 80% of the night. If you include the walk to and from the metro and the bathrooms, it makes about 85%! We walked in groups of two, at our own pace. It just so happened that most of us just wanted to keep on walking. We would stop every 1-2 hours for a 10-minute break. At one point, around 4 am, I fell asleep :) After a 40-minute nap we restarted and walked until about 5:30. From about 2 am onward it had been raining, so packing up wasn't much fun, but we left during the breakfast because we were all reaching our breaking point of sleep deprivation.
Overall, it was a very nice experience. And as an added bonus, I ate a ton of food and still managed to come home at 162 lbs :) I didn't eat too much, it was more the timeframe within which I ate it, and the variety of food I ate that was a little disturbing. My stomach is still a little iffy.
Well I am too tired to write about the more moving aspects of the Relay, but let's just say that a pathway lined with paper lanterns with messages for cancer victims or survivors and a lap for cancer survivors are pretty powerful, more powerful than I had expected.
Alright everyone, I am off to rest a bit more and clean up all my wet stuff...
Friday, June 11, 2010
4 DAYS! Relay for Life Day!
I am all packed and ready to go. I am going to the park where the Relay is taking place straight from work, so I am going to be up from 7 am today to 7 am tomorrow (through I have brought blankets and a pillow in case of an emergency nap).
I am proud to say that my friends and family helped me raise an incredible $1,070. Big or small, your donations amounted to a lot, so thanks so much. Most of us have been affected by cancer in some way, so it really warmed my heart to see people reach out for an opportunity to help others cope...
With only 4 days left in my own personal challenge I am still at 163, 162 post-workout. I didn't workout today though since I worked late last night and reaaaaaallly needed sleep in preparation for tonight's event. I have made it my mission to walk for as much time as is physically possible. In the course of my volunteering I have walked for 4 hours straight, so I am aiming for 5-6 hours in total, but broken up into intervals so my legs don't break.
My thumb is doing a little better. It's stiff and the joint's a little swollen, but it's not too bad. I am trying to avoid using it, while still doing regular stretches to make sure it functions properly.
So even though I only have 4 days left, I am going easy on myself for a few reasons: 1) I exceeded my own expectations over the past six months; 2) I have fulfilled every single objective I had, including being more active and taking better care of myself in every way; 3) My birthday is coming up :).
I may have already said this, but I think the week of my birthday will be a little break for me, then I will kick off again after that, to lose the remaining 18 lbs. For now, I am slowly becoming very pleased with my results so far...
Have a great day everyone and wish me luck and nice weather for tonight. Thanks again to those of you who donated, it means a lot to me :)
I am proud to say that my friends and family helped me raise an incredible $1,070. Big or small, your donations amounted to a lot, so thanks so much. Most of us have been affected by cancer in some way, so it really warmed my heart to see people reach out for an opportunity to help others cope...
With only 4 days left in my own personal challenge I am still at 163, 162 post-workout. I didn't workout today though since I worked late last night and reaaaaaallly needed sleep in preparation for tonight's event. I have made it my mission to walk for as much time as is physically possible. In the course of my volunteering I have walked for 4 hours straight, so I am aiming for 5-6 hours in total, but broken up into intervals so my legs don't break.
My thumb is doing a little better. It's stiff and the joint's a little swollen, but it's not too bad. I am trying to avoid using it, while still doing regular stretches to make sure it functions properly.
So even though I only have 4 days left, I am going easy on myself for a few reasons: 1) I exceeded my own expectations over the past six months; 2) I have fulfilled every single objective I had, including being more active and taking better care of myself in every way; 3) My birthday is coming up :).
I may have already said this, but I think the week of my birthday will be a little break for me, then I will kick off again after that, to lose the remaining 18 lbs. For now, I am slowly becoming very pleased with my results so far...
Have a great day everyone and wish me luck and nice weather for tonight. Thanks again to those of you who donated, it means a lot to me :)
Thursday, June 10, 2010
5 DAYS
HI!
I need to be quick because I am running late. In fact, I didn't go to the gym this morning and so I woke up 1.5 hours later without an alarm, but that left me 20 minutes later than usual.
I didn't go workout because I busted my thumb playing volleyball yesterday. Basically a guy backed into my thumb at the net and it jammed. I think it may have even dislocated a little bit. But it only hurt a lot in the beginning (I sat out). I got back on the court after and played only with my right arm (surprisingly well), then my teammate hurt his ankle (he had a previous injury) and had to leave. We still managed to win every game though :)
I want to write more about this but time prevents me... the girl on my team was a crazy psycho and I am sure if she keeps it up someone is going to get in a fight with her. On my team we all just find her ridiculous, and laugh when she's being all serious and bossy and anal about points, but I'm worried she'll piss off another team and make us lose points for poor sportsmanship.
For dinner last night I managed to scrounge together some scraps and make ginger sesame shrimp with peppers and asparagus. Lunch was a delicious tuna wrap and salad (though I picked at my friend's fantastic fries).
I weighed in at 163.2 today sans workout, so about the same as yesterday. Seriously I think this is some sort of sick joke...
In any case, I need to leave now for work. Take care everyone!
I need to be quick because I am running late. In fact, I didn't go to the gym this morning and so I woke up 1.5 hours later without an alarm, but that left me 20 minutes later than usual.
I didn't go workout because I busted my thumb playing volleyball yesterday. Basically a guy backed into my thumb at the net and it jammed. I think it may have even dislocated a little bit. But it only hurt a lot in the beginning (I sat out). I got back on the court after and played only with my right arm (surprisingly well), then my teammate hurt his ankle (he had a previous injury) and had to leave. We still managed to win every game though :)
I want to write more about this but time prevents me... the girl on my team was a crazy psycho and I am sure if she keeps it up someone is going to get in a fight with her. On my team we all just find her ridiculous, and laugh when she's being all serious and bossy and anal about points, but I'm worried she'll piss off another team and make us lose points for poor sportsmanship.
For dinner last night I managed to scrounge together some scraps and make ginger sesame shrimp with peppers and asparagus. Lunch was a delicious tuna wrap and salad (though I picked at my friend's fantastic fries). I weighed in at 163.2 today sans workout, so about the same as yesterday. Seriously I think this is some sort of sick joke...
In any case, I need to leave now for work. Take care everyone!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
6 DAYS!
It's starting to scare me, the idea of stopping my blog. Will I be able to self-motivate? In any case, after June 15, I will probably keep the blog page going without emailing it to any of you or making it public, just as a personal motivator and progress tracker. And frankly, I'll be happy when I can tell people about my life without hearing "I know, I read it on your blog."
Good news today: I am back to 162.0. It's not fantastic news, but it's halfway there! I still stand a chance of losing one more pound before my birthday. If I keep up this pace, I should be able to do it too.
I walked to-from zumba last night and did the class itself. I am almost surprised that I went alone. I basically put my gym clothes on as soon as I got in from work, so I would feel silly if I didn't go. It worked. The class was a lot of fun, and since it's a pretty light workout, was bordering on relaxing. It's great cardio, with a little bit of pressure on the thighs, ass and abs, but without ever feeling hard. So it added some more variety to this week's regimen.
Variety is the theme of the week for me. Today I did the opposite of what I did at the gym yesterday, sort of. I still did cardio then muscles, but I did 30 minutes of endurance on the bike, riding very fast with almost no resistance for long stretches. Then I did 5 minutes of running / 5 minutes of walking on the treadmill. I followed that with obliques, lunges and stretching.
Tonight I have volleyball, so that mixes things up as well. Then since Friday is the Relay for Life, I will try to walk as much as possible without injuring myself. I will be taking tomorrow evening to rest beforehand I think.
Yesterday's menu was Korean bibimbap (a bowl of rice, beef and vegetables) and dinner was corn on the cob, yams and a tiny bit of rice. Today I will go get a smoothie for breakfast and try to have something like tuna or some other light protein at lunch. We'll see :P
I feel as though my face is getting thinner again. As I keep saying, this could all be in my head, but I feel like my cheeks are getting a little sunken in... I hope I don't end up looking disgusting as a thinner person hahah! I just wish my body would catch up with my head...
Have a fantabulous journee tout le monde!
Good news today: I am back to 162.0. It's not fantastic news, but it's halfway there! I still stand a chance of losing one more pound before my birthday. If I keep up this pace, I should be able to do it too.
I walked to-from zumba last night and did the class itself. I am almost surprised that I went alone. I basically put my gym clothes on as soon as I got in from work, so I would feel silly if I didn't go. It worked. The class was a lot of fun, and since it's a pretty light workout, was bordering on relaxing. It's great cardio, with a little bit of pressure on the thighs, ass and abs, but without ever feeling hard. So it added some more variety to this week's regimen.
Variety is the theme of the week for me. Today I did the opposite of what I did at the gym yesterday, sort of. I still did cardio then muscles, but I did 30 minutes of endurance on the bike, riding very fast with almost no resistance for long stretches. Then I did 5 minutes of running / 5 minutes of walking on the treadmill. I followed that with obliques, lunges and stretching.
Tonight I have volleyball, so that mixes things up as well. Then since Friday is the Relay for Life, I will try to walk as much as possible without injuring myself. I will be taking tomorrow evening to rest beforehand I think.
Yesterday's menu was Korean bibimbap (a bowl of rice, beef and vegetables) and dinner was corn on the cob, yams and a tiny bit of rice. Today I will go get a smoothie for breakfast and try to have something like tuna or some other light protein at lunch. We'll see :P
I feel as though my face is getting thinner again. As I keep saying, this could all be in my head, but I feel like my cheeks are getting a little sunken in... I hope I don't end up looking disgusting as a thinner person hahah! I just wish my body would catch up with my head...
Have a fantabulous journee tout le monde!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
7 DAYS
1 week, that's all I have is one week. Ahhhh!
I have no idea if I have plateaud or if I am gaining muscle. Maybe it's all in my head.
I changed up my workout just enough to potentially burn more calories (in case I am actually plateauing), by doing 40 minutes on the bike and going with much more resistance than usual. I did the plank, outward pointing squats and up on my tippy toes, push ups in a different rep order and stretching, since I didn't have much time left for more.
Whether I go to zumba or not will depend on if I have work to do tonight. I'd really like to go. Since the weather is nice I can easily walk there and back. I basically need to get back to mixing up my workouts, having lots of variety. Same goes for food. I am painfully in need of groceries, but I will probably go on Thursday since I will need rations for the Relay for Life on Friday. I am not looking forward to being up all night, but I am very much looking forward to the exercise and relaxing.
Yesterday I had Amir for lunch. I strictly insisted the man only give me a tiny spoonful of potatoes, which he FINALLY did! For dinner, I went to my grandma's and heard stories about my grandma's married life as a teenager, and about their different houses. It was really interesting. Thanks to Google Street View I can go visit the spots we talked about :)
Today I will buy my same old same old breakfast. It's so simple and yet sooooo good.
Lunch will likely be a salad or wrap and dinner, yams and rice I forgot to bring yesterday.
Alright, I am off to work, have a fantastic day everyone.
I have no idea if I have plateaud or if I am gaining muscle. Maybe it's all in my head.
I changed up my workout just enough to potentially burn more calories (in case I am actually plateauing), by doing 40 minutes on the bike and going with much more resistance than usual. I did the plank, outward pointing squats and up on my tippy toes, push ups in a different rep order and stretching, since I didn't have much time left for more.
Whether I go to zumba or not will depend on if I have work to do tonight. I'd really like to go. Since the weather is nice I can easily walk there and back. I basically need to get back to mixing up my workouts, having lots of variety. Same goes for food. I am painfully in need of groceries, but I will probably go on Thursday since I will need rations for the Relay for Life on Friday. I am not looking forward to being up all night, but I am very much looking forward to the exercise and relaxing.
Yesterday I had Amir for lunch. I strictly insisted the man only give me a tiny spoonful of potatoes, which he FINALLY did! For dinner, I went to my grandma's and heard stories about my grandma's married life as a teenager, and about their different houses. It was really interesting. Thanks to Google Street View I can go visit the spots we talked about :)
Today I will buy my same old same old breakfast. It's so simple and yet sooooo good.
Lunch will likely be a salad or wrap and dinner, yams and rice I forgot to bring yesterday.
Alright, I am off to work, have a fantastic day everyone.
Monday, June 7, 2010
The countdown: 8 days to go
Hi there!
I am not pleased. I am in a good mood but I am not pleased at all. My house guest decided to watch television until 2 am and even with earplugs I could not sleep. Needless to say I was too tired to get up for the gym, though I did walk around and debate this in my head for about 10 minutes. The final verdict was no workout today. Instead, if I don't have work to do tomorrow night, I may go to zumba to make up for this missed workout. I can't workout tonight since my mom is coming to town :)
It's so funny how your mind plays tricks on you. This is a good kind of trick in some ways I guess: I feel literally light and tiny this morning. My weight, however, would say otherwise. I love feeling like this, but I would love ACTUALLY being light and tiny more!
I only have eight days left until my blog ends. It has been such a hectic month-and-a-half that it has been really difficult to maintain the momentum I had in the beginning, not only because I've hit a plateau, but also a constantly changing schedule makes a huge difference. I am so pleased that I have gotten this far, but I would hate to end without losing just one more pound. Ideally, I would like to be at 160 by June 15, but that is technically impossible without starving myself.
In any case, I feel like I did very, very well this weekend food-wise. I got in a lot of veggies, fruit and resisted a lot of temptation even though I ate all my food outside the home. Last night I ate a ton of scrumptious sushi at sushi-mou-shi, but I hadn't eaten much throughout the day--since I was sitting on my rear end at a computer all day. I did workout yesterday in the morning as well.
Today I will aim to take a good walk at lunch and then try to get in a zumba class this week (BABS: You think you can make it tomorrow if I can go?)
Alright, I am off to get fruit and toast for breakfast and I am bringing leftover rice and yams for lunch (which I may have to complement with something else). Dinner will be chez la famiglia, so who knows!
I am not pleased. I am in a good mood but I am not pleased at all. My house guest decided to watch television until 2 am and even with earplugs I could not sleep. Needless to say I was too tired to get up for the gym, though I did walk around and debate this in my head for about 10 minutes. The final verdict was no workout today. Instead, if I don't have work to do tomorrow night, I may go to zumba to make up for this missed workout. I can't workout tonight since my mom is coming to town :)
It's so funny how your mind plays tricks on you. This is a good kind of trick in some ways I guess: I feel literally light and tiny this morning. My weight, however, would say otherwise. I love feeling like this, but I would love ACTUALLY being light and tiny more!
I only have eight days left until my blog ends. It has been such a hectic month-and-a-half that it has been really difficult to maintain the momentum I had in the beginning, not only because I've hit a plateau, but also a constantly changing schedule makes a huge difference. I am so pleased that I have gotten this far, but I would hate to end without losing just one more pound. Ideally, I would like to be at 160 by June 15, but that is technically impossible without starving myself.
In any case, I feel like I did very, very well this weekend food-wise. I got in a lot of veggies, fruit and resisted a lot of temptation even though I ate all my food outside the home. Last night I ate a ton of scrumptious sushi at sushi-mou-shi, but I hadn't eaten much throughout the day--since I was sitting on my rear end at a computer all day. I did workout yesterday in the morning as well.
Today I will aim to take a good walk at lunch and then try to get in a zumba class this week (BABS: You think you can make it tomorrow if I can go?)
Alright, I am off to get fruit and toast for breakfast and I am bringing leftover rice and yams for lunch (which I may have to complement with something else). Dinner will be chez la famiglia, so who knows!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Weekend update
Hi loyal readers!
My spirits are up, despite the rain and not losing weight. This time I haven't forgotten that a certain tme of month brings with it a pound or eight. This time it's just one pound, so that's a big plus... one less hurdle to overcome.
Yesterday I didn't workout because I knew I'd be walking. I had to go into work all day, plus I walked to and from volunteering in the middle of the day. It was nice to be back at Santropol, meeting new people and relaxing. I ate very well yesterday in terms of getting many veggies in. My brother made a delicious meal for dinner with yams, rice, spinach, roasted almonds and a yummy dressing, along with corn on the cob. At lunch I had a chicken and avocado wrap that appeared to be missing the avocado, with a beet/apple salad and a fruit salad.
This morning I slept in and decided to go into work for noon, so that I could workout and eat breakfast at home. I haven't eaten yet, but I did have a pretty decent workout on the treadmill (32 minutes to get to 280 calories) and then 15 minutes of mostly arms and abs today. I will be walking to the office in this miserable weather again, but it's so tranquil there on the weekend. This is the first time I've ever worked on the weekend for more than an hour or so, but it has actually been nice to not really go out, go to bed early, and wake up when I want (which is still early but better than with an alarm).
Alright, I am going to possibly make breakfast, but with someone sleeping in the same room, I think I might have to opt for my regular fruit and toast and espresso at Premium...
Have a great Sunday!
My spirits are up, despite the rain and not losing weight. This time I haven't forgotten that a certain tme of month brings with it a pound or eight. This time it's just one pound, so that's a big plus... one less hurdle to overcome.
Yesterday I didn't workout because I knew I'd be walking. I had to go into work all day, plus I walked to and from volunteering in the middle of the day. It was nice to be back at Santropol, meeting new people and relaxing. I ate very well yesterday in terms of getting many veggies in. My brother made a delicious meal for dinner with yams, rice, spinach, roasted almonds and a yummy dressing, along with corn on the cob. At lunch I had a chicken and avocado wrap that appeared to be missing the avocado, with a beet/apple salad and a fruit salad.
This morning I slept in and decided to go into work for noon, so that I could workout and eat breakfast at home. I haven't eaten yet, but I did have a pretty decent workout on the treadmill (32 minutes to get to 280 calories) and then 15 minutes of mostly arms and abs today. I will be walking to the office in this miserable weather again, but it's so tranquil there on the weekend. This is the first time I've ever worked on the weekend for more than an hour or so, but it has actually been nice to not really go out, go to bed early, and wake up when I want (which is still early but better than with an alarm).
Alright, I am going to possibly make breakfast, but with someone sleeping in the same room, I think I might have to opt for my regular fruit and toast and espresso at Premium...
Have a great Sunday!
Friday, June 4, 2010
setbacks
Hi, not much time to write today.
My family is in town, and my brother is sleeping right next to where I am sitting right now, so I don't want to disturb him.
Basically I broke my own rule yesterday, but it was great! I wasn't "allowed" to eat Indian food for the entire blog challenge, since I was going to make that my treat on my birthday (my aunt is taking me to my favourite Indian restaurant). Now only 1.5 weeks from the end of this blog, my brother basically forced me to eat Indian food!!! However, I did enjoy every bite. I did eat too much, but all day I had eaten very light.
Instead of taking today off (I took yesterday off the gym, but ended up walking a ton), I worked out extra hard :) I might go in to volunteer tomorrow morning to get a good walk in as well. I haven't been in a long time because every weekend has been booked with baptisms, family functions, friend visits, etc.
I am no longer panicking about this plateau I am in. It may be frustrating, but I am at least aware my body is still changing, and for the better. Perhaps my birthday will bring me renewed energy to push even harder on the food end of things.
Alright, I have to jet to work, talk to y'all soon!
My family is in town, and my brother is sleeping right next to where I am sitting right now, so I don't want to disturb him.
Basically I broke my own rule yesterday, but it was great! I wasn't "allowed" to eat Indian food for the entire blog challenge, since I was going to make that my treat on my birthday (my aunt is taking me to my favourite Indian restaurant). Now only 1.5 weeks from the end of this blog, my brother basically forced me to eat Indian food!!! However, I did enjoy every bite. I did eat too much, but all day I had eaten very light.
Instead of taking today off (I took yesterday off the gym, but ended up walking a ton), I worked out extra hard :) I might go in to volunteer tomorrow morning to get a good walk in as well. I haven't been in a long time because every weekend has been booked with baptisms, family functions, friend visits, etc.
I am no longer panicking about this plateau I am in. It may be frustrating, but I am at least aware my body is still changing, and for the better. Perhaps my birthday will bring me renewed energy to push even harder on the food end of things.
Alright, I have to jet to work, talk to y'all soon!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
A small happy
I remeasured myself this morning, and I am seeing progress after all. As I thought, though my weight isn't changing, my body feels like it is. The difference is minor enough, but I am excited so I will post these as my June measurements:
Neck: 12 (down 0.5 since May)
Chest: 35 (same since May)
Ribs: 31 (same since May)
Waist: 29.5 (down 0.5 since May)
Hips: 35 (down 1.0 since May)
Butt: 39 (down 1.0 since May)
Thighs: 23.5 - 24 (down 0.25 - 0.5 since May)
So It's mostly my bottom half that's shrinking, which is fantastic because that's my larger half. I am especially excited that my thighs have gotten just a little bit smaller :)
In other news, yesterday was nice. I had my favourite salad wrap with a friend on a patio, and dinner (as expected) was eggs and toast, but I also made some asparagus and a half-mug of plain yogurt with nuts, maple syrup and raspberries. I needed protein and a hearty meal to get me through two hours of volleyball!
Volleyball was a lot more fun yesterday than the week prior. I'm getting to know my teammates better, we're getting better, and people were more friendly. I don't know what it is, but it is so fun diving into sand, even though I always regret it after for all the sand stuck to places I cannot mention.
I didn't workout this morning. I am just a little achy from volleyball and didn't want to push it.
Alright, I am off to walk in this disgusting weather, hoping the sun will show it's face later on... Have a nice day everyone!
Neck: 12 (down 0.5 since May)
Chest: 35 (same since May)
Ribs: 31 (same since May)
Waist: 29.5 (down 0.5 since May)
Hips: 35 (down 1.0 since May)
Butt: 39 (down 1.0 since May)
Thighs: 23.5 - 24 (down 0.25 - 0.5 since May)
So It's mostly my bottom half that's shrinking, which is fantastic because that's my larger half. I am especially excited that my thighs have gotten just a little bit smaller :)
In other news, yesterday was nice. I had my favourite salad wrap with a friend on a patio, and dinner (as expected) was eggs and toast, but I also made some asparagus and a half-mug of plain yogurt with nuts, maple syrup and raspberries. I needed protein and a hearty meal to get me through two hours of volleyball!
Volleyball was a lot more fun yesterday than the week prior. I'm getting to know my teammates better, we're getting better, and people were more friendly. I don't know what it is, but it is so fun diving into sand, even though I always regret it after for all the sand stuck to places I cannot mention.
I didn't workout this morning. I am just a little achy from volleyball and didn't want to push it.
Alright, I am off to walk in this disgusting weather, hoping the sun will show it's face later on... Have a nice day everyone!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
False sense of skinny
Yo!
Ladies, you know how sometimes you feel amazing about the way you look, and then a week later you see a photo of yourself that reveals otherwise? Well I am feeling skinny today, and off and on for the last couple of days, however my measurements and weight have yet to budge. I am still at 163. It's almost starting to be funny, my routine of giving the finger to the scale. I am less than excited about the lack of change. BUT, in light of my decision to be positive, I am going to believe my mind more than the scale/measuring tape today, and go with this thin feeling I've got.
Yesterday I had a bunless burger (well I used just one piece of toast--100 calories) for dinner. I worked out at lunch, but only did cardio because I was starving. After dinner I went for a one hour stroll. This morning I had some raisin bran mixed with Kashi cereal (using up the last bits) and a kiwi. Lunch will possibly be sushi, a sandwich or a wrap, but I should go for a walk in this beautiful weather. Since I have volleyball tonight and nothing in my fridge, I will likely eat eggs and toast again, like last week.
I've got many things going on these days, but I am doing my best to stay motivated to lose weight. It's the only thing that keeps me sane... even if it's making me a little insane.
Have a great day everyone!
Ladies, you know how sometimes you feel amazing about the way you look, and then a week later you see a photo of yourself that reveals otherwise? Well I am feeling skinny today, and off and on for the last couple of days, however my measurements and weight have yet to budge. I am still at 163. It's almost starting to be funny, my routine of giving the finger to the scale. I am less than excited about the lack of change. BUT, in light of my decision to be positive, I am going to believe my mind more than the scale/measuring tape today, and go with this thin feeling I've got.
Yesterday I had a bunless burger (well I used just one piece of toast--100 calories) for dinner. I worked out at lunch, but only did cardio because I was starving. After dinner I went for a one hour stroll. This morning I had some raisin bran mixed with Kashi cereal (using up the last bits) and a kiwi. Lunch will possibly be sushi, a sandwich or a wrap, but I should go for a walk in this beautiful weather. Since I have volleyball tonight and nothing in my fridge, I will likely eat eggs and toast again, like last week.
I've got many things going on these days, but I am doing my best to stay motivated to lose weight. It's the only thing that keeps me sane... even if it's making me a little insane.
Have a great day everyone!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
New plan
Hi!
So I did go for a walk at lunch yesterday, and it was a good one! I walked all the way up Drummond, which is fairly steep and long and ends with a staircase up to Des Pins. I also did go workout after work. I was tired still so it wasn't as great as it could have been, but I'd say I still worked pretty hard.
For dinner, I had a salad and scallops wrapped in prosciutto. MMMMMMMMM! My friend made it, it was my first time. I will be doing that again!
Today it was dark out in the morning and I was tired, so I decided to workout after work again. I think I will have to keep doing this all week because when I workout at night my muscles will hurt if I workout the following morning.
I am having my one remaining slice of pizza for lunch with sliced cantaloupe. For breakfast, a bowl of raisin bran and a kiwi. I have been eating too much fruit lately and really not enough veggies, so I need to get that back under control. But it is very hard to maintain a consistent eating pattern in the summer, with all the lunches and drinks and dinners with friends :)
I still haven't lost anymore weight, which is frustrating, but I feel like my body is changing none the less. I feel like my fat is less thick or solid, it's getting softer, which I hope means it's going away! I am doing muscle training to ensure I don't get flabby! I really am dying to be in the 150s, since I haven't seen them in a million years and really need to get to a weight that looks and feels healthy for me. I don't think I'll ever make it into the 130s, which by all means is the "proper" weight range for my height, but I am very okay with that. I want to remain curvy, remain soft, with a hard athletic core hahah! I think 145 might be my ideal weight, but frankly I have no idea.
I could be losing fat as we speak even if the scale isn't changing, but my measurements haven't changed for better or worse. I could just be putting on muscle. The only sign is that it seems like my body's still changing and my workout pants felt and looked extra loose yesterday. I am pushing myself on the treadmill, and trying hard to stay disciplined food wise, but I am definitely not eating as many veggies as I was in the beginning. I would say that it's going to be tough to keep to the same schedule I've been doing for the summer, but I will try. I will be moving eventually this summer and I will have to start up a new routine at a new gym, etc... Just wish me luck losing as much as I can while I have a gym in my building :)
So I did go for a walk at lunch yesterday, and it was a good one! I walked all the way up Drummond, which is fairly steep and long and ends with a staircase up to Des Pins. I also did go workout after work. I was tired still so it wasn't as great as it could have been, but I'd say I still worked pretty hard.
For dinner, I had a salad and scallops wrapped in prosciutto. MMMMMMMMM! My friend made it, it was my first time. I will be doing that again!
Today it was dark out in the morning and I was tired, so I decided to workout after work again. I think I will have to keep doing this all week because when I workout at night my muscles will hurt if I workout the following morning.
I am having my one remaining slice of pizza for lunch with sliced cantaloupe. For breakfast, a bowl of raisin bran and a kiwi. I have been eating too much fruit lately and really not enough veggies, so I need to get that back under control. But it is very hard to maintain a consistent eating pattern in the summer, with all the lunches and drinks and dinners with friends :)
I still haven't lost anymore weight, which is frustrating, but I feel like my body is changing none the less. I feel like my fat is less thick or solid, it's getting softer, which I hope means it's going away! I am doing muscle training to ensure I don't get flabby! I really am dying to be in the 150s, since I haven't seen them in a million years and really need to get to a weight that looks and feels healthy for me. I don't think I'll ever make it into the 130s, which by all means is the "proper" weight range for my height, but I am very okay with that. I want to remain curvy, remain soft, with a hard athletic core hahah! I think 145 might be my ideal weight, but frankly I have no idea.
I could be losing fat as we speak even if the scale isn't changing, but my measurements haven't changed for better or worse. I could just be putting on muscle. The only sign is that it seems like my body's still changing and my workout pants felt and looked extra loose yesterday. I am pushing myself on the treadmill, and trying hard to stay disciplined food wise, but I am definitely not eating as many veggies as I was in the beginning. I would say that it's going to be tough to keep to the same schedule I've been doing for the summer, but I will try. I will be moving eventually this summer and I will have to start up a new routine at a new gym, etc... Just wish me luck losing as much as I can while I have a gym in my building :)
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