I don't know what my brain is on, but every time I count the days and weeks that have passed since the beginning of this journey, I seem to come up with a new total.
If my current calculations are correct, I was wrong last week and, in fact, today would officially mark week 16. At 18 lbs lost as of today, that would mean I have been losing just over one pound a week and should actually be able to get to 158 lbs by June 15 if I continue to lose at this rate. So instead of losing 16 pounds as planned, or the 20-22lbs I predicted last week, I should have lost 24 lbs by my birthday!
I don't want to get too excited, like I did this morning when I danced around so much I nearly revisited my cereal, but I am pretty FRICKING (that one's for you N) excited!!!!!! The lowest I ever reached when I lost weight in university (26 lbs in 8 months) was 162 lbs. I so want to pass that threshold and then some. I want to be 150, then I want to see if I need to keep going or I can stop there. I think I might want to push past 150 to give myself a little breathing room in preparation for Thanksgiving and Christmas ha! By this time next year, I should be strutting my stuff on some beach in a bikini!
Alright, enough getting ahead of myself. I need to stay focused on the near future, one day at a time, not one year from now, or Thanksgiving, or even June 15. Today is all that matters.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Mission accomplished.
I finally found our first aid kit and I would like to show off my very first splint ever :) Yay me!
Not a total bust
Hey all!
So I've got great news and not-so-great news. Not-so-great news first.
I sprained my pinky playing volleyball yesterday. It sounds like nothing, except when you injure your pinky, you suddenly realize how much you actually use it. About two months ago I was thrown forward on a bus and sprained my other pinky. Not realizing it was a sprain (it wasn't as bad as this one), I kept poking at it, as we are wont to do with bruises...or at least I sure am. Of course it worsened, and only this week was feeling almost healed. Now that this one's healed, PAF! The other one is out and then some. So I've made a makeshift splint and am doing all the things the Internet told me to: putting it on ice a few times a day, keeping it elevated when I sleep and keeping in a splint. I will be okay hahaha!
Now for the great news: I weighed in at 164.0!! Today is my day off from the gym, so I can't even blame it secretly on water loss from sweating :) I do have to say that I didn't eat enough yesterday considering the amount of physical activity I did, but I'll explain. I ate my smoothie-cereal breakfast, leftovers for lunch, my sizeable nachos pre-volleyball (see picture, and note I tried my hands at hot peppers again, this time only jalapenos though and I did NOT burn my hands off!). After volleyball, after putting my hand in a splint and gettin gready to go out with my friend, it was 8 pm by the time we got to the cafe, and since you can't eat their meals in the shisha section, I just took a piece of marble cake and a mochaccino since that's all they have in the way of portable food. I felt satisfied, however, given the amount of activity I did yesterday, I should have had another meal with veggies and some fat and protein, but heck, that cake was yumsies!
I had crazy dreams that had me waking up at all hours of the night (thanks a lot caffeine!) I am feeling very happy and mellow though and am ecstatic about it being Friday! I am going to eat some cereal then head out to the pharmacy to get some medical tape and gauze for my splint - I am using half stir sticks from the coffee shop as the support for my finger and Band-Aids to hold it all together - that's right, call me McGiver.
Halas! I need to eat and dance around to Pitbull in my apartment before work. Bye guys!
So I've got great news and not-so-great news. Not-so-great news first.
I sprained my pinky playing volleyball yesterday. It sounds like nothing, except when you injure your pinky, you suddenly realize how much you actually use it. About two months ago I was thrown forward on a bus and sprained my other pinky. Not realizing it was a sprain (it wasn't as bad as this one), I kept poking at it, as we are wont to do with bruises...or at least I sure am. Of course it worsened, and only this week was feeling almost healed. Now that this one's healed, PAF! The other one is out and then some. So I've made a makeshift splint and am doing all the things the Internet told me to: putting it on ice a few times a day, keeping it elevated when I sleep and keeping in a splint. I will be okay hahaha!
Now for the great news: I weighed in at 164.0!! Today is my day off from the gym, so I can't even blame it secretly on water loss from sweating :) I do have to say that I didn't eat enough yesterday considering the amount of physical activity I did, but I'll explain. I ate my smoothie-cereal breakfast, leftovers for lunch, my sizeable nachos pre-volleyball (see picture, and note I tried my hands at hot peppers again, this time only jalapenos though and I did NOT burn my hands off!). After volleyball, after putting my hand in a splint and gettin gready to go out with my friend, it was 8 pm by the time we got to the cafe, and since you can't eat their meals in the shisha section, I just took a piece of marble cake and a mochaccino since that's all they have in the way of portable food. I felt satisfied, however, given the amount of activity I did yesterday, I should have had another meal with veggies and some fat and protein, but heck, that cake was yumsies!
I had crazy dreams that had me waking up at all hours of the night (thanks a lot caffeine!) I am feeling very happy and mellow though and am ecstatic about it being Friday! I am going to eat some cereal then head out to the pharmacy to get some medical tape and gauze for my splint - I am using half stir sticks from the coffee shop as the support for my finger and Band-Aids to hold it all together - that's right, call me McGiver.
Halas! I need to eat and dance around to Pitbull in my apartment before work. Bye guys!
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Volleyball Thursdays
What up homies?
Are you excited for volleyball Thursdays? I know I am! I haven't played in two weeks so I am very much looking forward to it. I'm also so excited to start playing on a team, since that will change things up a bit. I like competition.
I have been missing zumba classes, so I think I'll go next week. I sometimes worry about my spending, but I don't feel an ounce of worry about paying for physical activities I like because this is what's contributing to my happiness and wellbeing. Plus, I get an hour of walking in when I go to zumba, so that's an added bonus.
I weighed in at 165.2 today :) I wasn't expecting to see 164 today because all I did was 30 minutes of biking (albeit intense), and some pathetic arm curls and a few other things I did about 5 times each and then couldn't be bothered to do any reps. I figured I will get a good workout at volleyball tonight so I don't need to push too hard. Instead I spent my time straightening my hair and doing other things I don't usually have time to do before I go to work. Another such thing was taking my measurements. I won't report them since it's not officially May, but I have lost 0.5 - 1 inch on every measure except my neck and another spot I can't recall.
I'm scarfing down a delicious breakfast. I made a smoothie (kiwi, raspberry, strawberry, blueberry, plain and strawberry yogurt) and threw in some chunky granola cereal mmmmm.
Dinner, as you can see, was chicken, asparagus and quinoa. The quinoa was accented with ginger, butter and salt, the asparagus with garlic, and the chicken with maple syrup, lemon juice, ginger, salt and pepper. The chicken was surprisingly good. I think I am starting to get the knack of marinating and cooking chicken. I am better with fish and red meats, but I'm coming along. Since the chicken breast was too big for one person, I kept half for lunch and made extra quinoa and asparagus. I am actually looking forward to these leftovers :)
Last night my friend came over to finish off our Nurse Jackie marathon. This is a show that's on HBO that she had told me about. I highly recommend watching it. There is a character named Zoe who is fantastic, and Edie Falco is amazing! It's largely about a nurse who is unconventional is a bit like a modern-day, emotionally stunted Robin Hood, with more psychological problems.
On that note, I'm out.
Are you excited for volleyball Thursdays? I know I am! I haven't played in two weeks so I am very much looking forward to it. I'm also so excited to start playing on a team, since that will change things up a bit. I like competition.
I have been missing zumba classes, so I think I'll go next week. I sometimes worry about my spending, but I don't feel an ounce of worry about paying for physical activities I like because this is what's contributing to my happiness and wellbeing. Plus, I get an hour of walking in when I go to zumba, so that's an added bonus.
I weighed in at 165.2 today :) I wasn't expecting to see 164 today because all I did was 30 minutes of biking (albeit intense), and some pathetic arm curls and a few other things I did about 5 times each and then couldn't be bothered to do any reps. I figured I will get a good workout at volleyball tonight so I don't need to push too hard. Instead I spent my time straightening my hair and doing other things I don't usually have time to do before I go to work. Another such thing was taking my measurements. I won't report them since it's not officially May, but I have lost 0.5 - 1 inch on every measure except my neck and another spot I can't recall.
I'm scarfing down a delicious breakfast. I made a smoothie (kiwi, raspberry, strawberry, blueberry, plain and strawberry yogurt) and threw in some chunky granola cereal mmmmm.
Dinner, as you can see, was chicken, asparagus and quinoa. The quinoa was accented with ginger, butter and salt, the asparagus with garlic, and the chicken with maple syrup, lemon juice, ginger, salt and pepper. The chicken was surprisingly good. I think I am starting to get the knack of marinating and cooking chicken. I am better with fish and red meats, but I'm coming along. Since the chicken breast was too big for one person, I kept half for lunch and made extra quinoa and asparagus. I am actually looking forward to these leftovers :)
Last night my friend came over to finish off our Nurse Jackie marathon. This is a show that's on HBO that she had told me about. I highly recommend watching it. There is a character named Zoe who is fantastic, and Edie Falco is amazing! It's largely about a nurse who is unconventional is a bit like a modern-day, emotionally stunted Robin Hood, with more psychological problems.
On that note, I'm out.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
...and going, and going...
Good morning, despite the cold, grey, nasty, disgusting weather.
Didn't get much sleep last night since all the power went out. Initially, the fire alarm beeped, but only briefly, so I didn't get out of bed. I was thinking "there is no way I am leaving my bed unless there's ACTUALLY fire in this horrendous weather." Eventually, curiosity got the better of me so I got up and went downstairs, but all I saw was my neighbourhood totally blacked out. By the time I hauled my breathless behind back up 4 flights of stairs, the power was back on.
So my weigh-in was great this morning: 165.0! I weighed in at 165.6 before working out, so I was sure I would get to get a glimpse of 164, but I only made it to 165 even. I am still pretty happy since it seems like I just skipped right over 166.
Last night's dinner was a very thin whole wheat crust pizza with pine nuts, red pepper, tomato, basil (from the tube, not fresh), chili peppers, chopped garlic, tomato sauce, Parmesan, salt/pepper and balsamic glaze. The salad was mixed greens, cucumber, bigger tomatoes, walnuts and a dressing I made (olive oil, balsamic, honey mustard, Dijon, salt, pepper, sesame seeds, basil). It was all delicious. I must also mention that a friend gave me some leftover sushi before leaving work, which I scarfed down in seconds. For some reason I was so hungry yesterday.
Just finished off a bowl of plain yogurt, kiwi and Jordan's cereal (chunky clusters with nuts, mmmmm). I have an apple but will be buying lunch. I am marinating chicken with lemon, ginger, salt and pepper now, so we'll see how that turns out tonight.
My workout was great since I was pushing for 164 :) I worked extra hard on the bike and did a variety of exercises to work different muscle groups. My new thing is that I don't work the same muscles two days in a row. I try to alternate so I don't injure myself or get too used to the same exact moves all the time.
Alright, I am off to reset all my clocks, quel bonheur! Have a fantastic day everyone. Let's think happy sunny thoughts to bring the Big Star back!
Didn't get much sleep last night since all the power went out. Initially, the fire alarm beeped, but only briefly, so I didn't get out of bed. I was thinking "there is no way I am leaving my bed unless there's ACTUALLY fire in this horrendous weather." Eventually, curiosity got the better of me so I got up and went downstairs, but all I saw was my neighbourhood totally blacked out. By the time I hauled my breathless behind back up 4 flights of stairs, the power was back on.
So my weigh-in was great this morning: 165.0! I weighed in at 165.6 before working out, so I was sure I would get to get a glimpse of 164, but I only made it to 165 even. I am still pretty happy since it seems like I just skipped right over 166.
Last night's dinner was a very thin whole wheat crust pizza with pine nuts, red pepper, tomato, basil (from the tube, not fresh), chili peppers, chopped garlic, tomato sauce, Parmesan, salt/pepper and balsamic glaze. The salad was mixed greens, cucumber, bigger tomatoes, walnuts and a dressing I made (olive oil, balsamic, honey mustard, Dijon, salt, pepper, sesame seeds, basil). It was all delicious. I must also mention that a friend gave me some leftover sushi before leaving work, which I scarfed down in seconds. For some reason I was so hungry yesterday.
Just finished off a bowl of plain yogurt, kiwi and Jordan's cereal (chunky clusters with nuts, mmmmm). I have an apple but will be buying lunch. I am marinating chicken with lemon, ginger, salt and pepper now, so we'll see how that turns out tonight.
My workout was great since I was pushing for 164 :) I worked extra hard on the bike and did a variety of exercises to work different muscle groups. My new thing is that I don't work the same muscles two days in a row. I try to alternate so I don't injure myself or get too used to the same exact moves all the time.
Alright, I am off to reset all my clocks, quel bonheur! Have a fantastic day everyone. Let's think happy sunny thoughts to bring the Big Star back!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Still going strong
WTF everyone? It's snowing, ugh! Ah well, like all things, it will pass I suppose. For now it's supposed to be 22 next Monday, so hopefully everything will go back to the way it has been...
I am feeling a little better today. I am almost positive I had mild food poisoning and was probably dehydrated, because I was feeling so exhausted on Saturday and Sunday. In any case, I rested up yesterday and will be back to work today, still trying to eat mild enough foods to keep my stomach calm.
I still got up to go to the gym, and did a laborious 30 minutes of walking/running, push ups, dips, arm curls, side squats and lunges. I weighed in at 165.8 today. Even though it's a 0.8 move upward, I am still very pleased because this is the week I was supposed to hit 166 anyway, so 165 was merely a welcome side effect of food poisoning ha! I lacked the motivation I had Sunday and yesterday. It's funny, I am always way more pumped when I am suffering from something.
I just finished up a bowl of Raisin Bran, a spoonful of strawberry yogurt and a swig of pomegranate juice (I'll spare you the photos this time), and made a kid's lunch: peanut butter and banana sandwich with an apple. I think I will be making spaghetti squash for dinner, but I am not 100% decided.
So I want to keep working hard to get past 162 lbs because that's probably the lowest I'll have been since high school. If I make it to 150, that's about how much I weighed at 17 years old. These milestones are important to me, and keep me competitive (with myself :) Thank god for the blog to remind me every single day to be careful about what I eat and workout. I hope after June 15th I'll be able to maintain the same energy level without you guys watching over me...
Have a great day!
I am feeling a little better today. I am almost positive I had mild food poisoning and was probably dehydrated, because I was feeling so exhausted on Saturday and Sunday. In any case, I rested up yesterday and will be back to work today, still trying to eat mild enough foods to keep my stomach calm.
I still got up to go to the gym, and did a laborious 30 minutes of walking/running, push ups, dips, arm curls, side squats and lunges. I weighed in at 165.8 today. Even though it's a 0.8 move upward, I am still very pleased because this is the week I was supposed to hit 166 anyway, so 165 was merely a welcome side effect of food poisoning ha! I lacked the motivation I had Sunday and yesterday. It's funny, I am always way more pumped when I am suffering from something.
I just finished up a bowl of Raisin Bran, a spoonful of strawberry yogurt and a swig of pomegranate juice (I'll spare you the photos this time), and made a kid's lunch: peanut butter and banana sandwich with an apple. I think I will be making spaghetti squash for dinner, but I am not 100% decided.
So I want to keep working hard to get past 162 lbs because that's probably the lowest I'll have been since high school. If I make it to 150, that's about how much I weighed at 17 years old. These milestones are important to me, and keep me competitive (with myself :) Thank god for the blog to remind me every single day to be careful about what I eat and workout. I hope after June 15th I'll be able to maintain the same energy level without you guys watching over me...
Have a great day!
Monday, April 26, 2010
More pics, since some of you think my blog is painfully boring.
Hey again, here are some photos of my meals today since one of my loyal readers complained that my blog is so boring.
The first is lunch. The aim was to have something light and healthy that wouldn't irritate my stomach too much and would be easily digested. On one side are organic nacho chips with mild salsa. On the other side is a salad made with fresh basil, cucumber, orange pepper, grape tomatoes, goat cheese, pine nuts, olive oil, salt, pepper and balsamic glaze. It was fresh, filling and delicious.
The next is my dinner. I must add that I had a ginger cookie earlier as a snack, and a part of a slice of pizza, though I took off all the cheese and toppings and pretty much just ate the bread :) Dinner was a trout filet with a homemade glaze made with maple syrup, chopped ginger (the kind sold in tubes), Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and yeah, I think that's all. That was accompanied with yellow, red and orange peppers, and baked mixed potatoes with chopped fresh garlic, salt, pepper and canola oil. This was really yummy! And it's the first time I have made potatoes at home since starting this challenge, so it was very satisfying.
Enjoy!
The first is lunch. The aim was to have something light and healthy that wouldn't irritate my stomach too much and would be easily digested. On one side are organic nacho chips with mild salsa. On the other side is a salad made with fresh basil, cucumber, orange pepper, grape tomatoes, goat cheese, pine nuts, olive oil, salt, pepper and balsamic glaze. It was fresh, filling and delicious.
The next is my dinner. I must add that I had a ginger cookie earlier as a snack, and a part of a slice of pizza, though I took off all the cheese and toppings and pretty much just ate the bread :) Dinner was a trout filet with a homemade glaze made with maple syrup, chopped ginger (the kind sold in tubes), Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and yeah, I think that's all. That was accompanied with yellow, red and orange peppers, and baked mixed potatoes with chopped fresh garlic, salt, pepper and canola oil. This was really yummy! And it's the first time I have made potatoes at home since starting this challenge, so it was very satisfying.
Enjoy!
Before and at the halfway mark
Hey all!
I don't have any recent body shots, so I will wait til I achieve my final goal to do a "body before and after"; however, I do have a face shot taken in January 2009 and one taken a few weeks back when I returned from Toronto. Check it out. It's not too drastic, but my face was a little bigger than that when I started working out this year, with more of a double chin. My face was the first big change I could notice.
Comme ci comme ca
Howdy!
So I am very excited to tell you that this morning I weighed in at 166.0 PRE-GYM, and a whopping 165.0 POST-GYM!!!!
This is great news, however, I have been feeling nauseous since last night and I think it's something I ate yesterday or the day before. So obviously part of my extra pound of weight loss is probably due to digestive issues. My stomach is burning this morning, so I am taking a sick day for fear of either infecting other people if it is a "gastro", or for other, more obvious reasons.
Since I'm trying to minimize any symptoms, I am having a smoothie this morning (kiwi, banana, raspberry, pomegranate juice and plain yogurt) and I had a spoonful of peanut butter. I will try to stick to mild, stomach pleasing foods today.
But yeah, I am extremely excited to see 165.0... And I totally forgot to mention yesterday that I did my calculations, and being 166 on the weekend, I have been losing 1 pound per week for 16 weeks now, which is better than I thought I was doing (I thought I was just under that). At this rate, I should be able to lose 20-22 pounds in total by my goal date assuming all goes well.
So it just goes to show that weight loss can be fun, easy enough and still be highly effective!
So I am very excited to tell you that this morning I weighed in at 166.0 PRE-GYM, and a whopping 165.0 POST-GYM!!!!
This is great news, however, I have been feeling nauseous since last night and I think it's something I ate yesterday or the day before. So obviously part of my extra pound of weight loss is probably due to digestive issues. My stomach is burning this morning, so I am taking a sick day for fear of either infecting other people if it is a "gastro", or for other, more obvious reasons.
Since I'm trying to minimize any symptoms, I am having a smoothie this morning (kiwi, banana, raspberry, pomegranate juice and plain yogurt) and I had a spoonful of peanut butter. I will try to stick to mild, stomach pleasing foods today.
But yeah, I am extremely excited to see 165.0... And I totally forgot to mention yesterday that I did my calculations, and being 166 on the weekend, I have been losing 1 pound per week for 16 weeks now, which is better than I thought I was doing (I thought I was just under that). At this rate, I should be able to lose 20-22 pounds in total by my goal date assuming all goes well.
So it just goes to show that weight loss can be fun, easy enough and still be highly effective!
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Revelations, hallelujah!
So just a quick one to share some great but minor news.
First, I just did probably my most intense workout since starting on this journey. I ran on the treadmill not much longer than in the past, but faster and more intensely.
Secondly, I was able to do 20 men's push-ups in one go.
Third: I can now touch my head to my knees when grabbing my toes (stretching)
And last but certainly not least, I weighed in at 165.6 just now. That is not to say I am officially at 165. I knew I was eating my friend's leftover pizza for dinner, not healthy pizza, so I worked extra hard to be able to absorb those calories. But this is the lowest I have been yet and it's the afternoon, so tomorrow I will probably be 166 (pray for me!)
I am thrilled to say the least for these little things. Oh also, I almost forgot, I've lost 0.5 inches off my ribcage and waist, though I have to do complete measurements in the morning...
First, I just did probably my most intense workout since starting on this journey. I ran on the treadmill not much longer than in the past, but faster and more intensely.
Secondly, I was able to do 20 men's push-ups in one go.
Third: I can now touch my head to my knees when grabbing my toes (stretching)
And last but certainly not least, I weighed in at 165.6 just now. That is not to say I am officially at 165. I knew I was eating my friend's leftover pizza for dinner, not healthy pizza, so I worked extra hard to be able to absorb those calories. But this is the lowest I have been yet and it's the afternoon, so tomorrow I will probably be 166 (pray for me!)
I am thrilled to say the least for these little things. Oh also, I almost forgot, I've lost 0.5 inches off my ribcage and waist, though I have to do complete measurements in the morning...
Weekend wrap-up
YO!
The weekend has been great! How about yourself?
Here's the run-down:
Friday: A friend came back from vacation, so a bunch of girls went for dinner to catch up. I had an amazing meal: crispy grilled tilapia with rice and green vegetables. I can't explain it, but it was one of the best restaurant meals I have had in a long time. I even had a piece of cheesecake, some coffee and a few glasses of white wine.
Saturday: In the a.m., all the same girls met up pretty early for croissants and coffee on one of their balconys. I walked from my place to Premiere Moisson on Sherbrooke, and there began my day of walking. After relaxing over breakfast (to which I added a bowl of fruit: kiwi, banana and mango - and I ended up eating it all since no one else felt like fruit...), I walked to eat lunch (a low-fat sandwich from Quizno's, no combo) then to Santropol. (Total so far: 45 minutes of walking)
Once we loaded up our meals, we headed back to downtown west side around the AMC. With our deliveries done, and our asses and thighs throbbing, we headed back to Santropol (total walking time = approx. 2.5 hours I think). After that, we had planned to play soccer. We kicked the ball around for less than 10 minutes probably before deciding we were too tired for that, so we walked back downtown (25-20 mins) to meet another friend for shisha.
Total walking: 3.75 hours of walking. Needless to say, by the time we sat down on the couch, I could no longer stand up... With another friend meeting us, we went to eat sushi very late, and oh how we indulged. I think I ate less than I normally do, but I still came out extremely full.
This morning I weighed in at 166.2 :) I ate a plate with some grilled tomatoes with salt and pepper, two eggs, a small bowl of granola and plain yogurt and a kiwi. On the side, a glass of pomegranate juice. It was a big breakfast, but diverse and meant to keep me full til an early dinner, so I can spend my afternoon cleaning and running errands that desperately need to be done.
I started hanging up clothes and found a lot of stuff I am never going to wear, or shouldn't out of sheer respect for aesthetics, so I have made a bag that I will bring to the Salvation Army shortly. It's not too far so it's a quick walk for some fresh air. Later I might go to the gym, but I am undecided (it would be three days off, so I think I should at least do a bit of weight training to keep my muscles taight laike a tigah!
Alright, I hope you all enjoyed your weekend and enjoy a relaxing Sunday afternoon.
A demain!
The weekend has been great! How about yourself?
Here's the run-down:
Friday: A friend came back from vacation, so a bunch of girls went for dinner to catch up. I had an amazing meal: crispy grilled tilapia with rice and green vegetables. I can't explain it, but it was one of the best restaurant meals I have had in a long time. I even had a piece of cheesecake, some coffee and a few glasses of white wine.
Saturday: In the a.m., all the same girls met up pretty early for croissants and coffee on one of their balconys. I walked from my place to Premiere Moisson on Sherbrooke, and there began my day of walking. After relaxing over breakfast (to which I added a bowl of fruit: kiwi, banana and mango - and I ended up eating it all since no one else felt like fruit...), I walked to eat lunch (a low-fat sandwich from Quizno's, no combo) then to Santropol. (Total so far: 45 minutes of walking)
Once we loaded up our meals, we headed back to downtown west side around the AMC. With our deliveries done, and our asses and thighs throbbing, we headed back to Santropol (total walking time = approx. 2.5 hours I think). After that, we had planned to play soccer. We kicked the ball around for less than 10 minutes probably before deciding we were too tired for that, so we walked back downtown (25-20 mins) to meet another friend for shisha.
Total walking: 3.75 hours of walking. Needless to say, by the time we sat down on the couch, I could no longer stand up... With another friend meeting us, we went to eat sushi very late, and oh how we indulged. I think I ate less than I normally do, but I still came out extremely full.
This morning I weighed in at 166.2 :) I ate a plate with some grilled tomatoes with salt and pepper, two eggs, a small bowl of granola and plain yogurt and a kiwi. On the side, a glass of pomegranate juice. It was a big breakfast, but diverse and meant to keep me full til an early dinner, so I can spend my afternoon cleaning and running errands that desperately need to be done.
I started hanging up clothes and found a lot of stuff I am never going to wear, or shouldn't out of sheer respect for aesthetics, so I have made a bag that I will bring to the Salvation Army shortly. It's not too far so it's a quick walk for some fresh air. Later I might go to the gym, but I am undecided (it would be three days off, so I think I should at least do a bit of weight training to keep my muscles taight laike a tigah!
Alright, I hope you all enjoyed your weekend and enjoy a relaxing Sunday afternoon.
A demain!
Friday, April 23, 2010
My poll
Five votes people...seriously?! Come on, you can do better than that :)
Anyway, this post is mainly about how I am noticing how hard we are on ourselves and how this may be the source of people's health/weight problems.
While it's not good to be on either end of the spectrum (too lax or too stringent), people need to lay off the guilt about not being their ideal weight. I am speaking from my own experience only obviously, but only this time around did I leave all that negativity behind (as much as possible, as I have Catholic guilt in my whether I am Catholic or not).
It is working. I stopped punishing myself for eating bad foods and instead read all the ingredients so I know exactly what I am putting in me. This way, I look at food as a fine balance of things that keep me energized and functioning. The aim, for me, is to make sure at every meal or snack I think "have I had any protein today? (for example) and then eat something that contains protein. Or I think to myself "I've only eaten one vegetable today, how can I put more veggies into my meal today?". By focusing mostly on very basic concepts like this, I end up eating more often than usual, and therefore avoid most cravings for junk.
The other key for me was to not focus on long term. Focus exclusively on short term objectives like "I just finished dinner, maybe I'll go for a super quick walk." I prepare food right when I get home because once I am on my couch, it's a magnet. I congratulate myself when I see even 0.2 lbs less on the scale because it's better than nothing. It's hard to stay motivated for every pound, but it takes time to build motivation. You have to set the bar really low at first (like week 1: 10 minutes of walking every day, week 2: 20 minutes of walking every day, etc.)
Anything healthy is better than nothing. Keep telling yourself that until you get the motivation to treat your body and mind as well as it deserves to be treated. By focusing on healthy objectives (losing 1 pound instead of 20, eating 1 more fruit and one less piece of junk today, etc.), those small changes will really add up.
I hope this helps at least one of my friends feel better about themselves and stop feeling so guilty and instead just get up now and do something about it today. Then start over tomorrow, then the next day, and so on...
oh and ask for support from friends and people around you, and do NOT let anyone sabotage your objectives. Having supportive people around me has made a world of difference...
Anyway, this post is mainly about how I am noticing how hard we are on ourselves and how this may be the source of people's health/weight problems.
While it's not good to be on either end of the spectrum (too lax or too stringent), people need to lay off the guilt about not being their ideal weight. I am speaking from my own experience only obviously, but only this time around did I leave all that negativity behind (as much as possible, as I have Catholic guilt in my whether I am Catholic or not).
It is working. I stopped punishing myself for eating bad foods and instead read all the ingredients so I know exactly what I am putting in me. This way, I look at food as a fine balance of things that keep me energized and functioning. The aim, for me, is to make sure at every meal or snack I think "have I had any protein today? (for example) and then eat something that contains protein. Or I think to myself "I've only eaten one vegetable today, how can I put more veggies into my meal today?". By focusing mostly on very basic concepts like this, I end up eating more often than usual, and therefore avoid most cravings for junk.
The other key for me was to not focus on long term. Focus exclusively on short term objectives like "I just finished dinner, maybe I'll go for a super quick walk." I prepare food right when I get home because once I am on my couch, it's a magnet. I congratulate myself when I see even 0.2 lbs less on the scale because it's better than nothing. It's hard to stay motivated for every pound, but it takes time to build motivation. You have to set the bar really low at first (like week 1: 10 minutes of walking every day, week 2: 20 minutes of walking every day, etc.)
Anything healthy is better than nothing. Keep telling yourself that until you get the motivation to treat your body and mind as well as it deserves to be treated. By focusing on healthy objectives (losing 1 pound instead of 20, eating 1 more fruit and one less piece of junk today, etc.), those small changes will really add up.
I hope this helps at least one of my friends feel better about themselves and stop feeling so guilty and instead just get up now and do something about it today. Then start over tomorrow, then the next day, and so on...
oh and ask for support from friends and people around you, and do NOT let anyone sabotage your objectives. Having supportive people around me has made a world of difference...
FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank effin' god!
Well this one will be quick today because I am running late. I am eating a peanut butter and banana sandwich right now on whole wheat bread, and had a swig of pomegranate juice. Lunch is leftover soup, and I just made a tuna salad with tomatoes, fresh basil and pine nuts. I also made a mini fruit salad with strawberries, banana and kiwi. NO time to cut a mango...
As I said yesterday, I took this morning off. And though this may not sound like good news, I woke up at 167.0 pounds on the scale. I will tell you why that's good: because every day I weigh myself before and after the gym, and for the pas couple days I have been in the high 167s. Since I was at 167 even, that means if I had gone to the gym I'd likely be at 166 even. This also means that barring exceptional circumstances, I am still moving in the right direction to being for sure for sure permanently at 166. Anything but up...
Real quick, if you have a chance to pick up a bag of PatsyPie ginger cookies (gluten free and sold at Metro, IGA, PA, and organic food stores, etc.), they are really scrumptious! Especially with a hot cup of chai. I highly recommend them.
Have a great day everyone!
Well this one will be quick today because I am running late. I am eating a peanut butter and banana sandwich right now on whole wheat bread, and had a swig of pomegranate juice. Lunch is leftover soup, and I just made a tuna salad with tomatoes, fresh basil and pine nuts. I also made a mini fruit salad with strawberries, banana and kiwi. NO time to cut a mango...
As I said yesterday, I took this morning off. And though this may not sound like good news, I woke up at 167.0 pounds on the scale. I will tell you why that's good: because every day I weigh myself before and after the gym, and for the pas couple days I have been in the high 167s. Since I was at 167 even, that means if I had gone to the gym I'd likely be at 166 even. This also means that barring exceptional circumstances, I am still moving in the right direction to being for sure for sure permanently at 166. Anything but up...
Real quick, if you have a chance to pick up a bag of PatsyPie ginger cookies (gluten free and sold at Metro, IGA, PA, and organic food stores, etc.), they are really scrumptious! Especially with a hot cup of chai. I highly recommend them.
Have a great day everyone!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Energizer bunny
I'm still going! The scale was at 166.2 today, so I am getting closer and closer to being officially at 166 :)
I went to the gym this morning, half asleep. I even woke up practically sans alarm, and I had gone to bed early, but for some reason my heart felt very slow. So, even though I didn't bike as intensely as yesterday, I certainly broke a sweat... I was drenched!
I didn't do much in the way of weight training since yesterday I went all out on all my muscle groups. Today I just did some ab work that you'd all laugh at probably :) It was pretty weak, but I figure some is better than none, even if I don't get to "the burn" ha!
I think tomorrow will be my day off, a Friday treat. Then Saturday I'll be doing tons of walking and potentially playing soccer if I can find a pump for my ball and it doesn't rain.
Last night's dinner was a pizza on one of these thin whole wheat crusts that come in squares, in packs of 4. I had tomato sauce, garlic, fresh basil, grape tomatoes, turkey, goat cheese, parmesan cheese, pine nuts and then topped with balsamic glaze. Dessert was a ginger cookie mmmm. Today's breakfast was a bowl of Jordan's nuts and oats cereal, and lunch (for laziness' sake) is vegetable soup with an apple and a kiwi for a snack. I have rice crackers at work to eat with my soup.
Alright, have a great day everyone and I hope you are all taking good care of yourselves :)
I went to the gym this morning, half asleep. I even woke up practically sans alarm, and I had gone to bed early, but for some reason my heart felt very slow. So, even though I didn't bike as intensely as yesterday, I certainly broke a sweat... I was drenched!
I didn't do much in the way of weight training since yesterday I went all out on all my muscle groups. Today I just did some ab work that you'd all laugh at probably :) It was pretty weak, but I figure some is better than none, even if I don't get to "the burn" ha!
I think tomorrow will be my day off, a Friday treat. Then Saturday I'll be doing tons of walking and potentially playing soccer if I can find a pump for my ball and it doesn't rain.
Last night's dinner was a pizza on one of these thin whole wheat crusts that come in squares, in packs of 4. I had tomato sauce, garlic, fresh basil, grape tomatoes, turkey, goat cheese, parmesan cheese, pine nuts and then topped with balsamic glaze. Dessert was a ginger cookie mmmm. Today's breakfast was a bowl of Jordan's nuts and oats cereal, and lunch (for laziness' sake) is vegetable soup with an apple and a kiwi for a snack. I have rice crackers at work to eat with my soup.
Alright, have a great day everyone and I hope you are all taking good care of yourselves :)
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
FYI
I am loving this site these days... I hate surfing the Internet out of boredom, but this has become a favourite since there is so much information on the site:
http://www.realage.com
Also, if you look in the section about staying smart, you can sign up to the site Luminosity.com and play free brain games for a week... I like this kind of stuff.
Enjoy!
http://www.realage.com
Also, if you look in the section about staying smart, you can sign up to the site Luminosity.com and play free brain games for a week... I like this kind of stuff.
Enjoy!
All smiles
Morning!
I wrote so much yesterday that I feel bad writing too much today, but I have great news. After much huffing and puffing at the scale all week, I hit 166.6 today! This means that by next week I should be stuck at 166 (if all goes well)... and Goal 1 accomplished!!
To celebrate, this morning I am treating myself to a delicious fruit salad made of kiwi, banana, mango and strawberries, all fresh. It is so good! I am also having a piece of toast with peanut butter for consistency's sake.
Lunch will be leftover veal and I even made some asparagus this morning to accompany it. Clearly this breakthrough has given me a boost. Even my workout was better. I rode the bike for an intense 30 minutes, getting my heart rate higher than usual.
Not sure what I'll have for dinner, but likely a small flatbread pizza since I have to use up that stuff sooner rather than later.
Alright, on that note, I will let you go. Please, for my sake, participate in my polls hahah! At least to congratulate me for reaching 166 for the first time :)
Have a great day!
I wrote so much yesterday that I feel bad writing too much today, but I have great news. After much huffing and puffing at the scale all week, I hit 166.6 today! This means that by next week I should be stuck at 166 (if all goes well)... and Goal 1 accomplished!!
To celebrate, this morning I am treating myself to a delicious fruit salad made of kiwi, banana, mango and strawberries, all fresh. It is so good! I am also having a piece of toast with peanut butter for consistency's sake.
Lunch will be leftover veal and I even made some asparagus this morning to accompany it. Clearly this breakthrough has given me a boost. Even my workout was better. I rode the bike for an intense 30 minutes, getting my heart rate higher than usual.
Not sure what I'll have for dinner, but likely a small flatbread pizza since I have to use up that stuff sooner rather than later.
Alright, on that note, I will let you go. Please, for my sake, participate in my polls hahah! At least to congratulate me for reaching 166 for the first time :)
Have a great day!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
oh and...
Though no one answered my question about weighing MORE after doing volleyball and then yoga, Dr. Oz just answered me!
Interestingly, an audience member had the exact same question. So here's what's what:
When you workout intensely, your muscles may swell and retain fluid. It goes away naturally, but is a sign that you've aggravated your muscles... Now I know why it helps sometimes to take a couple days off.
I have, by the way, begun to take 2 days off in the week since I feel like I may be doing too much. With all the workouts, volleyball, walking and occasional classes, I felt like I might be pushing myself too much. I would like to increase the amount of walking I do, and cut back on gym workouts, at least during the warm weather.
I signed up to be on a beach volleyball team for the summer, and am considering a kickboxing class, so I will definitely need to scale back on something :)
Interestingly, an audience member had the exact same question. So here's what's what:
When you workout intensely, your muscles may swell and retain fluid. It goes away naturally, but is a sign that you've aggravated your muscles... Now I know why it helps sometimes to take a couple days off.
I have, by the way, begun to take 2 days off in the week since I feel like I may be doing too much. With all the workouts, volleyball, walking and occasional classes, I felt like I might be pushing myself too much. I would like to increase the amount of walking I do, and cut back on gym workouts, at least during the warm weather.
I signed up to be on a beach volleyball team for the summer, and am considering a kickboxing class, so I will definitely need to scale back on something :)
The joy of eating
In the midst of all my discouragement, I had a glimmer of light just now. Surprisingly, it came as I sit here watching Dr. Oz, just having finished dinner.
On today's show, three women want to get in shape for their high school reunion. Twenty years after graduating, they've all gained about 50-70 lbs. They showed clips of what they eat in a day and their lifestyles and I found myself feeling better... no, not necessarily that I am better than them (I have been in their position, as recently as three months ago), but because I realized what a joy it is to eat well.
Do not get me wrong, I still love all the processed crap I grew up on, I just avoid it as much as possible, in favour of fresh foods, even if they are fatty. For example, thanks to a recipe my friend gave me today, my veal was delicious and simple. I didn't make it exactly as described, but check out this site if you want some good recipes: http://www.750g.com/fiche_de_cuisine.2.123.3431.htm
I made my veal with a sauce made of plain yogurt, Dijon, yellow curry, salt, pepper and lemon juice. It took all of 5 minutes to make and was fantastic. I now have another piece for tomorrow's lunch. As my side, I made a mixed greens salad with roughly my regular dressing (balsamic, olive oil, pepper, chopped garlic, lemon juice and Dijon) and avocado, pine nuts and small tomatoes. This meal was amazing, and yet it was so basic. It's all about the freshness.
It took me years to acquire a taste for non-processed foods, and now I find eating such a pleasure. It's so easy to overeat on unhealthy food, yet so easy to be satisfied with healthy food. I still struggle with some foods in particular, like the quantity of baguette I am capable of eating in one sitting - which is why I never buy it haha - but overall I don't have to feel guilty about eating because when I indulge in something, I know that overall I am doing well and I am getting all the things I need to stay in good health.
So for all those people who have, like me, gained lots of weight over the years and now need to struggle to get rid of it, you should be warned that you may once again fall in love with eating as opposed to punishing yourself for indulging in processed foods...
On today's show, three women want to get in shape for their high school reunion. Twenty years after graduating, they've all gained about 50-70 lbs. They showed clips of what they eat in a day and their lifestyles and I found myself feeling better... no, not necessarily that I am better than them (I have been in their position, as recently as three months ago), but because I realized what a joy it is to eat well.
Do not get me wrong, I still love all the processed crap I grew up on, I just avoid it as much as possible, in favour of fresh foods, even if they are fatty. For example, thanks to a recipe my friend gave me today, my veal was delicious and simple. I didn't make it exactly as described, but check out this site if you want some good recipes: http://www.750g.com/fiche_de_cuisine.2.123.3431.htm
I made my veal with a sauce made of plain yogurt, Dijon, yellow curry, salt, pepper and lemon juice. It took all of 5 minutes to make and was fantastic. I now have another piece for tomorrow's lunch. As my side, I made a mixed greens salad with roughly my regular dressing (balsamic, olive oil, pepper, chopped garlic, lemon juice and Dijon) and avocado, pine nuts and small tomatoes. This meal was amazing, and yet it was so basic. It's all about the freshness.
It took me years to acquire a taste for non-processed foods, and now I find eating such a pleasure. It's so easy to overeat on unhealthy food, yet so easy to be satisfied with healthy food. I still struggle with some foods in particular, like the quantity of baguette I am capable of eating in one sitting - which is why I never buy it haha - but overall I don't have to feel guilty about eating because when I indulge in something, I know that overall I am doing well and I am getting all the things I need to stay in good health.
So for all those people who have, like me, gained lots of weight over the years and now need to struggle to get rid of it, you should be warned that you may once again fall in love with eating as opposed to punishing yourself for indulging in processed foods...
Progress Report
Mornin'!
Well, since the scale is stuck again at 168.5, I thought I'd report some more positive numbers. I have been taking my measurements every couple of weeks and here I will present my starting measurements (though they were taken after about a month of working out) since there I have made much progress. The only problem (but not really), is that in some places, the fat and muscle has merely shifted into a better place, but the measure hasn't necessarily changed much (in my butt for example). I am nonetheless happy to see these figures:
FEBRUARY / APRIL
WAIST: 36* / 31 (-5 inches)
HIPS: 39 / 37 (-2 inches)
CHEST: 39.5 / 36 (-3.5 inches)
NECK: 13 / 12.5 (hasn't changed since initial loss)
RIBCAGE: 33 / 31.5 (-1.5 inches)
BUM: 43 / 40 (-3 inches)
THIGHS: 26.5 / 24.5 (2 inches)
*The Feb. measures for waist may be off by an inch or so because I am not 100% sure I was measuring the same spot as I am now. But I have been measuring the same spots for the past two and a half months and I have lost at least approximately what is stated here.
So, even though losing pounds has been more of a challenge, the shape of my body keeps getting healthier :)
This morning I reluctantly got up and went to the gym. I was uber groggy, but managed to get on the treadmill and walk. I did run about 5 times for about 20 seconds each time, just to get my heart pumping, but didn't have it in me to run run. I didn't do much else, throwing in some stretching and the plank.
I find it much easier to get up when the sun is out like this morning, but I am wayyyyy more pumped when I see weekly progress. I am going to stick with it though, even though my tendency is always to give up when it's not going well (which is why I never managed to keep weight off before). I just drank a smoothie with fresh banana and strawberries, frozen raspberries, pomegranate juice and plain yogurt. I had a spoonful of peanut butter as well.
Lunch will be vegetable soup and crackers, and I have an apple and a kiwi as a snack. Dinner will be veal with veggies, and the veal with probably just be lemon and pepper.
Alright, have a great day everyone and it's never too late to start doing something healthy today like taking a quick walk when you have 10 minutes to kill...
Latah!
Well, since the scale is stuck again at 168.5, I thought I'd report some more positive numbers. I have been taking my measurements every couple of weeks and here I will present my starting measurements (though they were taken after about a month of working out) since there I have made much progress. The only problem (but not really), is that in some places, the fat and muscle has merely shifted into a better place, but the measure hasn't necessarily changed much (in my butt for example). I am nonetheless happy to see these figures:
FEBRUARY / APRIL
WAIST: 36* / 31 (-5 inches)
HIPS: 39 / 37 (-2 inches)
CHEST: 39.5 / 36 (-3.5 inches)
NECK: 13 / 12.5 (hasn't changed since initial loss)
RIBCAGE: 33 / 31.5 (-1.5 inches)
BUM: 43 / 40 (-3 inches)
THIGHS: 26.5 / 24.5 (2 inches)
*The Feb. measures for waist may be off by an inch or so because I am not 100% sure I was measuring the same spot as I am now. But I have been measuring the same spots for the past two and a half months and I have lost at least approximately what is stated here.
So, even though losing pounds has been more of a challenge, the shape of my body keeps getting healthier :)
This morning I reluctantly got up and went to the gym. I was uber groggy, but managed to get on the treadmill and walk. I did run about 5 times for about 20 seconds each time, just to get my heart pumping, but didn't have it in me to run run. I didn't do much else, throwing in some stretching and the plank.
I find it much easier to get up when the sun is out like this morning, but I am wayyyyy more pumped when I see weekly progress. I am going to stick with it though, even though my tendency is always to give up when it's not going well (which is why I never managed to keep weight off before). I just drank a smoothie with fresh banana and strawberries, frozen raspberries, pomegranate juice and plain yogurt. I had a spoonful of peanut butter as well.
Lunch will be vegetable soup and crackers, and I have an apple and a kiwi as a snack. Dinner will be veal with veggies, and the veal with probably just be lemon and pepper.
Alright, have a great day everyone and it's never too late to start doing something healthy today like taking a quick walk when you have 10 minutes to kill...
Latah!
Monday, April 19, 2010
Starting over
Hi everyone,
So I'm sorry I didn't write anything this weekend, but I definitely needed to unplug. Last week I was high strung, to say the least, and was feeling a little down and out. To top it off, I moved up from 167 to 168-169 on Friday, and it stuck all weekend. I think it had to do with eating a little too much cheese all week :)
In any case, this morning I pushed myself into a great sweat on the bike, and did some arm, leg and ab work to get myself back on track. Last week I had lost interest in the gym workouts, but this week I am back at it. Every pound is a hurdle that takes about a week or two of hard work and somewhat careful eating to overcome, so I need to stay very focused to keep the numbers going downward. Otherwise I will have to take more drastic measures in terms of food, and I just don't want to!
So Saturday I walked to meet a friend downtown, then walked with him to Santropol and did our walking route (this time it was downtown east so it was shorter and less hilly than westmount, which was okay because I was in a hurry to leave to my friend's cottage). My other friend picked me up and we went to her cottage where we spent a lot of time outdoors playing with her dogs in the forest and around the house. For dinner, we made a plate of shrimp and pasta with basic tomato and garlic sauce that was fresh and delish! As a side, we made an endive salad with grapefruit, orange, walnuts, avocado and a citrus dressing we concocted.
Sunday we started the day with some scrambled eggs and toast, and lunch was penne arrabiata with almost the same salad (sans orange, with lime instead). We headed back into town and went to play tennis on Nun's Island. I'm not great by any means, but I really love playing tennis, so I was a happy camper.
Today I just finished a bowl of Raisin Bran and a few strawberries. I need to buy lunch, so it may be a salad or a smoothie and wrap...not decided yet. In any case, which me less chunk this week, and more muscle :) Have a great week everyone!
So I'm sorry I didn't write anything this weekend, but I definitely needed to unplug. Last week I was high strung, to say the least, and was feeling a little down and out. To top it off, I moved up from 167 to 168-169 on Friday, and it stuck all weekend. I think it had to do with eating a little too much cheese all week :)
In any case, this morning I pushed myself into a great sweat on the bike, and did some arm, leg and ab work to get myself back on track. Last week I had lost interest in the gym workouts, but this week I am back at it. Every pound is a hurdle that takes about a week or two of hard work and somewhat careful eating to overcome, so I need to stay very focused to keep the numbers going downward. Otherwise I will have to take more drastic measures in terms of food, and I just don't want to!
So Saturday I walked to meet a friend downtown, then walked with him to Santropol and did our walking route (this time it was downtown east so it was shorter and less hilly than westmount, which was okay because I was in a hurry to leave to my friend's cottage). My other friend picked me up and we went to her cottage where we spent a lot of time outdoors playing with her dogs in the forest and around the house. For dinner, we made a plate of shrimp and pasta with basic tomato and garlic sauce that was fresh and delish! As a side, we made an endive salad with grapefruit, orange, walnuts, avocado and a citrus dressing we concocted.
Sunday we started the day with some scrambled eggs and toast, and lunch was penne arrabiata with almost the same salad (sans orange, with lime instead). We headed back into town and went to play tennis on Nun's Island. I'm not great by any means, but I really love playing tennis, so I was a happy camper.
Today I just finished a bowl of Raisin Bran and a few strawberries. I need to buy lunch, so it may be a salad or a smoothie and wrap...not decided yet. In any case, which me less chunk this week, and more muscle :) Have a great week everyone!
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