Well, we were all set to have the last of the Christmas goodies out of the house today, but my in-laws dropped off some homemade baking. Eek! So good! I will have to get my husband to take those into work with him tomorrow like he did with all of the other stuff today. My willpower continues to wane, and I just can’t risk having such tempting sweets in the house right now. I have already indulged in a couple of things this afternoon and evening and don’t want to let those types of behaviors slip into yet another day.
I am also feeling a bit annoyed with my exercise. At this point I don’t know if I am making excuses or not. I was all set to try a new video tonight after a quick visit from a friend. The ‘quick visit’ turned into a nearly four hour one and now it is late and I have to go to bed. I really can’t tell if this is a valid reason for not doing better with my workout or just another way to get out being active.
I’m not feeling terribly motivated right not, but I am trying to get my enthusiasm back. I am stressed out that my weigh-in on Saturday may be my first bad one – as in, a gain – so I am having a hard time wrapping my brain around the ‘one or two bad days does not need to equal a destroyed week’ mentality. I just need to get back at it…
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 10 glasses of water throughout the day
- 4 cups Caesar salad with baby shrimp, Parmesan cheese, and croutons
- 1/2 slice garlic bread
- 1 heated turkey sandwich on a whole grain bun with fat free Miracle Whip, mustard, margarine, and pepper
- 1 homemade square from a confetti bar
- 1/3 cup smokehouse almonds
- 4 cups spinach salad with herb goat cheese, croutons, dried cranberries, orange pepper, and calorie-wise Greek feta and oregano dressing
- 1 homemade gingerbread cookie decorated with smarties
- 3 miniature Mandarin oranges
- 1 1/2 cups reduced calorie homemade trifle
EXERCISE:
- 15 lunges for each leg
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Wilting Willpower With Well Wishes
It was not a great day with the eating nor the exercise. It wasn’t awful, but definitely not one of my best. I was snacky right from the time I woke up and am still feeling the desire to munch on things even though it’s now time for bed. I’m hoping tomorrow will prove to be a much better on track day.
On a different note, I really must take a moment to wish my darling husband a happy birthday. The man I was lucky enough to marry has provided me with more support than I could have ever dreamed I might be worthy of and has been the best friend I needed to get through these first few months of changing my lifestyle. Without him I can’t even being to imagine how lost I might be. Thank you, my love, for being you. Happy birthday!
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 6 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 banana
- 1 homemade pinwheel cookie
- 2 mugs of decaffeinated tea with milk
- 1 heated turkey sandwich on a whole grain bun with fat free Miracle Whip, mustard, margarine, and pepper
- 1 Mandarin orange
- 6 inch toasted sub on a whole wheat bun with ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise
- 2 bites of a marshmallow snowman
- 1 cup of honey mustard glazed ham with mustard
- 1 mug of steamed light eggnog and skim milk
- 1 cranberry bliss bar
- 4 cups low fat microwave popcorn with butter flavouring
- 1 orange chocolate
EXERCISE:
- 3 sets of 50 stomach crunches (1 straight, 1 right, and 1 left)
- 2 sets of 25 side lying leg raises for each leg
- 7 push ups
On a different note, I really must take a moment to wish my darling husband a happy birthday. The man I was lucky enough to marry has provided me with more support than I could have ever dreamed I might be worthy of and has been the best friend I needed to get through these first few months of changing my lifestyle. Without him I can’t even being to imagine how lost I might be. Thank you, my love, for being you. Happy birthday!
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 6 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 banana
- 1 homemade pinwheel cookie
- 2 mugs of decaffeinated tea with milk
- 1 heated turkey sandwich on a whole grain bun with fat free Miracle Whip, mustard, margarine, and pepper
- 1 Mandarin orange
- 6 inch toasted sub on a whole wheat bun with ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise
- 2 bites of a marshmallow snowman
- 1 cup of honey mustard glazed ham with mustard
- 1 mug of steamed light eggnog and skim milk
- 1 cranberry bliss bar
- 4 cups low fat microwave popcorn with butter flavouring
- 1 orange chocolate
EXERCISE:
- 3 sets of 50 stomach crunches (1 straight, 1 right, and 1 left)
- 2 sets of 25 side lying leg raises for each leg
- 7 push ups
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Conclusion Of The Christmas Challenge
I forgot to do the draw yesterday for the Looking To The Future Christmas Challenge! Oops! Sorry about that! I put all of the entries into a hat and had my husband pull the name so, without further ado, I would like to announce that the winner of the handcrafted dream catcher is Amy Christine! Send me an email with your mailing address and I will ship your prize out to you as soon as I am able. Congratulations, Amy!!!
As for the other participants of the challenge I would also like to extend a heartfelt congratulations to all of you. I know that not everyone made their goal, but I am also confident that every one of you are coming out of this further ahead than you were going into it. The number on the scale doesn’t matter nearly as much as what we learn while we are walking this path. Sometimes our weight climbs and sometimes it drops, but the process of getting to our end point is much more important and meaningful than if we were simply able to snap our fingers to reach our goals. Be proud of all the little things you have done on this journey!
To that end, I would like to offer all of the participants a slightly altered badge for their blogs if they so choose to display it. I think that agreeing to take part in this challenge at all shows the strength and determination in each of you that will allow for further successes in the future. Congratulation to every one of you for completing the Looking To The Future Christmas Challenge! I am proud of you all!!!
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 7 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 Mandarin orange
- 3 cups spinach salad with grated cheese, croutons, dried cranberries, orange pepper, and calorie-wise Greek feta and oregano dressing
- 6 inch sub on a whole wheat bun with ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato, green pepper, onion, black olives, light mayonnaise, mustard, and pepper
- 1 banana
- 4 bites of chocolate ice cream cake
- 1 egg salad wrap on a whole wheat tortilla with lettuce
- 1 sour cream glazed doughnut hole
- 1 mug of hot chocolate
EXERCISE:
- 40 minutes of laser tag completed in 2 sessions (both 20 minutes long)
As for the other participants of the challenge I would also like to extend a heartfelt congratulations to all of you. I know that not everyone made their goal, but I am also confident that every one of you are coming out of this further ahead than you were going into it. The number on the scale doesn’t matter nearly as much as what we learn while we are walking this path. Sometimes our weight climbs and sometimes it drops, but the process of getting to our end point is much more important and meaningful than if we were simply able to snap our fingers to reach our goals. Be proud of all the little things you have done on this journey!
To that end, I would like to offer all of the participants a slightly altered badge for their blogs if they so choose to display it. I think that agreeing to take part in this challenge at all shows the strength and determination in each of you that will allow for further successes in the future. Congratulation to every one of you for completing the Looking To The Future Christmas Challenge! I am proud of you all!!!
FOOD & BEVERAGES:- 7 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 Mandarin orange
- 3 cups spinach salad with grated cheese, croutons, dried cranberries, orange pepper, and calorie-wise Greek feta and oregano dressing
- 6 inch sub on a whole wheat bun with ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato, green pepper, onion, black olives, light mayonnaise, mustard, and pepper
- 1 banana
- 4 bites of chocolate ice cream cake
- 1 egg salad wrap on a whole wheat tortilla with lettuce
- 1 sour cream glazed doughnut hole
- 1 mug of hot chocolate
EXERCISE:
- 40 minutes of laser tag completed in 2 sessions (both 20 minutes long)
Monday, December 28, 2009
Shop Till You Drop
I went clothes shopping at one of the large department stores today since I received a gift card from my in-laws for Christmas. I never once had to wander into the plus sized section! That sure felt great!
I knew they would be too small, but I opted to try on several pairs of size 14 jeans so that I could purchase one in anticipation of leaving the realm of the 16’s within which I currently reside. All of the pants could be done up – some much easier than others – but none of them left me without a muffin-top. I definitely am not a size 14 yet, but I was already expecting that outcome. I choose the ones that fit the best and purchased them so that I now have something to aim for. I am pretty sure that if I was stuck for something to wear I could put them on now and go out without feeling too self-conscious. They certainly had the least amount of stomach poking over the top of the material when done up!
I also bought a couple of simple new long-sleeved shirts and some underwear (all larges). I can’t believe that I am well and truly out of the ‘X’ sizes! I also looked for new exercise pants, because mine start to fall off now if I move around in them too much, but wasn’t able to get any that I felt comfortable in. The one style I liked was only to be found in an extra large or a medium – which were too big and too small, respectively – so, again, the large would have been the size of choice had it been available.
I had some success with a couple of medium sized tops that I decided not to buy. Plus, I tried on a really cute small tank top since I could not find it in a big enough size, but I am certainly not there yet. It wasn’t hideous though… there were lots of rolls, but it did cover everything which I found remarkable.
The one bad part about my fun shopping excursion was that I was so focused on finding new garments, and on my multiple trips into the change room to try everything on, that I didn’t realize that I was getting hungry. Before I knew it, several hours had passed without me eating and I suddenly crashed. I am one of those people who can go and go and go until my blood sugar gets too low and then I am a bumbling idiot teetering on some overly-emotional edge. It’s very rare that I get to that point, but today I did. Ugh! My wonderful husband pointed my towards the supermarket, I got some sushi, and I felt better after just a few bites. It’s amazing how much our bodies really are effected by how we fuel them.
Overall, the day was very good and I am feeling more on track with the exercise. Regardless of the blip with my energy level I know that I ate well today, so I am happy about that too. Things are moving along and I can’t wait to be able to pull those size 14’s on without any hesitation. One day soon… one day soon…
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 8 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 Mandarin orange
- 1/3 cup corn
- 1/3 cup roast potatoes
- 3/4 cup honey mustard glazed ham with mustard
- 3 cups spinach salad with cheese, croutons, red pepper, dried cranberries, and calorie-wise Greek feta and oregano dressing
- 1 chocolate
- 1 bite of smores pie
- 9 pieces of shrimp combo sushi rolls with soy sauce
EXERCISE:
- 35 minute walk
- 7 push ups
- 3 sets of 50 stomach crunches (1 straight, 1 right, and 1 left)
- 25 side lying leg raises for each leg
- 15 lunges for each leg
I knew they would be too small, but I opted to try on several pairs of size 14 jeans so that I could purchase one in anticipation of leaving the realm of the 16’s within which I currently reside. All of the pants could be done up – some much easier than others – but none of them left me without a muffin-top. I definitely am not a size 14 yet, but I was already expecting that outcome. I choose the ones that fit the best and purchased them so that I now have something to aim for. I am pretty sure that if I was stuck for something to wear I could put them on now and go out without feeling too self-conscious. They certainly had the least amount of stomach poking over the top of the material when done up!
I also bought a couple of simple new long-sleeved shirts and some underwear (all larges). I can’t believe that I am well and truly out of the ‘X’ sizes! I also looked for new exercise pants, because mine start to fall off now if I move around in them too much, but wasn’t able to get any that I felt comfortable in. The one style I liked was only to be found in an extra large or a medium – which were too big and too small, respectively – so, again, the large would have been the size of choice had it been available.
I had some success with a couple of medium sized tops that I decided not to buy. Plus, I tried on a really cute small tank top since I could not find it in a big enough size, but I am certainly not there yet. It wasn’t hideous though… there were lots of rolls, but it did cover everything which I found remarkable.
The one bad part about my fun shopping excursion was that I was so focused on finding new garments, and on my multiple trips into the change room to try everything on, that I didn’t realize that I was getting hungry. Before I knew it, several hours had passed without me eating and I suddenly crashed. I am one of those people who can go and go and go until my blood sugar gets too low and then I am a bumbling idiot teetering on some overly-emotional edge. It’s very rare that I get to that point, but today I did. Ugh! My wonderful husband pointed my towards the supermarket, I got some sushi, and I felt better after just a few bites. It’s amazing how much our bodies really are effected by how we fuel them.
Overall, the day was very good and I am feeling more on track with the exercise. Regardless of the blip with my energy level I know that I ate well today, so I am happy about that too. Things are moving along and I can’t wait to be able to pull those size 14’s on without any hesitation. One day soon… one day soon…
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 8 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 Mandarin orange
- 1/3 cup corn
- 1/3 cup roast potatoes
- 3/4 cup honey mustard glazed ham with mustard
- 3 cups spinach salad with cheese, croutons, red pepper, dried cranberries, and calorie-wise Greek feta and oregano dressing
- 1 chocolate
- 1 bite of smores pie
- 9 pieces of shrimp combo sushi rolls with soy sauce
EXERCISE:
- 35 minute walk
- 7 push ups
- 3 sets of 50 stomach crunches (1 straight, 1 right, and 1 left)
- 25 side lying leg raises for each leg
- 15 lunges for each leg
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Content
My darling hubby and I ended up hitting a couple of really good Boxing Day sales and then going to see some friends for dinner, so our Christmas exchange was put off until really late this evening. We actually just finished and I can easily say that I am a very, very lucky woman. Even with a relatively tight budget this year my husband managed to give me amazing and thoughtful gifts. My absolute favourites are the two CD compilations that he put together on the computer for me (one of which I am listening to right now). I love that he put so much time and effort and love into my presents!
A few more holiday goodies and some leftovers made up the majority of my food today. The exercise was lacking, but I am feeling pretty confident that this will be the last time that happens for a while as things should start slowing down considerably for me now.
Doing my last official weigh in for 2009 this morning was an excellent experience and I am really proud of all that I have accomplished in regards to my health goals this year. There are still another few days left before New Year’s though so I will make sure that I stay on the ball and don’t become complacent about my choices as the year comes to a close. But for tonight, I am just going to retire to bed and cuddle up with the dearest man I have ever know. Tonight, I am going to forget about my goals, my health, and my drive and will simply lay in the arms of my husband and be content and at peace with the here and now.
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 8 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 pear
- 3 cups Caesar salad with light dressing, bacon pieces, Parmesan cheese, and croutons
- 1 large whole grain bun with butter
- 3/4 cup turkey with gravy and homemade cinnamon cranberry sauce
- 3/4 cup mashed potatoes with butter
- 3/4 cup stuffing
- 1 homemade Neapolitan cookie
- 1 homemade cherry shortbread cookie
- 1 square of a homemade coconut and chocolate graham crust bar
- 4 walnuts
- 1 Mandarin orange
EXERCISE:
- 15 lunges for each leg
A few more holiday goodies and some leftovers made up the majority of my food today. The exercise was lacking, but I am feeling pretty confident that this will be the last time that happens for a while as things should start slowing down considerably for me now.
Doing my last official weigh in for 2009 this morning was an excellent experience and I am really proud of all that I have accomplished in regards to my health goals this year. There are still another few days left before New Year’s though so I will make sure that I stay on the ball and don’t become complacent about my choices as the year comes to a close. But for tonight, I am just going to retire to bed and cuddle up with the dearest man I have ever know. Tonight, I am going to forget about my goals, my health, and my drive and will simply lay in the arms of my husband and be content and at peace with the here and now.
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 8 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 pear
- 3 cups Caesar salad with light dressing, bacon pieces, Parmesan cheese, and croutons
- 1 large whole grain bun with butter
- 3/4 cup turkey with gravy and homemade cinnamon cranberry sauce
- 3/4 cup mashed potatoes with butter
- 3/4 cup stuffing
- 1 homemade Neapolitan cookie
- 1 homemade cherry shortbread cookie
- 1 square of a homemade coconut and chocolate graham crust bar
- 4 walnuts
- 1 Mandarin orange
EXERCISE:
- 15 lunges for each leg
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Weigh-In For Week 20
I MANAGED TO LOSE WEIGHT OVER CHRISTMAS!!! WOW! I am SO excited about this! I dropped a whole four pounds during this last week!!! Apparently my metabolism loves me now! Plus – yes, there is a ‘plus’ – I WEIGH LESS THAN MY HUSBAND!!! We didn’t have a chance to compare weights on Christmas with the chaos of the day, but I know I still weighed a smidgen more than him on Thursday. So either yesterday or just today I finally slipped past him on the scale! Now that is a great Christmas present!!!
Challenge Check-In And Christmas Cheer
This post marks the final check-in for the Looking To The Future Christmas Challenge. All participants can let me know in the comments section how they are doing with their goals for another entry into the prize draw. I hope you all at least made progress towards your goals or towards the insights which will help you eventually achieve them. Best of luck to everyone in the draw and congratulations to all who managed to stay committed during this very hectic time of year!
For myself, I showed a lot of restraint today, food wise, but my menu still definitely looks like it is the most indulgent day I have had since starting this blog. That’s okay. I made wise choices for the most part, but also stuck with my plan of ensuring that I did not feel deprived. I think this was definitely a victory!
It was a day of wonderful celebrations all around although I am exhausted and very ready to have my head hit the pillow. My husband and I basically experienced four different Christmases throughout the day, but have yet to exchange gifts with one another. We will do so tomorrow once we have had a chance to finish wrapping everything. It’s better to slow down and really enjoy the time with one another rather than to just try and cram more into an already full to bursting day.
So our merry Christmas isn’t quite over, but instead shall provide a little more time for simply experiencing joy, wonder, and love before the return to the normal ebb and flow of everyday life. Hopefully we can all carry that feeling forward with us even further into the coming new year. I wish for all of your Christmases to have been as bright as my own! Happy holidays!!!
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 7 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 slice of homemade stollen with butter
- 1 homemade Neapolitan cookie
- 1 cup decaffeinated vanilla nut tea with milk
- 6 crackers with salami and cheese
- 1 Mandarin orange
- 1/4 cup unsalted cashews
- 1 mug tea with milk
- 1 white bun with butter
- 4 gherkin pickles
- 1/4 cup canned corn
- 1/2 cup mashed potatoes with butter and pepper
- 1/2 cup coleslaw
- 1/2 cup stuffing
- 1/2 cup turkey with gravy and cranberry sauce
- 6 bites strawberry rhubarb pie
- 1 bite homemade confetti bar
- 2 squares of homemade coconut and chocolate graham crust bar
- 4 miniature Mandarin oranges
EXERCISE:
- 25 minute walk
For myself, I showed a lot of restraint today, food wise, but my menu still definitely looks like it is the most indulgent day I have had since starting this blog. That’s okay. I made wise choices for the most part, but also stuck with my plan of ensuring that I did not feel deprived. I think this was definitely a victory!
It was a day of wonderful celebrations all around although I am exhausted and very ready to have my head hit the pillow. My husband and I basically experienced four different Christmases throughout the day, but have yet to exchange gifts with one another. We will do so tomorrow once we have had a chance to finish wrapping everything. It’s better to slow down and really enjoy the time with one another rather than to just try and cram more into an already full to bursting day.
So our merry Christmas isn’t quite over, but instead shall provide a little more time for simply experiencing joy, wonder, and love before the return to the normal ebb and flow of everyday life. Hopefully we can all carry that feeling forward with us even further into the coming new year. I wish for all of your Christmases to have been as bright as my own! Happy holidays!!!
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 7 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 slice of homemade stollen with butter
- 1 homemade Neapolitan cookie
- 1 cup decaffeinated vanilla nut tea with milk
- 6 crackers with salami and cheese
- 1 Mandarin orange
- 1/4 cup unsalted cashews
- 1 mug tea with milk
- 1 white bun with butter
- 4 gherkin pickles
- 1/4 cup canned corn
- 1/2 cup mashed potatoes with butter and pepper
- 1/2 cup coleslaw
- 1/2 cup stuffing
- 1/2 cup turkey with gravy and cranberry sauce
- 6 bites strawberry rhubarb pie
- 1 bite homemade confetti bar
- 2 squares of homemade coconut and chocolate graham crust bar
- 4 miniature Mandarin oranges
EXERCISE:
- 25 minute walk
Friday, December 25, 2009
Merry Christmas!!!
Christmas Eve has proven to be a fabulous day! We had a wonderful time gathering with family and I even stayed on track with the eating. I am also nearly finished all that I need to get done, so it was just a great day all around!
It is now officially after midnight here and – although I haven’t yet gone to sleep and allowed Santa Clause the chance to come and deliver his goodies – I wanted to pop on here and wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! May the light of love guide you in the coming year… my wish for you all tonight is of peace, joy, and everlasting memories of the good times you have shared with those dear to you. Happy holidays to one and all!!!
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 9 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 pear
- 1 Mandarin orange
- 1 slice whole wheat toast with light strawberry jam
- 4 crackers with herb cream cheese
- 2 whole grain cranberry and hazelnut crackers
- 1/2 cup steamed broccoli with margarine
- 1/2 cup corn with margarine
- 1/2 cup turkey with gravy
- 1/2 cup stuffing
- 1/2 cup mashed potatoes with margarine
- 1 whole wheat bun with butter
- 1 cup homemade calorie-reduced trifle
- 1 homemade cherry shortbread cookie
EXERCISE:
- 25 minute walk
It is now officially after midnight here and – although I haven’t yet gone to sleep and allowed Santa Clause the chance to come and deliver his goodies – I wanted to pop on here and wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! May the light of love guide you in the coming year… my wish for you all tonight is of peace, joy, and everlasting memories of the good times you have shared with those dear to you. Happy holidays to one and all!!!
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 9 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 pear
- 1 Mandarin orange
- 1 slice whole wheat toast with light strawberry jam
- 4 crackers with herb cream cheese
- 2 whole grain cranberry and hazelnut crackers
- 1/2 cup steamed broccoli with margarine
- 1/2 cup corn with margarine
- 1/2 cup turkey with gravy
- 1/2 cup stuffing
- 1/2 cup mashed potatoes with margarine
- 1 whole wheat bun with butter
- 1 cup homemade calorie-reduced trifle
- 1 homemade cherry shortbread cookie
EXERCISE:
- 25 minute walk
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Two More Sleeps!
Another late night. I am done all of my baking, decorating, and shopping, but I still have to finish making some Christmas presents and find the time to wrap everything. I suspect that will make up the majority of my Friday morning and early afternoon.
I've got the third big meal of the season tomorrow night. I am looking forward to my mom's turkey and to spending time with my brother and his girlfriend since we don't get to see them all that often. I love that the holidays bring people together.
Food and exercise were good today, and I am staying hopeful that the upcoming large dinner will prove to be as successful as my last one. I just keep reminding myself that I can make good choices most of the time, that nothing is actually off limits, and that no food or beverage will suddenly vanish off the face of the earth - leaving me with the inability to ever have it again - if I decide not to partake. Strategizing for the holidays... you gotta love it!
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 7 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 banana
- 2 cups spinach salad with cherry tomatoes, green onion, red and yellow peppers, mushrooms, grated carrot, dried cranberries, croutons, and calorie-wise Greek feta and oregano dressing
- 3/4 cup honey mustard glazed ham with mustard
- 1 cup celery and yellow peppers with calorie-wise three cheese ranch dressing
- 1 mug of streamed light eggnog and skim milk
- 1 1/2 cups carrot, cherry tomatoes, and yellow pepper with calorie-wise cheese ranch dressing
EXERCISE:
- 4 sets of 50 stomach crunches (2 straight, 1 right, and 1 left)
- 2 sets of 15 lunges for each leg
- 2 sets of 25 side lying leg raises for each leg
- 2 sets of 15 bent leg donkey kicks for each leg
- 2 hours and 30 minutes of walking around while shopping
I've got the third big meal of the season tomorrow night. I am looking forward to my mom's turkey and to spending time with my brother and his girlfriend since we don't get to see them all that often. I love that the holidays bring people together.
Food and exercise were good today, and I am staying hopeful that the upcoming large dinner will prove to be as successful as my last one. I just keep reminding myself that I can make good choices most of the time, that nothing is actually off limits, and that no food or beverage will suddenly vanish off the face of the earth - leaving me with the inability to ever have it again - if I decide not to partake. Strategizing for the holidays... you gotta love it!
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 7 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 banana
- 2 cups spinach salad with cherry tomatoes, green onion, red and yellow peppers, mushrooms, grated carrot, dried cranberries, croutons, and calorie-wise Greek feta and oregano dressing
- 3/4 cup honey mustard glazed ham with mustard
- 1 cup celery and yellow peppers with calorie-wise three cheese ranch dressing
- 1 mug of streamed light eggnog and skim milk
- 1 1/2 cups carrot, cherry tomatoes, and yellow pepper with calorie-wise cheese ranch dressing
EXERCISE:
- 4 sets of 50 stomach crunches (2 straight, 1 right, and 1 left)
- 2 sets of 15 lunges for each leg
- 2 sets of 25 side lying leg raises for each leg
- 2 sets of 15 bent leg donkey kicks for each leg
- 2 hours and 30 minutes of walking around while shopping
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Festive Feast
Today was our Christmas party and I had a fantastic time! It was really great to be surrounded by loved ones and to be able to host a nice dinner at our place. I spent the majority of the day in the kitchen which ended up benefiting me, I’m sure; it left very little time to scope out the appetizer table I had layed out.
I am really pleased with how I ate today. I don’t feel like I went overboard, but I also do not feel deprived at all. It’s the perfect balance! I am also very proud of how I avoided so many temptations without much effort: multiple kinds of candy, trail mix, ice cream, wine and spirits, miniature sausages, and a variety of home baking. I love putting out a big spread!
The treats that are still around will be taken over to the homes of friends and family over the next few days and anything that is left after the holidays will be sent to my husband’s work. Right now, I am not feeling worried about snacking on the leftovers. I did excellently today and am confident that will carry over until at least after the weekend.
This is the second big meal I have had since my last weigh-in and I have three more to go before my next official weigh day. I have to admit I am feeling a little concerned about what the scale will think of these heavier feedings come next Saturday. But I am staying the course and continuing to make good decisions throughout my days.
It’s nice to finally have it in my head that one large meal – or even an indulgence here and there – does not need to mean that all the hard work of the day, or even week, is undone. The celebrations of this season may encompass more than a single Christmas dinner, but they certainly don’t generally take up the whole twenty-four hours of the day upon which they are scheduled. I can make lots of wise choices to try and counter any effects the festive foods may cause, and if that doen’t work… at least I had fun!
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 8 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 banana
- 1 whole wheat English muffin with light strawberry jam
- 2 whole grain cranberry and hazelnut crackers
- 3/4 cup roasted and seasoned potatoes
- 3/4 cup corn with margarine
- 3/4 cup steamed broccoli with margarine
- 3/4 cup honey mustard glazed ham with mustard
- 1 1/2 homemade cloverleaf buns
- 1 cup homemade calorie-reduced trifle
- 1 homemade cherry shortbread cookie
- 2 crackers with cheese
- 2 cups spinach salad with cherry tomatoes, green onion, red and yellow peppers, mushrooms, grated carrot, dried cranberries, croutons, and calorie-wise Greek feta and oregano dressing
EXERCISE:
- 50 stomach crunches
- 15 lunges for each leg
- 15 squats
I am really pleased with how I ate today. I don’t feel like I went overboard, but I also do not feel deprived at all. It’s the perfect balance! I am also very proud of how I avoided so many temptations without much effort: multiple kinds of candy, trail mix, ice cream, wine and spirits, miniature sausages, and a variety of home baking. I love putting out a big spread!
The treats that are still around will be taken over to the homes of friends and family over the next few days and anything that is left after the holidays will be sent to my husband’s work. Right now, I am not feeling worried about snacking on the leftovers. I did excellently today and am confident that will carry over until at least after the weekend.
This is the second big meal I have had since my last weigh-in and I have three more to go before my next official weigh day. I have to admit I am feeling a little concerned about what the scale will think of these heavier feedings come next Saturday. But I am staying the course and continuing to make good decisions throughout my days.
It’s nice to finally have it in my head that one large meal – or even an indulgence here and there – does not need to mean that all the hard work of the day, or even week, is undone. The celebrations of this season may encompass more than a single Christmas dinner, but they certainly don’t generally take up the whole twenty-four hours of the day upon which they are scheduled. I can make lots of wise choices to try and counter any effects the festive foods may cause, and if that doen’t work… at least I had fun!
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 8 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 banana
- 1 whole wheat English muffin with light strawberry jam
- 2 whole grain cranberry and hazelnut crackers
- 3/4 cup roasted and seasoned potatoes
- 3/4 cup corn with margarine
- 3/4 cup steamed broccoli with margarine
- 3/4 cup honey mustard glazed ham with mustard
- 1 1/2 homemade cloverleaf buns
- 1 cup homemade calorie-reduced trifle
- 1 homemade cherry shortbread cookie
- 2 crackers with cheese
- 2 cups spinach salad with cherry tomatoes, green onion, red and yellow peppers, mushrooms, grated carrot, dried cranberries, croutons, and calorie-wise Greek feta and oregano dressing
EXERCISE:
- 50 stomach crunches
- 15 lunges for each leg
- 15 squats
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Accentuating The Positive
I had to force myself to slow down and eat a couple of times today, and then I did the same for going for a walk with my husband to ensure that I got some form of exercise in. I am fully enjoying myself with all of the Christmas preparations though, regardless of how often I am having to check myself in regards to keeping up with this new lifestyle.
It’s good though. All of it, I mean. All of these trials are actually a comfort to me in a strange way. If this were simply easy the whole way through I would be scared that I was fooling myself with an unsustainable plan.
Maybe that seems like a bit of backwards logic, but what I mean is that the challenges are proof of the reality. Having the occasional difficulty now – when I am still gung ho and excited about the new me and the choices she is making– will better prepare me for what I may face in the future. Figuring out solutions while my motivation and enthusiasm are still peaking can only make things easier when I next face similar dilemmas.
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 5 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 banana
- 6 whole wheat crackers with light peanut butter
- 6 inch whole wheat sub with ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato, green pepper, onion, black olives, light mayonnaise, mustard, and pepper
- 1 mug gingerbread steamed soy milk
- 1 wrap on a whole wheat tortilla with egg whites, feta cheese, spinach, and sun dried tomato
- 1 Mandarin orange
- 2 bites of a homemade peppermint and chocolate pinwheel cookie
EXERCISE:
- 35 minute walk
It’s good though. All of it, I mean. All of these trials are actually a comfort to me in a strange way. If this were simply easy the whole way through I would be scared that I was fooling myself with an unsustainable plan.
Maybe that seems like a bit of backwards logic, but what I mean is that the challenges are proof of the reality. Having the occasional difficulty now – when I am still gung ho and excited about the new me and the choices she is making– will better prepare me for what I may face in the future. Figuring out solutions while my motivation and enthusiasm are still peaking can only make things easier when I next face similar dilemmas.
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 5 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 banana
- 6 whole wheat crackers with light peanut butter
- 6 inch whole wheat sub with ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato, green pepper, onion, black olives, light mayonnaise, mustard, and pepper
- 1 mug gingerbread steamed soy milk
- 1 wrap on a whole wheat tortilla with egg whites, feta cheese, spinach, and sun dried tomato
- 1 Mandarin orange
- 2 bites of a homemade peppermint and chocolate pinwheel cookie
EXERCISE:
- 35 minute walk
Monday, December 21, 2009
Inner Dialogue
I had a birthday party which I attended today. After I had eaten some of what was available, I caught myself hovering by the food table trying to decide what else I wanted. I immediately asked myself if I was hungry or just wanting to snack because of the many choices. I actually couldn’t answer so I forced myself to walk away for a few minutes. I am proud of this inner dialogue and even happier that it took place without much effort. This is becoming more automatic to me and I think that will go a long way towards ensuring that my success is permanent.
I ate well at the party and had a great time visiting with friends. The rest of my day was the typical scramble of errands and working on projects that has become my entire life these last couple of weeks. I am sad to report that I let the exercise fall by the wayside too much again today. It’s so hard to find the time, but I really must…
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 9 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 banana
- 1 whole wheat sandwich with deli turkey, cheese, lettuce, and mayonnaise
- 4 crackers with cheese and salami
- 2 1/2 cups broccoli, cauliflower, and mushrooms with garden ranch dip
- 4 bites of cream puff cake
- 1 cup grapes, strawberries, and pineapple
- 1 bite chocolate pudding cake
- 2 cups carrots, cherry tomatoes, yellow peppers, and celery with calorie-wise three cheese ranch dressing
- 1 mug of steamed light eggnog and skim milk
EXERCISE:
- 3 sets of 30 stomach crunches (1 straight, 1 right, and 1 left)
- 2 sets of 15 lunges for each leg
- 2 sets of 15 squats
I ate well at the party and had a great time visiting with friends. The rest of my day was the typical scramble of errands and working on projects that has become my entire life these last couple of weeks. I am sad to report that I let the exercise fall by the wayside too much again today. It’s so hard to find the time, but I really must…
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 9 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 banana
- 1 whole wheat sandwich with deli turkey, cheese, lettuce, and mayonnaise
- 4 crackers with cheese and salami
- 2 1/2 cups broccoli, cauliflower, and mushrooms with garden ranch dip
- 4 bites of cream puff cake
- 1 cup grapes, strawberries, and pineapple
- 1 bite chocolate pudding cake
- 2 cups carrots, cherry tomatoes, yellow peppers, and celery with calorie-wise three cheese ranch dressing
- 1 mug of steamed light eggnog and skim milk
EXERCISE:
- 3 sets of 30 stomach crunches (1 straight, 1 right, and 1 left)
- 2 sets of 15 lunges for each leg
- 2 sets of 15 squats
Sunday, December 20, 2009
It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year!
Today was a wonderful day! I had a great weigh-in this morning and then spent the entire day with one of my best friend's helping him do his Christmas shopping. It's become a bit of a tradition for us over the past couple of years to do that and I have such a great time with him! It has left me feeling exhausted from the outing, but completely happy and content from spending time with a fabulous person.
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 8 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 banana
- 1 sandwich on whole grain bread with ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, mayonnaise, mustard, and pepper
- 1 Mandarin orange
- 1 dumpling with soy sauce
- 2 cups of a seafood pancake with shrimp, scallops, and green onions
- 1 mug of hot chocolate
EXERCISE:
- 2 hours of walking around while shopping
I have been graced with the prestigious Superior Scribbler Award once again! Thank you so much, Amy, for thinking that I am worthy of such recognition! I am hanging my head a little here though because I am going to just link back to when I was given this accolade a few weeks ago since I haven't the brain capacity to follow the guidelines for this right now. I will be back to a higher quality of focus post-Christmas, I am sure!
One last thing... Melissa suggested that I do a side-by-side comparison of my photos for easy viewing of the changes I have seen so far, and I thought it was a great idea! It's nothing you haven't already seen on my side bar, but even I can't help but grin when I see the two pictures next to each other. A difference of sixty pounds - from 254.6 down to 193.8 - is shown in these photographs. Enjoy!
- 8 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 banana
- 1 sandwich on whole grain bread with ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, mayonnaise, mustard, and pepper
- 1 Mandarin orange
- 1 dumpling with soy sauce
- 2 cups of a seafood pancake with shrimp, scallops, and green onions
- 1 mug of hot chocolate
EXERCISE:
- 2 hours of walking around while shopping
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Weigh-In For Week 19
This is a super quick post as I’m on my way out the door, but I just want to report that I am down three pounds today! I kind of feel like I didn’t earn this loss because of the lack luster exercise I was forced to report on for a couple days this week, but I will happily take it anyhow! It feels amazing to be in the 180's!
Challenge Check-In And Making The Naughty List
So, my intention to post this morning obviously got shoved to the side. I do not foresee things slowing down before Christmas and that is a very frightening thought! My exercise even suffered today. I have no time! Aaahhh!!!
On top of just generally being crazy hectic, I realized today that my eating for the past two days has been very minimal. This is not on purpose and I really need to watch that. It's one habit that I seem to be having a difficult time breaking; I get caught up doing other things, lose track of time and everything else, and forget to eat. Yes, I feel pathetic knowing that I get that involved in things. Yes, I will work on doing better.
By the way, to anyone who looks at my food regularly you will notice that I have a McDonald's breakfast sandwich this morning. Rest assured that it was a planned oddity and I am still on track with mostly healthy alternatives. I haven't had the opportunity to have anything from their breakfast menu in months and today I knew that I would, so I opted for the treat. And, yeah, it was good!
It's the last check-in before the Christmas Challenge ends next week, so all participants should comment on this post with their updates to earn another entry for the prize draw. I hope everyone is managing to stay on track!
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 6 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 bacon and egg McMuffin
- 2 1/2 cups celery with light peanut butter
- 1 wrap on a soft tortilla shell with roast chicken, grated cheese, lettuce, dried cranberries, fat free Miracle Whip, mustard, and pepper
- 1 fat free peach yogurt
EXERCISE:
- 10 minute walk
On top of just generally being crazy hectic, I realized today that my eating for the past two days has been very minimal. This is not on purpose and I really need to watch that. It's one habit that I seem to be having a difficult time breaking; I get caught up doing other things, lose track of time and everything else, and forget to eat. Yes, I feel pathetic knowing that I get that involved in things. Yes, I will work on doing better.
By the way, to anyone who looks at my food regularly you will notice that I have a McDonald's breakfast sandwich this morning. Rest assured that it was a planned oddity and I am still on track with mostly healthy alternatives. I haven't had the opportunity to have anything from their breakfast menu in months and today I knew that I would, so I opted for the treat. And, yeah, it was good!
It's the last check-in before the Christmas Challenge ends next week, so all participants should comment on this post with their updates to earn another entry for the prize draw. I hope everyone is managing to stay on track!
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 6 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 bacon and egg McMuffin
- 2 1/2 cups celery with light peanut butter
- 1 wrap on a soft tortilla shell with roast chicken, grated cheese, lettuce, dried cranberries, fat free Miracle Whip, mustard, and pepper
- 1 fat free peach yogurt
EXERCISE:
- 10 minute walk
Friday, December 18, 2009
Oops!... I Did It Again
What is wrong with me!? Why am I up so late when I have an early start tomorrow? Ugh! I will try to do a more interesting post when I wake up…
Edit: I just realized this is post number 266! I feel so lame doing such a boring post for a very noteworthy entry. Double ugh!
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 9 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 banana
- 1 whole wheat English muffin with light strawberry jam
- 1 finger lick of icing
- 1 wrap on a soft tortilla shell with roast chicken, grated cheese, lettuce, dried cranberries, fat free Miracle Whip, mustard, and pepper
- 1 Mandarin orange
EXERCISE:
- 35 minutes of walking completed in 2 outings (20 minutes long and 15 minutes long)
Edit: I just realized this is post number 266! I feel so lame doing such a boring post for a very noteworthy entry. Double ugh!
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 9 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 banana
- 1 whole wheat English muffin with light strawberry jam
- 1 finger lick of icing
- 1 wrap on a soft tortilla shell with roast chicken, grated cheese, lettuce, dried cranberries, fat free Miracle Whip, mustard, and pepper
- 1 Mandarin orange
EXERCISE:
- 35 minutes of walking completed in 2 outings (20 minutes long and 15 minutes long)
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Going Bananas
I am going to be a zombie tomorrow! I will probably be operating on only about four hours of sleep as it is, so this will have to be a short post. I have been going like a madwoman all day long and this is pretty much the first time I’ve sat down in front of the computer today.
Before my head hits the pillow though, I want to give one final update on the Celebrating The One Hundreds Giveaway. Today was the Banana Beat that I participated in and I am so glad that I got to take part. The Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House does an amazing job of organizing this great program every month, and the community feel that it promotes was something that I felt very honoured to be a part of today. I hope that each and every one of you out there in blogland are able to experience the kind of goodwill I was fortunate enough to take part in today!
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 10 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 banana
- 1/4 cup fruit salad
- 1 wrap on a whole wheat tortilla shell with egg whites, feta cheese, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes
- 2 Mandarin oranges
- 3/4 cup fat free peach yogurt with 1 cup Rice Krispies
- 2 cups spaghetti with sauce
- 1 roast chicken drumstick, skin removed
- 2 1/2 cups celery with light peanut butter
EXERCISE:
- 1 hour and 25 minutes of walking completed in 2 outings (15 minutes long and 1 hour and 10 minutes long)
Before my head hits the pillow though, I want to give one final update on the Celebrating The One Hundreds Giveaway. Today was the Banana Beat that I participated in and I am so glad that I got to take part. The Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House does an amazing job of organizing this great program every month, and the community feel that it promotes was something that I felt very honoured to be a part of today. I hope that each and every one of you out there in blogland are able to experience the kind of goodwill I was fortunate enough to take part in today!
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 10 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 banana
- 1/4 cup fruit salad
- 1 wrap on a whole wheat tortilla shell with egg whites, feta cheese, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes
- 2 Mandarin oranges
- 3/4 cup fat free peach yogurt with 1 cup Rice Krispies
- 2 cups spaghetti with sauce
- 1 roast chicken drumstick, skin removed
- 2 1/2 cups celery with light peanut butter
EXERCISE:
- 1 hour and 25 minutes of walking completed in 2 outings (15 minutes long and 1 hour and 10 minutes long)
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Hip-Checked, Cutbacks, And (Not So) Real Estate
I went for a couple of good walks today and my hips are killing me. I think I am suffering the postponed effects of jogging for half an hour out of the blue yesterday. I actually had to put a pain relief rub on them so I am hoping they will be okay by tomorrow.
I have given a lot of thought to this and I have decided that I am going to have to cut back on my posting just until after the holidays. Normally I do two entries every day and I am going to have to half that for the next couple of weeks. I am starting to panic because I haven’t much time left to get organized for Christmas and I don’t want my exercise to end up being the thing that suffers. Along the same lines, I will do my best to keep up with my blog reading during this time, but I may have to let a little of that go too, so if you don’t hear from me please don’t think I’ve forgotten you.
This online community means so much to me and I would not have done nearly as well as I have over these past four months without all of the support and inspiration I receive from fellow bloggers. I am remaining committed to posting daily and will restart the twice daily entries as soon as the rush of the season is over. The same goes for the blog reading; if I fall behind I will make sure I catch up before too long.
In the meanwhile, I do have one fun Christmasy thing for everyone… I was reading a post over at The Crazy Woman Inside Me and started thinking that it might be fun to expand on an idea of hers and invite my readers to share in the comments section of this post the strangest gift they have ever received (or given). It's the time of year when presents are on the minds of many and I thought it might be interesting to hear about what oddities have been exchanged in past Christmases, birthdays, anniversaries, etc.
For me, I would have to go with the moon property my father gave me one year. No word of a lie: I can build a house on Earth’s only natural satellite. It would have been nice if he had also financed the rocket ship required to get there, but what are you going to do?
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 10 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 banana
- 3 hard boiled eggs with fat free Miracle Whip
- 1 wrap on a soft tortilla shell with roast chicken, grated cheese, lettuce, dried cranberries, fat free Miracle Whip, mustard, and pepper
- 2 cups cream of mushroom soup
- 1 orange
EXERCISE:
- 1 hour and 30 minutes of walking completed in 2 outings (both 45 minutes long)
I have given a lot of thought to this and I have decided that I am going to have to cut back on my posting just until after the holidays. Normally I do two entries every day and I am going to have to half that for the next couple of weeks. I am starting to panic because I haven’t much time left to get organized for Christmas and I don’t want my exercise to end up being the thing that suffers. Along the same lines, I will do my best to keep up with my blog reading during this time, but I may have to let a little of that go too, so if you don’t hear from me please don’t think I’ve forgotten you.
This online community means so much to me and I would not have done nearly as well as I have over these past four months without all of the support and inspiration I receive from fellow bloggers. I am remaining committed to posting daily and will restart the twice daily entries as soon as the rush of the season is over. The same goes for the blog reading; if I fall behind I will make sure I catch up before too long.
In the meanwhile, I do have one fun Christmasy thing for everyone… I was reading a post over at The Crazy Woman Inside Me and started thinking that it might be fun to expand on an idea of hers and invite my readers to share in the comments section of this post the strangest gift they have ever received (or given). It's the time of year when presents are on the minds of many and I thought it might be interesting to hear about what oddities have been exchanged in past Christmases, birthdays, anniversaries, etc.
For me, I would have to go with the moon property my father gave me one year. No word of a lie: I can build a house on Earth’s only natural satellite. It would have been nice if he had also financed the rocket ship required to get there, but what are you going to do?
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 10 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 banana
- 3 hard boiled eggs with fat free Miracle Whip
- 1 wrap on a soft tortilla shell with roast chicken, grated cheese, lettuce, dried cranberries, fat free Miracle Whip, mustard, and pepper
- 2 cups cream of mushroom soup
- 1 orange
EXERCISE:
- 1 hour and 30 minutes of walking completed in 2 outings (both 45 minutes long)
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Lots To Celebrate!
Last night I posted a teaser promising to report on some new non-scale victories and I don’t want to keep anyone in suspense any longer. The first huge thing is that my mother-in-law commented on my weight loss! I love and respect my in-laws so much and not having them say anything was beginning to get a little disconcerting. I basically had solidified in my own mind that they were not remarking on the loss because they didn’t feel that it was appropriate to say anything, but last night she finally did! It was so nice to have that recognition!
Also, we were over at their place having a wonderful supper, and afterwards my mother-in-law asked me to set out a bunch of her Christmas baking for dessert (along with the sherbet or ice cream they normally serve us). She is a great baker and in the past I would have taken that request as permission to pile the platter high with every kind of the dozen or so treats she had available. This time I only put out a few pieces from about half of the options, noting ahead of time which two I wanted to sample. I stuck with it too! Last year I would have tried at least one of every single kind of bar, cookie, and square, but this was different. I am different!
After dinner I went to the mall to see what my options were for buying jeans at one of the big department stores. I looked for 16W’s, which they did not have, but went into the change room with 18’s and 16’s. I wasn’t exactly feeling overly hopeful about the 16’s as the 18’s I already own are still doing pretty well, but I figured trying them on would help me determine how much further I had to go until I fit them. Apparently not far at all, because the pants fit perfectly! I tried on three different pairs and zipped them all up with no problem, although one pair was a little bit tighter. I am a size 16!!! I ended up buying a pair of Levi’s; I never thought I would get into a name brand like that again! This was a huge deal!!! Plus, the added bonus is that my behind looks mighty fine in them… grin!
While I was there I also saw a beautiful sweater that I decided to try on. I opted to attempt to fit into a large, but it didn’t quite work… it was too big!!! I tried on a medium and it looked great! My husband made me try on a small, just to see how it fit and it actually did not look too bad, but I opted for the medium which I know was the right choice. I can not believe I now own a medium anything! Sometimes this can all be a bit overwhelming, but I am still loving it!
Finally, I got inspired when reading Sarah’s and Laura’s blogs last night. Both of these great women just broke through a personal barrier by jogging for an extended length of time, so I decided that it might be fun to try and join their ranks. I headed to the track with my husband – who came to walk and keep me company, not jog – and got going right away.
It is worth noting that since starting this journey I have never even jogged one time around this entire track, let alone attempted to circle it multiple times. I knew I was being ambitious, but I was also totally fine with not making it far. I figured the experience was more about putting forth the effort than about meeting a goal I came up with an hour before undertaking the task.
Anyhow, I started out going pretty slowly – I was definitely jogging, but I thought it would be best to do so at a lower speed to ensure that I was able to maintain my pace for longer. I did indeed make it around the entire track without feeling too tired, which was a huge accomplishment for me in and of itself, but I also knew that I was not even close to meeting my goal of twenty minutes of continuous jogging at that point. I kept going and as I passed my husband just after the second lap I tossed my oversized hoodie at him as I was getting too hot. (It actually amuses me to call that particular piece of clothing oversized since it is my husband’s and it used to barely stretch over my entire frame.) As I started on my fourth circle, I lapped him again and threw my fleece jacket at him too – apparently my heater works overtime in those types of conditions. Half way through lap five, probably at about the thirteen or fourteen minute mark, I knew I was going to reach my goal!
Then I suddenly realized that way back in highschool I used to jog around the same track for gym class once in a while during the ‘six-lap run’. I think I only completed the trek actually running a couple of times since I was usually too lazy or attitudinal and I normally just walked it. I have no idea how quickly I was able to do it in my teens when I actually tried, but to finish that sixth lap in eighteen minutes felt great to me yesterday. Sometimes a little nostalgia can be a good thing.
As I closed in on the end of the twenty minutes I suddenly realized that I was pretty confident I could squeeze out another lap to get close to the twenty-five minutes mark, so I blew past the starting line and kept on going. Then, as I was about to finish lap eight, I knew I could do one last one so I really pushed it. I was about to start slowing down as I closed in on twenty-seven minutes when I suddenly started yelling at myself inside my head that I could get to thirty minutes. Then I started envisioning all of the wonderful people in this blogging community standing at the end of the track, shouting encouragement. I practically shoved my poor, exhausted body past the line to begin one final lap and I forced out that last few moments needed to complete my circuit. I jogged ten laps, non-stop, in thirty minutes!!!
This was obviously a momentous NSV for me! I am so thankful that I have gotten my body to a point where it is able to pull out its reserves to get something like this done. I am still in a state of partial disbelief over the whole thing. The bonus, of course, is that my heel is doing great. I knew on Sunday that it was probably mostly healed, but gave it the extra day to ensure I wouldn’t have any setbacks. I am glad I did that, considering how hard I pushed myself last night.
Anyways, it was an amazing day yesterday and I am looking forward to continuing to add to my ever-growing pile of non-scale victories. I think it is so important to celebrate the little bits and pieces that are improved upon as this journey unfolds. I am feeling great and I can’t wait to get out there and conquer whatever is next!
Also, we were over at their place having a wonderful supper, and afterwards my mother-in-law asked me to set out a bunch of her Christmas baking for dessert (along with the sherbet or ice cream they normally serve us). She is a great baker and in the past I would have taken that request as permission to pile the platter high with every kind of the dozen or so treats she had available. This time I only put out a few pieces from about half of the options, noting ahead of time which two I wanted to sample. I stuck with it too! Last year I would have tried at least one of every single kind of bar, cookie, and square, but this was different. I am different!
After dinner I went to the mall to see what my options were for buying jeans at one of the big department stores. I looked for 16W’s, which they did not have, but went into the change room with 18’s and 16’s. I wasn’t exactly feeling overly hopeful about the 16’s as the 18’s I already own are still doing pretty well, but I figured trying them on would help me determine how much further I had to go until I fit them. Apparently not far at all, because the pants fit perfectly! I tried on three different pairs and zipped them all up with no problem, although one pair was a little bit tighter. I am a size 16!!! I ended up buying a pair of Levi’s; I never thought I would get into a name brand like that again! This was a huge deal!!! Plus, the added bonus is that my behind looks mighty fine in them… grin!
While I was there I also saw a beautiful sweater that I decided to try on. I opted to attempt to fit into a large, but it didn’t quite work… it was too big!!! I tried on a medium and it looked great! My husband made me try on a small, just to see how it fit and it actually did not look too bad, but I opted for the medium which I know was the right choice. I can not believe I now own a medium anything! Sometimes this can all be a bit overwhelming, but I am still loving it!
Finally, I got inspired when reading Sarah’s and Laura’s blogs last night. Both of these great women just broke through a personal barrier by jogging for an extended length of time, so I decided that it might be fun to try and join their ranks. I headed to the track with my husband – who came to walk and keep me company, not jog – and got going right away.
It is worth noting that since starting this journey I have never even jogged one time around this entire track, let alone attempted to circle it multiple times. I knew I was being ambitious, but I was also totally fine with not making it far. I figured the experience was more about putting forth the effort than about meeting a goal I came up with an hour before undertaking the task.
Anyhow, I started out going pretty slowly – I was definitely jogging, but I thought it would be best to do so at a lower speed to ensure that I was able to maintain my pace for longer. I did indeed make it around the entire track without feeling too tired, which was a huge accomplishment for me in and of itself, but I also knew that I was not even close to meeting my goal of twenty minutes of continuous jogging at that point. I kept going and as I passed my husband just after the second lap I tossed my oversized hoodie at him as I was getting too hot. (It actually amuses me to call that particular piece of clothing oversized since it is my husband’s and it used to barely stretch over my entire frame.) As I started on my fourth circle, I lapped him again and threw my fleece jacket at him too – apparently my heater works overtime in those types of conditions. Half way through lap five, probably at about the thirteen or fourteen minute mark, I knew I was going to reach my goal!
Then I suddenly realized that way back in highschool I used to jog around the same track for gym class once in a while during the ‘six-lap run’. I think I only completed the trek actually running a couple of times since I was usually too lazy or attitudinal and I normally just walked it. I have no idea how quickly I was able to do it in my teens when I actually tried, but to finish that sixth lap in eighteen minutes felt great to me yesterday. Sometimes a little nostalgia can be a good thing.
As I closed in on the end of the twenty minutes I suddenly realized that I was pretty confident I could squeeze out another lap to get close to the twenty-five minutes mark, so I blew past the starting line and kept on going. Then, as I was about to finish lap eight, I knew I could do one last one so I really pushed it. I was about to start slowing down as I closed in on twenty-seven minutes when I suddenly started yelling at myself inside my head that I could get to thirty minutes. Then I started envisioning all of the wonderful people in this blogging community standing at the end of the track, shouting encouragement. I practically shoved my poor, exhausted body past the line to begin one final lap and I forced out that last few moments needed to complete my circuit. I jogged ten laps, non-stop, in thirty minutes!!!
This was obviously a momentous NSV for me! I am so thankful that I have gotten my body to a point where it is able to pull out its reserves to get something like this done. I am still in a state of partial disbelief over the whole thing. The bonus, of course, is that my heel is doing great. I knew on Sunday that it was probably mostly healed, but gave it the extra day to ensure I wouldn’t have any setbacks. I am glad I did that, considering how hard I pushed myself last night.
Anyways, it was an amazing day yesterday and I am looking forward to continuing to add to my ever-growing pile of non-scale victories. I think it is so important to celebrate the little bits and pieces that are improved upon as this journey unfolds. I am feeling great and I can’t wait to get out there and conquer whatever is next!
Teaser!
I have a few non-scale victories that I will be posting about tomorrow, but I really have to get to bed right now. Let’s just say that it turned out to be a GREAT day!!!
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 10 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 banana
- 1 orange
- 6 whole wheat crackers
- 1/4 cup unsalted cashews
- 3 sweet pickles
- 1/4 cup canned corn
- 1/2 cup mashed potatoes with butter
- 3 slices pork tenderloin in mushroom soup
- 1 white dinner bun with butter
- 1/4 cup orange sherbet
- 1 cherry and nut shortbread cookie
- 1 small lemon square
- 1 mug steamed light eggnog and skim milk
- 3 cups Caesar salad with fat free dressing, dried cranberries, and croutons
EXERCISE:
- 30 minute jog
- 5 minute cool down walk
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 10 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 banana
- 1 orange
- 6 whole wheat crackers
- 1/4 cup unsalted cashews
- 3 sweet pickles
- 1/4 cup canned corn
- 1/2 cup mashed potatoes with butter
- 3 slices pork tenderloin in mushroom soup
- 1 white dinner bun with butter
- 1/4 cup orange sherbet
- 1 cherry and nut shortbread cookie
- 1 small lemon square
- 1 mug steamed light eggnog and skim milk
- 3 cups Caesar salad with fat free dressing, dried cranberries, and croutons
EXERCISE:
- 30 minute jog
- 5 minute cool down walk
Monday, December 14, 2009
Remembering The Past
About six and a half years ago I lost a little more than forty pounds from my previous high weight of 232. I didn’t really change my substantially damaging diet, but rather took up biking for a few months. I was quite successful in the short term regardless of how I failed to implement more sustainable changes. I got down to the weight that I am at right now – 190 – and then I gave up.
This is the absolute lowest weight that my husband has ever seen me at. It is the amount I last felt really and truly great at, and it is what I weighed in the last few photographs of me where I felt natural and beautiful and like the pictures actually reflected back whom I believe myself to be.
It is a great weight, but also a dangerous one.
I am scared that all of these great feelings that I generally have right now – all of the pleasure and self-esteem I have gotten from feeling like my body is no longer some misshapen lump of clay – will trick me into becoming lazy. I worry that I will become complacent about food and working out because I already feel like I have accomplished so much.
I still want to lose a lot more weight. I still need to become fitter so that I can be a role model to my future children and have a better chance at living a long and happy life. I don’t want to just give up again.
I know that the choice is mine and I think that identifying these fears will go a long way to deterring the outcome I wish to avoid. It’s hard not to be scared right now considering I am in the exact same place I was when I let it all go last time. One day at a time… one day at a time…
This is the absolute lowest weight that my husband has ever seen me at. It is the amount I last felt really and truly great at, and it is what I weighed in the last few photographs of me where I felt natural and beautiful and like the pictures actually reflected back whom I believe myself to be.
It is a great weight, but also a dangerous one.
I am scared that all of these great feelings that I generally have right now – all of the pleasure and self-esteem I have gotten from feeling like my body is no longer some misshapen lump of clay – will trick me into becoming lazy. I worry that I will become complacent about food and working out because I already feel like I have accomplished so much.
I still want to lose a lot more weight. I still need to become fitter so that I can be a role model to my future children and have a better chance at living a long and happy life. I don’t want to just give up again.
I know that the choice is mine and I think that identifying these fears will go a long way to deterring the outcome I wish to avoid. It’s hard not to be scared right now considering I am in the exact same place I was when I let it all go last time. One day at a time… one day at a time…
Hand Me Downs
I had a weird experience this evening. I actually can not remember the last time that something like this happened. A friend of mine offered me a couple of hand me downs.
The woman who had me try on her old jackets has – in my opinion – a really great body. She is not stick-thin, but is very petite and looks great in pretty much anything she wears. Granted the two coats she asked if I wanted to have were too large for her, but they were hanging in her closet and had been used by her in the past. One of them is a medium and the other is a size 10… and they (more or less) fit.
They are a little tight around my hips and I suspect that I will get more use out of them come Spring, after a few more pounds have been shed, but they are definitely items that I think fit well enough that even now I would not hesitate to wear them out in public. I am astounded. I don’t even really know how to compute any of this. To be honest, it is a little overwhelming.
How can a woman who weighs 266 pounds fit into the clothes of a person nearly half that size? I know that I am not that weight anymore – that I have lost 75 of those pounds and that I will continue that downward trend – but I guess sometimes it just doesn’t yet register that I am beginning to enter the realm of normal sized items. Some days it does; there have been lots of occasions when I stare down at my body and think that it is finally coming into sync with how I feel and how I believe I should look. But, with something like this where I am faced with trying on the clothing of a woman whom I still believe to be tiny in comparison to myself, I feel like my perception is all out of whack. My brain is having trouble catching up to the reality of my situation, I suppose.
Unnerved, I think, is the word I would use to describe how I felt standing there, buttoned into the second jacket, knowing full well that the first one fitting had not simply been a fluke. I actually had to choke back a couple of tears. I can’t even claim that they would have been happy tears either; I believe they were more due to a fear of the unknown than anything else.
I am sitting here shaking my head as I type right now. I don’t know where this sudden onslaught of confused emotions came from considering the experience was a positive one. I should be thrilled that I am getting to this point in my journey. But somewhere, in the deepest recesses of my mind, sits a 266 pound girl looking out through my eyes with disbelief in her own. She is certain that this is a trick, and I am not sure of what I can do to convince her otherwise.
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 9 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 pear
- 1 crepe with strawberries, whipped cream, and icing sugar and cocoa mix
- 1 banana
- 1 cup seasoned rice with egg and vegetables
- 1 chicken honey mustard breast
- 1/2 cup pan-fried peppers
- 1/2 slice of cucumber
- 2 bites of a piece of cheese
- 2 1/2 cups broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots with sweet onion dressing
EXERCISE:
- 20 minute walk
- 2 sets of 2 minutes of weight lifting with 10 lbs per arm while laying down
- 2 sets of 50 stomach crunches
- 2 sets of 10 knee push ups
- 2 sets of 15 bent leg donkey kicks for each leg
- 2 sets of 10 back extensions
The woman who had me try on her old jackets has – in my opinion – a really great body. She is not stick-thin, but is very petite and looks great in pretty much anything she wears. Granted the two coats she asked if I wanted to have were too large for her, but they were hanging in her closet and had been used by her in the past. One of them is a medium and the other is a size 10… and they (more or less) fit.
They are a little tight around my hips and I suspect that I will get more use out of them come Spring, after a few more pounds have been shed, but they are definitely items that I think fit well enough that even now I would not hesitate to wear them out in public. I am astounded. I don’t even really know how to compute any of this. To be honest, it is a little overwhelming.
How can a woman who weighs 266 pounds fit into the clothes of a person nearly half that size? I know that I am not that weight anymore – that I have lost 75 of those pounds and that I will continue that downward trend – but I guess sometimes it just doesn’t yet register that I am beginning to enter the realm of normal sized items. Some days it does; there have been lots of occasions when I stare down at my body and think that it is finally coming into sync with how I feel and how I believe I should look. But, with something like this where I am faced with trying on the clothing of a woman whom I still believe to be tiny in comparison to myself, I feel like my perception is all out of whack. My brain is having trouble catching up to the reality of my situation, I suppose.
Unnerved, I think, is the word I would use to describe how I felt standing there, buttoned into the second jacket, knowing full well that the first one fitting had not simply been a fluke. I actually had to choke back a couple of tears. I can’t even claim that they would have been happy tears either; I believe they were more due to a fear of the unknown than anything else.
I am sitting here shaking my head as I type right now. I don’t know where this sudden onslaught of confused emotions came from considering the experience was a positive one. I should be thrilled that I am getting to this point in my journey. But somewhere, in the deepest recesses of my mind, sits a 266 pound girl looking out through my eyes with disbelief in her own. She is certain that this is a trick, and I am not sure of what I can do to convince her otherwise.
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 9 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 pear
- 1 crepe with strawberries, whipped cream, and icing sugar and cocoa mix
- 1 banana
- 1 cup seasoned rice with egg and vegetables
- 1 chicken honey mustard breast
- 1/2 cup pan-fried peppers
- 1/2 slice of cucumber
- 2 bites of a piece of cheese
- 2 1/2 cups broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots with sweet onion dressing
EXERCISE:
- 20 minute walk
- 2 sets of 2 minutes of weight lifting with 10 lbs per arm while laying down
- 2 sets of 50 stomach crunches
- 2 sets of 10 knee push ups
- 2 sets of 15 bent leg donkey kicks for each leg
- 2 sets of 10 back extensions
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Zoom!
I have a busy day ahead of me and not much time till I have to get at it! I will remain on track with the eating and will be sure to get in some sort of workout this evening. This post is really just about helping me to stay focused, so please forgive the brevity!
Wow!
Today I got a ‘wow’ reaction from a friend I haven’t seen in over three months! I am sure I must have been about 50 pounds heavier when I last saw her. It was really great to chat about all of the changes I have made to my lifestyle and to be able to speak so comfortably about the weight coming off. I think I have just finally reached a point where talking about this journey to other people is not as big of a deal as it was in the beginning. Mind you, that may have been born of necessity since I think it’s pretty much impossible for people to have not noticed my transformation by this point and most of them have mentioned it at least once by now.
The day was good and I got to spend time with some great people. I ate reasonably even though my choices where somewhat more limited than normal. The exercise was a little depleted due to my injury, but that was to be expected. I am mixing it up and doing what I can. My heel feels better now than it did at the start of the day so I am hoping that it won’t take too long until I am back at a hundred percent. For now, I am simply trying to figure out if I have any holiday outfits that will compliment the particular shade of purple which is gracing my foot!
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 8 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 banana
- 1 mug gingerbread steamed soy milk
- 2 Mandarin oranges
- 1 sandwich on white bread with seasoned roast chicken, mayonnaise, and mustard
- 2 slices pork roast
- 1/2 cup corn with butter
- 1 cup seasoned rice with carrots
- 1 cup fruit salad
EXERCISE:
- 2 sets of 2 minutes of weight lifting with 10 lbs per arm while laying down
- 4 sets of 50 stomach crunches (2 straight, 1 right, and 1 left)
- 3 sets of 10 knee push ups
- 3 sets of 15 bent leg donkey kicks for each leg
- 3 sets of 25 side lying leg raises for each leg
- 2 sets of 10 back extensions
The day was good and I got to spend time with some great people. I ate reasonably even though my choices where somewhat more limited than normal. The exercise was a little depleted due to my injury, but that was to be expected. I am mixing it up and doing what I can. My heel feels better now than it did at the start of the day so I am hoping that it won’t take too long until I am back at a hundred percent. For now, I am simply trying to figure out if I have any holiday outfits that will compliment the particular shade of purple which is gracing my foot!
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 8 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 banana
- 1 mug gingerbread steamed soy milk
- 2 Mandarin oranges
- 1 sandwich on white bread with seasoned roast chicken, mayonnaise, and mustard
- 2 slices pork roast
- 1/2 cup corn with butter
- 1 cup seasoned rice with carrots
- 1 cup fruit salad
EXERCISE:
- 2 sets of 2 minutes of weight lifting with 10 lbs per arm while laying down
- 4 sets of 50 stomach crunches (2 straight, 1 right, and 1 left)
- 3 sets of 10 knee push ups
- 3 sets of 15 bent leg donkey kicks for each leg
- 3 sets of 25 side lying leg raises for each leg
- 2 sets of 10 back extensions
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Weigh-In For Week 18
Considering I woke up this morning to the confirmation that this heel injury is going to be with me for a little while – yeah, I’m still limping pretty badly – I am really happy that I had a decent weigh-in. Hopefully this newest 3.2 pounds that I am now down will make me feel a little better if I see a significantly smaller loss (or, dare I say it, a gain) come next Saturday due to a decrease in mobility.
This weight is actually a very notable one too. Not only does it mean that I have now shed 75 pounds from my highest weight, but also that I am no longer in the obese category! I am an overweight gal and proud of it!!!
It has been exactly four months today since I began this journey and I have managed to lose an average of a half pound per day (over three and a half per week), totaling in the exactly 64 pounds I have dropped in these eighteen weigh-ins. It took me 121 days to lose ten points from my body mass index reading and I know that I am not done yet!
Truth be told, I slipped into the overweight category yesterday but decided to hold off on announcing it until my official weigh-in this morning. I was literally on the cusp and if I had gained just 0.1 of a pound from Friday’s weight I would not have been able to make the claim of overweight today, so I waited to be sure it wasn’t a fluke. It was not and I am so pleased!
When I told my husband about no longer being obese he said, “Yay, to my overweight baby!” followed up by a quick, “You’re the only person I could say that to who wouldn’t kill me.” Smirk. That’s my man!
This weight is actually a very notable one too. Not only does it mean that I have now shed 75 pounds from my highest weight, but also that I am no longer in the obese category! I am an overweight gal and proud of it!!!
It has been exactly four months today since I began this journey and I have managed to lose an average of a half pound per day (over three and a half per week), totaling in the exactly 64 pounds I have dropped in these eighteen weigh-ins. It took me 121 days to lose ten points from my body mass index reading and I know that I am not done yet!
Truth be told, I slipped into the overweight category yesterday but decided to hold off on announcing it until my official weigh-in this morning. I was literally on the cusp and if I had gained just 0.1 of a pound from Friday’s weight I would not have been able to make the claim of overweight today, so I waited to be sure it wasn’t a fluke. It was not and I am so pleased!
When I told my husband about no longer being obese he said, “Yay, to my overweight baby!” followed up by a quick, “You’re the only person I could say that to who wouldn’t kill me.” Smirk. That’s my man!
Challenge Check-In And Assessing The Damage
My panic attack over injuring my heel earlier has now passed. My freak out was unwarranted and I know it, but I was honestly terrified that I would end up being too hurt to workout and, thus, would experience a halting in my progress (or worse yet a backslide). I guess I need to examine why I was so scared, but I think it mostly just boils down to not wanting to lose motivation or slip into poor habits due to an injury.
I really am hurt, although it is significantly less painful than when I first smashed my foot. I am still limping pretty badly, but at least I can put weight onto it now. I was so worried I had broken or chipped a bone, but – barring any serious issues come morning – I think it was simply a really bad blunt trauma. It’s still swollen and the bruise I have is nasty; when my husband looked at it a short while ago I think he suddenly realized just how hard I must have hit it.
I suspect I will have to take it easy for the next day or so, and I will definitely be staying off my feet as much as my body tells me to. The last thing I want to do is hurt myself more by pushing too soon. I already looked up a bunch of alternative exercises online and did them today after the accident. I am hoping that having to stop doing most of my normal routines will not have too much of a negative impact in the short term provided I can supplement my activity level with new exercises.
Anyhow, it’s time for everyone participating to check in for the Looking To The Future Christmas Challenge. I hope people are still on track with their health goals despite the holidays looming ever closer by the day. Every person who is taking part just has to leave a comment on this post for another chance to be entered in the prize draw. Less than two weeks to go – let’s keep at it!
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 12 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 banana
- 1 wrap on a soft tortilla shell with roast chicken, grated cheese, lettuce, dried cranberries, fat free Miracle Whip, mustard, and pepper
- 3 cups Caesar salad with fat free dressing, dried cranberries, and croutons
- 3 hard boiled eggs with fat free Miracle Whip
- 4 cups light popcorn
- 1 Mandarin orange
EXERCISE:
- 20 minutes of an exercise video
- 2 sets of 5 minutes of weight lifting with 5 lbs per arm while laying down
- 3 sets of 2 minutes of weight lifting with 10 lbs per arm while laying down
- 4 sets of 50 stomach crunches (2 straight, 1 right, and 1 left)
- 20 minutes of chair aerobics (3 short online videos)
- 2 sets of 10 knee push ups
- 2 sets of 10 back extensions
- 2 sets of 15 bent leg donkey kicks for each leg
I really am hurt, although it is significantly less painful than when I first smashed my foot. I am still limping pretty badly, but at least I can put weight onto it now. I was so worried I had broken or chipped a bone, but – barring any serious issues come morning – I think it was simply a really bad blunt trauma. It’s still swollen and the bruise I have is nasty; when my husband looked at it a short while ago I think he suddenly realized just how hard I must have hit it.
I suspect I will have to take it easy for the next day or so, and I will definitely be staying off my feet as much as my body tells me to. The last thing I want to do is hurt myself more by pushing too soon. I already looked up a bunch of alternative exercises online and did them today after the accident. I am hoping that having to stop doing most of my normal routines will not have too much of a negative impact in the short term provided I can supplement my activity level with new exercises.
Anyhow, it’s time for everyone participating to check in for the Looking To The Future Christmas Challenge. I hope people are still on track with their health goals despite the holidays looming ever closer by the day. Every person who is taking part just has to leave a comment on this post for another chance to be entered in the prize draw. Less than two weeks to go – let’s keep at it!
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 12 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 banana
- 1 wrap on a soft tortilla shell with roast chicken, grated cheese, lettuce, dried cranberries, fat free Miracle Whip, mustard, and pepper
- 3 cups Caesar salad with fat free dressing, dried cranberries, and croutons
- 3 hard boiled eggs with fat free Miracle Whip
- 4 cups light popcorn
- 1 Mandarin orange
EXERCISE:
- 20 minutes of an exercise video
- 2 sets of 5 minutes of weight lifting with 5 lbs per arm while laying down
- 3 sets of 2 minutes of weight lifting with 10 lbs per arm while laying down
- 4 sets of 50 stomach crunches (2 straight, 1 right, and 1 left)
- 20 minutes of chair aerobics (3 short online videos)
- 2 sets of 10 knee push ups
- 2 sets of 10 back extensions
- 2 sets of 15 bent leg donkey kicks for each leg
Friday, December 11, 2009
Richard Simmons Is My Nemesis
I feel like bawling like a little baby right now!
I borrowed an old tape my mother had - Richard Simmons: Sweating to the Oldies - just to throw something different into my workout and maybe get a laugh. I was about twenty minutes in and it was going well, I was periodically giggling to myself about the onscreen antics and certainly not having any trouble keeping up, when... BAM!!!
I absolutely smoked my heel against the rim of the solid wood coffee table behind me as I was doing a basic hamstring curl! I am in so, so much pain right now! I honestly think I did some serious damage. I have an ice pack on it which I managed to procure after sitting in shock and agony for two minutes and then hobbling to the kitchen, using the walls for balance.
All I can envision is months of hard work being flushed down the drain by forced immobility. I hurt and I am scared and there is already a bruise and swelling. How could I have done this?!
I borrowed an old tape my mother had - Richard Simmons: Sweating to the Oldies - just to throw something different into my workout and maybe get a laugh. I was about twenty minutes in and it was going well, I was periodically giggling to myself about the onscreen antics and certainly not having any trouble keeping up, when... BAM!!!
I absolutely smoked my heel against the rim of the solid wood coffee table behind me as I was doing a basic hamstring curl! I am in so, so much pain right now! I honestly think I did some serious damage. I have an ice pack on it which I managed to procure after sitting in shock and agony for two minutes and then hobbling to the kitchen, using the walls for balance.
All I can envision is months of hard work being flushed down the drain by forced immobility. I hurt and I am scared and there is already a bruise and swelling. How could I have done this?!
Head And Shoulders
I love that my attitude had changed so dramatically over the last four months! Back in the summer - and for years and years before that - I never would have felt so comfortable staying committed to a healthier lifestyle amid all this oncoming seasonal feasting and potential slothfulness. The simplicity of making this sustainable has finally made its way through this thick head of mine, and I am so thankful that I am continuing to feel motivated despite the temptations of the holidays.
I forgot to mention that I found my shoulders a few days ago. I didn't even realize that they had been missing! Yet there they were, hiding beneath the layers of fat, just waiting for me to melt away enough pounds that they could finally resurface. It's nice to feel like I have some semblance of bone structure!
I forgot to mention that I found my shoulders a few days ago. I didn't even realize that they had been missing! Yet there they were, hiding beneath the layers of fat, just waiting for me to melt away enough pounds that they could finally resurface. It's nice to feel like I have some semblance of bone structure!
Resolutions
Something I am particularly proud of is that it hasn’t even occurred to me to pack it in until the New Year. I have read a couple of blogs lately that warn against becoming complacent over the coming weeks and of mistakenly resolving oneself to just get back on the health bandwagon come January first. I am so pleased to realize that these posts don’t really apply to me.
What I mean is that they are relevant in the sense that I get something out of reading them, but the concerns that underlie their writing do not affect me. I am not, nor will I become over the next twenty-one days, one of the people who packs it in and decides to recommit come 2010.
No! I am dedicated now! I am already four months into my ‘new year’ and I refuse to let neither the call of holiday treats, nor the temptation to let busyness dictate my workout schedule, deter me from continuing to see the progress which I have earned thus far!
There is no way I am going to give in or take a break just because it is December. I wouldn’t choose to be a kind person only eleven months out of twelve. When I have a child, I won’t decide to give up being a mother for a little less than a tenth of the year. There is no way I would ever opt to honour my wedding vows for only 330 days or so of the 365. So why would I ever even consider dropping my commitment to my health for a few weeks?
My resolution comes from within, not from the promise of a new calendar.
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 8 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 Mandarin orange
- 1 small bite of a homemade cheese crisp
- 1 light peanut butter and banana sandwich on whole wheat bread
- 1/4 banana
- 1 glass of a strawberry breakfast replacement drink
- 2 shortcake biscuits
- 1 glass of peach juice
- 1 wrap on a soft tortilla shell with roast chicken, grated cheese, lettuce, dried cranberries, fat free Miracle Whip, mustard, and pepper
- 1 pear
EXERCISE:
- 1 hour and 20 minutes of walking completed in 2 outings (15 minutes long and 1 hour and 5 minutes long)
What I mean is that they are relevant in the sense that I get something out of reading them, but the concerns that underlie their writing do not affect me. I am not, nor will I become over the next twenty-one days, one of the people who packs it in and decides to recommit come 2010.
No! I am dedicated now! I am already four months into my ‘new year’ and I refuse to let neither the call of holiday treats, nor the temptation to let busyness dictate my workout schedule, deter me from continuing to see the progress which I have earned thus far!
There is no way I am going to give in or take a break just because it is December. I wouldn’t choose to be a kind person only eleven months out of twelve. When I have a child, I won’t decide to give up being a mother for a little less than a tenth of the year. There is no way I would ever opt to honour my wedding vows for only 330 days or so of the 365. So why would I ever even consider dropping my commitment to my health for a few weeks?
My resolution comes from within, not from the promise of a new calendar.
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 8 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 Mandarin orange
- 1 small bite of a homemade cheese crisp
- 1 light peanut butter and banana sandwich on whole wheat bread
- 1/4 banana
- 1 glass of a strawberry breakfast replacement drink
- 2 shortcake biscuits
- 1 glass of peach juice
- 1 wrap on a soft tortilla shell with roast chicken, grated cheese, lettuce, dried cranberries, fat free Miracle Whip, mustard, and pepper
- 1 pear
EXERCISE:
- 1 hour and 20 minutes of walking completed in 2 outings (15 minutes long and 1 hour and 5 minutes long)
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Another Fly-By Posting
This has to be another quick one! Today was good food and exercise wise; sleep wise, however, I am definitely selling myself short. I will probably have to skip tomorrow morning’s post since the last of my busy days starts early. I’m hoping to be back to writing more interesting thoughts come Friday!
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 11 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 Mandarin orange
- 1 wrap on a soft tortilla shell with chicken, grated cheese, lettuce, dried cranberries, fat free miracle Whip, mustard, and pepper
- 3 cups Caesar salad with fat free dressing, dried cranberries, and croutons
- 9 pieces of a brown rice dynamite sushi roll with soy sauce
- 1 pear
- 5 whole wheat crackers
EXERCISE:
- 40 minutes on the recumbent bike
- 2 sets of 7 push ups
- 3 sets of 50 stomach crunches (1 straight, 1 right, and 1 left)
- 15 minute walk
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 11 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 Mandarin orange
- 1 wrap on a soft tortilla shell with chicken, grated cheese, lettuce, dried cranberries, fat free miracle Whip, mustard, and pepper
- 3 cups Caesar salad with fat free dressing, dried cranberries, and croutons
- 9 pieces of a brown rice dynamite sushi roll with soy sauce
- 1 pear
- 5 whole wheat crackers
EXERCISE:
- 40 minutes on the recumbent bike
- 2 sets of 7 push ups
- 3 sets of 50 stomach crunches (1 straight, 1 right, and 1 left)
- 15 minute walk
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Another Short Post
Same old, same old… I will probably do more baking if I have the time. I haven’t had any issues with sampling the goodies yet, so I doubt there will be a problem today either. My schedule is starting to look pretty full for these last few weeks leading up to Christmas though, so hopefully I can keep my munchie side at bay even amid all the scrumptious holiday treats.
I am going to sit down and bike on my recumbent right now. If I don’t, I am afraid I will let the exercise get away from me again, like I did yesterday, and I definitely don’t want that. I have to stay committed and on track!
I am going to sit down and bike on my recumbent right now. If I don’t, I am afraid I will let the exercise get away from me again, like I did yesterday, and I definitely don’t want that. I have to stay committed and on track!
Hectic But Happy
So, I utterly flopped in the exercise department today! I really should have known better than to leave it until the end of the day; I knew I would be busy and should have taken care of it in the morning before I got swept away in other stuff.
Food was good though, despite the fact that I was baking during every spare moment I had. I only had a single bite of gingerbread, so I am at least feeling good about that. Oh! One other thing I am happy with is that my apron strings went all the way around me so that I was able to tie them in the front! I don’t even remember the last time I was able to do that!
We got our Christmas tree this evening too, although it will likely sit undecorated for another day or two. Free time seems to be getting more and more scarce these days. My mood is still up – though my feet are angry at me for not giving them a break – so I would call today a success regardless of the lack of workout. I must remember to get active first thing after getting up…
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 9 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 banana
- 2 egg wrap on a soft tortilla shell with grated cheese and mushrooms
- 1 bite of gingerbread
- 1 roasted chicken drumstick, skin removed
- 1/4 cup steamed potatoes
- 1/4 cup corn with margarine
- 1/2 cup steamed broccoli with margarine
- 1/2 pear
- 3 cups Caesar salad with fat free dressing, dried cranberries, and croutons
EXERCISE:
- 50 stomach crunches
Food was good though, despite the fact that I was baking during every spare moment I had. I only had a single bite of gingerbread, so I am at least feeling good about that. Oh! One other thing I am happy with is that my apron strings went all the way around me so that I was able to tie them in the front! I don’t even remember the last time I was able to do that!
We got our Christmas tree this evening too, although it will likely sit undecorated for another day or two. Free time seems to be getting more and more scarce these days. My mood is still up – though my feet are angry at me for not giving them a break – so I would call today a success regardless of the lack of workout. I must remember to get active first thing after getting up…
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 9 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 banana
- 2 egg wrap on a soft tortilla shell with grated cheese and mushrooms
- 1 bite of gingerbread
- 1 roasted chicken drumstick, skin removed
- 1/4 cup steamed potatoes
- 1/4 cup corn with margarine
- 1/2 cup steamed broccoli with margarine
- 1/2 pear
- 3 cups Caesar salad with fat free dressing, dried cranberries, and croutons
EXERCISE:
- 50 stomach crunches
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Finally Feeling Festive!
I woke up in a really great mood and I am hoping that will translate into more Christmas cheer, because I am still having a little trouble feeling festive on a regular basis these days. I got a really good night’s sleep so that is probably why I am so chipper right now. I also got to make plans with one of my best friend’s to go shopping in a couple of weeks; he always asks for my help this time of year to pick out gifts for his family. So having that plan in place warms my heart and puts me in a happy place since the two of us haven’t had the chance to see each other all that much lately.
More holiday baking is on the agenda for today, so I will have to be sure that I don’t forgo the exercising. I tend to get easily distracted from other elements of my life when I am in project mode. I will be playing Christmas music while I am slaving away in the kitchen to try and elevate the joy factor, so maybe I’ll burn a few calories bopping to the tunes. Plus, if my mood starts to go downhill one of my commenters suggested covering myself in glitter to stay in the spirit of the season, so there’s always that!
More holiday baking is on the agenda for today, so I will have to be sure that I don’t forgo the exercising. I tend to get easily distracted from other elements of my life when I am in project mode. I will be playing Christmas music while I am slaving away in the kitchen to try and elevate the joy factor, so maybe I’ll burn a few calories bopping to the tunes. Plus, if my mood starts to go downhill one of my commenters suggested covering myself in glitter to stay in the spirit of the season, so there’s always that!
Decent, Dull Day
Today was good, yet pretty low key. I managed to start a little bit of the Christmas baking, but not too much. I still have a lot left to do. I was good and didn’t taste anything though; not even a lick of the finger!
The walk my husband and I went on was great and my eating was on track. Overall, I think I am doing really well. I wish I had more to report, but the day just wasn’t all that exciting.
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 8 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 banana
- 1 toasted whole wheat English muffin with light peanut butter
- 1 mug of steamed light eggnog and skim milk
- 4 whole wheat crackers
- 3/4 cup corn with margarine
- 3/4 cup sodium reduced fettuccine alfredo
- 1 roast chicken drumstick, skin removed
- 2 candy cane and yogurt covered pretzels
- 1 Mandarin orange
- 3/4 cup fat free peach yogurt
EXERCISE:
- 1 hour and 50 minute walk
The walk my husband and I went on was great and my eating was on track. Overall, I think I am doing really well. I wish I had more to report, but the day just wasn’t all that exciting.
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 8 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 banana
- 1 toasted whole wheat English muffin with light peanut butter
- 1 mug of steamed light eggnog and skim milk
- 4 whole wheat crackers
- 3/4 cup corn with margarine
- 3/4 cup sodium reduced fettuccine alfredo
- 1 roast chicken drumstick, skin removed
- 2 candy cane and yogurt covered pretzels
- 1 Mandarin orange
- 3/4 cup fat free peach yogurt
EXERCISE:
- 1 hour and 50 minute walk
Monday, December 7, 2009
Ramping It Up
I changed my exercise step so that it is now as high as it goes. It has a level which is flat, one that uses two side blocks to lift it an extra inch or so, and this last one which uses the side blocks differently to make it even higher. I think it sits about six and a half inches from top to bottom now. It was great to turn the intensity up during my workout DVD last night, but I am definitely going to have to switch to the harder video soon since this is now the absolute most I can do with the one I currently use.
Today is going to start with a nice, long walk around a huge park with my husband. It will probably take us approximately an hour and three-quarters and I am really looking forward to it. Other than that, there isn't really anything specific on the agenda for this afternoon or evening. Christmas baking will probably be started today, but I am still confident that I will be able to avoid being tempted as I create the goodies. It should be a good day!
Today is going to start with a nice, long walk around a huge park with my husband. It will probably take us approximately an hour and three-quarters and I am really looking forward to it. Other than that, there isn't really anything specific on the agenda for this afternoon or evening. Christmas baking will probably be started today, but I am still confident that I will be able to avoid being tempted as I create the goodies. It should be a good day!
Room To Spare
I finally treated myself to a new bra yesterday. I have gone from a 42 band to a 38! I’m not sure about cup size though because I have always had to buy smaller than I need since I can only ever find the larger sizes selling in a couple of boutiques for about $100 and I just can’t afford that. I used to be an H, but I am currently crammed into a D. It’s still far, far too small, but I’m guessing I am not an H anymore - probably an E or an F. Regardless, I am just happy to have something that feels supportive again!
Along the same lines as this, is the growing urgency for me to purchase a winter jacket. The one I have feels huge and partially looks ridiculous on me and partially just makes it impossible to tell that I have dropped so much weight. I was with friends today and I actually zipped their four year old child into it with me and still had room to spare! We looked like some bizarre two-headed freak which is kind of how I feel when wearing it on my own now.
I am also pretty confident that I am going to have to figure out a way to foot the bill for having my rings sized before Christmas. They are so loose they clank against one another all the time and I was able to get them off my finger with just a few good shakes the other day. There is no way that I want to take the chance of losing them, so I will have to take them to the jeweler’s probably next week.
Most of my shirts are starting to look very baggy and they hang too long on me as well now. I have kept a few smaller sized ones from years past, so hopefully those will last me for a little while. My two smaller pairs of jeans are doing alright for the time being, although my 20W’s are feeling much too big now. I should probably retire those ones for good.
I never counted on losing weight this quickly and – while I certainly wouldn’t change a thing – it is hard to keep up with the cost of replacing so many items. I am trying to be smart about the purchases I make and to make the money stretch, and I have even gone to a couple of thrift stores to hunt through their clothing racks, but it is expensive to be constantly buying stuff again and again. I am not complaining! I have nothing to complain about. I simple wish that I had the financial ability to keep up with the things I feel I need a little more. This season can be hard on the pocketbook to begin with, so all of these extra expenses are definitely making me feel the pinch.
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 7 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 banana
- 1 toasted whole wheat English muffin with light strawberry jam
- 1 mug of gingerbread steamed skim milk
- 9 pieces of shrimp combo sushi rolls with soy sauce
- 3/4 cup fat free strawberry yogurt with Life Multigrains cereal
- 1 Mandarin orange
- 1 1/2 ounces of mozzarella cheese
EXERCISE:
- 45 minute step workout video
Along the same lines as this, is the growing urgency for me to purchase a winter jacket. The one I have feels huge and partially looks ridiculous on me and partially just makes it impossible to tell that I have dropped so much weight. I was with friends today and I actually zipped their four year old child into it with me and still had room to spare! We looked like some bizarre two-headed freak which is kind of how I feel when wearing it on my own now.
I am also pretty confident that I am going to have to figure out a way to foot the bill for having my rings sized before Christmas. They are so loose they clank against one another all the time and I was able to get them off my finger with just a few good shakes the other day. There is no way that I want to take the chance of losing them, so I will have to take them to the jeweler’s probably next week.
Most of my shirts are starting to look very baggy and they hang too long on me as well now. I have kept a few smaller sized ones from years past, so hopefully those will last me for a little while. My two smaller pairs of jeans are doing alright for the time being, although my 20W’s are feeling much too big now. I should probably retire those ones for good.
I never counted on losing weight this quickly and – while I certainly wouldn’t change a thing – it is hard to keep up with the cost of replacing so many items. I am trying to be smart about the purchases I make and to make the money stretch, and I have even gone to a couple of thrift stores to hunt through their clothing racks, but it is expensive to be constantly buying stuff again and again. I am not complaining! I have nothing to complain about. I simple wish that I had the financial ability to keep up with the things I feel I need a little more. This season can be hard on the pocketbook to begin with, so all of these extra expenses are definitely making me feel the pinch.
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 7 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 banana
- 1 toasted whole wheat English muffin with light strawberry jam
- 1 mug of gingerbread steamed skim milk
- 9 pieces of shrimp combo sushi rolls with soy sauce
- 3/4 cup fat free strawberry yogurt with Life Multigrains cereal
- 1 Mandarin orange
- 1 1/2 ounces of mozzarella cheese
EXERCISE:
- 45 minute step workout video
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Significantly Humbled
It’s been a little while since I gave out any Significant Milestone Awards, and I want to make sure that the people who are hitting those big achievements are getting the recognition they deserve! I love that there are so many individuals working towards health and fitness goals, just as I am, and I think it is important to acknowledge the milestones of others – it keeps me grounded and reminds me that I am not alone as I walk this path. I know of four people who have recently accomplished something truly noteworthy, and so I would love to share this accolade with the following:1. Larkspur at Am I Really That Fat? for losing 10% of her body weight since beginning her blog!
2. Khissy at Losing The Baggage for getting to onederland for the first time since high school!
3. Lori-Ann at Amazon Runner for accomplishing the beginning stages of her dream of being able to run again!
4. Pam at Journey To The Healthier Side Of Life for reaching the 100 pounds lost mark!
Lady Luck
I am so ecstatic to see how far I have come since mid-August when I began this pilgrimage to a better me. When I look at what I weigh today I know that I have lost almost 24% of my body weight since starting this blog, less than four months ago, and over 27% from my highest weight of 266 pounds.
Because I have kept track of what I weighed when each progress picture was taken, I know that I had a:
5.81% loss from August 12 to September 5
6.67% loss from September 5 to October 3
8.22% loss from October 3 to November 7
5.65% loss from November 7 to December 5
I find it reassuring to look at the percentages in this manner, because it helps show me that I am still in the same range now as I was at the start of this journey. If, for example I were to lose ten pounds between now and my next progress picture, I know that is still over a 5% drop from my current weight, even though at my highest weight that amount of lost pounds would have represented less than 4%. The lower my weight gets the more I need to alter my expectations of what is possible to lose. I am not saying I will cease working as hard as I have been, nor that I will not be thrilled if I continue to see the higher drops, but I do think that it is good for me to do a bit of a reality check with this. The same goes for how quickly or slowly I will continue to drop inches, although I haven’t done any number crunching for that.
I have been so lucky to have had relatively impressive weigh-ins up to this point. A big part of that is due to my current overall circumstances in life. I have an enormous amount of free time right now, a pretty positive outlook most days, and a fabulously supportive husband whose endless faith in and love for me leaves me speechless on a regular basis. On top of all those ideal factors, I also believe that my commitment to this is at an all time high and that each and every victory I have experienced along this path to a healthier version of myself has spurred me on with even greater determination. I have health and happiness on my side and opportunities in my corner of the world which others may not. I am blessed with friends, family, and the relationships which I have discovered online, in this blogging community. If I wasn’t working arduously at this, with just about every single element in my life being perfectly tuned to allow for my success, then I would have to call myself the most hopeless person on Earth. Fortunately, I do recognize exactly what a great chance I have right now and I am taking full advantage of it!
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 9 glasses of water throughout the day
- 2 egg wrap on a soft tortilla shell with grated cheese and orange pepper
- 1 banana
- 1 mug of gingerbread steamed skim milk
- 4 cups low fat popcorn
- 1 Mandarin orange
- 1 wrap on a soft tortilla shell with sliced deli chicken, grated cheese, lettuce, dried cranberries, fat free Miracle Whip, mustard, and pepper
- 3/4 cup fat free peach yogurt with 1 cup Life Multigrains cereal
EXERCISE:
- 5K race completed in 37:59
Because I have kept track of what I weighed when each progress picture was taken, I know that I had a:
5.81% loss from August 12 to September 5
6.67% loss from September 5 to October 3
8.22% loss from October 3 to November 7
5.65% loss from November 7 to December 5
I find it reassuring to look at the percentages in this manner, because it helps show me that I am still in the same range now as I was at the start of this journey. If, for example I were to lose ten pounds between now and my next progress picture, I know that is still over a 5% drop from my current weight, even though at my highest weight that amount of lost pounds would have represented less than 4%. The lower my weight gets the more I need to alter my expectations of what is possible to lose. I am not saying I will cease working as hard as I have been, nor that I will not be thrilled if I continue to see the higher drops, but I do think that it is good for me to do a bit of a reality check with this. The same goes for how quickly or slowly I will continue to drop inches, although I haven’t done any number crunching for that.
I have been so lucky to have had relatively impressive weigh-ins up to this point. A big part of that is due to my current overall circumstances in life. I have an enormous amount of free time right now, a pretty positive outlook most days, and a fabulously supportive husband whose endless faith in and love for me leaves me speechless on a regular basis. On top of all those ideal factors, I also believe that my commitment to this is at an all time high and that each and every victory I have experienced along this path to a healthier version of myself has spurred me on with even greater determination. I have health and happiness on my side and opportunities in my corner of the world which others may not. I am blessed with friends, family, and the relationships which I have discovered online, in this blogging community. If I wasn’t working arduously at this, with just about every single element in my life being perfectly tuned to allow for my success, then I would have to call myself the most hopeless person on Earth. Fortunately, I do recognize exactly what a great chance I have right now and I am taking full advantage of it!
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 9 glasses of water throughout the day
- 2 egg wrap on a soft tortilla shell with grated cheese and orange pepper
- 1 banana
- 1 mug of gingerbread steamed skim milk
- 4 cups low fat popcorn
- 1 Mandarin orange
- 1 wrap on a soft tortilla shell with sliced deli chicken, grated cheese, lettuce, dried cranberries, fat free Miracle Whip, mustard, and pepper
- 3/4 cup fat free peach yogurt with 1 cup Life Multigrains cereal
EXERCISE:
- 5K race completed in 37:59
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Surprise Santa Shuffle
Last night, as I was perusing the blogs I frequent, it dawned on me that I have seen a lot of posts lately about the upcoming 5K Santa Shuffles which seem to be happening all over North America. I decided to take a peak at my own local listings and was completely surprised to discover that there was one set to take place today.
Upon occasion I have been know to succumb to fits of spontaneity, and so I decided to embrace my less organized component and I quickly investigated partaking in the fun event! I discussed it with my husband and the dear man agreed to accompany me for moral support and picture taking, so I became even more excited by the prospect of taking part. Then I called one of the sponsors and they told me that registration would continue into this morning and that it was not to late to join. They even assured me that there would be many people walking, so I felt better about potentially being the biggest slowpoke.
Then… I decided to go for it! I thought, “Why not? The registration fee goes to charity and that way I get my exercise for the day over and done with before noon!” It sounded like a win-win to me.
Amazingly, it turned out to be a win-win-win! No, I wasn’t awarded one of the draw prizes. But, I had fun! Honestly, I had such a great, amazingly wonderful time! Four months ago, I never would have believed that participating in a 5K would have provided such a great high. I loved doing my first one back in October, but it was a milestone; it was important and enjoyable for different reasons. Today, I took pleasure just in being active!
I did better than last time too! Not only did I jog for a lot more of the course – I would guess half to three-quarters – but I took four minutes off my time. I finished the race at 37:59!!! I even got to high-five Santa as I crossed the finish line!
I had a blast today and I am so in love with the choices I am making for my health and well being. It felt amazing to get out there and race along with like-minded people (approximately 700 registrants apparently) and I can honestly say that I am looking forward to next year and the opportunity to do this again. I’m sick, I know, but I also had a whole lot of fun today and I really can’t wait to feel like this again at my next 5K!
Upon occasion I have been know to succumb to fits of spontaneity, and so I decided to embrace my less organized component and I quickly investigated partaking in the fun event! I discussed it with my husband and the dear man agreed to accompany me for moral support and picture taking, so I became even more excited by the prospect of taking part. Then I called one of the sponsors and they told me that registration would continue into this morning and that it was not to late to join. They even assured me that there would be many people walking, so I felt better about potentially being the biggest slowpoke.
Then… I decided to go for it! I thought, “Why not? The registration fee goes to charity and that way I get my exercise for the day over and done with before noon!” It sounded like a win-win to me.
Amazingly, it turned out to be a win-win-win! No, I wasn’t awarded one of the draw prizes. But, I had fun! Honestly, I had such a great, amazingly wonderful time! Four months ago, I never would have believed that participating in a 5K would have provided such a great high. I loved doing my first one back in October, but it was a milestone; it was important and enjoyable for different reasons. Today, I took pleasure just in being active!
I did better than last time too! Not only did I jog for a lot more of the course – I would guess half to three-quarters – but I took four minutes off my time. I finished the race at 37:59!!! I even got to high-five Santa as I crossed the finish line!
I had a blast today and I am so in love with the choices I am making for my health and well being. It felt amazing to get out there and race along with like-minded people (approximately 700 registrants apparently) and I can honestly say that I am looking forward to next year and the opportunity to do this again. I’m sick, I know, but I also had a whole lot of fun today and I really can’t wait to feel like this again at my next 5K!
Weigh-In For Week 17
The scale read 193.8 this morning and I am pretty happy with that. It’s a lower drop in weight than most of the losses I have been recording so far, but I know that I have been doing a good job of staying on top of the food and exercise despite a few emotional setbacks this week. I am losing consistently and I choose to be pleased with the number.
Since it is the first weigh-in of the month, it is time for the all revealing progress picture:
I am still seeing changes even though the total pounds and inches which came off through November do amount to less than what I have achieved in previous months. Again, I am feeling good about the photograph and about my updated statistics:
Weight - 193.8 lbs (-60.8 from start / -11.6 from Nov.)
Bust - 41.0 inches (-9.0 from start / -2.0 from Nov.)
Waist - 40.0 inches (-8.0 from start / -1.0 from Nov.)
Hips - 47.5 inches (-7.5 from start / -1.5 from Nov.)
Arms - 15.5 inches (-2.0 from start / -0.5 from Nov.)
Thighs - 27.5 inches (-5.0 from start / -0.5 from Nov.)
BMI - 30.4 (-9.5 from start / -1.8 from Nov.)
The thing I am well and truly excited about is that I am so close to being out of the obesity range with my body mass index, I can practically taste it! There may not be many people out there who would say they are looking forward to being classed as overweight, but I am definitely one of them!
Since it is the first weigh-in of the month, it is time for the all revealing progress picture:
I am still seeing changes even though the total pounds and inches which came off through November do amount to less than what I have achieved in previous months. Again, I am feeling good about the photograph and about my updated statistics:Weight - 193.8 lbs (-60.8 from start / -11.6 from Nov.)
Bust - 41.0 inches (-9.0 from start / -2.0 from Nov.)
Waist - 40.0 inches (-8.0 from start / -1.0 from Nov.)
Hips - 47.5 inches (-7.5 from start / -1.5 from Nov.)
Arms - 15.5 inches (-2.0 from start / -0.5 from Nov.)
Thighs - 27.5 inches (-5.0 from start / -0.5 from Nov.)
BMI - 30.4 (-9.5 from start / -1.8 from Nov.)
The thing I am well and truly excited about is that I am so close to being out of the obesity range with my body mass index, I can practically taste it! There may not be many people out there who would say they are looking forward to being classed as overweight, but I am definitely one of them!
Challenge Check-In And Giveaway Update
For those of you participating in the Looking To The Future Christmas Challenge it is time to check-in and give an update on how you are doing. I hope that people are mostly continuing with the successes that were reporting last week, but just remember that every little victory is worth more than any slip up! The good choices you make all add up and even the worst week doesn’t have to result in all your hard work going to waste. Keep at it, everyone! Just three weeks left until this challenge and Christmas are over, and I am positive that each and every one of you can get to your goals by then! Also, keep in mind that each participant who comments here gets another entry to try and win the dream catcher I created.
I also wanted to let everyone know that I visited the Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House today. I dropped off the $100 donation from the Celebrating The One Hundreds Giveaway to them and got a tour of their establishment. They do a lot of really great work there, including a monthly Banana Beat which I will be participating in on December 16th. It was nice to see where the money will be going to and I can’t wait to experience first-hand the ways in which it will aid those who are in need. To all of the individuals who commented on the giveaway post, thank you once more for helping to contribute to this important cause and to a fabulous organization!
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 8 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 Mandarin orange
- 1 toasted whole wheat English muffin with light peanut butter and light strawberry jam
- 1 wrap on a soft tortilla shell with sliced deli chicken, grated cheese, lettuce, dried cranberries, fat free Miracle Whip, mustard, and pepper
- 3/4 cup fat free lemon chiffon yogurt
- 2 cups Caesar salad with fat free dressing, dried cranberries, and croutons
EXERCISE:
- 2 hours of walking completed in 2 outings (1 hour and 10 minutes long and 50 minutes long)
I also wanted to let everyone know that I visited the Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House today. I dropped off the $100 donation from the Celebrating The One Hundreds Giveaway to them and got a tour of their establishment. They do a lot of really great work there, including a monthly Banana Beat which I will be participating in on December 16th. It was nice to see where the money will be going to and I can’t wait to experience first-hand the ways in which it will aid those who are in need. To all of the individuals who commented on the giveaway post, thank you once more for helping to contribute to this important cause and to a fabulous organization!
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 8 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 Mandarin orange
- 1 toasted whole wheat English muffin with light peanut butter and light strawberry jam
- 1 wrap on a soft tortilla shell with sliced deli chicken, grated cheese, lettuce, dried cranberries, fat free Miracle Whip, mustard, and pepper
- 3/4 cup fat free lemon chiffon yogurt
- 2 cups Caesar salad with fat free dressing, dried cranberries, and croutons
EXERCISE:
- 2 hours of walking completed in 2 outings (1 hour and 10 minutes long and 50 minutes long)
Friday, December 4, 2009
Random Reflections
In less than twenty-four hours I will take my next progress picture. I am very interested to see if there are any significant changes. I know that I haven’t lost as much as I have in previous months, but a couple of commenters have reminded me that I am still probably losing a similar percentage as I was before due to my overall weight going down so much since the beginning of this journey. So I wonder if the losses will add up to a perceptible change on the photograph.
Getting past the two hundred pound mark, into onederland, proved to be a really tough milestone. I am not sure of the exact nature of the mental block that seemed to be slowing my progress around that time, but I am thankful that I have now gotten past it and am slowly seeing more regular drops again. Although I am not expecting tomorrow’s weigh-in to show an enormous loss, I am grateful that I am once more seeing the consistency from day to day which I had somehow gotten away from last month.
I am very, very glad that I made the decision to put that exercise tracker at the top of my page. I feel like these past couple of days in particular could have easily turned into no workout days if I wasn’t holding myself accountable in that manner. The busyness of the season was really threatening to throw a wrench into my plans, but I think the tracker will help me stay focused even amid the upcoming chaos.
The day is remarkable sunny today so I would really like to get out there for a walk, but I am not certain that will happen. I will do my best though since I definitely don’t want to miss out on the few opportunities left this year for outdoor recreation. I will get in some activity in one form or another though and I will be back this evening, as usual, to report and record. Until next time…
Getting past the two hundred pound mark, into onederland, proved to be a really tough milestone. I am not sure of the exact nature of the mental block that seemed to be slowing my progress around that time, but I am thankful that I have now gotten past it and am slowly seeing more regular drops again. Although I am not expecting tomorrow’s weigh-in to show an enormous loss, I am grateful that I am once more seeing the consistency from day to day which I had somehow gotten away from last month.
I am very, very glad that I made the decision to put that exercise tracker at the top of my page. I feel like these past couple of days in particular could have easily turned into no workout days if I wasn’t holding myself accountable in that manner. The busyness of the season was really threatening to throw a wrench into my plans, but I think the tracker will help me stay focused even amid the upcoming chaos.
The day is remarkable sunny today so I would really like to get out there for a walk, but I am not certain that will happen. I will do my best though since I definitely don’t want to miss out on the few opportunities left this year for outdoor recreation. I will get in some activity in one form or another though and I will be back this evening, as usual, to report and record. Until next time…
Habit Versus Emotion
My biggest achievement today reassured me that I am going to be able to be successful at this for life. I was in Starbucks right after I had my disagreement with my friend and saw that they had a huge tray full of small samples of my favourite seasonal bar – which, by the way, I have deftly avoided purchasing since they came out a couple of weeks ago. Anyhow, I did take one, but told my husband not to bother when he offered to grab a second piece for me. Here’s the best part though: I didn’t eat the treat until I knew I was well and truly past any possibility of triggering an emotionally charged feast, plus I cut it in half to share so that I only had a single bite when I finally ate it.
I was just commenting on another blog about the fact that I have been fortunate in this journey so far. A big part of that is that I believe I am dealing more with poor eating habits than with genuine cause-and-effect reactions. I know that I was very much an emotional eater in the past, but I think that over the span of the last couple of years I have gotten to a point where – after a lot of self-refection – I am no longer generally in danger of eating a whole cheesecake because I feel sad, happy, angry, bored, etc. I think that the habits formed from such prior actions are what remained the problem for the last while that I stayed wrapped within my extra layers of fat.
I still worry that I can slip into those poor practices if I don’t take care and remain aware, which is why I was so concerned about how I would fair this morning after the blow up. I think that I did well though, and surviving moments like today’s gives me even more hope that I can, and will, conquer my obesity once and for all.
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 9 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 Mandarin orange
- 6 inch sub on a whole wheat bun with ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato, green pepper, onion, black olives, light mayonnaise, mustard, and pepper
- 1 mug of steamed light eggnog
- 2 cups chicken and broccoli stir-fry with yellow pepper, garlic, onion, and soy sauce
- 1 bite of a cranberry bliss bar
- 1 pear
- 2 cups Caesar salad with fat free dressing, dried cranberries, and croutons
EXERCISE:
- 1 hour and 30 minutes of walking completed in 2 outings (1 hour long and 30 minutes long)
I was just commenting on another blog about the fact that I have been fortunate in this journey so far. A big part of that is that I believe I am dealing more with poor eating habits than with genuine cause-and-effect reactions. I know that I was very much an emotional eater in the past, but I think that over the span of the last couple of years I have gotten to a point where – after a lot of self-refection – I am no longer generally in danger of eating a whole cheesecake because I feel sad, happy, angry, bored, etc. I think that the habits formed from such prior actions are what remained the problem for the last while that I stayed wrapped within my extra layers of fat.
I still worry that I can slip into those poor practices if I don’t take care and remain aware, which is why I was so concerned about how I would fair this morning after the blow up. I think that I did well though, and surviving moments like today’s gives me even more hope that I can, and will, conquer my obesity once and for all.
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 9 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 Mandarin orange
- 6 inch sub on a whole wheat bun with ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato, green pepper, onion, black olives, light mayonnaise, mustard, and pepper
- 1 mug of steamed light eggnog
- 2 cups chicken and broccoli stir-fry with yellow pepper, garlic, onion, and soy sauce
- 1 bite of a cranberry bliss bar
- 1 pear
- 2 cups Caesar salad with fat free dressing, dried cranberries, and croutons
EXERCISE:
- 1 hour and 30 minutes of walking completed in 2 outings (1 hour long and 30 minutes long)
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Furious And Frustrated
I just had an enormous blow up with one of my best friends. It wasn't even an actual fight; we were just talking and then it suddenly ended really, really badly. I have a healthy 6-inch sub in front of me right now to try and stave of any cravings for comfort food, but I am definitely worried about how this day is going to pan out. Yeah. I'm just not feeling it...
Edit: This is just an update to say (five hours after my original posting) that I have handled the food well and even got out for a walk to try and relieve some of this stress. I am not going to go so far as to claim that I am actually feeling better, but I do think that the crisis has been averted. Thank you to everyone who left such supportive comments - you really are all a lifeline to me.
Edit: This is just an update to say (five hours after my original posting) that I have handled the food well and even got out for a walk to try and relieve some of this stress. I am not going to go so far as to claim that I am actually feeling better, but I do think that the crisis has been averted. Thank you to everyone who left such supportive comments - you really are all a lifeline to me.
Doing The Best I Can
I spent nearly every free moment I had today cleaning in some form or another and I’m still not done. I just keep telling myself that it’s better than sitting on the couch like a lump.
I am exhausted and it is definitely time for bed. I feel bad because I know that my last couple of posts haven’t exactly been chocked full of riveting material, but I am just so busy and haven’t had time to let any deeper thoughts percolate in my head. I am hoping my schedule will open up after tomorrow so that I will have the opportunity to write something more interesting. But for now, I am simply going to continue checking in to the best of my ability.
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 11 glasses of water throughout the day
- 2 Mandarin oranges
- 1 light peanut butter and banana sandwich on whole wheat bread
- 1/4 banana
- 2 egg omelet with mushrooms and pepper
- 3/4 cup fat free peach yogurt with 1 cup Life Multigrains cereal
- 4 whole wheat crackers
- 1 1/2 cups Caesar salad with fat free dressing and croutons
EXERCISE:
- 45 minute step workout video
- 4 sets of 50 stomach crunches (2 straight, 1 right, and 1 left)
- 2 sets of 7 push ups
- 2 sets of 15 lunges for each leg
- 2 sets of 2 minutes of weight lifting with 5 lbs per arm
- 2 sets of 15 squats
I am exhausted and it is definitely time for bed. I feel bad because I know that my last couple of posts haven’t exactly been chocked full of riveting material, but I am just so busy and haven’t had time to let any deeper thoughts percolate in my head. I am hoping my schedule will open up after tomorrow so that I will have the opportunity to write something more interesting. But for now, I am simply going to continue checking in to the best of my ability.
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 11 glasses of water throughout the day
- 2 Mandarin oranges
- 1 light peanut butter and banana sandwich on whole wheat bread
- 1/4 banana
- 2 egg omelet with mushrooms and pepper
- 3/4 cup fat free peach yogurt with 1 cup Life Multigrains cereal
- 4 whole wheat crackers
- 1 1/2 cups Caesar salad with fat free dressing and croutons
EXERCISE:
- 45 minute step workout video
- 4 sets of 50 stomach crunches (2 straight, 1 right, and 1 left)
- 2 sets of 7 push ups
- 2 sets of 15 lunges for each leg
- 2 sets of 2 minutes of weight lifting with 5 lbs per arm
- 2 sets of 15 squats
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Changing Attitude
Hmmm... I sense a busy day in the works today. It should be good for staying active, but before I get too involved in all my chores, I am determined to do at least some form of formal exercise. I think I shall pop in my workout tape and try to get sweaty!
I never thought I would see the day where I looked forward to perspiring, but here I am - already in my workout attire - ready and willing to go move my body. Daunting though it may seem at first, occasionally change really can be a wonderful thing!
I never thought I would see the day where I looked forward to perspiring, but here I am - already in my workout attire - ready and willing to go move my body. Daunting though it may seem at first, occasionally change really can be a wonderful thing!
The Right Direction
I was on track with the eating and the exercise today. I got a little bit of cleaning done around the house too which hopefully burned a few extra calories. That’s the one good thing about a busier schedule: natural activity comes easier.
I have Christmas baking to face sometime in the next week. I am actually not expecting it to be too much of a challenge. I think having the goodies just sitting around may be a little tempting, but I doubt that their preparation will prove to be a problem. I think putting most of them into the freezer will help keep me from munching on them once they are completely done too.
I need to remember that right now it is better to workout earlier rather than later; that way I am sure to get in a decent amount of activity prior to running out of time by the end of the day. That seems to be my biggest issue when I get busy and is the exact reason I put an exercise tracker up for this month. I have to stay focused so that I don’t get distracted with my many projects, and I have to remain motivated - to meet my goal of a minimum of 35 hours of activity for December - so that I can avoid making excuses for not living up to my own expectations. I want to keep heading in the right direction and I need to ensure that any potential obstacles are removed.
I had really high energy for the majority of the day, but I think I have finally crashed. I am very ready for bed, yet I am also already thinking about all the things I need to get done tomorrow. So many errands and so little time.
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 12 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 banana
- 1 toasted whole wheat English muffin with light strawberry jam
- 1 mug of gingerbread steamed soy milk
- 1 Mandarin orange
- 1 sandwich on whole wheat bread with sliced deli chicken, cheese, lettuce, fat free Miracle Whip, mustard, and pepper
- 1 pear
- 3 cups Caesar salad with fat free dressing and croutons
- 3/4 cup fat free blueberry yogurt
EXERCISE:
- 1 hour of walking completed in 2 outings (40 minutes long and 20 minutes long)
I have Christmas baking to face sometime in the next week. I am actually not expecting it to be too much of a challenge. I think having the goodies just sitting around may be a little tempting, but I doubt that their preparation will prove to be a problem. I think putting most of them into the freezer will help keep me from munching on them once they are completely done too.
I need to remember that right now it is better to workout earlier rather than later; that way I am sure to get in a decent amount of activity prior to running out of time by the end of the day. That seems to be my biggest issue when I get busy and is the exact reason I put an exercise tracker up for this month. I have to stay focused so that I don’t get distracted with my many projects, and I have to remain motivated - to meet my goal of a minimum of 35 hours of activity for December - so that I can avoid making excuses for not living up to my own expectations. I want to keep heading in the right direction and I need to ensure that any potential obstacles are removed.
I had really high energy for the majority of the day, but I think I have finally crashed. I am very ready for bed, yet I am also already thinking about all the things I need to get done tomorrow. So many errands and so little time.
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 12 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 banana
- 1 toasted whole wheat English muffin with light strawberry jam
- 1 mug of gingerbread steamed soy milk
- 1 Mandarin orange
- 1 sandwich on whole wheat bread with sliced deli chicken, cheese, lettuce, fat free Miracle Whip, mustard, and pepper
- 1 pear
- 3 cups Caesar salad with fat free dressing and croutons
- 3/4 cup fat free blueberry yogurt
EXERCISE:
- 1 hour of walking completed in 2 outings (40 minutes long and 20 minutes long)
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Giveaway Results
I’m quite late posting today, but I had a last minute excursion with a friend that had to take precedence. But, I am here now and it is time to let everyone know what the final results are for the Celebrating The One Hundreds Giveaway!
So, without further ado, I can now announce that all of your comments have helped make me $77 dollars poorer! Yay!!! I never thought I’d be cheering over getting rid of money! Because of the fabulous offers of Barb, Dawne, Joanne, and Kimberley to match whatever was raised dollar for dollar, you can celebrate the fact that you all helped to contribute $385 dollars to assisting those in need. Each of the other four contributors will be donating their money to organizations near themselves, so the wealth and love will definitely be spread around. I would like to send out an enormous thank you to each and every person who commented, posted about the giveaway, and even posted more than once! And to the very special women who are matching my donation, I wish you every joy of the season and hope for you to know the warmth which my heart felt when I found out about each of your offers to participate in this manner. Truly, to everyone, thank you for taking part!
But, what of the other $23 which I earmarked for possibly giving to this cause? Well, of course, I am not one of those people who leaves well enough alone so I will be donating that as well. I figure that it takes the total over the $400 mark and that really feels like a huge accomplishment. Plus, it’s easier to simply say that’s what I’m going to do rather than having to go back to the original post and leave twenty-three ‘Anonymous’ comments to bring the total up to goal!
My original plan was to purchase food with the money, prepare items (such as sandwiches), and then hand deliver it myself. I would still really like to do this, but I have been informed that a lot of the time organizations designed to help those less fortunate can get better deals on food than I would be able to. I will look into giving the money to one of them instead of spending it myself to ensure that the donation is stretched as far as possible, but I do hope that I have the opportunity to be involved in the process. Regardless, I will post as soon as I know what the final decision will be.
Once more, thanks to you all for being a part of this. If I was having trouble getting into the Christmas spirit before, feeling the wonderful camaraderie of this online community as you all came together to support this has put me solidly back on track to enjoying the splendid giving nature of this season. Thank you!!!
So, without further ado, I can now announce that all of your comments have helped make me $77 dollars poorer! Yay!!! I never thought I’d be cheering over getting rid of money! Because of the fabulous offers of Barb, Dawne, Joanne, and Kimberley to match whatever was raised dollar for dollar, you can celebrate the fact that you all helped to contribute $385 dollars to assisting those in need. Each of the other four contributors will be donating their money to organizations near themselves, so the wealth and love will definitely be spread around. I would like to send out an enormous thank you to each and every person who commented, posted about the giveaway, and even posted more than once! And to the very special women who are matching my donation, I wish you every joy of the season and hope for you to know the warmth which my heart felt when I found out about each of your offers to participate in this manner. Truly, to everyone, thank you for taking part!
But, what of the other $23 which I earmarked for possibly giving to this cause? Well, of course, I am not one of those people who leaves well enough alone so I will be donating that as well. I figure that it takes the total over the $400 mark and that really feels like a huge accomplishment. Plus, it’s easier to simply say that’s what I’m going to do rather than having to go back to the original post and leave twenty-three ‘Anonymous’ comments to bring the total up to goal!
My original plan was to purchase food with the money, prepare items (such as sandwiches), and then hand deliver it myself. I would still really like to do this, but I have been informed that a lot of the time organizations designed to help those less fortunate can get better deals on food than I would be able to. I will look into giving the money to one of them instead of spending it myself to ensure that the donation is stretched as far as possible, but I do hope that I have the opportunity to be involved in the process. Regardless, I will post as soon as I know what the final decision will be.
Once more, thanks to you all for being a part of this. If I was having trouble getting into the Christmas spirit before, feeling the wonderful camaraderie of this online community as you all came together to support this has put me solidly back on track to enjoying the splendid giving nature of this season. Thank you!!!
Isn't Thanks Giving Over?
I would like to begin by thanking MizFit whose great post about staying motivated through the holidays inspired me to put an exercise ticker at the top of my blog. I am hoping this little reminder will keep me focused and help me stay committed to working out all the way through this upcoming month, even in the face of all the pending busyness. My plan to be active today fell by the wayside and I very much want to avoid that from reoccurring as much as possible in the next few weeks.
I also need to say thank you to Lori-Ann from Amazon Runner for bestowing another fantastic award unto me. I feel so lucky every time someone deems this blog worthy of one of these badges of recognition, and this one – the Deborah Award – leaves me feeling no different. I am honoured that I have received this award of “womanhood and friendship” and I will strive to live up to all that it stands for. Thanks so much, Lori-Ann!
I would like to pass this award onto Tammy at From Fat To Fab; she very much deserves to be recognized for those specific qualities which this badge acknowledges. I also wish to present this accolade to two bloggers I have only recently come to know. Thank you for your thoughts, stories, and insights Jody at Truth 2 Being Fit and Lainey at Shrink.
As far as the giveaway is concerned, I am heading to bed now and haven’t checked on the final comments. So I suppose that I will just have to assume that any remarks left on the post when I get up have actually been there all night. Right? *Wink!* I will post tomorrow about the final results of this unique concept!
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 10 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 banana
- 3/4 cup fat free lemon chiffon yogurt
- 6 inch sub on brown bread with ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato, green pepper, onion, black olives, light mayonnaise, mustard, and pepper
- 1 Mandarin orange
- 1/4 cup corn
- 1/2 cup macaroni and cheese
- 1 pork chop
- 2 cups of Caesar salad with fat free dressing and croutons
EXERCISE:
- 50 stomach crunches
I also need to say thank you to Lori-Ann from Amazon Runner for bestowing another fantastic award unto me. I feel so lucky every time someone deems this blog worthy of one of these badges of recognition, and this one – the Deborah Award – leaves me feeling no different. I am honoured that I have received this award of “womanhood and friendship” and I will strive to live up to all that it stands for. Thanks so much, Lori-Ann!
I would like to pass this award onto Tammy at From Fat To Fab; she very much deserves to be recognized for those specific qualities which this badge acknowledges. I also wish to present this accolade to two bloggers I have only recently come to know. Thank you for your thoughts, stories, and insights Jody at Truth 2 Being Fit and Lainey at Shrink.As far as the giveaway is concerned, I am heading to bed now and haven’t checked on the final comments. So I suppose that I will just have to assume that any remarks left on the post when I get up have actually been there all night. Right? *Wink!* I will post tomorrow about the final results of this unique concept!
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 10 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 banana
- 3/4 cup fat free lemon chiffon yogurt
- 6 inch sub on brown bread with ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato, green pepper, onion, black olives, light mayonnaise, mustard, and pepper
- 1 Mandarin orange
- 1/4 cup corn
- 1/2 cup macaroni and cheese
- 1 pork chop
- 2 cups of Caesar salad with fat free dressing and croutons
EXERCISE:
- 50 stomach crunches
Monday, November 30, 2009
Last Day For The Giveaway
Today is the last day of November and, therefore, the last day to comment on the Celebrating The One Hundreds Giveaway! Please, if you haven’t yet left a remark on the post consider doing so now! We are more than two-thirds of the way to reaching our goal, but there are still lots of opportunities for people to help make my, and the other four generous donors’, wallets a little slimmer! If you missed out on the explanation, every person who leaves a comment on this post means that $5 will be given to help the less fortunate. Also, if a person links back to the post from their blog (and returns to leave a second remark) another $5 will be donated. A few seconds of writing is all it takes for you to make a huge difference, so please think about commenting to help reach the total goal of $500. Thank you!
Atta Girl!
I received the Atta Girl Award from Diane at Fit to the Finish today! What a fantastic badge to be recognized with… I am honoured that someone thinks I have or will make a difference with what I write on this blog. Thank you, Diane!I did a lot of running around earlier in the day, but once I got home I was working on Christmas presents for the majority of the evening so I didn’t move off the couch too much once I settled in. I finally realized that it was starting to get late and that I had not worked out yet - just like yesterday, when the whole day kind of escaped me - so I told myself that I needed to get active.
I am tempted here to say that sometimes my inner sloth still wants to take over, but I think that it is more a case of me getting busy again with the approaching holidays and not properly budgeting enough time to get everything done. At least, that is what I am telling myself. I am taking the gentler approach with me tonight!
I have lots of things floating around in my head - none of which are particularly related to this weight loss journey - and I have found it a bit distracting the past few days. The main thing I was able to decipher from the jumble of thoughts, when out with my husband this afternoon, is that I am having trouble getting excited about Christmas. That may not seem like too big of a deal considering we are still technically in November, but I am normally the very first person to start being energized by the approaching season. I love this time of year - absolutely love it! But, I haven’t yet been able to embody the spirit like I have in the past. I just wish I could capture the essence of midwinter for more than the few fleeting moments I have managed here and there over the last couple of weeks.
Anyhow, I don’t mean to ramble on about a non-health related issue, but I guess it is really bothering me. I wonder if there are any Santa lead aerobics videos online? That would certainly get me into the swing of the season while staying focused on the weight loss plan. I always knew multitasking served a grand purpose!
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 9 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 toasted whole wheat English muffin with light peanut butter and light strawberry jam
- 1 Mandarin orange
- 8 pieces of a dynamite sushi roll with soy sauce
- 1 mug of steamed eggnog mixed with steamed soy milk
- 1 banana
- 2 cups Caesar salad with fat free dressing and croutons
EXERCISE:
- 35 minute walk with jogging intervals
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Poor Performance
Wow, did this day ever get away from me… I am all out of time, all out of excuses, and all out of the ability to think up something clever to write. It is what it is.
I just did a set of stomach crunches to not feel like the day was a total write off. I’m not sure how tomorrow will go either, unfortunately, because I have a very early start and am unlikely to even have the time to post in the morning. Yeah. This certainly won’t ever make the top of my list for days I feel contributed to my overall weight loss. What a waste…
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 8 glasses of water throughout the day
- 2 Mandarin oranges
- 1 cup of canned peaches
- 1 sandwich on whole wheat bread with sliced deli chicken, cheese, spinach, fat free Miracle Whip, mustard, and pepper
- 2 egg omelet with red and yellow peppers
- 1 glass of caramel macchiato soy milk
- 1/2 cup fat free chocolate pudding
- 1 celery stalk with tzatziki yogurt dressing
- 1 mug of decaffeinated tea with milk
EXERCISE:
- 50 stomach crunches
I just did a set of stomach crunches to not feel like the day was a total write off. I’m not sure how tomorrow will go either, unfortunately, because I have a very early start and am unlikely to even have the time to post in the morning. Yeah. This certainly won’t ever make the top of my list for days I feel contributed to my overall weight loss. What a waste…
FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 8 glasses of water throughout the day
- 2 Mandarin oranges
- 1 cup of canned peaches
- 1 sandwich on whole wheat bread with sliced deli chicken, cheese, spinach, fat free Miracle Whip, mustard, and pepper
- 2 egg omelet with red and yellow peppers
- 1 glass of caramel macchiato soy milk
- 1/2 cup fat free chocolate pudding
- 1 celery stalk with tzatziki yogurt dressing
- 1 mug of decaffeinated tea with milk
EXERCISE:
- 50 stomach crunches
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Weigh-In For Week 16
Well, I honestly was not expecting to lose so much this week given the slow start, but I am totally thrilled to report a five pound drop! I weighed in this morning at 195.4 which means that I have shed just over seventy pounds from my highest weight and just about sixty in the past three and a half months! November 25 was the day I actually slipped into onederland, but today is the first time I am putting an official number on my sidebar that starts with a ‘1’. Sometimes it’s the little things that make this journey so exciting and satisfying!
Speaking of exciting and satisfying – no, not that! *wink* – I would like to profusely thank Kimberley for also offering to match dollar for dollar whatever is raised for the Celebrating The One Hundreds Giveaway! The donation has more than doubled in size since yesterday and we are currently exactly half way to reaching goal. With Kimberley's contribution, along with the other three fabulous donors and myself, you now have the potential to help raise up to $500 for those less fortunate, so if you haven’t yet commented on the post, please check it out! Each new commenter basically helps commit $5 to the cause at no cost to themselves!
Together we can reach all of our goals!!!
Speaking of exciting and satisfying – no, not that! *wink* – I would like to profusely thank Kimberley for also offering to match dollar for dollar whatever is raised for the Celebrating The One Hundreds Giveaway! The donation has more than doubled in size since yesterday and we are currently exactly half way to reaching goal. With Kimberley's contribution, along with the other three fabulous donors and myself, you now have the potential to help raise up to $500 for those less fortunate, so if you haven’t yet commented on the post, please check it out! Each new commenter basically helps commit $5 to the cause at no cost to themselves!
Together we can reach all of our goals!!!
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