Sick To My Stomach

I had the most bizarre experience this evening. I went out and did a long jog, but my hip is still a little on the tender side so I was taking it really easy. I went slower than I normally do to avoid injury and to make sure that I was able to finish my entire set. I wouldn’t call it a great run by any means, but there was nothing wrong with it either.

Then, when I was about two or three minutes into my cool down walk I suddenly experienced a very abrupt onset of nausea. Without warning my stomach quickly became completely tense and I felt like I was truly on the verge of losing my lunch. I did the last couple of minutes of my walk and headed home immediately.

Since then, I have drank a lot of water, eaten what I felt I could (including cinnamon on an apple because I have heard it helps with digestion), taken a hot bath, consumed a few antacids, and moved slowly in an effort to get this feeling to pass. When I first arrived back home I noticed that my face was totally drained of colour, but that didn’t last long and once I had a bit of food and water in me I did start to feel a little better. But the sensation has not gone away and I am still feeling very queasy even though it is more than five hours after I initially felt nauseated.

Ugh! I have no idea where this came from! It would be one thing if I had sensed it coming on throughout the day – or even just as I was running – but I am completely confused as to why my upset stomach developed so suddenly. I really, really hope I feel better in the morning because I have the regatta that I will be in all day tomorrow.

One much more positive (albeit totally unrelated to fitness, health, or weight loss) thing that I would like to mention is that my first article for my online column came out today! I am so excited about my position with Gumboot Books and I can’t wait to build up a really good collection of written pieces on children’s activities! This new endeavor really is a dream come true!

FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 9 glasses of water
- 2 1/2 cups spinach salad with cubed cheese, croutons, dried cranberries, mushrooms, and calorie-wise Greek feta and oregano dressing
- 3 cups celery with light peanut butter
- 1 small Mandarin orange
- 2 egg wrap on a soft tortilla shell with pepper
- 1 extra large golden delicious apple with cinnamon

EXERCISE:
- 1 hour and 10 minutes of jogging with walking warm up, intervals, and cool down (1 hour of actual jogging)

Fabulously Uplifting

Just when I needed a pick-me-up the most, the lovely, warm, and very kindhearted Sheilagh has presented me with a brand new award! She actually created this little gem all on her own to celebrate her one year blogging anniversary and generously thought to pass a little love onto others with this beautiful homemade badge. Thank you so much, Sheilagh, for thinking of me!

The talented artisan of this award has asked that those who have received it pass it onto six other inspiring bloggers. No problem there! My favourite part of receiving such accolades is the sense of honour I feel when being allowed to give them to different people. As such, I would like to offer a hearty congratulations to:

Anne from Carb Tripper
Diane from Fit To The Finish
Jenn from Watch My Butt Shrink
LauraLynne from Taking The Scale By Storm!
Miz from Mizfit Online
S. from Ethereal Endeavor

FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 9 glasses of water
- 1 banana
- 1 wrap on a soft tortilla shell with deli ham, cheese, dried cranberries, spinach, fat free Miracle Whip, mustard, and pepper
- 3/4 cup fat free strawberry yogurt with 1 cup Vector cereal
- 1 1/2 cups celery with light peanut butter
- 2 cups grapes
- 3 cheese and potato perogies with bacon pieces, onion, and sour cream
- 1 pear
- 1 fiber chocolate delite bar

EXERCISE:
- 1 hour and 10 minutes of jogging with walking warm up, intervals, and cool down (1 hour of actual jogging)

Bad, Mad, And Sad

It's been a bad day. My hormones are running amuck and someone said a couple of things to me that I found really offensive and I haven't been able to break out of this poor mood since. I even let if get me down enough that I opted out of exercise for the day, although I did manage to successfully battle my corresponding urge for ice cream. I am feeling sad and sorry for myself. I think it's just best if I go to bed...

FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 8 glasses of water
- 1 wrap on a soft tortilla shell with deli ham, cheese, dried cranberries, spinach, fat free Miracle Whip, mustard, and pepper
- 3/4 cup fat free peach yogurt with 1 cup Vector cereal
- 2 cups strawberries with 95% fat free Cool Whip
- 2 cups celery with light peanut butter
- 1 pear
- 1 cranberry and almond multi-grain bar
- 2 1/2 cups steamed broccoli with margarine
- 1/4 cup corn with margarine
- 1/3 cup reduced-sodium three cheese pasta
- 1 small pork chop with cream of mushroom soup sauce
- 4 multi grain crackers
- 1 mug coconut steamed soy milk
- 1 banana

EXERCISE:
- 30 stomach crunches

A Solid Foundation

My hip seems to be doing a lot better right now. It was still very slightly achy this morning, but I chanced starting a run with it and it seemed fine. However, at the end I noticed the same thing as last time: it hurt right as I was finishing and then had me limping just a little when I was doing my cool down walk.

This time though, I took action right away and iced it as soon as I was done my jog. What a difference! The minor pain subsided within a half hour and hasn’t been back to bother me at all today. I am very happy with that because I was starting to get a little nervous about the two extremely active weekends I have approaching. I definitely don’t want to have to taper back on my fitness efforts because of an injury!

And, interestingly, as I wrote those last two sentences I realize just how different my thoughts and attitude are now compared to such a short time ago. The fact that I am looking forward to intense, competitive workout sessions – and that I experience genuine relief when I know that those endeavors will not be hindered – is a far cry from my days of sitting stationary. Plus, the sincere use of the word ‘fitness’, rather than the phrase ‘weight loss’, really tells me how far I have come. I am doing this now for many different reasons than I started with, and I know that the grounds upon which I am currently basing my motivation are very sturdy and will lead to long term success.

FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 8 glasses of water
- 1 banana
- 3/4 cup fat free peach yogurt with 1/2 cup honey nut granola cereal
- 1 sandwich on whole grain bread with lean pastrami, cheese, lettuce, light mayonnaise, mustard, and pepper
- 1 Spartan apple with cinnamon
- 4 cups of spinach salad with canned shrimp, cubed cheese, croutons, dried cranberries, and calorie-wise Greek feta and oregano dressing
- 4 large whole grain crackers
- 1 1/2 cups grapes
- 1 3/4 cups celery with light peanut butter

EXERCISE:
- 1 hour and 10 minutes of jogging with walking warm up, intervals, and cool down (1 hour of actual jogging)
- 1 hour and 30 minutes of loading a moving truck
- 1 hour and 10 minutes of rowing a dragon boat

Blogging

This is my 500th post!!! I can’t believe that I have been blogging approximately twice a day for the past eight and a half months! It has been such an important part of this journey and has helped me on a lot of different levels. I would sincerely recommend the process to anyone trying to lose weight!

When it comes to this online journal, my pattern has generally been to do one entry shortly after I get up and another one just before I go to bed. I have found that the dual posting both sets me up for an on-track day and also allows me to express how I feel that day actually went. Occasionally, I have thrown a third entry into the mix if I had something I felt I really needed to write about, and there have been a couple of times where I have had to temporarily reduce my journalling to just once a day when I have become very busy, but by and large my double posting routine has truly served me well.

But it’s a lot of work. And before anyone starts to panic after reading those five small yet significant words, I want to assure my readers that I will be continuing to write on a daily basis. However, I think that I am going to have to cut it down to generally just one post a day. But, I promise that there is a really good reason for this…

When I was six years old I wrote my very first poem. And with its creation was born a deep-rooted passion for the written word and the lifelong desire to become a writer. I have now been given a small chance to pursue this dream.

A couple of weeks ago I noted that I had gotten some amazing news, but that I was reluctant to discuss it because it hadn’t been confirmed. Well, the details have been sorted and I am now very excited to announce that I have taken a part-time position with a local publishing company writing a weekly online column about children’s activities and other relevant articles as the organization sees fit!

Starting this Friday, my pieces will essentially be published on a blog feed that runs through their website and will sometimes by highlighted in their newsletter as well. It is just a couple of hours work a week, but it still requires some restructuring of my schedule to accommodate the time spend on this new prospect. Hence, why I am having to reduce my blog posts here.

The company, Gumboot Books, is absolutely incredible too and they produce quality children's books with well-written stories which I can't wait to encourage others to read! I am truly looking forward to working with them! Their focus on education and the environment is especially appealing to me, and I am thrilled that I will be furthering their efforts in calling attention to these important elements through my column.

And while I don’t want to get too enthused by things that are not yet a reality, there has been quite a bit of discussion with the publisher about me authoring a companion activity book for a collection of short stories that they printed two years ago. I have been asked to submit some samples by the end of June and – provided they like what I have done – to complete the book in its entirety for next February. They are aiming for publication in the fall of 2011, so I really won’t know anything else on this until then, but it’s hard not to be at least a little excited. (Okay, make that a LOT excited!)

But, again, this whole thing will be taking up a lot more of my free time and something in my schedule just has to give. So, my plan for this blog is to continue writing here once a day, every evening, with an extra morning post on Saturdays to continue reporting my weigh-ins. I am also not opposed to throwing in the occasional extra entry if I have something important to report, but – because of my obvious new time constraints – I think that I will need to limit myself to these guidelines for the foreseeable future.

Dang! Just when I was on a roll… By these new calculations it’s going to take me all the way until July of next year to reach my 1000th post!

FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 9 glasses of water
- 1 wrap on a soft tortilla shell with deli ham, cheese, dried cranberries, spinach, fat free Miracle Whip, mustard, and pepper
- 3/4 cup fat free peach yogurt with 3/4 cup honey nut granola cereal
- 1 golden delicious apple with cinnamon
- 1 banana
- 3 cups celery with light peanut butter
- 1 fiber chocolate delite bar
- 3 1/2 cups spinach salad with canned shrimp, cubed cheese, croutons, dried cranberries, and calorie-wise Greek feta and oregano dressing
- 1 mug chai tea with honey and milk

EXERCISE:
- 1 hour Body Strengthening class
- 15 minute walk

Hip Hop

Whoa! I just looked at the time and realized that my day is flying by and I haven’t really gotten a lot accomplished yet! I hate it when that happens.

My hip was still hurting when I woke up so I used some more of the pain relief rub. I think I will be reapplying it again because the ache is coming back. I have been doing some gentle stretches too to attempt to work it out and I think I may try some ice next.

I don’t think it is a big problem, but I want to make sure that I tend to it properly right away. I have two important events – my dragon boating regatta and 10K race – coming up that I can’t afford to miss. I was going to go for a run today, but I will have to skip it if my hip isn’t feeling better by this evening…

Hip Action

I went a bit heavy on the carbohydrates today; I’m not sure what’s up with that. I try to be intuitive in my eating – to give my body what it is craving on a physical, not emotional, level – so I just went with it. Hopefully tomorrow I will be back to enjoying more of my fruits and vegetables though. I find that I feel lighter and more energetic when my produce consumption is higher and the protein, dairy, and carbs are a bit more balanced in my diet.

My exercise, on the other hand, was amazing today. I managed to add a walk with a good friend and a long jog into my afternoon and evening, respectively. Add that to the dragon boating practice I had this morning and I am feeling super about my high activity level! Maybe that is why my body wanted the extra carbohydrates?

The only slightly negative thing that I have to say about my workouts is that at the very end of my run I noticed a little pain in my hips – much more in my left one. And when I slowed my pace to do my cool down walk I actually found myself limping just a little bit. Maybe I pushed myself a tad too hard? I put a pain relief rub on when I got home and am hoping that takes care of it by morning. I will definitely be monitoring that closely tomorrow because the last thing I want is an injury!

FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 9 glasses of water
- 1 pan-fried banana and light peanut butter wrap on a soft tortilla shell
- 2 small Mandarin oranges
- 1 egg white wrap on a whole wheat tortilla shell with feta cheese, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 mug toffee nut steamed skim milk
- 3/4 cup fat free strawberry yogurt with 1 cup honey nut granola cereal
- 1 1/2 cups spaghetti with meat sauce and grated cheese
- 1/2 slice garlic bread
- 3 whole wheat crackers
- 1 pear

EXERCISE:
- 1 hour of walking completed in 2 outings (15 minutes long and 45 minutes long)
- 1 hour and 15 minutes of rowing a dragon boat
- 1 hour and 10 minutes of jogging with walking warm up, intervals, and cool down (1 hour of actual jogging)

If You're Happy And You Know It...

After such an amazing and exciting day yesterday, I am hoping to just enjoy a bit of calm today. I am heading out to dragon boating shortly and I may try and get in a little more exercise later on as well. Beyond that my plans are to possibly meet up with a friend and to keep chipping away at the ever growing number of items on my ‘to do’ list.

I am still so thrilled with how the 5K went! I’m not sure what could possibly top that at the moment, but I feel like my life is definitely on an upswing! So many things are progressing right now and I am feeling positive and content with the direction I am going in. I may be busy, but I sure am happy!

Winning Isn't Everything

My 5K today was amazing!!! I don’t know if I can even begin to describe what it was like to be me this morning! I was filled with amazement, pride, and joy and I know that it was a day that I will never, ever forget!

First of all, I was excited to be going to an event where the registration fees benefited a not-for-profit organization. That’s something that I always feel good about: the majority of these types of gatherings usually see any raised funds going to a good cause. I like knowing that the money I am spending on signing up for a race will benefit those who need it in some way.

I was also incredibly pleased to be there with my husband! He spent the entire day touting the run as the one and only 5K he will ever take part in so I was happy that we got to do it together. He is so glad to now be completely done with the C25K and I know that he is really proud of the way he pushed through all the times he wanted to quit. I loved being out with him this morning and seeing the culmination of the entire program for both of us!

As we were waiting for the event to begin, I overheard one of the organizers saying that there were over one hundred people registered (for two separate runs) but that she didn’t think they had quite all turned up. I would guess that there were eighty or so competitors present, but that is just a rough estimation. The people who were there for the 10K portion started right at 9:00am and then, three minutes later, the rest of us set out on the 5K. The course was covered in gravel and was very nice and flat with a few twists and turns as it ran alongside a river. The portion that we jogged went out to a 2.5K marker, posted next to a couple of volunteers, where we turned around and then doubled back to the starting line.

With stuff like this I always seem to have one goal that I am vocal about and then another ‘secret’ one that I am much less likely to advertise. I guess if gives me something additional to aim for without creating a bunch of pressure around the more lofty aspiration. For this race I knew that I really wanted to run the whole thing; my aim was to avoid walking for any of the course. My ‘secret’ ambition was to break the thirty minute mark. I was really unsure of the reality of this goal since the last time I actually checked the distance on one of my jogs I was still not quite averaging 4.5K in half an hour. Plus, while I have participated in two other such races over the past several months – during which, however, I alternately jogged and walked – my times were significantly closer to forty minutes than to thirty.

At any rate, I had both of my goals in mind as the crowd counted down the seconds for our race to begin. I kissed my husband, turned on my music, and we were off!

We started right in the middle of our group, but my hubby quickly pulled out towards the front with a lot of the men and a number of women. I settled into my pace and noticed that I was started to overtake a few people myself. I chalked it up to my enthusiasm and pressed on.

I knew almost from the start that I was going to be able to accomplish my goal of jogging the whole course! I was so excited! There were definitely still a few moments in the second half where I had to talk myself into pushing a little harder in order to avoid slowing to a walk, and I got a tiny bit of a stomach cramp at one point that I had to work through, but I knew that I had it. And I did! I ran the entire race!!!

It was at the 1K marker – set out for any kids who wanted to do a shorter course – that I checked my watch and felt relatively certain that I would also be able to beat my thirty minute maximum. I clocked that first kilometer at a bit less than six minutes and was determined to keep up my pace to reach my goal. I stayed with it, checked my time at the half way point, and felt that initial confidence grow as I continued on to the end.

When I crossed that finish line I knew I had done it! I missed the exact number on the clock display when I ran past, so I quickly found the record keeper and asked how I had done… 28:01!!! I couldn’t believe it! I think I squealed, “Really?!” before breaking into a small series of ecstatic dance-like moves! My husband had obviously finished before me and so we inquired about his time too and it was 25:06! I was so proud of both of us!!!

Then, the woman who was giving us the timing information told us something that neither of us were even remotely expecting. Both of us had placed first – in the men’s and women’s divisions – for the 5K!!! Let me repeat that, because I think this little tidbit really deserves some attention: We. Placed. First!!!

WHAT?! WOW!!!!! I never, in my wildest dreams, thought that either of us had a shot at that distinction! I know it was a smaller race – that there weren’t a ton of competitors and that we were obviously amid recreational runners with nary a professional in sight – but it still feels incredible to know that we actually both won the 5K!!!

So after I absorbed that piece of information I immediately burst into tears! The woman we were talking with kindly asked why and all I could say was that I had lost over a hundred pounds and that I couldn’t believe how far I had come. I can still hardly fathom it. I won so much more than simply that race today…

We got a couple of great prizes for finishing at the head of the pack too. My hubby walked away with an inexpensive, but nice looking, dress watch and a $20 gift card to the Running Room and I was awarded an $80 gift certificate for a massage! Not bad for less than a half hour of work! I stand by my previous statement though. The rewards that are being reaped on this journey have a much greater worth that can possibly be printed onto a piece of paper or a card and shine a thousand times brighter than any bauble ever could. What I am getting out of this new lifestyle is much more valuable than any prize I might receive – although you can bet that I am going to enjoy every single second of that massage!

My arm pump of victory as I crossed the finish line.

My husband and me after we found out we both placed first.

FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 9 glasses of water
- 2 egg wrap on a soft tortilla shell with grated cheese, mushrooms, onion, and pepper
- 1 large banana
- 1 bite of a cheese bun
- 5 sips hot chocolate with cream
- 1 miniature chocolate cupcake with icing and sprinkles
- 1 oatmeal and apricot muffin
- 1 mug extra coconut steamed soy milk
- 2 small Mandarin oranges
- 1 large golden delicious apple with cinnamon
- 1 pear
- 1/4 cup canned corn with butter
- 1/2 cup mashed potatoes with butter
- 1 cup pork with cream of mushroom soup sauce
- 3 sweet pickles
- 1 white dinner roll with butter
- 1 slice of lemon meringue pie

EXERCISE:
- 5K race completed in 28:01

Weigh-In For Week 37

I am on my way out the door, but I wanted to report my weigh-in before I left. 145.2! It’s definitely on the smaller side of what my losses have been so far, but considering that I am getting closer and closer to a maintenance weight, I am quite pleased with the drop.

I am still hoping to accomplish my goal for Tammy’s Summer Challenge by its culmination next week, but I won’t be devastated if I don’t quite make it. I’ve done really well up to this point, so I have nothing to complain about! I do, however, find it oddly motivating to know that I would get a tacky souvenir as a prize for dropping the whole ten pounds!

Now I’m leaving to go jog in the 5K with my husband. It should be fun! I hope we can both run it all!

What Kind Of Life Am I Leading?

The next three weekends are going to be very active and unique! I have a 5K, a regatta, and a 10K that I will be involved in. When on earth did my life start looking so dynamic?!

I am excited about each of the three upcoming events for different reasons. The 5K that I will be in tomorrow is the culmination of a program that gave me the confidence to know that I can jog for at least a half hour straight. I may not be quick, but my determination will carry me through to that finish line!

The dragon boating on the first of the month will be the very first team sporting event that I have taken part in since I was a child. I feel like a kid, too, when I think about this race! I haven’t yet found anything that I dislike about rowing and am so looking forward to participating in an actual regatta. I think it will be such a great time!

And then there is the 10K that I have just signed up for and which takes place in only two weeks. I have had it in the back of my mind for a little while now to work towards feeling like I can take part in this run, and I am finally there! I don’t know how I will divide my time between jogging and walking yet, but I will be working at the former as much as I am able. The sheer thought of me doing something like this eight months ago would have been laughable; to know that I am now at a point where I won’t feel out of place at such an event is incredible!

There is a tell-tale vibrancy that is a part of my lifestyle now that never used to be there. I have always lived well and ensured that I enjoyed and savoured my experiences, but I don’t think that the outward appearance of that endeavor ever matched up with how I felt. I’m quite certain that outsiders would have looked at me at 266 pounds and never known how much I embraced this existence. But, now it’s evident for all to see! Now I look the part of someone who can’t get enough of this wondrous thing called life!!!

FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 8 glasses of water
- 1 banana
- 1/2 cup honey nut granola cereal
- 1 fiber chocolate delite bar
- 3 cups Caesar salad with bacon bits, Parmesan cheese, and croutons
- 2 small Mandarin oranges
- 1 pear
- 1 wrap on a soft tortilla shell with deli ham, cheese, dried cranberries, spinach, fat free Miracle Whip, mustard, and pepper

EXERCISE:
- 30 stomach crunches

More Of The Same

My last post was all about how I am planning on doing a 5K this weekend. Well I’ve sort of upped the ante! On May 9th I have officially signed up to do a 10K!

I am nervous! It is a huge jump to go from one to the other! I am going to guess that jogging the whole thing won’t be happening, but I will try to run as much of it as I can. It’s a very big event. They even make you estimate your finish time when you register!

I am also really excited! I can’t believe that I actually signed up to do a 10K! Even if I walk for half of it, I think that it is still something to really be proud of. It is an enormous marker of success on this journey and I can’t wait to see it through!

Racing Towards The Weekend

I am so excited! I signed up for a 5K with my husband! The two of us will be jogging this Saturday in the morning in a community a little less than an hour away from where we live.

It’s the one and only race that my man will probably ever run in since he is remaining fast and true to his dislike of that particular form of exercise. He is bound and determined, though, to complete a 5K so that he can say he saw the C25K program through to its conclusion. I’m so proud of him!

We are aiming to jog the entire thing obviously. I hope we can do it! I have no idea what my time will be like, but as long as I beat my record from the last one I partially walked and partially ran in, I will be happy!

FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 4 glasses of water
- 1 wrap on a soft tortilla shell with deli ham, cheese, dried cranberries, spinach, fat free Miracle Whip, mustard, and pepper
- 1 banana
- 3 1/2 cups Caesar salad with bacon pieces, Parmesan cheese, and croutons
- 4 cups salad with ham, grated cheese, lettuce, tomato, green pepper, onion, black olives, and honey mustard dressing
- 3 bites of a white chocolate macadamia cookie
- 1 small Mandarin orange

EXERCISE:
- 35 minutes of walking completed in 2 outings (20 minutes long and 15 minutes long)

Buddha Belly

For as long as I can remember I have had some very particular topography I have disliked when it comes to my body. Where my stomach ends, and my hips and legs begin, there has always been this defined ridge that is formed due to the significant overhang of my tummy. It’s not just a roll, but rather an obvious separation between body parts.

But now it is finally started to fade! Sure, it had become less defined over the past several months, yet I was always aware that the separation was still there. It is only just recently that it has begun to look flatter.

By no means am I saying I have a flat stomach – and there is more loose skin than I care to admit to – but the ridge is becoming less defined. It is more of a gentle slope now than a severe cutback. This has been one of my favourite physical changes so far and I am so proud that I have made this happen!

Run Down

I am so tired, I can barely keep my eyes open! I did a run really late this evening and it just completely wiped me. I did it though. It was probably the slowest jog I have ever done – I think that’s called ‘slogging’ – but I got it done. And now: to bed.

FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 8 glasses of water
- 1 toasted raisin English muffin with light peanut butter
- 1 pear
- 1 golden delicious apple with cinnamon
- 4 cups spinach salad with shrimp, cubed cheese, croutons, dried cranberries, and calorie-wise Greek feta and oregano dressing
- 5 cheese and potato perogies with bacon pieces, onion, and sour cream
- 4 large whole grain crackers
- 1 small Mandarin orange

EXERCISE:
- 1 hour walk
- 1 hour and 15 minutes of jogging with walking warm up, intervals, and cool down (1 hour of actual jogging)

Planned Parenthood

A couple of months ago I started a collection of maternity wear. No, I am not outing a pregnancy, but rather thought that it would be wise to take advantage of my current journey’s resulting wardrobe changes so that I will be prepared for when I actually have use for such clothing.

Back in January, I gave away numerous bags of too large clothing with the assumption that I would soon have other items available for donation due to my continuing weight loss. Well, my guess was correct, but instead of sending my garments away this time I have put aside a small assortment of these bigger sizes for me to use when I do become pregnant.

I don’t have a lot of items so far. When I donated all of the clothing at the start of the year, I was left with very little. Since then, I have purchased stuff as I have needed it, but I am now dealing with much smaller sizes and there seems to be less differentiation between them. So my new clothing seems to be lasting me a bit longer, which is nice, but it means that I am not accumulating as many out-of-rotation items as quickly as I was before.

Nevertheless, I am pleased to be thinking ahead to plans that are not that far off in the future and to be re-designating items for myself even though I can’t use them right now. I am really hoping that it saves me a bit of money in the long run… it literally pays to think ahead!

No Forwarding Address

When I started this journey back in August I lived not quite twenty minutes away (by foot) from the nearest main street. It took me about an additional ten minutes to walk to the hub of my community where all the shops are located.

I now live a bit more than ten minutes from the main artery and just twenty from all the stores. But I haven’t moved. I am just that much faster!

It’s so funny that there are little pros and cons to each and every part of this journey. On the one hand I am thrilled that I have picked up that much speed in my walking and that it is so much faster for me to get around now. However, there is also a part of me that is slightly annoyed by the fact that I don’t have to put aside as much time to get me to places. I have always recorded my exercise by minutes, not distance, so I feel like I am doing less now than I did before even though I am covering the same ground!

FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 8 glasses of water
- 1 banana
- 1 wrap on a soft tortilla shell with deli ham, cheese, dried cranberries, spinach, fat free Miracle Whip mustard, and pepper
- 3/4 cup fat free peach yogurt with 1 cup honey nut granola cereal
- 1 pear
- 2 small Mandarin oranges
- 3 1/2 cups celery with light peanut butter

EXERCISE:
- 1 hour and 5 minutes of rowing a dragon boat
- 1 hour and 15 minutes of jogging with walking warm up, intervals, and cool down (1 hour of actual jogging)

Out Of The Ordinary

I’ve noticed recently that there have been a couple of ‘bad’ eating days that I have mentioned on here. You would think that I would be frustrated by that fact, but I actually find it oddly reassuring.

We notice the things that are most out of the ordinary. Stuff that is commonplace fades into the background and is rarely recognized. It used to be the case that I would be really excited if I was able to pull off an on-track food day.

But those ‘good’ days are all strung together now into one long successful pattern. I barely notice that I am doing well because I have gotten used to it. It’s like my default has been replaced. There’s nothing remarkable about my day to day habits and so I only take stock when I am not following my typical routine.

The fact that I am noticing the times that I am off is really great! It means that I have become so fully entrenched in this new lifestyle that I can immediately discern the days when I have trouble sticking to the plan. My norm has completely changed!

Nothing New

Today was really bad on the food front. But, I have to say that what I ate was done consciously and not as a binging episode or due to negative emotions or anything. Maybe that makes it worse since I was in full control of my decisions, but I think it is actually a good thing.

I started the day off as normal and didn’t anticipate any deviation from my typical fare. Then I got confirmation of something that I am really excited about and suddenly the eating started to go downhill. I wanted to celebrate. So, I went to McDonald’s and had a single cheeseburger, plus I located one of my favourite specialty shops and I purchased and ate three chocolates from there. To me that felt like the perfect way to acknowledge that I was deserving of a little treat. I was satisfied with what I had eaten and felt completely ready to move forward from my indulgence.

Then, however, as the day drew to a close, I was feeling like I hadn’t had the opportunity to celebrate as much as I should have. I was not craving more food, but rather the enjoyment of festivity over my circumstances. Unfortunately, because it was so late in the evening at that point, there really weren’t a lot of options available to help highlight the gaiety that I was feeling. So I turned to food again.

My husband and I went to a restaurant for a late night meal. I did opt for a salad in a minor attempt to maintain some semblance of healthy choices, but, honestly, it was quite heavily laden with bacon and cheese. When the waitress asked if we wanted dessert we decided to pass… but then we walked around the corner to a coffee shop where I enjoyed a doughnut.

So, it certainly was not a very stellar day for eating well. I feel like there should be a bigger lesson in here somewhere, but I think that this is really just an example of me having more food than I know I should have. I am now bloated. It will take me time to work off the excess calories and sodium. I will have to be even more diligent over the next few days to stay on track. Poor choices lead to consequences. The rule of cause and effect remains tried, tested, and true.

FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 10 glasses of water
- 2 1/2 cups spinach salad with canned shrimp, cubed cheese, croutons, dried cranberries, and calorie-wise Greek feta and oregano dressing
- 2 golden delicious apples with cinnamon
- 1 banana
- 1 mug toffee nut steamed skim milk
- 1 cheeseburger with ketchup, mustard, and onions
- 1 ice wine chocolate truffle
- 1 pecan caramel chocolate
- 1 orange cream chocolate
- 1 skinless chicken drumstick
- 2 cups creamy garlic Raffaello pasta
- 3/4 cup fat free strawberry yogurt with 1 cup honey nut granola cereal
- 1 mug hot chocolate with whipped cream
- 7 yam fries with spicy mayonnaise dip
- 4 1/2 cups spinach salad with bacon pieces, grated cheese, boiled egg, tomato, mushrooms, and vinaigrette dressing
- 1 vanilla dip doughnut with icing and sprinkles

EXERCISE:
- 1 hour Body Strengthening class

Uninspired

I had a great dragon boating practice. I enjoyed participating as an audience member in the filming of an amateur music video. I got to spend a few peaceful moments with my wonderful husband. I am also really looking forward to a meeting that I have tomorrow. Overall, the day has been really great.

But I am in a bad mood. I am feeling a bit unsupported by a lot of the people in my life and am not very happy about it. Maybe ‘unsupported' is the wrong word: Forgotten? Unimportant? Like the very last thing on a long, long list of various priorities? Whatever. I am indignant.

I think I’m normally a pretty positive person, but I just don’t have the energy, nor the desire, to look for the silver lining right now. Apparently it is a time for wallowing and, unfortunately, wallowing doesn’t tend to make for terribly inspiring writing.

I might post in the morning. I might not. I’ll get over myself soon though and have something more upbeat to record at some point tomorrow. For tonight, reporting on the food and the exercise is taking a backseat to my irritability. Then again, I can’t help but recall that it supposedly takes more muscles to frown than to smile. Maybe I am burning a higher number of calories than usual due to my present state…

FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 5 glasses of water
- 1 wrap on a soft tortilla shell with deli ham, cheese, dried cranberries, spinach, fat free Miracle Whip, mustard, and pepper
- 1 banana
- 2 small Mandarin oranges
- 3/4 cup fat free peach yogurt with 1 cup honey nut granola cereal
- 5 tortilla chips with salsa
- 1 mug extra coconut steamed soy milk
- 6 pieces of a California sushi roll with soy sauce

EXERCISE:
- 25 minute walk
- 1 hour and 10 minutes of rowing a dragon boat

Retiring Late And Rising Early

After a fun time at a girl’s night where a few of us gathered at one person’s house to chat away the evening, I am officially bagged! It was really fun and I got a couple of great reactions to my weight loss tonight from people I haven’t seen in approximately a year; one woman told me I look like a totally different person.

I did okay around the snacky foods that were there. I mostly ate vegetables, but I did have way more than I normally would have just because I reverted a bit into my old social eating mode. I have to watch that! I overdid it on the crackers, but I had adjusted my consumption throughout the earlier part of the day to account for any extra munching I did this evening, so I am thinking it will be fine.

Anyhow, I just got home and am heading to bed right away since I have dragon boating in the morning. There will definitely be a few extra run-ins with the snooze alarm so I will not be back to post again until tomorrow evening.

FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 11 glasses of water
- 1 wrap on a soft tortilla shell with deli ham, cheese, dried cranberries, spinach, fat free Miracle Whip, mustard, and pepper
- 1 banana
- 3/4 cup fat free strawberry yogurt with 1 cup whole grain Cheerios
- 1 gala apple with cinnamon
- 1/2 coconut ambrosia health bar
- 1 pear
- 5 1/2 cups veggie platter of carrots, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, and celery with ranch dip
- 33 low fat herb crackers with artichoke and Asiago cheese dip
- 1 cup homemade caramel popcorn

EXERCISE:
- 20 minute walk

Weigh-In For Week 36

I think my scale is broken.

Or, perhaps, the universe is finding great amusement in lending credence to my claim that I tend to figure in on the low side come weigh day.

Most likely I have been working my way through some sodium bloat and water retention.

Whatever the case may be, I know that every single day throughout this week I have consistently seen higher numbers on the scale than I did last Saturday. And yesterday, for Tammy’s Summer Challenge, I weighed in at 149.8. I even took the battery out of the blasted machine and put it back in again before trying to step on it for a fourth time when I saw those digits pop up because I was so frustrated. I felt like I was really making the effort, but not reaping any of the rewards. I was positive that this week would finally end my losing streak. In fact, I have to admit that I was so sure of that likelihood that I actually had the thought of throwing in the towel for the day and binging so that I could justify a gain! I didn't do it though and I am so glad...

I weighed in this morning at 146.6. That’s a two pound loss from last week! What?! Okay, maybe that’s not so weird. But it does suggest more than a three pound drop from yesterday! Obviously there were some serious fluctuations in my sodium, hormone, or weird chemical levels going on to account for that. But, talk about waiting – or is that weighting – until the last minute to see results!

You Can't Put A Price On Health

Losing weight is expensive. At least, creating a healthier lifestyle can be. When I first started on this journey I really did not spend a lot of extra money. It was all about making small changes that easily fit into my normal existence and that didn’t tend to cost a lot.

But soon, the pounds started coming off and my first financial concern cropped up when I realized the sheer amount of clothing that I needed to replace, and which I would need to continue renewing as I lost more weight. Then, slowly, the price of small exercise accessories – weights, DVD’s, and a yoga mat – started adding up. Over the last few months I have suddenly had to start factoring the cost of classes and team sports into our budget. And now, the pursuit of such hobbies is resulting in a serious cash flow issue as I discover exactly how much money can be spent on obtaining proper athletic equipment.

It never occurred to me that getting healthier would end up being so pricey. I was anticipating experiencing such problems in a minor way when it came to choosing better foods, for example, but I never actually noticed a big difference in the grocery bill. And the cost of joining a gym simply wasn’t a factor for me because I did the majority of my initial workouts at home. The financial aspects of this journey just sort of snuck up on me!

I do know that I don’t actually need to spend a lot to continue on this path. I am quite capable of losing the weight and maintaining my loss while working out at home. I can purchase used clothing. I don’t have to buy expensive items to be fit.

But, like I said, it’s about changing my lifestyle. I am in the midst of creating something different for myself. I am working to develop something that will last long after the pounds cease to drop away and which will, hopefully, serve to keep activity as an easily accessible part of my long-term routine. This is about shaping my future, and I think that deserves a little investment.

FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 9 glasses of water
- 2 3/4 cups spinach salad with croutons, dried cranberries, tomato, red pepper, and calorie-wise Greek feta and oregano dressing
- 1 small Mandarin orange
- 1 banana
- 1/2 coconut ambrosia health bar
- 3 cups Caesar salad with Parmesan cheese, bacon pieces, and croutons
- 1 pear
- 1/3 cup fat free peach yogurt

EXERCISE:
- 1 hour and 5 minutes of jogging with walking warm up, intervals, and cool down (50 minutes of actual jogging)

Significantly Transformed

Yup! It’s time for yet another installment of the Significant Milestone Awards! I just love handing these little accolades out to people and am so excited to pass around a bit of link love to these very deserving folks! I am very proud to introduce the latest recipients of my homemade badge of recognition:

Jack from Jack Sh*t, Getting’ Fit for reaching 1000 followers on his blog!

Seth from 1010 In 2010: My Journey for refusing to give up on his healthier lifestyle despite having a major goal temporarily put on hold due to a broken ankle!

Laura from 100in12 for hitting the 50 pounds lost mark!

Tricia from Endurance Isn’t Only Physical for hitting the 125 pounds lost mark!

Amy from Finding The Fit Girl! for making it to Onederland and for not giving up on her desire to stay there forever!

Dawne from 365 Days To A New Me for hitting the 75 pounds lost mark!

Jo from 285.5 for hitting the 75 pounds lost mark!

Matt from Lots To Lose for hitting the 25 pounds lost mark!

Tammy at From Fat To Fab for getting through a truly bad day with her sense of humour and her plan for a healthy lifestyle still in tact!

Good For The Sole

I bought shoes! Not one, not two, and not three or four, but five pairs of shoes were purchased with a few swipes of my debit card today! Yikes! Trust me when I say I have probably never spent that much on shoes in a year, let alone all in one day.

One pair was for my husband, but the other four were all mine. We really were in poor shape with our footwear, so I just can’t bring myself to feel too bad about the multitude of new shoes we brought home tonight. Plus, they were all planned for, so there was no impulse buying going on which always makes me feel a little better about spending money we don’t really have. I’d feel much worse if I had just given in to some pretty heels or something I saw on a whim, but these were all items we knew we were going to get eventually. I just didn’t think we would do it all in one big shop!

My hubby got a great pair of running shoes that he is very happy with. He will be using them mostly for lacrosse, since he was recently invited to join a team. I ended up with a couple of staples. I got a replacement pair of light trail shoes for my day to day; they are duplicates of the ones I already own since the originals are pretty worn out. I also got a nice (and cheap) pair of sandals that I will wear regularly come summer as the last ones I had are a couple of years old and completely falling apart.

I also got some new toys! I purchased a beautiful pair of water sandals for dragon boating. I am a bit of a dork because I went with the colour that I know will match our team shirts. As much as I simply enjoy the look of them, I am actually really excited to use them since they are specifically designed for water sports. A couple of the women on my team have the same model that I bought and they swear by them. The comfort and grip are supposedly perfect for rowing since you need to really plant your feet and brace yourself with every stroke.

And I found a fantastic pair of runners at a huge sale we knew was starting today. I slipped those puppies on and my feet felt like they had come home! I have been jogging in my old pair of trail shoes and am pretty sure that I may be causing more harm than good with their lack of cushioning and proper support. It was time to buy the footwear actually creating for what I have been doing. They are the very first pair of authentic running shoes that I have ever bought with the intention of reserving their use strictly for – surprise, surprise – running.
I am really pleased that we got all of the shoes we so greatly needed. Sadly, I have used duct tape on my sandals and boots before and was not looking forward to the possibility of repeating that act of desperation. I also think that it’s pretty neat to be getting into the specialized items for rowing and jogging. I never would have thought that I would one day have a genuine need to purchase athletic footwear!

FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 7 glasses of water
- 1 toasted raisin English muffin with light peanut butter
- 4 cups salad with sliced deli ham, grated cheese, lettuce, tomato, green pepper, onion, black olives, and honey mustard dressing
- 4 cups Caesar salad with shrimp, Parmesan cheese, and croutons
- 5 sweet potato fries with spicy mayonnaise
- 1 banana
- 1 toffee nut steamed skim milk

EXERCISE:
- 1 hour and 40 minutes of walking completed in 2 outings (1 hour long and 40 minutes long)
- 35 minute step workout video

Short And Sweet

I am having a little trouble waking up today; I’m not feeling overly coherent nor alert yet, so I think I will keep this short.

I think it's going to be a relatively low key day today which gives me hope that I may be able to get in some decent exercise. I am thinking that I will try to drag my husband out for a nice, long walk later on though he may be of a different opinion!

Trying To Get A Little Perspective

I had a moment of frustration tonight which resulted in me trying to express to my husband how I get confused when I think about what I look like now. I really have no idea of what image should be in my mind when I think of myself and I couldn’t even begin to guess at how I look compared to others. I know my sizes, my measurements, and my weight, but none of that actually help me to understand how I appear.

My man can be very wise at times. I was attempting to describe all of this to him when he looked at me and said, “It’s like if you were walking down the street and saw yourself; you wouldn’t recognize you.” Yes! That is exactly how it is!

I really need to think about this some more. It is something that has been bothering me for a couple of months now and I still don’t have a handle on it…

FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 11 glasses of water
- 2 egg wrap on a soft tortilla shell with grated cheese, mushrooms, and pepper
- 1 gala apple with cinnamon
- 3/4 cup fat free strawberry yogurt with 1 cup whole grain Cheerios
- 2 1/2 cups celery with light peanut butter
- 2 small Mandarin oranges
- 2 cheese and potato perogies with bacon pieces, lots of onion, and light sour cream
- 3 bites of a caramel apple cinnamon pudding ring cake

EXERCISE:
- 1 hour and 5 minutes of jogging with walking warm up, intervals, and cool down (50 minutes of actual jogging)

What You See Is Not What You Get

For all the exercise I have been getting in this week, the scale sure is being stubborn. I don’t think I have been overeating, nor do I believe that I am dealing with hormonal fluctuations right now. I’m not sure what is going on.

It can be so frustrating when I don’t see the scale reflecting back numbers that I believe I have earned. Even more so, when I know I must then look to other measures of success, it can get equally depressing when I struggle to find something else to serve as a benchmark of my success.

My jeans are not fitting any better. I haven’t lost any inches since the start of the month. I am not seeing any new definition in my muscles.

So, when all else fails, it becomes more about looking beyond the physical and examining what psychological benefits there are to creating and maintaining a healthier lifestyle. Perhaps that is where my attention should have been all along, but – as anyone attempting to lose weight can attest – that certainly isn’t where I have been focused.

But it is a vital part of the process, and, in fact, I think that its level of importance goes up as the results displayed by physical factors go down. My need to recognize that progress is still taking place in some manner increases as my actual weight loss slows. Validation of my efforts must still exist in some form or another.

So, after digging a little deeper I realize that my mood has been more elevated. I have found the growing intensity of my workouts to be invigorating and exciting. My healthy food choices are feeling even more natural and instinctual than before.

I am still having success. Even if that number on the scale never budges again, I know that I have implemented amazing changes into my life. I am a perpetual work in progress: with ‘progress’ being the operative word.

Rowing Machine

Today was another excellent dragon boating practice. We are getting into it in a more intense manner and I really like it! I find it invigorating; my husband thinks of it more as exhausting. He still enjoys himself though!

We are both having such a great time with this sport and it is so nice to find something (else) physical that we can engage in as a couple! May 1st is our first competitive race and I officially signed up for it this evening. My hubby needs to see if he can shift something around on his schedule before he can commit, but we are hoping we will both be able to participate in the regatta. It will be so much fun!

Our team isn’t very competitive by nature. I think the majority of the people in our group come out for the social aspect and because it is such a fun way to get in some form of exercise. So, I’m not sure of what to expect come race day, but it will certainly be a new experience and one that I am very much looking forward to. I know that I am a rookie, and I probably have no chance of being asked whatsoever, but I would love for them to offer me the chance to be lead during at least one of the four races we are slated to compete in on May 1st. That would be amazing!

I can’t believe that I am a part of a water sports’ team and that I am having such a great time learning the ropes. It’s kind of surreal given where I was eight months ago. I think it’s a great example of how exercise can be genuinely enjoyed and successfully incorporated into one’s life. And I am just loving it!

FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 9 glasses of water
- 1 pan-fried banana and light peanut butter wrap on a soft tortilla shell
- 3/4 cup fat free peach yogurt with 3/4 cup Fiber 1 honey clusters cereal
- 6 pieces of a California sushi roll with soy sauce
- 7 large whole grain crackers
- 1 cranberry and almond multi-grain bar
- 3 cups celery with light peanut butter
- 1 gala apple with cinnamon

EXERCISE:
- 1 hour and 5 minutes of rowing a dragon boat

Tracking Progress

I went out jogging with a friend yesterday afternoon. It came about quite unexpectedly when I was chatting with her and she said that she was planning on going for a run to take advantage of the nice weather. I offered to meet up with her and she was quick to accept.

I was very nervous about the thought of exercising in such a manner with this woman because I know that she is, and always has been, quite fit. As we discussed the specifics of the upcoming run I went to fairly great lengths to ensure that she knew I would be going at my own pace (which would undoubtedly be slower than her own) and that if she wanted to go ahead that I was fine with that. I made sure she knew that I was happy to just have someone on the track with me even if we weren’t working out side by side.

So when we started out jogging after our five minute warm-up walk, and had gone for less than ten paces, I was shocked to hear her laughingly call me a liar from a few steps behind. I was going faster than her! It was immediately obvious that there were no hard feelings so I just settled into my run, but I was actually quite thrown by the whole thing.

To further my confusion on the matter, I was at least three-quarters of a lap ahead of her towards the middle of our time out together on the track and, due to some significant chronic pain that this wonderful woman unfortunately suffers from and the fact that she developed a sudden nosebleed while running, she was forced to slow to a walk at a few different points. I really don’t know what to make of all that.

I want to be proud of the fact that it appears that I am faster than a friend I have always viewed as in shape, but I know she said she was having an off day. I would like to feel good about how I exemplified more endurance during the course of our workout, yet I don’t know if that is accurate since she was dealing with some pain (and a bloody nose) for at least part of the run. I think that I should stop myself from making any type of comparison to others; however, I can’t help but find yesterday’s event a bit disconcerting as it really challenges my perception of reality.

I think that what it comes down to is that I still view myself as weighing 266 pounds. So how on earth could a woman of that size keep up with someone who is obviously so much more fit? Logically, I know that my physique and fitness level are totally different from where I was eight months ago, but my mind hasn’t quite internalized that fact just yet. Someday I will get it.

I really am so proud of both my friend and I for going to the track yesterday. Whether it is more of a physical battle like she is going through or a mental struggle such as my own – whether I did a little better this time or she kicks my behind from now on – we both continue to rise to the challenges presented to us. That is, and always will be, much more important than any amount of speed or stamina.

Trying Something New

I attended the first of five Body Strengthening sessions this evening. I signed up for them with a friend to support her in her own endeavors to lose weight and become more fit (although I honestly feel that she is beautiful and extremely trim already). I have to admit that these particular classes did not overly excite me when I read the course description, but I wanted to participate for the sake of my friend. So it was with very slight trepidation that I entered the multi-purpose room it was to be held in this evening.

The write-up on the class stated that it would focus on a combination of ballet, Pilates, and yoga moves to strengthen and stretch the body. I have never been even remotely interested in ballet, have no desire to pursue Pilates after my brief encounter with planks during the 30 Day Shred, and have a distinct memory of the one and only yoga session I tried (years ago) resulting in me swearing I would never attempt such a thing again. Needless to say, I was hesitant to even sign up for the class, much less participate in it with enthusiasm.

But, regardless of how I managed during the workouts – and forgetting for a moment that I was there largely in a supportive role – I was looking forward to attempting yet another new activity. One of the best parts of losing this weight has been that I now feel much more comfortable trying things out. Before, my hesitation would not have been centered on a concern of whether I would like it or if it would align with my interests. Rather, my uncertainty would have stemmed from a fear of looking foolish, of not being able to keep up, and of having to walk out part way through the session with the glum realization that I was unable to finish. I am not saying that in the past any of those scenarios would have necessarily come to fruition nor that the fear was ever severe enough to actually keep me from doing something, but it was definitely a factor. And now it’s not.

So, in a strange way I was looking forward to the class tonight. It was one more opportunity in a very long line of fresh chances that I have gifted to myself as a result of this journey. It turned out that the class went well. I found it to be a bit slow, and more relaxing and stretching focused than I generally like my exercise to be, but it was still really nice to explore something different this evening. Stepping out of one's comfort zone is always good for the soul!

FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 8 glasses of water
- 1 pan-fried banana and light peanut butter wrap on a soft tortilla shell
- 1 mug toffee nut steamed skim milk
- 3/4 cup mango-vanilla yogurt with 1 cup maple almond granola cereal
- 2 egg wrap on a soft tortilla shell with grated cheese, yellow pepper, onion, and pepper
- 3 1/2 cups low fat butter flavoured popcorn
- 1/4 cup dried pear
- 1/2 cup corn with margarine
- 1 cup steamed broccoli and cauliflower with margarine
- 3/4 cup basmati rice with soy sauce
- 2 slices pork loin
- 1 piece of sweet and sour pork
- 1 mug white mocha steamed skim milk

EXERCISE:
- 50 minutes of jogging with walking warm up, intervals, and cool down (40 minutes of actual jogging)
- 55 minute Body Strengthening class

What A Difference A Year Makes

I don’t recall if we were at my in-laws for Easter dinner last year on the Sunday or the Monday – the 12th or the 13th, respectively. For all I can remember, we may have visited with them on the Friday or the Saturday before that, since it would have been a long weekend, but I suspect that it was more likely one of the two formerly mentioned days that saw us breaking bread with my husband’s parents. For my purposes – and also because I starting this blog on August 12th, exactly eight months ago today – I will assume that it was precisely four months earlier that saw me at that supper. But why is all this important?

Today is April 12, 2010. That means that one year ago, I stepped up on the scale after gorging myself at a holiday feast and saw ‘266’ glaring up at me from the washroom floor. I was disgusted. I had no idea that I had let my weight climb so high. It had probably been a good fifteen pounds since I had weighed myself prior to that, so the number was definitely a shock. I did what any reasonable person would do in those circumstances: I went and ate dessert.

If there is anyone out there who needs to hear it, here it is: You can do this! I believe with all of my heart that it is possible for any person out there struggling with their weight to take back what they never thought they would have again, to reclaim all that they have dreamed about for so long!

There is no magical solution! It takes work and dedication and a lot of effort to change the habits that have formed over the years, to work through the mental and emotional battles, and to discover how to reshape your body into something that works with and for you rather than against you. But it is possible! And for all the difficulties that are there to face, there are so many more victories, milestones, and positives than you ever could have imagined! It is worth it! YOU are worth it!!!

I have lost over 115 pounds this year. I started out at 266 and now weigh under 150. I can’t even begin to express how much disbelief I still feel when I think about that! But, I do know without a single doubt that if I can do it, anyone can.

I went and had that dessert… I engaged in the patterns that got me to my biggest state within minutes of discovering how far gone I really was. It took me another four months to really get serious about this journey; before that I stumbled more times than I can count. I get how hard this is and I understand that we are all fighting lifetimes of habits and emotions and circumstances. But, I have to ask… Where could you be next year?

Exercising My Right To Change

I had an incredible workout day! I did dragon boating earlier on and still had enough steam in the engine to manage a jog with walking intervals tonight. Both activities felt superb and I know they really got my heart pumping and my body moving with genuine strength!

The best way I can describe the rowing is to say that it was the easiest and the hardest practice we have had so far. Everything just seemed to flow naturally and we were really in sync and having fun out on the water as a team. At the same time though we put forth more speed, power, and general intensity than we have in any previous session. Plus, they had me in lead again, which I love. The whole experience was awesome!

Then, this evening when I was out for a run, I just truly enjoyed myself. I felt like I was putting forth a really good effort, but not like I was ready to keel over. It was the perfect balance! I ended my exercise feeling strong and uplifted even though I had expended a massive amount of energy.

It’s funny to think that such a short time ago I was (literally and figuratively) in the worst shape of my life. Now, just eight months into this journey, I can honestly say that I am fitter than I have ever been. That is saying a lot! And to know that I have actually gotten to a point where I enjoy, and even crave, vigorous exercise is amazing to me. I certainly have experienced a lot of changes over the last 35 weeks. I say: bring it on!

FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 9 glasses of water
- 1 pan-fried banana and light peanut butter wrap on a soft tortilla shell
- 1 small Mandarin orange
- 1 mug coconut steamed soy milk
- 2 cups pineapple
- 1 cup trail mix
- 1/2 cup corn with margarine
- 1 1/2 cups steamed broccoli and cauliflower with margarine
- 2 slices pork loin
- 1 small piece garlic bread
- 2 blueberry flavoured fruit crisp bars

EXERCISE:
- 1 hour and 10 minutes of rowing a dragon boat
- 20 minute walk
- 50 minutes of jogging with walking warm up, intervals, and cool down (40 minutes of actual jogging)

Sweet Sixteen

The information that is on my license was all recorded when I first turned sixteen and became eligible to drive. I still have the same facts printed on each renewed card stating my eye colour, my height, and that I weigh 155 pounds. Even at my highest weight, this obvious untruth was still listed on a piece of official government identification and was a sad testament to how far I had let myself go.

Yesterday, I was showing a close friend the different format they are now using for the new licenses and realized, as I pulled mine out, that it still says 155. It’s still a liar, but only so now because I weigh less than I did at sixteen years old!

A Pick-Me-Up Just Before Losing A Friend

I had a very social day today which was nice; I got to hang out briefly with one friend in the mid-afternoon and then with a group of people I am very close to a little later on. It was great to finally have a day that was a little less packed with stuff I absolutely had to do. It’s funny though: a lot of the conversations I had today were about how busy I am right now and about all of the projects that I still have coming up. Something tells me I shouldn’t necessarily expect a lot of downtime in my immediate future!

When I was out with the first friend today – who was actually the person who commented on my weight loss before anyone else – we were chatting away when he stopped, gave me a funny look, and asked me to go over to where he was standing. I complied and he suddenly scooped me up, completely off the ground, in his arms (he is a very fit individual prone to such examples of strength)! He exclaimed, “I can practically throw you in the air!” as he bounced me in his grasp before setting me down.

The amazing thing was not actually that he was able to lift me with such little effort – my wonderful husband already gave me that thrill a couple of months ago – but rather that I was not worried about how I might harm my friend as he held me. I didn’t think about how he might put his back out or that he may be feeling significantly strained by the effort of holding my weight. I was confident that my mass has been reduced enough to leave that potential embarrassment in the past.

Then, when I was with the larger group of people, I was talking to my most slender and fit friend who told me that she weighs a little less than 115 pounds. That’s when I realized that I have lost one of her! I have dropped the equivalent of a fully developed – albeit extremely lean – adult female! Wow!

FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 7 glasses of water
- 1 banana
- 1 wrap on a soft tortilla shell with ham, grated cheese, dried cranberries, spinach, fat free Miracle Whip, mustard, and pepper
- 1 1/2 cups strawberries with orange flavoured whipped cream
- 2 1/2 cups celery with light peanut butter
- 5 pieces of a dynamite sushi roll with soy sauce
- 6 pieces of a California sushi roll with soy sauce
- 1 glass white wine
- 1 bran muffin
- 1 cup dried fruit with pineapple, papaya, and mango

EXERCISE:
- 1 hour and 15 minutes of walking completed in 3 outings (15 minutes long, 45 minutes long, and 15 minutes long)

Weigh-In For Week 35

I weighed-in at 148.6 this morning for a total loss of nearly two pounds for the week. I am pleased with that! This is the first time I will be posting an official weight on my sidebar showing that I have met and surpassed my initial goal! Also, I had two Easter dinners to contend with - and some major projects that were taking my attention away from exercising - over the last seven days, so I really have nothing to complain about.

I would like to buckle down a little more this week though and put in more of, what I would consider, a concentrated effort. I am definitely sensing the ability to improve my commitment level right now.

Getting Out Of The Sleeper Hold

After pulling an all-nighter yesterday one would think that I would have headed to bed early tonight to make up for my severe lack of rest. Wrong! Sigh… I did manage to have a two hour nap right after my last post though. At least I was not working on zero shut-eye throughout the day, although it was close enough to nothing to sap my energy levels pretty completely.

I did, however, manage to complete yet another massive task and can successfully tick another project off my list. At least I am being productive! Still, I really do need to get better about my sleeping patterns. They are not horrible consistently, but these periodic bouts of severe unrest have been popping up more and more frequently. It wouldn’t bother me quite so much if I didn’t know that sleep is a major factor in leading a healthy life. I am doing well on the food and exercise (although my workout was frustratingly non-existent for the second day in a row due to my lack of time and, now, energy), but I seem to be finding myself giving up adequate rest a lot lately.

I know that when I am physically worn down that I am more likely to feel emotionally and mentally fatigued, and that seems to be a big trigger to overeating for me. So, why am I repeating such potentially damaging behaviors? It shouldn’t be this hard to get a good night’s sleep.

On the plus side, the two projects that I just finished really will lighten the load a bit. I still have a number of things on the go that all need attention, but there are less specific deadlines attached to them. Hopefully, not feeling the time crunch as much will allow me to go to bed at a decent hour rather than working into the wee hours trying to get stuff done. Speaking of which…

FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 8 glasses of water
- 1 pan-fried banana and light peanut butter wrap on a soft tortilla shell
- 3/4 cup fat free peach yogurt with 1 cup Fiber 1 honey clusters cereal
- 1 bite of a chocolate crunch cereal bar
- 2 1/2 cups heated tuna salad with grated cheese, grated zucchini, green onion, fat free Miracle Whip, mustard, and pepper
- 1 large golden delicious apple with cinnamon
- 4 cups salad with shrimp, lettuce, tomato, green pepper, celery, carrot, and Italian dressing
- 1 fortune cookie

EXERCISE:
- 30 stomach crunches

Sleep Deprived

It is nine in the morning here and I have not yet gone to sleep! I feel like I am in a near vegetative state, but I had to get a big project done before I could even think about turning in. Now it’s finally finished (Yay!), but I am still only going to be able to grab an hour or so of rest before I have to get up and work on something else that has an afternoon deadline.

This post is going to have to serve double duty today – both as my last night’s recap and as my morning check-in. I just don’t have it in me to do anything else until this evening. Sorry for the near comatose post; I will be more awake when next I write.

Food was good. Exercise was non-existent. Sleep… well, you know. Not a super day health-wise, but at least it’s the exception now and not the rule. Time to turn in…

FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 7 glasses of water
- 1 toasted whole wheat English muffin with 1 light Laughing Cow wedge and strawberries
- 2 1/2 cups celery with light peanut butter
- 2 cups grapes
- 1 mug toffee nut steamed skim milk
- 4 cups salad with sliced deli ham, grated cheese, lettuce, tomato, green pepper, onion, black olives, and honey mustard dressing
- 1 small piece of garlic bread
- 1 pear
- 1 bite of a white chocolate macadamia cookie
- 1 3/4 cups steamed broccoli and cauliflower with margarine
- 3/4 cup fat free strawberry yogurt with 1 cup Fiber 1 honey clusters cereal
- 1 large golden delicious apple with cinnamon
- 3 mugs decaffeinated tea with milk

EXERCISE:
- 30 stomach crunches

Where Does The Time Go?

It’s going to be another busy day today! Yikes! The days and weeks just seem to be flying by lately… I’m not even sure I know what happened to February or March.

I don’t have anything specific planned for exercise so I will need to make sure I set aside some time to do something active. Perhaps I will pull out one of my workout videos. Food should be fine – I don’t have anything happening out of the ordinary that could encourage me to eat unhealthily.

The first weigh-in for Tammy’s Summer Challenge is tomorrow, which makes me slightly nervous and slightly excited. I think the two Easter dinners I ate since last Saturday may not see me progressing as much as I would like, but I am hopeful that I will have a good weigh-in nonetheless. Regardless, it feels great to be working towards something specific this month. I just hope April doesn’t disappear as quickly as the last few weeks have!

When Opportunity Knocks

I did not want to go out and exercise today! I was all ready to put it off. It has been non-stop raining and windy and my plan to go to the track was sounding more and more like a bad idea as the day wore on. But then I read Amy’s post about how she faced similar feelings and weather today and lived to tell the tale and I felt inspired to give it a go after all! Sometimes just knowing that others are facing similar scenarios and making their way through them really helps with my motivation.

So, even though it was late I headed out with my husband. I mentioned that it would be nice to find somewhere dry to jog and he thought to check out the underground parking garage for one of the local grocery stores. Sure enough, because it was already closed, the lot was empty and I had free reign to run to my heart’s content. It felt great! At one point I specifically recall thinking, “I am so glad I am doing this!” It was a phenomenal run – the best one I think I have ever done! I can’t believe that I just wrote that, but there it is. I am really happy that I decided to go for my jog despite feeling so hesitant earlier on, although now I can’t wait to crawl into my nice, toasty bed!

Regarding my note of excitement yesterday – which, by the way, I am still bouncing off the walls about – I still don’t know if I should really be saying a lot about what may be coming. I am very much a don’t-count-your-chickens-until-they’re-hatched kind of person, but I am also the eternal optimist! Go figure! I will say that a fantastic opportunity seems to have been presented to me – one that would have me doing something I love while working with someone I really respect and feel that I can learn a lot from. Unfortunately, the part of me that knows that details are unconfirmed thinks I should leave it at that and not mention it again until everything has been finalized (probably in a week or two). But, that doesn’t mean I can’t still be ecstatic!

FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 8 glasses of water
- 1 toasted whole wheat English muffin with light peanut butter and light strawberry jam
- 1 pear
- 4 cups salad with sliced deli ham, grated cheese, lettuce, tomato, green pepper, onion, black olives, and honey mustard dressing
- 1 banana
- 2 small Mandarin oranges
- 3 cups Caesar salad with bacon pieces, Parmesan cheese, and croutons
- 1 1/2 cups fruit salad with pineapple, strawberries, peach slices, and red and green grapes
- 1 mug coconut steamed skim milk
- 2 egg omelet with grated cheese, mushrooms, and pepper

EXERCISE:
- 45 minute walk
- 55 minutes of jogging with walking warm up, intervals, and cool down (40 minutes of actual jogging)

Merrily, Merrily, Merrily, Merrily! Life Is But A Dream!

Food and exercise was great today! I ate dinner a bit late, but other than that I am really pleased with how my food intake turned out. Tonight was also dragon boating practice which I always enjoy! I keep ending up as one of the leads which is a bit intimidating – since the timing for the entire team is based on the strokes of the people in the front seat – but a lot of fun! One woman keeps on telling me I should already be bumped up to veteran’s status which makes me grin!

I have a deadline that I am facing so I don’t really have time to go into anything more this evening. Unfortunately, I think I will have to skip tomorrow morning’s post for the same reason. I will be back in the evening though with something more interesting than the desperate pleas for understanding from one of the world’s best procrastinators!

Note: Just before I went to publish this post I got some extremely thrilling news!!! I don’t want to jinx anything by talking about it before the details have been confirmed (and, besides, it’s totally irrelevant to a weight loss and health blog), but I have to say that I am currently on cloud nine! I will let you all know soon if my excitement turns out to be justified! For now, I can’t seem to wipe the smile off my face!!!

FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 8 glasses of water
- 1 toasted whole wheat English muffin with light peanut butter
- 1 pear
- 3/4 cup fat free strawberry yogurt
- 1 banana
- 2 small Mandarin oranges
- 3 1/2 cups Caesar salad with bacon pieces, Parmesan cheese, and croutons
- 1/2 cranberry and almond multi-grain bar
- 1 mug toffee nut steamed skim milk
- 2 cups steamed broccoli and cauliflower with margarine
- 3/4 cup cheesy scalloped potatoes
- 1 slice mustard glazed ham with mustard
- 1 gala apple with cinnamon

EXERCISE:
- 25 minute walk
- 1 hour and 10 minutes of rowing a dragon boat

Challenging Myself

I want to send out a huge thank you to the amazing, tenacious, and inspirational Tammy of From Fat To Fab for starting up a new weight loss challenge! This is exactly what I need to get me through the next little while and I am so excited to join her, and many other fabulous bloggers, as they work towards a goal of losing ten pounds!

I am actually a couple of days late posting about this, but I have had so many things percolating in this brain of mine that I really had to write about some other stuff as it came up. Even now, I still have a number of topics rattling around in my mind that I want to get to. But, I just couldn’t let another moment go by without mentioning this fabulous Summer Challenge!

I think that at this point, as I have just crossed over my posted goal of 150 pounds, it is time to reevaluate. I knew that the time was coming, but am still shocked that it has arrived so quickly! I never thought I might be reaching my goal weight so soon!

So what’s next? Well, I have written before about how I just sort of choose 150 pounds as a nice round number to aim for and that, subsequently, I was pretty certain that I would continue to lose a bit more before reaching a comfortable weight to maintain. I still don’t know exactly what that number will be, but I do love the sound of 133. That would be exactly half of my highest weight and is nicely entrenched in the middle of the ‘normal’ category for the body mass index.

If my losses had slowed down to a crawl by now, I would be much happier calling it quits at this weight. Yet I have continued to have pretty significant drops week to week and I think that is indicative of the fact that I still have quite a bit more I can trim off. I am reluctant to choose a precise number because I want the tail end of this part of the journey to be a natural process, but I also know that I work well with specific goals in mind. And, as I already said, I also like round numbers. So…

130. There it is. That’s my new goal! I am changing my tracker and everything!

Wow! I am actually really excited! I didn’t think I would be this thrilled to move onto a new goal so shortly after reaching my original one. I really believe that it is achievable and I think that’s the key. If I thought it was something I would need to do a big push to accomplish than I would be far less likely to set out for a whole extra twenty pounds. But this? This feels good and right!

Another important element is going to be ensuring that I continue to listen to my body. If, in just five pounds, I find that there is a dramatic decrease in my losses obviously I will need to reevaluate again. If I don’t make it to 130 I definitely won’t be heartbroken. If my body is meant to maintain at 145, 140, or 135 than so be it! The fact of the matter is that I have met my original goal and I am really, really proud of that! Whatever else I lose from this point forward is just gravy!

Still… it never hurts to have a plan. And that’s where the Summer Challenge comes in (I knew I’d get to the point eventually)! I have no idea if I still have it in me to lose an entire ten pounds in a month. My average losses suggest that I can do it, but my recent slight tapering in the weigh-in department would actually leave me a bit short. Nevertheless, I intend to try.

I am not going to do anything different apart from attempting to be a little more diligent with staying on track with my food and exercise. But, if I am careful to stick with my plan then it is possible that I just may finish this challenge victorious – actually, I think simply attempting it means that I am successful by default even if I don’t quite drop a whole ten pounds. At this point it is so much less about the numbers and really more about just continuing to strive for excellence, overall fitness, and good health. Regardless, I am excited to take Tammy up on her offer to join this fun contest and to see where it takes me! I just love a challenge!

Thank You!!!

From the bottom of my heart, to anyone and everyone who has ever skimmed the lines written on this blog, I thank you! You have no idea what your support means to mean! I could not have gotten to my goal weight this morning without each and every person out there who has taken the time to read about, comment on, or email me regarding this journey! You are all such an inspiration and I truly hope you know what a difference you have made to my life!!!

Now, hoping that I don’t overly disappoint you all, I must confess that I went a little too heavy on the desserts today following my second Easter dinner, and I may very well discover come morning that I have undone my milestone! Never fear – I am sure I will be good come my normal Saturday weigh-in. Speaking of which, I do intend to continue taking some more weight off (I will address that in tomorrow morning’s post) so I certainly will not be sitting on my haunches now that I have reached my initial goal. I know that I am not giving myself much of a break considering how quickly I want to get back at it after just meeting my first objective, but I am actually very excited to continue working towards an even better me!

FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 12 glasses of water
- 1 cup strawberries
- 1 pear
- 1 toasted whole wheat English muffin with light peanut butter and light strawberry jam
- 3/4 cup fat free peach yogurt with 1 cup whole grain Cheerios
- 1 mug coconut streamed skim milk
- 1 Cadbury cream chocolate egg
- 1 1/2 cups canned peaches and pears
- 1 whole wheat bun with margarine
- 1/2 cup steamed cauliflower with margarine
- 1 cup steamed broccoli with margarine
- 3 sweet gerkin pickles
- 1 cup cheesy scalloped potatoes
- 2 slices mustard glazed ham with mustard
- 4 cups homemade trifle
- 1/4 cup salted barbecue peanuts
- 1 large peanut butter chocolate egg

EXERCISE:
- 30 stomach crunches

Gooooooooal!!!

149.8!!! I can’t believe it!!! I MADE GOAL!!!

Yeah, yeah, I know it’s not an official weigh day, but I don’t care! I stepped up on that scale this morning and saw the latest ‘decade’ and the achievement that I have been chasing for almost eight months (or for the last fifteen years, depending on how you look at it)! I am SO excited!!!

I WEIGH LESS THAN 150 POUNDS!!! WOO HOO!!!!!!!

A Personal Account Of The C25K

11:12pm on Good Friday, April 2, 2010. That is the precise moment that I will always remember when I think about finishing the C25K. I actually benefited greatly from the program. The biggest advantages that I walk away with are more mental than physical perhaps, but I believe I improved my bodily self greatly so that is saying a lot.

I can jog for thirty minutes straight. My endurance and leg strength have increased. My cardiovascular system loves me. I have trimmed three and a half inches off my waist since beginning this program (although I do know that the C25K was only part of that equation). I got to spend some great time with my husband doing something that tested both of our limits. I am extremely proud of him and of myself for pushing through and finishing something that was very difficult at times. I am beginning to think about how I might eventually master other such endeavors which I wouldn’t have dreamed of in the past. I have discovered a type of self-confidence that I don’t think I ever knew I could have. Conversely, I conquered a huge amount of self-doubt. And I believe in myself even more than I did before.

I think that the C25K is a genuinely good place for beginning runners to start. In all fairness I have nothing to compare it to, but nine weeks ago I certainly was not sure that I could finish it. Yet here I am now, fully graduated. I think that at 266 pounds it would have been much more difficult to complete – not impossible, though – as I don’t know that I could have gotten through it all with the low fitness levels that I possessed back then. I don’t think it was the extra weight that would have stopped me, but the basic lack of health. Fortunately, through simpler exercises like walking, I was able to get in shape to a point adequate enough to feel like I could start the program back at the beginning of February.

It was a much more fulfilling process than I ever suspected that it might be. And it meant more to me to finish that I could have guessed. When I burst out crying as I slowed to my final cool down walk, I was totally surprised by the deluge of emotions. I honestly didn’t know how much it would mean to me to complete this program. It was a much bigger deal than I would have originally presumed.

The finale to the endeavor was amusingly orchestrated by Mother Nature. I ran the entire thing with gale force winds pushing against me, seemingly trying to hold me back. Who says the universe doesn’t have a sense of humour? With my hair whipping across my face and rain pelting my body for the majority of the run, I forged on. After battling my own emotional, mental, and physical boundaries for the past nine weeks – or eight months, actually – it was nothing to brave forty minutes through the extreme elements that the great outdoors decided to throw at me.

My husband – who, thank goodness, is a much more reasonable individual – decided to wait until the weather was more cooperative, and so he finished the program this evening. He went to the park with me on Friday though, dutifully sitting in the car as I ran around the local track, and got out to high-five me when I finished my run. He walked my cool down period with me, holding my hand, allowing me the silence I needed to work through those final, overwhelming moments. He let me cry and later on, when I was ready to hear it, told me that he was proud of me. I got to reciprocate that high-five and expression of pride tonight when he concluded the C25K himself. I don’t think either of us can even begin to say how wonderful it feels to know that we have successfully completed this life-changing nine week program. I am sure, however, that this is one Easter weekend that neither of us will ever forget.

FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 12 glasses of water
- 1 pan-fried banana and light peanut butter wrap on a soft tortilla shell
- 1 1/2 cups strawberries
- 3 cups spinach salad with cubed cheese, croutons, dried cranberries, yellow pepper, mushrooms, and calorie-wise Greek feta and oregano dressing
- 3/4 cup fat free field berry yogurt with 1 cup Fiber 1 honey clusters cereal
- 6 potato and cheese perogies with bacon pieces, onion, and light sour cream
- 1 pear
- 3 cups celery with 1 light Laughing Cow wedge
- 1 chocolate

EXERCISE:
- 55 minutes of jogging with walking warm up, intervals, and cool down (40 minutes of actual jogging)

Reborn

Easter falls one week earlier this year than it did in 2009, and that is significant to me. Fifty-one weeks ago, as I stood in the washroom at my in-laws immediately following that holiday feast, I was horrified to see the highest number I had ever seen staring back at me from the scale.

266.

Yesterday evening we celebrated with that branch of the family again. It was wonderful – I love spending time with them! Plus, I was able to stand on the scale confidently after the meal was all packed up, when the desserts had already been consumed, and see a number that did not make me want to break down crying.

It hasn’t quite been an entire year since I reached my utmost weight, but the memories that coincide with that particular event were very vivid last night. It was quite the feeling to realize that I have finally broken the cycle I was stuck in for so long. It is an amazing thing to be free of those frequent realizations that I had reached yet another high on the scale, and to recognize that now I am actually setting new lows. This is very much a start to a totally new way of life for me!

My fantastic mother-in-law made me laugh when we were chatting about our wedding and she warmly asked if we would do another ceremony now that I am slim! I was overwhelmed by the huge compliment and I have to admit that the thought has crossed my mind before. But, as my own wise mom has said, “being happy is not a state of body.” Our wedding was so sincere and special and there is nothing that I would change about it! Maybe we will do something really meaningful for one of our milestone anniversaries down the road, but for now I am very happy with the memories that I already hold dear – both of the day I married my best friend and of this most recent Easter dinner!

Thoughts Running Through My Head

Yesterday I bought a pair of running shorts. I haven’t purchased anything like them in years. Every summer I have pulled out my old capris, or bought new ones if it was necessary, to cover up as much of my legs as I could while still providing them with slightly more breathing room than full length pants would allow. On top of this marvel is the fact that my new article of clothing is actually specifically designed to be worn for jogging. Just what do I think I am doing? To be honest, I am still not sure myself…

Then today, I bought a running belt. It’s one of those thin types that you can slip under your shirt and is hardly noticeable; it’s designed to hold small things like identification, keys, and lip balm and it’s perfect for a minimalist like me. I told the woman whom I purchased it from that I had lost a lot of weight and that I had just finished the C25K. As I was getting ready to leave the store she commented on the fact that I am now an athlete. That threw me. I have never been called that in my life…

FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 9 glasses of water
- 1 banana
- 3 1/2 cups spinach salad with cubed cheese, croutons, dried cranberries, yellow pepper, mushrooms, and calorie-wise Greek feta and oregano dressing
- 3/4 cup fat free strawberry yogurt with 1 cup Fiber 1 honey clusters cereal
- 1 pear
- 5 orange flavoured sports energy jelly beans
- 1 cup roast potatoes with butter
- 2 slices roast beef
- 3 sweet pickles
- 1 white dinner roll with butter
- 1 cup chocolate mousse with Cool Whip
- 1 square from a homemade butterscotch marshmallow confetti bar
- 2 Cadbury cream chocolate eggs
- 1 mug toffee nut steamed skim milk

EXERCISE:
- 30 stomach crunches

Weigh-In For Week 34

Weight - 150.4 lbs (-104.2 from start / -8.2 from March)
Bust - 37.0 inches (-13.0 from start / -0.5 from March)
Waist - 32.5 inches (-15.5 from start / -1.5 from March)
Hips - 40.5 inches (-14.5 from start / -1.5 from March)
Arms - 13.5 inches (-4.0 from start / -0.5 from March)
Thighs - 23.5 inches (-9.0 from start / -0.5 from March)
BMI - 23.6 (-16.3 from start / -1.2 from March)

I am down three more pounds and so, so close to my posted goal weight! Hmmm… the two Easter dinners I will be attending over this long weekend may slow down the progress a bit and prevent me from seeing that significant number for a little while longer, but I can wait. I have come so far already!

I noticed something interesting today when I was doing my measurements. My arms are actually starting to bulge in different areas and it may mean that I have to start setting up the measuring tape a little differently. I have always taken my number from the widest part of the arm – around the bicep – but now a little higher up, towards my shoulder, my deltoids are starting to look almost as big as the original part of my arm. I’m getting muscles and it wouldn’t surprise me if I eventually see a gain in those specific numbers if they continue to develop. I never would have expected that!

I am happy with everything about my weigh-in today. I can see small changes on the photo, which I wasn’t expecting, and I am thrilled that the measurements are still slowly trickling downwards. With losing fewer pounds as I near the end of the weight loss portion of this journey, I would have thought that I would see fewer differences. So far I am still noticing them though and it just adds fuel to the fire!