I am putting up my Christmas tree today. As I was busy moving the branches about, and getting the decorations ready, I started to think about Christmas and what do I really want for Christmas (as family and friends have been asking for weeks now). I really and truly do not want anything. I have never been big on the commercial aspect of Christmas. I get the most pleasure out of socializing and re-connecting with friends and family that we rarely get to see during the busy year.
The only thing that I want is to succeed in becoming fit and healthy. Then an idea began to form in my head. I am not one to set any goals for myself because I tend to feel horrible when I fail, but I thought it might work wonders for me if I actually set a goal and rather than assume I will fail, push myself harder than ever in order to succeed, hmmmm now there is a thought that is foreign to me- lol.
So my goal is to lose 10 lbs by December 31, 2010. My starting weight is 237.2 so I need to see my weight get down to 227.2 by the end of this year and will put me in a good position to get to start off my new block of personal training sessions in January. I will be on vacation from the middle of December until the end of the year, so I should have a lot of time to spend at the gym and planning healthy meals. I will continue to remind myself that the holidays is about catching up with friends and family, and is NOT about overeating.
Has anyone else set any challenges to keep you on track over the holidays? Have you in the past? Has it worked? Post a comment and let me know.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Sunday cookoff
Well I was up early this morning preparing some meals for the week. Some are just sides, like plain old brown rice, some are breakfasts like steel cut oats. I want to document this more for myself going forward to get some ideas for easy things to make, and also to remind myself that I always do much better when I prepare for the week on Sundays :)
1. Brown rice and steel cut oats. I will be eating each of these in very small quantitites.
2. Mini Quich cups with red pepper, mushroom, spinach, onion, cheddar cheese a bit of centre cut bacon..... 2 cups = 1.5 w.w. points
3. roasted sweet potato and chicken, with bacon, rosemary and onions and garlic. Serves 4 at 6 points per serving
1. Brown rice and steel cut oats. I will be eating each of these in very small quantitites.
2. Mini Quich cups with red pepper, mushroom, spinach, onion, cheddar cheese a bit of centre cut bacon..... 2 cups = 1.5 w.w. points
3. roasted sweet potato and chicken, with bacon, rosemary and onions and garlic. Serves 4 at 6 points per serving
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Back to Basics
I have been hit with many financial burdens in the last month. Helping my niece out with college, paying for 2011 full year gym membership, Christmas, and all the normal struggles that we all face financially. Then this week, I found out that there is a Dr. in my general area who fits patients with a hearing aid to stop people from stuttering. My 25 year old Nephew stutters and has since he was about 5. He is not in a financial position to pay the 5k required for this hearing aid type device but I know if it could stop him from stuttering it would change his life. I told him in the New Year we will put together a plan to get him this device. And finally, my personal fitness sessions are almost done. For a week now, I have seriously considered not continuing with my trainer, but finally decided that I need to finish this journey. I am signing up for 100 hrs of training which will start in January and end in October of 2011. Financially, I will have no money to do much else in the next year but decided that's ok, cause it will give me more time to spend in the gym.
This has got to be it for me though. I have to give this next 11 mos everything I have got. In the two years I have been on this journey, I have changed so much. I am so much more confident in myself. I now walk with my head held high, and know that I am fantastic. I am beautiful, and I deserve nothing but the best out of life. Now, the only thing I want to prove to myself is that I am an athlete. I gave up on athletics when I was about 9 because I felt I was too fat to be an athlete. Now in my 40's I am going to prove that I am an athlete.
In January I am going to sign up to do a Sprint Triathlon in September of next year. That consists of a 750m open water swim, a 20k bike ride and a 5k run. This is double the distance I did in June of this year. My goal is to put everything into training for this which means I will probably focus a lot of my blog towards my training in order to keep me motivated. I am not too worried about the 20k bike (although the course is up will most of the first 10k) and although the swim portion almost stopped me dead in my tracks last June, I think I can manage it. It is the 5k run that scares me the most, so that is what I will need to focus on the most.
I am hoping that in the process of getting to the tri, I will be able to get to my goal weight, or at least pretty close to it.
So here I go again.
This has got to be it for me though. I have to give this next 11 mos everything I have got. In the two years I have been on this journey, I have changed so much. I am so much more confident in myself. I now walk with my head held high, and know that I am fantastic. I am beautiful, and I deserve nothing but the best out of life. Now, the only thing I want to prove to myself is that I am an athlete. I gave up on athletics when I was about 9 because I felt I was too fat to be an athlete. Now in my 40's I am going to prove that I am an athlete.
In January I am going to sign up to do a Sprint Triathlon in September of next year. That consists of a 750m open water swim, a 20k bike ride and a 5k run. This is double the distance I did in June of this year. My goal is to put everything into training for this which means I will probably focus a lot of my blog towards my training in order to keep me motivated. I am not too worried about the 20k bike (although the course is up will most of the first 10k) and although the swim portion almost stopped me dead in my tracks last June, I think I can manage it. It is the 5k run that scares me the most, so that is what I will need to focus on the most.
I am hoping that in the process of getting to the tri, I will be able to get to my goal weight, or at least pretty close to it.
So here I go again.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Saturday cook off
I woke up this morning with a splitting headache and decided not to go to weight watchers this morning. Weigh in on my home scale showed me down 1.5lbs though. This week took a bit of white knuckling to stay on track. I am still trying to marry the idea of weight watchers points with the low carb/high protein plan that has finally started to show me some sucess.
So today, I am preparing for the week, mostly high protein, low carb dishes, that above all else does not include extra lean ground beef (LOL, have been eating a lot of this the last 3 weeks).
So far I have made breakfast quiche to go, which doesn't look too pretty, but tastes good, full of protein and veggies and no carbs. Plus two of these suckers are only 1 w.w. point. They also have low fat cheddar cheese in them. What could be better. Here is a picture or two:
Next, I made a pan of sweet potato rounds, with onion and rosemary and olive oil:
Finally, a co-worked mentioned she made chicken breast baked with a slice of bacon on it, and it was fantastic. I was buying groceries and that popped into my head. Then I saw turkey scalopini(sp) in the store and also got some centre cut bacon (1 point for two thin slices) and an idea started to form. I mixted together hummus (jalepeno hummus cause that's what I had) with 1/3 cup low fat cheddar and rosemary, and put a dollop on the turkey scalopini, then rolled it up and put a slice of bacon on top. Then I wrapped it all up in parchment paper and it is in the oven right now.... and it smells devine. The best part is each roll (I made 5) is only 4 points:
Just looked at the pictures of the turkey and it doesn't look very appetizing - lol. It tastes absolutely AMAZING though. I plan on pairing it with broccoli, and a bit of brown rice for dinner a couple of days this week.
So today, I am preparing for the week, mostly high protein, low carb dishes, that above all else does not include extra lean ground beef (LOL, have been eating a lot of this the last 3 weeks).
So far I have made breakfast quiche to go, which doesn't look too pretty, but tastes good, full of protein and veggies and no carbs. Plus two of these suckers are only 1 w.w. point. They also have low fat cheddar cheese in them. What could be better. Here is a picture or two:
Next, I made a pan of sweet potato rounds, with onion and rosemary and olive oil:
Finally, a co-worked mentioned she made chicken breast baked with a slice of bacon on it, and it was fantastic. I was buying groceries and that popped into my head. Then I saw turkey scalopini(sp) in the store and also got some centre cut bacon (1 point for two thin slices) and an idea started to form. I mixted together hummus (jalepeno hummus cause that's what I had) with 1/3 cup low fat cheddar and rosemary, and put a dollop on the turkey scalopini, then rolled it up and put a slice of bacon on top. Then I wrapped it all up in parchment paper and it is in the oven right now.... and it smells devine. The best part is each roll (I made 5) is only 4 points:
Just looked at the pictures of the turkey and it doesn't look very appetizing - lol. It tastes absolutely AMAZING though. I plan on pairing it with broccoli, and a bit of brown rice for dinner a couple of days this week.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Weekly weigh in and a Happy Belated Rebirth-Day
After Meeting Update-
Weight Watchers Start weight - 250 lbs
Current weight - 237.2
Weekly loss + 0.8
Weight Watcher Loss to date- 12.8
Total Loss(start date JUN 08 276): 38.8
Not too sure what happened this week, my food intake has been on track, the only difference is that I have been just stretching at the gym, no hard core cardio workouts. I will up the cardio this week and see what happens.
November 8 marked my 2 year anniversary of quitting smoking. The best part for me is that I forgot the date and this signifies to me that smoking truly is no longer a part of my life- thoughts of smoking never cross my mind,and I do not crave a cigarette - period. I have taken a moment today to think about my decision to walk into a hypnotherapists office and be open minded enough to think that being hypnotized could help me to quit smoking. It worked and I will always think of that day (even though I forgot it- haha) as my rebirth- day, that was the beginning of change for me, that was the first step.
So, Happy Rebirth-day to me :)
Weight Watchers Start weight - 250 lbs
Current weight - 237.2
Weekly loss + 0.8
Weight Watcher Loss to date- 12.8
Total Loss(start date JUN 08 276): 38.8
Not too sure what happened this week, my food intake has been on track, the only difference is that I have been just stretching at the gym, no hard core cardio workouts. I will up the cardio this week and see what happens.
November 8 marked my 2 year anniversary of quitting smoking. The best part for me is that I forgot the date and this signifies to me that smoking truly is no longer a part of my life- thoughts of smoking never cross my mind,and I do not crave a cigarette - period. I have taken a moment today to think about my decision to walk into a hypnotherapists office and be open minded enough to think that being hypnotized could help me to quit smoking. It worked and I will always think of that day (even though I forgot it- haha) as my rebirth- day, that was the beginning of change for me, that was the first step.
So, Happy Rebirth-day to me :)
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Thursday Ramblings
Today I went into the gym for a little cardio workout. It's funny, but with all the stretching I was actually starting to miss running. I hit the treadmill and did a fartlk. I warmed up for two minutes with a walk, then ran one minute, walked one minute, ran two minutes, walked one, ran three minutes, walked two, ran four minutes, walked two, ran three, walked two, ran two, walked one, ran one, walked four to cool down a bit. So in all I ran for 16 minutes and walked 14 for a total of 30 minutes. My lower body feld a lot better today, no pain, no soreness, and I was able to run even the longest 4 minute interval without gasping for breath, so that was good. Keeping in mind my run intervals were all at 4.2 mph, which really is a slow jog, but I will work my speed up. Then I jumped onto the bike and did a 6 mile, 15 minute ride. All in all a pretty good off day workout.
This afternoon I went to visit my cousin who just had a tummy tuck operation. Now she is a tiny little thing (like about 5 ft 2 and wears a size 5) but she has had 2 babies which both stretched the skin on her tummy and separated the lower abdominal muscles and stuck out like a tummy. She did not feel good about her body and after trying very hard to rectify the situation with exercise, she decided to do the tummy tuck. I got lots of information from her about what is is like and the pain level etc.... Other than the first couple of days, it really didn't sound all that bad. I'm not entirely sure I will do one, but it was good to know that if it is an option I decide to pursue, I have someone who can guide me along the way.
In all it's been a bit of a crazy day, and ended with a mindless binge by me tonight. I found a box of fibre one bars in my cupboard and decided to open it and have one.... ummm yeah. I ate all 6! That is 600 calories and 12 points. I am going to just count it and forget about it... it's done and it shouldn't hinder my weigh in this week as I am still within my points. My tummy is really rebelling though....
This afternoon I went to visit my cousin who just had a tummy tuck operation. Now she is a tiny little thing (like about 5 ft 2 and wears a size 5) but she has had 2 babies which both stretched the skin on her tummy and separated the lower abdominal muscles and stuck out like a tummy. She did not feel good about her body and after trying very hard to rectify the situation with exercise, she decided to do the tummy tuck. I got lots of information from her about what is is like and the pain level etc.... Other than the first couple of days, it really didn't sound all that bad. I'm not entirely sure I will do one, but it was good to know that if it is an option I decide to pursue, I have someone who can guide me along the way.
In all it's been a bit of a crazy day, and ended with a mindless binge by me tonight. I found a box of fibre one bars in my cupboard and decided to open it and have one.... ummm yeah. I ate all 6! That is 600 calories and 12 points. I am going to just count it and forget about it... it's done and it shouldn't hinder my weigh in this week as I am still within my points. My tummy is really rebelling though....
Monday, November 8, 2010
There is no greater joy in life....
Than being able to touch your toes, am I right? You see when I started working with my trainer two years ago, he asked me to bend over and touch my toes or to go as far as I could. I was able to touch my fingertips to my knees. Thats it!
While I have progressed in strength and cardio, I was a bit slower progressing in the flexibility department. So last week my trainer put all other training on the back burner and we began stretching for a full hour, three times a week for 3 weeks. I have slowly gotten better and better. Today I was able to sit on the mat on the floor and reach over and touch my toes. Now I have to bend at the knee and then slowly bob my legs until they are just about straight, but to me that is close enough. I tried again tonight to reach down and touch my toes, and yup I can do it.
To me this represents hope. I never in a million years expected to get any relief from my back pain, or leg pain when I started exercising with my trainer. All I was looking for was weight loss. What I got was a brand new lease on life, and if I, who could not bend forward and touch her knees, can now bend over and touch my toes, then what else is possible.... the answer my friends is ANYTHING.
Onward and Downward
While I have progressed in strength and cardio, I was a bit slower progressing in the flexibility department. So last week my trainer put all other training on the back burner and we began stretching for a full hour, three times a week for 3 weeks. I have slowly gotten better and better. Today I was able to sit on the mat on the floor and reach over and touch my toes. Now I have to bend at the knee and then slowly bob my legs until they are just about straight, but to me that is close enough. I tried again tonight to reach down and touch my toes, and yup I can do it.
To me this represents hope. I never in a million years expected to get any relief from my back pain, or leg pain when I started exercising with my trainer. All I was looking for was weight loss. What I got was a brand new lease on life, and if I, who could not bend forward and touch her knees, can now bend over and touch my toes, then what else is possible.... the answer my friends is ANYTHING.
Onward and Downward
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Weigh in and update
After Meeting Update-
Start weight - 250 lbs
Current weight - 236.4
Weekly loss- 2.6
Loss to date- 13.6
So another good weigh in this morning at weigh watchers. I am officially done my two weeks hard core, no carbs and was down 6lbs in two weeks. I am happy with that. At my gym weigh in on Friday, my trainer confirmed that 4 of the 6 lbs lost is fat with the other two being water. This means that I did not lose any muscle mass, which is great news.
So, now that the cravings are out of the way, I can concentrate on phase 2, I am going to slowly re-introduce carbs and fruit back into my diet and see what happens this week. I will have fruit once or twice a day and a serving of carbs (only 1 serving) on the weekends. I may change this up, depending on how my body reacts. Eveything will be complex carbs though.
My actual workouts have been suspened for 3 weeks while I partake in an extensive stretching program with my personal trainer. I was actually able to touch my toes while sitting with my legs out straight in front of me, which to me is a miracle. I bought a foam roller today to work on loosening up the muscles in my lower back and backs of my legs. It apparently has the same effect as doing deep tissue massage therapy, so I will give it a shot. I did some at the gym and I do know that it is very painful, but the results make it worth while. If you are wondering what this is, here is a picture.
Start weight - 250 lbs
Current weight - 236.4
Weekly loss- 2.6
Loss to date- 13.6
So another good weigh in this morning at weigh watchers. I am officially done my two weeks hard core, no carbs and was down 6lbs in two weeks. I am happy with that. At my gym weigh in on Friday, my trainer confirmed that 4 of the 6 lbs lost is fat with the other two being water. This means that I did not lose any muscle mass, which is great news.
So, now that the cravings are out of the way, I can concentrate on phase 2, I am going to slowly re-introduce carbs and fruit back into my diet and see what happens this week. I will have fruit once or twice a day and a serving of carbs (only 1 serving) on the weekends. I may change this up, depending on how my body reacts. Eveything will be complex carbs though.
My actual workouts have been suspened for 3 weeks while I partake in an extensive stretching program with my personal trainer. I was actually able to touch my toes while sitting with my legs out straight in front of me, which to me is a miracle. I bought a foam roller today to work on loosening up the muscles in my lower back and backs of my legs. It apparently has the same effect as doing deep tissue massage therapy, so I will give it a shot. I did some at the gym and I do know that it is very painful, but the results make it worth while. If you are wondering what this is, here is a picture.
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