Week 9 (& the weeks before too)

Well... this past week I lost 3.1 lbs... I was so excited because I worked out, worked really hard & ate really well (aside from Christmas Day & Boxing Day)... so even though that included Xmas & Boxing Day, I still lost 3.1 lbs!!!

BUT... the 2 weeks before then, I'd been home visitign & kinda got derailed a bit (thank you Cinnabon & Delicious genuine donairs)  so in those 2 weeks I'd gained 1.8 lbs ...


So... after all that... overall I'm down a total of  15.5 lbs, I'm at 200.0 lbs EVEN!  It flickered on 199.8 & 199.9...but finally settled on 200.0 (although at home, on my Jenny Craig scale, it said 198.4 lbs) ANYWAY... I'm still pretty pumped....

It's coming along & I'm feeling better about being on track... working out... eating well... getting my house organized (been doing A LOT of cleaning, decluttering & organinzing.... if I haven't used it in the last year or too, it's going to ValueVillage or the dump) So it's all good.  Loving life... looking forward to the New Year.... I've actually been throwing around some resolutions in my head....nothing on paper yet though.

So.... Have a Happy New Year everyone!

Week 5

Nothing too exciting... down 1.2lbs... for a total of 14.3lbs...  Just gonna keep going...slow & steady .  One cool thing though.. my skinnyr graph says that my BMI is now just "very overweight" instead of "obese"... so I guess that's good :)

And hopefully see some of you in a couple of weeks!

Weeks 3 & 4

Well... for week 3 there was a bit of a butter tart fiasco (thanks to an abundance of leftover treats from out Bear Creek Dental's First Annual Ladies Night) so I gained 0.2 lbs... but week 4 I lost 1.9 lbs... so I'm down a total of 13 lbs.  (202.5 ~ with clothes on) BUT... when I weighed myself the day before the weigh in (in the morning...naked as a jaybird) my Jenny Craig scale said I weighed 199.2 lbs... So YAY!

Week Two

So my Jenny Craig consultant (Jill) mentally prepared me for my weigh in on Friday... (I had already psyched myself out for the bad 2nd week ~ I've seen it time & time again on the Biggest Loser... you have a great first week & then tank on the 2nd week)  So we were both a little surprised when I lost 4.9 lbs!  She was like... "How did you do that?!?!"  I was thinking maybe like 2 lbs or something worse... but almost 5 lbs made me so happy & excited!  So that's 11.3 lbs in 2 weeks... almost as much as I did with Weight Watchers in 6 weeks.

Things have been really good... I really like the food & the convenience. And it helps me to stay on track when I think about what I've spent on the food (about $150 per week ~ which isn't that bad when you consider how much I was spending on food when I was going out to eat pretty much every day,,,because I felt like I had no time to prepare my food ahead of time)

Anyway... it's all good & I'll post some new pics soon :)

Week One

Well... drum roll please....

6.4 lbs!

Yup... It was a good first week... I'm really happy.  I'm really liking the food & especially not having to prepare everything.  Lovin it so far! :)

Well... I've tried everything else so....

Okay... so I've been stressed about being so busy lately & feeling like I have no time to do anything, let alone prepare healthy meals, get a good amount of sleep & go to the gym... so I've been a) NOT going to the gym & b) Getting BAD food that you can get from a drive thru strictly because it's quick on the way home from work.

So... in the midst of feeling terrible about all of this badness, I made a decision to try one of the last weight loss program I haven't already tried...can you guess which one?

I've always liked the actress Sara Rue

& I'd been following her weight loss & just saw their commercial last week & I got thinking about how many of my stressors in life would be solved if I had my meals all ready to go. So I went on Friday for a consultation & signed up & got my first weeks worth of food.  (Weigh in: afternoon/clothes on ~ 215.5lbs Ughhh...what a setback from naked in the morning 207.2lbs)

And... I LOVE IT! Well... we all love something new... but just as I suspected...I love just having to heat something up & I'm ready to go. And I like the idea of being able to meet with someone one on one every week to discuss challenges & ask questions, etc. And it's only $6.00 a week. I paid the $6 a week for the length of time they estimate it'll take me to lose the weight I want to, but I get to go there for a total of 3 years (including maintenance afterwards)

Weight Watchers was $18 a week to just get weighed in & then listen to a meeting that may or may not have been what I needed to hear a the time & I still had to prepare all of my own food AND count the points.  Not that I'm slamming WW ... it works for some & I'm happy for those it does work for... but with Jenny Craig, my entire week is planned out & I just check it off as I've eaten it...

Anyway... we'll see how it goes. I'm still in the Honeymoon phase :)

Uh-Oh...

 
So I've gotten a little derailed with my uber-health conscious eating & fitness regime.  Last weekend I went to Edmonton with girls from work & gave myself a free pass to eat what I wanted for supper each night. I was still good for breakfast & lunch & I went to the gym at the hotel 2 out of the 3 days, but gave in & ate appetizers, entrees & desserts... and Baskin Robins... and then I never fully got back on board with eating clean & working out every day.  And I'm not gonna lie... I got slack with my scripture study & prayer too... so I feel like it's all connected & I need to jump back on the train.

So I just needed to make that confession & now I'm ready to start fresh tomorrow... starting with a nice egg white/veggie omelet!

I LOVE ADIDAS miCoach!!!

 1st part of run today

2nd part of run today

I can track all of my stats from my runs & once I get the miCoach pacer I can keep a more accurate stats like my heart rate, a more accurate running pace, etc. I also use the miCoach app for the iPhone that tracks my runs through GPS. All of these things are so motivational for me! 

I used to use the Nike + system (you may have seen my automatic posts on Facebook) but it doesn't have anything that I can use to track my heart rate as well... So Adidas miCoach it is!  Today I did almost 8km of running (well, jogging) (& only about 15% of that was walking breaks) ... so I'm really pumped about that!

And when I got on the scales today it said 208.4! Yay!

Truckin Along...

Well... things are moving along... slowly.  I guess this is just the time I have to put in to eventually see results.  I shouldn't complain... I guess sometimes I just feel things should be like they are on The Biggest Loser & that I'm heavy enough to see big numbers each week.  But I'm not.  It's little bits here & there.  I thought it was that I was doing too much strength training, so I cut down to 1 or 2 sessions per week.  And I've been diligent with eating clean & working out 6 days a week (minimum 45 min cardio)  My clothes are fitting better... but I still just feel soooo big!

I guess it's just that I seem to have the mentality of someone who's already lost the weight, I just need to wait until I actually do.  It's like mentally, I've already arrived at my destination...but in reality... I'm still chuggin along on that weight loss train.

So as far as weight loss stats... I was getting frustrated with the Wii Fit as my sole means of tracking my weight (because I didn't think it was being that reliable... so I got one of the girls from work to get me one of the Jenny Craig scale. 

 So my weight reads higher than the Wii Fit was telling (my last reading from it was 207.2) And when I first got on the JC scale, it said 212...but now (a few days later) it's saying 210 lbs.  So that's my new official checkpoint for where I'm at.  It's a few pounds setback, but I'm using that to keep track now.

Can't Sleep, Might as Well Post

As the title would indicate, I'm here writing at a time when I should be sleeping. My husband came home unexpectedly during the night (well, night for me (11pm) & woke me up & now I can't get back to sleep (it's been about an hour)  So I thought I'd get to the post I've been meaning to write ever since Meaghan left a comment from my last post...

Can you talk about what sort of diet you're doing... Like I mean what kinds of food you're eating. Are you trying to restrict calories? Are you focusing on protein or low sugar or something?

I'm not really following any one specific diet per se... But the one that would be closest would be the Eat Clean Diet by Tosca Reno  It involves cutting out processed, high sodium, high sugar foods & having smaller meals with snacks through out the day. Tosca Reno used to be over 200lbs... & look at her now! And she's 51!!! So yea, I'm buying the things she's sayin :)  

I don't count calories, but I'm very aware or portion sizes (specifically of my carbs... I only have 3 portions of whole grains each day (one with breakfast, one with lunch & one with supper)  Usually a slice of whole grain bread (whereas before I eoul have 2 or whatever) or a Weight Watchers bagel (they're smaller) or English muffin or something.  

Lately I've been throwing a 1/4 cup of oatmeal right in with my breakfast smoothie. (Which I have M-F, the weekends it's a 1 egg/3 egg white omelet with veggies & seasonings & a slice of toast.) Later on in this post I'll break down what goes into my smoothies & why. 

I make sure I always have lean protein with every meal or snack... whether it's animal based, vegetarian or through protein powder or something like that.  

And what kinds of work out schedule are you on? Do you alternate days?

My workouts lately (& I hope I can keep this up!) have been 6 days a week. Cardio every day (minimum 45 minutes (time permitting, of course) and then strength training on opposite days, 3 times/week.  So, my week begins on a Monday... I'll leave work early if I can (if Alex is away, while Owen is still in child care) & do 45 on the treadmill (I'm still just walking at a fast pace, but hope to work up to running through intervals once I've lost a bit more weight) I track my time on the treadmill through my Nike + linked with my iPod & it transmits my data to my workout page on nikeplus.com.  There I can view all of my runs, compare speeds & distances, etc. 

Then I do a series of weight lifting exercises designed by my personal trainer Dustin (and by my personal trainer, I mean, he's the guy that you meet with if you're a member of Snap Fitness & I've met with him once so he could give me this workout regime... I'm not, like, meeting with hims 3x/week or whatever... I'm not there yet :)  The exercises all involve using free weights & I'm really glad he taught me how to do them because now I feel confident in the free weight area & don't feel intimidated to be there or like I need to stay in the area with the machines... 

So things have been good with all of that... & I definitely feel like I've been seeing results... now all I have to do is just keep it up for the rest of my life! It's okay though... eventually I'll be able to scale things back to a maintenance routine.

Now... my protein shake...

First.. I recommend having a Vita-Mix blender... for sure... hands down it's the best one on the market in terms of quality & ability. I was using a Magic Bullet before & I was still getting chunks of ice & lumps of other stuff that wasn't blending properly & it was a nasty mess, really.. so when I saw that Costco had them for sale, I sucked it up & bought one & am so glad I did.  These are the blenders that Booster Juice & Starbucks use & I can see why. I can throw 2 cups of ice in with my stuff & it comes out so smooth... LOVE IT!

Shameless plug aside.... this is what I put in a daily breakfast shake...

*about 1/2 c skim or almond milk
*1/4 c fat free yogurt
*1 Danone Probiotic drinkable yogurt
* 1-2 TBSP golden flaxseed (omega 3/fiber)
* 1-2 TBSP chia seeds (see below ... WHY CHIA?)
* 1 scoop whey protein powder (low fat, low carb, excellent source of protein)
* 1/8 c dry curd cottage cheese (Excellent source of protein ...I choose dry curd because reg cottage cheese (low fat or fat free) is SOOOO high in sodium... I just about fell off my chair when I realized how much was in a half a cup of it! Plus, it's getting blended anyway)
* 1/8 - 1/4 c dry oatmeal (whole grains)
* 1 TBSP coconut oil (good source of healthy fats)
* 1 TBSP wheat germ (fiber, etc... see link for health benefits)
* 1 TBSP cacao nibs (antioxidants)
* frozen fruit (assorted, depending on flavor of shake)
* ice

So delicious! I usually can't finish it all, so I save some for my morning snack at about 10 or 10:30am. And because of the Vita-Mix... it's blended perfectly.. no chunks!

WHY CHIA?

Chia seeds are one of the most powerful, functional, and nutritious
superfoods in the world! The chia seed is an excellent source of
fiber, packed with antioxidants, full of protein, loaded with vitamins
and minerals, and the richest known plant source of omega-3. 

Adding just 2 tablespoons of chia seeds to your daily diet will give you approximately 7 grams of fiber (more than bran flakes), 4 grams of protein, 205 milligrams of calcium (more than 2% milk), more antioxidants than blueberries, and a whopping 5 grams of omega-3! (More than Atlantic Salmon)

Workin Out, Feeling Good!

So I've been making arrangements to go to the gym & have been eating well & things are going great. I weighed myself on Sunday (210.5 lbs) & today (208.6 lbs) so at least I'm lower than what I was when I last weighed myself at the end of May.  So the semi-hiatus is officially OVER!

I've been reading a lot of weight loss stories with before & after pictures for inspiration (Women's Health has some great ones)  but the one that has inspired me the most is Michele Lund

Here's her before pic:

 Here's a couple after pics:

 

 

Isn't that FANTASTIC?!! So if you get the chance, head on over to her blog to read about this amazing journey.

Another pic that I'm using for inspiration is one of my sister, from when she was in Mexico.

I would totally love to look like this! So hopefully... if I keep working at it... one day I'll get there!

This just in... Sunday morning weigh in... 207.2 lbs! That's 5.8 lbs since last Friday :)

Still in the Land of the Unknown

So I still don't have the courage to weigh myself again yet.  I don't think the news would be that terrible... I think I just want to go by the feel of clothes for a while... Maybe even until I feel like I'm under 200lbs.  We'll see.

But things have been really good.  I've been working out (at the gym & at home) almost everyday.  I've been doing cardio & every other day doing my weight routine designed by Dustin (Aftershock Fitness) ... he's one of the personal trainers at Snap Fitness (where I have my gym membership).  It's all with free weights & it's a very rewarding feeling to feel like I've graduated from the easy machines to the big boy free weight section of the gym (especially since I've picked up heavier weights than the guys on 2 occasions now! (Alex says sometimes guys use lower weights sometimes for different reasons, but it still makes me feel good!)  But I am thinking of switching to World Gym because they have child care & I'd be able to go even when Alex is away. So we'll see.

Eating has been not too bad.  I've been trying to make better choices, but still have some treats here & there.  I'm mostly focusing on my working out & am trying to develop my better eating habits over time.  I'm reading "Secrets of a Former Fat Girl" right now & it's really good.  Very motivational.

And I've been way better at getting & keeping the house clean... cleaner than it's ever been in my life.  I'm even mopping (well, Swiffer Wet) the floors every other day or so.  So haw am I able to be doing all of this when before I felt like I couldn't get anything done?  I'm attributing the change in my time management skills to my newfound dedication to daily scripture study & prayer.  I was always a slacker at those things too... and since I've been reading & praying every day, it's like a whole new outlook on life & I have stronger desires to be more organized & get more housework/exercise/etc done... It's awesome... I totally recommend it!

Well... I guess I keep at it! Stay tuned for more progress reports!

p.s. it's now Thursday morning & I've just tried on & am now wearing a pair of jeans from way before I was ever pregnant! Woohoo!

Long time no post

Wow... I can't believe it's been since May that I've posted.  Time has flown by.  Thanks to all of you that have sent me messages wondering when my next post will be.

Things have been a little slack for me in the last little while :(  I'm not sure why but my drive & motivation has been down in the dumps & cravings for bad foods, on the other hand, have gone way way up  :(  So the progress has been slower & I may have even regressed a little (I'm too afraid to get on the scale for fear of what I'll be told)

But I still have ultimately the same goals... I just need to pick up the pace & increase my motivation to do better. So how will I do that?  I'm not totally sure... but one thing I've been trying recently is talk therapy/ hypnotherapy.  I know you guys are thinking ... "Wow, Kellie really will try anything!"  But from my perspective I've tried everything else, why not this?

The lady I'm seeing is Joanna Moen  & I heard about her from a girl at the Farmer's Market who had gone to her for weight loss & found it to be very effective.  What I like about our sessions is that because it begins with talk therapy, I can talk to her about things related to my weight loss struggles & she's going to help me figure out why I turn to food for comfort rather than treating it as fuel for my body & a source for an appropriate amount of pleasure.

Now, I'd never been hypnotized before & I thought for sure it wouldn't work for me & was really nervous during our first session... but it's actually really cool.  I feel very comfortable talking with her & as she guides me through the hypnotherapy process, I just end up becoming very relaxed & just focus on her voice as she gives positive reinforcement & subtle suggestions for things to change or improve upon.  Today I was so relaxed I was even drifting in & out of sleep, but could still focus mostly on what she was saying.  It was really neat.

So, I'm going to try to get back on the saddle & get up & go again.  Please, if you feel so inclined, write me a message of encouragement... it would be much appreciated!  I'm off to use the elliptical... YAY!

I promise I'm still here!

Things have been good... sometimes a lapse on a weight loss blog can mean a lapse in commitment & weight loss itself, but in my case it was just the fact that my computer died & I had to wait to get it fixed... hence the hiatus.

But in the meantime, I've joined Snap Fitness, have purchased a device that let's me watch downloaded shows from a memory stick on a TV (which I've set up in front of my elliptical) & I've dropped to 210.8 lbs! Only 66 lbs to go! I know it's still a lot, but it's 45 lbs I'll never have to see again!

I watched the Biggest Loser... LOVE that show... very inspiring.  Makes me want to train for a marathon.  But I've been finding my knees (esp the right one) are sore from the treadmill, so I'll have to keep switching it up between the elliptical, the ARC trainer & the treadmill.  And I'm going to have an espsom salt soak right now :)

But this weekend has been a little bit of a disaster as far as eating clean. I've eaten about 60% healthy... It's only due to eating out of convenience instead of eating what's best... but I'll stay focused & get back on track...no harm, no foul... no slip slidin down the shame spiral.

Although I will have to be on a shame spiral for starting to watch the Bachelorette... I know... I'm a huge dork.

p.s. We're getting a Running Room here in Grande Prairie... yay!

Cheating on Your Diet = Getting the Flu

Now, that may not actually be true, but all I know is... Friday was the worst day for eating I`ve had so far.  I knew it was going to happen sometime, & Friday was the day.  It started with me not being prepared & having lunch at work with me.  I went to Tim Hortons & got a Turkey sandwich, diet pepsi & apple fritter (which, after I looked at the nutritional guide, I realized I should NOT have gotten either of those things)

Then it was down hill from there in terms of the following:

Vanilla Bean Frappucino (no whip) from Starbucks & for some reason ANOTHER Apple Fritter, way too many of the Hersheys 100 calorie cookie bar snacks, a Hamburger & a Hot Dog for dinner & then more 100 calorie snack packs (just so you know, it`s not effective snacking if you`re eating more than one package in a sitting)

So the next morning I woke up & knew something was wrong.  The entire day was spent on the couch (or on or over the toilet) in agony.  I knew it was the flu because I had a fever & the chills as well, but I am also looking at it as being karma punishing me for eating so much junk.  My body did NOT feel good afterwards & I hope I will never do that again!

But the good news is, in weighing myself this morning, I weighed in at 214.5 lbs... So 4.5 lbs lost & only 69.5 lbs to go!  It`s starting to seem like a more tangible goal :)  One of my goals is to be under 200 lbs by my birthday (July 19th)  So I have 71 days to lose 15 lbs (1.5 lbs a week).  I hope I can do it!

Out of the 220's!

Weighed in... 219 lbs  YAY!

Only 74 to go!

Frustrated, but it's okay!

Well I've been getting frustrated because I've been super diligent about eating perfectly healthy & working out every day & I wasn't losing  as much as I wanted to, as quickly.  So I took a couple days break from my normal routine. And I followed some advice & adjusted the amount of protein I was eating (& the type) & started back up with the cardio & when  I weighed in I was 220.5 lbs... so that's 35.5lbs down since I joined Weight Watchers & 13 lbs since I've been keeping track (about 6 weeks ago)  ... so I'm happy.

It would be nice if I could get results like they do on the Biggest Loser, but I certainly don't have time to spend hours & hours in the gym everyday.  So I'll just keep going at my pace & I knpw it'll take longer, but hopefully I'll be able to tone as I go & not have as much of the loose extra skin business I keep reading about (YUCK).

So good news... I got a massage on Friday & my massage therapist (Julie; she's amazing) told me she noticed my muscle tone is improving! So that's awesome... I am starting to feel more powerful.

I was getting bored of my elliptical, so I decided today to go to the Leisure Centre (local multiplex type thing) & hit up the weight/fitness room.  I just did the treadmill for an hour, but it was amazing how something different made me motivated.  And it felt like it was working different muscles. So I plan to start going there more often & try out some classes as well.  Anything to switch it up a bit.  I'll have to lose a lot more weight before I feel comfortable using the weight machines & free weights with all the beefcakes, but cardio is fine for now.  :)

I just finished the book Half Assed (At age 24 and 372 pounds, Jennette Fulda thought maybe the best way to lose weight was to have her gallbladder removed. Then she decided to work her ass off—literally. In her journey from full-figured to half-assed, she stops only to knock her cat off the treadmill.  Follow Jennette as she loses over half her weight without losing her sense of humor in this light-hearted and inspirational tale. You’ll only put it down because you’ll want to get up and exercise.)

And now I'm reading The Amazing Adventures of Diet Girl  ( is the true story of how Shauna Reid lost half her body weight. Full of adventure, romance and chocolate, the book goes beyond the blog and spans seven years and seven jean sizes.)

So these books are keeping me motivated & help me to know it is possible!

Day 37.... Waiting...

Waiting...

It feels like I should just be at my goal weight right now.   Like, since I'm motivated & I'm doing what's right... it should just be over & done with or something :(   But I guess I'll just have to wait...

* Waiting to feel comfortable in a swimsuit again (so I can take my little boy swimming)
* Waiting to be light enough to run again ( & get a running stroller to take Owen with me)
* Waiting to fit into the boxes (and boxes, and bags, and suitcases) of clothes I have in smaller sizes than I am right now)
* Waiting to feel more confident & comfortable in my own skin.
* Waiting to have people actually think that I'm a person that can do 90 minutes of cardio (cause I certainly don't look like I can right now :)


I'm still doing great with eating & working out.  I've been getting up & doing my workouts in the mornings, so that it's over & done with.  And it gives me a ton of energy for my day.  But it means I go to bed earlier (like, right after I'm done this post)  & I'm still not having very much trouble falling asleep.

And I took my measurements at the 2 week mark &I've lost inches all over... so I was super pumped about that.  And Alex even mentioned I'm looking smaller... and my clothes are definitely fitting looser... LOVE IT!

I gave up diet caffeinated pops... I was getting addicted, but then I found out about sodium (I never paid attention to sodium intake before) & decided to give it up.  And guess what else I gave up (well, mostly) 

T.V.

 For  anyone that knows me, they know that this is a big deal...

This is what I used to watch, each & every week: ( I was going to put the list with all the show titles here... but realized I couldn't copy & paste the whole list at once & there are way too many to type individually)  But there were 28 shows.... 28!!!!! Mind you, I didn't always have time to watch the each week, but I'd have them saved up on my computer & watch them in a big session.  (A big, fat, sitting on my butt session)  So last week I just quit, cold turkey & I'm totally fine with it.  I get so much more meaningful things accomplished & I feel so much better about how my time is spent.  But my one guilty pleasure that I've been trying to still watch..... Glee... I LOVE IT!!! So good....

So, I will keep on going & will post a weigh in soon!


Upcoming posts... The fitbit & the Vita MIx

Day 32

Well... I've been noticing it's harder to post as much with working full time :)  BUT.... I've quit doing the Farmers Market for a while... I need to focus on my family & my weight loss goals & try to keep my house from being a total disaster... My old routine was come home from work exhausted, do something about supper, then makes signs until it was time to go to bed... No quality time with Owen or Alex & no time for working out... So that had to change... my marriage needed some TLC & I NEED to work out every day.

So... eating has been pretty good. I'm loving this clean eating thing.  Because of the frequency & the types of foods I'm eating, my cravings for sugar & simple carbs have dropped considerably.  And working out has been going well too.  I'm noticing I'm able to do a lot more of the exercises in the DVDs than I was able to before.  My abs are getting stronger (I can actually do plank poses now!)  So in general, it's all good!

The book I'm reading right now is called "Half Assed"




And it's amazing.  This girl started out at 372 lbs at the age of 24 & went on to lose 200+ lbs.  It's really good to read about her habits prior to her weight loss & what she did to lose the weight. 


So I'm just continuing on, trying to stay motivated & improving  I haven't weighed myself lately... I like to wait for longer periods of time, so that it's a big suprise when I do... So maybe tomorrow!

p.s. Tanya... Congrats again to Colin... he looks amazing!

Day 26

Well I found it really hard to post this week... with working full time, by the time I get home, it's hard to find the time to post... so sorry about that.  Things went well this week, for the most part.  I did well with working out (in the beginning of the week) & even tried Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred on one of my cardio days.  It was intense... And I'm going to have to double up on bras next time.... Anyone have a good recommendation for bras that offer awesome support during vigorous workouts?

But by Thursday I found #1) I felt like I just didn't have time to workout ~ I had a lot of custom orders to do for the Farmer's Market & I was like, "Okay, I can run for 80 minutes, or I can get work done on custom orders"... and because of reason #2) I had little to no energy because of a head cold I'd had (& still have)... I was continuing to go go go at my normal pace & it finally wore me out.  Thursday night I crashed at 8 & slept for an hour & then worked on custom orders.

And then Friday I REALLY didn't have time because I worked & then had to go right to the Farmers Market.  And Saturday I just had ABSOLUTELY no energy at all after the Market & then running around with Owen until we picked Alex up.

BUT... my nutrition has still been really good & Tosca Reno says in her Eating Clean book that  our physical shape is 80% nutrition. 10% genetics & 10% exercise... so I'm okay with my 3 day break... I got back on the horse (my elliptical) today & it felt great.

I weighed myself on the Wii on Thursday & it said 223.7 ( which is just a little more than 4 lbs down from the last weigh in) but I'll wait until my official weigh in date (Wednesday)  I only like to weigh in every 2 weeks because I tend to go up & down.  So we'll see.

But the main thing is ... I'm still going.  Normally, but now, I definitely would've been off the bandwagon. So... YAY for me!

AND... they had cupcakes in Young Womens today (I teach the Mia Maids & Laurels) & I didn't have any :)

Day 20

So Saturday was an awesome day ... I'm a vendor at the Farmers Market each week with my Vinyl lettering signs & sewn baby items, and since there's limited choices for food there... this is what my normal Saturday's food choices would've been:

1) A small Apple Caramel Crumble pie from Miss Penny (my neighbour)  $5.00
2) A tray of Brownies or Unbaked Chocolate cookies (or both) from Amy, my other neighbour $5.00 each (Mind you, I wouldn't have eaten the whole tray ... but I definitely would've done some serious damage to it)
3) A bag of fried Wontons for lunch $5.00

And all that because I never wanted to prepare my own things to bring, & didn't think I would be satisfied with a bag of carrots from the vegetable vendors.  So... a bunch of junk & $15.00 - $20.00 wasted.  But Saturday was a different story...

Friday night I loaded up a cooler with bottles of water (& I've got my main water bottle that I filled with ice) * Here`s a note about water bottles to choose...  I`ve tried a million different ones & I like this kind the best... It`s got a wide mouth screw top lid (so I can put ice in) but it`s got a flip top lid as well, so I can swig out of a smaller opening (no buckets of ice dripping down my chest because I`m drinking out of a wide mouth opening while on the elliptical.)  This one I got from Superstore for $4.99... but there are some fancier ones at Costco which, I`ve decided, will be my first reward.

1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese (excellent source of protein, but watch your sodium!), an orange, a ziploc bag (these will become your friend) with 15 almonds, some SatisfAction yogurt (you already know how I feel about that stuff :), a Laughing Cow soft cheese wedge (good source of protein...you can spread it on bread instead of reg cream cheese or butter, or chop it into cubes to put it into a salad, a ziploc bag with 1/4 cup of dried blueberries that I got from Costco (naturally sweet snack...kinda like candy (almost) & great source of antioxidants), some celery sticks (a few with some light peanut butter (1 TBSP - good source of protein & feels like I'm eating food I shouldn't... keeps the calories down by pairing it with celery instead of crackers) & ...

wait for it...

spelt bread... OH MY GOODNESS... if you haven't tried spelt bread... get your butt down to your local Farmers Market (my new neighbour is the lady that makes the spelt bread (no more pies or brownies for me!)  If you don't know what spelt is, check out the above link... but here's a quick overview... it's a grain that can be used instead of whole wheat flour, it has higher levels of protein & better nutrition values.  The stuff I get from my neighbour is SOOOOO good, I don't even have to put anything on it, it just tastes so good.

So that was my day at the market...   That night I went for 82 MINUTES on the elliptical & did 9.11 miles... I was a bit slower at times;  I'm not super fast yet, I'm just trying to go on for as long as I can each time...build up my endurance first, & then my speed...  And I don't go for that long all in one chunk... I do have to pause the timer to go for a pee break or two.  I used to use the excuse that when I had to go pee, I'd just stop & not get back on... but now I just pause it & then go again... and my feet normally go numb after a while on the elliptical (it's a thing that just happens from that type of exercise... I'm looking into different types of shoes to prevent that feeling (any suggestions?) ... so I'll get off the elliptical & stretch or whatever & then go again.  But I think this coming week, I'm going to pair the elliptical with some of the workout videos I've bought... I have:















So I'll let you guys know how those go...
 
As per Kristi's request, I'm going to do some posts about a few different topics: the songs I have on my playlist...my exercise schedule and some of my go to snacks and foods.So stay tuned for those... they will be showing up on the right column as a link.  Take care!

Day 18

Well, I wasn't quite as happy with yesterday's weigh in ... I felt like I'd lost more than that... so  I got on this morning & sure enough, I was at 228lbs... So... one lb away from my pre-pregnancy weight (still a pretty scary number though) ...  5.5lbs lost since last weigh in & 28 lbs total since I've been keeping track... Only 88lbs to go!

Today I ate really well, (they had Easter candy, chocolate AND ordered in pizza...but I wasn't even tempted to have any because I am LOVING this eating clean thing... I feel sooo much better!)  and I just got done doing 80 minutes on the elliptical... 9.08 miles!  That's like what I was doing when Alex & I first started dating.

My newest snack that I've found is Silhouette's SatisfAction  It's amazing! It really does make you feel fuller, longer... and there's still no fat & only 80 calories.  So... I'm loving the heck outta that. (I feel like that's something my friend Kristi would say :)

Anyways... time to hit the shower & head off to bed!

Day 17

Weigh in day!  I'm at 230!  So I lost 3.5 lbs in 2 weeks.  I feel like it was more though, because my clothes are feeling looser... I think it's just because I've been strength training & have built a little muscle...

Anyway... Valerie is calling me to go to the BURN DVD! Yay for me!

Day 16 - long post, but please read!

Well, I thought I'd be in bed by now (being 11pm & all) but I guess that's what I get for drinking an energy drink before I went on the elliptical at 9 o'clock at night!

So I did 68 minutes... 7.8 miles & then some yoga to wind down.  Me newest thing is making a new playlist for each time I go on the elliptical... to keep things fresh.  I'm more into it if I don't know what song is coming next.  My top 2 songs for my "runs" are: "Telephone" by Lady Gaga ft Beyonce  (remix) & "If We Ever Meet Again" Timbaland with Katy Perry.  LOVE those tracks.  I get to do my fake spinning class thing on the chorus.  See this post to clarify what I mean by that.

I ate really well again today.  It's amazing that just a few short weeks ago I was getting fast food almost every day; sometimes twice a day.  Because a) it was easier than making a meal at home, b) I was out somewhere & didn't plan ahead to eat healthy, c) the crap in bad food makes it taste so good & addicting.  But since I've been eating cleaner, I've felt better & my skin is better too.  I'm doing lots of reading about things I should be incorporating into my diet; doing research on how I can be eating ever cleaner.  Because no matter how much you work out, a portion of your achievements comes from nutrition.  Here are some of my research sources.

Oxygen Magazine Great info & recipes





















I KNOW I've said this 1,000 times before, but I feel like THIS is going to be the time it really works.  I say that because I'm feeling good about how I'm eating & I haven't cheated because I haven't been depriving myself...so I haven't felt guilty & then fallen down a shame spiral... (that would've happened already by now... I would've gone out & gotten a blizzard or something)  And when I think about exercising, it's not like "Oh yuck, I have to workout" ... or I would've only done it if Alex was around, to impress him AND, I would've only done like 12-20 min on the elliptical... instead, I think, "I GET to workout & I'm going to do even more than I did the last time."  And with the fresh playlists & magazines to keep me occupied, I don't even notice that an hour goes by!

And this time I've actually been able to visualize my smaller, toned body.  I've never really been able to do that before, to envision what I would look like if I wasn't fat. (I HATE that word, btw)  But my sister, Shannon is getting married in about a year, probably in Mexico & I'd like to be able to feel great about being on the beach in a bathing suit. It's been almost 3 years since I've been in a bathing suit.  Isn't that depressing?  I haven't even taken Owen swimming because I'm too ashamed. ("These thighs aren't for anyone's eyes" is my mantra)  But I'd like to change that so I can have a good time in a place I've never been before. I've never been south of Utah.  It'll be exciting to be there & spend time with Shannon & Jason as they get married...

So that's my final timeline goal.  But I need your help... I want to set up a schedule for short range goals & rewards for those goals.  So in your comments, please suggest ideas for goals (# of pounds lost) & the reward that would go with that goal achieved.  For example... When I reach 30 pounds lost, I'd like to treat myself to a facial or a pedicure or something.  Other major rewards could include workout wear from lululemon, gel nails, highlights, new jeans, etc... Let me know what you think & then once I come up with a list of goals & their rewards, I'll post them.

Day 15

My husband came home for the night (as a surprise) but I didn't use his being here as an excuse to get out of working out.  I asked him to take care of Owen while I did my thing (the BUILD DVD & part of the Carmen Electra's Fit to Strip DVD)


It was only supposed to be the Build DVD, but I wanted to get a little extra cardio in as well, since I had the energy.  And I ate really well today too.  My breakfast was a protein shake (skim milk, ice, 1 scoop choc protein powder - lots of protein & like NO FAT! - & a few chunks of frozen banana & then a tsp of wheat germ & 1 tsp of some little seeds (that kinda look like poppy seeds) that I got at the Farmers Market... apparently they're amazing for you... I'll find out what they are for you guys)

So it's been a good day... & now I'm gonna go hang out with my husband!

Day 14

So I didn't end up getting to do the Sculpt DVD on Friday... Fridays always seem to get away from me. So I did both the Sculpt DVD & Yoga on Saturday.  I ate really well on Sat & then fasted today until supper time.  Then I had some vegetarian chili & spelt bread (which I am now totally in love with!) & skim milk.  And then later, one of these...

This has become my go to snack when I feel I need something chocolatey without binging on a whole whack of something.  It's rich enough that it's satisfying.. and in Canada it only has 3 pts!  So... I totally love it.

So tomorrow I start out with week 2 of the DVDs & Mon it's the Build DVD.  So we'll see how that goes.  Wed is weigh in day.  Can't wait!

These are a few of the tools I've ordered to help me with my goals:

Day 11

61 minutes

6.76 miles

Can I get a "HOLLA!"

I think Heavenly Father made Owen sleep long enough so I could go for that long.  I had the video monitor on  & was watching periodically to see if he had woken up ... & since he hadn't, I kept going :)  My trick... I bought some fitness magazines & browsed through the whole thing.  Another fitness "tender mercy"... my play list was exactly long enough...just over by 10 seconds. I remember when I made it thinking, I wonder if I'll ever be able to do this whole playlist on one "run" (I put run in quotation marks because I don't know what to call a session on an elliptical... I'm not really running like I would be on a treadmill... any suggestions?)

Anyway... still eating well & have to do my yoga DVD later... Can't wait to weigh in next week!

Day 10

So yesterday was a cardio/yoga day.  I did the elliptical... 25 minutes, 2.63 miles.  I didn't end up getting to do the 15 minute yoga DVD that came with the AHB program (funny how the day can slip away from you!)  But I did get to stretch a lot after "running"  One of my fave things to do on the elliptical is during the chorus of certain songs ... leaning forward & grabbing on to the middle handles (the ones that don't move) & bounce a little more & go a little faster... I pretend I'm in a spinning class... I'm a dork, but it's so fun... spices things up a bit.

And I was soooo sore yesterday.  That Build DVD is killer.  Normally I would've said "Oh, I'm too sore, I won't do the cardio today"  And then I'd get off track & it'd be all over... But I went ahead & it wasn't too bad!  I got a massage today & then I just finished the Burn DVD a little while ago.

So tomorrow is cardio/yoga & I don't have as much going on tomorrow...so hopefully I can go for longer on the elliptical & get the yoga dvd done.

And one other thing I've noticed since I've been exercising everyday... I don't have as much trouble falling asleep as I did before... YAY! (You were right Alex :)

Day 8

So yesterday was Sunday & was a rest day.  I did mess up a little with eating, but I'll be okay.  I find it's hardest in the evenings for me.

Today is a new day & it's the first day of my new program ... Action Hero Babe ... I found this program a while ago when I saw Jennifer Garner on Ellen using these cool little things that basically looked like furniture slides to help her do lunges... And I thought ... What a great idea!  So I looked up Valerie Waters (Jennifer's trainer) & found the "Valslides"  & then saw that she had the whole system... the Action Hero Babe system... so I ordered it right away... and I've had it for a while... but being back on the bandwagon now, I've committed to doing the 8 week program, starting today.

There's 6 different DVD's ... Build - Burn & Sculpt, each in Phase 1 (done for one month) & then Phase 2 (for the next month) ... Today I did the Build Phase 1 disc & man.... I'm sore... It's good... but it's done in circuits, so you get breaks... Anyway... I'm loving it so far... There's a whole binder that has your workouts & nutrition guide with recipes, your goals & motivations.... I'm hoping it'll help me stay on track.

So tomorrow is Cardio & Yoga... back to the elliptical I go!

Day 6

30 minutes + stretching

3.43 miles

Slipped up on eating today & yesterday...

Didn't run yesterday...

Realize it's not the end of the world & will do better tomorrow... I WILL NOT slip onto a shame spiral.

Day 4

Day 4...

41 minutes

4.73 miles

Ate healthy (well, had 3 pieces of chocolate, but I think a little treat is good, to prevent me from going out & getting a blizzard or something in a few days :)

Gotta keep going

Back on Track

Well... I totally fell off the bandwagon.  This happens a lot for me... I feel good about my progress over a short amount of time, slack off, & then feel guilty about the "mishaps" & then go down a shame spiral into my old habits.

A lot of people around me have been having success & are looking great, & instead of motivating me, it was making me feel more & more guilty & like it would never work for me.  But I do know that it can work for me, because it has in the past.  When I had 3 months to get ready to see Alex for the first time after we'd started a long distance relationship over the phone (which I personally, to this day, believe is the best way to really get to know someone in the beginning, rather hanging out/making out all the time in the beginning, we just spent hours on the phone, learning everything we could about the other person)

Anyway...when I knew I had 3 months to get my butt into shape, I totally went for it & went to the gym everyday.  I would do 40 minutes on the elliptical, do strength training for 20 minutes, then 40 minutes on the treadmill, & then 10 minutes of stretching & abs.  EVERY DAY.  And I lost a lot of weight. I got down to 168lbs (which was a big accomplishment for me, someone who had always been really heavy).  And I felt great... And I could wear clothes I hadn't been able to in a long time. And it was amazing.

But then time passed & we got married & I slacked off & didn't eat as healthy, & of course the lbs came back on.  And then we moved out here to Alberta (I weighed 195lbs by then) & for some reason, I gained even more.  To the point where when I got pregnant, much to my surprise, I weighed 227lbs!!!  Out of control.  And then MONTHS after Owen was born, I still weighed in the 250s.

So a few nights ago (after feeling really down & depressed about the state my body is in right now) I had an open & honest heart to heart conversation with Alex about all my deep-seeded fears & frustrations, and my envy of those around me who are having success & how it makes me feel like I won't succeed.  Now Alex has always been very supportive of me in my continued efforts to lose weight, & I love him for that.  I know a lot of guys that would've left me a long time ago had I'd gotten this big while being with them... And so he told me to just do it... to just go for it... that he knew I could do it, & to nevermind what others were doing... to just do what I know how to do & work towards my own success...

And so I am.  The next day I ate healthy & went on the elliptical for 38 minutes... I did 4.43 miles.  This coming from a girl that used to get excited when she could do 12 minutes.  And the next day I ate healthy again & did 30 minutes on the elliptical.  And today I did 25 minutes, but added strength training, abs & stretching.  And it feels good.  I'm hoping I can keep going. :)


**** UPDATE***** Just got off the Wii fit & the body test said I was at 233.5 lbs... down 7.5 lbs from the last time I was on... (79 days ago!) So that's exciting for me... Only 6.5 for me to lose until I'm back at my pre-pregnancy weight... and then only 87 more pounds to go! YAY!!!