The Road to A Better Me

Tasty Tuesdays: Strawberry Shortcake

2012-01-31T10:41:00.000-05:00

This tasty fruit dessert is a great light end to any meal.

Ingredients:

- package of prepared mini angel food cakes
- 1 package of frozen strawberries
- honey
- fresh fruit: pears, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries
- Cool Whip

Directions:

place entire package of frozen strawberries in a large saucepan. Cook on low heat, covered until strawberries are thawed
Add honey to taste to the mixture and stir continuously until thickened
Top Angel Food cakes with portion of sauce
Top with sliced fresh fruit and then Cool Whip

Serve and Enjoy!

A Long Awaited Update

2012-01-08T21:46:00.001-05:00

Well, perhaps not long-awaited, but whatever…an update nonetheless.

In the last couple of months, Dave and I have continued with our trainers at Goodlife. He is seeing quite a bit of progress in that he is gaining muscle and strength. I, on the other hand, have not. There was the weight loss that occurred when I first switched trainers, but I haven’t really seen any since. I am improving in other areas, better endurance, strength, etc., but I think we all know that the main thing I want to get out of all of this is weight loss. And since the majority of people who hear this ask, no I haven’t seen much (if any) decrease in inches either.

My trainer has been looking over my food logs since I started with him, and recommended I stop eating dairy. So I did. It was hard at first since I love cheese and milk, but I have adjusted and don’t notice that often. I still consume probably about a cup or so of some sort of milk product throughout each week, but that is pretty much it. He also recommended I start with the nutritionist at Goodlife. For a while I said no as I wasn’t entirely happy with the progress I had seen thus far with the rest of the resources at the gym, but have since decided to give it a try.

I met with her last Tuesday and have my second session this coming Tuesday. So far we have just gone over the basics of the program and this coming session we will be setting up some sort of plan. To be honest, I don’t know what to expect. My hopes have been shot down so many times it is hard to get them raised even remotely right now. I have not resigned myself to being overweight for the rest of my life, I am just not as hopeful as I once was.

Sorry to leave things on such a bummer note, I just don’t have much else to say right now. Hopefully things will turn around now that I have an entire team behind me.

Back in the Swing of Things

2011-10-02T16:31:00.001-04:00

Dave and I have had personal trainers for a while now and though there have been improvements, I am not seeing the changes I need to be seeing to keep a positive outlook on the whole thing. That being said, I have since changed trainers and though at first I was a little apprehensive about my new training as I don’t like change, it is turning out to be a good thing. I have already started to lose weight more rapidly and consistently than with the previous trainer. I also feel like I am getting more out of my training sessions in that I am more tired and sore afterwards (in that good I just worked out sort of way).
But because of the length of time it took to get a point where I am starting to lose weight consistently, etc, I am going to have to rework my wedding weight loss plans. This is very upsetting to me and I feel like a complete failure if I think about it too much, but with only a year left until our wedding day (and probably about 2 months less than that until I get a wedding dress), there just isn’t enough time to get to my ideal weight or even the first reasonable weight goal I had set out for myself.
It is probably just best to set a new goal for myself and start moving towards it and not think about what could have been. Though this is very hard for me, it will be what I try to do over the next little while.

Not as Expected

2011-07-05T11:48:00.001-04:00

So over the last little while I have been watching what I eat (about 90% of the time) and of course, going to the gym to work out with my trainer. I have not however, seen much success in terms of weight loss. The scale and I are just not in agreement of what is good enough to get these pounds off. I have lost a few pounds I suppose, but nothing significant and definitely nothing consistent. I have however, noticed that I am much stronger – which though I will admit is a very good thing, it is not helping me look better which means I don’t really feel any better about myself. I essentially have a year left until I want to start looking at wedding dresses and just a little longer than that until I have to walk down the aisle. Though these two things are definitely not my only reason to lose weight, they are to driving points that make me want to get it done now. I don’t want a plus size dress – I don’t want to be ashamed of my wedding photos. Time to tighten the belt metaphorically so I can do it literally later on.

Personal Trainer

2011-06-13T12:17:00.003-04:00

About a month and a half ago, Dave and I signed up for personal trainers. I think I mentioned that we signed up at one of the many local Goodlife Fitness gyms and that we registered for the introductory peronsal trainers, but we have since signed up with them longer term (or at least, longer term). Right now our sessions will last until the end of November if we leave them at twice a week. We are thinking of bumping it up to three times a week but that will only happen if after a review of our finances, post-closing fees (house is coming in TWO days!) we are able to afford a longer contract at the three times a week frequency.

We have however, decided that personal trainers was definitely the way to go for us. After about 4 or 5 sessions both of us admitted that we would have stopped going if we didn't have a contract, a great deal of money invested in this and someone waiting for us at the gym with an appointment we can't really cancel at the last minute (not without a good reason at least). We also both really like our trainers and their individual approaches to our fitness. For those of you who know Dave and I personnally, you will already know that we are in two different categories in terms of fitness levels and what we are trying to get our of the gym. Dave is tall and pretty skinny, he has a high metabolism and before we started slacking in the last couple of years, he was pretty active. I on the other hand, am average height but overweight and have pretty much always been a non-active person. While my main goal for my personal trainer is to lose weight, his is to gain strength.

I will have to sit down sometime and give a proper review of how things are progressing and my trainer's regime to get me fit, but for now, I just wanted to say that if you are at all considering personal training to lose weight or reach any other of your personal fitness goals, do it. Sit down with a trainer and determine a schedule and payment plan that fits into your finances - our trainers were really accomodating and did everything they could to get us something that worked with our finances. We normally don't have issues with money, but considering the new house, wedding and photography business, we were a little worried about getting in over our heads and our trainers understood. It was really great. (my apologies if this isn't the best worded blog post, I am a little strapped for time these days and wasn't able to review it).

Tasty Tuesday: Asparagus

2011-05-17T09:33:00.000-04:00

Okay, so asparagus makes your pee smell funny, but whatever, deal with that and make this delicious vegetable dish.

This meal is really, really simple to make. First snap off the hard ends of your washed asparagus and place it in a baking dish. Lightly coat it with olive oil and garlic powder and give it all a good toss. Cook until tender (approximately 5-10 minutes depending on how crunchy you like them) in a 350 degree oven. As soon as the spears are cooked, pour a little bit of balsamic vinegar over them and then crumble feta cheese on top. Serve and enjoy.

No More Curves

2011-05-09T09:11:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I officially cancelled my Curves membership. I haven’t gone to Curves in months and even when I was going, I was no longer finding it enough for me to feel like I had a good enough workout. Don’t get me wrong, it is a great place and perhaps somewhere down the road I will return there, but for now it just isn’t right for me any longer.

I had been putting off cancelling my membership and as a result ending up paying for one month longer than I really had to, but it’s not that bad I suppose. Also, the ladies at Curves were pretty nice about me cancelling my membership and didn’t harass me any longer than it took for the documents to print, better than expected really.

And We’re Back…

2011-05-08T16:23:00.000-04:00

I never really left my weight loss efforts, in fact that last month or so has been pretty hard core in terms of my exercising. But I did take a break from blogging and an even longer break from my weight loss blog. Sorry about that.

Long story short, Dave and I signed up at Goodlife Fitness in April and have been going on average three times a week since. When we signed up we got the introductory Personal Trainer package that they offer to all first-time registrants. We both got 6 1-hour personal training sessions and really enjoyed them. In fact we enjoyed them so much that we have since signed up with our trainers for 56 1-hour sessions. I believe that works out to twice a week until the end of November. My trainer’s name is Danielle and she is very nice, but pushes me very hard. The first two sessions were more about learning about the equipment so that when I was there on my own I would be able to do more than just run on the treadmill. Goodlife has a circuit system very similar to the machines at Curves and I found that I was able to do more on them than I originally thought I could. We also did some floor exercises and talked about a target heart rate I should be aiming for during each phase of my workout.
The next four sessions were pretty intense. In fact, the third workout (the first really intense one) made me want to throw up afterwards and I hurt for a few days afterwards. Danielle has since learnt my actual limits and pushes me very close to that state each workout, but never actually gets me to a point where I feel like being sick or falling over during the workout or even have muscle pains for longer than a few hours the next morning. I am definitely getting stronger as I am able to get through more of each workout before I feel very tired and am able to do the workouts (even new ones) faster than when we first started. Working with her two days a week will be very good for me.

I have my personal trainer (PT) sessions every Tuesday and Thursday and Dave has his on Wednesdays and Fridays. We are therefore going to the gym four times a week which is awesome. With gym attendance like this, mixed with healthy eating, there is no way we will not reach our goals.

Big Stuff

2011-04-23T21:12:00.002-04:00

It will be a little while longer until I am back regularly, but for now you should know that Dave and I have signed up at Goodlife Fitness and it is going really well. We head to the gym any day that we aren't working on the big stuff that is going on in our lives right now. I will have to update you all later when I have more time and energy.

Other Changes

2011-02-22T08:06:00.000-05:00

So I haven’t posted in a little while and that is because I didn’t want to write this post for a few reasons. The first of which is that it is going to be a longer one and I have been so busy lately I just haven’t had the time to sit down and write any posts let alone long ones.
Though I was successful in losing weight during Phase 1 of the Curves weight loss program and didn’t gain weight during Phase 2 of the program, I never quite grasped the concept of Phase 2 and wasn’t able to be very successful at it. Perhaps I am just not strong enough to be that strict with my food intake, and perhaps that type of slightly restrictive plan isn’t for me. Don’t get me wrong Curves is a really well thought out weight loss program that incorporates proper eating and use of all the food groups, but I don’t think it is really for me. It was also about this time that I heard about the changes with the Weight Watchers program.
The new Weight Watchers program is called Points Plus and has changed how points are calculated. Old points used to be based solely on calories, fat and fibre, but with the new program points are based on the ‘building blocks’ of calories: fat, protein, carbohydrates and sugar. This is to encourage healthier use of your points. Also, all fruit and most vegetables are free despite their natural sugar content. So long story short, I am now using this new program.
Thing are going well, I have gotten back on track and am definitely headed in the right direction now.
I have a few other changes in the works but don’t want to get into them just now.

Stephanie Beach Photography

2011-02-21T15:32:00.001-05:00

It’s not really weight loss related (okay, it’s not at all weight loss related), but I have started my own website and would love it if you checked it out. Thanks!!

http://wwww.stephaniebeachphotography.com/

Temptation

2011-01-07T12:17:00.000-05:00

The past couple of days I have been trying my darndest to resist temptations in my attempt to stick to my diet and I HAVE SUCCEEDED...so far. Let's hope it stays that way as we head into the weekend.

Protein

2011-01-06T08:09:00.000-05:00

When I tried the Curves diet for the first time I was pleasantly surprised with my first week of results. I lost about 6 pounds in that first week, but then only lost another 4 or so in the weeks following that. This wasn't necessarlily the diet's fault, but it is how it turned out. When I tried it the first time I also went with the Carbohydrate version of the diet thinking it would be easier for me as I love carbs and this version had more of them than the Protein version.
This time however, I am restarting the diet (ie. starting from Phase 1 of the diet) with the Protein version. The lower quantity of carbs will be difficult for me, but I have heard from friends, Curves members and in online forums that this version results in greater weight loss. Since I need the pounds to drop at a decent rate for me to stay motivated, I thought I would give it a try. I am on my third day and things are going well...though I think they usually go well the first few days of a diet.

New Inspiration

2011-01-05T07:39:00.000-05:00

This past holiday season I found the inspiration I so desperately needed.
I first found it in my mom, again. She has lost 59 pounds in the last two years! She has done this using the Weight Watchers counting method and regular attendance to the weekly Weight Watchers meetings. Seeing her and how much weight she has lost was very motivating and made me want to get working towards a healthier me again.
I was then inspired by Dave. He asked me to marry him and the idea of walking down that aisle and starting our married life together at my current weight was too much to bear. We have not set a firm date, but will be working towards a Fall 2012 wedding.
I have set my goal of just under 1 pound a week until two to three months prior to the wedding (to ensure I can get a dress in time). To reach this goal I have set in place several things, firstly I have restarted the Curves diet, starting right back at Phase I. I have also started attending Curves on a regular basis again (Tuesday and Thursdays to be precise) and am going to be trying out the new Curves Zumba next week to see if I think that will help at all. I will be working out on Monday evenings, walking to class on Wednesdays and doing an intensive workout on Saturdays and Sundays. Fridays will be my day off from exercise as I know I enjoy doing nothing on Fridays.
I am not saying it will be easy, but I have a real deadline now, something that I can’t push off too long and once a date is set, I won’t be able to push it off at all. I do not want a plus size wedding dress. I do not want to be a white blob walking down the aisle.

Curves Zumba

2011-01-04T19:44:00.001-05:00

Curves Zumba is something that is new to Curves this year and today I signed up for the first day of it at my Curves location. It is next Tuesday (Jan 11) and I am pretty eager to try it out.
Zumba is a “latin-inspired dance-fitness program that blends red-hot international music and contagious steps to form a “fitness party” that is downright addictive”. Let’s hope that’s right. Let’s also hope that I am able to learn the moves as I normally have a pretty hard time with dance-routine fitness programs. It is only $2 to try it out next week so not a huge investment to see if it is right for me.

In need of inspiration

2010-12-09T10:57:00.006-05:00

I have been feeling a little lost lately, not just with my weight loss but life in general. It is for this reason that my weight loss has not been progressing.
So far this month I have been working out on my elliptical and doing housework and chores on the weekends and walking a greater distance to and from class on Tuesday nights. Other than that I haven't been doing anything special and the results (or rather lack thereof) are proof.
If I have done anything right lately (other than the weekend exercise) it has been food during the sunlit hours of the day. I am able to eat my premade lunch (reasonable portions of chinese 'fried' rice I made about two weeks ago and froze) and drink my water, but then by the time the sun goes down and I am sitting at home I am not as good. I am not terrible, the extra things that are going in my mouth are being counteracted by the weekend workouts, but it means I maintain instead of lose.

Chris comes this weekend and I am hoping that she and her super awesome weight loss inspires me to kick my butt into gear...otherwise I don't know what will.

Despite my efforts…

2010-12-02T21:27:00.001-05:00

Despite my efforts, this past month was not a good one for me. I tried to get back to Curves, and though I did not completely fail at that, I did not achieve my very low goals. I was, however, able to burn at least 1000 calories each weekend on the elliptical and then do a great deal of walking or housework as well. I intend on keeping this last part up throughout this month as it was actually pretty easy (well in relation to how hard it was to do anything else this past month). I also felt really great after doing it and often rewarded myself with a nap while watching the boys play video games.

In terms of food, I was able to make healthy meals to eat during the day, but then the evening would come and I would end up eating one thing almost each night that I really shouldn’t have. I have realized this and am trying my best to entertain myself with something else so that I will not eat, though it is quite hard.

This month is going to be about getting back on track – or rather getting more on track than where I am now. I need to figure out what I need to do to reward myself that doesn’t cost money or have calories. I really don’t know what that will be just yet --- if you have any ideas, let me know.

Sunday Reflections: October

2010-10-31T16:27:00.000-04:00

As previously mentioned, most of this month was a controlled break for me. I maintained my weight loss and more or less enjoyed myself. I did however, take a great deal of extra walks and went to the gym as much as I could.
November is looking ridiculously busy for me, so I am hoping I will be able to implement more of the Curves food plan and gym attendance recommendations, but realistically I won’t be able to give it 110% that I would like as I just won’t have the energy. But I am already making meals to keep in the freezer for those really busy nights and workdays, so perhaps I will be able to do better than I am anticipating.

Semi-Break

2010-10-19T12:28:00.005-04:00

I decided a little while ago, that I needed a semi-break. I didn't count calories, or points or eat according to any plan but didn't eat unhealthy either. I wasn't diligent about going to the gym x times a week but did go when it fit into my schedule nicely. I do however, walk like 50 miles from the parking lot to my class every Tuesday night (seriously, the free parking is really far from my class), but I don't think that really counts as regular exercise since it is only once a week.
Anyway, I don't quite remember what I weight last time I posted (about a month ago) but I think I have pretty much just maintained at 10lbs lost. Every now and then I step on the scale and it gives me a delightfully lower number, but it isn't consistent enough to count it as a loss just yet - almost though.
I am trying to figure out when to go back on the Curves plan (full-time) as it was working out better than other plans have for me, but I haven't landed on an actual date just yet. Winter is just about here, and for whatever reason I tend to do better that time of year rather than any other (as previously mentioned).

Balsamic Vinaigrette and Cucumbers

2010-09-21T12:17:00.004-04:00

This is a new snack I discovered (for myself, obviously it has been out there for quite some time) during a trip to The Works (shhh...don't tell my diet I went to The Works it doesn't know yet). A little balsamic vinaigrette dressing and several slices of cucumbers (sliced on an angle to make it fancy-like) make for a delicious morning or afternoon snack. Most 'counting' diets consider cucumbers to be free food (for example, Weight Watchers and the Curves diet) so all you need to account for is about 1 tablespoon of dressing. The Kraft Calorie-Wise version has 25 calories and 2 grams of fat in 1 tablespoon and I even had some leftover when I was done. Delicious.

Finally!

2010-08-29T12:05:00.001-04:00

10 pounds lost! It took for freaking ever due to my slip-ups and laziness but I finally achieved it.

Where did August go?

2010-08-25T08:54:00.005-04:00

So August is coming to an end and seriously it feels like it just got here! In terms of my weight loss, it was starting to fluctuate a bit closer to the high end so I had to get a hold of that. I managed to catch it and am now even closer to 10 lbs lost than I was before. My Curves attendance has not been great (only about twice a week instead of three times) but it has been better than it was in the weeks prior to my last post and with baseball ending soon (the work team I have been playing on) I will be able to find the energy again to go three+ times a week. Dave and I have gone on a few weekend photo walks but we are still pretty sluggish on the weekends which is something I would like to change at least a little bit before winter sets in (yes it is August and I am thinking of the winter months).
On that note, I do tend to do better with my weight loss during the Fall and Winter. I think it is because I enjoy colder temperatures over warmer ones so I am more likely to go for photo walks during the Fall. In the winter, I tend to start planning for the summer months when I know I will be wearing tighter clothes. I get a jolt of inspiration and motivation and tend to kick it into high gear with my elliptical and workout shows. I foresee the same thing happening this winter (hopefully). I am going to be setting some Fall goals shortly once I get a chance to sit down with my spreadsheet.

July Recap

2010-08-05T08:54:00.004-04:00

So July appears to have been a stalemate. I lost a few pounds throughout the month but haven't made any big leaps towards my goals. I am still just a little bit off from 10 lbs lost.
My food was pretty good this past month though I did have a few treats here and there. My exercise started out really well but unfortunately incredibly high workloads and stress levels made me miss almost two weeks of Curves. Not only is that disappointing, but it is also a little sad as I actually enjoy Curves for the most part (as previously mentioned).
My goals for the Fall are not really achievable anymore (I wanted to get back into regular size jeans before I started having to wear them again) but I am still going to work really hard in August to get as close to them as possible. Unfortunately this means another shopping trip at a larger size - hopefully I can find a few items that won't break the bank.

Almost…

2010-07-24T15:33:00.001-04:00

Just a little update today ---
I am currently 0.8lbs away from 10lbs lost.
I need to weigh-in again at Curves so I will find out how many inches I have lost in a little bit.
I am pretty happy with my progress so far especially when you consider that I am pretty happy with the tastiness of the food I have been eating.

Another one Bites the Dust

2010-07-18T19:20:00.001-04:00

Unfortunately the last two weeks have been slow-going for me. Work has been so ridiculous that I have not been able to get to the gym at all. Not only does this mean that my weight loss has slowed down, but it makes me a little sad. I was actually enjoying going, at least I enjoyed how I felt afterwards and considering how quick it was I didn’t mind the actual workout. I will be going back to the gym this week though and hopefully there aren’t too many comments from the Curves ladies.
All of that being said, I am down one more pound. I have lost about 7.5lbs so far which is pretty darn good for me especially when you consider how many special occasions there have been. They are always extra hard for me and I am pretty happy with how I am not giving into them all.

Eek

2010-07-06T11:46:00.005-04:00

So this weekend was a particularly hard one for me and the diet. I did as well as I could but did partake in some off diet eating:

On Friday we went to Toronto where I behaved all day long (and did a ton of walking) but then had two cookies for dessert.
On Saturday we spent the day in Peterborough and I did a bit of walking around, not too much though, and had a piece of strawberry-rhubarb pie. To make matters worse it wasn't even good.
On Sunday I decided I needed an afternoon off. I had been struggling all weekend and I determined it was because I needed some kind of reward. We were at a family picnic in Guelph so I had some chips. I managed to get a fair bit of protein in though as we had turkey breast sandwiches for lunch (or at least I did) and tuna/egg salad sandwich (open-faced for me) for dinner.

Because of the above indulgences, the scale is not happy with me this week. I am back on track today and will be going to the gym tonight and playing baseball a couple times this week as well. I have hopes that the scale will be more pleasant with me later in the week.

Worked up the Nerve

2010-07-01T08:56:00.001-04:00

I finally worked up the nerve to get weighed and measured at Curves. According to them, I lost 5.5 pounds and about 6 inches overall. I plan on using the weight I got from my home scale which was 6.5 lbs lost, but as I don’t regularly or properly measure myself anymore, I will take their inches lost measurement.
I am pretty pleased with the results especially since I really hadn’t been doing anything (with the obvious exception of the Curves workouts and the first week of the Curves diet). I am hoping things will move a little faster than they had been now that I am on the Curves diet (I am currently on Phase 2). I am even more pleased with the inches lost as I seem to have gained two in my chest and lost 8 everywhere else. Don’t know how that happened but I am definitely not going to complain.
Phase 2 of the diet is going well. It is taking me a little while to get used to the calories here as it is not a calorie range I have really done before. I have had one day where I ate too little, one where I ate too much and one where I pretty much hit the target zone spot on. It will take a few more days to get used to it and this weekend away from home is going to be difficult, but I am getting used to not having treats when others do and the sense of achievement afterwards feels pretty good.

June Update

2010-06-28T08:42:00.004-04:00

Apparently I have fallen back into the habit of posting here once a month. As things are starting to go better for my weight loss I will try to change that in July. But for now, here is my June update.
I officially started the Curves weight loss and management plan on the 21st. I am now on Phase 2 of the diet and am feeling pretty good. I stepped on the scale this morning and found that I lost about 6.5lbs last week alone. I know most of this is water weight, but that is the point of Phase 1 of the diet.
I didn't have many problems with the diet last week though I did have to use my willpower a few times:
1. We went out for dinner on Thursday and rather than having delicious greasy pizza, I ate dinner beforehand and then just had a garden salad (with dressing I brought from home). It was hard, but I did it and was really proud of myself.
2. When the earthquake hit last week, all the staff were sitting outside. The VP of the company came by with some candy and offered me some. I took a Reese peanut butter cup and held it until Dave had finished his candy and then gave it to him (that was the intention from the beginning). It was very hard not to eat it as I love those things.
3. All week long, our friend Justin was at our place. I cooked dinner for Dave and I and occasionally him as well. Both of the boys would eat a second helping of dinner, or a treat afterwards. I had to resist the temptation to follow suit.
All that being said, I did treat myself to a third of a piece of chocolate cheesecake on Saturday when I was out with my mom and sister-in-law. It was delicious and I think it was very well deserved.
I am really happy with Phase 1 of the Curves Diet and am ready for Phase 2. Hopefully it goes as well.

One Month

2010-06-01T08:45:00.000-04:00

One month has passed since I started going to Curves. Though I did not go three times a week every week, I did do very well. I have no specifics, but am told that I look like I have lost weight. My scale at home does not agree with this though. I will be getting my measurements taken again at Curves, as soon as I work up the guts to ask for it, and we will see what the results are. I don’t think I have lost either pounds or inches as I did not do that well for food this past month – or rather, I did not do as well as I should have for food this past month.

Also, since it has been one month and I am still doing well with Curves, I have decided to add in another phase. Dave and I will be walking on my non-Curves days. It will either be done after work but before dinner or during our lunch sometime. The latter was an idea by Dave as some co-workers do this and also because it would help keep us awake in the afternoon as we both tend to drift a bit after lunch. I have also decided to put the ab workouts back into the regime, probably also on my non-Curves days.

Warmer

2010-05-31T19:33:00.001-04:00

It is getting warmer outside which means my summer clothes are coming out of the closet. I bought new capris for our trip to Florida so I have started wearing them and I also pulled out all my pretty skirts from previous summers. Unfortunately, only some of them fit. A few of them are just a bit too tight to wear comfortably. I am hoping though, that by the time I need to wear jeans on a regular basis again, I will be smaller as the ones I have need to be replaced as they are really worn and I would prefer not to by another set of large jeans.

Curves: Points and Residuals

2010-05-29T22:01:00.001-04:00

So I started using Curves Smart last week and have really been loving the charts and spreadsheets. For the most part, I understand what pops up on the screen after my workout, but did have a few questions for the ladies at Curves and posed them during my last visit. I thought I would share this information with all of you.

Points: When you first get your workout information, you get a tally of your points. This is actually your Performance Index (PI). It shows you the ones for that workout and cumulative to date depending on what box you selected earlier (my last 10 workouts or my most recent workout).

Residuals: Residuals occur when you do not reach your target PI. Each machine is broken down for you. The cylinders are the performance index for that machine and the dot shows you your target. If the cylinder is below the target you will have residuals in the far right red column. The lower the residuals, the better.

Hopefully that makes sense to everyone - I get it but sometimes I am not the greatest at explaining myself in words - particularly written words.

Curves: Smart Phase

2010-05-16T09:18:00.001-04:00

On Friday I got set up for the Curves Smart program. In case you don’t know about it, essentially you get a little tag that you put into the machines as you workout. Once it is set up, it will determine how hard you should be working at each machine. If you are at that level it will go green, above it and it will flash green. The goal is to be green or flashing green the entire time you are working out so you know you are doing an optimal workout. It also tells you when you are done so you no longer listen to the wonderful lady on the speakers telling you to move to the next station. Getting set up was pretty easy. I just went around to all the machines and did a little workout on each.
I didn’t do a full Curves Smart workout on Friday as I would have had to go around twice more and by the time the tag was set up, I was almost done my workout completely. I will however, be using it on Monday and am really looking forward to it. Not only knowing that I am doing enough in terms of working out, but also the graphs and spreadsheets it can provide me with.
You see, all of your data (weight and measurements) goes into a program and when you are done working out, you can pop it into the computer and see how you are doing. It will let you know if you worked out enough or if you had residuals and show you your weight loss progress. Instant gratification. We all know how much I love spreadsheets so this will be a really good motivator for me. I currently don’t know if there is a way for me to get access to this information when I am away from the Curves gym, but that will be something I am going to have to look into – though it really isn’t a big deal if it’s not an option.

Curves: Ad Phase?

2010-05-10T08:46:00.000-04:00

Apparently all these posts about Curves has led to all of my AdSense ads being about Curves as well. I am pretty sure they are offering one week free which I would suggest to anyone who is thinking about joining. (This is not a plea to get you to click the ad(s) but rather to try Curves out for yourself and see if it is what you have been searching for as well).

Another Change

2010-05-09T07:31:00.001-04:00

So I never really liked the template I picked for this blog. I really like the template for Great Abyss and love the one for Stephanie Beach Photography, but this one never really appealed to me. So I have changed it again.

I think this one is much more uplifting and hopeful – which is what this blog is supposed to be for me (alongside motivating).

I have also finally gotten around to designing the header - apparently all I needed was a blog template I really liked - let me know what you think.

A Day Short

2010-05-08T15:17:00.001-04:00

This marks the end of my second week attending Curves – it also marks the first week in which I didn’t go three times. I know what you are thinking – that I am already starting to slack off, etc. But really, it only makes logistical sense for me to go to Curves when I am heading home from work, as it is along the way. And I did go for a two hours walk around the tulip festival in lieu of Curves on Friday so it isn’t as if I sat on my butt all day.
Like I said before, I am really enjoying Curves, as much as I can enjoy exercise, and to be honest I haven’t noticed the loss in time (I arrive home nearly an hour later than I normally would). I have however, noticed the scale. Since starting at Curves I have already lost 3 pounds. It is likely all water weight, etc but it is still a loss on the scale and that makes me happy – it is also the reward I need to keep myself motivated.
That being said, this past week hasn’t been the best for food as Dave and I essentially had no food in the house. We worked a ridiculous amount of hours last weekEND and as a result never went to get groceries. I have rectified that and we are now eating properly again.

Curves: Workout Phase

2010-05-02T22:10:00.001-04:00

I went for my first workout on Wednesday of last week and loved it (as much as I can love exercise that is). When I was going around the circuit with the trainer, she told me that I would do well there. She also stated something along the lines of, ‘You were a very good student weren’t you?’. I believe it had something to do with the fact that during the second lap of the circuit when I was doing things on my own, she didn’t have to correct me on my form on the machines. Whatever it was referring to, I really enjoyed that workout. It also happened to be on one of the busiest days of the week and there were still only 5 women on the circuit at any given time. I finished up in just over 30 minutes and went home very pleased with myself.
I have since gone twice more (on Thursday and Friday after work) and completed my 30 minutes without having to force myself too much.
I am not sore after the workouts, though I am tired. I am looking forward to doing things three times a week with actual breaks between the days I workout, as three days in a row was a bit much for my body.
It has only been a week (a week’s worth of Curves workouts at least), so who knows what is going to happen down the line, but I have a pretty good feeling that this place is what I have been looking for the past few years in terms of exercise. Let’s hope I am right.

Curves: Signup Phase

2010-04-27T20:05:00.001-04:00

I made an appointment to fill out the paperwork for Curves. Well, I actually did that yesterday and today I went to said appointment. There was a deal where you can get 30 days for $30. I figured once the initial 30 days were over, I would then sign up for the regular membership. However, the lady registering me told me that if I signed up today as a member she would wave the up to $200 (it goes down to $100 at some points during the year) registration fee. Since I was planning on signing up anyway, I took the deal. So I am now a member of Curves.
I filled out more paperwork and then got weighed and measured which wasn’t nearly as uncomfortable as I thought it would be. And as an added bonus, I didn’t weigh as much as I thought I would (since I had jeans and other normal clothes on, I thought it would be much higher than what I see on the scale in the morning). During all of this I watched the other ladies go around the circuit.
There were women there of all ages and fitness level but they all seemed to be really into it. The music was playing and every few minutes the automatic voice would come on and tell everyone to switch machines. There also weren’t a great deal of women there – well at least there weren’t today. Tuesdays and Thursdays are likely the slower days as Curves suggest you go three times a week which leads to the likely schedule of Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. I am looking forward to my first workout.
I had to make another appointment for tomorrow for my first workout as the trainer was booked up for the evening starting other new members. I must admit I was a little relieved as just signing up was a big step for me – though I was prepared to workout as I had all my clothes and other such gear with me.
I am really happy I signed up and though on paper it seems like a lot of money, I worked it out and it is really on $4.61 after tax each visit (assuming 3 visits a week). That isn’t that bad, but it is enough that I will feel like I am wasting money if I miss too many days during the month.

Curves: Research Phase

2010-04-18T22:16:00.001-04:00

My mom attended Curves when I was still in high school. She went for a month but learned that it wasn’t for her (predominantly due to her knees and her doctor’s insistence that she not use any machines that but stress on them – which is half of the machines at Curves). I thought about going with her during her month of attendance, but as I was in the middle of high school, things like Curves and Weight Watchers was not something you announced or really even did (sadly), so I never went.
Chris started going to the Curves by her bus stop a little while ago and has been really enjoying it (I can say this because she told me so). She hasn’t really lost any weight, but she feels that it has counteracted her lack of dieting (or eating well) and has given her more energy, which are both very good things. Lately I have realized that there is no way any plan I make is going to stick for very long – at least not long enough to get myself into shape. Working out at home just isn’t working. I can do little things, like sit-ups and other ab workouts before bed, but I can’t get myself to spend the better part of my weekend doing something I really dislike. It is for this reason, that I have decided to seriously look into Curves for myself.
Chris is going to look into whether or not she can get me a referral and some sort of signup deal, which would be awesome. But even if that isn’t possible, I am pretty sure I am going to start attending Curves after work. Dave and I have come up with a schedule of sorts. After work he would drop me off at the Curves nearby and then come get me when I was done. While he waited for me, he can go to the public library around the corner which conveniently has wireless internet. It is a really good plan and seeing as how the workout is minimum 3 days a week for 30 minutes, we would still get home at a decent time and be able to enjoy the rest of our night.
It does mean money spent on a monthly basis, but really it isn’t that bad. The way I see it, if I can pay monthly fees for online games like WoW I should be willing to pay monthly fees to improve my health and general well-being.

Been a While

2010-04-08T21:27:00.002-04:00

So it has obviously been a while since I posted here…mostly that has been because I have been slacking once again. March is a tough month for me, but it also one that clears things up for me. I turned 26 in March and it has become abundantly clear that the plans and goals I have made in the last few years have gotten nowhere and I need to do something about it. I have started doing sit-ups, crunches and leg lifts of various sorts before bed and am doing ‘gross-sweaty’ workouts on the weekends. I will be doing easy walks around the neighbourhood most evenings as well.
I have a wedding to attend in early July and I am hoping to be down a few pounds by then so I feel more comfortable in my dress – comfortable enough to take photos of Dave and myself? Who knows, but being comfortable at the wedding is my goal so here’s to doing something good for myself for a change.

Slacking

2010-03-14T13:48:00.001-04:00

My life has been pretty chaotic lately. It is March Madness at work right now which means I have little to no time to do anything fun at work. I am out of the office most days but still have a ton of office work to do. I is pretty exhausting. So much so that by the time I get home, I don’t even want to get on my computer, let alone work out. I haven’t been doing too badly with the food though. Dave and I bought healthy food and for the most part have been eating it. When we have eaten out, I have let my stomach (and my brain) control the portion size instead of my eyes and this has resulted in being comfortably full after lunch.

I don’t think I will be reaching my birthday goal this month, but I should still be able to hold onto the weight loss from Florida.
In other news, I have photographed a couple new meals I have made and am about to make posts for upcoming Tasty Tuesdays as that has also been lacking on this blog…sorry about that.

February

2010-02-16T11:45:00.003-05:00

This last month has been a challenging one for my weight loss. Work is really 'ramping' up with the end of the federal fiscal year coming up at the end of March and I am super stressed because of this. We did however, just get back from our vacation to Florida and though I wasn't expecting to, I lost weight. In fact, I lost 8 lbs during the trip (and a week afterwards as I had misplaced my scale). So I am officially at -11lbs which means, I only have two pounds until I reach my birthday goal of -13lbs. I am definitely heading in the right direction.
The dots exercise, though an excellent idea, fell by the waist-side in the last month and I am hoping we can get it going again, but have no huge hopes for anything solid in terms of exercise until partway into April when my workload becomes reasonable again. I also want to work on some Spring exercise ideas for when going outside for exercise becomes an option again - but I definitely have time to think about that one some more.
Dave and I bought some really good food this past week and have once again started making lunches to bring to work. Though we had been trying to get the best takeout food for lunch, it was still fastfood and not very good for us. We also got some new recipes while in Florida and I have already made one of them for dinner (Lazy Man Cabbage Rolls) which was a big hit. So the food is also heading in the right direction.
Overall, I am pretty pleased with myself and my progress in the last month, especially considering the excuses I could have used for not getting this far. Hopefully I will be able to keep this up for a while longer.

Tasty Tuesday: Mr. Bow Jangles

2010-02-09T08:59:00.001-05:00

Mr. Bow Jangles has been posted on this blog before, but it is so good that I have decided to repost it - this time with photos.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp each honey and lime juice
1 Tbsp each olive oil, Dijon mustard and balsamic vinegar
3 cloves garlic
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cubed
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes
8 oz bow tie pasta uncooked
3 cups broccoli
1/2 cup chopped green onions

Directions:
Whisk together soy sauce, honey, lime juice, olive oil, mustard, vinegar and garlic. Pour marinade over chicken cubes and let marinate for 30 minutes.Pour 1 cup boiling water over tomatoes and let soak for 5 minutes - drain, chop and set aside.
Chop broccoli into bite size pieces and cook in boiling water until tender. Prepare pasta according to package. Cook pasta in boiling water until tender.Transfer Chicken and marinade (and onions) to large non-stick skillet. Cook over medium heat until chicken is cooked through. Mix everything together in a large mixing bowl and serve.Notes: I tend to leave the tomatoes out since I don't really like them and it is still very yummy. I also only use 2 chicken breasts and add more broccoli. Make sure the marinade comes to a boil when you are cooking it and the chicken to ensure any bacteria are killed.

Tasty Tuesday: Nanaimo Bars

2010-01-19T08:51:00.007-05:00

I know, I know - it is another treat and not a healthy meal or alternative, but I did a great deal of unhealthy baking over the holidays for friends and family (and of course Dave and I) and I haven't had the time lately to photograph any of the regular meals I have been making. At least it is something really yummy.

Ingredients:

6 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, divided

3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp. butter, softened, divided

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups HONEY MAID Graham Crumbs

1 cup flaked coconut

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

2 Tbsp. BIRD'S Custard Powder

3 Tbsp. milk

2 cups icing sugar

Directions:

Melt 2 chocolate squares as directed on package; pour into medium bowl. Add 1/2 cup butter; stir until melted. Blend in egg and vanilla. Stir in graham crumbs, coconut and nuts. Press onto bottom of 9-inch square pan. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Mix custard powder and milk with whisk in separate medium bowl. Add 1/4 cup of the remaining butter; beat until well blended. Gradually add sugar, beating well after each addition. Spread onto crust. Refrigerate 15 min.

Microwave remaining chocolate and butter in microwaveable bowl on MEDIUM 2 to 3 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Spread over custard layer. Refrigerate several hours or until chilled before cutting into bars.

Tips: You may have noticed that in the above photos, the pan I used to make the nanaimo bars was lined with tinfoil. This made it far easier to cut the bars once they had chilled. Just pull out the tinfoil, peel it away from the sides of the bars, and cut away. I then placed them in a tupperware container and kept them in the fridge when not serving to guests.

Mid-January Update

2010-01-12T14:05:00.004-05:00

So it is nearing the middle of January and I have determined that I should update you on my progress.
Dots/Exercise
The dots program worked really well the first week but I have missed a few dots since Saturday and am now deciding if I need to make them up or if the slate is wiped clean at the beginning of each week. I know the pros and cons of each side and just need to make up my mind on the matter.
The exercise while doing the dots was quite easy. I worked out on the Wii most days, but did do some time on the elliptical machine. On weekends, I ensured my workouts were sweaty and required me to shower afterwards, while weekday workouts were much more lenient in the intensity department.
Weight
I have lost a little bit of weight, but need to determine a new starting base as I think I creeped above the previous one :( I believe I am now at -3 lbs from the new zero, which was higher than the old zero. I know that it is impossible for me to lose weight without calorie/fat decreases AND exercise - so I really need to work on getting both going simultaneously instead of these one at a time things I was doing last week.
Blog Feature
I forgot to post the most recent Tasty Tuesday and for that I apologize - I have a few recipes stored up on my computer and just need to get them posted here. I thought I had one scheduled for the latest feature but apparently I was wrong. It is almost time for the next one anyway, so I will make sure that one gets up for you guys.
Personal Challenges
My personal Florida Challenge turned out to be a total bust and I am only a few pounds lighter than I was when I started. Unfortunately, I was once again side-railed by an over abundance of work and a complete lack of self-motivation and will power. I need to determine a new goal to work towards, something that will help me reach my long term goal(s). As I can't think of much else before it, my birthday seems to be a good marker. As it is nearly two months away, I think 10lbs should me manageable for me. So there it is - 2010 Birthday Goal, -13lbs total.
Florida
Dave and I are going on vacation shortly and I need to set some guidelines for myself. Since we will be staying with his healthy-eating parents, I am not too concerned about my food intake while we are staying there. I am also certain that there will be long walks around their town and the many beaches therein - if not to get in culture and the beauty of the area, then to take photos of everything. It is Disney that I am worried about. Though the park is big and one would think there would be lots of walking involved, it is easy to sit on trolleys and stand in lines all day. And of course, it is ridiculously easy to eat your weight in treats everyday. I am not going to restrict the treats I want, but when it comes to meals - the healthier the yummier. Like I said, they are guidelines, not rules, as I am on vacation and need to relax and be happy as when I get back to work it is crazy workload time again.

I think that is pretty much everything I needed to update. We all know I am really good at making plans and goals and figuring out what I need to do to reach them - but like a lot of people in my situation, I am really bad at implementing them. I have moments and days that are truly wonderful, but most of the time I just don't do it and that is why I am still where I am. Now, if only admitting your faults meant that they would be fixed...

Dots

2010-01-05T09:26:00.006-05:00

No, not the candy - though I do love those things. This is my and Dave's new exercise method - dots. Basically we put up one of those large calendars in our kitchen and put dots on the days I plan on working out. One dot represents 15 minutes of exercise and can be crossed off once that exercise is done. For now, I have four dots on Saturdays and Sundays and one on every weekday. As the dots can be crossed off at any time (meaning, if I do five dots on Sunday, I can cross off the normal four for that day plus an additional one from Monday), I don't mind them being present every day.
So far the system has worked quite well. I enjoy crossing off the dots where they can be seen by everyone (accountability) and have felt really good about myself afterwards. Last night I was able to complete two dots with a fair bit of ease so I think we will be increasing the weekday dots to 2 pretty shortly - but we will see how this first test week goes before making that decision.
I am also considering having different coloured (or sized) dots for more intense workouts (on weekends perhaps) but again, that will come after I get used to this system - don't want to make it too hard from the get go.
The calendar was Dave's idea as he was having problems understanding when I wanted to take time off and when I wanted him to help me get stuff done. This way, I can mark on the calendar when I plan on taking days off (for my sanity) and Dave will know what is going on. He is very supportive and wants to help me, but can't do that if I don't tell him how. Dave is also working out with the dot system, though he doesn't have predetermined dots on the calendar yet. For right now, he is completing dots when I do.

Tasty Tuesday: White Cheddar Macaroni

2009-12-15T20:19:00.007-05:00

I apologize for this one readers, but I have been slacking in the dinner preparations lately and have been saving this as a backup hoping I wouldn't have to use it; White Cheddar Macaroni.First things first, the ingredients: essentially you just need the box of white cheddar macaroni, milk and butter or margarine.Boil a pot full of water and then add the macaroni. Drain the macaroni once fully cooked and then place it back into the pot. Add the milk, margarine (1 cup and 1/4 cup according to the package, though I would suggest using less margarine) and sauce (from the package) and stir until the sauce thickens.Once the sauce has thickened, serve and enjoy.

Wii Fit Plus

2009-12-03T20:15:00.009-05:00

As previously mentioned on my daily blog, Dave and I bought a Wii this past weekend. The Wii Sports package has proven to be a very good workout - particularly the boxing. I was able to work muscles I haven't felt in quite some time, I also broke a really good sweat. You don't however, have to work so hard to play the games effectively. So today, I set up the Wii Fit Plus, which we also bought when we got the console system.After a quick start up session I was able to get my Mii going in the Wii Fit world and was informed of just how out of shape and in need of weight loss I really was, not that I didn't know this already. The Wii Fit Plus differs from the Wii Fit in that it has a few extra activities you can perform. I tried out one activity from each of the five categories (aerobics, strength, yoga, balance and plus games) and got a pretty decent workout considering I tried the easier ones.
The majority of the activities in the game have you focus on not only performing the exercise shown to you on screen, but also having you keep your balance maintained as centred as possible throughout.
I am pretty happy with the Wii Fit Plus system so far - but will have to wait to review it further until I have tried more of the activities and really gotten a good workout from it.

Tasty Tuesday: Stir Fry #1

2009-12-01T09:18:00.009-05:00

There are many different ways to make a stir fry. There are also many different ways I make stir fries, this is the first version I am going to post as it is the most recent one I have made - though I am sure there will be lots of stir fries in Tasty Tuesdays if only because they are relatively quick and easy to make as well as tasty and nutritious.

Ingredients:
- soy sauce (1/8 cup)
- honey (1 Tbsp)
- garlic (1 clove)
- balsamic vinegar (1 Tbsp)
- olive oil (2 teaspoons)
- vegetables (I used carrots, onions and broccoli in this one)
- rice

First start cooking the rice, preferably in a steamer or rice cooker, though boiling it would also work.Chop up all the vegetables and place them in a wok, frying pan or skillet with about a 2 teaspoons of olive oil.Add the soy sauce, honey, garlic (chopped) and balsamic vinegar in a bowl. Whisk the ingredients until mixed well.Once the vegetables are pretty much cooked, add the sauce and let it simmer until the rice is done cooking.
Place rice on a plate and put vegetables on top of that and enjoy.

One Minute Writer on the Road

2009-11-18T08:21:00.002-05:00

This Autumn, what do you wish would fall?

My weight. Wishing isn't going to get me very far though, nor is dreaming or planning. I need to be doing and I finally feel like I am. Quite some time ago I was all gun-ho about my weight loss. I lost a bunch of pounds and was very happy with myself. Then I plateaued and I stopped losing weight and starting gaining instead. More time passed where I said I was watching my weight and trying to lose it and eating well and blah blah blah, but really I was making excuses and doing enough that I felt deprived of good food and very guilty when I ate it, but not nearly enough to actually be losing weight at a decent rate.

This is the first time in quite some time that I feel the passion and drive to lose weight like I did way back when I first started. I think this is what has been missing the last little while - not the will power or the ability, but the passion.

Tasty Tuesday: Apple/Pear Cream Cheese Pie

2009-11-17T10:51:00.012-05:00

Though by the sounds of this recipe, you would think it was a special treat, unhealthy kind of recipe - but in reality it isn't nearly as bad as the alternatives. This recipe has been adapted to use light foods and as little margarine/butter as possible.

First things first, the ingredients.- pre-made, frozen pie crusts. The Deep Dish kind work the best as the pie is a crumble top sort and therefore you can make two of them with one box of shells.
- light cream cheese (1 package)
- white sugar (1/2 cup, 1/4 cup, 1/4 cup)
- apples (at least 6)
- pears (about 3)
- brown sugar (1/4 cup, 1/4 cup)
- cinnamon (to taste)
- quick cooking oats (1 1/3 cup)
- flour (3-4 Tbsp)
- margarine (1/4 cup)

Take the pie crusts out of the package so that they can defrost.
Put the cream cheese and 1/2 cup of sugar in a bowl and mix them together until creamy and smooth (best done with an electric hand mixer).
Divide the cream cheese mixture evenly in the two pie shells and using a spatula, spread it along the bottom of the crust.Peel and core the pears and apples and chop into small pieces. Place them in a large mixing bowl and add the 1/4 cup of white sugar, 1/4 cup of brown sugar and cinnamon (to taste). Mix this until the fruit is evenly covered.
Place half of the mixture over each of the pies, ensuring not to 'stir up' the cream cheese layer too much.
Place the oats, 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup white sugar and 3-4 Tbsp flour in a large mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly.
Melt the margarine/butter in the microwave then add to the oat mixture and mix until a crumb is formed.
Divide evenly over the pies and press into place.Cook in an oven preheated to 300 Celsius for 30-45 minutes or until pie crust and crumble top are browned. Allow pie to cool and then serve. Note: This pie is best served cold. A few hours in the fridge will take it from great to amazing!

Tasty Tuesday

2009-11-16T10:45:00.001-05:00

Tasty Tuesday will be a new bi-weekly feature here on Road to a Better Me. I am hoping, as previously mentioned, that regular features will increase my activity here as it has on my other blogs.
Every other Tuesday I will post a Recipe with photos of my latest attempt to make the food. Most of the time the recipes will be healthy in nature, but every once in a while I will post a special treat.

November Update

2009-11-13T10:30:00.004-05:00

I have been trying to get more exercise in, but so far have been failing. That being said, I have had multiple days with increased walking (highly increased), but I haven't worked out until I broke a sweat or anything like that.
My food intake has been through the roof this past week, but before that I was doing really well. Dave and I had bought some healthier food and I was starting to make lunches the night before for work. I am going to work on a few meals today to get back on track with that as it is a relatively easy thing to do and helps out so much.
I have also been trying to think of ways to make this blog more active. I want to post here on a more regular basis, but really how often do you want to read posts where I say that I am not exercising as much as I want to but am getting better with my food (that is the general idea of all of my posts isn't it?). I was thinking along the lines of a feature as that seems to be working wonderfully on my other blogs - I just haven't decided what the feature is going to be just yet. If you have any ideas, let me know please.

October > September

2009-11-03T10:54:00.002-05:00

Overall October was better than September was in terms of my weight loss attempts. Though I don't think I lost much, I definitely feel like I have gotten back on track. I am eating properly and starting to track my food intake again. I have increased my exercise, though have no set routine just yet. I definitely have things to work on this month but feel better now than I did a month ago and that is definitely a plus. Dave and I are going grocery shopping tonight to once again pick up some healthier foods. My main goal this month is to get in a decent workout at least once a week.

Choosing2Lose

2009-11-01T11:07:00.004-05:00

For the past 3 years I have been a member of a weight loss forum. I have mentioned it before here and to friends, but never given the name. I am completely open with my weight there as those women are literally in the same boat as me. As of today, the forum has closed. I am sad to have lost such a great resource, though to be honest, in the last few months I had not been using it to its full potential. I have met many great ladies through the site and luckily have found the majority of them on Facebook and other forums and will therefore be able to stay in touch with them. I wish to thank Mandy, the creator of C2L, for all the hard work she did on the site and let her know, once again, that I completely understand her reasoning for shutting the site down. Goodbye Choosing2Lose.

WW online

2009-10-26T11:11:00.004-04:00

As you know, I enrolled in the WW online program some time ago. Since then I have let the daily logging and monitoring fall by the waist side. BUT as my prepaid months have ended, it is appearing on my MasterCard statement every month. This recurring payment is a really great reminder and has made me start tracking again. I could prepay for several months and save some money, but would likely forget about it again - so instead I am going to stick with the monthly payment and reminder. Time to face reality and see how much damage I have done lately and how far away from my daily point goal I have been recently.

Looking Back - Reasons to Lose Weight

2009-10-21T15:25:00.000-04:00

I refreshed my blog page the other day to verify that my most recent post had published and was referenced back to a post entitled Top 10 Reasons to Lose Weight (via LinkedWithin). I decided to read it and feel that the reasons are all still as valid now as they were when I first wrote them. I had this list taped near the door of my old room (which also happened to be near my elliptical machine) and feel that I need to make a feature of this list once again. I plan on printing it off and putting it on the basement wall near the workout equipment.

Thanksgiving

2009-10-14T11:48:00.004-04:00

Dave and I ventured to Newmarket for his family's Thanksgiving this past weekend and I have to say, I am pretty pleased with how I handled myself. I didn't overeat, in fact I didn't even get seconds. I had one slice of apple pie for dessert and left it at that. I didn't move around as much as I should have, but I did play with his wee cousin Olivia and carried her around for a large portion of the day. I of course spent the majority of my time there taking photos and am pleased with those as well - but that is not for this blog.
Hopefully I will be able to continue this trend of restraint through the Beach Family Thanksgiving, which is this weekend. *fingers crossed* - again.

Been A While

2009-10-05T09:01:00.004-04:00

It's been a while since I stepped on the scale. This point was proven correct when I got on it this morning and found that I am up to only 7 lbs lost. I was down to as much as 10 lbs lost, but a combination of Chicago and shear laziness has brought me back up. Now that I know this however, I have no excuses to letting myself continue on this downward (or rather upward) spiral. Dave and I picked up a few groceries last night and I intend on getting back on track with eating home cooked, healthy meals and cutting back on the restaurant meals. I have been choosing better restaurants meals, most of the time, but they are still higher in calories and fat than the alternatives I can whip up at home.
I did get a fair bit of exercise in this weekend though, by walking around downtown Ottawa taking photos both Saturday and Sunday. This upcoming weekend is sure to be a challenge as it is Thanksgiving, and though most people give themselves a break on this holiday, I feel that the past few weeks have been enough of a break for me and I need to do my best to stay within my limits. Fingers crossed on achieving that goal.

Chicago

2009-09-24T11:11:00.001-04:00

I have been eating heavier while here in Chicago as most of my meals are provided for me and aren't the healthiest of choices. BUT I have also been walking around a great deal more than I usually do. I have walked about 2-3 hours most nights taking photos and generally taking in the sites of the city. I am really enjoying it so far and hope that my weight loss goal for this month doesn't get blown out of the water because of it - but if it does, I will just have to work even harder next month.

My Punishment

2009-09-17T09:58:00.005-04:00

A while back I made some summer exercise goals. I wanted to get through the couch to 5km program (C25K) and/or go biking around the neighbourhood on a regular basis. I did neither of these things and am now punishing myself for it - well it is more like not rewarding myself, but it feels like punishment. My goals for the two programs were a treadmill and a stationary bike, respectively. I am not getting either of these things and will need to get through the Fall and Winter exercise seasons without them. I will still of course have my existing equipment but I was hoping that new stuff would get me liking exercise or at least not wanting to waste my newly spent money. This is the first time I have not allowed myself to get something based purely on my lack of exercise and/or weight loss outcomes. It feels odd to be restricting my purchases this way.

Mr. Bow Jangles

2009-09-14T09:27:00.006-04:00

Yet another favourite from the Podleski Sisters. I believe it is also from Crazy Plates. The name of this recipe is from a popular song written and originally recorded by Jerry Jeff Walker in 1968, Mr. Bojangles.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp each honey and lime juice
1 Tbsp each olive oil, Dijon mustard and balsamic vinegar
3 cloves garlic
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cubed
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes
8 oz bow tie pasta uncooked
3 cups broccoli
1/2 cup chopped green onions

Directions:
Whisk together soy sauce, honey, lime juice, olive oil, mustard, vinegar and garlic. Pour marinade over chicken cubes and let marinate for 30 minutes.
Pour 1 cup boiling water over tomatoes and let soak for 5 minutes - drain, chop and set aside.
prepare pasta according to package. Add broccoli to pasta for last 3 minutes. Drain and return to pot.
Transfer Chicken and marinade (and onions) to large non-stick skillet. Cook over medium heat until chicken is cooked through.
Mix everything together and serve.

Notes: I tend to leave the tomatoes out since I don't really like them and it is still very yummy. I also only use 2 chicken breasts and add more broccoli. Make sure the marinade comes to a boil when you are cooking it and the chicken to ensure any bacteria are killed.

Weekly Update

2009-09-08T10:40:00.004-04:00

Another loss this week, 2 lbs this time! Really happy with that and feeling good about my goals.
Dave and I went grocery shopping this weekend and got some really healthy food so I have high hopes for getting away from all the fast-food and restaurant meals we have been having lately.
I have to see about getting some exercise in this week, even if it is just something small. Dave and I went for a walk around the Agricultural Museum yesterday and I feel good about that and want to keep it up. That's pretty much everything for this update.

August/September

2009-09-02T08:37:00.005-04:00

Sorry for the irregular posts lately, I have not fallen off the wagon or anything of the sort, in fact I have lost another pound since my last post. Work has been so incredibly busy lately that I haven't been able to find time to post as much as I would like.
As previously stated, I have decided to up my weight loss goal for 2009 to 24 lbs (from 20 lbs). This will enable me to get to a nicer sounding number in terms of my actual weight. To do this I need to lose 4.8 lbs a month (August to December). Therefore, my August goal was to lose 4.8 lbs. (I think it is rather important to state that I didn't set my original goal of 4 lbs a month until a week into August and changed it even further in.) I have however, managed to lose 5.2 lbs in during the month of August! I am really happy with this result as I wasn't completely on plan and that makes me really confident that I will be able to reach my goal by getting more and more on plan as the months go by.
My September goal is the same as my August one, to lose at least 4.8 lbs in order to be heading towards my overall goal. *fingers crossed*

It's Working

2009-08-17T09:07:00.005-04:00

I am down to 8lbs lost since I restarted this journey! I stepped on the scale this morning expecting a maintain from last week and instead got a big drop (for me). I am only 1 pound away from my monthly goal which I was not expecting to achieve since I started so late into the month.
I stated earlier that I wanted to lose 20 lbs by the end of the year. I have since altered this to be a certain weight by the end of the year which means I have to lose 24lbs from that starting weight. It is a little more weight to lose, and therefore a lot more effort required, but it will be so worth it in the end. I really think I can do it too as long as I stick to it this time. That being said, it is time for me to update my WW trackers.

Pod's Pad Thai

2009-08-13T10:15:00.010-04:00

As previously mentioned, I love the Podleski sister cookbooks. The following recipe is one of my favourites from their Crazy Plates book, it is found on page 67. And yes, I do have the page number memorized. I have made it for Dave and I on multiple occasions and also served it for Chris one night when she came over for dinner. I also made it for everyone at the cottage one night and everyone loved it. I strongly suggest trying it out.

Pod's Pad Thai
8 ounces Rice Noodles, uncooked
1/4 cup Ketchup
2 tablespoons each reduced sodium Soy Sauce, Lime juice and Brown Sugar
1 tablespoon each seasoned Rice Vinegar, Sesame Oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed Red Pepper flakes
1 teaspoon Vegetable Oil
1/2 cup diced Red Onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup Bean Sprouts
1/2 cup grated Carrots
1/4 cup chopped Green Onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh Cilantro
1/4 cup chopped Peanuts

Cook noodles in boiling water for 3 minutes, or until tender. Drain. Rinse with cold water and drain again. Set aside.
To make sauce, combine ketchup, soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, vinegar, oil and crushed red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Set aside.
Heat oil in a large, non-stick wok or skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Cook and stir until onions are tender, about 3 minutes. Add sauce and bring to a boil. Add cooked noodles, bean sprouts, carrot, green onions and cilantro. Mix well.
Cook until noodles are heated through, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle individual servings with chopped peanuts.

A few notes: I don't put in the cilantro as Dave and I aren't really fans and it is still absolutely delicious. You can also use the vermicelli type rice noodles but it makes it harder to stir in the end and I don't think it has the same feeling when you eat it. Also, you can add either chicken, shrimp or pork to this dish, but I would suggest it be precooked. If you do marinate the meat in the sauce before-hand, make sure you bring that sauce to a boil before you mix it in with the other ingredients.

August to December

2009-08-09T11:30:00.001-04:00

I have decided that I will set a large goal for myself. I want to lose 20 pounds (from my current weight) before the end of the year. To do this, I will have to lose 4 pounds a month (5 months from now until Dec. 31, 2009). I therefore have an August goal of losing 4 pounds. I plan on doing this with the help of the tracking forms on the WW online program and by biking on a nightly basis with Dave after work. I am also hoping to incorporate some longer weekend workouts, but will start with the bike rides and go from there. I am already nearly a week into August, so I will really need to push myself to reach this month's goal - but I feel good about it

Bad July

2009-08-08T11:23:00.001-04:00

July was bad for me. I maintained the five pound loss from June, but got no further with my weight loss. I ate out way too much, which appears to be a nasty habit of mine lately and did little to no exercise. When I was able to get some extra activity into my day, I counteracted it by eating way too much food that day and usually the next day as well.
The trip to the cottage this year has motivated me though. Seeing all the tiny women in their skimpy bikinis and then myself in my large bathing suit made me want to lose weight again. I know that is a rather vane reason to want to lose weight, but I know the better reasons are there to - for now I just need something to get me started again and I will take whatever I can get.

Forums

2009-08-07T11:18:00.003-04:00

For the last two years or so I have participated in a online forum for weight loss, though I have been rather quiet in the forum lately due to my busier schedule. The women there are motivational and so incredibly nice. I have recently also started participating in the WW forums and am trying to get inspiration from there as well. So far I have found that they are not as warm and welcoming as the smaller one I am part of, but they do provide me with a great deal of information and are much more weight loss based (the smaller forum can sometimes be focused to heavily on non-weight loss topics, though it is one of the features I love about it). I am hoping that being part of more than one forum will grant me opportunities to challenge myself in different ways.

A New Day

2009-08-06T18:34:00.002-04:00

Today is a new day and I am pretty happy with how I have done.
I didn't eat out at lunch today.
I went for a bike ride when I got home.
I ate vegetables before my pasta dinner to prevent myself from overeating.
I then proceeded to not eat all of my pasta serving since I was full.
I ate a piece of licorice for dessert instead of dessert pizza.
I have drank a fair bit of water today.
Let's hope for a similar day tomorrow.

100 posts later

2009-07-23T09:02:00.000-04:00

100 posts on my weight loss blog and I am no better off than I was when I started.
Just a sad realization.

Post Montreal

2009-07-22T20:49:00.004-04:00

I was able to maintain my weight this month so far, but have unfortunately not lost any more. Montreal did not hurt me even though we ate some heavier meals - probably because of the highly increased exercise. We walked all over the attractions we visited and each day I sweated so much it was gross at times. The humidity inside the Botanical Gardens got to me and then of course there were the hills all over the town. Either way, I was really happy with the activity levels during our vacation and we were able to eat properly most of the time - just not all the time.
BUT - now that I am back I need to find a way to get myself passionate about my weight loss. It isn't that I need to recommit, or find a new regime or anything like that. I need to find the reason I was able to lose so much weight in the past. I need to find what made me want to stick to it. I know I want to be thinner for my health and my looks. I know I want to be thinner for Dave and our future together. But despite all the reasons I want to lose weight, I apparently want to eat treats and sit around all the time more.
I am looking into a family doctor here in Ottawa to see if there is anything they can suggest for me. I want to get my thyroid tested to see if there are any problems there. I had it tested a long time ago but never heard anything about it, which makes me think that it is fine, but if I was able to get it tested and explained to me again then it would be one less excuse or explanation I had for the way I behave.
Oh and I won't be getting treadmill this fall. I definitely did not meet my goals of really doing well with my jogging/running program and will not be able to reward myself with such a gift. I may however, look into a actual stationary bike as the one I have is laughable and I have been doing better with cycling than I have with jogging or running. But I haven't decided anything yet as there are still summer weeks ahead for me to get outside and do some cycling.

Podleski Sisters

2009-07-12T10:29:00.003-04:00

I came across these sisters when I saw their most recent cookbook, Eat, Shrink & Be Merry, in the Koning's kitchen. It is not only full of really great recipes that are just as good for your hips as they are for your lips, but also funny anecdotes and comics. I have since obtained their second book, Crazy Plates, as a gift from Chris. I have yet to get their first book, LooneySpoons, as it is quite difficult to find in stores or online, but I am determined to find it one day.
The recipes have quirky names and are basically the really great recipes you always want to eat but can't because they are so fatty or calorie-filled, but the sisters have toned done all of the badness and replaced it with healthier alternatives. My favourite right now is Pod's Pad Thai from the Crazy Plates cookbook. I have made approximately 8 to 10 of the recipes from the second and third books and have been pleased with all of them. I prefer some over others, but that is to be expected.
When I was in Petawawa for business a few months ago, I learned that they have a television show on the Food Network, named after their third book. They go to people's homes or places of business and compete against them. The original cooks (the ordinary people) make their favourite meal, filled with unnecessary calories and delicious fat while the sisters make a healthier version of the same dish. They often also make sides to go with it, but they too are healthy alternatives. They then have family, friends and/or co-workers of the original cooks test each meal and state which is their favourite. The episode I saw was of a fire house where two of the men made a chili that was so full of meat and practically nothing else. The sisters made a proper chili with beans and tomatoes (and meat of course) and also put in some veggies and made some corn bread to go with it. They won of course, and that was that. It is an original take on a cook show. Like their cookbooks, they do thing a little differently than all the other chefs out there today.
Today, I am searching their website for helpful hints and/or recipes and also to see if there are any episodes available online since we still don't have cable at the house here. If you are a fan of the cookbooks, you should try watching to show and see if it is likable as well. If you have never used their cookbooks, you should definitely give one a try. You can see a few select pages and recipes on their website. Once you read a page or two and try out a recipe, you will be a fan.

June Recap/July Outlook

2009-07-11T10:22:00.002-04:00

So last month I had a goal to lose 5 pounds. Though I feel as if June did not go as I had hoped, I did lose the 5 pounds! I was able to get 5 pounds off within the first two weeks and keep it off for the rest of the month. I didn't exercise as much as I had hoped, but I got in a few really good workouts and definitely did some extra walking, etc.
This month I want to get back on track with my WW online program and get more exercise in than last month. No workout routine as I tend not to succeed with those, just try to get off my butt more often. My weight goal for this month is to lose 3-5 pounds. It will be difficult as this month has already started and I am off to a rocky start, but I will do my best.

Week 5 and 6

2009-07-10T20:11:00.003-04:00

My weight is up a tiny bit, really only about half a pound, but up nonetheless. It doesn't bother me right now, the past weeks have been stressful and there wasn't really time for much exercise but I have already starting changing things. I am out in the field this week and getting much more exercise which I think will make a difference in the weeks to come.
I haven't tracked my food on the WW online program for about two weeks and I am not entirely sure what that means overall. I don't know if I am just really busy and don't have the time for such things, or if I am just being lazy and need to be more strict with myself.
My goal for next week is to get more exercise in and hopefully track my food again.

Week 4

2009-06-28T21:44:00.002-04:00

This past week was awful. Work was so busy and stressful that I didn't upload my information to the Weight Watchers site once! That means no food log, no activity log and no weight update. The increased hours at work meant my food intake was irregular and worse than usual. Dave and I ate out three times I think, two lunches and a dinner. And though for both lunches I did my best to eat well by choosing 6 subs and baked chips to go with them, it was still higher calories than the food I normally take with me to work.
No matter what tomorrow's weigh in brings, this is a new week and I will do my best to overcome the challenges of the inevitable stressful work schedule. Corny I know, but I will. I have no real goal in mind other than stick to my points as much as possible.

Cookbooks and Recipes

2009-06-24T13:38:00.000-04:00

I have several really great cookbooks. The Podleski sisters books are absolutely amazing. The book shave really great tasting food that is supremely healthy for you and tips and witty comics to boot. I have gotten one on my own and another as a Christmas present (thanks Chris). There is a third (their first one) that I have yet to find anywhere, including most online shopping sites. It is on eBay, but at high prices that I don't want to pay. Anyway, the books are great.
I also have some other healthy-eating books like the vegetarian Company's Coming and a Weight Watchers one that I bought myself and one that Chris got me for my birthday.
All of these books are great and when combined with my personal cookbook and my knowledge of cutting out fat and calories in recipes (which is growing with every healthy meal I make), I am capable of making some really healthy, nutrititous and still very yummy meals.
The problem arises when I go out and buy the ingredients. More often than not, I forget about the ingredients and they end up going to waste. Dave and I finally figured out a way that we can get great ingredients for my recipes and not really have to worry about them going bad.
Monday evening when getting our grocery list ready, we went through the recipes books and picked out a handful of ones that we wanted to try. We wrote down the names and general decriptions of them and will be placing them on our bulletin board. When the meals have been made, we will remove the name and place it somewhere to be used again if the meal was deemed worthy of repeating. This way, I know what recipes we have the ingredients for and will actually remember to make them before the food goes bad.
We are going to test it out this week and next, basically until all the food is gone again and hopefully it will result in us trying out some different meals and branching out from our normal food routine while not wasting money buying food that will not get eaten.

Week 3

2009-06-23T10:31:00.003-04:00

Another week has passed since registering with the WW online program. This past week was hard as Dave and I had no food in our house and no desire or energy to go get any. We ate out for lunch almost every day but tried to make good choices by getting 6" sub from Subway most of the days and splitting the chips/cookies that come with the meal deal.
There was a great deal of activity like the Heart and Stroke Big Bike on Tuesday (the 16th) and lots of extra walking as my Photoshop course moved classes to a much further location. I wanted to get out and do some biking this weekend but never found the time, though Dave and I did walk around the Science and Tech museum so at least I got off the couch.
I forgot to get on the scale yesterday, and this morning as well so I have no update there, which may be for the better considering how much takeout we ate last week.

Week 2

2009-06-15T08:11:00.000-04:00

My second week was even better than my first. I didn't walk around as much as the first, but I definitely ate better. I ended the week with leftover weekly points and therefore didn't delve into my activity points at all. I am feeling better about myself already and to make things even better - my clothes are starting to loosen up again. I haven't lost crazy amounts of weight or anything like that, but for me it doesn't take many pounds to really start feeling the difference when it comes to my clothes - and my back pain, as that has also lessened recently. In total, I have lost 5.6lbs so far.
I am hoping that in Week 3 I am able to stay out of my weekly points all together and get some more more exercise in, probably biking as I really enjoy that. Other than that I am going to just stick to my plan as much as possible.

Breakfast Pitas

2009-06-11T18:45:00.005-04:00

Whenever I visit Dave's family in Peterborough, I have a similar breakfast. We start off with fruit drinks, which are another post on their own, and eventually get around to eating breakfast pitas and extra old cheese.
The breakfast pitas are usually apple cinnamon flavour and toasted for just long enough to get them warm. Then you place three slices of extra old cheese on top and they are so warm and delicious and extremely satisfying.
For a few weeks after each visit to Peterborough, I look for these breakfast pitas and am never able to find them in the grocery stores in the area BUT this time was different. Dave and I decided to do our grocery shopping in South Keys this past weekend and we happened to come across the pitas at the Loblaws there! So now I have the apple cinnamon flavour and the cranberry orange ones.
They are 190 calories, 1.5 grams of fat and 2 or 3 grams of fibre which works out to something like 3 points in WW. But a few slices of extra old cheese on and you get a 6 points breakfast that is filling and satisfying, which are two of the keys to not over indulging. I am really enjoying these things and am finding it pretty easy to resist 10 and 11 o'clock temptations around the office when I eat pitas for breakfast.

Strawberry Shortcake

2009-06-09T07:15:00.001-04:00

Ingredients:
1 bag of frozen strawberries
1 container of fresh strawberries
1 container of fat-free cool whip
1 package of individual angel or pounds cakes
water
sugar

Directions:
place frozen strawberries in microwave safe bowl and add a little bit of water. Microwave until the strawberries are soft.
Mush the strawberries up with a potato masher or egg salad slicer/masher.
Add more water and sugar and microwave for a few more minutes to allow the liquid to thicken a little.
Pour over cake and top with fresh strawberries cut in halves or quarters and cool whip.

Notes:
I used about 2 cups of water plus whatever came out of the strawberries upon melting.
Try to chose cakes that are lower in fat and calories. I was able to find ones that were only 100 calories and 2.25 grams of fat each. The entire dessert worked out to be approximately 200 calories but that would change depending on how sweet you like your strawberry mixture and how much cool whip you add on top.

One Week Later

2009-06-08T12:17:00.000-04:00

It has been one week since I registered for the online Weight Watchers program, which I will now be calling WW. I did alright in terms of my plan last week though it was a difficult and unusual one in that I was on vacation for the better part of it. I spent 3 days away from home and 4.5 completely out of my house. I ate 6 meals at restaurants and 5 at another person's home (and therefore had little to no control over what was made). All in all I did quite well when it came to food. If I could not choose a completely low calorie meal I attempted to select one that had good fats and oils in it (such as salmon or chicken). I didn't snack much if at all last week and ate a great deal of fruits and vegetables. I also did a huge amount of walking both leisurely (at a normal rate) and more briskly (at an increased rate and/or intensity than normal). I ended up with a surplus of points through my activity points even though I had to use most of my weekly points (at WW you are assigned a daily point value and also given a weekly point value for extras throughout the week. You can also increase your points through activity points gained through exercise). Normally I would not use my weekly points let alone my activity points, but last week was a special case. I am happy with how last week went and think it was a good idea to start WW again and an even better idea to start the online WW program.
As an added bonus to feeling good about my success with the program in terms of points, etc I have lost 3.2lbs since last week's weigh in. I am very happy with that.

Weight Watchers Online

2009-06-02T08:41:00.002-04:00

For years now I have been saying that I would try 'this time' on my own and if it didn't work or if I came to a plateau I would spend some money and get help one way or another. I have said it every time I recommitted to my weight loss and every time that commitment didn't last, I didn't look into outside help. Well yesterday I finally did it.
I registered for the Online Weight Watchers program. It was kind of expensive but I think I need something other than myself to push me forward. I have systems similar to the ones you get through the online program and the ones I didn't have I could have easily created myself, but I would eventually stop using them. Now that I am paying a monthly fee to use them, I have hopes that I will actually use them. I signed up for 3 months and I will see how that goes and then decide if it is worth using from then on.
I have heard good things about this program though I have heard better things about the actual meetings. I do not, however, have time for the meetings right now, especially with my night courses (currently running twice a week). I just know I would end up not going, or being to busy that I couldn't find time to exercise enough during the week. I think the online program is the best route for me right now.

May Recap/June Outlook

2009-06-01T11:59:00.004-04:00

So May was not a good month for my weight loss. I did not gain any weight overall but anything I lost (a pound or two here and there) was gained back by the next weigh-in. I have more time on my hands this month and more inspiration from friends and family so I want to see if I can lose 5 pounds this month and keep them off. I would love to lose more but I feel 5 is a good goal for now as I want to ease back into my routines and actually reaching a goal would be good for my self-esteem and therefore my will power and weight loss drive.
My plan to lose these pounds is pretty simple. I am going to start counting points (Weight watchers) and calories again and within two weeks be back on track with staying within my daily limits. I will be exercising more, predominantly through biking for cardio workouts and some calisthenics to target my midsection. I am not planning anything too restricting other than working out at least 4 times per week. This gives me Tuesday and Thursday nights off, as I have class these nights, and one other day that I can choose as each week progresses.
Summer is usually the time that I am most motivated to lose weight probably due to the smaller, tighter clothing and nicer weather. I want to use this motivation this year to get myself back into gear and really start doing something to better myself.

Another 10 Days

2009-05-30T18:39:00.004-04:00

Another 1o days have passed since my last post and I have done nothing good or bad towards my weight loss. Perhaps I will go take an evening bike ride around the neighbourhood.

Update 7:50pm:
I went biking for almost 40 minutes. I am not sure how far I went in actual kilometres, but basically it was a winding path around the subdivisions behind the house here. It felt really great and I am really tired now. But also pretty happy. Yay bike ride!

Back Pain

2009-05-20T09:39:00.002-04:00

I can always tell when I am starting to gain my weight back as I get back spasms more often. It only takes about 10 pounds for the back pains to go away almost completely - but it seems like such a huge amount of effort. This past weekend my back was going in and out as I watched tv or walked around downtown - so I know the weight is inching back. I need to catch it now before it gets out of control.

Photo Walk Continued

2009-05-19T13:32:00.003-04:00

Dave and I went for an incredibly long walk yesterday around downtown Ottawa. We started out walking from our parking spot along the side roads past the Mint down towards Majors Hill Park and then up to the Parliament buildings. There were of course stops along the way as I set up different shots and took tons of pictures. By the time we were done at Parliament Hill I was exhausted and starving. We went and ate lunch at the Rideau Centre and I chose to have a Thai food which is traditionally quite healthy for you, but I have a feeling that food court variety is filled with unnecessary chemicals and tons of calories. We then slowly walked back to the car enjoying the weather and really just loving the fact that he is back home now.
I enjoy my Photography Walks and have taken quite a few of them since the Tulip Festival started. As I mentioned before, I enjoy the photo walks as I really don't even notice the walking part of it. They aren't as intense as just long walks, but they tend to be longer since I don't want to stop taking photos. I even tend to forget about time completely until the light starts to fade. Soon enough, the little animals (goslings, etc) will be out and I will have even more reasons to take photo walks And now since we live further from Hogs Back park, it will be even more of a walk just to get there!

10 days

2009-05-13T10:43:00.003-04:00

10 days have passed since I last posted here and I really have no news to speak of. I have lost a couple pounds, but nothing significant and with the stress being created by everything around me I haven't had time to exercise (I have been doing a fair bit of walking since it is tulip time in Ottawa and I love them so much). The big stresses are gone now so hopefully I will be able to get back on track with my exercise program. My jog/run program has yet to get off the ground and if I don't get it started soon there will be no treadmill for me come fall (as that was the reward to a successful summer program). I am working out tonight with Chris and hopefully we can figure out a schedule that will work for the two of us so we can get back into that routine as well.
I bought a bunch of sweets the other day because I could but by the time I got home, I no longer wanted them. I had a reasonable portion of some of the sweets yesterday and believe I will be able to keep doing so until they are gone.

Water

2009-05-03T20:02:00.002-04:00

I may not being doing very well with my weight loss lately but today I realized something that made me rather proud: In September of 2007 I stopped drinking juice with every meal. I replaced it with water and haven't really gone back since. I would say 90% of my beverages in any given day are water. This is one of the only changes I have made that has stuck for longer than a month or two and it gives me hope that eventually some of the other changes I try to make will stick as well.

Stability

2009-05-01T20:59:00.002-04:00

I have no stability when it comes to my weight loss and I have been using it as an excuse.
No long rant about it - it's the truth and I am going to stop it.

Biking

2009-04-27T11:55:00.003-04:00

I have always loved biking. When I was younger I would put my hair in what I called 'pig buns' and then bike along the farm trails near my house (I mention the hair style as a side note since I always got bit by black/horse flies right between the buns and it would swell up so badly). I felt like I was out there for hours and always got a good workout but in reality it wasn't very long (though I did still get a good workout). When I moved to Ottawa my bike became my main mode of transportation as I had no car and lived so close to the school. I couldn't rationalize taking the bus to school and walking just took so darn long. Last summer Dave and I got our first car and my bike became obsolete for anything other than exercise. Unfortunately the novelty of the car made me more than a little lazy and I really didn't go biking that much.

About two weekends ago I pulled out the bike and attempted to get it going again. I biked to the gas station near my old house to get the tires refilled (this took about 1.5 times longer than usually and about 3 times as much energy as one would think as the tires were so flat). When I got there I learned that the air was not free and I had no money. I now have an air pump and the bike is ready to go again. It is gorgeous outside and in about a month the Sunday bike days will be starting again (this is when they shut down Colonel By Drive on Sunday mornings for bikers, walkers, runners, etc). I plan on at least biking around the neighbourhood this summer - it is quick and relatively easy not to mention a great way to dream about the wonderful houses way back in the subdivision.

Stressful Loss

2009-04-26T22:25:00.002-04:00

The last 10 days have been some of the most stressful days of my adult life and unfortunately they are not over yet. Over this time I have lost about 4 pounds due to stress. I haven't been eating very much as I am worried all the time. It is getting much better and I am starting to increase my food intake (and I am feeling better too). I don't like losing weight this way but it has given me a boost to make the number on the scale continue on its downward path (in the proper fashion of course).

Inspiration from my Mom

2009-04-22T12:31:00.003-04:00

I spent the weekend at my parents' house this past weekend and was rather inspired by my mom. She has gone back to weight watchers (WW) as is attending the meetings once a week and participating in the new momentum plan. She is doing really well and has already lost over 10lbs! I was so happy for her as I could tell she was happy about it too. We spent the weekend making yummy, healthy meals for each other and I told her a few of my secrets to WW. I introduced her to the Smart pasta (the stuff that looks and tastes like regular white pasta but is actually whole wheat) and how to incorporate soy sauce into her stir-fries to give them a little extra flavour. She told me about her victories of the buffet at a recent work meeting she went to and other such things. She has done really well and in eating properly with her all weekend I lost over 2 lbs! I am sure it is mostly water weight and probably has to do with my currently high stress levels, but it is something and it happened when I was behaving 110% so it is definitely encouraging me to keep behaving. So to sum things up, my mom is doing well and I am so proud of her.

The Whole Work Week

2009-04-10T11:49:00.001-04:00

This past work week (Monday to Thursday) I was 100% on plan with my food. I have eaten approximately 1600 calories each day. I have been eating things like Caesar salads, homemade pad thai, strawberries, Uncle Ben's Rice Entrees and granola bars. I have been really happy with myself for going so long - not that I have stopped or anything. Now I just have to get the exercise in - I didn't really have time this past week as I wasn't home for very long each night but next week should be better.

Demoralizing

2009-04-05T21:01:00.002-04:00

The scale is being mean to me. Now to be honest I haven't been that good to it either so I guess I kind of deserve it but still - it is being mean to me.

Photo Walk

2009-03-16T09:04:00.003-04:00

I took my first photo walk for the Spring season this weekend (though technically it is not Spring yet). Dave and I went to the Agricultural Museum and walked around viewing all the adorable animals. I find photo walks to be a nice way to get some easy exercise in as I barely notice the workout at all. It isn't very intense and therefore the 2 or 3 hours I may spend walking around taking photos doesn't burn that many calories but it is better than sitting around the house doing little or nothing at all.

New Footwear

2009-03-10T20:31:00.008-04:00

Since I have decided to start jogging and running this Spring and Summer I decided I needed a decent pair of shoes to ensure I don't injure myself. I started doing some research and decided that cross trainers were the way to go as I do not intend do only be running but rather running, jogging, walking, cycling, elliptical, free weights, cardio DVDs, etc. Cross trainers will give me basic support for all these activities instead of specialized support for any one of them. I went looking on SportChek and found that they had a buy one get one free sale going on. I thought about it and since I have always wanted a decent pair of hiking boots for when I go walking around the woods taking pictures, I figured this was the right time to get them. Anyway, these are the two pairs of shoes I got (except the hiking boots I got were gray and black not browns like the one in the picture).

Slacker

2009-03-10T08:40:00.003-04:00

I haven't been one lately but every once in a while I feel like one. It usually has to do with my workouts but sometimes is due to other non-weight related issues (eg. work, photography, etc). Before this week I had been just planning and planning for my weight loss but not really doing anything which lead to be feeling like a massive slacker. I am doing little things now while I wait for the weather to get better so I can do more. I am going to spend the spring and summer trying to get into walking/jogging/running on a regular basis. My reward for doing so will be a treadmill for the winter months when it starts to get too nasty to go outside.
I haven't set on anything too strict just yet, I will probably think about that today, but my current basic goal is to be having Thursday workouts with Chris (they usually last about 30-45 minutes but perhaps we could work on getting them longer), jogging/running about 3 times a week, at least one weekend photography walk (these are usually about 2-3 hours long minimum) and cycling on Sunday bike days (once they get started). If it rains on one of the days I am supposed to go outside I will try to use my elliptical machine instead. It sounds pretty intense for me, but I am going to ease into it. Right now I am doing Thursday workouts and little things on the weekends and will add the photo walks in a little while.

5 Things

2009-03-09T08:44:00.004-04:00

This comes from the weight loss forum I participate in. The five things in each category are in no particular order other than the way I thought of them.

Five things that make me stay on plan
1. dreams/aspirations
2. happiness
3. success
4. friends
5. rewards

Five things that make me go off plan
1. Brownies
2. sadness
3. boredom
4. great carbs
5. buffets

Five things I want to acheive during my weightloss journey
1. healthy lifestyle
2. more active lifestyle
3. healthier view of myself
4. longer lifespan (not that I will be able to know if I succeeded)
5. better self control

Five things I want to do when I hit my goal weight
1. buy a new wardrobe
2. travel to hot regions or ones with difficult terrain
3. admit my highest weight
4. wear a bathing suit without extreme discomfort or fear
5. follow my other dreams

Five people who keep you motivated
1. Dave
2. Chris
3. Family in general
4. Friends in general
5. Everyone who comments on this blog

Opinions Needed

2009-02-26T21:12:00.001-05:00

I desperately need help selecting a logo/signature combination and would greatly appreciate it if everyone would leave comments as to which one they prefer (please visit this post ). Thank you so much (in advance).

Birthday Goal

2009-02-24T11:16:00.006-05:00

Every year that I am trying to lose weight I have set up a birthday goal for myself. This year is no exception. I have not yet set on a number just yet for reasons that are rather upsetting (see this post on Great Abyss) but will once the flash drive (and therefore weight loss spreadsheet) has been located. My reward this year, like every year, will be a grand party will tons of great food for everyone to enjoy. If I fail my goal I plan on having less yummy eats at the party, but of course a party will still be in order as it is still my birthday - not to mention a milestone birthday as I am turning 25...scary.