Tasty Tuesday: White Cheddar Macaroni

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.

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Wii Fit Plus

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.

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Tasty Tuesday: Stir Fry #1

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.

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One Minute Writer on the Road

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.

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Tasty Tuesday: Apple/Pear Cream Cheese Pie

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!

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Tasty Tuesday

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.

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November Update

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.

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October > September

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.

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Choosing2Lose

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.

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WW online

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.

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Looking Back - Reasons to Lose Weight

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.

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Thanksgiving

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.

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Been A While

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.

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Chicago

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.

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My Punishment

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.

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Mr. Bow Jangles

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.

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Weekly Update

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.

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August/September

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*

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It's Working

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.

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Pod's Pad Thai

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.

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August to December

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

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Bad July

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.

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Forums

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.

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A New Day

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.

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100 posts later

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

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Post Montreal

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.

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Podleski Sisters

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.

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June Recap/July Outlook

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.

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Week 5 and 6

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.

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Week 4

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.

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Cookbooks and Recipes

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.

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Week 3

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.

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Week 2

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.

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Breakfast Pitas

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.

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Strawberry Shortcake

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.

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One Week Later

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.

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Weight Watchers Online

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.

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May Recap/June Outlook

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.

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Another 10 Days

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!

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Back Pain

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.

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Photo Walk Continued

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!

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10 days

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.

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Water

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.

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Stability

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.

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Biking

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.

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Stressful Loss

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).

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Inspiration from my Mom

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.

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The Whole Work Week

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.

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Demoralizing

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.

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Photo Walk

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.

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New Footwear

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).

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Slacker

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.

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5 Things

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

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Opinions Needed

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).

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Birthday Goal

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.

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Musical Motivation

I bought myself an iPod (see this post on Great-Abyss blog). Like the other post says, I have wanted one for quite some time and resisted purchasing one. One of the main reasons I bought one yesterday was for motivation. I used to listen to music while on the bus and while walking around campus but as I no longer do either of those things I don't really use MP3 players any longer and stopped being able to rationalize a big purchase of such an item. I figure I am a relatively cheap person and do not like spending money on things I will not use - so if I spend money on an iPod then I will need to find ways to use it. I have been using it around the office today but that will stop when I have things to do which need my full attention (eg. reports). One significant way I plan on using it is while working out whether it be on the elliptical, stationary bike or when the weather gets better and I am able to bike outside and start walking/jogging outside on the canal. I have high hopes for my cheapness to finally come in handy.

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TreadClimber

Bowflex has come out with a new piece of exercise equipment - the TreadClimber. It is a combination of an elliptical machine, stepper and normal treadmill. It has two separate tracks which move up and down in a way that is supposed to decrease the strain on your joints that occurs when walking and running on normal treadmills. The motion is very similar to an elliptical machine which I know from experience has such smooth movements that your joints rarely feel the treadmill pain. When I was on a business trip I kept seeing commercials for this product and looked into it. There are three models ranging from $1500 to $2500 - all too expensive for me and I knew that would be the case when I started my investigation. I was really just interested in the product since it seems like a really neat idea.
The TreadClimber can be changed into a normal stepper or treadmill as well by either locking the tracks to each other in some fashion (treadmill) or stepping on them with the moving components turned off (stepper). I thought this was pretty neat until something was made clear to me. The way you walk is different from the way you run and therefore you couldn't use the TreadClimber in treadmill mode to run as you run in a straight line (one foot in front of the other) and not side by side like when one walks. Therefore if you wanted to run in the winter in your home, you would still need a regular treadmill - that is unless it turns out the conclusions made here are wrong. Either way, I can't afford one (nor do I need one as I have an elliptical machine) but they seem neat.

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One Month Later

One month has passed since I last posted here. Not much has happened in terms of my weight loss. I need to figure something out but at the moment I have very little control over what I eat. I just got back from a business trip during which I had almost no control as we ate out every day (every meal as well). I did my best though and I think I did pretty well. I have to go back at the end of this week but as soon as I return home I am going to get back to my regime.

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Terrible

Terrible - it pretty much sums up how I feel about my weight loss. I feel as if it is going nowhere, and the scales agree with me. I am eating more or less properly - admittedly not perfect, but good. I am working out when I can and when I can't I get it at work through site visits, etc. I will keep trucking though and hopefully my body will start doing what I so badly want it to do.

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Morning Workouts

I have started working out in the morning prior to getting ready for work or eating my breakfast. I have heard great things about this habit and hope that I can take full advantage of all the benefits.

It is believe that morning exercise is better for you when you are trying to lose weight. This is primarily because you do it prior to eating breakfast and therefore force your body to use stored energy (fat) to get through the workout. According to several informative websites, the level of glycogen, the first source of energy stored in the liver and muscles, is lower in the morning and the body burns an alternative source (fat). The level of insulin is also lower in the morning which apparently assists with burning more fat as well.

Most doctors will tell you that exercising in the morning creates a higher heartrate throughout the day and many morning exercisers say that they have more energy throughout the day as a result of their early workouts. They also feel more alert and attentive. Ones metabolism is supposedly jolted from morning workouts as well and stays higher longer afterwards than working out after you have eaten.

Evening workouts can increase your activity level to a point where one can be prevented from getting a good nights rest. It also does not have the same after-burning effects of a pre-breakfast workout.

When it comes right down to it, it doesn't matter when you exercise as long as you do it. An evening workout isn't going to negatively effect any more or less than a morning one.

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Getting Back in the Swing of Things

This morning I woke up relatively early (for a weekend) and had a really good workout after a big clean of the house. I later cleaned and tidied some more after I ate a really healthy breakfast/lunch. I was quite happy with myself.

D and I finally set up the basement (well not completely). We have a TV setup with a working DVD player and I can finally watch movies and whatnot while working out without having to relocate my laptop down there (which doesn't give the greatest sound anyway). I can also use my workout tapes again as there is room down there to move unlike everywhere else in the house.

I don't have a plan right now or anything of that nature but I want to keep making myself happy by having more days like today.

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