The good the bad and ugly...

Hey all! I'm still here, i haven't dropped off the planet. I've been struggling...and with struggling comes guilt, and embarrassment...and then that becomes a whole new struggle! Well, i'm gonna bite the bullet, start practicing what i preach and reach out for help.

Other than a few walks, i haven't exercised since i got back from vacation 2 weeks ago. I've watched the pounds slowly creep back on, 4 more to be exact!! And i've let my body start finding those old aches and pains again. I won't even tell you what i've been eating!! I've allowed myself to take a back seat again in my own life. I've just sat there letting it happen. Hmmm...seems to me that's how i got so big in the first place.

Not sure why i let this happen...though i have an inkling. I'm one of those people that when i get depressed, i eat and sleep. Well, that is soooo not the case right now. But i also know that when things are going GREAT i also start back sliding. I have no clue as to why i do this...maybe because i'm so focused on what is making me happy i lose myself? I don't make me a priority? Do any of you experience this? Well, i have to say that my life is AMAZING right now!

I've been having a long distance relationship with S. We have known each other for about 12 years now, and lets just say that we have a history together. He has always lived on the east coast, and other than my few year stint in Halifax, i have always lived on the west coast. I never thought that anything would come of it before, that the distance was too great. He has 3 daughters that live out there and obviously him moving is not an option. I have family and friends here, and i always thought i couldn't imagine leaving. Well, that was then this is now :-) I love my family dearly, but i need to follow my heart, and it's with S. I have decided that i'm going to take a chance, and i'm going to move out there with him! We haven't picked a date yet, we have to wait on my job. I work for the federal government and i'm trying to get a transfer out there. I won't leave without my job, but even if i can't get a transfer, i could look at different departments. So this could happen in a couple of months, it could happen next year. I've never been happier! He's my best friend and i want nothing more than to grow old with him!

So, that being said, i'm happy happy happy! BUT...i need to keep my focus on getting healthy. It's hard right now, i'm so distracted...but i know i need to do this, i know how important this is. I woke up this morning with that old determination, and i'm going to work on today. I'm not going to stress about tomorrow. I just finished having a healthy breakfast. That's step 1. I'm going to do a few chores, and then jump on my treadmill. No excuses. That will be step 2. And no matter what happens today i am going to be accountable. I will own up if i don't do this.

You guys are my safety net...no matter how crappy i feel about myself, i know that talking to you helps me figure this stuff out. I know that you have all been there or are still going through it. I know that you offer me nothing but words of encouragement and if you were standing here in front of me i know that i would receive your hugs. Thank you for your strength. I need it.

Hugs,
S :-)

Where does the time go?

Where do the hours in the day go? I feel like i've been going non-stop since i got home! I've barely had a minute to myself. I need to find my rythm again...i haven't been on my treadmill since i got home :-( I need a push! Eating is going pretty good, but i need to move!! No more excuses...even if its only walking, i'm doing it tonight after supper...i have to start somewhere! I have made a commitment to myself, and i'm going to keep it!
Talk soon,
S :-)

Back from Vacation

What an amazing two weeks it was! I just got back last night, and i already miss being out there! I miss Simon, his girls, my friends...i have no doubt in my mind that i am going back. I don't know how or when we are going to do this, but the end result is for me and Simon to be together! I'm crazy about him!!! :-D

Now, to getting back on track. I was astonished to find out that i had only gained 1 lb over the course of the two weeks i was away. I ate fairly healthy, did some physical activities, but i also did quite a bit of partying with old friends and i know how many empty calories are in alcohol! I can only guess that i've lost some muscle mass, and gained some fat, that would explain the slight weight gain. Whatever. Today i get back on track. I'm going to head to the grocery store shortly and stock up on a whack of fruit and veggies, and then i'm hitting my treadmill. I know i won't be able to do as much as i did before, but i also know that it won't take me long to get back into the groove. At least for the next 3 weeks until i go to Mexico!

Feeling awesome right now!

Great big hugs to everyone!
S :-)

Another update!

Hey all! I know it's been a week, but i'm still on vacation and having the most amazing time! I just got back from camping with Simon and his 2 youngest daughters. I'm heading home in 5 days :-( I will miss them like crazy!! I don't even want to think about that yet!

Anyways, i know that my food and exercise have not been as good as i wanted, but like i said before, i'm not going to stress about it. I am not going to let that spoil my fun out here. I want to enjoy every moment i have with Simon...he's an incredible guy. I have known him for about 11 years and wish like heck that we didn't live across the country from each other. It's hard being apart from him. But i'm going to do my best to make this work. I'm crazy about him

And i know when i get back home that jumping on my treadmill and busting my butt with the food and exercise will help me feel good...it will help me feel better about myself. I want to focus on the things i actually have control over!

Hope everyone is doing great and i will probably be back on regularly next week!

Hugs!
S :-)

Another quick update

Just came back from a hike at Shubenacadie park. Really nice there, it's actually a canal with locks...very cool! Eating has been pretty good cuz my fabulous host Simon has gone out of his way to make sure that i have all sorts of low cal healthy food at my disposal. Fruits, veggies, chicken, body-wise breads and bagels and wraps...what a sweetie!

Heading out to see another friend i haven't seen in a few years, and then tomorrow we leave for New Brunswick to visit some amazing friends that i haven't seen in over 5 years. I am so excited to see them!!

Gotta go, hope all is well with everyone!

Hugs!
S :-)

Just a quick update

Hey guys! It's been a bit since my last post but i just wanted to let you know that i'm alive and kicking. Well, not really kicking, as i was injured for the past week. But i have been super crazy busy this past week. A friend that lives in Europe came to town and we did a spontaneous road trip with him! What fun! Went to the Okanagan for couple of days, spent most of the day out on the boat on the lake, and i have to admit i did a fair bit of drinking. Yikes! Oh well, it was fun.

Then i've been doing last minute running around, cleaning and packing as i'm leaving on vacation tomorrow for 2 weeks! Visiting some wonderful friends about 5500 km away in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick! I have to be up at 3:30 tomorrow morning, i'm serious!! I have to be out of the house by 5 at the latest, but at least i can sleep on the plane :-)

My eating has NOT been great lately, but i'm going to do the best i can and make sure i get some exercise while i'm out there.

I will try and get on a computer while i'm out there and keep up with some of your posts and maybe give you updates if i have time.

And although i'm rushed for time i want to give a BIG THANKS to SKYE for giving me the Versatile Blogger Award! As soon as i get a chance i will complete the process and then pass it on!

Hope you all are having a wonderful summer and we'll chat soon!

Hugs!
S :-)

Update...

So the hip got worse. Last night was agonizing and i got very little sleep. I couldn't lay on either side, the only somewhat comfortable position was laying on my back with 2 pillows under my leg. But when i lay in one position too long i got stiff. I kept waking up everytime i moved, had to get up twice to get more tylenol. Then heading into work today was a joke. Sitting in my low bucket seat, and having to use my left leg on the clutch ( i drive a standard) was awful. I couldn't sit at work so i left and went to the clinic. After an hour long wait i got in to see the doc and he told me i have bursitis. Lovely. He gave me some anti-inflamatories and told me to put some heat on my hip, and no more running until its better. It could be better in a couple of days, which wouldn't be the end of the world, but it may persist and if it does i have to go back to see him.

So, on the upside, i am happy that i am trying to live a healthier life and i have accomplished so much in the last few months. The downside is my body is going to scream at me once in a while and I can't expect that it's going to run perfectly...i've treated it like crap for so many years. The doc said it's just conditioning, told me to take it easy and really build my way up, which i thought i was doing. Once i can run again, i'll stick to running for longer periods on my treadmill, and keep my running outside to shorter times and slowly build my way up again.

So, here's a suggestion to anyone reading this post who is thinking about making some changes in their life, like exercising. DO IT NOW!!!! The longer you put it off, the harder it's going to be to get your body in shape. It's going to hit obstacles, like i just did. Start small and work your way up. And listen to your body! This was my body saying, or screaming at me to SLOW DOWN! As much as i'm eager to make these changes, i really have to be aware of what my body can handle. You've only got one body, treat it with kindness and love!!

Have a great weekend everyone!

S :)

Injured...

Crap, i guess this walk with my friend and her kids is just not going to happen this week :-( I felt great after my run yesterday, but when i woke up this morning my left hip was a little stiff. No biggy. But by the end of the day i could barely walk! My hip is really sore! I took some Advil, and i'm going to put some ice on it. I'm going to take it easy for the next couple of days and hope that i haven't done anything too serious. I know i didn't stretch as much as i should have, and running on the pavement is a little harder on the old bones. Not to mention i still have another 35 lbs to lose so that's still a fair bit of extra weight on my joints.

I'm pretty disappointed that this happened...i had such a great run yesterday, i felt fantastic, and mentally i'm ready to keep going. This sucks! I know that we have to deal with setbacks, and i am dealing with it...but i don't have to like it!

S :-(

20 Minute Challenge

I did the 2.5 k 20 Minute Challenge today! I ran with a friend and friend of hers, and it went awesome! I'm really starting to get comfortable running outside and i think that i'm going to do it as often as i can. I'll leave my treadmill for when it's crappy out and for the odd day when it's too hot to run outside. I am going to really try to run a little farther each time, to build up my stamina, increase my pace, and ensure that i can run 5k by the beginning of October.

My last post i was talking about going for a walk with my friend and her children, and doing the walk with 30 lbs of child on my back. Well, my friend had to cancel at the last minute, but we're going to do it tomorrow. So we'll see how my back holds up and how much of a workout i get. I hope i'm sweating buckets, i'm really starting to love my workouts! Wow! Who woulda thunk? :-)

My eating is going well, probably could have eaten a little more today, but it was a busy day and by the time i finished the run, went grocery shopping, and got home, it was already after 7:00 and i really didn't want to cook a big meal that late. I made a yummy southwestern omelette and treated myself to a mini-cake from weight watchers. It's funny, my calories are on the low side but i always eat more than enough protein. But i do need to make sure that i'm not going to low with my calories. I'm "allowed" 1400 calories, but the odd day i eat around 1200 calories. Mind you, the odd day i eat more than that too so i guess it all balances out!

I'm really starting to get excited! My first vacation of the summer is in 10 days! I head out to Halifax and will spend some time there and in New Brunswick for 2 weeks. I'm really looking forward to seeing my friends! And i am making some plans to ensure that i don't go totally off plan while i'm out there. I'll be doing a fair bit of camping the first week, so i'll just have to make sure i do alot of walking and swimming and activities like that. And try to eat as healthy as i can, with the odd treats. But i do know that i will be indulging, and i'm okay with that. The second week i will be in the city and we will be going to the gym every second day with some long walks on the alternate days. I think pre-planning will help keep me somewhat on track.

Time to veg on the couch for a bit before bed. Night all!

S :-)

Taking things in stride

No weight loss this week. I'm not upset though, i realize that you get back what you put into it. My running was going well, i never miss my running days, but i wasn't doing my upper and lower body workouts with extra walking. And i had one day where i went over in calories. I'll just make sure that this week i get back on track and work out 6 days a week. That seems to work for me.

On a more positive note, i ran outside again yesterday, and i managed to run for 21 minutes this time! I slowed my pace a little, and was better prepared. I knew what to expect this time, and i made sure to bring water with me. It was a much better experience than the first time. And i continued to walk at a fast pace for a while, then ran for 4 more minutes. All in all i exercised for an hour, so i'm getting back on track.

Today i will be going for a walk with a friend. She has two daughters, one is a few months old and the other is almost 2. Last time we walked i didn't get much out of it, it was more of a stroll for me. But she was sweating hard cuz she was pushing the baby in a stroller and had 30 lbs of 2 year old on her back! I told her that i needed to fill a knapsack with rocks but she laughed and said the next time we walk that i could put 30 lbs of child on my back and she'll carry her baby in her snuggie. So that will be todays adventure. I'll let you know if i survived! If i'm still able to move after that, i will come home and do my upper body and lower body workouts, then it will be time to watch Losing It with Jillian!

Then tomorrow i will be heading over to the Running Room to do the 20 minute challenge!

I haven't had much time to read all your posts the last couple of days, but i will do that as soon as possible. Hope you all are doing fabulous!

Hugs!
S :-)

Running outside vs treadmill

Well, i did my first run outside. I was running for 25 minutes on the treadmill, and i knew it would be harder to run outside, the ground does not move under your feet...YOU have to make you move! It was really hot, and i did it around lunch time...maybe not the smartest time to do it! End result was me running for 16 minutes, feeling like i wanted to cry, very hot and more out of breath than usual. I walked for 90 seconds, ran for another 2 1/2 minutes, walked for another 90 seconds and then ran for another 90 seconds. I ended up running for 20 minutes. Definitely disappointed with myself. BUT...i'm not going to let that get me down. Next time i run outside, tomorrow, i will do it after work, once it starts cooling down. I will be more focused, now that i know what i'm up against. I just need to get past that little voice in my head that's saying "see...i told you it was going to be harder, i told you that you wouldn't be able to run for the same length of time, i knew you couldn't do it...". When you've never had confidence in yourself with regards to physical activity, it's hard to mentally motivate yourself to do things and to believe that you CAN succeed. But guess what? Maybe it got the better of me the first time i tried, but it's not going to do it a second time. I'm going to put on my music, get running, and i'm going to keep running...and i know that eventually i WILL get there. I'm not so concerned with how long it takes me, just that i do it. Every day i sit down in front of my computer and read your posts. And each and every one of them inspire me. For the first time in my life, it's finally gotten through my thick skull that i can do this! That i am worth it! That anything is possible if you believe in yourself and have the right support! Tears are coming to my eyes, i'm having a very emotional moment right now. I've never felt so understood. I am so thankful for your loving hearts and generosity. Thank you for being a part of my life!

S :-)

Down a pant size!!

Woo hooooo! I'm down a pant size! Fan-freaking-tastic!! Can you tell i'm happy??

I went shopping on my lunch break, and was trying on some shorts. I have a really hard time fitting pants of any type cuz in order for the pants to fit around my hips, the waist is huge! And i mean it gapes out in the back so bad you could practically fit another waist in there! No way would a belt even help. Anyhoo, here i was trying on some shorts, worrying about how they were going to fit in the waist, when i realized i had tried on a pair of 14s! And they fit!! I grabbed another pair, just to be sure, and they fit too! That totally made my day! It's been quite a few years since i was able to fit into a 14. When i moved back home from Halifax in 2005, i was fitting into a size 12, the smallest i'd been my whole adult life. Well, not only am i going to get back into a size 12, my goal is to eventually fit into a size 8!! I want to, for the first time since i was a child, to be able to fit into a single digit size! I'm so ready for this! I don't care how long this takes me, it's going to happen!

I'm heading out shortly to do my first run outside, off of my treadmill. I'm a bit freaked about it, but i'm going to the park, gonna put on some of my favourite work out music, and i'm going to run. My goal is 25 minutes, as this is the final day of week 7 of C25k. I can't believe how far i've come! I started working out again back in mid-April, and i couldn't run for more than 90 seconds at a time! Here i am, 3 months later, and i can honestly say i'm a runner! Thank you Lisa for pointing this out to me! LOL!

A friend of mine, who has recently taken up running, told me about a "20 Minute Challenge" the Running Room is holding (I'm not sure if you have Running Room stores in the US). They do it every year and it's on this Wednesday, July 21. You sign up on-line, it's free, and you show up at one of their locations and you either walk or run for 20 minutes. It's quite a turn-out apparently. And after you do it you get a free hat! I know it's not like running a 5k or anything, but it will be my first time running with other people and i'm really excited about it!

Have a great day everyone!
Hugs!
S :-)

Hectic Day!

Hey all, this is gonna be a short one. I've been having one of those days, you know the ones, where there aren't enough hours in the day. Leaves you feeling frustrated cuz things aren't getting done. But i didn't let that stop me from working out. It wasn't easy, i really had to push myself to finish, but i did. And i am going to find something positive from this, which is usually when i have a bad day, and get cranky or frustrated, i used to stuff myself with food. But this time, i stuck to my plan, and if anything i was on the low side as far as calories go. Yeah me!

Talk to you tomorrow when i have more time!
Night night!
S :-)

Love my blog family :-)

I'm down another 1 1/2 lbs! Yeah!!

I have to say that this is one of the best things i've done to help facilitate a change in my life...starting a blog i mean. I have never found the level of inspiration i get from reading all of your blogs. And the support i get...wow! When i'm trying to figure things out, and i'm struggling, i turn to you, and i get some pretty amazing support and advice. When i was feeling frustrated, as per my last post, it did me wonders knowing that others have been where i am, and understand what i'm going through. And the positive encouragement helps me more than you know. So a big THANK YOU!!!!

This past weekend i went up island to visit some family. I made sure i did my run Friday before i left, and ran for my 25 minutes :-) Very hard, struggled, but made it through. Then i didn't work out Saturday or Sunday. But, i managed to stay on track food-wise, even at the bbq for my cousin's birthday on Sunday. Said NO to the cake and chips and dip! Granted, i had a hamburger, one cookie and some fruit. I think i did really good though!

Had a nice visit with my cousins, who i don't get to see very often, and made some plans to go up for a visit sometime this summer. Unfortunately though, we got some bad news too. We found out that my aunt, who is my mom's last surviving sibling (out of 9) has lung cancer. Its inoperable. :-( I feel sad for her, but i feel more sad for my mom. She was the second youngest and has had to watch all her siblings pass away. My parents aren't the "touchy feely type", they have a hard time expressing their emotions. I gave her a hug, but that's all i could do. My parents don't hug, they don't say "i love you", though i know they love me, they just have a hard time saying it. Maybe that's why my sister and i are extremely emotional people, we hug, we say I love you all the time to each other. I just wish there was something i could do for her, but there isn't.

I came home Sunday night, feeling tired and pretty down. I wasn't up to doing much of anything. I guess we all have those days. I worked some OT on Monday for a few hours, and then came home and worked out. Started week 7 of C25k, ran for another 25 minutes, and i have to say it was easier than it was on Friday, thank god!

I'm going to jump on my treadmill shortly, just walking while i watch some TV, but at least i'm moving. Gonna watch Losing it with Jillian tonight. That always gives me that kick in the butt i need.

Til next time!
S :-)

Wow!

I did it! I managed to run for 25 minutes without stopping! It wasn't easy though. I had to keep trying to find my focus and convince myself to keep running. I started getting anxious about it, that happens sometimes, where i get a tight feeling in my chest and feel like crying! It's the craziest feeling!

So, you would think i would be over the moon about accomplishing this. And i am proud of myself, but then something overshadowed it, which in retrospect is completely ridiculous. I looked at how far i ran in 25 minutes, and i only ran 1.68 miles. It completely deflated me. I realize i run on the slow side, i'm a beginner. And my plan is to start increasing my speed once i can run for 30 minutes straight. I only run at a 4.0 on the treadmill. But i seriously thought i was running farther than that. My goal is to run a 5k at the beginning of October, and i'll have to practically double what i'm doing now to run the whole thing!

Is this normal? What i mean is, i should be so happy at what i've accomplished so far, and take each small victory as they come. But instead, i get happy for a milisecond and then beat myself up for not doing better. I guess i want to know if other people react like this. Is this a normal part of trying to better your life and get fit?

I just hope that i get to the point in my life where i can honestly accept and be happy about the small things, and let all the other baggage go.

S :-)

Keeping it real

This week has been good, i've been doing my exercising, eating well...and today i treated myself...and the best part is i didn't go nuts and eat everything in sight! What i mean is, sometimes when i would eat something that i know isn't good for me, i would feel guilty, like i let myself down. And then this would usually lead to a binge, or at least a day of bad eating. But today, i had a cookie for a snack, i had sushi for lunch (which wasn't bad but probably ate more than i normally do) and had an ice cream cone in the afternoon. I realize that this isn't my best eating day ever...but i also realize that i'm allowed to indulge once in a while. I was over in my calories today, but not by much. I ate it, i enjoyed it, and i didn't feel guilty. I also told myself that this isn't something i'm going to do every day, but it's okay. That's a huge breakthrough for me. Maybe i'm finally starting to figure some things out. This is a good thing! :-)

I'm taking off to visit my family this weekend. I'll make sure i get a good run in before i leave, it will be the final day of week 6 of C25k and i have to run for 25 minutes!! Yikes!!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!
S :-)

Staying on track!

So far so good! I'm down another 1 1/2 lbs!

My eating has been pretty good, trying to keep it between 1200 and 1400 calories. It gives me a good amount of food which seems to sustain me until the next meal. If i can't hold out i have a snack... i just make sure i have a piece of fruit, or some yogourt, or plain almonds. Sometimes a cup of tea or coffee does the trick too.

My exercising is going well, i'm into week 6 of C25k. And i'm going to sign up tomorrow for the CIBC Run for the Cure on October 3, my first 5k. One of my co-workers, who is a runner, has offered to run with me, to keep me motivated and push me if i need it. Kind of scary, but in a good way! It's for a great cause, i've lost relatives to breast cancer and i have a friend who is my age who had a double mastectomy last year. Running this 5k is the LEAST i can do!!

Have a good night everyone!
S :-)

A Great Day!

I started yesterday on the right foot...i completed week 5 of C25k with a 20 minute run!! I can't believe i ran for 20 minutes! I'm still stunned that i was able to do it! God it felt so good! I played some wicked upbeat music and just tuned out. I'm really proud of myself!

Then i spent the day being a tourist in my own town with a friend and her daughter. We went to a fabulous market they have every weekend, went out to Sidney by the sea and walked the boardwalk and then ended the day by going to the Observatory and checking out all the neat planetary stuff and the huge telescope they have out there. Pretty funny that i've lived here for approximately 19 years and i've never done that before!

Hope all my American friends have a wonderful Independence Day!

S :-)

Hit a minor speed bump

Had an off day yesterday. Didn't work out, didn't eat great...not sure why. I wasn't having a bad day, didn't feel out of control, wasn't upset about anything...i just didn't feel like working out and i made some poor food choices. I felt like crap afterwards, which is to be expected. It was just wierd, i don't know why i did it. And that kind of freaks me out a little. If i was upset and emotional eating i could understand that, but to just do it without even thinking, well, that is falling back into my old patterns and i don't like that. Mindless eating and no exercising. I know it's only one day, and i've started my day today with a good healthy meal and i know i am going to do my exercising in a short while. I'm not freaking out about it, but i guess it's something i will have to watch. I'm proud of what i have accomplished so far, and i'm going to keep striving to live the life i want.

I DIDN'T BALLOON IN JUNE!!

YEAH!! I managed to do my 1 hour workouts 6 times a week for the whole month of June! I completed Chris's "I will not balloon in June" challenge and i feel fabulous!! I managed to lose 7 lbs!

I had been working out 6 days a week prior to June, but not always for 1 hour a day, sometimes it was only for a 1/2 hour. But this feels like the perfect amount of exercise my body needs and i'm going to keep it up. I'll continue Chris's unofficial challenge and call it "I will Fly in July!" (since i actually WILL be flying out east on July 31st...and i want to "fly" figuratively too!)

I am doing week 5 of C25k, and the second day of running i had to run for 8 minutes, walk for 5 and run for another 8. Again, i convinced myself that if it was too much for me that i would run the first 8 minutes and then only run for 5 minutes if it was too much. Well, wasn't i surprised when i ran the first 8 and realized it wasn't that hard!! I was shocked! I know the whole idea behind the C25k is to get people running gradually, but i guess i underestimated myself and honestly thought i couldn't do it at the pace they set. That i would have to make changes and that it would take me a lot longer to do it. I really surprised myself. And another thing...i felt PRIDE at what i accomplished! I haven't felt that in a long time! As i was doing a cooldown on my treadmill, i had a big grin on my face! I did this. On my own. I did this...and i feel so empowered!! Now someone please remind me of this feeling when i have to run the last set of the week...which is a run for 20 minutes!!

So, all is going well in my world. I still have my moments where i'm waiting for the bottom to fall out from under me, it's what i expect. But so far so good, and i hope if i do hit a hurdle, a crisis, or if i'm just feeling plain unmotivated, that you all would be so kind as to give me a shake! Remind me why i am doing this! And I promise i will do my best to return the favour!

Happy Canada Day everyone!
S :-)

Down 1 more pound!

Yeah! I'm down 1 more pound. Maybe not my best week but it's heading in the right direction!

I did my first set of week 5 of C25k yesterday and it went well. Tomorrow will be the challenge though...i've never run for 8 minutes before. I'll give it my best!

Food has been going well. I'm trying to liven up my menu a little, not eat the same thing every day...though i do have my faves that i pretty much do eat every day. I just need to make sure i have variety so i don't get bored.

When i get bored with my food, i start getting sulky, start having negative thoughts like "it's not fair! why can't i eat what i want!"...you know, that inner voice that loves to whine and sabotage! I just have to make sure that i can find a way to deal with that voice. Right now my silencer is a white halter dress that i just bought to wear in Mexico! I've never owned anything like it! It's so pretty and feminine! The only thing is that it's a tad tight. It fits, but it's pretty snug across the midsection. My goal is to lose 10lbs by the time i go to Mexico (just over 2 months), and i know that the dress will fit perfectly then. So, i have a mini-goal to work towards. If i was at home for the next 2 months i know it wouldn't be a problem, but i'm going to Halifax for 2 weeks on vacation at the beginning of August, and this will make it a bit trickier. I'm going to have to be pretty careful with my eating and exercising. Still, i think it's a reasonable goal and i'm going to give it my all!

Stay strong my friends!
S :-)

Starting week 5 of C25k

Hey all! Had a very fun weekend so far! Went out with the girls Friday night to a great restaurant/bar i've never been to before, then off to another pub for some music and dancing. I definitely went over my calories that day, had a few drinks, but i'm not going to beat myself up about it. I had a nice time, and i probably won't do it again for a while, so no biggy. I like that i can treat myself/slip up once in a while and it doesn't send me into a panicky depressed tailspin. I just do better the next day! :-)

My working out is coming along. For my exercising yesterday i went for a walk along the ocean with a friend. We walked for about an hour and a half, soaked up some sun, but i was wearing the totally wrong shoes and parts of my foot are rubbed raw. I'm pretty sure i will have big blisters on each of my big toes. Note to self...wear appropriate footwear!!!

I think i need to step up my upper body workouts cuz i'm really not noticing any difference in my arms, they are still pretty big and i really want to firm them up. I'm going to start week 5 of my C25k today, and i'm kind of excited and freaked out. I just checked out the amount of time i will be running this week and it's quite a jump up...by the third session this week i'm supposed to be able to run for 20 minutes!! Ok, some people may not think that this is too big of a deal, but i am someone who has never run for that long in my life! Even in school when we had to do manadatory runs, i'd walk most of it. Running was something healthy thin people did, not overweight out of shape smokers! Well, i don't smoke anymore, it'll be 4 years this July :-) I may not be "thin" but i'm pretty healthy and i'm getting stronger every day! I'm going to do what i did last week, get on my treadmill and tell myself to just try it. And if i don't feel ready for it, then the worst that will happen is i repeat week 4. I'm still exercising and burning calories! No pressure!

Have a great day and keep up the incredible work you are doing! Remember, one day at a time!

S :-)

Still plugging away...

Wow! It's amazing how tired you can get from working one extra hour a day! Granted, I work 9 hour days to begin with so 10 hours a day will eventually catch up to me. I pretty much work, come home and work out, have something to eat, and then watch a little TV before i fall asleep. I fell asleep at 8:30 last night!!

I missed a workout on Tuesday, my ankle was still bugging me a little so i thought i'd give it a rest. I still get in my 6 days a week though :-)

I went and saw the A-Team on Tuesday night...what a great flick! Yes it's cheesy...but i loved the series and i don't think i missed a single episode. They did a great job...very action packed and funny! And YES i had popcorn...that was my dinner! LOL! I figured i'd eat it as my dinner rather than eat my dinner and have popcorn on top of it. I absolutely cannot go to the movies without having my popcorn! Maybe one of these days i'll say no to the butter though! I felt pretty gross after eating half a bag!

More good news, i've decided to go to Mexico with my friends! The deal that they found is just too good to pass up. I'm soooooooo excited! I feel so spoiled! First I get to go out to Halifax, Nova Scotia for 2 weeks to visit friends i haven't seen in over 5 years and the guy i'm currently having a long-distance relationship with :-) and then 3 weeks after i get back i head to Mexico for a week! AND...it's my birthday while we're down in Mexico...i can't imagine a better way to spend my birthday!

All in all life is pretty good right now. I'm keeping fairly good with the food, though i do have the odd slip up once in a while. I'm loving being in the 180s...it just motivates me that much more! It's been 5 years since i was in the 170s so that's the next goal! :-)

Hope all is well with you guys, keep talking with each other, it helps so much!!

Night night!
S :-)

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY!!!

I'm in the 180's!! Woo hoo! I busted my butt this past week and i was really hoping i could do it...and i did!

I don't know which i'm more happier/proud of...getting into the 180's or doing week 4 of the C25k! They both were great accomplishments for me.

Now i just have to remember this positive attitude and how good it made me feel on those days where i'm having a tough go of it.

This week will be a bit of a challenge as i'm working OT every day this week. Which means i won't be getting home til 6 or 7:00 at night. They don't offer OT very often so when it comes up you have to grab it. But i'll just make sure i add an extra snack to eat before i leave work so i won't be starving for dinner the second i get home and i can just jump on my treadmill right away. Planning is the key!

Just about to eat dinner now, then i'm going to go for a leisurly walk tonight...nothing too strenuous cuz i 've had a pain in my side most of the day. Nothing too bad, more like a stitch, but i think i'd better take it easy tonight. I'll still move my body for an hour, just gently :-)

Later!
S :-)

My first Blog Award!

This is my first Blog Award! Thank you so much Shae!! This is awesome!





I'm supposed to list 10 things that i love.

1. I love my parents. May i have many more years with them :-)
2. I love my sister. She lives 3 hours away and we don't see enough of each other.
3. I love my nephew. He just turned 12 today!
4. I love Buster, my cat. He is my baby...but i don't dress him up! LOL!
5. I love food...seriously, you can't be surprised!
6. I love my friends, they keep me sane!
7. I love music, it is a very big part of my life.
8. I love to play pool. Only wish i was much much better :-)
9. I love to travel. Can't wait to go to Italy and Greece, hopefully within the next couple of years.
10. I love the ocean. The smell, the sound...it soothes me.

Now i have to pass this on to 10 people. I will do this tomorrow as it's late and i'm getting pretty tired.

I'm still jazzed about how well i did on week 4 of C25k! I'm a bit sore, but happy!

Night!
S :-)

Woo hoo! Did week 4 of C25k!!

I'm sooooo proud of myself! I just did the first day of week 4 of the C25k!! It was definitely a big jump up from week 3, and i had to push myself...but I did it!!

This is my second go around of weeks 2 & 3. Just over a month ago i had finished week 3, and found that i couldn't push myself through week 4 so i created my own "week 3 1/2". Then i lost my focus for about 10 days, i wasn't exercising and eating well. But i picked myself up off the ground and started refocusing. I had to start over at week 2, and in no time i found it quite easy. I felt good doing week 3 and instead of doing my week 3 1/2 i thought to myself "just try week 4". Worst case scenario is you can't finish it and you step back and do week 3 1/2. No big deal. So i jumped on my treadmill with a "whats the worst that could happen" attitude...and i finished it!

Made me realize something:

My body is capable of far more than i give it credit for!

Once you get yourself moving on a regular basis, your body starts running efficiently, it starts being able to do so much more than you think it can. And that is the key word...THINK! My problem is mental, not physical. I THINK i can't do something, i give myself limits, i set myself up for failure. My body CAN do these things. It's my mind holding me back.

I need to start believing in myself.

I need to push myself mentally.

I need to realize that i can do ANYTHING i set my mind too!

This has been a very good day. And i'm actually looking forward to my weigh-in tomorrow morning. I've exercised every day and i've stayed on track with my eating. I'm feeling great!

Til tomorrow!
Sandy :-)

Feeling really good!

I'm really feeling positive right now, i'm feeling that i can do anything!!

I know that i'll have days where i'll feel like crap, that's normal and i will deal with it when the time comes...but right now i'm just feeling amazing! I'm slowly seeing results, i just looked at my calves in the mirror, flexed them and wow! I bent down to touch them...yup...i have some serious muscle definition going on!

One of my friends mentioned seeing a difference in my face, not so sure that i can see it, but i'll take the compliment!

When i'm exercising, i find i'm pushing myself more. When i'm just walking on my treadmill, i've been playing with the incline, trying to get more of a workout with just walking...and it's working. I did a one hour walk 2 days ago that left me a sweaty achy mess...and i LOVED it!!!

My eating is going well. I went out to the pub last night for a friend's birthday, and i didn't indulge. I had a diet pop and water. I made sure i had a healthy dinner before i went out so i wouldn't be tempted to eat anything there. Someone was eating hot wings next to me...and i have to admit they happen to be one of my biggest weaknesses. But i wasn't even tempted! Might have something to do with the fact that a bunch of my friends are planning a trip to Mexico in September, and have invited me along. I'm not sure if i can go, i have to look into it more, but if there's a possibility of me going, then all i have to do is picture myself in my bathing suit and that seems to do the trick. It makes me want to bust my ass over the next 2 months and drop some more pounds! I'll keep you posted on what i decide...though i have to admit, spending my birthday in Mexico would be an awesome present to myself!

Hope everyone is doing fabulous and feeling as awesome as I am!

Ciao!
S :-)

Sorry for another short one

I've been working more overtime, so that doesn't leave me a whole lotta time in the evening. But i'm still making working out a priority. I came home, had a bite to eat, and now i'm going to get on my treadmill and then do some strength training.

Keeping this short, but i just wanted to let my fellow bloggers know that i'm doing good and am staying on track...making sure that i find the time to read your blogs to help me do that!

Thanks Cara for passing along the fabulous idea of the self-preservation kit. I'm going to start finding things to put in mine!

Til next time!
S :-)

Just a quickie!

Did my one hour of exercise and ate well today. It's really easy to jump on the treadmill in front of the TV...especially motivating when you are watching "Losing it with Jillian" :-)

Night all!
S :-)

Here's hoping it's just water-weight!

I gained a lb this week. This sucks! I exercised every day for an hour, and ate really well...except for on Saturday. I indulged. I didn't eat very much, but i did treat myself to some wings, tortillas and cheese/spinach dip. AND...i did have quite a few beer. I knew i would be over my calories for the day, but i didn't think i would gain weight. Mind you, i'm pretty sure it's water-weight as my face feels kind of puffy and i couldn't get one of my rings on this morning. Sigh...it's all about making choices.

I'm not going to dwell on it though, i had a fantastic weekend out with my friends! I just had something to eat, i'm gonna do some chores and then i'm gonna hit my treadmill. Week 3 of C25k.

This week will see some results!

Here's to persevering!
Sandy :-)

Going outside

The last few days i've been taking my exercising outside...it's been great! I did the hike with my friends a couple of days ago, and then last night i went for a nice long walk with some friends. The city i live in, Victoria, is the home of Canada's west coast navy. This year is the Canadian Navy's 100th anniversary and we have a bunch of ships from France, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and the USA here in Victoria for the celebrations. So last night we walked to another scenic park, Fort Rodd Hill, and watched some fireworks. They were awesome! We had front row seats...sitting on a log right on the beach...was a great way to spend the evening!

There are alot more things going on this weekend...and for once mother nature is being totally cooperative and it's gorgeous outside right now! So i'm going to leave shortly and spend the day in the sun :-) I just finished my C25k, which is about a half hour's exercise, but i'll be walking all over downtown today so i'll definitely get in my hour of exercise!

Hope you all enjoy your weekend!

Ciao!
Sandy :-)

It's getting easier

Today was a good day :-)

Today was the first day that I didn't have to push myself to do my one hour of exercise, i only questioned what i would do for my exercise. I ended up just walking on my treadmill, cuz by the time i got home from work and had something to eat it was already 8:00 and i was running out of time. But it's a good feeling that it's starting to become just another part of my day...like working, sleeping and eating. It's not a matter of "if" it's a matter of "what and when".

I think if i could do anything differently, it would be the time of day i work out. I know it's better to work out earlier in the day, but i get up at 5:00 am to get ready for work and i have tried getting up at 4:00 am to work out and i just couldn't keep it up. Waaaay too early for me.

My eating is going well. I track my food and i stay under my calorie limit each day. I do allow myself treats now and again. I know that if i cut myself off totally from everything i like, i will fall off the wagon and binge. I find if i allow myself to eat the odd "not so healthy" item i don't feel so deprived. As long as my calories and fat for the day don't exceed my limit it's all good!

On a different note, i've been watching season 7 of So You Think You Can Dance. I've never watched it before and all i have to say is WOW! I can't even imagine my body doing the things that they do! But it's so beautiful, and the workout you would get from it! Hmmmm...maybe if i lose a little more weight i'd consider taking up ballroom...learn how to salsa and tango! Something to think about!

Night night!

Sandy :-)

Just a quick one tonight

Tried something different for my one hour of exercise today. I went for a hike with two friends of mine at a place called Mill Hill. Its a 20 minute hike straight up...wow! It was hard, definitely not used to that! We had to stop a few times, but when we got to the top, the view was worth it! You could see for miles! It was almost harder coming down, harder on my knees anyways! It worked out perfectly though, i got my one hour in with the walk from their house to the park, the hike, and then the walk back.

As far as my eating goes, I had a couple of small treats today, but i still stayed under my calorie goal :-)

Very tired, time to call it a night.

Talk later friends!
S :-)

It's all about making choices

I was really tired today. It was a long day at work, and i just didn't have alot of energy, we were all feeling rather blah today. I got home, sat in front of my computer and pretty much had made up my mind that i wasn't going to workout today. I thought "one day won't kill me".

And then i read some of your blogs, and the wonderful comments left on my last post. And guess what? That totally did the trick! I got up, and jumped on my treadmill, and did my 1 hour. I did my C25k, lower body workout, and finished it up with walking.

Every day, i have choices to make. I choose what to eat, when to eat, how much to eat, and i choose to exercise, or not exercise, every day. It's not easy, that goes without saying. It's something that i will have to do the rest of my life. I just hope that before too long it becomes habit, that it becomes easier :-)

So, my tips for the day:

• Definitely keep track of the food you eat!
• Make short term goals for yourself.
• Find a support group, friends, people who know what you are going through to help you through the rough patches!

Right now my short term goals are to complete Chris's challenge of 1 hour of exercise every day for the month of June and to lose 12 more lbs so i can look fabulous in the summer dresses i bought on my shopping trip! Trust me, i keep thinking about how i want to look in those dresses and that spurs me on!

Night all!

Lost 3 lbs!

Yeah!! I've lost 3 lbs! What a great way to get back into the swing of things! Tracking my food and exercise really helps...not to mention doing Chris's challenge of 1 hour of exercise every day. I worked some overtime today, and didn't get home til late. After i had some dinner and chatted with a friend, it was just after 8:00, and i just wanted to crawl onto my couch with my book. But I knew i had to get my 1 hour in today...so i did an upper body workout and jumped on my treadmill for a walk.

I also decided to start tracking my weight once a week, instead of once every two weeks, keeps me a little more accountable.

So i have a short term goal...i am going on vacation July 31, to visit some friends out east, most of whom i haven't seen in over 5 years. So my goal is to lose another 12 lbs by the time i leave. That would put me at 180 lbs...i would be really happy with that :-) I think the amount is realistic, it would have me losing about 1 1/2 lbs per week, which is a healthy reasonable amount. Baby steps!

Night all! Keep on keeping on!!

S :-)

Another hour of exercise down!

Had a good workout today. Got my 1 hour in:

week 2 of C25k (had to start there again)
lower body workout
15 more minutes of walking

Food's on track, i think because i had that 10 day "falling out", i'm kind of in the "fresh start" state of mind, and i just hope i can keep it rolling.

I'm pooped! Off to bed soon...but just wanted to say thank you to my support group, you are a big part of what keeps me going!

Night!
S :-)

What a Beautiful Day!

What a gorgeous day outside! I went for a walk down by the ocean, it was just what i needed. It was sunny, warm, beautiful blue sky...a nice breeze coming off the ocean, the scent of flowers everywhere...i need to do this more often! And even though i didn't run, i walked at a pretty good pace..enough that at the end of my hour and half walk my legs were a tad sore!

So i did my hour of exercise today, and I have to say that it beat the heck out of my treadmill! But I'm not going to knock my treadmill, when it's cold and dark and wet outside i love that i can just put some music on and go. No excuses!

Then i made myself a smoothie, man was it good! It's so easy to throw a few things in a blender and ta-da! Instant meal! I usually put in banana, frozen blueberries, yogourt and juice, either orange or apple. It's very refreshing. But I would like to try some different ones out...so it's time to google some new recipes. If anyone has any favourites let me know!

All in all, today was a good day :-)
Ciao!

So far so good...

I did my 1 hour of exercising yesterday, 10 minutes of upper body weights and 50 minutes of walking.

My food has been great for the last few days, i've been under my calorie total each day and i feel satisfied. (I track my food on "my fitness pal" to track my calories so that's why i dont' do it on my post)

Today i'm going to get outside and go for a walk and enjoy the sunshine! The weather's been unusually cool and overcast lately, but the sun has decided to make an appearance today so i'm taking advantage of it. Think i'm going to go for a walk on a boardwalk down by the ocean.

Outta here!

:-)

Doing the "I refuse to balloon in June" challenge!

Chris from a Deliberate Life is doing an "unofficial" challenge..."I refuse to Balloon in June". She has challenged us to do one hour of exercise every single day. I'm going to jump on board, but i'm only starting today because i haven't been on-line for a while, but i'm going to give it my all.

I did a 20 minute lower body workout and 40 minutes on the treadmill, alternating running and walking. Even if i just end up going for a brisk walk for an hour, i'm going to do this challenge! It's great to have mini-goals!

S :-)

Getting back on track

It's been almost 3 weeks since my last post...and it's been about 2 weeks since i stopped exercising and eating well.

It's wierd, i had a really stressful time a few weeks ago, with my dad being sick and a friend passing away...and i still managed to keep on exercising and making good choices with my eating. But then the following week, when i had a great weekend away with a friend, i let myself go! My friend and i went on a shopping trip to the US (we're from Canada), down to Tulalip Washington to the Seattle Premium Outlet stores, which i have to say was amazing! We had been planning this trip for a while, saving our money for some serious shopping. I knew that my options would be limited food-wise, so i gave myself permission to not worry about what i was eating for those 2 days. The funny thing is, i didn't want most of what they had to offer, it was all fast food. But as i didn't come prepared with fruit and healthy snacks (which in hindsight i should have) i didn't have much choice. It was only for 2 days and i knew i could get back on track when i got home. The only thing is, i didn't.

I kept telling myself that i would start tomorrow. You all know that game...well it went on for 2 weeks. This morning when i got up i just decided that enough was enough. No more "starting tomorrow" and no more excuses. I had been sick yesterday, really feeling under the weather, and i didn't feel that great when i got up today. But i made myself a healthy breakfast and i sat in front of my computer reading your blogs for inspirations. It's amazing how much that helps. I'm going to get on my treadmill in about an hour and even if i have to take it slow, i'm going to move my body. I was doing the couch to 5k...almost got to week 4, and then i reverted back to the couch. I don't think that's what they had in mind when they created this program! LOL! I'm not sure what level i'll be at after 2 weeks of no running, but i'll do what i can and if i have to repeat a week or two, so be it.

AND...i finally got up the courage to climb on my scale. I honestly thought that i gained most of my weight back...i started at 201 and was at 195...well, believe it or not, i'm at 195! Granted, i'm sure i've lost some muscle and gained some fat, so i'm not going to be too overjoyed...but it did my mind some good. It's amazing how we can imagine things to be so much worse than they actually are. It's not like i sat and binged for 2 solid weeks...had i done that then yes i would have gained it all back, but i ate the same amount of meals i normally eat in a day, i just ate the wrong things.

You can have bad days, or bad weeks, but you can always take control back at any time. It's not easy...i know this...you just have to regroup, find your focus again. Remember the reasons why you are doing this. You did it once, you can do it again!

Cheers!
Sandy

Week 3 3/4 of C25k

What an emotional rollercoaster this week has been! My dad was admitted to the hospital with pneumonia, a friend of mine passed away...my emotions have been all over the place! But i can breathe easier now, my dad was released from the hospital yesterday and got to go home! Yeah! I went up and saw him in the hospital, it was scary seeing someone who seems larger than life be in a hospital bed hooked up to oxygen and tubes coming out of his body. But my dad is strong, and otherwise healthy, and even though it took the wind out of his sails, he's doing great! He lost 13 lbs in a week and a half...not the way i want to lose weight though!

The amazing thing to me is, usually when something happens that upsets me, it sends me spinning out of control. And the way i used to comfort myself was with food...but this time...i stayed on track. I made a consious decision to look after myself, to eat healthy and stick with my workouts, that was something i had control over. I couldn't change my dad being sick, or my friend passing away, but i could look after myself. I could make sure that i stayed strong and healthy. I realized that i couldn't be of help to anyone if i was sick or weak or feeling like crap. These are the times to be strong...and i am really proud of myself for being true to myself. I even went running outside for the first time! I usually run on my treadmill, and i have to say that running on the road is ALOT harder than running on my treadmill. I had to push myself more than i have before.

So, C25k...i had repeated week 3, then last week i was going to start week 4. Well, i was no where near ready for week 4. I couldn't run for the 5 minutes straight...but, instead of getting frustrated and giving up, i created my OWN week 3 1/2! I did that all last week, and this week i'm going to do my own week 3 3/4! Hey, whatever i gotta do to keep me running, i'll do. I think i should be ready for week 4 next week. And if it takes me twice as long to get through the 9 week program, i'm ok with that. It's the end result that matters, not how long it takes me to get there!

On another positive note, i've lost another 3 lbs!! Yeah!! I do my weigh-ins every 2 weeks. And after 4 weeks, i've lost a total of 6 lbs! That averages out to 1 - 1/2 lbs each week. I'm exercising, eating well, and i allow myself treats now and again so i don't snap and go on a binge. I have one FREE day a week, usually a Saturday, and i eat what i want. It seems to be working for me :-)

I've been reading alot of the posts here, and I realize that everyone has there own thing that works for them, there is no "one" thing, no wrong or right. Which kinda makes sense since none of us has the same body. Our bodies our different sizes, different shapes, we carry fat in different places, our metabolisms are different...there are soooo many factors involved. So my advice to anyone is this: use common sense. Eat well, move your body, and find what best works for you!

Cheers!

Sandy :-)

My first bump in the road...

Been a pretty shitty week. My dad, who is 76, got a really bad flu...and then pneumonia on top of it. He's been in the hospital for the last 2 days. It really freaked me out. I was a couple of hours away from him, both my parents were telling me not to come...not to worry...um, how do you do that? I've always been a worrier, it's in my nature. Needles to say, i wasn't sleeping, my stomach was in knots. I've had to force myself to eat this last couple of days...now that's a wierd feeling. Forcing myself to eat. Then it got worse...a friend of mine was in a motorcycle accident...he died. I'm so sad for him, i'm so sad for his wife, i can't even imagine what they are going through. It actually hasn't really sunk in yet...I think i can only handle so much and my focus is on my dad right now. I'm sure once my dad is on the mend, i'll have time to digest it, and I will grieve.
I had pretty much made up my mind to come see me dad, no matter what my parents said, and my mom called me today and asked me to come. So, I took some time off work, drove up island, and saw my dad. He's doing better, but he's still in pretty rough shape. It's hard to see him that way. He is having a really hard time being there, and they want to keep him for another 5 days or so...he looked at me and asked me if he would fit into the trunk of my car! Poor guy :-( They have him hooked up to oxygen, and on antibiotics, we had to wear gloves, masks and gowns, and all i could do was touch his hand...it sucks!!
My parents live about 45 minutes away from the hospital and my mom doesn't drive, so she was staying at some relatives in the same town. At least while i'm here we can go to the hospital, spend the day, and then i can bring her home so she can sleep in her own bed at night.
With all that's been going on, it would be really easy to slip back into old patterns...but i'm not going to. I was hungry, but i didn't stop at McDonalds like i would have before...i waited til we came back to my parents house and had some fruit and yogurt. I'm going to run tomorrow, which will be interesting cuz it will be the first time i've run outside, on a road...so far i've only been running on my treadmill.
So, i've had my first "test", and i managed to get through it...maybe there is hope for me yet!

Buster

He's one of the wonderful things in my life that make me smile!

Cheers!

Somone noticed!

Someone actually noticed a change!! Wow!! It's only been 3 weeks...and i've only lost a few pounds...but someone actually noticed a change in me!! Well two someones actually! Last week, my boss told me that she noticed i was losing weight! I was shocked. I mean, how can a few pounds make a difference when you're 200 lbs! But she noticed...i can't tell you how that made me feel! Then after work i went to my chiropractor appointment. My chiropractor asked me how my workouts have been going and I told him that I was doing the C25k program and that i'd been doing it for 3 weeks now. He told me there was noticable definition in my calves, he could see and feel the change...how freaking great is that!!! It made me realize that even though i'm taking baby steps, one thing at a time, and i'm doing this slowly, and hopefully the right way, it still makes a difference. Every little thing you do makes a difference! I was so caught up in my weight, so caught up on what the scale was telling me that i was missing out on the other signs. And now that i'm noticing them, it's a great feeling! I'm seeing or hearing the results of my hard work. It just adds fuel to the fire, it keeps me motivated and heading in the right direction!


On another note, i realize that i haven't put much about ME in here. I've been posting my progresses, but nothing about the person who is doing all the hard work! So, i thought i would add random things about myself bit by bit. Today's random tidbit is:


I have a beautiful cat named Buster. He is such an amazing little guy...he's all about determination and not giving up. I adopted him almost 4 years ago from the SPCA, he was their "Cat of the Month" on their website. I fell in love with him the minute I saw him. When they found Buster on the streets, he was starved and dehydrated, and almost died. They nursed him back to health and had been at the SPCA for a few months. He's sweet and affectionate and we are very well suited to each other.

OK...i'm having trouble's posting a pic of Buster. I can't get the picture to just go under this last paragraph...i can only seem to get it to go at the top of the page. Can you tell i'm not very good with computers? Oh well, i'm going to just publish another post right after this one with a few pics of him :-)

Have a great day everyone!

Sandy

Lost 3 lbs!!

Yeah!! I've lost 3 lbs!

It may not seem like alot over a 2 week period, but that was just from me walking every day and doing my Couch to 5k 3 times a week. That's it. No adjustment to my eating. Just goes to show what moving your body can do!

So yesterday I started tracking my food on MyFitnessPal. It's really easy and I was quite surprised to find alot of the food I ate was already on their system...and what wasn't there I could just add to My Foods.

I also decided to start trying out new recipes...at least 1 per week. I was always eating the same old thing over and over and then wonder why I fell off the wagon and went on a binge! So this week, I made an Orange Glazed Pork Tenderloin, it was really good! It was the first time I had ever cooked a pork tenderloin and I was really pleased how it turned out. I also tried a spinach and berry smoothie. Very yummy!

So, I've officially had a my first insanely crazy busy day since I've started this journey. My day started at 5:00 am and has not stopped! But on the plus side, I still made time to do my walking/running and to make myself healthy meals. I still have to get my breakfast and lunch together for tomorrow, and then I will finish watching Biggest Loser before calling it a day. I'm loving this episode! It's makeover week and they all look fabulous!

Night everyone!

Time to start tracking my food

"The good Lord gave you a body that can stand most anything. It's your mind you have to convince." - Vincent Lombardi

I'm back from a weekend away visiting with my family. Definitely didn't eat great, but i managed to get my minimum 30 minute walks in. Got back yesterday, and after sucking up to my cat for a few minutes for leaving him alone all weekend, the first thing i did was jump on my treadmill and do my walking/running. I'm repeating week 3 of Couch to 5k, and i'm okay with that. If it takes me a little longer to get there, so be it, as long as i get there :-)

So, i haven't been focusing on food so much, was more into getting my walking/running into a daily habit. And so far so good. But I now think it's time to start paying a little more attention to what i eat.

Question: Which free on-line food tracking web-site is a good one? Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

So, I was looking at some weight loss tips from various web-sites, and found one that seems perfect for us bloggers:

B is for Buddies!

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine compared solo dieters to teams of dieters. After 10 months, the latter were likelier to have maintained their loss (66% vs 24%). Find a buddy!

Well, i feel like i found a whole group of buddies! Reading your blogs inspire me, help me to stay on track, and re-focus if I jump the tracks for a short time. Whether you realaize it or not, you are a part of my support system and I thank you!

Cheers!
Sandy

I need your fave recipies!

Help! I'm in desperate need of new l0-fat recipies!

I keep making the same boring things, over and over...it's no wonder I fall off the wagon!

So if you could post a recipie in the comments that would be fantastic! Pick your favourite dish and send it my way!

So far so good with the Couch to 5k and the walking every day. I know it hasn't been that long, but I swear my legs feel stronger. I've decided to do a repeat on week 3, running for 3 minutes at a time is a pretty big leap for me. But I know if I keep at it, before too long I'll be running that 5k!

I'll be heading out of town tomorrow, going up to visit my parents this weekend. My sister and family will be coming down for the day and we'll be celebrating an early Mother's Day and my sister's birthday. I will absolutely make sure I do my walks both days, and then when I come back on Sunday I will be hitting my treadmill for my run. What's cool is, I don't find that I have to make myself fit it in to my schedule, it's just something that is part of my day now. It's really becoming habit! Yeah! :-)

So again, if you have a favourite lo-fat recipie you would like to share, I'd really appreciate it!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Sandy

Oh my hips!

Note to self:

Months of not working out + Couch to 5k 3 times a week and walking every day for 30 minutes on the days inbetween = good start.

Add a 7k power walk into that, especially on a day when i had done my walking/jogging = not so smart!

My hips, back and ankles are so sore! What was I thinking? I need to start slow...work my way up! Now i'm paying for it. I was supposed to do my walk/jogging today but i just can't. But instead of beating myself up, i'm going to do my 30 minute walk on the treadmill while i'm watching Biggest Loser tonight, and do my walk/jog tomorrow. This is progress for me...accepting that there will be hurdles along the way, but making adjustments and allowing myself a bit of breathing room. I don't HAVE to work out on specific days, as long as I do the training 3 days a week, it doesn't matter when i do them.

AND...for some more progress...

I've been eating fairly healthy lately, still have my moments of weakness, but i'm trying to not focus so much on food right now and get my walking/jogging into a habit. But, today i really ate like crap...i indulged in my favourite thing, chips and bean dip...and i ate the whole dip! I am sitting here feeling pretty nauseous and at first i took my usual guilt trip and felt really bad. But then after reading some posts from the blogs i follow, it gave me a renewed sense of purpse, it made me remember that even if i slip up, it doesn't have to be the start of a downward spiral. I need to remember that although i made a poor choice of food for my meal:

- Its done, there's nothing I can do about it now
- Acknowledge that I did it, be accountable
- And move on...make a better choice the next meal

Step by step...i will get through this. And i know i've said this before but it's worth repeating...for the first time i don't feel alone on this weight loss journey. I find inspiration in this amazing group of people, who don't even know me, but are helping me just the same. I thank each and every one of you!

Almost time for Biggest Loser, gotta set my treadmill up.

Keep it up everyone!

Sandy

Couch to 5k...week 3

I started week 3 of the Couch to 5k today, it was definitely harder...but not as bad as I thought. The 3 minutes of jogging is quite a leap from 90 seconds, but as long as I didn't look at the time, I was fine. Just had my music cranked and focused on everything else but the time! It's amazing what you can accomplish with the right music! :-)

Then after doing a few chores, i met up with a friend and we went for a walk. We decided to walk a section of the Galloping Goose Trail here in Victoria. It's a 60 km hiking/biking trail that used to be an old railway line. It's got some beautiful scenery, and i love the smell of trees and grass, beats the exhaust from walking on the road! We're going to try and walk it once a week, and slowly increase our distance. I wasn't quite planning on walking that far, but once you get chatting it's easy to lose track. I have a sneaking suspicion that i'm going to be hobbling around work tomorrow, might have overdid it a wee bit. Oh well, I'd rather be stiff from over-use than be in pain from under-use!

So this weekend of mine ended up being pretty good after all! And to top it off, i'll be chatting with my boyfriend tonight on web-cam which is something that I always look forward too :-)

Keep up the good work everyone! And remember that you are not alone!

Cheers,
Sandy

You always have choices

Hey all!

I believe i see a strange glowing object up in the sky...not sure what it is...but every once in a while those nasty clouds seem to be parting and i catch a glimpse...could it be...no...not possible...oh my god, i think it is...the sun!! Hallelujah!! I've been hoping for this all weekend! It was pouring off and on all day yesterday, and i have to admit i'm a fair weather walker. And i'm really feeling an urge to get outside, need the ocean air!

Had a rough day yesterday. Was cooped up inside most of the day, and although i did my 30 minutes of walking, i ate like crap. I know that i made a conscious decision to not stress about my food right now, one thing at a time, but that doesn't mean i am not trying to eat fairly healthy. It's not my main focus right now, i'm not keeping track of what i eat, i will get to that eventually...but i let my emotions decide for me yesterday. And i was lonely yesterday. And what do us food addicts do when sad or lonely or angry? Eat. And a salad wasn't going to cut it. So, there I was, feeling lonely, bored, and instead of calling a friend to do something, i made excuses...i convinced myself that all my friends were spending time with their families and wouldn't have time for me. Hmmmm...have i turned into a pshycic? Doubt it. I probably should have just picked up the phone and actually talked with them...but it was just as easy to sit there feeling sorry for myself. Well, it's done. Nothing i can do to turn back the clocks. So, i have two choices...i can keep feeling sorry for myself and let the guilt take control of my life...or i can get off the pity-party train and make the right choice. I've decided i like the sounds of choice number 2 :-) Week 3 of Couch to 5k starts for me today. Kind of freaked out, going from jogging for 90 second intervals to 3 minutes is a bit daunting...but i'm going to do my best...that's all i can ask from myself. Then i think i'll call a friend and see if they would like to get outside and enjoy a walk down by the ocean. That sounds like a good day!

Catch up with you later!