Thursday, January 31, 2013

I'm alright!

I looked in the mirror when getting dressed this morning.  End result = I look pretty good!  I certainly don't look like I'm 30+ lbs overweight (15-ish maybe).  Yes, I will start adding photos.......soon!

While getting dressed; however, I was dispairing - the fat around my waist is just not a good thing.  First of all, it's loose and jiggly and feels like it doesn't belong.  It doesn't look very good either. 

Apparently, though I am eating better, consistently, and getting to the gym and working out more persistantly, I still need to do better.

I'm alright though, as I know I'm doing the right things.  I just need to give myself time to work through learning my new job, finding a schedule that is going to stick for longer than a few days, and take comfort in the fact that I'm on the right road now, finally.

Happy Thursday!

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Persistance....

Persistance is the one thing that is going to get this done.

I did what I said I would do yesterday:

1.  Drank more water
2.  Planned and tracked my food
3.  Worked out at the gym.

*******

Today:

1.  More water again
2.  Met with my sister for breakfast to pick her brain - she's a seasoned Project Manager and I needed a bit of coaching - it was awesome! 
3.  Plan and track my food - breakfast, lunch, snacks all planned and tracked.  Not sure about supper yet.
4.  Travel meds - off to the family doc today to discuss what lovely preventative meds we need for our adventure......DF went yesterday - antimalaria, anti-diarhea & cholera, Hep shots, etc.
5.  Hope to get to the gym if I get home at a decent hour.

Happy Hump Day!

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Boy, this is hard work!

Why is it so hard to just stop the madness and put yourself first?  I've been hosting a small little pitty party for myself.  I've been eating well, tracking, getting to the gym (I can definitely improve on that one) and even drinking water (again, progress can be made on that one too, but who wants to drink water when it's freezing outside!?).

My fiancé bought a new scale for our house last weekend.  The blasted thing has me 4 lbs heavier than the old one......oh, right, that would be the same weight as the one at the gym.....so, I've sucked it up, and revised my current weight. 

Sunday, which is my weekly WI day, it said 175 lbs.

I have a workout at the gym planned for three nights this week - Thursday is a long-awaited hair-i-tude adjustment day.

So, onwards I go on this journey, praying the evil electronic devil will actually provide me with some positive reinforcement one of these days.

I'm working harder at weight loss and getting into better shape this past 10 days than I have in a long time.  I'm stepping it up a notch - right this second.

I don't like myself at this weight.  I feel bloated......yucky......

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Brrrrrrr! Baby it's COOOOLLLLDDD outside!

I live in the banana-belt of Canada - SouthWestern Ontario.  Half way between Toronto and Detroit, more or less.  It's usually much warmer here than anywhere else in Canada (and a lot of the US at times as well)....well, my trusty van said -18 this morning on the slide to work.....that was before the windchill.

Weird thing - I LIKE weather like this.  That is as long as I'm dressed for it!  Wish I were home today and could bundle up and chase the dog around the yard!  But, nope, I'm working!

Anyhoo, progress - yes I am making some.

Scale isn't budging, BUT....

1.  My rings are looser
2.  My waistband on my pants and my tights are looser
3.  I'm sleeping better.......

What I'm doing.....

1.  Planning my food intake, watching my sodium in particular, and tracking (shocking!)
2.  Getting to the gym and sweating - waking up with happily sore muscles the following day.
3.  Water - I'm drinking it!

I'll see what the scale says on Sunday morning.  So far, I've been very good about sticking to staying away from it!  And it's no longer messing with my head! 

**********************************

So, travelling the world is something we're about to embark on - my fiancé and I are going to be visiting his daughter in South Korea and touring where she lives and Seoul, then flying off to the Philippines for a diving vacation. 

Here's the kicker.....because of Menière's, I found out that I cannot dive.  Soooooo, plan b is still to go where we had planned, they will dive alternate days and we will go snorkeling on the other days and visit some incredible local beaches (by boat).....and I will play with my camera, and download some books onto my IPad for the days they are diving.  Sounds tropically relaxing, doesn't it?

Thursday, January 17, 2013

A Whole World of Awesome!

Okay, so I'm keeping things positive.  I'm on this journey we call life (yeah, I know, not original), but on this journey I'm learning....and lately, I'm learning every single day.  First - keep my mind open, I LIVE better this way - open to suggestions, open to criticism (positive please!), open to making changes and trying new things.

So, I'm going to the gym more regularly.  This week has been hard, but I'm getting there finally tomorrow after work, I believe and will get at least 2 workouts in over the weekend.  Next week is back to a better "normal" and I can go to the gym after work.

Don't be critical - in a negative way.  Before, I'd beat myself up for not sticking with the plan.  Okay, so life happens, and you have to replan THE PLAN, so what?  Is stressing yourself up because things change something one should really be worried about on a minute-by-minute scale?  Um, nope.....it's life.

Doing positive things - now this is key.  Keeping your head in a good strong space.....allowing life to happen is fine.  It's what you do around your life (the parts you can't always control) that are the most important.

So, I've been going with the flow and making smarter food choices and smarter workout choices (ie chosing to work out!), and guess what? 

I'm back into clothes I haven't been able to wear since earlier in the fall.  My waistbands are fitting again......:)  My rings aren't super tight when I take them off at night, and in the morning, they just slip right on!

The scale - not a freakin' clue what it's doing.  I'm keeping my promise to myself to only get on it once each week - Sunday morning....and I'm so much less stressed now that I am!

So, baby steps here - smarter foods are being taken to work in my lunchbag every single day....and I'm only eating what I bring.....and I'm drinking water at work.....and I'm feeling so much better for it.

Isn't like Awesome!?

Friday, January 11, 2013

Day 5 and All is Well.......

....actually, it's great!

I've packed, tracked (WW and MFP) and eaten only what I've taken to work every*single*day*this*week!.

I feel less bloated and amazingly less stress just because of that.

I am going to the gym tonight and have vowed to go every day from until Tuesday, when I have a meeting I need to attend. 

I guess, what I'm trying to say - I'm Keeping Things Simple!


There's some renovations (minor) going on at home right now and this has lead to a lot of reorganizing and purging.  I've joined the Home Organization 101 challenge at A Bowl Full of Lemons to give me some inspiration to keep things going and keep things simple.

So, on this Day 5 of Keeping it Simple, I feel in control and very much motivated to continue!

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Back to Basics

I'm not going to kid you.....life has been "happening" again.  I've been keeping my head down and working through some family issues....and things are finally seeming to stabilize.  Of course this kind of thing always happens around the holidays to make it even more fun, right?

Anyhoo!  Back to moi!

Today is Day 3 of "Back to Basics."  I'm not going to set any crazy goals that I won't achieve, I've just decided to give myself a break and not keep setting myself up for failure.  That being said, this does not mean that I'm giving up on myself.....to the contrary actually.

I'm eating cleaner, planning meals.  My Fiancé is also on board with cleaner foods (he's making me a salad so I can eat 1/2 plate of salad and 1/2 plate of what everyone else is having).  I'm chosing to eat what's good for me.  After only 2 days, I'm already feeling better for it.

I have also returned to the gym, though this week looks like a bust only because of the learning curve in my new job, now that I'm finally here full-time.  There are, apparently, a lot of "things" that were not done efficiently or effectively, so I'm working on streamlining processes and figuring things out (ie seeing the big picture when working on projects).  It's invigorating.  I've decided to focus on working longer hours this week every day just to get to a comfortable place.  I am not going to work on the weekends.  And starting next week, I'm going to work late 2-3 days a week only....and yes, get to the gym the other days.

One other cool thing that has happened over the past month or two - my youngest daughter joined my gym (did I already mention this?), so we are working out together 2-3 times per week.  She's just back at school for the first week after the holidays, so she's also pushed for time until her schedule is worked out.  The other thing is that my fiancé joined the local YMCA with his son - and for a few extra $ per month, he took out a family membership, which means both myself and my two daughters can go and workout - family style!  We'll be starting that next week.  The family that works out together gets stronger, right?! :)

It feels like I'm slowly getting control over things and that in itself is very liberating!

Happy New Year!  I will be posting more regularly as of now.....as I feel that it's quite therapeutic just to get things out of my head!

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