Successful Week 1 - On to Week 2!

My step count wasn't where it should have been, but other than that, I'm pretty darned happy :)

Weight is down.

Worked out with my trainer 2 times + an assessment with a mini workout

Took the pooches out for 4 "back-40" romps through the fields this weekend

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This week - walking at lunch when the weather allows, otherwise, going to do a treadmill workout at the gym for 30 minutes on non-training days.  Today is perfect - I have the right coat, the right boots and my mits and am aiming for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Tomorrow and Thursday, training days!


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Need to download some new music for some at-home workouts




Happy Monday!

Isn't it Amazing? Plan Something, Do the Work, and Bammmmm!

Scale is down again this morning!

Going to get my @ss kicked with my new trainer at lunchtime today - and I have pre-planned a date with the hot tub this evening as I feel I will very likely need it!

Happy Hump Day!

Consistency, Focus, Execution are Key

Met with my trainer N today - my daughter has been working with her and loves her, so I thought, well, why not.  She's got 8 years of experience as a trainer and a nutrition expert under her belt and has previously had a client with Meniere's so she's aware that the dizziness can come on suddenly.....

She's also very on top of limitations and work arounds and ways to build up areas that are very weak.....

We did a full body analysis - the numbers don't lie, right?

Seriously, they DO*NOT*LIE - my current BFI is 51+%.  I'm not surprised at the number, I'm just surprised and disappointed in myself and the fact that I let it get to this point.  That said, I've already turned the page - the numbers just reinforce the work that must be done - NOW!

I'm seeing her twice/week for the next 3.5 weeks (until Portugal!) - committed to eating clean (as I have been over the past 10 days) - committed to doing cardio 3 days/week.  Committed to drinking at least 10 glasses of water/day.

One thing she has suggested for helping with arthritis flares is warm water with ginger - I'm going to give it a try.

So.....I'm 56 years old....how bad is it that I had my daughter pick me up and drive me to the gym so I wouldn't be nervous?  Okay, in my defense, it was my first time in this new gym and I wanted to get my bearings.  Been there, done that.....I'm fine.

...so on to tomorrow and my first workout with her.  Wish me luck!

Week 1 in the Bag! Focused and Happy

I'm happy with my commitments this week.

It shows in my weight loss!  Down 4 lbs!

Now to roll out week 2 and stay on track with the plan!  Off to the gym to meet with my new trainer tomorrow at lunchtime.  I've hired her for a few sessions to get back into the groove at the gym - it's a new gym and it's never a bad idea to get some guidance when you're getting back at it!

Happy Monday!?  Well, I'm trying, but given what's going on in the US and Canada right now.....wow

Day 2 - Baby Steps!

So yesterday was awesome.....because I'm wearing my Fitbit again (hello Fitbit Charge HR!), I'm conscious of needing to get up from my desk every hour and move around.  I think it made yesterday a much more productive day at the office as well - WIN!

I managed 6999 steps yesterday, which I'm sure is waaaaay up from what a typical work day has been of late.

Today, long work day, planning a walk at 1pm (even if it's drizzling).

Food is planned, about to go track it.

Water is on my desk (already have 2 glasses down)

Control, focus, and execution will lead to success!

Day 1 In the Bag

I did it - very busy day getting organized yesterday.  Though the "getting organized" part is a work in progress, I did do some great things!

1.  Drank 10 glasses of water with lemon.
2.  Rejoined the gym and have a tour set up for 11am on Thursday
3.  Bought a new FitBit as my old one croaked and I missed it terribly!
4.  Tracked my food - not within calories, but did make me more mindful.

Bring on day 2!

Ch..Ch..Ch...CHANGES.......!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, changes have been going on for some time now.....good changes....great changes.....new things, new opportunities......

So..................I'm back to blogging...will update on a few fun things in the coming days/weeks.

First I'm going to write out on the WWW that I commit to putting ME FIRST!  Effective T*O*D*A*Y.  This is, I'm confident as I write this, the reason why things just don't stick.  I make plans, sometimes grandiose plans, and just fail on the execution.  Failure is no longer an option.

2017 - I commit to fulsome journey to health:

1.  Focusing on foods that nourish, rather than tickles the taste buds and then hangs off my hips!
2.  Water.....I'm restarted my lemon water, LOVING THIS.  So much easier to drink in the winter, for me anyway, rather than plain old water - cold water in the cold weather doesn't do it for me.
3.  Corporate Rate at the Gym....what's not to love about this?  Also can add on up to four family members - and adult children count!  My two daughters already belong to the same chain of gyms, so I can spend time with them at the gym and we can cheer each other on (oh, and they can carry my sorry @ss out of the gym after I work out!).

Feels so good to get that off my chest ;)

Back soon!

L

It's Corn Season on the Farm - and it's all about the vegetables...clean eating...lots of physical activity!

Gotta love this time of year - well, at least I would if I wasn't working 16+ hour days...

That said, there's a lot going on - both of our corn/vegetable stands are humming, our local town Saturday morning Farmer's Market is doing very well, and life is generally great.....except for the lack of sleep.

On the weight-loss/fitness front, I'm down 13.9 lbs since May 1, so I'm calling that a stellar win!

Onwards and downwards :)

Here is a photo from this weekend's farmer's market.

...and here's a link to who we are!  Golden Sweet Corn at G 'n G Fresh Market

The battle is on!

...and I'm going to win it!

May saw me down 4.8 lbs.
June down 1 lb and 4.5 inches - I'll take it (wish I had measured myself at the beginning of May - but whatever!)

Today I start the 21 day fix with a WW friend who is just starting her Beachbody life as a trainer.  I'm excited having formal tools to support the work I've done so far.

Looking to stay focused, plan, and do the work required.  Summer vaca, for me, starts on Wednesday, so I will have lots of time to do what needs to be done for this challenge, as I go back to work on the 25th...the day after the challenge ends.

Stay tuned!

Time for a Change and Commitment

Blah, blah, blah, right? Nothing I haven't said before.......but this time is it!

I have a 21 day challenge I joined...it's run by my functional massage therapist...and I'm gonna kill it! It's Sunday at 12:20 - I'm currently sitting in my work office trying to get a few things off my to do list for the week - and decided that starting with getting a few things off my chest first would be a good start. I'm fed up. With my lack of sticking power, my lack of being able to get through a full day without dizziness sidelining me....that's the crux of it really. Meniere's is an evil thing - and sidelines you when you least expect it.

So, joined this challenge - it's paired with another challenge I'm doing at work - The Global Corporate Challenge (which so far, 11 days in, my team is rocking btw!). It all begins for me tomorrow morning....well, the work part of it does anyway.

1. Up at 5:30 and have my oatmeal
2. Go for a 15 minute walk
3. Do my 26 minute weight training
4. Jump in the pool and do 20 minutes of laps and whatever, as long as I keep moving
5. Prep protein smoothie for the drive to work
6. Clean up, go to work with amazing food prepped and packed for my day
7. 9:30 - yogurt and berries
8. Noon - salad, protein, fat
9. Walk for 20 minutes
10. 3:00pm - protein and veg snack
11. 5:00pm - go home and do some gardening (average 90 minutes/day if I don't have late meetings) 12. 6:30pm - protein and veg supper - now this one is tricky - I'm going to do a lot of precooking for me for this challenge as my husband, being a full-time farmer often doesn't find his way to the kitchen until 8:30 or 9pm, and that's too late for me. It is an opportunity, though, to get him eating a lighter evening meal.
13. 7:00pm - more gardening or a swim
14. Prep food for next day while getting DH's supper ready
15. Shower and bed by 9:30....I need my 8 hours of sleep/night otherwise my dizziness (and personality) leave something to be desired!

 ...rinse repeat!

 Wish me luck - and send along some Gorilla tape or Crazy glue so I stick with it!

Rebooting - The Final One, I Swear!

In this weight-loss, taking better care of me, redeveloping the physical part of my life....blah, blah, blah....I could go on........reboot, I believe that I truly hit rock bottom last week.  Deeper rock bottom than I've ever succumed to.

This weekend was interesting - the weather is warmer, the sun is out and I feel reinvigorated.  Ready to tackle the world!

So..................here we go!  Join me as I succeed on this journey:

1.  Tracking on MFP and posting on WW boards daily.
2.  Planning every*single*thing* that goes into my mouth.
3.  Planning and executing more formal physical activity (yes, working out!).
4.  Ensuring I put in 2-3 hours of gardening/chillaxin' in our amazing yard daily.......
5.  Continuing to get enough sleep.
6.  Pushing my water intake!

That's it.....here I go :)

THE BIG REBOOT!

Yep - it's reboot-my-life time!

I've been sitting around feeling sorry for myself for much too long now.  It's stopping T*O*D*A*Y.
I can't keep waiting for a sign, a clue, and ignoring the warnings - like my waistbands, the lack of clothes in my close that actually fit me, etc.

I meet with a trainer/functional fitness coach two weeks ago and have done little with the information she's given me.

Today is reboot day - the replan the plan day.

So, first up:

WATER - going to shoot for as much as I can comfortably do today - but as it's already 2pm, it might be a bit shy of what it should be for a full day.  That doesn't matter.  The fact is that as of right this minute, I'm going to fill up and drink!

FOOD - I've been doing quite well on the clean eating front for the past 2.5 weeks - however, when I have a "fail" day, it's only due to my "failure to plan!"

EXERCISE - I will be implementing the workout routine my trainer has given me effective tomorrow afternoon after work.

That's it....simple.....

Now, GO!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow, I haven't blogged in over a year.....

Reason - not sure there is one! There are many, many excuses, but no real reason. But I'm back. And my weight is up yet again - hovering just under 190 lbs. How can it be that I spent most of my life seriously under-weight and now, I'm so busy with everything other than looking in the mirror, my weight has sky-rocketed. Well, I know, some people would see 190 as a not-insurmountable starting point, but for me, it just has me demoralized. To the point of stupid, ya know? Some people may know that I have been doing two full-time jobs for almost 3 years - well, the time for that is almost over and it's with a huge relief that I am learning to let it go. I still have a bit of training to finish for my replacement, so I hope by the end of February it will finally be over. The guilt of not quite being good enough to do EVERYTHING! Seriously, though, who can do EVERYTHING - especially for two different areas in two different buildings at opposite ends of the city. I feel guilt, because I wasn't good enough to keep it going......but I know that's not my guilt to own. These are the things that have kept me up at night...and it's time. I know it is. We saw a sneak peek of spring.....then BLAMMO! Winter with it's snow, and ridiculously freezing temperatures returned. Well, I'm happy to say that it's supposed to be above freezing most of the week (closer to the weekend even more so).....so it is time....finally, for me to put me in front of everything else and get back out to the man-cave gym and recommit to looking after myself physically.

2015 - The Incredible Year of "Me!"

First - Happy New Year to everyone out there in blogland! I have to say I enjoyed my time away from the office and am somewhat refreshed, though so many tasks lie ahead of me at this point...that said, there is a plan....lots of plans in the works to tackle projects at the office. On a personal level, I have taken some time out of my ridiculously busy life to make some room for me. In 2015 the following are on the radar: 1. MFP and a new challenge group I was lucky enough to be invited to join - today is day 2 and I've already learned something. 2. Fitness - well, enough already (yeah, I've written this before). It's time. I'm sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. Being a dizzy broad a lot of the time (thank*you*very*much*Meniere's!), it can be hard to stick to a predetermined schedule as I never know when a dizzy event will crop up. HOWEVER, it's not an excuse to throw in towels (yeah, I said towelS)....it's time to plan and if I can't do something one day, keep with the plan and pick up when my head is clearer. Back working out....and doing the best I can. 3. Water - essence of life. I'm drinking it - a lot! 4. Eating clean - supported by #1, #2, #3 - well, they are work together and clean eating for me is a life changer with the dizzy thing. 5. Time for MOI! I used to paint, quilt, cross stitch, knit, etc. I'm finally getting back to it. My kids gave me money for Christmas and I've replenished my art supply collection - going to start back with watercolours and pen & ink work.....then perhaps some oils. I've revamped my craft/sewing area (read purged, cleaned, organized) and it is now a positive spot in the house where I can go and just nurture my inner artiste! Anyway, blathering away here - I feel positive.......2015 is the year that I reach goal......

I'm back!!!?

Yeah, seriously, where have I been exactly? I visited Denial.... I got married - or I should say WE got married - most amazing day of my life, seriously....I'll share a few pics in a day or two! So back to the business of getting healthy, svelt, and feeling good in my own skin I bought a Fitbit - love it, though not using it as I should. I keep saying - "oh, next Monday" or "after I submit the budgets....." you get the picture. So, instead, I decided to come back here, for accountability. I decided to get back to the gym this coming Saturday (not delaying the inevitable by two days, just planning and leading up to the "grand return!"). I'll be honest, I feel like crap.....I'm eating healthily 50-60% of the time and that's just not good enough. So, Saturday, gym.....rinse repeat - going to hit the gym before work 3 days each week and once each weekend. Friday.....stock up on healthy foods for the fridge...... ....use the Fitbit in conjunction with MyFitnessPal My mission: feel like a success by feeling good in my skin.

Mojo! ♥I found mine♥

Yup, by George, I think I've found it! My Mojo - it went missing - not a freakin' clue where it went.....and it had been gone quite some time. It suddenly showed up....... ....and has helped me lose 7.2 lbs since I rebooted this journey! Onwards and downwards!

Who knew it would be so easy?

Certainly not me of all people. This getting up ridiculously early and going to the gym. That's what I'm talking about. I have a crazy busy life and it's become crystal clear that if I'm ever going to make it to the gym, consistently, is by going very early in the morning - on work days. Now that spring is here, weekends my gym open at 8:30 - I'm already well into my day then, so that won't work. So 6am this morning, there I was en-route to the gym. I hadn't packed my gym bag and work bag. I had; however, packed my lunch last night and at least gotten my workout clothing out. I also went to the gym that's a little more than five minutes drive from home.....and then came home to shower and get ready for work. You know what? 45 minutes of working out was good - weird, though as I've never worked out in this gym, like...ever! But I did it - some stretching, got on the bike, more stretching, lots of sweating and I survived, AND even made it to work on time. Rinse repeat tomorrow. Oh, and you know what? tracking my food intake and exercise on MFP consistently this month has given me a 4.2 lb loss!

Thirsty Thursday!

The one thing I know about losing weight is drinking......if it's morning, drink water; if it's noon, drink water; if it's 2pm, drink more water; if you're going to a meeting, drink water (visit the "facilities" before the meeting!)......if you're hungry, drink water...... So now that I'm well into my first week of focused taking care of myself, I'm feeling so much less toxic. I know I've written about this before....eating nothing processed, just home made, whole foods is obviously the way to go, but with this North American lifestyle we have, it so easy to get off track with that (and boy, have I been off track!). I'm already feeling so much less blucky (bloated and yucky)....I feel stronger, I'm already sleeping better, I have more energy (hello 13-hour work day yesterday)....I feel good! So why, you ask, would I not always JUST DO IT!? Hmmmm....that's a really, really good question. So here's to staying power and water and all things lean and green! I'm off to drink some more water!

The Next Chapter

I would have called this post "The First Chapter" - but I figure I've written the same first chapter over and over and over.......rinse repeat......and over again that it's getting old.

I'm almost one week into the refocus - managed to clean up my eating 100% by Friday and have been tracking my food and exercise religiously on My Fitness Pal.

Yesterday's WI - 182!  so the scale is showing me some love.

I have to say that I adore springtime and being busy outdoors.  I'm definitely not meant to be couped up in a windowless office all day.........bring on the sunshine!  I spent the best part of the entire weekend working outdoors in the gardens - they are looking so good, but also like a giant work in progress!

Anyway - almost one week in - I FEEL GOOD!

Onwards and downwards :)

I've finally done it - hit rock bottom!

....and I'm happy about it!  I think you need to get "as low as you can go" in order to embrace making changes.

Today is exactly 67 days until our wedding - wow, how on earth did we get down to that number?  Seems like 100+ days was a mere few days ago!?

Anyway, wedding planning is going very nicely!  And DF and I are still talking to each other, which is awesome, no?

Here's a few "before" pics:

I'm 183.4 lbs as of Sunday's weigh in.  Ridiculous....seriously.  So I've recommitted to various, good-for-me things as of right this moment (including writing on the blog!), and I'm focusing on my health from here on in. 

So  the plan is a basic one - no point in adding bells and whistles if the basics aren't covered.  I can always finesse it once the base is in place.

Every day:  gardening or some alternate source of cardio/weights.  I have a HUGE garden (understatement here) - almost 5 acres of lawn and gardens and there's a ton of things that need to be done.  Lots of heavy lifting, lots of walking......if the weather won't permit it, then I go to the gym.  The end.

I'm tracking my calorie intake and exercise on My Fitness Pal - come find me there - oldefarmgirl is me!

Here's hoping that the weather improves in south-western Ontario - it's still quite chilly around here.