12 week completed!

12 weeks..or 3 months.. 90 days.. 

Doesn't seem like along time to most.. But to my friend and I it was our challenge! As you all know I have been on a fitness journey.. Trying everything that relates to health and fitness to get myself into a size 10 for the first time in my life. 

We met with Ian from Sarge's Fitness mid June to discuss our goals and how he can assist. June 25th we started the journey. Knowing they we would meet him this day, we started a few weeks earlier really watching our calories and getting our workouts in. 

All summer we tried to get in all our work outs, including 4 with Ian and often his lovely wife! We made it through some sicknesses (I found out I have asthma that requires daily medication) and we had a few small injuries along the way. 

September 13th arrived and our final weigh in and progress report was scheduled.

I stepped on the trainers scale nervously..as it is the end of the day etc.. I've lost 13 lbs on my home scale and the trainers scale shows 12.2 lbs gone!!! I can't even argue with this! A total of 6.5 inches overall gone. 3 off my thighs in total which is a HUGE feat! I also increased my push-ups by 68% from start to fatigue, sit ups up by 42% in a minutes time as well as my 3 minute cardio test showed my heart rate go from 160 down to 132....

Overall a huge change in fitness and shape! 

Here is a current updated before and now picture! I'm now buying clothes in stores I could never shop in, size L in stores I barely could squeeze a XL on from and never again in a plus size store. This is amazing! 

10 K Training.. Let's Get Running!

I volunteered for the Queen City Marathon on Saturday.. and found my drive! I am back on track with my running! I was instantly motivated by a lady who was running the 1/2 marathon who was definitely not the "classic runner shape". This woman has ran a Marathon in Athens Greece, numerous 1/2 marathons and planning to run a full marathon in Norway. How can you NOT be motivated by this! She was smiles from ear to ear all day volunteering for a race she could not wait to run!

So I've decide.. next year... I will run the Queen City Marathon. I will complete the 1/2 marathon.

I started running again a few weeks ago, just a run here and there. Nothing training like. I was quite impressed with my increase in endurance. I started a 10k training program through a PEAR app. This app schedules me to run 3-4 times a week, with the greatest distance of 8 miles in the 12 weeks of the training program.

I got in a run on Saturday, 25 minute foundation run. The first few runs are to locate my low, moderate and high intensity paces. Starting out by low intensity warm up for 5 minutes, moderate intensity for 15 minutes and then a cool down of 5 minutes. The first run I completed 1.78 miles in this 25 minute run. I was good with this, I wasn't out of breath it was a nice easy run. Today I ran the exact same run, but struggled with a constant moderate pace. ( Solely because I wouldn't let other beginner runners pass me.. that's not a good idea..lol) I got in 1.70 miles as I tired out quicker than usual.

A friend of mine and I started a HIIT class Sunday mornings.. what a way to spend a Sunday morning! We had a blast, sweated a ton and can't wait to see our Trainer on Wednesdays. Together since we started our 8 week challenge with our trainer, we have lost a combined total of 27 lbs! Lets hope we can get rid of a few more before our final weigh in!


Week 1 of my trek to the QCM has started!

Slugging along.. Getting Results!

Blogging lately hasn't been quite a priority in my world. The summer fun activities with my children, holidays down into Billings MT with my dear hubby and girls was just to much fun to want to sit down and type away here.

In June, a myfitnesspal friend contacted me to tell me about his new personal training business. He has had a lot of success in his weight loss adventure and has a wonderful wife who has been extremely helpful and supportive! I thought I could use a uproar in my world, I was stuck at 18 lbs lost and hovering.. It was really getting depressing!

A friend of mine had mentioned she was struggling with the weight loss, was making time for group classes but always felt she wasn't quite doing enough. Sarge has a package for friends.. this couldn't be better! So we sign up!

I noticed before I even got my workout program from Sarge I was motivated and kicking butt! I got rid of the plateau and was on my way. I ran my 5 km on July 1st and had a crap time... took me 44 minutes. It was so hot and I felt like I was suffocating.

This brought on some fear of health problems, since it is so hard to get a Dr. here I drove 2 hours to see my old family Dr. He put me to work ASAP, assuming it was asthma but making sure I had no heart problems. Awaiting the test results of the CT Scan should solidify that it is asthma, as no heart issues have shown up thankfully!

We are doing a 8 week challenge with Sarge that includes 4 buddy work outs as well. We have 2 weeks left and 2 workouts.. I am down a total of 12 lbs since I started with him and my friend is down 15 lbs. We both signed up for a HIIT class Sunday mornings together, its been really awesome for us!


I haven't ran in a few months, but went out 2 weeks ago for a quick 20 minute run. My cardio has improved 25% since I started this challenge... So 12 lbs gone.. 25% increase in cardio.. and I would say at least 40% increase in strength with strength training.


It's been a great change in my life.. with great supports included! I am very thankful to have a great husband to support me and very happy I have some friends who are working at this with me as well!

I'll update after the 8 weeks is over with concrete results!

Product Reviews! UA Compression Shorts - Red Lion Compression Socks

I rarely buy myself running gear, but the more and more I am getting further into the training and losing more weight I quite enjoy to. I do find that it can be rather costly and have turned to Amazon.com to fill the void of needs. Who ever said running was cheap must shake their head.. or maybe they make money off the products we all need....

I have always been uncomfortable wearing shorts up until this year, and definitely am over heating in this humidity without them! I've noticed a great lady on twitter who has been a huge inspiration, lives by compression shorts, sleeves and socks for running. I've done some reading on why this is a benefit, all that I have read states it assists in muscle oxygenation throughout the workout. We all know that the increase of oxygen to your muscles during your run is going to assist in your fatigue levels. I often find my calves for sure get crampy and tired quickly, so I felt I needed to try something to get over this.

I ordered Under Armour Ultra 7" Compression Shorts from www.amazon.com

The fundamentals (www.underarmour.com)

• Compression: This ultra-tight, second-skin fit delivers a locked-in feel that keeps your muscles fresh & your recovery time fast.
• Locked-in UA Compression fit increases muscle power and decreases recovery time
• Lightweight, 4-Way Stretch construction improves mobility and accelerates dry time
• Signature Moisture Transport System wicks sweat away to keep you cool, dry, and focused
• Wide, yoga-inspired waistband with hidden pocket to stash yours stuff
• Anti-Odor technology prevents the growth of odor-causing microbes
• Seamless front delivers women's workout clothing with superior comfort

 

Well the fit true to size, I don't feel poured into them and they are very comfortable. I have worn them out for 2 short runs and a outside bootcamp workout as well. The shorts did not adjust or ride up during any of the workouts, this is a HUGE plus for me! I hate having to adjust all the time. They also washed very well. I am quite happy with these shorts, I would have bought them locally had I been able to find them in a store here.

 

If you are in need of a good pair of compression shorts... I recommend a pair from Under Armour. They are made for real people, with real bodies!

 

 

Red Lion Compression Socks

(http://www.standardmerchandisingco.com/ProductRedLion.aspx?ProductId=3054&CategoryId=301)

Well these socks suck.. that's pretty much my full opinion. They aren't sized to the size of your calves, I have large calves and these are so tight around the top of my calf I could barely think of anything else. I also found the base of the sock very padded, filled up my shoe and very warm. The product reviews on Amazon were good, however finding more information on the product is like trying to pull teeth. Yes they were cheap, and maybe if my calves get smaller these will fit better. Until then, I'm going to stick with my well fitting CEP Running sleeves. They fit like a glove and you don't even realize your wearing them!

 

 

Do you have a favorite compression sock or short I should give a whirl?

 

Moose Jawg - Canada Day 5 km Race!

I had applied to the Moose Jawg race assuming I would be running the 10km part of this race.. Unfortunately that didn't happen. It wasn't due to lack of training but to some issue I am finding with my lungs. About a month ago I noticed that anytime I was running or out doing cardio under the great blue skies I would have shortness of breath and some discomfort in my chest. At this point, I was down 25 lbs and really confused by all of this. Our health care here isn't awesome.. surprise! Canadian health care isn't all that it is cracked up to be. I have been trying to find a family Dr. for months. I had one.. and she just spontaneously disappeared. So I am resulted in going to a medi clinic, the Dr. gave me ventolin inhalers which seems to be assisting. ( However, the Dr. just told me to lose weight and it would go away.. I'm going to drive 2 hours to my old family Dr. next week to see what can be done)

So I opted out of the 10 km run and continued on with the 5km. I had heard numerous wonderful things about this race, it is through the beautiful Wakamow valley in Moose Jaw Sk. Monday July 1st came and I was ready! The heat.. oh my.. I am NOT a heat and humidity gal at all! It was 25celcius by the time I finished the race, very humid from the river and NOT a breathe of wind. We started at 8:30 am, I wish we would have started at 7 am.

As you can see the route is all over, you go out and back and down and back. I found at the bottom loop in that heat, it was easy to get lost. There was only one station within 2.5 km and 4 kms through the bush. Yes it was pretty, but dangerous for anyone who had gotten heat stroke and couldn't figure out which turn to take and when. With the heat, I barely ran kms 2.5 to 4. I kept my time under my worst.. so that was a plus. No personal record but I did have a good time. I finished in 45 minutes which was 6 minutes longer than I had wanted, but the heat kicked my ass!

The swag we got from the race was pretty kick ass too, a nice tech t-shirt, some coupons ( one of which I used for a pair of compression calf sleeves) And the breakfast was wonderful! My whole family enjoyed the meal and it was very well organized.

The things that make a great race:
- great route ( easy to run, easy to figure out and lots of scenery) 3 out of 5
- great swag 5 out of 5
- great post race snacks 5 out of 5
- great timing for race 3 out of 5

Overall : 4 out of 5

Do you have a race in Canada or the USA that is a must run? If so, why is that?!

Brownies!! Made with pear sauce

I love brownies!! And no matter how healthy I eat I crave chocolate and will never give up baking. So I am always on the search for healthy foods... I have found the best brownie recipe and its healthy! I could have added some protein powder as well, maybe next time. I have cut up what I needed for snacks this month and froze them. I left the rest on the shelf for the family to enjoy. 

Brownies 

1/4 cup of unsweetened apple or pear sauce (apple intolerance here for myself and kids so I make up pear sauce)

1 tsp of vanilla extract

 4 egg whites

1 cup of brown sugar (you could replace this with stevia if you wished)

1/4 c whole wheat flour

1/2 c unsweetened cocoa

1/2 tsp of baking powder

1/4 tsp of salt

1/4 chocolate chips (dark chocolate chips would cut down sugar as well)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 8x11 pan (if you used a 8x8 pan only 12 servings and calories go up) with cooking spray

Mix sauce, sugar, eggs and vanilla well. Add in flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt until no lumps remain.

Pour into pan evenly. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Bake for 18-22 minutes. Cut into 15 even pieces and ENJOY! 

                                  

Two pears and a a few tablespoons of water steamed makes great and easy pear sauce.

                                 

Final product! So moist and yummy!

                                               

Here is the nutritional values! Way tastier than those 100 calorie weight watcher or fibre one bars. Also much cleaner when you make them from scratch! 

    

Weekend fun!

With my out flexed piriformis hip muscle I took it easy the last few days. Sunday mornings are my favourite times to run.. Just after I indulge a few whole wheat waffles and some coffee. My eldest twin daughter has talked a lot about running with mommy lately. Due to my injury I thought I would take it slow and take her along. We got all geared up for a 2 km run, both with our runners and lululemon headbands off we went. Trying to explain to a 4 year old that when we run we must run slow... Is not comprehensible. We got 1/4 km in and she has sprinted so hard she can barely run now .. So we try move slowly and continuously. Well my cute running partner got in 1 km with 3 water breaks before she was to tired. I loved to see her motivation and desire to kick my ass. I can't wait to keep her practising her pace because I think she will be my partner on the trail!  

I have been wanting a bike for awhile now and because I am frugal I prefer not to spend a ton of money. I would love to run a small triathlon but can't justify right now buying a road bike. So I just bought a cheap 8 speed trail bike from Walmart. I was a little rusty my first ride with the kids, but had a blast! So after,lunch today I hopped on and away I went. With all the new developments in the city trying to find a continuos trail is hard. But I pounded out 4.8 miles in 31 minutes. What a nice ride! Nothing to crazy, after all I need to purchase a helmet and get my rear prepped for this ! Great ride in the summer sun! 

  Cannot wait to throw on my biking shorts and go for a good 10 mile ride! 

I DO NOT diet!

In 9 months I have struggled to solely eat properly. I got a nutrition plan set and based on REAL eating patterns, one focus on proper intake of protein, fats and carbohydrates. I plan my meals whether it be daily, weekly and or monthly. Some months are more successful than others. The holiday season I gave into indulging more than I should... I hit a plateau scale wise for a month and a half as well. 

I track what I eat... Watch my portions and allow myself to eat and live life. 

Why am I stating this?! I went to see a massage therapist on Friday due to hip discomfort. (Due to a outflexed piriformis muscle from to many squats! ). Immediately after I told her I'm working hard to drop fat and have went from a sz 22 to a 16.. She recommends I try Ideal protein because she lost 55 lbs with it. Ugh no no no no! I will not eat high processed protein supplements, no fruit , no dairy and not one ounce of carbs. Why?! It's UNHEALTHY! She also was advised she wasn't allowed to exercise ?! Say what! 

She concluded her recommendation with this statement " after doing ideal protein For a while I had to quit... My joints were to sore" This my dear is because you are not ingesting proper nutrition. 

If you're told not to eat dairy... Fruit... Any carbs at all along with keeping your fat grams under 10g a day... You're making yourself sick! 

Join a program such as myfitnesspal for support! Social support of wellness and fitness is key! Whether you agree with someone's 1200 cal diet (not health intake if you work out ANY) or not.. You will find a lot of non judgemental support in many of the forums. As well as finding and understanding what success means and looks like to many others.

I've dropped 9.44% body weight since September. I'm not going to lose 100 lbs in 10 months... But I'm proud of the healthy life I am now leading! I also can run 7-8 kms at a time which a year ago 1 minute was a feat! 

I'm off to make some brownies to freeze for my 2x a week evening snack after weights! See you can have you're cake and eat it too... Just in moderation! 

Cheers! 

One mans junk is another woman's treasure!

I used to hate garage sales.. but now having a new home to furnish and the expense that comes with it has changed my outlook on life! With pintrest being the  2nd love of my life, it is so easy to learn how to refurbish something old into something new!

My living room was starting to drive me nuts, I enjoyed the clean boring-ness of it long enough. ( Or the lack of decorations let's say) I decided I needed to be an adult and have a coffee table.

I wanted something not to big, not to bold and definitely not to old. Something with clean lines where I could lay just a little something to tie the room together. Yesterday, I found it! At a moving all things must go sale!

 

 

As you can see from the BEFORE picture, it is a bench table. In the dark colour of Brown with nice clean cut lines. It also has side pull outs on each side! SCORE! I am not one to barter... I see a price and pay it. That is one reason I like sales, I don't have to pay retail or barter to decrease the price. This coffee table was priced at $50.00, my Dear hubby went to the lady with $40.00 in hand and some how walked away with my treasure!

 

 

I stopped at a local fabric store and found this thick, satin finished charcoal grey fabric for $3.00 a metre. Well you can't even go wrong! I scurried home, had hubby assist with dismantling the bench cushion. I stapled the fabric on and VOILA!

 

Because the wood was already painted a deep brown, it took nothing to cover it with black spray paint. A short sanding and wipe down, two coats of black satin spray paint and complete!

 

 

Now my living room feels complete! Oh except two things... and surprisingly my hubby is game! I want a Glass or porcelain owl ( about 10-16 inches tall) to sit beside the wine stand up against the black wall.  And hopefully a nice canvas on the wall above the black couch.

 

 

So far it feels complete! I feel like my living room is homey, trendy and warm!

 

Cheers!

 

5 km Personal Record - SHATTERED!

Yesterday I ran my first 5 km race of 2013, The Cardiac Care 5 KM Run/Walk. I was really apprehensive of this run due to the weather that was in the forecast. On Friday, the weather was very windy, cold and some rain. I have never ran in the rain for a race, nor do I have rain gear per say to run with. My girls were so excited for my race that I truly hoped the rain would subside.

When I woke up Saturday it was a little grey out, windy and cool. No rain I can handle this! 9 am hits and so does the sun! It is going to be a great day!

All ready for the race! My girls are so proud of me! As is my husband, but he hasn't quite put me on Super hero pedestal like my kids.. ( He really should)

The race was at our beautiful park here in the city that surrounds our Provincial Legislature.

 

 

10 am we started out racing! I have now started to join the front of the pack, I want my time to start as soon as they say GO! I don't want to add on any extras for anything! I noticed a group of runners who definitely hadn't trained for a 5 km, may have never ran it before. It definitely is interesting to see a group who runs as hard as they can, then has to stop and sit. I know running seems simple, but there is a lot of conditioning and training that goes into it. Even if it is only 5 KM. I had a couple of ladies that would sprint past me, and then I would have to off trail run around them once they dropped their pace to a saunter. This as a consistent runner can be really frustrating. You want to continue your consistency and not have to exert any extra energy running different paths to get around those who aren't there for a " race" per say. I know that is a negative comment and we are all out there for fitness, I just find this so frustrating! The runners there to race were respectful, kept to the right and passed on the left. There are some rules to such a sport... There's my rant!

 

The weather became quite hot, and there wasn't a breathe of wind! Thankfully, between 3.5 and 4.5 kms there was some shade. This is where I slowed down and reserved my energy for the last leg of the race. I was pretty impressed when I hit 3 kms at 27 minutes. I knew if I really ran hard I could get my 5 km under my last PR. I almost could have had it under 40 minutes.

 

The last moments of the race, there wasn't a breathe of wind and the sun was SO hot! I actually felt like I couldn't breathe at places. I was so close to the finish line so I started to pick up my pace.

 



 There is something surreal and emotional seeing your family waiting for you by the finish line! This is what gives me that extra get your ass moving! My girls jumped on to the street and ran their butts off with me!

 

 

And I finished strong! With my children and a 41:24 min time!

 

 

 

This is a 3 minute change in pace! I finished strong, not sore and barely walked a moment! Just a few steps here and there! ( more so up a small hill and for water stations)

 

 

Running to my 10km

Life has been hectic! I keep thinking I MUST blog! I have been trying some new things, falling off the nutrition wagon.. fixing that wagon to get back on.. and then eating some chip..

However my training is on track to a point.. My dear hubby is only on call or works late a few times every 6 weeks. Last week was one of them. We all as a family did our best to keep pushing through but by Sunday we were all exhausted, house was a mess, I wanted and needed a long run and the kids missed their dad like no ones business. I missed him as well, but needed to clear my head during my run so I could realize he was home again.

For the first time ever on April 28th, I ran MORE than 5 kms in a session. I went 6.01 kms and seriously at one point.. thought I was going to die! I ran it at a 9.25 min/km pace, at one point I had to climb through snow, run through ankle deep water and stomp through mud. I remember my legs burning so bad I couldn't even handle it, I was breathing so hard and was on the brink of death.

 

I do have to say once I fell into the house, onto the couch and laid down.. I was amazed. I then had a 2 hour nap...

 

 

 

OK so not running during the insanity of winter we had.. has taken a toll and my HIIT did not condition me enough. Well, things have changed. I have been going out for 1-2 short runs a week on top of 2 days of HIIT at the gym. I may not be FASTER yet.. but My body is getting more conditioned. I completed my first EVER 7 km run yesterday. I started out at a 8.24 min/km pace and had to keep telling myself slow the heck down you will never finish this!

 

 

My view was wonderful, the temperature got increasingly warm with the beautiful sun and I was stripping clothes off. The only things that could have been better was my warm up ( I need to work on this) and my path. I didn't mark out my run properly and ended up running in circles a bit to finish up. ( this is extremely boring)

 

YIPPEE!!!

My favourite park in the world! When I ran in university being able to run 7 kms and this as my sites was a goal, I finally obtained!


The other great things in my world have been shopping for new clothes in a size 16 only!! Nothing in a 18 is fitting anymore, how wonderful! I have a ton of it packed up to sell and donate!

New summer dress! Finally loving to show some leg. There's finally some definition!

 

And most of all.. enjoying time out with my family! I am the first to pack up to go, and get involved! I love this! The Science Park was such a blast!

 



On the GO Breakfasts!

As a busy mom... Breakfasts can be a blur! I often try sit down and have two eggs with toast ( multi grain of course, need that fibre!) but on days like today I chose some extra sleep over my morning cooking. Not always the best idea however I found some healthier choices for on the go!

One of the easiest ways to go is for a quick shake! I have found a new shake powder that I quite enjoy. The flavor is not "proteiny" like at all, and comes in a few different flavours. You can get this Vega Protein powder in the Natural section at Superstore in Vanilla Chi, Chocolate or Berry.

This flavour only has 93 calories, a full 10 grams of  protein and only 1 gram of sugar! That's right 1 gram of sugar! I throw in a banana and 10 oz of milk... Bam sweet filling breakfast in a glass for 303 calories!

 

 

 

I sometimes hate having to clean my blender in the morning.. so Ill treat myself to breakfast out. This is rare but I have found two breakfast items at Tim Horton's ( my favorite go to coffee place) that are surprisingly healthy.

 

Tim Horton's Egg and Cheese Breakfast sandwich on a English muffin is a great fix to that need for a fast food breakfast. Thankfully they do not fry their eggs and just toast the muffins, so there isn't the added fat that other restaurants tend to have.

Serving size - 128 g
Calories - 280
Fat - 11 g
Carb - 32 g
Fibre - 1 g
Sugar -2 g
PROTEIN - 14 grams
Sodium-700 g.. ok so here's the crap part.. the sodium! However, compared to the rest of the sandwiches at Tim Horton's, McDonald's and A&W this is the best bet. Increase your water intake for the morning and that sodium will be gone!

Tim Horton's PLAIN Oatmeal.

( I didn't know you could get their oatmeal plain till today... I always thought you had to order the mixed berry or brown sugar type which all have TONS of sugar)

Serving - 291g
Calories- 160
Fat - 2.5
Carb - 32
Fibre - 4
Sugar -5
Protein - 5 grams

If you choose to go for the mixed berries or maple, you increase your sugars at a minimum of 10 grams per serving.


All of these options are also less than $4.00/serving. So the next time you are in a rush for breakfast and think there are no healthy choices or cheap choices out there.. think again!

Cheers!

 

 

 

Losing and Learning

I've noticed over the last year that I need to change my diet up regularly. This means either dropping or adding calories needed per day, decreasing sugar and fats again or more often and increasing protein.

Even when having a trainer put together a Nutrition Plan together for me, I cannot succeed unless I understand truly what works for me. I have been in a slump with my fat loss for the last few months. I would eat to a T what my trainer said and drop a few pounds ( generally the lowest I got was 269) and then I would get frustrated or off track due to work/ travel. Then I would be up to about 278 lbs again.. a weight I could not bare to see again! Maybe even higher!

Once I got back from my holidays I decided ENOUGH is ENOUGH! My pants are loose but not LOOSE enough! So I played with my diet... increasing protein .. decreasing carbohydrates and tried to decrease stress while increasing diligence. I finally got down to 269 again. Well that's great.. but then the yo - yo came up and down up and down. PURE FRUSTRATION!

I asked for help on Myfitnesspal.. contacted my trainer.. asked for ideas on Fitocracy. And got the same answers " you're eating to much... you're eating to little.. you drink to much juice ( on a week where I had one Booster juice) .. You eat to many sauces - I'm sorry but I hate plain salad"

So I just sat between 266 - 269 lbs.. hovering and pissy!

I reached out to a local fellow on MFP who has lost 85 lbs and has started a new Personal Training program. He advised me to discontinue the Intermittent Fasting.. stop eating after supper and only have a protein shake and up my workout intensity. Within 4 days of this.. BAM 262 lbs! OK fantastic! Finally the change I needed to become motivated!

I signed up for a 5km race on May 25th, ran my first ever 6 kms in 54 minutes down! ( Woulda been faster if I hadn't had to sludge through mud, snow and water to stay on trails) and I have signed up for my 10km on July 1st.

I have realized that change in diet is something I must understand. I get that I need to decrease this or decrease that. But I truly do not even know the amounts I should be eating. There was a thread on MFP about free online classes surrounding Nutrition.


Well I signed up! I am taking a 6 week course Nutrition, Health, and Lifestyle: Issues and Insights instructed by Jamie Pope through Vanderbuilt University. The first week was to take a look back into your food logs and find out what you really are eating. i.e.) are you eating enough protein, carbs, fats .. are you eating to much sodium or not enough fiber. If you aren't eating the proper amounts why is that.. what can you do to change it.. or is it working for you .

One of the comments Jamie Pope said was that " it is easier to do one's taxes then pay attention to their diet" and I thought heck yeah it is! There's no macro or micro nutrients .. there's no sodium mg's to pay attention to . However, my taxes won't make me fit and healthy!

So here I am.. taking a Nutrition course. I hope it assists in  my continued success!

Starting Weight: 288 lbs
Current Weight: 262 lbs

Loss to date: 26 lbs.. only 62 to more to go!

CHEERS!


What are you doing to make sure you eat properly? Do you know what your proper caloric needs are? How about that dread sodium... do you eat less than 2400 mg a day?

Speghetti Squash Bake... DELICIOUS!

I LOVE spaghetti squash.. so much so that my mom planted it in her garden and harvest over 40 of them this past fall. I ate likely 20 them easily.. and they are  TWICE the size of the store squashes! Well I get bored of plain roasted anything.. and have been looking for new ways to make these wonderful squashes. Well I did! I found a recipe and made it my own.


To start...

Chop a squash in half... clean it out.. and pop it in the microwave for 12 minutes ( or till it is easy to extract from the skin.)

In a pan saute with olive oil:
 
- 3 chopped carrots
- one small zucchini
- one red bell pepper
- 2 cloves of garlic or garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste.

Because my children REFUSE to eat spaghetti squash.. I decided to fake them out... I added 2 cups of cooked spaghetti as well.

You then add 16 oz of your choice of tomato sauce, 1/4 cup of Parmesan and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Pop into the oven covered at 350 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes. After 25 minutes, add a bit of grated cheese to the top and finish the last 5 minutes off uncovered.

Finished product... and My kids ate it with no complaints.. They had NO idea there was any squash in there. It was delicious and I have leftovers for the week! LOVE IT!


Cheers!

My Boston Tribute...

I haven't been really blogging lately.. and purely to laziness. Work has been INSANELY busy.. driving all over the place for risk assessments, meetings, presentations and working late late hours. Trying to keep on track with workouts and meal planning along with eating properly has taken up a lot of energy. Last week I gave myself a break, I understood I had a busy week and just did what I could. I tried to stay as close to my caloric intake and get in some exercise.

I was home with a sick little girl on Monday, had a nap that afternoon and when I awoke this is what I found on the news.

(Picture found at www.houston.culturemap.com)

 

The Boston Marathon Bombing... I was glued to the TV and Twitter to see if the local runners, one which was a coworker of my dear husbands, were alright. Thankfully within minutes everyone was accounted for. However, there was a 8 year old little boy who awaited his father at the finish line was not alright. Nor was his mother or 6 year old sister.

The only thing I could think of was how devastated that my babies and hubby were not at the finish line of my PR'd 5 km last fall, and how I would have given anything for them to have seen me. I know how excited my children get for me to even go for a run, never mind to catch me at the end of the race. So I am assuming I, as other running parents cherish these moments. My heart breaks for this dear father who ran upon this scene.. for the grief he is feeling... and for all the grief felt by the victims.

I noticed on twitter that runners were running. We were uniting by lacing up and hitting trails. If we could do anything it was run the last miles some of these folks never got to run... or run miles the victims will or may never get to run again.  So that is just what I did on Tuesday.

 

I put on my blue race shirt, my yellow jacket ( Boston Colours) and hit the trails. As you can see here in Saskatchewan we have snow.. and A LOT of it left! There were steps I took that I fell through the snow, areas I had to climb up the trail and areas of pure ice. I ran 3 kms.. and fought many tears at the thoughts of what it would have felt like.

I may not have ran 26.2 miles.. But i ran for 26.2 minutes in honour of all those people in Boston. I am pretty proud to say I am a runner. We can't bring back the victims.. but we can RUN.

Healthy Children

The one thing I wanted to accomplish on my lifestyle uproot was to make sure my children continued to live a healthy active life. This can be hard when you work full time, my husband works full time and well sometimes there is just not enough hours in the day. However, we have successfully done it!.

I have never been one to feed my kids junk food, unless it is a special treat. I have maybe let them have pop 5x in their 4 years of life and that's very rare thing and likely only over the last year. My kids ask for water or milk to drink over juices, and run like bats out of hell wherever they go. My mom always cooked us healthy meals with a warm vegetable, a salad, meat and a carbohydrate. However, it wasn't the healthy meals she fed us that made me fat.... It was the snacks she had in our house. We were the family that could have 10 snacks a day, they could be chips, sugary cereals, pop, chocolate, and all those fake fruit treats ( i.e. fruit by the foot) When I became a teenager, I chose those snacks all the time. I ate cookies for breakfast with a coke at school... I'd buy fries and gravy as a mid afternoon spare snack. I just ate like CRAP! I was very active but that didn't make up for all the crap I ate.

As an adult, it took me from 2000 to about 2003 to realize I was not only fatter.. ( size 24 now at this time) but I drank a case of full sugared pop on a weekly basis. I was at the point where I couldn't even handle owning a mirror. I completely changed how I ate when I started university and dropped down into a 18. Then I met my very lucky high metabolism husband, who didn't work out and ate whatever, whenever no problem diet.

Well needless to say... Back up to a size 24 I went. By the time we got married I was around the size 20-22 and to have kids I got myself down to a size 16.

Now back to healthy kids.... I refused to have my kids choose cheezies and juice for snacks. I didn't want my children to be overweight as kids and feel generally like crap all the time. I didn't want people ragging on them because of their weight and still don't.

I'm having wonderful success with this so far. They LOVE raw vegetables for the most part and beg for them at the store. A bag of snap peas or a cucumber doesn't last two days in our house. They would prefer cheese and crackers for a snack over cupcakes ( even when they ask for a cupcake they rarely eat it all, it's just to sweet)

Last night, Ainsley was going to her Zumba ( one of the many activities they have been in - soccer, swimming, mini chefs, and gymnastics as well) class and having an Easter party. We made small cupcakes and didn't opt to share a drink because cupcakes were sugary enough and there is a water fountain out the door. Ainsley came back to say she was thrilled with her party and someone brought mini carrots too! She however didn't really elaborate on the Coke that was brought to drink (which she never finished) nor on the over chocolate overload cupcakes covered in sprinkles.

To say the least when my kids through tantrums over snap peas, ask for cucumbers at supper when they don't see a salad and beg for carrots when I'm peeling them. I think I have done an alright job!

30 Day Challenge!

We all know that the journeys to fitness, no matter your shape or size, is a HUGE challenge. It takes a lot of work to be committed, focused and motivated. Those are three terms that hold heavy meanings.. you have to figure out how you need to lose weight from nutrition and exercise to understanding why you are about to take this lifestyle change or how you go to the shape/size you are.

I found a picture from December 2010 on a holiday with my dear hubby to Nashville and Memphis Tennessee for New Years. I remember a lot of the clothes I owned at this point, in fact I still have some of them! I remember fooling myself to think I was a size 18 in this picture when I had to buy size 22 jeans while on this trip. So here it is... in 2 years I have changed from barely fitting into a size 22  jeans...to a 36" waist.

 

 

 

I've met some really awesome people on My Fitness Pal, one of which has now become a Beach Body Coach and is running challenges to keep his friends motivated. I started mine yesterday. It runs for 30 days and we keep accountable to one another in the group, every one's diaries are open to see our food choices etc.

 

Day 1 - Challenge - commit to eating clean, working out daily and take a picture of what you look like now. 



 ** I was able to do all of this that day while being home with a sick child, not feeling well myself and definitely wanting to eat chocolate not salad!

Day 2 - Challenge - Sit down and make a list of all the reasons you want to lose weight. Then post it EVERYWHERE you will look at it daily

 On my desk at work!

 

 

On my visor in my car!

 

 

On my fridge!

 

 

 

On my bathroom mirror!

 

 

 

I will definitely continue to post updates on how the challenge goes! I'm pretty excited about how this turns out!

 

 

Cheers! 

 

 

** Update.. Uhh the dude that was conducting the challenge.. he buggered off..lol I am not sure what went on. We did a few challenges and then I stopped getting emails etc. However after 30 days, I am down into a size 16 pants easily by committing to tracking daily. I didnt get in all the work outs and not always ate the best but I did commit to tracking that. I dropped a good 8 lbs and it got me down into those snug pants with ease! ** 



 

Being a Mommy... Healthy Wife and Family!

I have found the last year has been a great challenge, I'm married and have twin 4 year olds.. trying to nurture these relationships, do everything we all must do to sustain a household along with keep every one's activities on par... is TIRING! Then I decide to finally work on myself... 1 year later I am still struggling to do all of it.

I have given myself numerous pep talks, allowing myself to understand that this journey to fit and healthy along with fat loss is not going to take one year alone when you have a family.. a busy one at that!

However, one year later I notice the differences in all of my family members. My husband is very supportive and assisting when I need to get to the gym. In fact, today he set up my treadmill while I napped to ensure I got some running in today. ( It is blizzarding here AGAIN!) If I want to get running a 10km, I had better start somewhere since Spring is nowhere to be found. He is also very conscience of what food he brings into the house, what he buys at the store and talking me out of ordering appetizers at midnight when not needed! Its very valuable to have a partner who supports, motivates you and assists you in your change.

My one daughter begged to stay downstairs with me while I ran, she stood close to the treadmill, made sure my water was full and even ran for a sweat towel. I'm battling a cold and was really struggling and was giving up after 10 minutes when I heard from the McQueen Cars tent " Go Mommy Go! Go Mommy Go!" so I battled my way through some more running and walked 25 minutes. I find treadmill running DREADFUL! But I need to get to it. So even 10 minutes of running is a feat for me!

Not long after I was done, I was trying to work out my calorie burnt numbers when my daughters come down to tell me they need to exercise and they have their runners on to go ! Both of my girls hopped on the treadmill and took their turns! Holding on.. walking hard and talking about how exercise is so important! They made my day!!

Here is my youngest twin doing her work out! She did 10 minutes on the treadmill and I had to beg her to take a break! Her and her sister have gotten a Yoga DVD as well and LOVE to work out in the basement to that!

The greatest change over the last year is the view of myself through the eyes of my children! I can do ANYTHING! I may not be able to run 5 kms in 25 minutes.. I may not be able to run 10 kms yet.. however to Hydie and Ainsley I am a marathon runner and off to the Olympics!! Every cheer from my children and Husband allow me to continue. I have went from only being able to run 1 minute at a time.. to constantly run 5 kms. I have went from doing body weight squats to squatting 135 lbs on a barbell, 100 lbs bench presses and deadlifting 115 lbs as well. I have dropped 2 dress sizes and see shape in my body.. and most of all... I have taught my family that having snacks of cheese, fruit and eating salad is our better options. In fact, I tried to give Hydie a treat of chips the other day and she had a meltdown demanding strawberries.

 Ainsley helping me make scrambled eggs!

 

Hydie loves her shakes! And now asks for @EnergyBits to be thrown in!

 

 Ainsley doing her yoga! This kid can pull off a tree pose like no ones business!

 

 

How has your life change included your family?!


Cheers!

Success.. and How I make it Reality!

This journey for me has been a year long so far... I haven't lost a lot of weight ( 16-18 lbs at this point) however I have transformed my body entirely.. From the shape to the fitness! I have lost 16 plus inches on my body, dropped 2 dress sizes and went from not running to being able to complete 5 kms within 40 minutes. ( not fast but COMPLETED!)

I found that tracking my food, first off in a binder than using the www.myfitnesspal.com site has been one of my sources of success...I spend 30 minutes or so on Sunday's making up my "Success Binder" menus for the week. This allows me to truly spend 30 minutes on myself and my family allowing us all to have proper nutrition. It also let's me see what my general intake should be, so if I have a bad day or busy at work day, I generally know what I NEED to fuel my body with.
I have noticed that when I do not plan my menus... I gain weight back and I feel generally like crap. This is a mind set problem.. just because I do not plan my menu doesn't mean the calories I put in my body aren't accounted for and I must be more aware of the amount I am eating.

I also enjoy having a on the go energy and protein packed snack! I found these bad boys through a friend on twitter and have been a fan ever since! In fact, I am such a fan the company made me a Brand Ambassador. So hit me up if you want to get some deals, or samples! These 100% all natural, vegan and organic bits of algae have allowed me to cut back on caffeine, they increase my energy and production in life generally and are a GREAT fuel at the gym!.
www.energybits.com

This is a photo of one of the meals I had this week. It was delicious!

I have never eaten nor cooked kale before, however I found a recipe on pintrest to stir fry up veggies, kale and cooked rice. I added some chili paste and it was amazing! I also get sick of bland boring chicken, so have been cooking it with chunky salsa and adding a little bit of cheese on the top prior to taking it out of the oven. AMAZING!

Pintrest is a wonderful way to keep food fresh, there are TONS of recipes and often you can search "Low sodium" or "low in fat" recipes as well and get numerous ideas. Keeping whats in my menu fresh with some old favorites also allows for success!

The other portion of my success... Keeping it fresh at the gym! I love my weight work outs! But if I decide one day that power cleans just aren't my thing... or I could careless to box jump Ill switch an exercise out from another work out and replace this one. I always make sure to complete all my work outs in a week but sometimes mixing it up is the key!


I also enjoy "treating" myself.. and this usually means new workout clothes! I am getting ready for spring running training and wanted to make sure I had some new duds.. It makes you feel fresh and ready for your activity. I don't like wearing sloppy clothes to the gym... you have mirrors everywhere!! This is the time to watch yourself exercise and see how your body has changed!

I have found that JC Penney and the GAP have wonderful and affordable workout attire, and JC Penney has wonderful sales right now!!

So my success is simply made... like it all should be! Being able to have simple workouts, simple menus and simple treats allow me to continue on. These are things I do not have to stress about.. now I can spend my time on telling myself I am doing awesome and to keep on!


We are all our worst enemy.. so eliminate the things that stress you.. make it easy and focus on changing your negative " I cant do this its to hard" thoughts! This change takes time.. wont happen over night nor over a week. Allow that!



Cheers!