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!