Trying again

It's been another long dry spell for me, not something I am very happy about.  I am only up a few pounds, but I can feel the definition and strength slowly going away.  I jumped back on the elliptical tonight for 40min, felt wonderful!  I just need to keep this up, no slacking for months at a time.  I am too happy with how I look, I will not allow myself to gain all that weight back.

Not sure if I really have a goal right now, other than to just keep things moving forward with my exercise.  In the New Year I will see how things are going, and see what I can fit in.  I did buy a Wii for Christmas, and of course got the fit board.  I'm anxiously awaiting to try it out, I have heard so many good things about it.

Sick sucks!

Well, the last week I have been sick... it so sucks! Because it is a chest cough, it has meant no exercise for me at all :(. At least my weight has been stable, even with the candy that is still in the house! One week into this cold, and I am already feeling much better.

I have been told a lot lately that I do not need to lose anymore weight, which is something I am struggling to understand. I still would like to lose another 5-10lbs, but I am happy with where I am. I need a lot of toning to really get the shape and definition that I want, but I don't necessarily need to lose weight. Hopefully I find a balance that makes me happy with shape and tone in the next few months, would make me feel just that much better about how I look.

I will say that the attention I have garnered from this has been different LOL. I am not used to so much male attention, but it is kind of nice!

Getting it right, and failure

My weight loss is about the only thing I have gotten right these days, the only thing I have not failed at. And I truthfully am not even sure how I have done this... except that it all started with failure. And yet, this particular failure has somehow brought me to this point. I just need to get it right in other aspects of my life, because I am hurting over this failure so badly.

I have now lost a whopping 45.4lbs! I weighed in at 137.2lbs this am. It's amazing how stress can do this to me, never happened before, but it is sure working now. Here is a picture I took of myself yesterday morning. I'm also including my before, and work in progress photo's.

April 2009 184lbs

July 15th, 2009 154.6lbs

November 1st, 2009. 137.2lbs

Momentum is lacking

So, I have really been having a hard time getting back into exercise lately, and I really, really need to! I have had a few things keeping me occupied in the the evenings, so jumping on the elliptical is the last thing I want to do! But the worst thing is no running. I have 3 mornings a week where I am down to one kid, the perfect time to hit the track with the jogging stroller... and yet I have not done this once! I need to make sure I do this on Wednesday, I will not allow myself to fall back into my old habits.

On a good note though, all this moving and organizing of my house has been keeping the scale moving downwards! I made it under 140lbs Saturday to a crazy 139lb!!! I am now only 4lbs away from my first big goal! That is a whopping 43.4lbs lost. I am loving the way I feel, and yes the way I look. It is incredible just how much better I feel with this weight lost.

So, who's going to come and make sure I hit the track on Wednesday????

A little more fun!

Three months back I had a little fun one night (here's the link to that post), and tried on clothes that I had been saving to wear for when I lost weight again... well, I tried those clothes back on today. Guess what, they are all too big now! I knew this could be an issue, but a small part of me didn't think it could happen. I will now have to decide whether or not to alter these clothes to fit, or whether to donate them.

I'm not all that upset, as it give me a great excuse to do a little more shopping! My style has changed over the last 10 years, so some of my old clothes don't exactly fit who I am today. The fact that I love the look of the clothes out right now helps to ease the pain of getting rid of the stuff I saved.

Now to just get some child free time to shop!

I'm Back!

I can't believe it's been over a month since I posted! Life has certainly been crazy enough to keep me busy though. Survived living with my parents for the month, but was more than ready to leave when all was said and done. It's going to be a good week before the boys and I are totally settled in, but progress is being made.

The worst part about the transition time, was I did not get any exercise in at all!!! It felt really odd to not jump on the elliptical or head to the track each day, felt like something was missing. Tonight I finally got my butt in gear, and jumped on the elliptical. I have it set up rather nicely in the TV room, so was actually able to watch something while worked. That was a nice change as I had no music or TV when I worked out at the old house.

The bad part was only getting 35 minutes done, although that isn't too bad considering I haven't been on in almost 2 months.

Oh, I must be doing something right! During my little break, I did not gain anything. In fact, I have actually lost another 2lbs. Now to just get down to my goal, and see if I need to take it further or not.

40

The day has arrived, I have now lost a total of 40lbs!!!!

40 40 40 40 40 40 40

Getting so very close to my first goal of 135lbs, only 7lbs to go!!!!

Working my way back

Hello, hello, hello! I survived my first camping trip with the boys alone just fine, and so did they! I did not get any runs in, and my eating while better, was not great. We did get a number of good walks in though. Amazingly I did not gain any weight while I was gone, and am now slowly losing again! I have less than 1lbs to go, and I will have lost an amazing 40lbs!!!! I am now weighing in at 143.2lbs.

I am not sure if I will make my race this weekend, I have been having some bladder issues stemming from a bladder infection a number of weeks ago. It is getting better, but I do not want to risk making it worse either. Just have to see how the rest of the week goes.

Starting on Friday, I will have 3 mornings a week with just Little Man. I will be heading to the track at that time to get my runs in, he should be happy enough in the stroller as long as it moves. I am really looking forward to that, I want to keep my training going, and not lose what ground I have gained.

Day 88

Well, things are going, just extremely busy! I will finally be out of the house tomorrow morning, which is extremely good. I am so stressed from this move, I am just grateful that this aspect is finally over.

My eating this week has been absolutely atrocious! I have not had time or the inclination to worry about what goes into my body, and my body is not happy. I am starting to break out a little, not much, but more than I have had the last few months. I have also not had any spare time to workout or run, which is not helping things for me at all. Those workouts were how I relieved all the stress I am under.

I cannot say things will be back to normal the next two weeks, as I will be camping with the boys. But, things will improve. I will not have the crazy stresses I have had the last few weeks, I will have time to eat well, and even time to get walks and possibly runs in. I am hoping that I can run with Little Man in the stroller, while the other two ride their bikes. Not too sure how well it work, but I am optimistic.

Day 82

Just wanted to quickly pop on and let you know I am still around. Just very, very busy getting this house pack up. I am planning on having us out of here this weekend, still lots to do though.

Hopefully next week I will be back on track with my runs.

Day 75

Got my run in yesterday afternoon, it was a really good one as well. I was able to run for 8 minutes, walk 1, run 8, walk 1, run 8, and then another little walk. That is a total of 24 minutes running, with only 3 short breaks!!! I am so very close to running straight through, it is going to be great when I finally do that!!! My time isn't going to be great for 5km, but I at least will do it. Which reminds me, I had better get myself registered for the run!!!

Other than that, my eating has been pretty bad this week. With trying to pack, and deal with the boys, I don't really have the time to make good meals. It will be nice to get back to healthier eating when all this is done. Only one more week till I am out of this house!!!

I have had a lot of comments lately about how I look. Friends who haven't seen me in a while are shocked at how much weight I have lost, it is a wonderful feeling. I look in the mirror and see a totally different person, one that I have missed for 12 years. That's right, it has been over 12 years since I have been under 150lbs, that is a long time. Here's hoping I can break below 140lbs for September, only 6.5lbs to go.

Day 73

Haven't been on for a while, not much to say LOL. I was on anti-biotics this past weekend/week for a bladder infection, so workouts weren't exactly high on my priority list... and a little difficult to do when you need to wee every 5 minutes LOL. I did get a run in this afternoon though, felt great to do this. I was actually able to easily increase from 3 to 4 laps, and even felt like I could do more... but I didn't want to push myself too far today.

I am still losing weight, was down to 147lbs this morning. That is a loss of 35.6lbs in 73 days!!! I only have 12lbs more to lose to hit my first goal, not that far away now.

Day 67

What a day!!! I am now no longer considered overweight!!! I weighed in at 149.6lbs this morning, which puts my BMI at 24.9. I am so enjoying this journey.

Day 65

Back on track today! Got my elliptical time in, as well as some upper body work. I'm also going to add some core strength work every night, it is one area I need to start working on.

Elliptical
45 minutes
2.16 miles
890 calories

I would love to see the scale below 150lbs on Friday, but really don't expect that. I didn't get any exercise in this last weekend, and my eating hasn't been bad, but not the best either.

Day 64

I am so close to not being considered overweight anymore!!! Normal BMI is 18.5 to 25, and I am at 25.2!!! So, so close! I just need to get to 150lbs, and I have will have a normal BMI. That is too cool LOL.

I got a run in this afternoon, although not my best. I kept getting a stitch in my side that hampered me a bit, hopefully my next one will be better. I'm still not sure if I will get on the elliptical or not tonight, I can hear 2 little boys goofing off.

Day 63

No exercise this past weekend, although I didn't gain, so at least there is that! One really cool thing for me though is the size of a new pair of Capri's I bought yesterday. I picked up 2 pairs, one a 10 and the other an 8. They were both a good price, and figured if I couldn't fit the size 8 yet, I would soon. Well, lo and behold, I can wear the size 8's! They are a little tight, but still wearable.

It's such a wonderful feeling to know that I am almost completely out of double digit clothes. I have not been at this point in probably 11-12 years, it's been way too long! Now to just get these last 16 lbs off, and enjoy the rewards of a shopping spree this fall.

Day 59

Got my run in this afternoon, although it almost didn't happen again because of Little Man... I'm just thankful it worked out. I'm very happy with my time and distance. I have a lot of work to do, but will be running 5km about 3-4 weeks before the race in Canmore. That should give me plenty of time to even start improving my speed. Can't wait till after this race, and I can start training for a 10km run!

When I get a chance I will up load the details of my run to Nike, but it will probably be tomorrow. The ipod is still in the van right now, it's late, and I just don't feel like going to get it right now.

Scale this morning was... 153.6!!! That is now a 29lbs weight loss, and it feels wonderful.

Day 58

Well, I did make it downstairs, but got interrupted at around 33 minutes... by the time I was done putting Little Man back to bed, it was rather late. I decided that getting some house work done was a higher priority tonight, so that is what I did.


I took some pictures of myself today, and compared them to some taken at the end of April... and WOW, what a difference! The first ones are not pretty, not my best day look wise LOL. I can't wait to post my goal pictures in a few months!

Now remember I warned you, these first two pictures are not pretty!!!!!

April 26th 2009 - 184lbs

July 15th 2009 - 154.6lbs

Day 57

No workout for me today, unless you count cleaning the house, and dealing with a pukey, clingy Little Man! He crashed on the couch at 6pm, then woke up around 9pm. It then took me over an hour to get him back to sleep.

Hopefully tomorrow works out better.

Day 56

I came so close to not getting downstairs tonight, I kept trying to come up with excuses to not work out. The kitchen needs to be cleaned, the laundry folded and put away, the floors washed. I didn't listen to those thoughts, but went down and got 45 minutes in. I don't have exact numbers tonight, as I was close to finishing the stupid machine reset to zero! I can't wait until I can get a new machine, this one is okay (especially for what I paid for it), but since I am using it so much I would prefer something a little better. It might also be an idea to get one that is quieter for the new house, won't have the space to keep the squeaky noises away from the sleeping boys. Would love to get something better, but will just have to wait and see.

I did get upper body work done, and I think it's almost time to get some bigger weights. I'm using 5lbs for everything right now, and have noticed that some of my exercises are getting rather easy. Will see what is out there, and just how much as well.

Day 55

Well, I survived, and enjoyed, my camping trip with the boys... but I sure am tired right now! I did fairly well with my eating, but my water intake was way down. I have a feeling though that I will actually be down tomorrow, instead of up like I feared.

Tomorrow should see me back in gear, and on the elliptical in the evening.

Days 50, 51, 52 & 53

Sorry I haven't been on lately, just a lot to do. Tuesday I went for my run, and managed to do total of 21 minutes running, with 3 intervals of 5min, and 2 of 3min. Thursday I was able to do 4 intervals of 5 min, so a total of 20 minutes. Both time I did around 4km for distance. I'm fairly happy with that, a big improvement over my running from April. I'd also forgotten that so many different muscles are used while running, my inner thighs have been very sore!

Some very good news this morning, I am down again!!! I weighed in at 154.2lbs!!!! That's 3.8lbs from last week. I now have a total weight loss of 28.4lbs! As much as I have wanted to lose the weight for a long time, I also wondered if it would ever happen. I have a little less than 20lbs to reach my initial goal, that is a truly wonderful feeling. I feel so much better about how I look, and it's only going to get better.

I will be away camping this weekend, I just hope I can keep my eating healthy. Other than walking around, I won't be getting any real exercise in.

Day 49

Another night that I don't get to start until almost 10pm!!! Monkey just refused to go to sleep, not sure what is up with that! Hopefully he goes down easier for the rest of the week.

Elliptical
45 minutes
2.18 miles
906 calories

I didn't do anything else tonight, it's already 10:45pm... almost time for bed! Tomorrow afternoon I will be going for a run, hopefully I do well.

Just have to add, that I only need to lose another 8lbs to have a normal BMI!!! WOW

Day 48

I didn't do a full 45 today, have some really strange cramping tonight... sort of a cross between gas pains and menstrual.

Elliptical
35 minutes
1.8 miles
734 calories

I am excited to have my first run on Tuesday, I am very interested to see how far I can go in one shot. Will give me an idea of whether I should go for the 5km or 10km race in September.

Day 46

I'm realizing that although I drink a lot of water when I work out, I tend to forget about it during the day. This is something that I really need to work on, would really help me stay energetic throughout the day, and help with my weight loss. I didn't lose any weight this week, but I think a number of factors are playing into that. I have really increased my strength training the last few weeks, my eating is getting better, and I also felt rather bloated this morning. It almost felt like I had ingested some dairy yesterday? Which is rather odd, considering how careful I am with the food I eat these days.

Elliptical
45 minutes
2.19 miles
900 calories

I also did my lunges and squats tonight, but didn't push as much as I did Tuesday night. I would still like to walk tomorrow LOL.

Day 45

It felt good to get back on the elliptical tonight, mind you I also had some anger/annoyance to resolve after he spent some time with his kids tonight. I pushed it up a notch again tonight, it's amazing me how much better I am doing than when I started this a month or so ago. Then again, I shouldn't really be that surprised, I have been working pretty hard to get here!

Elliptical
45 minutes
2.18 miles
898 calories

I went with an upper body workout tonight, decided to give my legs another nights break before pushing it again.

So, tomorrow morning I will weigh myself, really hoping for a loss, but will understand if there isn't... things were bound to slow down at some point. One cool thing... my collar bone is actually visible!!!! It's not visible by much, but I can actually see it now LOL.

Day 44

Taking a break today.... just so very, very tired. My thighs are also extremely sore, must have over did things 2 nights ago. Should be back up tomorrow.

Day 43

Hmmm... what do you say night after night when you have worked out???? Guess I will have to start thinking of other things to write about!

Elliptical
45 minutes
2.11 miles
874 calories

I did upper body after finishing the elliptical. I am already noticing a difference in my arms, can't wait until the muscles start to stand out more. One thing I am really looking forward to is my collar bone standing out again, I've missed that the last few years!

Day 42

Still chugging along, getting easier every day though. My thighs are really the only muscle group that is still protesting loudly, although even they are calming down a lot. I really don't mind the soreness throughout the day, it just helps remind me of how far I have gone.

Elliptical
45 minutes
2.12 miles
872 calories

I did a number of different squats tonight, also increased how many I did. My balance is already improved, must be doing something right.

I am going to start training for the 5km race tomorrow, it will be interesting to see how long I can run for.

Day 41

Another workout done, another step closer to that bikini! I feel so good after a workout, not tired, or sore, just a wonderful glow... I wish I could carry that feeling around all day with me! I'm thinking I need to learn how to meditate, it might just help me keep this glow all day.

Elliptical
45 minutes
2.11 miles
874 Calories

I did upper body today as well, added a new arm exercise as well. I also increased some of the moves from 2 sets of 10, to 2 sets of 12. I know it's not a huge increase, but it is an increase.

Oh, I will not be weighing myself until Friday morning. The weight loss has slowed down a bunch (which is a good thing), and I don't want to get discouraged when I don't see a loss every day.

Day 38

Another late one due to the Internet access issue.

Elliptical
45 minutes
2.09 miles
867 calories

Complete upper body workout as well.

Day 39 & Day 40

I didn't get a workout in yesterday. We had two late showings for the house, so I made the decision to stay out at my Mom's for the night. Being that we are at Grandma's, the boys were really rather difficult to get to bed. With that I wasn't even able to get a walk in like I had hoped for.

Today I am back in the house, but not feeling all that great. Could be I am getting a cold, not that surprising considering all the stress I have been under. Or, I am just overtired and worn out from a combo of stress, and very little poor sleep the last two nights... all caused by the three little boys.

I am about to have a neo citron, and hope it allows me a chance to sleep. As long as I feel well enough tomorrow I will be back on track... I don't like not working out now, it just doesn't feel right.

Day 37

Little late getting this on, the internal network in the house was down while he removed his office stuff.

Elliptical
45 minutes
2.08 miles
863 Calories

Completed lower body exercises today.

Day 36

Another day done, another day closer to my goal!

45 minutes
2.12 miles
880 calories

I also did some upper body again tonight, hopefully in the next week I won't feel so sore all the time! I am hoping to start training for a 5km race being held September 13th out in Canmore next week. I would like to have something to work towards, other than just getting in shape!

Hopefully I can work out some sort of schedule with my Mom and friends to get my training going.

Day 35

That was a hard one today! I don't think the extra resistance I added last night was really noticed until I got back on today... those 45 minutes were really long tonight!

45 minutes
2.05 miles
853 calories

I did my lower body workout as well tonight, I really want to make sure I get some muscle tone when all is said and done. I can't believe I am getting so close to my goal, I know I still have a ways to go... but I always wondered if I would even get this close. Now I know that I will get to my goal, and spend the rest of my life staying fit and healthy.

Day 34

So, I did not increase my pace this time, but I did increase the resistance up 2. I have been finding 40 minutes getting much easier, even with the speed increase.... so thought I would give this a try. Somehow I was easily able to finish 45 minutes!

45 minutes
2.07 miles
860 calories

I did come close to not doing it again tonight, but all I have to do is remember how good it feels after I am done. I also spent about 15 minutes doing an upper body workout.

Woo Hoo!!!

So, I'm not under by much... but I have just said goodbye to the 160's!!! I weighed in this morning at 159.8lbs. What a great feeling!

Day 33

Came close to not getting on the elliptical tonight. I had the beginnings of a headache after dinner, and just felt tired in general. I took an Advil for the headache, which has worked it's wonders. As for being tired, I just came downstairs as soon as the boys were in bed at 7:40pm to start my workout. I figured that if I could get it in early enough, I would still do it. Which I did LOL.

40 minutes
1.89 miles
783 calories

I also did 30 deep squats in second position, plus a number of other exercises for my legs and ankles. I have sprained my ankles many times over the years, so I know that they need some work. My arms are very sore from yesterday... I'm thinking that I need to have a nice hot bath tonight to help all my poor abused muscles.

Having some fun!

So, last night before going to bed, I decided to pull out a storage tub of clothes that I have kept for many, many years. Many of these clothes I have not been able to wear for a good 8 years, pretty sad huh. Well, most of these clothes fit me perfectly now! Some were still a little tight, but another few lbs and they will fit perfectly too. The only issue with some of them is that they are dressier clothes, not really something you wear everyday with kidlets around. And of course, since I am not stopping this weight loss journey till the end, I won't even have much of a chance to wear them!!!

It felt really good to try those clothes on again, and it will feel even better when I get to go shopping for new clothes this fall. I never thought I would enjoy losing weight this much, especially the exercise aspect of it!

Oh, I'm down another 1/2 lbs this morning. That puts me at 160.2, I'm so close to the 150's I can taste it!!!

Day 32

Yesterday was a break for me, went out and had a blast with some good friends... and made some new ones as well. Tonight I am back in the saddle so to speak LOL.

40 minutes
1.89 miles
786 calories

I really pushed myself the last 10 minutes, increased my speed from an average of 2.7 miles per hour, to about 3.0 miles per hour. I initially increased the speed with the intention of holding it for 2-4 minutes, but kept it up for the last 10. I'm pretty impressed at that I could maintain that.

I also did a number of arm exercises, only using 5lbs, but that will increase with time. This came about after I had to ask my neighbor to start the gas mower for me, I realized that I need to work on my poor muscles a little bit... they've been sorely neglected the last few years, only carrying around kids. So, I will alternate days between upper body and lower body. I suspect that I will enjoy the results from those efforts as much as the weight loss so far.

Day 30

Wow, that was hard today. It's probably a good thing that I didn't go for another 5 minutes yesterday.

40 minutes
1.83 miles
770 calories

I found it really hard to get started to today, and never really got into a good stride... but I didn't give up, and finished all 40 minutes.

Weight this morning was down to 161.2, for a total weight loss of 21.4lbs!!!

Day 29

I can't believe how much easier this is getting! Here's tonight,

40 minutes
1.83 miles
766 calories

I found it so much easier tonight, was very close to continuing on for another 5 minutes, but I don't want to push myself too hard.

Last night was not a good night here.... I let my emotions get the best of me in a discussion with 'Hubby', especially when he told me that She will be moving here in a month. Talk about kicking a girl when she is down. But, I am back in charge, and I know how I will handle this.

Day 28

I think I am going to pass on the exercise tonight... with the nerves from today, and other things combined, I just don't have the energy to do it. I also have a headache that I am waiting for my Advil to calm down, but don't think it will happen in time to exercise tonight.

I'm thinking an early bedtime is in order.

Day 27

Well, I didn't do 40 minutes today, but I did walk around a museum for a while, and then chase kids in 32°C at a splash park. Also the fact that I didn't get a chance to get on the elliptical until 9:45pm did not help matters either. I did do...

23 minutes
1.05 miles
450 calories

I also need to take a sundress in at the sides almost 3 inches as it is so big now! I don't think I have ever enjoyed weight loss so much before LOL. My Mom and I were talking about it today, and it made me realize that I am now using exercise as a form of Therapy. Which when you think about it, isn't such a bad thing. Much better than drinking, sex, or drugs.

Oh, I am down an even 20lbs today!!!! 162.6lbs.

Day 26

Phew! Today was a little hard towards the end, but I did finish!

40 minutes
1.85 miles
770 calories

I am also down to 163lbs!!!! I went to pick up some pants on sale (no point in paying a lot since I am losing so fast), and got one pair of slacks in size 10, and a pair of jeans in size 12!!! Just 25 days ago I was a size 16/18. I can't believe that I am almost out of double digit clothing sizes.

Day 25

Okay, so I'm down to 164.something LOL. For the life of me I can't remember what the exact number was this morning. I only got 15 minutes done last night, marital issues came up... oh joy! Today we have....

40 minutes
1.8 miles
734 calories

I'm feeling very good about that, it was easier than 2 days ago to get 40 minutes done. So far I have lost 18 lbs, and I feel so much better about myself. My clothes are starting to fall off me, pretty soon I will need to get some interim clothes. Thankfully with summer upon us, I can get some pretty cheap items to keep the budget down. But this Winter I will have to do some major shopping!!! I am so looking forward to that LOL.

Day 23

Well, I didn't get any workouts done the last two nights.... The first night I was just way too tired... and well... the second night I had confirmation that my 'Hubby' had been having an affair with a girl (I'm 99% sure she works at the UK office) in England for last few months, and that it's serious. I'm obviously hurt, but strangely not angry anymore??? I actually feel sorry for him, and for her... it's hard to explain. Anywho... LOL

Elliptical
40 min
1.75 miles
734 calories

I wasn't even sure at first I could do 30 minutes, but I hit a stride at about 25, and just kept going. It felt good to be back after 2 days off. I have a lot of work to get my body where it deserves to be.

Day 20

Well, those 30 minutes were a lot harder today! I think the adrenaline rush I had for the first few weeks has worn off, guess I really need to find a way to eat more. My stomach must have shrunk a lot, as I am finding very small amounts of food fill me right up... hopefully it's not a mental issue!

30 minutes
1.37 miles
570 calories

I can't wait until 30 minutes feels like a breeze, will make me feel so much better about myself. I am planning on climbing Mount Yumnuska (well, more of a hike) in a few weeks when 'Hubby' gets back. I've wanted to do this for many, many years, but never felt that I could handle it. If figure that 3 weeks after working out everyday, as well as the weight loss I've had, that I should be able to do it. Later in the summer I will go again, and see how much quicker I am.

Day 19

So, I had a very good workout on the elliptical today, as follows. I had only planned on 30 minutes, but felt that I could continue on at that point. Those last few minutes were very hard though!

35 minutes
1.55 miles
640 calories

I then did 20 deep seated squats, and some arm workouts with 5lbs weights. I am feeling really good about where my body is headed, I am looking forward to being as fit as when I danced almost 20 years ago, or even in better shape... it's just too bad that I won't get a flat abdomen without some surgical help.

I am now thinking about what to reward myself with when I get to my goal weight, there are many options to choose from. Of course there is the shopping trips, but that will need to happen no matter what. I'm really leaning towards getting a few more tattoo's. I would like to get a stop light tattoo with the colours in a different order, Green (Monkey), Red (Bug), and Yellow (Little Man). I would also like to get a nice front, side and back sweeping tattoo of possibly the boys flowers??? That one is a little trickier to decide on, at least I will have some time.

Day 18

Well, I'm down again. I'm now at 166.6lbs, which is a total loss to date of 16 lbs in just 18 days!!!! It's kind of scary when I write it down like that. I am starting to eat a bit more, but (obviously) not nearly enough yet. I just find that after eating a small amount, like 1 cup of soup, I am full?!? At least I am slowly getting my way back to eating properly. My water is also up, about 1.5 litres each day.



Elliptical

1.32 miles & 560 calories.

Day 15

So, it's been 15 days since my husband told me he was leaving me. One of the few good things about this is my weight loss... to date, I have lost a total of 13.5 lbs. So, to summary....

Day 1 - 182.5
Day 15 - 169

Not too bad! I am starting to eat more, still not a lot though. I find that I am not nearly as hungry as I use to be, and that I can't eat all that much at a time. Up until yesterday I was very busy getting this house ready to sell, all on my own I might add, as hubby is away in England again. But now that I don't have all that cleaning to keep me busy, I will fill it up with some time on my elliptical. So tonight I did 30 min, 13 miles, and burned 560 calories. Now to keep it up every night, which I don't see being an issue right now.

Right now, busy and active is very, very good.

Hmm....

I hope I can curb this loss soon, hopefully when I calm down a bit....

Monday May 25th - 173.6

How to lose weight...

I have finally found the way to lose weight... don't eat!!!!!! This curious phenomenon is brought about by finding out that your Husband of almost 13 years wants out... and has truthfully not been happy for many, many years... because you infuriate him, and to generalize... because of who I am. I am eating a little bit, but truthfully the thought of most food makes me want to puke. I expect this to ease up in the coming weeks, but right now... I really just don't want to eat.

Weight
Monday - 182.5
Thursday - 176

This is hard!

So, made it to the track this morning. Week 2 so far is very hard for me, if it isn't easier by Saturday when I go again, I will most likely repeat the week. I would rather repeat a week, then to burn out and stop. I also think I should start using the elliptical on my off days from the track. I wouldn't push myself too hard, but I think it would be good to just get on for 30-40 minutes... with the pace of a fast walk.

My eating is a bit off right now, I'm just so tired throughout the day, that I am not eating at normal times. I actually crashed on the couch for a few hours this afternoon when we got home. I'm not sure why I was so tired, but I could barely function. Hopefully I get some of my energy back soon.

Started Week 2 today!

I decided to take the plunge and start week 2 today... man was it hard! LOL I almost made the decision to stick with week 1 again this week, but figured I could at least give week 2 a try. I did complete it, but it was hard... very hard. Hopefully I feel comfortable enough with week 2 by Friday that I can start week 3 next week.

I did not make it to Yoga today, my Nanny is away this week, and I would not have had time to feed the kids before heading to the Y to drop them off at the daycare. We usually get home between 11:30 and 11:45, and I would have had to be at the Y (7 minutes away) by 12:05 to get the boys settled in the daycare... just not near enough time to eat and run. Next week I will be back though.

Another run done.

I got another Week 1 of the C25K done today. I may end up doing Week 1 again next week, as I am finding that I am having to push myself really hard for this. Which in some ways is sad, but I know that I haven't exactly been the picture of fitness the last few years... just hadn't realized it was this bad. The run consists of eight 1 minute runs, with 90 second walks between each run. It shouldn't be this hard.... should it?

So, even though I got my iPod to connect to my i-nike the other day, I couldn't get it to connect at the track? I'm starting to get a little annoyed, why will it work here at home, but not at the track? If I can't get it to work Friday when I go, I will exchange it for another one to see if it works better.

Yoga

So, I made it to the Yoga class yesterday. The teacher was, well, a little odd LOL. Not quite sure what to make of her yet. The exercises were a little different than I have done before, but it still felt good. Hopefully once I am used to the teacher, it will work out better.

Tomorrow I am off to the track for a run, then in the afternoon I will be taking one of my boys to the swimming pool. Although that won't really be much of a work out!

Yoga, here I come!

So, I called up the local YMCA today to see if they still had spots available in the Monday afternoon Yoga class... they had 7!!! So, as of Monday, I will taking a 1.5 hour yoga class every week for 3 months! I have taken Yoga classes in the past, and really enjoyed them. I remember how much better my flexibility got in a very short amount of time, and how much more relaxed I was. And trust me, I need something to relax me LOL. The boys know how to get my stress to peak easily LOL.

Last week as I was waiting for Little Man's prescription, Bug wanted to know what the blood pressure machine did. So, I put my arm in and showed him. Well, that first reading was 159/135!!! Yes, I did not rest for a minute before taking the reading, but still... WOW. 10 minutes later I took it again, and I was back to my normal of 91/62.

I made it out today.

I made it for a run this morning, came very close to backing out since the boys had me up at 5:30am! I still did Week 1 of the C25K. For some strange reason I couldn't get my nike-ipod thing to work, so I don't have that to upload. I can tell you that I ran for a total of 8 minutes, in 60 second intervals. I was on the track for a total of 35 minutes. I am going to be working on the schedule for my Nanny tonight, and will make sure that I have time to get in 3 runs next week. I would really like to finish Week 1!

Too much going on....

So, I haven't really had time, or the energy to worry about exercise this last week. For those that wonder where I am, I post much more often on my other blog... Dreams of Cyprus.

Hopefully I will be healthy next week to get my runs in... I hate all these crazy interruptions!

I did make it... but....

Well, I did make it to the track this morning... although I sort of think I should have passed LOL. I forgot the armband holder for my iPod, so I bought another one.. but the store was almost 20 minutes late opening!!! Finally get to the track just before 10am, get changed, and head up. Only to find that my C25K podcast is missing!?!?!? I quickly calibrate the my strides for Nike +, and manage to get 15'43" minutes complete, or 1.64kms. I've loaded a ticker to the right that will keep track of my runs, and how well I am doing.

I only got 15 minutes in because I needed to get to the store for some milk, and bread. I would rather have a short run then take 3 boys grocery shopping LOL. I should be able to head back to the track Monday... hopefully with everything I need this time LOL.

So...

This past week hasn't gone all that well, but the first bit that Hubby is gone always throws a kink in my plans. I will be back to the track tomorrow, with some nice new running shoes (mine weren't really the best), and Nike's iPod attachment. I did not buy my iPod Touch with the knowledge of this feature, but it is a decent one that could help me keep track of where I am with my goals. I have also just signed up at Nike to keep my workout info in one place... and it just sync's from my iPod.

I have hired a Nanny to come to the house on a part time basis, this should help to get me out for my workouts when I need to do them... also a little bit of sanity from the boys LOL.

I Did It!

I came very close to not going Day 1 today, I just felt very tired after dropping the boys off... I almost went to the coffee shop to sit back and read for a bit!!! But, I kicked my own butt, and went to the track. I won't say it was easy... which is kind of sad in a way... but at least I did it. Now to just figure out what days next week will work!!!!

Day 1, Week 1

I am going to take Monkey to school, drop Bug, and Hadrian off at a friends.... and then I am heading to the track to complete Day 1, Week 1 of the C25K!!! I have found a few podcasts, as well as an app for my ipod touch that let's me play my music with the cues. I think for today I will try the podcast, and see how I like it before getting the app.

Oh, my scale this morning said 180.8lbs!!!! I am so close to being out of the 180's again... I can hardly wait. Seeing the scale go down is the best incentive there is to keep up with all of this. I will have to work hard this month to see the 160's again though!

Here's the deal.

Over the next 3-4 weeks, Hubby will not be home much... traveling for business around the world. So, to me this is a great time to get my act together, and kick my weight loss into high gear... or at least as high gear as I can with 3 crazy boys sapping me dry.

Today was a good day eating wise, then again, being so busy with the kids helps keep my mind off of snacking! I really want to start running, it is something that I can do anywhere... don't exactly need special equipment! I am seriously contemplating entering the 5km race out in Cochrane this June... but am very scared of not being able to run it!!!!

I am going to try to iron out a schedule with my sitters/friends so that I can do the 3 days of training that is outlined in the Couch to 5km (C25K) plan... you can see the details here. I have started this in the past, but never completed it.

So... if anyone wants to check in with me to make sure I am working away... PLEASE do... I need help keeping my ass in line LOL. I will hopefully get a schedule together in the next few days, and will post it then.

I CAN do this. I WILL do this. I WANT to do this.

too much happening...

So, I haven't had the time, or the energy to even think about losing weight lately. Not only that, but some strange format things have happened to my blog in my absence?!?!? I am feeling better today, so hopefully this week I can actually get back on track. I am down another lb though, mainly from being sick.. let's just hope I don't gain it back!

Oh, one reason I need to get back on track this week, is that I am getting my Mirena IUD removed. Instead I am going to go back on the pill, not sure which one yet, but something that will be better than the IUD. So, to keep from the typical weight gain associated with the pill, I need to keep on top of exercise and eating.

A long month....

This month has not being going so well for me. I am down a few lbs, but only because I had the stomach flu last week! Hubby has been away 3 out of the last 4 weeks.

I had been planning on using the elliptical tonight, but that is so NOT going to happen now. I've had a headache the last two days, and got to spend the afternoon at the walk-in clinic with Bug getting his foot x-rayed. It's just sprained thankfully.

So, all I can envision for myself tonight is relaxing with a glass of wine, and maybe a nice soak in the tub.

I can't put it this weight loss off much longer, as it looks like chances are good we will be moving again before the end of year. I really want to have this done and over with before dealing with another overseas move!!!!!

Something seems to be working!

Well, I haven't exercised this week... just not there yet, and it's hard to get into things with Hubby gone. But, I have really watched what I eat, and it has payed off! I am down to 183lbs!!! All I have really done is try to cut down on certain snacks, and drink more water and tea. It makes me feel good to realize that I am doing something right, and gives me more motivation to keep going.

Only 48lbs more to go!!!

A little background

I don't know why I am finding it so hard to get back into a good routine of exercise, and eating well???? I know it's not easy, but I don't remember it ever being quite this hard... it's usually keeping it going for any real length of time that I have problems with.

Today, though, I am doing well eating wise! Even though I am hungry right now, I am resisting, as well as drinking water instead.

Okay... enough about excuses, here's some reasons and explanations of what I want. History first.

Until I got married 12 years ago, I never had a weight problem. In fact, for a long time I would say that I was underweight! During high school, and until I was around 21, I weighed around 110lbs... which is not much when you are 5'5". I danced (Ballet, Jazz, Tap) from age 6, until I was 16, typically 6 nights a week. This is one reason I was so thin, always moving, and not much time for food. When I stopped dancing, it was a few years before I started to gain weight.

By the time I was around 21, I was probably around 125lbs, which was a wonderful weight for me. I was confident, happy, and healthy. I met my Hubby when I was 22, and married him 4 months later. I believe I was around 130-135lbs when we tied the knot. It was not hubby's fault that I gained weight, but just circumstances. I really did not know him well at the time, and had moved 2000kms away from my friends and family to be with him!!! I was living way up North, it was very, very cold, I didn't really know my new husband, didn't have a job yet, and found solace in snacking and watching TV.

Within 6 months I had put on around 20lbs, and over the next 7 years I managed to add another 30lbs. Then of course we had our 3 children within 3.5 years. Obviously this didn't help matters, in some ways made it worse... I gained between 50 and 60lbs with each pregnancy, which of course has left me with stretch marked skin that I don't always feel comfortable in.

Now for where I want to be....

I would be ecstatic to be at 135lbs again, it was a wonderful weight for me, not heavy or light, with just the right curves. I want to be there before the end of the year... so I need to lose 50lbs over the next 11 months, a fairly attainable goal.

The following is my biggest obstacles.

• I find that my children exhaust me by the end of the day.
• It isn't always easy to eat properly when I also have to feed three kids, clean up after them, and keep the house clean, especially when hubby is away.
• It doesn't help matters when Hubby buys snack food for himself, especially things that I like.
  

My Reasons for losing this weight.

• I want to have the energy, and ability to keep up with my 3 boys.
• We plan to move to the Mediterranean, and I don't want to feel self conscious in a bathing suit.
• I want to wear clothes in a single digit size!

Some of my excuses seem pretty lame when I type them out like this!!! With Hubby gone these next few weeks, I will concentrate more on my eating than exercise. When he comes back I will have more energy to work on exercise... right now it is all I can do to get through each day with the boys.

Still not well..

Still have this cold, although today I actually feel a little more human. I'm really hoping it is all cleared up tomorrow, then I can arrange child care for the week, and make it to the gym. I will also need to make use of what I have here at home...

I am setting up a schedule for the boys this week (to get ready for homeschooling them, and myself taking some courses), and I should probably incorporate my workouts into it... those that I can at least. For workouts at home, I have an elliptical, hand weights, yoga ball, and some video's. This is more than enough that if I can't make it to the gym, I can still get a decent workout in.

I will post my schedule when I sort it all out.

It figures...

Hubby and the boys have passed their lovely cold onto me!!!! It started late last night with a sore throat, and now my head is pounding. I just want a chance to get things together and lose this weight! Now I will spend the next few days just trying to survive the boys while I feel like crap.. which means eating whatever is available, and hanging out on the couch.

Let's just hope it is over quick and I don't have too much housework to do when it's over. And did I mention that while I am down here, hubby is still upstairs sleeping away... yah, tomorrow I am taking the day off!!!

Not going so well yet...

It's 20 days into this New Year, and I can't say that things are going all that well! I did get to the gym twice last week, although this week hasn't worked out so far. I also didn't get downstairs to my elliptical as I have been getting some lovely AF cramps... urgh!

Not sure what direction I need to take, but I know it needs to be easy transitions if I want to stick to it. I will think tonight of a goal for the rest of this week... most likely water!

It's going...

Well, I still have a long way to go, but at least yesterday (most of it) I did better eating wise. The biggest issue was the evening snacking, that really needs to stop. So, my goal for the rest of this week is....

No Evening Snacking (after 8pm)

Other than that, not too much I can do this week. I have bunch of housework that can only be done during the evenings, it should ease up by next week to allow me some exercise time.

Here I go again...

It has been 2 full years since I took a serious stab at losing weight. The scary/sad part is that I am about the same weight now as I was then. Yes, I did have another child, so that has contributed to the weight coming back, but I still feel upset. I am not extremely overweight, but do have more pounds on my body than I should.

I will be starting off slow, as I don't want to get burned out. The biggest things for this first week will be cutting down on portions, and trying to eat healthier. I am also going to be incorporating more water into my daily routine, it is seriously lacking right now.

So, now for the scary reveal.... this first day of my last weight loss journey is...

185 lbs

Let's see how far I get this year!