180 ...

woo hoo

lifted 180 pounds on the leg press today ... using JUST leg muscles - that was pretty cool.

Felt great. When I reflected I realized that was almost my own weight - craziness.

Also did 35 pound arm rows. ... all in all ...I felt like it was a highly successful day of working -outs :) yay!

That is all .. :) ... need to let out my celebrations!

3 days until weigh in .... I'm dying to see if I'm under the big 200!

I told my trainer today that I'm starting to notice other people using improper form ... it has taken me 20 months (that's how long I've been with Shawna) ... but I feel like I finally get how our body and muscles work and how to work-out safely.

Another thing I noticed was that I can do push-ups .. like real ones .. on my toes (not knees) and not on an incline bar or anything ... with my hands right on the ground... who knew? I discovered this the other day and was quite excited by it. I think I even mustered out 10! (doesn't mean I liked it though and it definitely wasn't easy .. but hey the proper form was there!).


New Goal by my birthday ... Jan 25th ..... 3 minute plank! I want to be able to do this before I turn 28! :) Will keep you posted!

so close ... yet so far ...

I like to try and keep these posts positive but wow it can be tricky sometimes when you think things are going so well and then you step on the scale and don't see the results you want.

I'm so damn close to being under 200 and it's driving me crazy. Since my last post I gained 2 pounds (from a bachelorette drinking evening -threw off the week) .. and then this week I lost 3 pounds .. which is really only like losing 1 pound from my overall goal .. alas I'm at 201 ... bah! The few months I've been working out like a dog, eating healthy and it's like a road block .. just comes off soooo slowly (we all get to that point I get it ... because your body gets adjusted to exercise and new eating routines etc. but the pace is frustrating!)

I think I have realized how difficult it really is to lose weight .. it's definitely a never ending battle. That being said I have a lot to celebrate ...

1) As much as I hate that it's going slowly I'm physically active and eating healthy.
2) Since the beginning of September I've been working out on average 5 days a week CONSISTENTLY which is very exciting. Being able to work out with my trainer 2x a week has been fabulous. There's nothing like working out when there's somebody there to push you to be all you can be.
3) At 201 I'm still going down and I'm at the lowest I have been in over 2 years. total loss - 57 pounds!
4) I feel like I have so much more strength and muscle which feels fantastic!

I still would LOVE to be under 200 by Jeff and Laura's wedding (in 2 weeks). It's doable but it is going to take some dedication.

This week has shown me how difficult it is to really get the weight off - losing every pound is like trying to finish the last page of a university essay - grueling, exhausting and never ending.

That being said they always say nothing in life worth doing is easy. I sure hope that's true - some days I wonder.

I leave you with this picture .. it's my motivational photo of the day and fits in nicely with what I feel that I need.


Happy Monday everybody!

fitness and teaching

Well first I should share the good news that I'm down 6 pounds and feeling great. Getting back to the routine of being at work I think really helped me out (both watching what I ate and exercising).

Now for what I really wanted to say ... I think I've determined in my life that the people I work out around or near MUST be motivating and encouraging. If I didn't need people to motivate me to get healthy I wouldn't be where I am today ...

I've also determined that some of the best fitness instructors in my classes also have a teaching background - seems that it just comes naturally.

I'm going to reflect on my spinning instructor today. He was incredible! He's a principal so obviously a former teacher and damn did he know how to work us hard. The other thing he did which I think is so important is he made a connection with everybody at his class. He did this by encouraging them during the class and making eye contact. Literally when I found myself slowing down I would look up and he would be looking at me and saying "Push.. push" .."keep going". He just kept encouraging all of us and it was amazing!

The other thing he does at the end of the class is he congratulates every single person by walking to their bike and "fist bumping" with every participant. Anybody who is new he asks them their name and announces to the class let's clap for __________ it was the first time he/she did this class today. In turn everybody cheers - what an incredible and supportive exercise community and what a damn good leader running the class.

I think these Wednesday spinning classes might have to become part of my routine - words can't say how much I loved it!

Although this picture doesn't necessarily have to do with spinning it really resonates with me because it talks about never quitting .. it shows that the person you need to compete against is just yourself and I definitely know the biggest challenge I ahd today in spinning was that voice in my head that wanted me to stop and wanted me to quit .. luckily I had a great instructor encouraging me otherwise!!

Until next time .. spin and bike and exercise your heart out. It feels incredible!

PS - did I mention I'm finally below where I was in May ... so officially the lightest I've weighed on my weight loss journey ... I'm at 202 ... so close to 200 I can taste it ...

success!!

Well I feel like I've gotten a clean bill of health. Physio figured out my knee and elbow issues and it's under control. My trainer is going to help me build up the muscle that I need to avoid further injury and strengthen - best of both worlds.

It felt so good to do training with Shawna today (2nd time this week!!!).  She had me doing intense circuits and damn did it feel good. As I'm doing squats she says to me "Just think about how good your butt is going to look in that bridesmaid dress with each squat". Some people (like my trainer) know EXACTLY what to say to motivate and damn that definitely did it. She thinks with me training 2 times a week with her and proper eating 15 pounds lost before Jeff and Laura's wedding would be doable. I think I can do it and this is my new mission!! This guy below was one of  the parts of circuits I did with her today ... ooh it was soo good .. and in the end of an hour of personal training ...700 calories burned. Damn that hard work pays off and I love it!! Getting a trainer has been the best financial investment in my health I've ever made .. I can't imagine not having one. If you're stuck in a rut with your fitness routine I TOTALLY recommend it! When I leave a session with Shawna I feel like I'm on my own biggest loser show lol ... I've learned to do things I never thought possible.

The great thing about Shawna is she knows exactly what to say to keep me on track. Before we left she quizzed me on what I was having for dinner. Well I knew it was a baseball night so I knew there was going to be pizza ordered ... it wasn't even a question she said okay so what are you going to have instead ? This in itself just shows how sure she was I was going to make the "right" choice and have an alternative. Sure enough with her in mind (and the idea of a good looking butt in that bridesmaid dress) I had my homemade chicken gumbo. I had one piece of crazy bread (100 calories) so I didn't feel like I was missing out completely .. but I ate my hearty okra and brown rice chicken gumbo and I was so proud of myself. 

Pizza is by far my weakness .. last week with pizza as the baseball dinner I had about 4 slices .. I don't even want to consider how many calories that would be. A Little Caesars pizza slice is 250 calories for ONE SLICE and Little Caesars doesn't even have big slices .. so that was a wake up call. My problem is I know my body and I know if I had just one piece .. one piece would soon be five pieces ... it's so easy to do. 

I'm just writing this post to celebrate because I"m so proud. I felt soo good about my decision not to have the pizza and a huge kudos to Shawna who motivated me to realize pizza wasn't an option and it wasn't necessary. 

She also made me realize the importance of planning (although I know this). A goal of mine for this school year will be to makes lots of homemade vegetable soups and prepare chicken breasts so they are always handy to add to a salad etc. If I take the time to plan ahead I won't be stuck in a situation where I feel I have to eat what is offered or I go hungry and overeat because I'm so hungry. I'm hoping this will be a step in the right direction. 

Okay I'm done celebrating .. but thanks again to Shawna who helped me avoid the pizza trap. 

Now let's just see how I make it through the bridal shower on Saturday .... stay tuned! 

Staying on track ...

So far this has been a good week for staying in my calories and exercising (yay!). The weekend away in North Bay was tough .. but I was happy with the results considering all the drinking and lots of food .. I made time to go for a run ...unfortunately I didn't lose this week, but I stayed the same .. with that kinda weekend I was quite happy. I also have a bit of a knee injury that has me sidelined ... but I'm not letting it stop me too much. I have physio tomorrow so we'll see what they say about it in terms of what I can and cannot do.

Said no to a milkshake last night at one of the best burger joints I've ever been too. I had a turkey burger - delicious ... not the most clean option .. but I was proud of the no milkshake. BIG shout out goes to Laura Tripp who definitely motivated me not to order that milk shake. There's no doubt in my mind if Laura had not referenced my past blog post about saying I need to rely on myself (not friends) to ensure healthy eating. So she helped me by referencing it, proving the statement wrong and encouraging me not to get it. Yay Laura!

I did a stress test today - pretty neat stuff ... got quite the work-out 13 minutes of running. All clear in the heart department (just have a higher than normal resting heart rate) which who knows may change as I get even more fit (here's hoping!).

The interesting thing I found out was that the technician told me she gets people in their 80s who are able to run the same length and incline on the treadmill as I did. It was definitely not an EASY last few minutes with the steep incline (heart rate was up to 180 so it was a work out) .. so to hear that she gets people in their 80s there was quite incredible. I hope that can be me one day .. keeping active in the future is going to be so important to me .. just gotta stay on this roll.

In other good news ..Nick has joined the gym with me - proud of him of him for making that big step. :) Now we will have to figure out how we get dinner made and eaten as he typically used to be cooking for me while I was at the gym ... - crock pots meals it is!

In closing I'm leaving you with this image as this is what resonates with me right now ... the idea that everything you do today impacts the body of your future tomorrow ... so start now with eating right and exercising often. Your 2030 body will thank you!

Will Power and addictions

Okay it was our weekly baseball dinners ... spinach salad and pizza .. I can do this. No dessert temptations too which we sometimes have.

Alas I got my 2 pieces and a big helping of salad. The pieces were small from Zarky's - Romo pizza I think is the name of it. So definitely not as greasy or nasty as the pizza, pizza versions .. but that being said it tasted even better.
I had 900 calories left to stay in my zone ... so no problem - only wanted to use about 500 on dinner ... WELL .... after the 2 pieces I was really good - I felt full and tried to not think about the endless amount of food that was left. I had been really on track all day, I wasn't going to mess it up was I?

Alas - my will power failed me and a second serving turned into a third serving and a fourth serving .. in the end I think I had about 6 pieces of pizza. OOOH the frustration at myself ... and now I feel disgusting. ...but oooh the realization. Food is totally an addition - there's no doubt in my mind. The "off" button on me just sometimes doesn't work and I get carried away ,.. that's why i'm where I am.

Anyways I just had to vent ... because I know I screwed up and hopefully tomorrow is a new day ... and it's about picking yourself back up when you get knocked down.

A 5 day vacation at the cottage is coming up. Trying to decide and plan on how I'm going to ensure I remain on track. I find one slip up sends me into a spiral. I hope to also try and ensure I do some work-outs while I'm there too - that will help!

Stay tuned ...

Clean Eating Recipes to try

Well starting the day with a new frame of mind motivated me to get cooking some healthy, clean meals. Clean eating magazine is incredible for recipes which is where I got some of these. I recommend all 3 of these as in my mind they were all delicious. It's great how when you work on it healthy food really can taste good.

Clean Eating Magazine - June edition
Chicken Gumbo with brown rice & Okra

Serves: 4

Hands-on time: 25 minutes

Cook 1/4 cup of brown rice according to package directions. In a large saucepan, heat 2 tsp olive oil on medium-high. Add 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion, and 2 cloves garclic, chopped, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 2 minutes. Add 1lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed, and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes, until golden brown.

Add 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, 28oz boxed or jarred chopped tomatoes, 10oz frozen sliced okra, 2 dried bay leaves, 1 tsp each dried oregano and dried thyme and 1/4 tsp each sea salt and fresh ground black pepper.

Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add 2 cups chopped kale, brown rice and 1/2 cup frozen corn and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 1 to 2 minutes, until heated through. Discard bay leaves and serve.

Nutrients per serving (2 cups) - I felt full after 1 cup though

Calories - 330, total fat - 6g, sat fat- 1g, monosaturated fat - 3g, polyunsaturated fat - 1g, carbs- 34 g, fiber-10g, sugars- 10g, protein- 37g, sodium-330mg, cholesterol-66mg.

Baked Crispy Apple Chips

A great healthy crispy alternative to keep around the house.

You will need:Apples (any firm variety,I used royal gala that were getting kinda old looking)
Parchment paper
Baking sheet
Cinnamon powder (optional)

Method:Pre-heat oven to 200 F and position rack in the centre.
Wash the apples and slice them fine (with or without seeds). I sliced it with the seeds,hence the beautiful design in the centre.
Lay them on a parchment lined baking sheet making sure you DO NOT overlap the apple slices.
Bake them for 1 hour 15 mins or till they turn pale brown (as you see in the pic) and crisp. It will get more crisp once cooled.
Cool the baked chips completely.
Sprinkle them with cinnamon powder and store them in airtight containers.

Eat Clean Protein Smoothie Popsicles
These turned out so well and are so much better than the expensive popsicles you buy in the store and a lot better for you too.

Ingredients:
2 cups plain low-fat yogurt (I used 0% Astro)
2 scoops vanilla-flavored protein powder
2 cups frozen berries
1/4 cup agave nectar

Directions:
Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Process until just combined. Pour into popsicle molds or Dixie cups with a popsicle stick centered in the mixture. Freeze.

Makes: 10 to 12 popsicles

Serving Size: 1 popsicle
Each serving provides: Calories: 77, Total fat: 0.2g, Saturated fat: 0g, Protein: 5g, Carbs: 14g, Fiber: 1g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 40mg.

motivation

well ... it's been awhile since I've posted. I'd like to thank at the forefront an old university friend Jenn who's been following my blog and of course my lovely friend Laura who both took the time in the last few months to remind me it's been awhile since I updated. These in itself was great support.

Moral of the story- these slight hints motivated me to update.

I think the hesitation in updating is I have nothing to report. I'm 3 pounds heavier than at the beginning of May and am struggling with motivation. However as Jenn told me when we talked these types of posts are also important. It makes people realize that this is real life and this is reality. There will be road blocks and it's how we handle these road blocks that matter the most.

I have still been maintaining exercise .. but again with school being out I'm not in routine .. and with bridal showers and summer parties I'm not eating like I had been. I'm not going to sit here and make excuses .. because the reality is this is life. The BENEFIT of everything is that in 3 months because of exercising occasionally and having a much better understanding of how healthy and unhealthy foods really are I've basically maintained my weight loss.

However .. that's not good enough!!! because the weeks of 2 parties of cheat days in one weekend and only one session with my trainer all week I feel terrible. I've exercised once .. maybe gone on a nightly walk .b.ut the food intake and lack of consistent high impact exercise just makes me feel blah!! It's true what they say that it's 80% food because if I eat poorly my body feels like S** and it's a heck of a lot easier to gain weight than lose it.

I got back into spinning yesterday and it felt incredible! I think this was a wake-up call to my body that I have to get back on track. I have to get back to tracking food and I have to get back to 4-5 times a week of exercise. I never felt better than in the last year when exercise was regular and I actually took into consideration what I put into my mouth. The best part is that I know I can get back to that consistency because I've been there and yesterday morning after spinning was a wake-up call to how my body remembers feeling - amazing energy, more happiness, less stress and better sleeps.

When I reflect on the past few months I'm reminded on how easy it is to gain the weight back .. how easy it is to give up and how much harder it is to lose weight and stay on track. Part of me resents the fact I'm taking this journey basically alone because I've discovered..(no offence to anybody) that the only person you can rely on to not tempt you with dessert, not interupt your exercise routine and support you 110% is yourself. You are in control of your own destiny not your partner, not your trainer, not your parents, not your friends. YOU have the power to make a change and only you.

I'm left with this quote that I recently found on facebook "accept nobody's defintion of your life; define yourself".

Don't let anybody bring you down or discourage you. YOU have the power to make a change and define yourself. If you want to define yourself as somebody who is unhappy with the way they look and has a serious food addiction (been there!!) that's exactly who you will be. Now is the time to take control and make a change and define yourself as a healthy and active human being.

I want my definition of myself and my life to be an active one. I want people to hear Emily Moxey and  think of me as somebody who is active and health conscious. I think I'm getting to that definition slowly and maybe that day will come. In the meantime I'm going to work my ass off to make that definition a reality!!
I want my kids to think that going to the gym regularly and going on nightly walks and playing basebally weekly is just how life is ... it's just part of the every day.

In the meantime of defining myself and the way I want my life to be.. please continue to join me on this journey ...


recap -
Sun. July 29th weight - 207 pounds.
... goal for this week - 2 pounds....stay tuned.

love the lifestyle...

I know it's been awhile ..I had a week in there that I gained 3 pounds - which was a shock .. but otherwise been doing a bit here and there ... (last week was a 1.5 pound lost and this week was a 0.5 loss) ... so yes it's coming but damn it's coming slowly .. At least right now I'm at the lowest weight I've been in over 7 years ... I'm so proud of that.
Current weight: 204
LOSS this week: -0.5
Total loss since on this journey: 54 pounds
Total weight loss during 10 week goal timeline: 14 pounds - 6 pounds to go!!  (and only 2.5 weeks left .. eek!).

Today I want to talk about a few things:

1) a quote that I heard on the biggest loser that really stuck with it. The trainer said to one of the individuals "don't fall in love with the results ... fall in love with this (refering to exercise) .. fall in love with the new lifestyle" . It's true it's easy to get stuck on the rsults and how much weight we've lost but the trainer is right ... we should take the time to reflect and love the new life that we have created - a life full of healthy eating and clean foods ... loving the way it makes you feel and loving the healthy person you have become is the important part ..not just the numbers.
Love the change you have made to your life ... don't just love the results. Love the exercise and love the healthy foods. I'm going to try and focus on this idea this week to encourage me to stay focused and on track. I'm so happy and I feel great - THAT is the best part of this journey.

2) Second thing I wanted to share were two great moments for me
1- I fit into a size 12 dress pant. I had bought them from costco over 2 years ago in hopes of fitting in them one day (they never actually fit me properly) ... amazingly I put them on randomly one day and they were almost TOO big for me. This was a great moment for me.

2 - The other day Nick picked me up .. literally picked me up ... he used to do this all the time, however it's been awhile ... as soon as he picked me up he looked at me and said "wow .. you're light .. I guess I haven't picked you up in awhile" - this made me smile...he physically could feel the difference between my body weight ... that's pretty cool.

Just two moments I wanted to share that encouraged me and reminded me why I work so hard.

Thanks everybody for your continued support.

no excuses!

I have finally gotten an opportunity to catch up with this season's biggest loser (the focus is no excuses). I think over Easter the ongoing excuse of "well it's the holidays" creeped up on me more than once. I am however celebrating that despite the gym being closed/reduced hours and no classes I still worked out everyday of the weekend. There's always an excuse eg) I don't have time, I'm hurt, I'm sore etc. etc. I know I've used them all before.

But on the biggest loser the "I can't do it" excuse was sure put to the test. I was motivated by what I saw ...the episode had somebody by the name of Bethany Jackson - a woman who lost her whole arm when she was a teenager to a shark attack when surfing. In response to this despite her new fears of water, she returned to surfing and become a professional surfer winning medals galore. It was amazing to see her surfing with only one arm.

Watching this has motivated me to think anything is possible. The first time I participated in a spinning class over a year ago I barely made it through, stopping constantly for water breaks. In fact I was so discouraged, I never went back .I just  stated I wasn't "that person" the type of person that could do this crazy, intense exercise. I just thought it was "too much for me".... Today I can confidently and strongly make it through spinning classes and do so on a regular basis.  It is a fantastic exercise that I've started to thoroughly enjoy it.

My words of wisdom from my experience with spinning as well as Bethany Jackson ... never be afraid. Have the confidence in your own abilities and if you want something badly enough you CAN do it! You WILL be a success if you stop making excuses for yourself and get out there and do it. If Bethany Jackson can surf in championships with one arm anything  is possible with the right determination.

Take a chance!

I'm really trying to update more regularly and I get so busy. At least my Tuesday weigh-ins keep me on track! Another good week (well could have been better but I was happy with a loss). I thought with sushi dinner, dinner out last night, Katie's birthday and only 4 work-outs it would be destined for failure ... alas I did okay :)

Shows what hard work-outs can do for you.

Current weight: 206
LOSS this week: -1
Total loss since on this journey: 52 pounds
Total weight loss during 10 week goal timeline: 12 pounds - 8 pounds to go!!

My big post today is about taking a chance...  

Change is one of the hardest things the human body has to deal with. Change however can also open many new horizons. I reflect back when I decided to change .. I'm not sure what it was. I think I stepped on the scale-shocked and just in general felt very unhealthy. I was not happy and most importantly I was not happy with me. I took a chance by going into that gym. The biggest chance I took was paying money for a trainer. This was something I never wanted to do because well I thought why would I pay somebody for something I can do on my own. I'm already paying for a monthly membership. Then a few weeks with Shawna made me realize something ... I'm not paying somebody for something I can't do ... I'm paying somebody to help me with something I've never been able to do time after time.

I'm a firm believer that having a trainer has really helped shape my work-outs. I now know HOW to work out properly and have a motivator behind me all the way.

So I took the chance .. and now I've seen a change. My advice to everybody out there is to take a chance. Believe in yourself and you will see results and a change. You will never know what you can and can't do until you try.It's scary to first step into a gym after getting to a weight that you aren't comfortable with. It's scary to change your diet so much that you don't get the usual fast food. The reality is if you want to live a longer and healthy life, the chance is worth it. In fact the chance you take is pricless. Nobody can put a monetary amount on happiness and good health. Once you take this chance ... and stick with it ... you WILL see a change ....  But nobody can make that CHOICE to make a CHANGE but you ...

the Big 5-0 has been reached!!!

Tues. Mar, 27th 2012

Current weight: 207
LOSS this week: -2
Total loss since on this journey: 51 pounds
Total weight loss during 10 week goal timeline: 11 pounds - 9 pounds to go!!


HUGE celebration today .. I have lost over 50 pounds. It feels incredible and I'm so excited!!! I was really hoping I'd get there this week and I did (1 cup of pistachios and all lol).

Starting Weight: 258 - January 25th, 2012                                                                             









Current weight: 207 - Tues. March 27th, 2012










I still have a long way to go ... but I'm getting closer to my 20 pound goal - 9 away. I have until May 12th weekend. It is discouraging to know it takes so long .. but hopefully this means it will stay off. I do have the worry of gaining it all back .. but I just can't think those negative thoughts and accept that this is totally a LIFESTYLE change!!!!

I wouldn't be here today without the dedication and push of my awesome trainer Shawna who has taught me all I know about fitness and has shown me time and time again what it means to push hard... and of course my loving and supportive family and friends. My fiance Nick who has modified all his meals to ensure they continue to be healthy and cooking me beautiful, healthy "clean" foods. It's so great eating real food and follwing Tosca's principles. I have to specifically mention my Mom and Cathy who have been great motivators....wouldn't be here without them and my certain girlfriends who are so supportive - you know who you are!

Thanks to you readers too ... I've loved all the support I've gotten .. it's what keeps me going. Thanks from the bottom of my heart.

The journey is still in progress ... and it ain't over yet folks!

Slip ups...

First of all... Have to get a guilty moment off my chest. Yesterday I was grumpy, PMSing and tired...I was sitting in front of the T.V when I craved something... Of course chips or chocolate would have been nice, but I chose a better route.... Pistachios... Hadn't got all my "healthy" fats in for the day so thought why not? Well pistachios are good (like most healthy fats) in appropriate quantities.I sat and ate the rest of them (prob about a cup worth). In the end I had a bit of a stomach ache. I think this moment for me showed that my battle with food will always be there... It's just a matter of knowing how to control it. Knowing there will be times that you say to yourself " damn why did I eat that?" in the past I'd say well I messed up this day may as well just start again tomorrow. That's not a choice anymore! I messed up on the pistachios but I realized hey this happens and it's not worth dwelling on and it's certainly not worth giving up the rest of my day's calories! Live and learn. Moral of the story... In all our weight loss journeys we will have slip ups. What person who's working on quitting smoking doesn't have a puff now and then. Food is an addiction and there will be low points. ( like me and 600 calories worth of pistachios). The important thing is how do you deal with these mistakes? Do you say screw it I'll be better tomorrow or next week or do you immediately say well that was a silly choice, next time I chose to eat something I will stop and think about it. Give yourself a rebost... You are better than that slip up... Keep your goal in mind. How will you handle your next slip up?

celebration!! - and a great idea of weight tracking

Tues. Mar, 20th 2012
Current weight: 209
LOSS this week: -6.5
Total loss since on this journey: 49 pounds 
Total weight loss during 10 week goal timeline: 9 pounds - 11 pounds to go!! 

General thoughts: I am sooo unbelievably close to 50 pounds lost that I can taste it. Had a great week and I'm proud and excited and feel soooo good! My biggest moment this week was going over to a friend's for dinner and they had plates of bulk barn candies to share. I wasn't so tempted by the gummy candies .. but the cadbury mini eggs ....... those are unreal! However I know myself and if I had eaten 1, I would have eaten 25... so I just tried to have as much self discipline as I could (and that's not easy). I think though it is becoming easier to say no as I become closer and closer to my short term goal. I can't wait to be under 200 pounds ... I think the last time I was under 200 pounds was in first year university over 8 years ago ... so I'm determined!! What I did differently this week was I just got serious about tracking and ensuring I'm in my calorie range. I exercised 6 out of the 7 days which probably played a big role - found it definitely easier to fit in with March break. I would still like to at least definitely be working out 5 days a week for sure which I think is doable.

Now something that my lovely Mother recommended that she had heard about (it's a great visual reminder to encourage weight loss).

You set an attainable goal - so mine is to be under 200 pounds by my engagement party in May. This would mean a 20 pound loss.

In one masion jar you use rocks to represent each pound that you want to lose (or also known as your starting jar). Then in the other jar you use this as your weight loss jar. So each week you weigh yourself in you move the rocks to the appropriate jar (e.g., if you lose 2 pounds you move 2 rocks from the starting jar to the finish jar).

Now the real kicker is when you gain weight. If you gain weight you have to move the rock from the "finish" jar back into your starting point jar. The process of doing this hurts (I had to do it last week) so it helps to motivate and is a visual representation to keep you on track. I have it in my kitchen because I often go in here and graze unnecessarily. These jars will help me remember how far I've come and that I still have "rocks" to lose before I reach my short term goal.

Thanks Mom for this great and motivating idea. Try it out next month and let me know what you think.

When our emotions get the best of us!

I think in my last year and a bit of focusing on clean eating I have discovered that we all have foods that tempt us ... that is foods that make us think ... "oh one won't hurt me" .. and before you know it the whole bag of chips is gone ... foods that have an emotional tie ... foods that initially taste so good that we feel a sense of happiness eating them - maybe it's the emotional tie to your Grandmother's fudge cake.

For me food has always had an emotional connection. Think about it.... during some of your happiest days and memories -  Christmas, weddings, birthdays, baby showers there is ALWAYS food as one of the key components of the celebration. I hate this about food and how it has done this to us!!! I recall the break-up of my first serious boyfriend .. my girlfriends came armed with a 2 litre container of ice cream in hand. We ate it ... and somehow at the time .. it made me feel food (although I know now this was not the answer). I recently read that 75% of overeating is caused by emotions (depression, loneliness and boredom).... Bad food is everywhere and the days of eating because you're sad .. eating because you're bored .. or eating because you're lonely .. need to stop!! Check out this comic .. who's been there? I know I have ...

I wanted to celebrate a moment for myself in which I was not that person that ate ice cream because I was sad. On this particular day I was upset about something - can't even remember what. All I wanted to do was go into the kitchen and eat, but I wasn't hungry. I stopped myself right by the kitchen cupboards and instead I picked up the broom and starting sweeping .. I kept sweeping .. more and more .. and my time, energy and thoughts were now devoted to cleaning up instead of what food I could eat that I didn't really need. This worked for me and I was proud :)


I have found success in dealing with the stress of work in a different way than I once would as well. There was nothing I would liked more than to sit in front of the T.V with a pop and popcorn or tostitoes immediately after a rough day at work.  Now I instead put my energy and efforts into a great work-out. Trust me when I say it feels sooo much better than the taste of those unnecessary calories that you are letting your emotions control. 


Next time your emotions are getting the best of you and you crave food - pick up a broom .. head out for a run or go to the gym. Trust me when I say in the end you will be happy you did it ... 


 

lettuce cup lunch

Had a lovey lunch with my Mom today and she made these for us. Great alternative to the high carb sandwich. It's from multiply delicious (great website with good recipes too!). My Mom successfully cut the oil amounts suggested in half.

Chicken Vegetable Lettuce Cups

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (or coconut oil)
½ cup yellow onions, diced
½ cup green onions, chopped
½ cup red bell pepper, diced
½ cup yellow bell pepper, diced
½ cup carrots, shredded
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground chicken (or turkey or beef)
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh parsley or cilantro
Salt and Pepper to taste
Lettuce leaves (such as Bibb), washed and dried
Additional toppings of choice: Avocado, Guacamole, Salsa, etc.
 
Instructions:
Heat 2 tablespoon oil of choice in a large skillet on medium heat.  Add the onions, green onions, bell pepper, and carrots and cook until all are softened, about 2-4 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
While the vegetables are cooking heat another large skillet on medium heat and add one to two tablespoons of oil to coat the bottom of the pan.  Crumble chicken into the pan and sprinkle with salt and chili powder.  Cook the chicken without stirring until it is browned on one side, then turn the pieces over to brown the other side.  At this point you can also make sure the chicken is broken into small pieces or crumbled.  Once the chicken is just cooked through, stir in vegetables and sprinkle with more salt and chili powder to taste.  You can also add a little ground black pepper too.  Remove from heat.  Stir in fresh parsley or cilantro.
 To serve place the chicken vegetable mixture into lettuce cups and serve with toppings of choice.  I used avocado or guacamole and salsa.  Yum!

weigh in catch up ...

Not too sure how I missed last week's weigh in .. as I did weigh in (just didn't update my blog)...

Wed. Mar, 7th 2012
Current weight: 214
LOSS this week: 2.0 pounds
Total loss since on this journey: 46 pounds
Total weight loss during 10 week goal timeline: 4 pounds - (16 to go!) 

Tues. Mar, 13th 2012Current weight: 215.5
LOSS this week: (gained 1.5)
Total loss since on this journey: 44.5 pounds
Total weight loss during 10 week goal timeline: 2.5 pounds - 17.5 (to go!)

General thoughts today were discouragement .. it is such a slow process and a few difficult eating days completely throw me off track (which is what I discovered with housewarming party, March break and going to Buffalo - eating out way too much). I'm not saying these as "excuses" ... because there are no excuses .. I'm just venting at how hard this bloody process is and how hard it is to keep weight off and how hard it is to even get weight off. I feel like I'm working hard and it sometimes doesn't feel like it's hard enough. When I jumped on the scale today - I really didn't feel like I was going to gain .. so surprise, disappointment and resentment were up there with how I was feeling.

This week's a new week .... not sure what I'll do differently (I'm not going out to restaurants as much so that helps). I just need to keep my goal in mind!

Thanks for listening to my venting. I know I'm not alone in feeling discouraged because everybody is there at times. The positive attitude is what I have to remember ...

no more excuses !!!

Now is the day to step back and stop with the excuses! Saw this video and thought it was so true.

I am COMPLETELY guilty of making excuses (time is the biggest and most commonly used excuse)... but thought this may kick some of us that need it in the butt! (it motivated me!)

on track

Weigh in #2 (sorry I missed updating on Wednesday, but I did weigh in) - here it is!

Wed. Feb. 29th, 2012
Current weight: 216
LOSS this week: 2.0 pounds
Total loss since on this journey: 44 pounds (in Jan. 2011 I weighed 258 - this was my heaviest weight - SCARY!!!! )
Total weight loss during 10 week goal timeline: 2 pounds - (18 to go!) 
General thoughts/ feeling: had a good week .. worked hard and came out with a 2 pound loss ... going to be tough to stay this strict ... going to do what I have to do though. My fitness pal has been fantastic for my food tracking. I love having such supportive friends to be there on this journey.

To think I'm 6 pounds away from hitting 50 pounds lost is quite exciting. It seems like such a huge number to me ...I couldn't have done it without the support of my family and friends and trainer of course.

The more I think about it .. the more I think I'm crazy for sharing with the world wide web my weight ... when I think about it I cringe .. however I feel like this blog needs to be an authetic experience .. how can I help and motivate others if there is nothing measureable showing my ups (and downs). 

To prepare for the week I've made some great soups. I went to spinning - which was fantastic!!! I loved every minute of it .. but damn was I sore. I'm so proud of Laura and Michele who joined me. We gave it our all and it was so wonderful to have such supportive friends around me.

Here's to another great week - have our house warming party on Saturday which will pose some challenges calorie wise (e.g., drinking + delicious food). Staying focused with my goal in mind!!!!

operation under 200 in full effect

Okay .. so I was thinking I need a goal .. something to motivate me. Well I came up with a plan. I hate sharing my weight and I hate talking about that "number" but I'm going to do it. Since November (so the last 4 months) I have stayed around the 210 to 218 mark ... this weight has been fluctuating like mad .. up and down .. up and down ... It's nice to know that I can maintain a weight within this range considering at my highest I was almost 260  ...but still ... this range is still not where I want to be.

I was telling my trainer a story yesterday .. I bought a step ladder that was on sale at Canadian tire for all the stuff we have to do around the house. I was SHOCKED when I read "max 200 pounds" ... this in itself was a motivator ... I hate the thought of being "in the 200s". I hate the fact I on paper can't use the step ladder I just bought. I hate the number 200!

So here's the plan and I talked this over with my trainer too. A healthy weight loss is 2 pounds per week. So my goal is to be under that 200 pounds. To do that I need to lose 19 pounds. (currently at 218). But for us folk that like even numbers ... let's say 20 pounds. My trainer told me it's going to be hard work but with hard work comes good results.

So that's 20 pounds in 10 weeks. In other words 20 pounds by May 2nd. I will put up my stats every Wednesday - because that makes me accountable - sometimes it may be Tuesdays though as that's when I have my personal training and typically get weighed in. I will also share my general thoughts/feelings and reflections on my week.

Wed. Feb 22nd, 2012
weight- 218
general thoughts/ feelings - ready to get serious about healthy eating ... exercise has really been an important part of my life that I have maintained quite regularly .. but it's the eating that bogs me down .. the treats .. the carbs .... the fact vegetables don't taste as good as ice cream.  Paying attention to the food will really have to
be a focus for me these next 10 weeks.

Steps to be successful:
working out at least 4 days a week
eating healthy & clean eating
decreasing amount of time I go out to eat
support from friends and family

So now I have a measureable goal and a plan. It's SHOWTIME!

See you next week (if not before) with weigh in #1....

inspiration and motivation

I think we all need a push to get started on the journey of weight loss and to change our lifestyle to a more healthy one. There's something within us or around us that kicks our butt into high gear and says "YOU CAN DO THIS .. it is time!". Motivation for me always lies in the fact I know for medical reasons I have to be at a healthy weight in order to (eventually) get pregnant. Having children has always been important to me and I think knowing that my weight could impact this is a scary thing! Everybody knows that in this 25 to 35 age range being fit is so important (although it's important all through you life too). I eventually look forward to being able to run after my kids and not be out of breath doing so. As a teacher now I love being able to run quality daily fitness without feeling I can't even keep up with my students ... just last week I was able to ski and keep up with them down the hills. It is an amazing feeling! You might think - well c'mon Emily you're 27 of course you should be able to keep up with these kids. However I know for a fact the 25 year old unfit me struggled with running quality daily fitness and was recovering for days after a ski trip.

So now you know the motivation for me to continue staying fit and losing weight. What's your motivation? Why are you taking the very smart step to take care of yourself and the only body you will ever have?

That being said a lot of these "health" reason are always at the back of everybody's mind. For me there are people that pushed me and inspiried me from the beginning. I really connected with Tosca Reno and the way she transformed her life at age 40. Then there's my trainer Shawna who weighed 250 pounds - just like me and then she changed her life making exercise a part of it and changed her diet to be a healthy one. Finally Shawna showed me that there was somebody who "gets it". She knows what it's like to be overweight and how hard exercise really is. Cathy - a long time friend of my Mom's is also a huge motivator. I knew her before she changed her life and it's been over 10 years since her life has included eating clean and regular exercise. She got me into Tosca and also showed me how much fun working out can really be. The reality is my family, friends and Nick also push and inspire me everyday to be a better and healthier person too.

I'm grateful that these people are a part of my life and inspire me. I was pushed to write this post because of something that really made me feel great - an old friend from university - you know who you are.. messaged me on facebook saying how inspiring my blog was and that she's been inspired and since the beginning of January has lost 22 pounds. I was happy to realize that wow .. people do take the time to read this blog - that's great news! Furthermore the people that read it are inspired?!! -this too is great news! So while people are reading and while I'm on this journey I will keep up the blog to the best of my abilities.

I leave you with this final thought ... what motivates you to be healthy and who inspires you? I reflect on these questions everyday to remember why I chose  over a year ago to change my life. When I'm feeling down I think about the people that inspire me and ask for help.

I hope you too can be motivated and inspired to make the choice to make a change - it starts now!

back on track

So I've worked pretty hard in January ... the outcome: a full month of focusing on eating right and exercise ... = losing the 7 pounds I gained at Christmas.
I think it's crazy to think that I could gain 7 pounds easily in less than 2 weeks at Christmas ... and it can take almost a month to lose it again ... wowzers!!

I think it makes me more aware that eating healthy and exercising is a lifestyle change, not a diet. It scares me to think if I ever stop exercising or don't eat right this could happen ALL over again. I guess that's why they say when you lose a lot of weight it's very difficult to maintain it. I read a stat that 95% of people that lose weight ... gain it back (if not more weight back!!). UGH! Talk about discouraging. I guess the goal is to be that 5% to maintains the weight loss?
Here's a few tips I read about to ensure the weight is not only lost but MAINTAINED!!!

Be physically active.
Watch your diet. A meal plan that allows for adequate calories, protein, and fat and is not overly restrictive has been shown to be the most beneficial
Have realistic weight goals.
Eat breakfast.
Learn to manage stressful situations.
Have a support system.

Here's hoping I'm writing a post in 2017 (5 years from now) and I am not one of the 95% statistic!!

Great quote ...

A saw this and I found it to be quite powerful...

I exercise because I can. When I get tired, I remember those that can’t exercise and what they would give to have this simple gift that I take for granted, and I work harder for them.

One of my biggest motivators of exercise is that I don't want to be the type of person 20 years down the road that CAN'T exercise. I want to be able to run with my future children and I want to always be the type of educator that can include physical activity in my classroom without running out of breath or feeling achey.

Age obviously affects our physical body .. but think about how good you feel when you DO exercise .. I know I feel energized, happy and unbelieveably proud. Exercise helps our heart, our brain and our overall health.

Everywhere people are looking for the miracle cure to aging through creams and vitamins. Part of me believe the miracle cure is within us - it's your very own body and what you do with it. So get out there and exercise ... we all want to age well - don't we?

7 POUNDS?!?!

7 pounds ... it is glaring at me ... sitting with me ... aggravating me ...
The amount that I gained over Christmas break.

For me it was a realization that .. shit ... I really need to maintain a healthy lifestyle (exercise and diet wise) or else every pound I've worked my ass off to lose will come right back. It is WAY easier to gain the weight back than lose it.

I'll be honest I was extremely discouraged. The worst was when my trainer told me .. you haven't been this weight since the end of August. For me that was a wake up call .. it took me 4 months to lose/maintain that weight  .. and all of a sudden over 2 bad weeks .. 7 pounds are back.

I can't even say I didn't exercise .. because I did .. but food .. yes food was a disaster .. not going to lie.

But .. it's a new year .. and I'm going to pick myself up and stay with it. Nothing is easy and everybody says there's set backs (and are there ever!).

I truly think this feeling of discouragement will stick with me .. and I'm hoping that next Christmas I will think twice about the way I eat ... no point in indulging like crazy and overeating - it just doesn't make me feel good .. .it's also not worth it.

This new year will bring new challenges .. new ups and downs .. and new food temptations...new excuses. NO MORE EXCUSES !! That's my basic word of wisdom!

And in closing .. I'm stealing from the bootcamp blog that inspires me regularly .. hope it inspires you too ..
"The past is the past and you can't change it, but by changing your thoughts, attitudes and ACTION in the present moment, the future is yours to create."

Please join me in making 2012 a year of healthy living and healthy choices.