I've had an Epiphany...

I've figured myself out. I'm a master of losing 5 pounds. I've become comfortable at 160 pounds. If I get to 165, I'll lose to 160 and then go off the diet and fitness plan, until I gain a couple of pounds and than I lose it again. I've been 160 for nearly 3 years now. What I REALLY want is to be 130 again, why am I so stuck on 160? Why can't I keep going PAST 160?

I've decided I'm not going to be comfortable at 160 anymore! I don't care if I've been that weight for so long, I DON'T like it. Just like I DON'T like being 170 so I drop that weight easily and quickly.

Anyways.

I'm still doing P90X! I had to break for awhile because I hurt my wrist and couldn't do most of the workouts. But wrist is better so I'm back on track. I've also been snowboarding again, so woohoo!

I found this fun little tool at the bookstore the other day! It's a diet and fitness day planner! It lets me fill out what I've eaten and how much I've worked and tracks how much I'm losing, ect ect ect. I really love it! I've done that with internet programs and such but I hate having to come to the computer every time I eat something. This is so much easier to just keep in my bag to keep track! I've tracked the past two days already... and it's suddenly clear why I'm not losing right now, haha.

Well all in all 2010 wasn't a bust. I completed goals and I DID lose weight, not as much as I wanted, but I lost! I also read more books, and climbed more mountains. Twas a good year.

Heading into 2011 with some new motivation and tools, hoping for the best!

Week 1 Done...

Well I finished my first week of P90X. I started out really strong and then started to feel worn right down and really struggled on day 4 and 5. So I made an effort to eat a bit more on day 6 and I nailed it. Today was a rest day and I'm soooo very thankful for it!

But, all in all, I'm really enjoying it. I love having something new to do everyday. I don't get bored! To be honest I think this is the longest I've consistently stuck with a program.

P90Xing!

Hey!

Well I kept with the low-card low-GI and it seemed to have helped! I've just felt lighter and less bloated and fewer cravings!

I've just been lacking a good workout routine. I do still love Body Rock's workouts, but I have such a hard time motivating myself to do them daily because they just KILL me!

I started reading about P90X. It sounded like it was just what I needed, so I bought it! So far I'm really loving it. I'm following the Lean routine, so more cardio and less upper body muscle building. It really gets me moving, and I'm tired, but I don't feel sick or like I can't keep going. Yesterday was Day One!

I hope to keep making updates on my progress!

Still Kickin'

Hi! I know I haven't updated in awhile. I got lazy.

Well, not totally. I've still been eating well and working out (although not as much as I should) but things won't budge. Today I had a bit of discovery on my hypogylcemia (which I ignore...) and insulin levels and the part it plays in weight. AHHHHH! I've been totally sabotaging myself, and for the past week, after having discovered my love for coffee/french vanilla + egg and cheese on a cheese bagel from Tim Hortons, have been suffering from migraines ALL.DAY.LONG. This just won't do, so here we go.

I jetted out to the bookstore on a hunt for the Low GI Diet book for some info on what I should be eating and avoiding to level myself out, but they were sold out. So for now I'm just going by what my trusty pal, Google, tells me on the GI of whatever food I'm wanting.

Anyways, just wanted to give a quick update. With this new and improved GI diet thing I am sure to expect more posting!

What is the meaning of RED?

I am entering a photo contest, to a win a super duper cool bag! I need to express the color RED. I choose to use my lovely bulldog as my lovely model. She wears her sunglasses at night.

What IS the meaning of red? I think of love. Anger. Pain. And, red is sexy!

Edie all of the above! She can sure make me angry, with her stubborn bulldogness, and that stubborn bulldogness would also fall under a huge pain in my ass! As for sexy, well, for a bulldog, I think she's pretty sexy. She's brings all the dogs to the yard. Wouldn't you agree?! (click on the photo for the full size!)

Amazing Contest

I found this contest, amazing! A Canon5D or a $2500 certificate to Southwest Airlines! Pretty amazing!

http://www.haveanepiphanie.com/home/2010/2/28/epiphanie-give-away.html?lastPage=true&postSubmitted=true


Their bags are FABULOUS. I plan to buy one. Check them out!

http://www.epiphaniebags.com/

You-tubin' It Up

I know I'm posting a lot today, I feel like I have to play catch up from my lack of posts over the past week, lol.

I wanted to share my fave YouTubers! I watch quite a few, and find them all inspiring and have great tips and workouts!

1.) charliejames1975 - This is bodyrock.tv's channel! The best workouts around, and she has some REALLY great recipes too! She's also taken more of a vlog approach as of late which is really fun. I love watching them. Hands down, my favourite channel.

2.) diethealth - Good tips and workouts! They have some cool routines and programs, too.

3.) SarahsFabChannel - I really like her! She posts workouts and lots of advice, and how she dropped weight herself. She's in the process of becoming a certified trainer, too!

4.) ToneItUp - I find these girls really inspiring and motivating! They have some good tips, too.

If you have any youtube channels you like to watch, share!

Reading: The Lovely Bones

Woohoo, another book done!



I liked the book. However, I didn't like that the back of the book basically tells you it's about a father trying to solve his daughter's murder, because that's maybe the first 80 pages and that's it. It's really just a story without a plot. About how the death of Susie Salmon affects her family and friends and others. I mean it was interesting, just not what it was advertised.


And now for a spoiler....

WHAT THE HECK is up with the end?! She comes back to life in the body of a friend to have SEX? This is the victim of a rape/murder! I would imagine that would be the LAST thing on her mind! Why not go see your family? Tell people where your body is? Tell them where the murderer is! I was reading this in total disbelief, it almost, ALMOST, ruined the entire book.
And then... death by icicle? For seriously? That's all I have to say about that.



Anyways, overall, not bad. Just, strange. I'd give it a 3 out of 5.

Krispy Kale

Last weekend I discovered my new fave healthy snack! Crispy Kale. It's super easy to make, and very tasty! Satisfies the salty/crunchy cravings, and no guilt afterward!



Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:

* 6-8 cups chopped fresh kale, hard stems removed
* 2 Tbsp. olive oil
* 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
* 1/2 tsp. kosher salt or sea salt

Preparation:

1. Place a rack on the lowest shelf of your oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Spread kale out on a sturdy baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and apple cider vinegar. Toss to coat completely.

3. Place on the lowest rack of the oven and bake for 10 minutes.

4. Remove from oven and stir so that kale can get crispy all over.

5. Bake another 8 to 12 minutes or until kale is crispy. It should be just lightly browned and crispy to the touch.

If kale still bends, rather than crackles, when you touch it, it isn't done yet. Return it to the oven. Turn down the heat if it is getting too brown. Continue cooking until crispy.
6. Remove from oven, and sprinkle with sea salt (Maldon sea salt makes it taste fantastic) and serve immediately.

Creative, you say?

An Award? For Meeeee?! A big thanks to Phil for the nomination!



Here are the rules of the award:
1. Thank the person who gave this to you.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated you.
4. Tell up to six outrageous lies about yourself, and at least one outrageous truth.
5. Nominate seven "Creative Writers" who might have fun coming up with outrageous lies.
6. Post links to the seven blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know you nominated them.

I nominate the following blogs this award:
1. is at isfitness
2. Jennifer at Ex Hot Girl
3. Hollie at Skinny Hollie
4. Jack at Jack Sh*t Gettin’ Fit
5. Amie at On My Way To Fabulous
6. Ashley at A Daily Dose of Dieting
7. Diane at Fit to the Finish

The seven I picked are blogs that have been inspiring for me and keep me going, make me laugh and are a fun read! Keep it up, guys!

Now for some lies, and one truth...
1. I have 3 tattoos – symbol on foot, butterfly on back, barbwire around arm
2. I have 5 false teeth
3. I am a certified skydiver
4. I’ve kissed Gene Simmons
5. I’ve hammer danced with MC Hammer
6. I’m missing my left baby toe
7. I spend my spare time jumping off of cliffs

Can anyone guess which of these statements is true?

Back With a Bang!

I decided to take last week "off". I had a nasty headcold, was very tired from that, and just needed a breather from the gym. Last night went back and it was great! I had so much more energy and power. The week of rest also allowed my shin splints to heal! I was able to do 4.5kms of 200m walk, 400m run, repeat. I also seemed to be a lot stronger in terms of strength training. So, I think the break was really beneficial, I'm glad I did it! Now I'm totally ready to jump back on full speed.

30 Days.... No Sugar!!

I've decided to take Zuzana's (of bodyrock.tv) challenge to cut out sugar for 30 days. It may just be the boost I need!

Only one exception. It's my birthday in 2 weeks, and there will be cakes galore. I find it rude to not have any of your own birthday cake, so I'm going to let myself have a little. Maybe for the 1 or 2 days I'll have a "cheat" I'll tack on an extra 1 or 2 days to the 30.

I'll be a Sexy Beast....

....if I keep up with Zuzana's workouts! God DAMN. These are just killer! But they work! I'm loving the interval method, my Gymboss Timer is FAB!


And I just finished up this one today! She calls it the Sexy Beast Workout, lol




And on Tuesday I had done this one!

WooHoo

The last week or so I started getting that "I'm bored/This isn't working" feeling again. I haven't wanted to workout and I indulged in a delicious poutine on the weekend. It was seeming no matter what I did, I just can't just past a 7 pound loss! It's been up and down and up and down but never past 7. I know I'm gaining muslce, but it just sucks to not feel like I'm making progress in the direction I would like.

After a big "up" after the weekend, I was REALLY getting dissapointed. But I still dragged my butt to the gym last night and worked VERY hard. This morning I decided to see what the scale had to say. Well, went back to the 7.3 pound loss but I got there over 2 weeks ago. So I just decided to get dressed and get ready for work. In the pile of clothes was an old pair of jeans I haven't fit into for awhile that I tried on two weeks ago with no such luck. I decided to try again. They FIT. And not like, the button is about to pop off and I can barely walk... they comfortably actually fit! Yayyyy! I instantly feel better and motivated to keep going. I really hope the scale starts to reflect progress soon as well.

Let's Talk Money

I have been watching this Canadian show called "Til Debt Do Us Part" and it's really motivated me to do something about my own. I went and got Gail Vaz-Oxlades book on removing debt and with watching the show, picking up tips on how to save and snowball debt repayment. We have decided to read through the book, start living on a cash budget and get that debt paid off, then start saving for a house!
We had gone to an open house in this AMAZING house over the weekend. It's perfect for us... but we don't have good enough credit or a down payment to do that. We really want to change that, so when the perfect house comes along we can HAVE IT! Part of me is really hoping this house stays on the market and it can still be ours. I love it! It's VERY dated. It was built in 1972 and nothing has ever been updated. It has red and blue carpets and funky yellow lights all over. But it has so potential, and it's HUGE (6 bedrooms!) and the price is really good. I really hope we can make something happen!

And for a fitness update: My weight doesn't change, but measurements do! I can lift and push more weights, and I can also handle longer cardio without feeling like I'm ready to pass out. My favourite bodyrock.tv put up a new interval workout today that I want to do tomorrow morning! I will post up how I did and what I did tomorrow!

Intense Intervals

So my Gymboss Timer came in the mail today! I went off to the gym with a workout in mind, to find the gym PACKED. Every machine taken. Every inch of mat taken. Not even a free exercise ball or weights that weigh less than 25 pounds. So I got frustrated and left!

Instead, I came home and did a cardio workout from bodyrock.tv with my timer. WOW. I am EXHAUSTED! It was really intense! Zuzuna does 20 seconds work with 10 seconds rest, but as a beginner I did 15 seconds work with 15 seconds rest. It's using the tabata method of training - so 4 minutes of intense interval training is worth just as much as 40 minutes moderate intensity on an elliptical. I did 5 different workouts of 4 minutes each for a total of 20 minutes! I can definitely feel the burn.

Here are the workouts...

Dreaming

A little while ago I was reading this blog, and felt inspired. I have been into photography for quite some time, but lacked the equipment to really make my pictures stand out. A point and shoot can only take you so far! I got myself a digital SLR this past fall, and after some time playing around it really began to grow on me. I've been wanting to go one step further, and actually be able to be hired as a photographer, but unsure where to start. Reading Kandee's blog inspired me to really get out there and make it happen.

So today I finally made myself a photography blog along with a facebook group to let friends and family know what I'm doing, and that I'm seeking out clients. I feel much more official now, haha. We'll see where this takes me, I'm excited to find out!

You can check out my new blog here!

Facelift!

So I have seemed to have come down with a little something. On Saturday evening I was getting weird dizzy spells, than on Sunday I had NO energy (but still pushed through 2 hours at the gym, somehow...) and this morning my glands are nice and swollen and I feel like utter crap!

I've found myself mighty bored this morning so I created a new blog background. I think it's pretty cute!

4 Week Progress

I decided to take some progress pictures and updates! So here we go!


Current Measurements:

Waist - 30” - 3 inches lost
Hips – 37.5” - 1.5 inches lost
Butt – 43” - 1 inch lost
Thigh (left) – 25.5” - 1.5 inches lost
Calf – 14.5” - 1 inch lost
Arm – 12.5” - 1.5 inches lost

165.4 pounds - 7.3 pounds lost

Now for some pictures! (You may need to click on the picture to view the full size, as part of it gets cut off)

Before:


After 4 weeks:



Before:


After 4 weeks:


I'm pretty happy with the results so far! On to the next 4 weeks we go...

New Idea

Upon writing my last blog post, I suddenly remembered the tabata method of cardio training, I had watched videos from bodyrock.tv of a 20 minute intense cardio workout that is equal to 40 minutes of boring moderate cardio. Time saving? Heck yes!

I had always wanted to try it, but I never had the proper timer. I searched EVERYWHERE and couldn't find one anywhere. I needed something that gives you 20 second and 10 second intervals for 4 minutes total. I knew the Gymboss Interval Timer would do that, but I wanted to see if I could find something without ordering online. Yeah, no luck.

So I just bought myself a Gymboss! It should be here next week, and I'm super pumped to try a tabata workout. In that case, I'll do that 5 times a week, so I guess 20 minutes in the morning and than just what I've been doing with the gym 3 times a week with strength and 30-60 minutes of cardio.

Yay!

There we go!

Ahh finally, starting relieve some of that bloating. As of now there is no loss to record for the week, but at least I'm back to where I was last week.

I've decided over the next week to really step up the cardio! I have strong muscles, in fact I'm more than likely super ripped and toned underneath all of the fat. I want to just maintain the muscles that I have (other than core, I need to build up my core strength!) and concentrate more on fat loss. My goal would be to do cardio 5 days for the next week with a 1 hour duration, by either elliptical, running/jogging, gazelle, even a silly workout DVD or wii fit. I'm hoping that will jump start me! I'll also be still doing strength training 3x per week.

And of course, those dang portions. It's a lot harder than it looks! It's hard to break the habit of the full feeling, and keeping the motivation up to keep going with it. But hey, I've done 4 weeks so far, that's the best I've EVER done!

I was feeling awfully discouraged all week, but this morning I had a look at my Wii Fit weight chart, and saw how much it keeps dipping down and it just makes me want to keep it up and keep those numbers falling.

PMS

I hate PMS. That is all.



RAAHHHH!! It's throwing off my weigh in's and making me feel discouraged. At least I'm able to avoid cravings. But... man! I have to keep telling myself in a week the scale and I can be friends again.

On the upside, I ran a mile on the track last night! Which is suprising. I had a bad shin injury last spring that has caused me to not run since, and I feel just fine even this morning!

Bland is the Way!

Why does food have to taste so darn good?

Okay, so, I have a problem. When food tastes REALLY good and has a really strong flavour, I CANNOT take my time and savour every bite nice and slowly. Instead, I shovel it in to enjoy a million bites of flavour, to the point of eating WAY too much and I'm left feeling gross and bloated.

I suppose that could be managed by filling my plate with just a SMALL amount of food and make myself wait after awhile to make sure I'm no longer hungry, but I love TASTE! :p

So I guess the only way is to eat super boring foods that have no flavour at all, so I get so bored of eating them, I just have to stop.

*sigh* So I am hereby punishing myself with 1 hour of Gazelling starting at 5AM tomorrow morning. I need to kick my own ass. Seriously... I am going to set up the Gazelle in the living room right now, than off to an early bedtime.

Otherwise, I did really well today. Small breakfast, half of what I would normally have for lunch, and I wasn't even left feeling hungry, 2.5 liters of water (about to make that 3), no sugar, nothing. Dinner was just a re-creation of last night and it was a little TOO good :)

Rules.

I've decided to set myself up some rules this week. I really want to reach my mini goal of 10 pounds by the end of the month, and I also need to save a bit of room for Andy's birthday dinner this coming Sunday!

I plan to:

-No sugar this week! No candies, no juice, no chocolate, none of it!
-No chips or crackers, even if Andy has them laying on the table
-No after dinner snacking
-Really watch those portion sizes
-30-45 minutes on the gazelle every morning
-On days I'm not going to the gym, do a workout from bodyrock.tv

I can keep that up for 6 days, especially if it'll get me to negative 10!

Tofu, Bok Choy & Shitake Mushroom Stir Fry!i

I have been a vegetarian for a year and a half, and have never cooked with tofu. I'll eat it when we go out, but I was never sure what to do with it! So I decided tonight to give it a try. AAAAMAZING! I will for sure be making this again! It is to DIE for. The sauce is just so perfect!

Not the greatest pic, I was in too much of a hurry to eat this, it smelled so good!



Recipe:

1 tsp. cornstarch
2 Tbs. soy sauce
2 tsp. minced fresh giner
2 tsp. Thai chile sauce, such as sriracha
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
1 tsp. sesame oil
3 Tbs. Canola oil
1 14 oz. package extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into bite-sized cubes
1 lb. boy choy, cut into 1.5 inch pieces
2 cups sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms

1.) Whisk together cornstarch and 1 tsp. water in a bowl. Whisk in soy sauce, ginger, chile sauce, garlic and sesame oil.
2.) Heat 1 tbs. canola oil in large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Stir-fry tofu 7 minutes, or until golden brown; transfer to plate. Add 1 tbs. oil to pan, stir-fry bok choy 4 minutes; transfer to plate.
3.) Add remaining 1 Tbs. oil to pan. Stir-fry mushrooms 2 minutes, or until tender. Return tofu and bok choy to pan. Stir in soy sauce mixture, and stir-fry 1 minute, or until hot.

Playlist

Here's my workout playlist! I just picked a few fast paced songs I like.

I have been putting this off...

So, I've never actually posted any of my measurements/weight ect ect. A big reason being, the majority of the weight loss blogs out there, are people on a mission to lose a LOT. A lot more than I could afford to lose! In comparison, what I'm at now could be a goal for many, so I almost feel guilty for not feeling happy with what I have. But, the fact is, I AM overweight. I'm NOT happy about it. I'm out of shape. I eat (or ate) like crap. I'm not on some crazy celebrity diet to resemble the Olsen Twins. I simply just want to get back in shape. Hey, I even use MYSELF for inspiration.

(You may need to click on the pictures to view the whole picture)

Here I am, August of 2006, and roughly 140 pounds. Bangin'.





A year later, 150ish pounds



Another year later, 160ish pounds



And, from 3 weeks ago, my "official" before pictures at 172 pounds




And that, is my breaking point. I don't want to have to make it a goal to get to "onederland" because I don't intend to ever leave it! I want to get in control NOW, before I completely let go. So, there you have it. In short, a goal would be about 130 pounds, but we'll see how I feel/look.

Oh, and measurements...

Waist - 33”
Hips – 39”
Butt – 44”
Thigh (left) – 27”
Calf – 15.5”
Arm – 13”



And I'm roughly 5'6" - 5'7"

I'm REALLY excited to take new pictures soon, because I can see the change, and so does the tape measure!

The Scale Lies

I think the scale is lying to me. Although, not in the "I am NOT that fat!" kind of way. Yesterday I weighed in at 5.7. Yesterday I drank all of my water (roughly 3 litres), had a really great 1 hour workout, and ate perfectly. This morning? 7.3! Huh?! And, I mean... I still have to poop! Weird. But yay! If, it's actually real....

Which meanssss I only have 2.7 to lose until I reach a 10 pound loss! Exciting!

3 Weeks

Today is kind of a big deal. I've been actively staying active and changed my diet for a full 3 weeks. It's a big deal because I NEVER stay on board for more than 2 weeks. Now, don't get me wrong, I felt myself starting to slip but I picked myself back up and kept on keeping on. I've lost 5.7 pounds in total and I can start to feel it. My stomach looks a little more flat, my waist is a bit smaller, and my jeans aren't so snug. It's all very slight, but it's enough to make me do a happy dance!

I've been in the process of making a a workout playlist, so if any of you out there have some suggestions I would love to hear them! When I get my playlist I will be sure to share it.

Stepping it Up

Even though I have been consitently losing (3 weeks tomorrow, I was down 5.3 pounds this morning), I don't feel like I'm trying hard enough! I went to the gym last night for an hour, and even though I was working until I felt like I could pass out, this morning I'm not even sore in the slightest. I don't know if I need to up the weights and intensity but when I'm doing it I feel like I'm already pushing as far as I can go!

The last week my eating wasn't perfect... couple of small treats here and there and a bit of snacking.

I just want to see what I can do if I REALLY buckle down. Either way, I'm already halfway to the first mini goal so that's pretty exciting!

Get Your Life in Order

I came across this list, of 50 things to do to get your life in order, and quite liked it. I should take a few of things and apply them!

http://litemind.com/life-in-order/


And a little update:

I don't drink enough water on the weekends! At work I'm sipping all day. This makes Monday weigh in's suck, because I start to retain and ummm, the bathroom becomes an issue, haha. Pluuuus we went out for sushi on Friday (which can't be that bad, right? I mean it's rice and seaweed!) and lunch to East Side Mario's on Sunday (hey, I did have a salad!). I did get a really good gym session in on Saturday! In fact, I'm still a bit sore from that! And I pushed myself off the couch and onto the gazelle for 40 minutes today, and was perfect with eating other than a couple of Timbits (donut holes) after dinner.

On Sunday night the Olympic torch was in town (missed that) and so they lit up the bridge. So we went hiking through the muddy hills so I could get a picture. Ta-da!



This one turned out pretty cool, too.



I got a 1 litre water bottle that I'm now keeping at my desk at work. One litre in the morning, another in the afternoon... and than whatever I drink at home in the evening. I should be on the right track that way. At least I'll be getting some extra steps in by having to take 82485258735463 bathroom breaks!

And now I will stop talking about bodily functions and get to my new book, The Lovely Bones. I REALLY like it so far, just 2 chapters in!

Feeling Good

Well, I didn't fall off track! No donuts, no nothing. It was really tough, but I worked through it. Seeing that I still dropped .4 pounds in 3 days was a nice bonus this morning, makes me glad I stuck to my guns!

I started the day off with an asparagus and mushroom omelet, headed to the gym for 2 hours and had a REALLY great workout, came home for and had an english muffin with peanut butter and agave nectar and a kiwi, and now to jump in the shower before cleaning house for the rest of the day. Falafel pita's are on the menu tonight!! My gym buddy is busy tomorrow, but I think I may go by myself for a bit, depending on how sore I am today. Otherwise I'll jump on the gazelle of Wii Fit for at least a bit. 5 pounds by Monday! I've .4 to lose to get there!

If I have some time later today I want to go swing by Chapters and pick up the Lovely Bones, I need some more reading material. I've been spending too much time randomly surfing the internet. I spent some time the other night getting some new pictures done with, so I thought I would share one! This is Clover the 9 month old bulldog I'm I guess you could say babysitting, for the next 6 months!

Toughing it out

Now is the time I typically say "screw it!" and go back to my old ways. I start to get bored of having to watch everything I put in my mouth, and I would much rather sit on the couch and do nothing. I can feel it already, and I realllly am having to push myself through it and keep going. It doesn't help that yesterday I was so dang TIRED! I just couldn't wake up so I had no motivation to do anything and wanted to eat everything in sight. Now this morning, a box of donuts and muffins (NOT healthy muffins) are sitting here at work. I stared at them for a minute and thought how good it would be, than I thought "well I could just have half, even just a quarter of it!". But, I'm not hungry, I had breakfast. And I REALLY want to be at the 5 pound loss mark by Monday. Which means I need to (literally) work my butt off to get there.

Today was pay day, so I'm going to the gym tonight and getting a month pass, and to see if there are any more openings for the pilates/yoga class.

I won't let myself fall off this time! I've done so well already I just need to keep on pushing through.

A Healthy Treat!

I saw this video on bodyrock.tv and had to give it a try. You totally feel guilty and like you're indulging, but you kind of aren't! It's SUPER tasty and a nice treat!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2j2zGE3HQUw





And speaking of bodyrock.... the latest workout for your buns is GREAT. Check it out!

I.... WHAT?!

Yesterday I did PERFECT. No junk, and another 2 hours at the gym. So this morning I step on the scale.... and I'm down 4.2 pounds. WHAT?! I can't believe it. How is that even possible?! I mean, I guess I'm still going at a nice pace but I never believed it was this simple. Oh, I've also lost 3 inches in my waist. It's kind of neat, the more I lose the more motivated I am to keep going because I know what I'm doing is paying off.

Reading: Handle With Care

So part of my Re-Shaping is also reading more! I finished my first book of the year (well, sort of, I started it in December). It was Handle With Care by Jodie Picoult.



It’s about a little girl who has a disease that makes her bones break very easily. Her parents are running out of money to be able to support the medical costs, and worry how the rest of her life will be. They sue the ob-gyn (which, I won’t spoil, but is quite the twist) for not detecting the illness sooner, but have to say in court they would have aborted their daughter had they known about the illness.

The ending was a bit… shocking. But, typical for Jodie’s writing style. It reminded me a bit of My Sisters Keeper. All in all, it was quite good!


Now I’m finishing up The Food Revolution by John Robbins. I want to start another novel, I think I’ll go pick up The Lovely Bones this weekend.

Awesome

I was a bit surprised by the scale this morning. All weekend, I didn't eat BADLY, but not great, either. Couple of cookies, servings a bit bigger than they should have been, and besides the 2 hours workout on Sunday, I didn't workout on Saturday or Monday (but going to the gym again tonight!). I've been avoiding the scale because I know what it will say!

I guess not! I still dropped .3 pounds since Friday. Now that's inspiring! This is easy.

Afternoon Sweets

I need to figure out a way to deal with my afternoon sweet tooth! I'll eat my lunch, and about 5 minutes later I get a mad craving for something sweet. I don't know whether to give in a little (sometimes just one bite of whatever will help) or resist, or do I need to find a replacement?

It's especially hard when I KNOW there is sweets in the house. If it were up to me, there wouldn't be... but I'm not the only candy lover in the house... just the only one who wants to break this habit!

Changing Addictions

I guess I'm a bit of an "emotional eater" or just eat if I'm bored. I've caught myself trying to do that a few times this week, and I will turn to exercise instead and the fake hunger pangs disappear. However, now I feel like I'm getting addicted to working out! If I'm bored all I want to do is get on the Gazelle or play Wii or go for a walk or SOMETHING. Even after my 2 hour workout at the gym, I still wanted more.
I have never EVER been one of those exercise junkies who actually LIKES it. So, it's kind of a strange feeling to want to workout, but a big step in the right direction!

I'm excited for this week to get rolling and see how I can make that scale move. I look forward to morning weigh in's (I find it makes a difference for me to weigh in every day. Once a week I will give myself "cheat days" and tell myself I'll make up for it later... but I don't). If I keep up as I have been, I'll be down 5 pounds in the week or so!

I also have some Before pictures and measurements I want to post, but I won't let myself until I really have something to compare it to. So, that could be in another 2-4 weeks, I hope soon!

Gym Buddies..

So here I was sitting on my computer (with every plan to work out a bit later...) when a friends texts me asks me to go to the gym with her. What the heck, I wasn't doing much anyway! It was FANTASTIC. A 2 hour self butt kicking session. It was nice to have someone there to keep pushing you when you would normally quit! I'm considering joining a bootcamp class with her as well starting in just 2 weeks!

Mango Pasta!

This is one of my most favourite recipes! I got it from bodyrock.tv (check them out, they have the BEST recipes and workouts and advice!), I've just adjusted a few things.

You will need..

Olive oil (about a tablespoon)
Balsamic Vinegar (1-2 teaspoons)
Pesto
Chick Peas (or white kidney beans, both are good!)
Pasta (I used penne)
Fresh Oregano (I suppose you could use dry I just think the fresh adds more flavour)
Mango
Grape/Cherry Tomatoes
Mushrooms
Garlic (I used 3 cloves)
Parmesan Cheese



First start cooking the pasta



Then chop up the mushrooms and cut the tomatoes in half



Add them to a big frying pan (I used a wok!) with a tablespoon of olive oil and stir them up



Add your minced (or finely chopped) garlic



Add a spoonful of pesto. Also peel and dice the mango and add that as well.



You should have something like this



Chop up the oregano into fine pieces and add



Add the can of chick peas (drain them first)



Then I stir everything up really well and let this simmer for about 5 minutes while covered.

Grate the Parmesan cheese and add...



By this time your pasta should be done. Drain the water and add to the mixture!

It's working!

I did it I did it! I lost 2.4 pounds in my first week. Woooo! It was surprisingly a lot easier than I thought it would be. Just cut back on portions, watch the junk food intake, and get moving. I feel confident this is it, this is the time I'm actually going to stick to my goals and keep that scale moving on down!
I'm starting to be able to feel it, too. I feel a bit tighter, less bloated. I'm excited to see how I feel as the next week goes by!

Craaaavings!

And so it begins... the point where I typically fall of the wagon and indulge. IN EVERYTHING.

I was good all morning. I went home for lunch, had a small plate of rice and veggies. After I was done I was trying to convince myself I was still starving and needed more, but I wouldn't let myself. I had a big glass of water and waited it out. Then the sweet tooth came, and I caved, just a little. I had a small scoop of peppermint ice cream, which calmed the craving for about 30 minutes and now I'm sitting on my hands to avoid the box of girl guide cookies.

*Ooooooosaaaaaahhh*. I can do this! I am not hungry. I don't need cookies, or chocolate. I just go to keep myself busy and stop thinking about it!

Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms

Today at work I had overheard some coworkers talking about the South Beach Diet, and was brought back to that horrible, horrible diet! I did it twice (for about 2-3 weeks each time) and DID indeed lose weight fast, but gained it back just as fast, plus some! It made me dizzy and moody and just not good.

But something I DID remember, was a recipe in the diet for Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms that are sooo good! So I decided to make them for dinner (along with some rice).



I take the mushroom caps and put them in a frying pan with a bit of olive oil and brown both sides. Then I defrost some frozen chopped spinach, mix it with finely chopped mushrooms, minced garlic, and some spices. Stuff the spinach mixture into the mushroom caps, sprinkle with a bit of mozzarella, bake for about 15 minutes at 350F and enjoy!

Milestone Prizes

I'm trying to think of things I could give myself as "prizes" for every 10 pound milestone. I've been wanting to go to a salon and get my hair highlighted, so I've decided I won't let myself until I've lost 10 pounds. But I can't think of what to do for 20, 30! I know 40 will be new clothes... but I don't wan to buy new clothes at the 20 and 30 mark because I wouldn't plan on them fitting very long anyways. I don't want to spend too much, as I'm also trying to get in control of my finances.
I'll have to think about this one! Maybe it will be more clear once I hit the 10 pound loss mark.

Resting Day

So after snowboarding on the weekend, and doing the Gazelle for an hour last night my legs are DONE. I'm to the point of hardly walking lol.

I still woke up at 5:30, but after trying to get out of bed and not really being able to stand I decided it would be a good idea to have a resting day. I may still do some light working out, maybe work on my abs and arms instead. I would love to go for a walk but it's way too cold out. I think it's time for some stretching this morning!

All in all, still on the right track and I really feel like I'm making progress. My eating hasn't been anything exciting, just smaller portions and pacing myself so I know when I'm full.

A Great Day

Today was fantastic! Woke up bright and earlier and ate a super yummy oatmeal cake I made last night (I'll post the recipe for this soon!) then strapped the snowboards to the roof and took off to the mountains. It was a GORGEOUS day! Not too warm, not too cold, clear skies, and lots and lots of soft powdery snow. I spent most of the day on the bunny hill practicing to use my toe edge... for a total of about 3 hours of moderate intensity boarding.
I didn't too fantastic for lunch (grilled veggie panini, but there was a crap load of cheese in it) and Andy demanded getting chips instead of a salad so he could pick at them. I don't feel too bad because I did work pretty hard today! I'm going to stick with a light dinner though.
Then tomorrow I'm going to get up at 5:30 and workout on the Wii for a bit. I'm not going to TRY to get up or make an attempt to, I AM GETTING UP EARLY!

Success

It's pretty nice to see success so fast! I guess it's the official 2nd day, but 4th since I've cut out crap and started being more active.... and for that I've lost .7 pounds. Wooo!

I've found for the last 3 years, every time I try to start a new exercise or diet plan, it lasts about 1-2 weeks, and I'm not seeing any changes so I just give up and that's it. So to actually see some changes so quickly is really motivating!

I've already taken the dog out for a quick 20 minute walk (it's only 10F outside!) and I want to spend some time on the Gazelle later on, and maybe convince Andy to play Wii Fit with me for a bit.

Tomorrow we're going snowboarding, which always leaves me sore as heck and burns a crap load of calories... I'm just not loading up on poutine at the ski lodge this time :p

I've also started a ticker!

Chocolate Ban

I am SUCH a chocoholic. And, I have a lot of it left over from Christmas and it's REALLLLLY hard to say no to just ONE hershey kiss (followed by another, and another). So, I'm going to throw it all away. Even the peppermint bark from Purdy's. Ughhh my mouth is watering lol.

But, seriously. I am banning myself from Chocolate for AT LEAST one week. I know that isn't very long, but for me it will be! Even at the office, there is chocolate around every corner!

I'm also making it a goal to wake up a little earlier than usual (which is going to be super tough because I am so not a morning person...) and workout. Break out the Gazelle, a workout DVD, or just the Wii Fit or a routine from BodyRock.tv (which is a fabulous website, btw). I'll start with just 30 minutes, it's better than nothing!

Pea Spread!

This is my fave replacement for mayo! It looks like guacamole, and tastes amazing.

You need..

1 can of peas
1 clove of garlic
1-2 teaspoons of cumin (depending on your preference)

Mix all ingredients in a blender, and blend!

I spread it on sandwiches, burgers (veggie burgers in my case), pitas, anything you like!

The Fittest Year of Your Life

Stumbled across a good website with some good tips!

The Fittest Year of Your Life

New Years Waffles

I wanted to start off the year with a healthy but yummy breakfast. Andy mentioned waffles, but I was out of milk. So I decided to look up some vegan waffle recipes and came across a fairly easy one! I tweaked it just a little, here is what I did.

* 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 3/4 cup ground flax seed
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 2 1/4 cups soymilk
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 3 tablespoons agave nectar (you can also use brown sugar)

Sift or whisk together the flour, flax seed, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Mix the soymilk, olive oil, and agave nectar in a medium bowl. Pour the soymilk mixture into the flour mixture and stir just until blended. Cook on a waffle iron for 3 to 5 minutes, generously spraying both grills with oil before each waffle.



They were SOOOO GOOD! Andy was even impressed with them. They're also super filling, I just had two and I'm stuffed. I will definitely make theses again!