Our Little Monster...

Blog Posts Two Days in a Row!

I'm so freakin' mad at myself today. And now I'm going to try to convince myself that I shouldn't be.

Fantasy: Get up at 6am this morning to go downstairs and use my new treadmill for the very first time. This would give me lots of time for my run (which will be short, since it's been a while), and some crunches. And I'd feel great about the fact that I got in a great little workout before work. And I'd make coffee before getting the dog and DBF up for their day!

Reality: Alarm went off at 6am as expected. I gave some thought to getting up and going downstairs. I really did. However, being snuggled in bed so nicely was very appealing, so that is where I stayed. I get up at 7.15am feeling quite disappointed in myself.

Now, here's why I shouldn't be kicking myself quite so much about this: I NEVER get up at 6am to run, nor have I ever before! Even when I was running regularly, I usually ran in the evening, except on Sunday mornings.

Bottom line: I DO need to start my running routine again. I DO NOT need to get up at 6am to do so.

Having said that, I will try to get up at 6am again tomorrow... LOL

It's Been Almost a Month Since My Last Post - Inexcusable! Tsk, tsk Teed...

Wow, that's a long time not to post! My apologies to anyone who may still be checking to see if I've posted... :-S

This new pup and work have pretty much taken over any spare time I thought I had! I can't believe how much work Samson has proven to be, but he is starting to shape up to be a good little guy. I just wish he was through the biting stage - my hands have little cuts and nicks all over them!

Tomorrow night is week 4 of 6 of our puppy manners class. Samson's catching on quite well - he now knows the "sit", "stay", and "down" commands pretty well. We're still working on "leave it" and walking well on the leash, although he's definitely getting better. We're going to try to arrive at class pretty early tomorrow night, because if we get there just a few minutes before class starts he nearly chokes himself trying to get to all the other puppies in the room. I'm hoping we'll have time to get lots of puppy introductions done before the start of class tomorrow night.

On the weight loss front, I have cancelled my WW online account and don't miss it at all. I hadn't been using it to it's full potential anyway, since I went back to Sparkpeople. I'm actually much happier using their system. I'm still accountable for what I eat, and it's free to use. And I find it much more forgiving than the WW program. Not that I'm saying WW doesn't work, because I'm living proof that it does! I'm just saying that for now I'm happier tracking my progress with Sparkpeople instead. And Sparkpeople really caters to the geek in me, since it tracks every little element of my diet and helps me analyze it. I love that stuff!

We also bought a treadmill on the weekend, although I have yet to try it out. That's this evening's goal, although I'm not sure if I'll find the time since Steve's working late tonight and I think I have to come back into the office too. I'll bring the pup with me and we'll try to fit in a walk so he's not so high strung while I'm working.

Tonight's supper (although late) is one of my favourites - a burger and LF fries! I love those nights!

Missing: One Heart, In Good Working Order, Stolen on Saturday

Had my heart stolen on Saturday, by this little mini muffin! Now I'm not sure if life will ever be the same... He's a boston terrier jack russell mix. We've decided to name him Samson.

I'm Back!

Sorry I haven't posted lately, but things are just SO busy. As I'm sure some of you know, I spent a week in Mississauga recently for work, and had been spending a lot of time at the hospital with my grandma. I'm happy to say that grandma is back home and doing very well.

I am no longer counting points. I am trying now to maintain my weight on my own, by making healthy choices. Things have been going very well with it. I've also been trying to eliminate any foods from my diet that contain any bad chemicals, so I've been eating lots of good fresh foods, and a lot of homemade goods. I'm loving all of the healthy baking I'm doing, and all of the foods I've incorporated back into my diet in order to eliminate aspartame and preservatives.

I've also become a squash and sweet potato addict... is there a program out there for that?

I'm trying to limit my caloric intake to roughly the recommended daily intake of 2000 calories. It's actually not hard at all, even with my use of natural sweeteners now instead of using products containing aspartame. I think the natural foods are doing a great job of keeping me full, and I find myself eating lots of small snacks now instead of my three square meals. With me eating so much throughout the day, I definitely don't feel deprived, and it keeps my metabolism going!

Apple Pie Deliciousness

Here it is ladies and gentlemen... the most gorgeous apple pie creation to ever come out of my kitchen. We just stuck it in the oven a few minutes ago, but I couldn't resist taking a pic before we put it in, just in case it bakes up funny or something... Will post pics of finished deliciousness later... MMMM....

Eating Clean

It was not a good weekend for me. My grandmother is very sick and I spent the majority of my weekend at the hospital with family. We thought she had taken a turn for the worse on Saturday, but yesterday she had a good day, and today we have gotten even more encouraging news with regards to her condition.

Needless to say though, healthy eating and exercise were non-existent for me. Today is a better day though. I had some yogurt, kashi, and oatmeal for breakfast, and a nice greek salad and a banana for lunch - very satisfying and delicious.

I've recently become intrigued by the whole "eating clean" theory and I'm really going to try it out. To lose my weight on WW, I will admit that I relied a lot on chemical replacements for sugar and other natural foods. I am going to start to make changes so that I am not eating these chemicals anymore. The first changes I'm going to make are to start having real sugar in my coffee again as opposed to Splenda or some other sweetener, and to stop drinking diet pop. I'm trying to find a natural alternative to drinking pop, and I think what I'm going to do is just replace it with natural iced tea. Both DBF and I have decided this would be a good change for both of us, so I'm going to try to make my first brew tonight to see how we like it. I love iced tea, but I'll admit that I've never made it naturally and I'm looking forward to trying it. I'll let ya'll know how it goes...

Recipe Review - Isn't She Loafly?

Isn't She Loafly? - from Crazy Plates

Haven't tried it yet, but it looks delicious. I couldn't resist taking a picture of it to post.

Found a new blog today. This girl posts beautiful pictures of all of her recipes - I think I'm going to start doing that too. Hence, picture #1...

Wow, I can't believe it...

I forgot to weigh in this morning! I can't freakin' believe it! Me, the girl obsessed with the numbers (now formerly-obsessed) forgot to weigh myself this morning! Yay for me! That's a huge deal!

Sparkpeople and I are getting along fabulously. It's so much more forgiving than the Weight Watchers program, but it still works. And I pay attention to a lot more things than just calories when I use it. I track all of my nutrients and vitamins, so I can tell when I've had too much sodium, not enough fibre, B-vitamins, or whatever. It's great. Yay Sparkpeople!

So Far, the Same

Well things have gone well since I decided I'd stop counting points. I didn't exactly quit cold turkey though, and I've gotten back on the Sparkpeople train. I love that program too, and it also works. I also find that it is much more forgiving than Weight Watchers, or so it leads you to believe. I think by the end of the week though, both programs work out to be about the same.

I think I've stayed the same this week, although I'll confirm that tomorrow morning. I know my weight was a little less on the weekend, but I'm usually lowest on the weekend and back up a bit by my weigh in day. So I expect this week to be no different.

I've been enjoying lots of foods (in moderation) that I had chosen to seriously limit during my WW journey, which has been nice. I actually made myself a homemade breakfast sandwich on Saturday morning - I thought it was the most delicious thing I had ever tasted!

Stephen and I also indulged in a habit we had managed to stay away from for the summer - cheese at the Farmer's Market. We picked up some shropshire (a blue/cheddar mix), some dutch butter cheese (which was delicious on my egg sandwich), some good crumbly white cheddar flavoured with sour cream and chives, a brie called Rustique (with a good sharp taste, surprising for a brie), and some derby cheddar (old white cheddar made with sage, so it looks green - so good with chicken). They are all so delicious. We also picked up some smoked bacon, some cheddar smokies, fresh corn, brown eggs, and some spoon bread. Needless to say, we'll probably go back to the market again next Saturday.

After the trip to the market we went home and made a fabulous breakfast, then it was off to enjoy the day at the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival - a huge weekend here in Fredericton. I was lucky enough on Thursday to win an ultimate pass for Saturday's shows. With the pass we managed to catch Matt Mays & El Torpedo on Friday night, and enjoyed shows by the Homemade Jamz', Lil' Brian and the Zydeco Travelers, Dr. John, and David Myles. What a fabulous time! We're already excited about going again next year.

I'm Throwing Myself Out of the Nest...

and into the big world, without my points tracker.

I made the decision on the weekend to stop tracking points, maybe not forever, but definitely for a while. I think I've finally mastered maintenance, and that I've made lasting changes in my life that will allow me to maintain my weight loss without always thinking about the point value of a food. So it is time for me to cut the ties from my points tracker and cancel my online Weight Watchers account.

I know that weight management is a life-long process for those of us who have a history of weight problems, but I think that my weight loss journey taught me enough about moderation and balance for me to make a go of it on my own. The problem I have found that I have developed throughout this journey is that I have become obsessed with the numbers. I have lost much of the enjoyment that comes with life and eating because I am focusing too much on the numbers. I don't want to live my life that way. Even though I am living a physically healthy lifestyle, I have to begin to live a healthy lifestyle, both physically and mentally. I feel like I have become trapped mentally, and this is not a healthy way to be.

I am going to take the lessons I've learned, the healthy habits I've developed, and the healthy foods that I've grown to love, and I'm going to live my life the same way I do now, without focusing on the numbers. I will treat myself, and I will not allow myself to feel guilty for any of the choices I make. I will continue to keep exercising regularly. I will make good food choices - I will eat proper servings of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean meats and dairy - the same thing I do now. I will live a healthy, well-rounded lifestyle, without the mental trap I've allowed myself to develop.

I will weigh in regularly to ensure that I stay on track. I will maintain my lifetime status with Weight Watchers, weighing in at a meeting at least once a month. I will continue to frequent the Weight Watchers message boards, as I would miss the support and the friends I have there. Not to mention the crazy conversations I often don't dare to comment on...

I have chosen a 10-lb weight range that I will stay in. If I stray out of this range, I will begin counting points again until I am back to where I would like to be.

I'm scared to death, but I know I'll be fine, nothing will be any different, except that I will feel free from the number crunching. It will make me ultimately happier than I have been. This is the last part of my weight loss journey, and I'm going to go conquer it now...

*GULP*

Brrr...

I really wish someone had warned me that I would freeze my ass off once I lost my fatty insulation. Damn it's cold!

I've been freezing for about a year now, but I should definitely NOT be this cold in August. It's not right, it just isn't. Since moving to the house, it's much worse. I had forgotten the differences between living in an apartment and living in a house outside the city.

I've decided that I'm going to start posting some of my daily menus again. I've found that I've gotten a bit off track with my blogging and that the focus of my blog has drifted quite a bit lately. So here goes today's menu (which is not a good example of an OP day - I went out for lunch). Please note that instead of eating the 23 that I'm allotted while on maintenance, I've decided to eat 21 points a day because I've gained a couple of pounds and wouldn't mind getting rid of them again, slowly.


Today's Eating Plan: (21 daily + 8.5 flex)

B (4.5 pts) -> Choc Chip Banana Bran Muffin (1), 2 Bodywise w PB (3), Coffee (0.5)

L (9.5 pts) -> Salad Greens (0), Monterey Jack Cheese (2), Chicken Breast (1.5), Avocado Dressing (2), Tortilla Chips (3), Salsa (0), Choc Chip Banana Bran Muffin (1), Diet Coke (0)

D (12 pts) -> Lean Beef Burger (4), Whole Wheat Bun (3), LF Fries (3.5), LF Mayo (0.5), Ketchup (0), BBQ Sauce (0.5), 1 Laughing Cow Cheese Portion (0.5), 1T Thousand Island Dressing (0)

Snack (3.5 pts) -> Smart Pop Popcorn (1), Popcorn Seasoning (0.5), Becel Spray (0), Diet Root Beer (0), 1/2C Frozen Yogurt (2)

Weekly Status: 25.5 Flex Remaining...

I Hurt ALL OVER!

Every inch of me hurts, every single freakin' inch!

If people don't think that gardening and yard work count for earning APs, they're crazy!

Since buying the house, we've been working like mad to get things cleaned up and the way we'd like them. It's a never ending process, we know, but it's fun right now and we're really enjoying it. I took it upon myself to clean up our front walk way, which is a stone walk way of those interlocking bricks you find at home improvement stores, etc. The previous owners of our house had really not taken care of the yard much (not to mention the rest of our house!), and I love working away at stuff like this, since I'm such a perfectionist.

I started cleaning it up a couple of evenings ago, worked for a couple of hours and was exhausted. Went back at it again yesterday and fell asleep on the couch last night as a result. I never fall asleep on the couch! This morning I woke up sore all over. Even the little meaty parts of my hands below my thumbs hurt!

I'm almost done now though, and I should say, that walkway looks fabulous now! And what a great workout!

Lifetime First Anniversary

Turns out that the anniversary of my having reached lifetime status with Weight Watchers was last week, on August 16th. I guess it must have slipped my mind with the move going on and all. I'm actually about 8 lbs. lighter now than I was then.

The past year has held a lot of ups and downs for me, both personally and with my weight loss journey. This time last year I wasn't even an active member of the Weight Watchers online community. I lost all of my weight without making use of those crazy message boards or the online tracker. Imagine! Now somedays I don't know what I'd do without them!

Maintaining my weight loss has definitely been harder than losing the weight initially. I had NO IDEA this would be so hard to keep off! It makes things a lot harder when you aren't rewarded for your efforts every week with a loss. Now when I have a hard week staying OP, I'm no longer "rewarded" with anything visible. I have to tell myself to be happy with staying the same, which is now the goal. Not nearly as much fun as seeing a loss on that scale!

We're In!

Ahhh...

Well after 5 days of moving, cleaning, working, and dealing with the zillion little things that come with buying a house, we finally live there! Yay!

There was just so much we didn't expect. We knew we'd run into a few snags though, so we were prepared.

First I'll give everyone the update on my previous post - although I was scared out of my wits the evening before my house was to close because we thought we were missing a septic document required by my bank in order for them to release the mortgage, everything resolved itself first thing the next morning. We arrived at the house at 8.30am to do our final inspection before the close, and the document we needed was sitting on the kitchen counter. Whew! Instant relief...

Then the moving and cleaning began - what a huge effort. Five days later, the house is clean, we're moved in, and extremely exhausted, but so happy we can't even explain it.

Our new home is a dream. We have more than enough space for us now. We have a pool, a double garage, and a view to die for. I never want to leave home...

Home Buyers Mistakes, Part 1

CI - PSL = 0
where CI = Calories In, and PSL = Perceived Stress Level (in calories)

Based on the formula above, I can eat whatever I want. In fact, I'll probably need to eat more. Bring it I say, BRING IT...

Holy banana! Actually, more like holy cheeseburger! Can things get much more stressful?!?

As I'm sure some of you know, I'm buying my first home. In fact, I've bought my first home, and my closing date is Wednesday - yes, THIS Wednesday, probably around noon. That's 42:52:00 away. And for the past 7 weeks or so, since I've known that I'm buying this home, I've been skipping my little self along, thinking everything is just freakin' peachy, congratulating myself for being so organized and ready, which is completely out of character for procrastinator-T.

Mistake #1 - When buying a home, never think everything is just freakin' peachy. Never.

I'm skipping along to my lawyer's office this afternoon to sign off on the final papers. (I'm not really skipping, but picture it that way - it's nicer, and I am wearing pink, and it's sunny, so just picture it as if it's a Sound of Music kind of day). He sits me down and gives me said papers. He then proceeds to tell me that there are still some things that he needs from me. These things that he needs, if not obtained by like tomorrow(!), have the potential to hold up my closing date by a couple of days.

This is brought to my attention 2 days (!) before we have a moving truck booked. Awesome.

So now I scramble around, doing outlandish things, all the while in a serious panic at this point. Things are not peachy. They had better be back to peachy by tomorrow, or someone is getting a good swift kick in the shin.

OK, so life has been a bit nuts...

Finally some time to blog...

Life has been nuts lately, seriously. But now I think I'm back. We finally have everything sorted out with the house, and we're almost ready for the move. We're pretty much living out of boxes at this point, which has been frustrating by times, but what hasn't been boxed up yet will be this weekend! We officially get the house on Wednesday, and neither of us can wait!

As far as WW is concerned, things are going well. Since my little breakdown about a month ago, after having been at a 19-point level for quite some time, I decided to switch to maintenance for a while to give myself a break. I'm happy to report that maintenance is going really well now and I may have actually even managed to lose a little since adding the extra 4 points a day!

Running has fallen by the wayside, but only a little bit. It's been very hot here, at least it was last week, so I only made it out a couple of times during the entire course of the week. This week I've only made it out once, but I plan on going again later today. I keep promising myself that I'll get back on track once the move is over with and we're more settled and less busy.

Just when I thought I had this eating thing all figured out...

I had a really harsh realization this past week. After working this WW program for a couple of years now, I thought I had mastered this whole weight management thing. I sure was wrong...
I started Weight Watchers in October of 2005. I had no trouble getting my weight off, and lost consistently until I reached goal in June of 2006. I started maintenance just as I was going on vacation for a week. I gained throughout my 6 weeks of maintenance, but did manage to keep my weight under the two-pound threshold so that I would become a lifetime member. I blamed my gains on vacation, meeting my boyfriend, camping, my B-12 deficiency that had sidelined my running, moving back to the city, etc. - anything I could find as an excuse for not maintaining my loss.

Over the course of my first 6 months of being a lifetime WW member, I continued to weigh in monthly to keep my lifetime status, but I continued to gain in small increments until I had regained a little more than 20 lbs. by last Christmas. That's when I decided to get back on the WW program full-time and get myself back down to my goal weight before I gained any more weight and was back to where I had started. I was tired of weighing in monthly and paying for it - I mean, what had I worked for anyway? I definitely hadn't worked so hard to lose the weight just to gain it all back! I knew the WW program worked, and I knew I could do it again, so I got back on the weight loss train.

I knew how to get the weight back off, so I started running again and watching what I was eating. And once again, the weight came off pretty easily. It has continued to come off until now. I am now the smallest I ever remember being, and until now I was still trying to lose a few extra pounds. I'm well below my WW goal weight.

This past week has really opened my eyes. I decided I'd go off plan for a couple of days while we were on vacation and that I'd eat what I wanted. What an eye opener! I was so sad to have to go back on plan when we returned that I had some kind of breakdown or something. I am allotted 19 points a day if I want to continue losing, which really isn't much anymore. It's been very difficult to keep it up week after week, as I'm constantly watching every single point. I haven't been enjoying myself, and I've been feeling quite deprived to be honest. It's summer time, my favourite thing to eat is ice cream, and although I know I can eat it if I use my flex or earn the APs for it, I find myself in a strict eating mode, depriving myself of a treat to save the points. It's crazy and needless and I know it, but that's what I've been doing.

So I'm going to switch my focus and concentrate more on improving my fitness and my body composition while switching my program to maintenance for a while. This is where the new realization comes in. I've been a lifetime member for over a year now, and I've never maintained! Not even for a little while! I'm scared to death of maintenance because I think I'll gain some of my weight back again! What if it doesn't work?!? I know it's supposed to work, but I'm just so scared of it! When it comes to losing weight, I feel like an old pro - I know all the tricks and everything you need to do to lose, but I'm not so sure of myself when it comes to maintaining a loss. I'm just so scared of gaining... but I'm going to bite the bullet and risk gaining a little bit until I can figure out this maintenance thing. I'm going to add the 4 points to my daily amount, giving me 23 points, and I'm going to eat half of my APs earned, and as many flex points as I want throughout the week. Just the extra 4 points a day will allow me to treat myself without feeling so bad about it. I know I shouldn't feel bad, but I'll admit that I sometimes do feel guilty for indulging in a treat. I'm working on that...

It was a rough week mentally finally figuring this out, but I'm gonna conquer this new issue too! I'm going to learn to maintain and finally learn how to live healthily without gaining or losing for a while. I'm going to learn that success isn't always measured with a loss - the hardest part of this whole thing is maintaining the loss. It's going to be harder to put the work in to living a healthy lifestyle without feeling the success of a weekly weight loss. I'll have to learn to love maintaining the loss as much as I have loved losing the weight to begin with - it's going to be tough, but I'll have to revel in the new victories I'll experience.

Glad I got that off my chest...

What a Great Run This Morning!

I got up early this morning and watched a re-run of X-Weighted. The person on the show was a woman who refused to follow the eating plan accordingly (she was all about low-carb dieting at 800 cals/day!), but did discover that she liked running, which eventually led her to lose the weight she wanted. At the end of the show she ran a 10K.

After the show, I headed out for my regular Sunday run, my long run for the week. I was aiming for between 7-8K today. I also decided that I would not pay as close attention to my heart rate, so I turned off the heart rate alarms I had set in my Garmin, and off I went.

I felt fantastic! About 1/3 of the way through the run I decided I'd add a bit more distance to my regular route. I figured worst case scenario, I just finish with walking. So I stopped to chat to a couple of bikers on the trail I was on to ask about the best loop I could do to add a little bit of distance. Friendly they were, helpful not-so-much. So I figured out my own way to add a kilometre or two.

I ended up running 10K! Me - 10K! Random! It was awesome! I felt great, wasn't too tired, wasn't struggling to breathe, nothing. It was great, and I was so proud. I have been so down on running since my co-worker told me my heart rate was running too high, blah, blah, blah. And today was the first day I stopped paying such close attention to it - and I had the best run I've had in about a month and a half! I'm just going to keep things the way they are, add distance when I'm comfortable, and carry on. Woohoo!

My 2-Day Eating Frenzy Has Come to an End

As I metioned on the WW boards the other day, I decided I'd take a couple of days off of counting points and just enjoy myself while I was on a brief camping trip, away with DBF. I figure I can do this since I'm quite a few pounds under my goal now, was on vacation, and both DBF and I love it when I take a couple of days off and just eat what I want.

I had someone show concern on the boards as to why DBF likes it when I decide to go off plan. I'm going to respond here (and I posted a response on the WW boards). He just likes it because I allow myself to let loose a little. I'm usually pretty strict with my diet and he respects that (in fact, he eats all the healthy stuff and checks NI on everything with me - he's extremely supportive). We both think it's very important that we eat healthily, so we both do at home. But we also think it's fun when I take a couple of days off from counting everything, so that we can enjoy eating a few of our favourite "unhealthy" foods together without me worrying about how much of it I'm eating. We enjoy being able to indulge a little together, share what we've ordered at a restaurant, etc. We think it's fun to share treats together, even though he could easily eat this food anytime on his own, since he doesn't have to worry about his weight (yet! LOL).

My DBF is extremely supportive of my weight loss efforts, and I appreciate him so much for that. I know I'm lucky because I'm not one of those people who don't get the support from their significant others that they need and deserve. I don't have to worry about cooking more than one meal at home to satisfy both of us. He's happy to eat what I prepare, and we both choose healthy options for our meals at home.

Today, I'm back on plan and counting again. Today isn't nearly as much fun as yesterday was! I'm just going to put the couple of days behind me and start the week from now. If I gain a pound or two, I'm fine with that, and it was totally worth it!

How We All Touch Each Others' Lives

There has been a lot of commotion since yesterday on the Weight Watchers' discussion boards in regards to Shaunna not qualifying to be a Weight Watchers success story due to the rate at which she lost her weight. This has really opened my eyes to how we all touch each others' lives, even if we haven't actually "met" in person.

To be continued...

OK, continuing... It's hard when something like this happens to one of us. I mean, most of us don't really know each other in the sense that we see each other, talk in person, etc. But we're all a part of each others' lives, and we're all linked by the same issue. I often find myself thinking of some of you. I sometimes even talk about you to DBF, my mom, sister, etc.

When we found out Shaunna's story wouldn't be published by WW as a success story, I think it really brought us all together somehow. I can't get it off of my mind. I really feel for you Shaunna, I feel your frustration and your hurt too. It really amazes me to think of how other women I've never even met in person can affect my life the way all of you often do.

We all need to keep supporting each other, and keep on working towards our individual goals. We all have our own ways to contribute to each others' successes, and we need to keep doing so!

Getting Back on Track

Not sure how I did it, but somehow I managed to survive this past week and still lose 0.2 lbs. That's not a lot I know, but wow I sure don't deserve a loss.

I had my 10-year high school reunion on Saturday and it was pretty much 'no holds barred' for me. Tried to stay a bit on track, but let's just say that it didn't work much. Had a couple too many drinks and a couple too many snacks to soak up that extra fluid - LOL. It turned out to be a great time though. Problem was that I kind of let myself go for the last couple of days of the week too - nothing too disastrous, but I did indulge in some ice cream last night to finish off my week - roasted marshmallow ice cream - yummy!

So today was weigh in, and now I'm back on track again. I'm doing the Wendie plan this week, and I'm gonna stick to it! So far so good. Having a great low-point day, and have a nice healthy taco salad planned for dinner - one of my favourites.

I haven't been feeling so hot lately, I think I have some sort of weird digestive bug thing goin' on. I get really hungry, eat, then my tummy just feels weird for a couple of hours. Strange. Hopefully I'll be feeling better over the next couple of days.

Getting Caught Up

Sorry for the lapse in blogging everyone - it has been a crazy couple of weeks.

Stephen and I bought a house! And it's gorgeous! I'm so in love with it. It's about a 10-minute drive from the city, but still close enough that we won't even notice it. It will only add about 5 minutes to my drive to work right now, so I'm extremely happy with that.

Having grown up in the country, I wanted to have a house on at least an acre of land, which we got. It's a four bedroom bungalow, with a double attached garage, an above-ground pool with a deck built around it, and a breath-taking view in the back yard! I wish everyone could see it!

Long Time, No Blog

It's been a few days since I've blogged last, mostly due to the crazy weekend I just had. And what a great one...

DBF's mom and her BF came to stay with us this weekend. They came because they wanted to go fishing at a great spot near where we live. They live a couple of hours away, so were going to make a weekend of it.

They arrived Friday evening. I made us dinner - the Better Butter Chicken recipe from ESBM - they loved it! (One point for me!) I also made a sugar-free sex in the pan dessert. Yummy! After dinner they informed DBF and I that we would should be at the fishing spot by 6am! 6AM! Gaah! So we sat around and played some Wii and some other board games until about 1am, when they were finally ready to hit the hay. Oy! I made sure the coffee pot was pre-programmed and ready for 5am, then went to bed.

So I was up and at it by 5.30am, which I thought was pretty good. DBF was already up with his mom and Charlie making breakfast for everyone by the time I drug my butt out to the kitchen. We didn't exactly make it to the fishing spot by 6am, but we were there by about 6.30am, which I thought was pretty good, considering.

Then the fishing! What a great time! I caught a couple of really large fishes! I wouldn't touch any worms or the fishes, but I learned to cast and reel in like a mad woman! Loved it! DBF caught the fish of the day, a 17-inch trout! It was the only fish we kept and brought home. It fed all four of us for dinner that night. We even went back and fished some more after dinner - totally fun!

Needless to say though, we were exhausted on Saturday night, and went to bed fairly early. Sunday for me was pretty slow and relaxed. Great weekend though!

Word of the Day: Willy-Nilly

wil·ly-nil·ly / Pronunciation[wil-ee-nil-ee] –adverb
1. in a disorganized or unplanned manner; sloppily.
2. whether one wishes to or not; willingly or unwillingly: He'll have to do it willy-nilly. –adjective
3. shilly-shallying; vacillating.
4. disorganized, unplanned; sloppy: willy-nilly work.
[Origin: 1600–10; from the phrase will ye, nill ye.]

Results of the Wendie Experiment

Wendie was good to me this week - I got away with eating McDonald's and some sweet treats, and the scale showed a loss of 0.8 lbs too. It showed more of a loss when I jumped on it after my shower this morning (like an additional 1.2 lb loss), but I always take the first weigh in of the day. If I am actually lighter than I show on my first weigh in, it'll show up in next week's loss. I'm happy with my loss this week anyway, especially at this stage in the game.

I'm going to do the Wendie plan again this week. It was really easy to do, with only two days where I'm supposed to stay completely OP. Steve's mom is coming to stay with us this weekend, so having Saturday as my super high day is perfect for it.

Serious Raccoon Burn and McDonald's Gripe

I have no idea how anyone can take me seriously today - I can't even stop laughing at myself! I have a seriously ridiculous raccoon burn - it is too funny! I was out in the sun yesterday for like 4 hours with my new sunglasses on. They cover my face down to the middle of my cheeks. I was sooo not thinking of how much sun I was getting because it was so cool here yesterday. But geez, do I ever look like a fool today - too funny!

My Wendie experiment seems to be going well. I totally took advantage of my super high day and ate some McDonald's on Saturday while watching the hockey game. Last night I ended up going over by a couple of points though - I tried all day to get myself a McDonald's vanilla cone, which is only 3 pts. I went to 3 different McDonald's yesterday and every single one was out of ice milk! Grr... Since I really wanted the ice milk, I went to DQ and had a Dilly Bar. I thought they were 3 pts too, but realized when I got home that they're actually 5 pts. Oh well... no big deal. But I sure was mad at McDonald's! LOL

Didn't get out for a run yesterday, but I did play my first beach volleyball game of the season. My feet are killing me today though, from running around in the sand. Ouch! It's raining here today, but I still think I'm going to try to get out for a short run later. Monday is normally a day off running, but my running schedule has been put off a bit, so I'm gonna try to catch up.

Update - Day 3 on Wendie

Today is Day 3 of my Wendie experiment, and so far so good. I get 20 points today, one of my lower-point days. But I find that if I plan in advance, it's no problem to get lots of food for 19 or 20 points - I just have to be prepared. So last night I went the Superstore and got myself some strawberries and a really nice mediterranean salad for lunch. I'll put some light feta cheese and eat my salad spritzer on it and presto! - a nice big salad for just 1.5 pts. That leaves room for some salmon and some all-bran bites. An entire lunch (huge!) for 4.5 pts. Sweet deal!

I have a run scheduled for today, a nice, easy 4K run, which I plan on doing sometime this evening. I'm now really looking forward to my runs, now that I have this heart rate thing under control. I had no idea that I had been running too fast before. Now that I have my new heart rate monitor, running has really changed for me - it's an even more enjoyable experience than it was before.

What Have I Become?!?

To start this post off, I need to say that I have one of the best DBFs in the world. He is one of the kindest, most supportive guys I've ever known. Seriously. Anyway...

I've been at or under my weight goal for over a year now, and I met my DBF after I had lost the weight. We were having a discussion today about the different ways we support each other. He says to me, "I support you in your running, and with helping you eat healthy", among other things. And he totally does. The poor guy comes running with me a couple of times a week, and eats all of the healthy recipe experiments I make at home, he's always checking out the nutritional information of the foods we buy, he likes trying new fruits and vegetables, etc. He really is the best.

But that's not the point of this post. What he said really got me thinkin'. My life now really is very focused on health, fitness, and healthy eating. It's something I think about all the time, and is just part of me now. So what was it like before?

It is one of the best feelings I've ever had to finally be in control of my life, my eating habits, my fitness, and my health. And I guess a lot of this stuff is what my life focused around before too, just not in a healthy, productive way. I was always obsessed with how "bad" I thought I looked, the guilt I felt about what I ate (and how much I ate!), how people saw me, etc. It was terrible to feel so bad all the time and to feel so out of control.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I think I finally realize that I will always, always have to deal with food issues, whether good or bad. This will always be a part of my life. Forever. One of my crosses to bear in this life. And you know what? I'll take it. I am so blessed to even have the opportunity to worry about what I eat. And I'm blessed because I don't have to deal with something that I can't control. Not to say that I won't face other kinds of challenges in the future, maybe some that will be out of my control, but for now I have to remember to be happy with what I have, every single day.

Product Review - Oil of Olay Ribbons Body Wash

OK, I'm going to admit right here, right now that I'm a sucker for flashy packaging, overdone ad campaigns, and the products they represent. I've thrown tons of money away trying new crazy products, only to realize that the majority of the money these companies spent on these products was in the flashy packaging. Anyway... save your money and let me be the guinea pig for all of you packaging junkies out there...

Enter Stage Right: Oil of Olay Ribbons Body Wash

I LOVE this body wash!

I have never used body wash that felt so soft while I was using it! It's fantastic, seriously. I forget specifically which "flavour" body wash I opted for this time, but it's kind of a sage green colour and smells wonderful. I actually look forward to feeling it on my skin.

To the other body wash users - Try it! You'll love it to!

Wendie Plan - Day 1

Well today I feel like someone with that all-gung-ho-starting-a-new-diet attitude. Today is my first day on the Wendie Plan, and I'm just plain excited about it.

Today is one of my low-point days, so I got myself prepared for it last night. Went to the Superstore to get myself a big no-point salad for lunch, and some asian pears to fill in any hunger gaps this week. I've got my cottage cheese and yogurt for my protein today. I think I'm good to go! I'm hoping to be able to get in either a quick run or a walk sometime today, but I have a seminar for first time home buyers tonight, and I just can't miss it. It'll be an evening of running around in a rush from what I can tell, but we'll see how it goes.

This week I'm gonna really make the best of it - drink tons of water, get my exercise in, and take advantage of being able to treat myself a little on the high-point days. I really want to see if this will work for me, so I can get those last few stubborn pounds off! Oy!

Finding It Hard Lately...

I've been following the WW program for a long time, and this is probably one of the hardest times I've ever experienced on it. Now I know that most people probably don't think I need to lose much more weight because I've already reached lifetime status, but please keep in mind that I chose the top of my weight range as my goal weight, to make things easier. I still would though like to lose a few more pounds. I just really want to see if I can make it to 126. That's 10 lbs, and is still well within my healthy weight range.

My problem now is that I only get 19 points a day, plus my weekly flex. I'm eating all of my daily points, my APs, and almost all of my flex. I'm just not really losing like I used to, but to make things worse - I'm hungry a lot!

I've been eating lots of good, low-point protein like cottage cheese, and chicken, lots of veggies, etc. I drink tons of water, and I'm running regularly.

So, I think it's time for a little switch up. Tomorrow I'm going to start the Wendie plan. I've never tried it before, but I've heard wonderful things about it, and I'm excited about the concept of having a super high day (mine will be Saturday!). I will have no problems staying within my points limit for the low days (I'll be eating my APs too, thank goodness) and the point allocation for the rest of the days seems completely do-able too. I'm pumped about it - I really hope this will give me the jump start I need.

Here's how my points will be broken down for the week with Wendie:

Wednesday -> 19 points (+ eat all APs earned - should be 4 for running)
Thursday -> 24 points (+ half of any APs earned)
Friday -> 20 points (+ half of any APs earned - should be 4 for running)
Saturday -> 34 points (Super High Day - eat no APs - perfect since this is my day off running)
Sunday -> 19 points (+ eat all APs earned - should be 5 for running)
Monday -> 23 points (+ half of any APs earned)
Tuesday -> 21 points (+ half of any APs earned - should be 4 for running)

I'll keep everyone posted!


Today's Eating Plan:

Breakfast (3.5 pts) -> Banana Bran Choc Chip Muffin (1), FF/SF Yogurt w 1/8C Fibre Cereal (1), All-Bran Bites (1), Coffee\Milk (0.5), Asian Pear (0)

Lunch (2.5 pts) -> 1/2C Cottage Cheese (1.5), 3 Wasa Light Rye Crisps (1), 1/3 T Dijonnaise (0), Diet Pepsi (0)

Dinner (10 pts) -> Lean Burger (4), Smart Hamburger Bun (2), 1T Thousand Island Dressing (0), LF French Fries (3), Chili Sauce (0), 1/2T Light Mayo (0.5), 1/2T BBQ Sauce (0.5)

Product Review - Dove Energy Glow Moisturizer

I'm a white girl, and when I say white, I mean WHITE. Pasty white. Almost purply white. Now I know that I am blessed, but unfortunately, skin with even subtle colour was not one of the things I was blessed with. So I have to improvise...

I was never leary of tanning beds until just recently. In fact I used to love going to a tanning bed. I found it so relaxing, and I just felt sexier when I left. But now I'm just too worried about all of the terrible health consequences that can come along with using a tanning bed or staying in the sun too long without skin protection.

I considered a full-out self-tanner, but I've heard too many stories of girls getting orange and streaky. Trust me, I'll take white and pasty anyday over orange and streaky. *giggle, giggle*

In light of all of this, I've decided to try a moisturizer with a subtle hint of self-tanner. The first problem for me was that there are so many of these new moisturizers on the market to choose from! I spent many a time in front of a Walmart shelf debating the different kinds, only to leave empty handed.

I finally decided to give the Dove Energy Glow moisturizer a try. And I have to say that I LOVE it! It really does just leave you with a subtle glow, sans-streaks. There are two types out there - one for fair skin tones and one for medium to darker skin tones. I, of course, tried the one for fair skin toned people. So far so good! I highly recommend this one...

Ran 6K For The First Time Yesterday

Well I went out yesterday with my Garmin and ran 6K for the first time. This was Day 1 in the Running Room's 10K Conditioning Program. It was supposed to be an LSD run, which means it should be run at 60-70% of my max heart rate.

I decided I'd start using more of the features on my HRM, so I used it to alert me if my heart rate was too high or too low. I discovered that that pace is really quite slow for me (it would pretty much put me at a fast walk), so I ran at a slightly higher pace, but still much slower than I was used to. It turned out to be one of the most enjoyable runs I've ever had! I finished the 6K with no problems, in about 45 mins. Keeping my heart rate in the right zone (ie. running at a slower pace) really helped me enjoy my run - I paid attention to the beautiful things I saw along the trail, the birds chirping, etc. I really think I had a running breakthrough yesterday.

This new HRM is going to make a world of difference for my running!

No run planned for tonight, but since Steve is working late anyway, I might see if Jenn wants to go out for a little run with me.

Come to think of it, yesterday was a big day for me all around... I roasted my first chicken yesterday. It was a breeze and Steve and I both loved it. What an easy dinner. I put it in my slow cooker on high for the first 4 hours (so the house wouldn't get too hot), then finished it in the oven for the last half hour or so, to get some brown skin on that chicken and some yummy caramelization on my veggies. Turned out to be a really yummy dinner.

We also got out last night and golfed our first 9 holes of the season at Carmen Creek. Steve had a great night and made some really nice shots. I started off great, but did terribly on the longer holes. I really need to work on my drive. I wish I could just use a wedge the entire time - then I'd probably be pretty good!


Today's Eating Plan

Breakfast (2.5 pts) -> Banana Bran Choc Chip Muffin (1), FF/SF Yogurt w 1/8 Cup Fibre Cereal (1), Coffee\Milk (0.5)

Lunch (4.5 pts) -> 1/2 C 1% Cottage Cheese (1.5), 2 Bodywise Bread (1), 1 T PB (2), Asian Pear (0)

Dinner -> ?

Snack -> ?


Today's Exercise Plan

Running -> ? Maybe

Nice Weather! Yay!

We finally got some nice weather! Yesterday turned out to be a beautiful day here in NB... we've gone from frost warnings to 32F - all in one week! Only in the maritimes!

Stephen and I decided to take advantage of the nice evening last night and sat ourselves on a patio for dinner, then we were off to the Bucket Club for some golfing. It was a great time - nice for the two of us to just get out and do something fun for a change!

Today I'm trying my slow cooker for the first time and I'm scared to death of it! I have no idea what I'm doing, since I've never done this before. I threw a marinated pork loin in there with onions, potatoes, baby carrots, and mushrooms. Then I boiled the marinade, added some water, and poured it all over the veggies and pork. I left it on low for the day - hopefully it'll all work out... I'll let ya know!

I have a run scheduled for tonight - just a short 3K - I can't wait to get back out there with my new HRM. I love that crazy thing!


Today's Eating Plan:

Breakfast (4.5 pts) -> FF/SF Yogurt with 1/8 C Fibre Cereal (1), Banana Bran Choc Chip Muffin (1), Coffee\Milk (0.5), Strawberry All-Bran Bites (2)

Lunch (6 pts) -> Huge Salad (0), Hellmann's Asian Silk Salad Spritzer (0), FF/SF Yogurt with 1/8 C Fibre Cereal (1), Small Piece of Light Cheesecake (5)

Dinner (7 pts) -> 3oz Cooked Pork Tenderloin (3), Large Red Potato (3), 1/2 C Carrots (0), Onions\Mushrooms (0), Marinade (0.5), 1 T Light Sour Cream (0.5)

Snack (3 pts) -> Iced Capp made w 2% Choc Milk (3)


Today's Exercise Plan:

Running -> 3K, 25 minutes (-3)

Got a New Toy...

Got my new Garmin 305 a couple of days ago and last night was the first night I wore it on one of my runs. For those who are interested in seeing some of the results you get, here's a screen shot of my run results from last night...

Today is a day off running, but tomorrow I'll be running 3K - I can't wait to see how the two runs will compare to each other. I'm really loving this new toy!

Today's Eating Plan (29 pts):

Breakfast (5.5 pts) -> Weight Watchers Bagel w PB (4), Coffee\Milk (0.5), FF/SF Yogurt (1), 1/8 C Fibre Cereal (0)

Lunch (4.5 pts) -> Sliced Corned Beef (1), 3 Wasa Light Rye Crispbreads (1), 1 T Dijonnaise (0), All-Bran Bites (1), Asian Pear (0), FF/SF Yogurt (1), 1/8 C Fibre Cereal (0), Coffee (0)

Dinner (15 pts) -> 3/4 Baked Potato (2.5), 2 Small Chicken Fingers (3), Ciabatta Bread (3), Mayo (3), Sour Cream (1.5), Cheese (2), Diet Coke (0)

Snack (4.5 pts) -> Banana Bran Choc Chip Muffin (1), FF Cool Whip (0.5), Tortilla Chips (3)

Today's Exercise Plan:

Driving Range -> 45 Minutes (0)

Mini Golf (0)

The Last Day of a Quiet Long Weekend

It's Monday again, but at least today isn't a workday... Instead it's a cold rainy end to the long weekend. Blah.

Yesterday morning I decided I'd be brave enough to join our Running Room's practice run. Sunday morning at 8.30am. I figured it was the only way I'd get my run in yesterday - it's been a miserable weekend here weather-wise, and I just didn't think I'd go out on my own.

Anyway, it turned out to be great fun. We had lots of discussion about running, etc. I even met a new runner there who was talking about needing a partner to run with - I might just take her up on it! The more I run with other people, the more I love running!

Jenn called this morning to let me know she went out running on her own this morning - I'm so proud of her! I'm really glad she's trying to get into it. She also told me that today is her first day of her free 2-week trial of Weight Watchers online. I now love the online system, and I'm going to stick with it. This is the end of my free 2-week trial of the system, and I was down 2.2 lbs this morning, so I'd say it has given me some more motivation again. It sucks I only get 19 points a day though - that's tough.

I'm still trying to lose a few more pounds before my 10-year high school reunion next month. I now weigh about 50 lbs less than I ever did in high school. That feels great. I'm smaller now than I ever was...

Today's Eating Plan:

Breakfast (3.5 pts) -> Banana Bran Choc Chip Muffin (1), 2 FF/SF Yogurts (2), Coffee\Milk (0.5)

Lunch (4.5 pts) -> Homemade Vegetable Soup (0), Can of Cloverleaf Flavoured Tuna (2), 3/4 Tbsp Light Mayo (0.5), Ben's Smart Hamburger Bun (2)

Dinner (9.5 pts)-> Lean Beef Burger (4), Ben's Smart Hamburger Bun (2), LF French Fries (3), Mustard\Steak Sauce\Tomato\Pickle\Onion\Lettuce (0), Chili Sauce (0), 1/2 Tbsp Light Mayo (0.5)

Snack -> ?

Today's Exercise Plan:

?

It's Freeeeezzzing in Here!

Brrr! Our office is freezing today! I have enough problems staying warm as it is after having lost my weight, but this is nuts!

Went for a nice little training run last night with Steve, Jenn, and Cory. They all want to start running and I said I'd go with them - that way I can get in some short, easy runs on my off-days if I want to. It went really well... I just hope they'll keep up with it.

I have a training run tonight for myself. I am running 3K - just a nice LSD run. I'll be doing it indoors on the treadmill if I do it at all. I'm not feeling up to it at the moment, but I'm sure I'll change my mind when I get home - I really want to stick to this training schedule. And besides, it should only take me about 20 minutes or so to finish it (tops). It'll be over before I know it! And I'll earn 2 activity points to boot!


Today's Eating Plan:

Breakfast (4.5 pts) -> WW Bagel with Cinnamon Raisin Swirl PB (4), Coffee\Milk (0.5)

Lunch (2 pts) -> Salad with Hellmann's Asian Silk Salad Spritzer (0), Banana Bran Choc Chip Muffin (1), All-Bran Bites (1), Asian Pear (0)

Dinner (8.5 pts) -> LF French Fries (2), Lean Burger (4), Smart Hamburger Bun (2), Tomato\Pickle\Onion\Lettuce\Mustard\Hot Sauce\Chili Sauce (0), 3/4 Tbsp Hickory BBQ Sauce (0.5)

Snack (3 pts) -> Banana Bran Choc Chip Muffin (1), 2 Bodywise Bread (1), LF Cheese Slice (1), Pam Spray (0)


Today's Exercise Plan:

Running -> 20 Minutes on Treadmill (-2)

Taking the Afternoon Off Today

I think I've decided to take the afternoon off today. Stephen and I don't have the same days off, and since he's off today and bored at home, I thought I'd sneak out of work and spend the afternoon with him.

Anyway, tonight we have a run planned (Steve wants to start running now too!). One of his friends and my sister have also thought they might want to start running, so maybe they'll come along too.


Today's Eating Plan:

Breakfast (1.5 pts) -> Banana Bran Choc Chip Muffin (1), Asian Pear (0), Coffee\Milk (0.5)

Lunch (8 pts) -> Harvey's Veggie Burger w BBQ Sce & Mayo (7), Side Salad (0), FF Honey Dijon Dressing (1)

Dinner (10 pts) -> Chicken Souvlaki Skewer (2), Quinoa w Spinach & Mushrooms (4), Spinach & Feta Pie (3), Tzatziki (1)

Snack (3.5 pts) -> Asian Pear (0), All-Bran Snack Bites (1), Smart Pop Popcorn (1), Popcorn Seasoning (0.5), Banana Bran Choc Chip Muffin (1)


Today's Exercise Plan:

Jogging -> 20 mins (-2)

First 5K Race Completed - Can't Wait for the Next One!

Wow! What a great experience!

Ran my first 5K race on Sunday with my friend Alexa. It was definitely one of the best experiences I've ever had. There were so many people there, all different shapes and sizes, with so many people out to support us!

My goal for the race was to finish in under 30:00, but once we got there I realized how much that my time really didn't matter at all. Alexa was hoping to finish in under 35:00, so I decided we'd stick together and finish together, which we did. We crossed the finish line together (I'm on the right in the picture), with my finishing time being 34:39. Although I usually run a 5K in about 30 minutes on my own, I was really happy to cross the line with Alexa.

Our families and friends were right there at the finish line to greet us when we crossed. I have to admit that I got a bit emotional, even though it was just a short race. It was just so overwhelming to see Mom and Dad there, with Jennifer and Stephen right there with them. And it felt like such a huge accomplishment for me - going from where I was a couple of years ago to running a road race! I never imagined that I would ever be a runner, let alone race! It was just a very overwhelming experience.

For anyone who has ever had doubts that they could do what I've done - trust me, you can do it! And you should! My entire life has changed, completely turned around. I feel more confident and better with every day that passes. I've also realized that although the physical challenges often feel the most difficult to overcome, it is the mental challenges that really hold us back. If you believe you can do something, you will...

First 5K Race Countdown: 5 Days Left!

One day closer to race day! Gaah!

It's a beautiful day here today - I actually got to wear a skirt and cute little strappy sandals to work! Since losing my weight, I LOVE wearing dresses and skirts. They are just so comfy and so girly! It just makes me feel confident to wear them.

I have a run scheduled for tonight - 34 minutes of walking 1 min, running 10 (x3), plus one last minute of walking at the end. I'm hoping to get it in, but I'm not so sure that I will (I also just don't really feel like it today). If I do it as soon as I get home from work, that might work out. Or maybe I'll talk Stephen into going with me, although I don't think he'll want to. He just wants to go out for a drive tonight I think and probably just get a coffee - that sounds pretty good to me...


Today's Eating Plan:

Breakfast (5 pts) -> WW Bagel (2), 1.25 Tbsp Light Peanut Butter (2.5), Coffee with Milk (0.5)

Lunch (3 pts) -> Giant Salad (0), Salad Spritzer (0), 3 Wasa Light Rye Crispbreads (1), 1 Tbsp Dijonnaise (0), 2 Slices Chicken Luncheon Meat (1), FF/SF Yogurt (1)

Dinner -> ?

Snack (1 pt) -> Caramel Corn Rice Cake (1)


Today's Exercise Plan:

Running -> 34 mins

First 5K Race Countdown: 6 Days Left!

After a couple of weeks of cool weather, it looks like it's finally going to start getting warmer here in the Maritimes. Yay for that!

Only 6 more days until my first road race... 5K. I'm so scared! I know I'll finish without any major problems (unless something completely unexpected happens, eek!), but I really would like to finish it in under 30 minutes. I've been following the last couple of weeks on the Running Room's 5K conditioning schedule lately, to make sure I'm ready. I'm really excited, but I just wish I wasn't so freakin' nervous about it!

Today's Eating Plan: (23.5 pts/20 pts)

Breakfast (4.5 pts) -> WW Bagel (2), 1 Tbsp Light Peanut Butter (2), Coffee with 2% Milk (0)

Lunch (5 pts) -> 3 Wasa Light Rye Bread (1), 1 Tbsp Dijonnaise (0), 2 Slices Chicken Luncheon Meat (1), 2 C Romaine (0), 1T Light Caesar Dressing (1), Banana (2)

Dinner (8.5 pts) -> Lean Beef Burger (4), Ben's Smart Bun (2), Cheese Slice (1), Mayo (0.5), BBQ Sauce (0.5), Dill Pickles (0), Dill Pickle Relish (0.5), Tomato Slice (0), Onion (0), Arugula (0)

Snack (5.5 pts) -> 1/2 Cup Light Ice Cream (3), 100 Cal Pack PB Cookies (2), 3 Tbsp FF Cool-Whip (0.5), Asian Pear (0)


Today's Exercise Plan: (-2 pts)

Walk -> 4.1K in 35:00 (-2pts)

Day 1 of My Free 2-Week Trial of WW Online - Love it!

I've always been a meetings member of WW, ever since I joined in October of 2005. I have only used the WW site for the use of the message boards, looking at daily featured recipes, etc. - all free services of the site.

Last weekend when I went to my weigh in, there were cards available to meetings members to try a free 2-week trial of WW online. I was pumped and grabbed one up so that I could try it out. I signed up for the trial this morning...

I love WW online! So many very cool and useful tools, and I love the recipes! There are so many of them! And I also love how I have to be completely accountable for everything I eat - even those little bits of food that I probably would have neglected to count before (oh for shame!).

Before I reached my lifetime status, I said that I would probably join WW online when I made it to goal because I wouldn't have to spend as much to weigh in at meetings anymore, but I always just made excuses not go sign up online. Now that I've tried this trial period, I don't know what I'll do without it! I'm really glad that I was a meetings member - it allowed me to get my head around how the program works with the help of my other meetings members, but this WW online site rocks!

I have been a lifetime member for almost a year now, but have wanted to lose a few more pounds. I am now so motivated to get back on the losing wagon because of this site!

I'm going to make the most of it while I'm an online member - I'll be posting lots of my recipes and more pictures when I can (I'll also post them here, or on an attached blog) to share with everyone.

That WW marketing board sure is clever! They'll end up getting another regular payment from me again!

Weight Watchers vs. SparkPeople

For the past couple of months I've been using Sparkpeople (www.sparkpeople.com) to track my food, etc. and I have let counting points go during this time. I just wanted to compare the two plans for a while to see which I liked the best.

For those of you who don't know what Sparkpeople is, I'll give you the general overview:

• When you start sparkpeople, you set up a personal profile with basic personal information (weight, height, age, gender, etc) along with a goal weight and a desired timeframe in which you would like to reach your goal weight (within reason). Based on what you enter, sparkpeople calculates your daily calorie allowance and a weekly amount of calories you must burn. If you follow the guidelines the site sets for you, you will achieve your desired goal.
• You track every calorie you eat and all of the exercise you online through the sparkpeople site.
• Sparkpeople also has message boards, articles, recipes, calculators, etc. posted online for you to use, much like the weightwatchers website.
• Sparkpeople is a completely free program to use online.

I had quite a bit of success using sparkpeople and I did like it quite a bit, although I found I didn't use many of the extras on the site like the message boards, etc. I basically ate the food I was used to eating while following the WW plan. I found out that you end up eating about the same amount of food you would eat per week using sparkpeople as you would counting points.

The big difference for me was this: sparkpeople limited your caloric intake to the same amount every single day, with no room for flexibility by banking calories I earned doing exercise or eating extra calories on a given day. Generally I have to say that I like WW much more for this reason, as well as many other reasons.

One more thing I'd like to mention is that it sure is nice to be able to eat as many vegetables as I'd like without having to worry about using some of my daily calories to eat them!

Just wanted to let anyone who was interested know what sparkpeople was all about. I have rededicated myself to using the WW program as of this morning, happy to be counting points again and not worrying about counting calories. So much easier!

What a Good Day!

So happy about the daily GDT Runners thread on the WW boards now. I've already learned all kinds of interesting things in two days! It just makes me excited to go running. Just finished a pretty good treadmill run. I'm finally starting to feel at home with my 5K distance. I'm ready to increase my distance now, so I'm going to start the 10K conditioning program the Running Room uses after my race.

Eating well was so easy today (as we all know there are good days and there are bad days). I bought a couple of things I haven't had in a long time last night because I've gotten bored of my regular lunch choices. Bought some 1% light cottage cheese and some rice cakes (tomato & basil and caramel corn). I had a couple of the tomato ones today for lunch with 1/2 cup of cottage cheese and I wasn't hungry this afternoon at all - yay for lean protein! Tonight at dinner I had a ton of mixed veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, onions, mushrooms, green beans), got in an oil serving, and had some lean pork for a change. It made for a great dinner, and I was stuffed.

Now I'm off to the shower and to make some more banana bran muffins for my breakfasts. I'm going to start posting some of my own recipes soon too and I'll alert the WW message board when I do...


Today's Eating Plan: (24 pts)

Breakfast -> 2 Banana Bran Choc Chip Muffins, Coffee (2pts)
Lunch -> 2 Tomato & Basil Rice Cakes, 1/2 C 1% Cottage Cheese, 2 C Romaine, 1T Light Caesar Dressing, Popsicle (6pts)
Dinner -> Mixed Veggies & Pork, Oil, Peanut Sauce, 3/4 C WW Spaghetti (11pts)
Snack -> Caramel Corn Rice Cake, Hungry Girl Jalapeno Poppers (5pts)


Today's Exercise Plan:

Running -> 4K in 25:00 (-2pts)

Catching Up

Wow, it's been a while since I last posted. Been really busy, but I'll catch up now.

First off, I need to mention the trial. For anyone who doesn't know, there is currently a murder trial going on here in Fredericton for a man named Gregory Despres. The people he murdered were my great uncle Fred and his wife Verna. This trial has had a profound effect on myself and my family. This week was the first week the trial has been back in since February. The issue at hand right now is whether or not Despres is mentally fit to stand trial, which would allow the trial to continue. The judge is handing down her decision on his mental fitness today. I am going to today's hearing to hear what she says. I pray she finds him fit to stand trial so that we are able to continue and get one step closer to putting this trial behind us.

OK, now back to the regular stuff...

I made Mandy's Banana Choc Chip Muffins for the first time a couple of nights ago and they are awesome! Even Steve loved them - he commented last night, "they're almost gone! They were really good!". Pretty sure I'll be making those again really soon - thanks Mandy!

Went for a run last night, a longer route than usual - 5.4K. I'm trying to get myself ready for the Fredericton Marathon on May 13th. I'm registered to run the 5K - it's my first race and I'm scared to death, but I'm looking forward to it too. I'm trying to build myself up to running 10K before the summer's over so I can register for another race then. When I got back from my run I was absolutely beat, but found the energy to do my Pilates video too - I regretted that later though - I was sooooo sore!

Almost Half Way Through the Work Week

Friday can't come fast enough! Work just seems to be piling up this week, *sigh*. At least the time is passing quickly.

I've been trying to increase my weekly mileage lately with my running, to get ready for my first race on May 13th. I plan on running the 5K distance, since it's my first race and I want to feel fairly confident that I'll have a decent result. I've run 5K on each of the past two evenings, and my legs definitely feel it today. This is the first time I've been sore after a run in quite a while, and it feels great. Of course the soreness may also be due to running on a treadmill for the first time in a while. Either way, I'm taking tonight off of running, to allow my body to recover, but I'll try another 5K tomorrow night, probably on the treadmill again - the weather's still pretty wet and lousy here. I might do some pilates tonight, just to switch things up a bit.


Today's Eating Plan: (24 pts)

Breakfast -> Dempster's WW Bagel w PB, Coffee (7pts)
Lunch -> Roast Beef Sandwich on Rye w Mustard, Yogurt (4pts)
Dinner -> Highliner Fish Filet, Mashed Potatoes, Mixed Veggies w Olive Oil (9pts)
Snack -> 1/2 Cup Ice Cream, 1/4 C Kashi Cereal (4pts)


Today's Exercise Plan:

Pilates -> 1/2 Hour

Another Dreary Day

Well today's weather isn't much nicer than yesterday's. It is really windy and rainy, the sidewalks are covered in two inches of slush and water. It's one of those days when you're just wet and cold the entire day. I feel pretty bad that Stephen had to go work outdoors all day in this - I don't think he was looking forward to it this morning. The worst part is that it's supposed to be like this until at least Thursday.

Had a great run last night on the treadmill. It's been a while since I've had to run indoors, but it was actually kind of nice for a change. I didn't use my MP3 player, but watched the news the entire time instead. They were only covering the school shooting at Virginia Tech that occurred yesterday morning - what a sad story. I feel so terrible for all of the families, including the family of the shooter - they'll more than likely live with guilt for the rest of their lives. What a terrible tragedy.

Again, probably won't do much tonight, mostly because of the weather. Once I get home I just want to stay tucked in, nice and warm. I think I'm going to give the treadmill a go again after work - I really want to work on improving my time. I want to register for the Fredericton Marathon on May 13th, so I'd like to get my time under 30 minutes before then - just a personal goal. I'm sure I can do it. I'm going to try to get my average speed up to at least 5.5 tonight - it was around 5.4 last night.


Today's Eating Plan: (27 pts)

Breakfast -> Tim Hortons WW Bagel w PB, Coffee (7pts)
Lunch -> Huge Salad with Salad Spritzer, 1/2 Serving Better Butter Chicken, Yogurt (4pts)
Snack -> Crispy Delights (2pts)
Dinner -> Lean Burger w Bun, Spinach, Onions, Low-Fat Fries, Mayo, Chili Sauce (10 pts)
Snack -> 1/2 C Smart Scoop Ice Cream, Sprinkle Kashi GoLean Crunch, Orange (4pts)


Today's Exercise Plan: (-4pts)

Running -> 32 Mins of High Intensity Treadmill Running, 4.9Km in 32:00

First Post

My first post...

Woke up this morning to more flurries and a grey sky threatening rain later in the day. I decided I'd leave my running gear home and skip my lunch-time run today. Maybe I'll go after work, while supper's in the oven.

Andrew came by last night for dinner with Stephen and I. I made No Weigh José Mexican Lasagna from ESBM, a spinach salad with homemade balsamic vinaigrette, and individual apple crisps for dessert. We also had some sour cream, black bean dip, and Steve's homemade guacamole to complete the meal - yummy! The lasagna was a hit, so I'll definitely be making that again. Brought some for lunch today too.

Andrew brought over a couple of DVDs for us to check out too - The Secret and What the Bleep Do We Know?. I've heard lots about The Secret, and from what I can tell, it sounds really corny, but I told him I'd watch it anyway. I'll post my thoughts about it after we watch it.

Not much on the go tonight. We'll probably just have dinner, maybe go out and get a coffee or something, then watch some TV. I can't wait until the weather is nicer and we can start going outside a little more often.


Today's Eating Plan: (28 pts)

Breakfast -> Plain Bagel w PB, Coffee (7pts)
Lunch -> No Weigh José Mexican Lasagna, Granola Bar, Coffee (9pts)
Dinner -> Alaskan Pollock, Darth Taters, Mixed Veggies (7pts)
Snack -> 1/2 C Smart Scoop Ice Cream, 1/2 C Kashi Go Lean Crunch (5pts)


Today's Exercise Plan: (-4 pts)

Running -> 35 Minutes at High Intensity Treadmill Running, 5K in 33:46