Trick or Treat?

(This is my "Jack-o-Layton", do you like?)

On Friday they performed the new Body Combat routine for our
class. They claimed that there are around 1000 punches in this workout and I
would be inclined to agree with them. My arms were nice and sore afterwards. It
was fun to be presented with new challenges and like the Borg our bodies will
adapt to the same old routine so it is good to change things up.

This weekend I went to a Samhain get together and I tried to
eat with moderation, to only have a little of everything. I have been faithful
with journaling all of my food and sending it to my WW leader. Tonight I will
be handing out chocolate to the kids. I have allotted to only eat one fun sized
chocolate bar myself and attempt to give out the rest to the trick-or-treaters.
Because of Halloween I will not be working out tonight which makes me a little
sad. In spite of this set back, I really hope that all my effort will be
reflected on the scale tomorrow. I would prefer a treat over a trick, scale wise that is.

P.U.

Now that I have been eating more healthy food such as eggs, broccoli and cauliflower my family has been not so happy. Why?

Stinky farts! Muhahahaha

Well a lot of these foods contain sulfur, and the sulfides and mercaptans create bacteria in my gut. A fart is a combination of gases (nitrogen, carbon dioxide, oxygen, methane, and hydrogen sulfide) and it’s that last one that makes it stinky. It’s like I have a new super power, I can clear a room in a second. LOL. My dad bet me I wouldn’t post this, thus I had to prove him wrong.

Being accountable

Hello sport racers,
So I’ve been tracking like a mofo the past two days and sending it to my leader. I thought I would show you guys too, at least what I have so far.

Tuesday
My daily points plus target 33
Morning
4/29 - 2 eggs
1/28 - 1 Slice WW whole wheat bread
1/27 - 1 tsp margarine, calorie reduced
2/25 - 1 Fiber 1 100 calorie granola bar

Midday
6/19 - Lean Cuisine Fettuccine Alfredo frozen meal
5/14 - 4 pieces of Halloween Candy
2/12 - Coffee with Cream

Evening
4/8 - 4.2 oz Chicken Breast cooked
2/6 - WW BBQ popped chips
0/6 - 1 1/2 cups of green beans steamed
0/6 - 2/3 a cup of cauliflower
1/5 - 2 tsp margarine, calorie reduced
2/3 - Activia light yogurt
0/3 - Small Apple
0/3 - Can of Coke Zero

Activity
6 points - 70 minutes of brisk walking.

And here is Wednesday
My daily points plus target 33
Morning
4/29 - 2 eggs
1/28 - 1 Slice WW whole wheat bread
1/27 - 1 tsp margarine, calorie reduced
2/25 - 1 Fiber 1 100 calorie granola bar
0/25 - Banana

Midday
0/25 - Apple
7/18 - Nikki Udon (Japanese beef and rice noodle soup) Approx 2 cups
2/16 - Fiber 1 100 Calorie Granola Bar

Evening
3/13 - 30g Iso Flex whey protein powder
2/11 - Small container of skim milk
3/8 - 4 oz chicken breast cooked
0/8 - 2 cups of broccoli
2/6 - 30g Low fat mozzarella
2/4 - Activia yogurt

10 activity points (walking, running on tread mill and weight training)

So far this has been helping, just this morning I stopped myself from getting a Bacon and Egg McMuffin because I knew that wouldn't look good on my report for the day.

I’ve also been treating myself to little bits of Love here and there this week. I bought a Ceridwen's Cauldron Bath Melt from lush and had a decadent bath with candles. I bought “The secret life of bees” and read that last night before going to be early. It was quite decadent. I have yet to paint my nails, so maybe that will be tonight. Get myself all shiny for Samhain.

Slacking on tracking

Ow…. I woke up this morning and all the muscles in my forearms and hands are sore. It took me a moment to remember the 2nd day workout delay rule and that it was due to rock climbing on Monday night. I am working through the pain but it is surprisingly uncomfortable to type right now, who would have know that the typing muscles are the ones utilized during rock climbing.

Weight Watchers Stats
Starting Weight: 303.2 lbs
Weigh in Weight: 190.6 lbs
Weight Variance: +2.4 lbs
Total Weight Loss: 112.6 lbs

I knew I was going to gain this week because my monthly friend is about to arrive, however I know that all of the weight gain cannot be attributed to water retention. I went to a baby shower and to be honest I have been slacking on tracking. So I decided during my meeting that I am going to be sending my Weight Watcher leader Lindsay my daily tracking each day via email so that I will have to be accountable to someone. I am also going to be in charge of my own dinners for the next week or so. It will be chicken breasts and vegetables/salads for the next while. I really want to get rid of this weight by Christmas/Yule. January marks my anniversary as a Weight Watcher member. Two years I have been on program and I do not want to have to pay anymore. I want to put that money towards something nice, like a vacation.

Hanging on for dear life

Good morning readers,

Yesterday I went to Rock Oasis with my friend Matt after work. I was a little surprised when we asked me because I remember a few years ago he didn’t want to stand on the ladder when we were painting his bedroom because he didn’t like heights. The climbing facility is located on Carlaw south of Gerrad. We paid around $35 for all the equipment, a lesson and the time to climb. The guy who instructed us how to use the equipment was cute! After we got the hang of it both Matt and I had a lot of fun trying the different wall paths. We joked that men have a tendency to climb with their cards and women with our legs. I am not sure if this is completely true, because my arms are a little sore this morning. I loved the feeling when I could figure out a course to get to the top. My upper body strength has improved I’ve noticed because I was like a spider monkey! By the end of the night out fingers were sore and our arms were getting tired. I would definitely do that again, even if it is only every few months. I would recommend the activity to anyone and everyone. However you do need a partner to help you belay while you climb so bring a friend.

Bring your lunch

Wow, the weekend went by quickly. I enjoyed my body combat class on the Friday. I was sore after the class so I knew I was going to feel the effects on Sunday. Bought a pretty shell necklace, pampered myself and enjoyed a few decadent hours of sleep in time. Today I am going rock climbing with my friend Matt, which I am looking forward too. I haven’t done rock climbing since high school so it will be interesting to see if I can still do it.

Today I wanted to talk about being prepared. One of the best ways to arm yourself for success is to pack a healthy lunch. On Sunday you can always make a nice large batch of meals for the week ahead. Not only will this help you out financially, it will be a wiser choice then any fast food option. You can always purchase weight watcher or lean cuisine frozen meals if you do not have time to cook. Bring fruit instead of the 100 calorie snack packs, you will feel much more satisfied, I promise. If you have a few snacks you can space them out over the day so that you never feel famished.

Treat yourself kindly

I would like to speak to you on a topic that is of great importance. For all the effort and time we put into transforming our bodies into a healthier version of our previous selves, our motivation should not be vanity. It should be driven by the love you have for yourself. We should be treating our bodies like a temple, with respect, reverence and devotion. You are beautiful no matter how you look aesthetically, however by altering your lifestyle you are placing a value on your health, your body and your life. Funny how I was confident with my body even at 300 lbs, however I wasn’t treating myself with respect. Remember that you are doing this because you love yourself so much, perhaps only then can you direct that love outwards. I think that often during this transformation we do not always treat ourselves kindly. We sometimes can only see the faults in our form, hurl insults at ourselves. I have problems with accepting compliments, I so readily believe that they are lying or I find fault with their suggestion. “You are looking great” “Oh thanks, but I gained three pounds this week.” I wonder why sometimes I put so little value on my efforts. Do you do this?

This week I am going to commit to doing nice things for myself, to find ways to love myself again. I think I will reward myself with things other than food to make me feel beautiful. Perhaps I will purchase a bath bomb and have a nice soak. Take the time to give myself a manicure, maybe purchase a new piece of clothing. I need to get in touch with my inner Aphrodite.

Weight Loss Sabotage: By Melody

Today is a crazy day, so today I have an blog post my friend Melody (who is awesome) wrote for a weight loss blog that we started for our office.

The Saboteur
So you're working hard and its starting to show. You're feeling really good about yourself, so you share your happiness with your friend/coworker/family members etc. And they come back with not-so-encouraging words. What the fuck? Why is someone you thought should be happy and encouraging coming back with negativity? Some example comments...

- They urge you to eat sweet or fattening foods
- They use discounting and condescending remarks when you talk about your weight loss
- Continually offer you second helpings of food despite the fact that you say you are no longer hungry.
- Keep a watchful eye on everything you eat, make snide comments, and check up that you haven't eaten "bad" foods in their absence.
- Be overly critical of your weight loss methods.
- Discourage you from getting regular physical activity


Most likely the saboteur finds themselves threatened by your efforts to lose weight. Instead of getting angry, lets think about why they are so insecure about your happiness!

- Friends may think you want to change your life in other ways - maybe you'll be leaving them out of your "new and improved" circle of friends along with your new, healthy lifestyle
- A friend may feel your weight loss makes her extra weight seem more noticeable to others.
- Your significant other may be jealous of, or dislike the attention you are getting from other people
- A family member may resent the time you spend exercising or preparing healthy foods (particularly if they themselves partake of neither) when you could be spending time with them
- A friend may feel guilty about continuing to eat your formerly favorite foods while you eat lighter fare. Or they may miss their "partner in crime" if you frequently ate together or shared "bad" foods or habits .

How sad, aren't they? First it helps to realize that they really are just jealous of your determination and efforts. From there, why not flip it around, and remind them they can join your efforts. If they can't/don't want or need to, call them out on their bad behaviour!

Flat out say "Well that isn't encouraging." Remind them one-on-one that as your friend, you need and value their support. Don't be afraid to call them out on their actions - they should appreciate you putting yourself on the line saying you need them, and turn around to join you in the healthy lifestyle land of goodness.

If this doesn't work, let ME talk to 'em!! hehe

WW & HOTW: Lisa & Angela

Weight Watchers Stats
Starting Weight: 303.2 lbs
Weigh in Weight: 188.2 lbs
Weight Variance: -3.0 lbs
Total Weight Loss: 115.0 lbs

Phew. After a roller coaster of scale observations it appears as if my body has auto corrected itself after going off my birth control meds. Lost exactly what I had gained the week before. It is a lesson in not sweating the small stuff and never giving up. Speaking of which, today I have chosen two lovely ladies for my Heroine of the Week. Why? Because they are both essentially the same type of character, thus it makes sense to mention them both. The first is Lisa Reisert (Rachel McAdams) from the 2005 suspense thriller “Red Eye” and the second is Angela (Rachel Nichols) from little known suspense flick the 2007 movie “P2” (Which incidentally was filmed in the parking garage below my work, which is awesome). Both of them are career driven females, who have dealt with an assault on their person, both find themselves in a situation where they cannot get out of (Terrorist threatening them in a plane or obsessed stalker kiddnapping you in a parking garage). What I like about them is that they never give up. They fight tooth and nail to escape from their captors (Cillian Murphy &Wes Bentley). For the most part they do everything right, they are cunning and smart. It is their will to live and fight which bring them through the ordeal. I can learn a lot from both of them as they are great role models.

P90x Workout: Attempt #1

Yesterday I went over to my friend Christine’s house and worked out with both her and her brother Alex. I borrowed P90x from my friend Matt and we decided that since the weather was not favorable that it was a good time to give it a try. Both Christine and I watched the intro video where they pimped their DVD’s, nutrition book and supplements. I was hoping that they would talk about how to effectively implement the DVD’s into a regiment, I have a feeling that the system is in an accompanying booklet thus not to get pirated. So we voted to do Yoga X and when we put the DVD in we discovered that it was 1 hour and 27 minutes long, WTF?!?! So we said we would do half the workout and then conclude with the ab ripper DVD which we know is 16 minutes long. The yoga DVD was like any yoga class I have ever done, it is just longer than the average yoga class. The ab ripper was intense; however I felt it working more in my thighs then in my abs. Maybe I wasn’t doing them right. Well I think that I would like to try the Kempo X or Cardio X DVD next. See if it can make me sweat. Wish me luck at weigh in. If I gain another 3 lbs I may just kill someone….

Cold and Flu Season

It is that time of the year when the cold weather hits and everyone around us start getting sick. Once we get sick ourselves not only does this hinder our overall health, but it will derail our weight loss due to inactivity and poor food choices. No one really wants to eat a salad when they are sick, they want soup or comfort foods like ice cream. We need to make sure we prevent a cold or flu before it starts. The immune system is a system of biological structures and processes within an organism that protects against disease by identifying and killing pathogens, thus we need to take care of it. I myself have a sore throat at the moment so I am listing to my inner mother voice and took some Cold FX and made sure to get my vitimins for the day. I am being mindful of getting a lot of rest/sleep. I am using the hand sanitizer with greater frequency and being mindful of how I interact with people who are sick. It is also I good idea to drink plenty of liquids to stay hydrated and flush out any toxins. Hopefully I can kick this before this develops into something worse. I have a tendancy to go from mild cold to pneumonia in a heatbeat. Here are nine foods which help to boost your immune system.

1. Yogurt

2. Oats and Barley

3. Garlic

4. Fish

5. Chicken Soup

6. Tea

7. Beef

8. Sweet Potatoes

9. Mushrooms

S.O.S

Alright something fishy is going on. I weighed myself this morning and I have gained an additional 2 pounds. I have eaten nothing to warrant that much of a gain which leads me to think that this all might be a reaction to not taking my birth control pills. A little medical back story. I have/had Polycystic ovary syndrome, which is a condition in which there is an imbalance of a woman's female sex hormones. Basically my body wasn't producing enough estrogen. Thus I would take birth control to counter balance this. This was caused by my excessive weight. A way to treat the disease is to loose weight and it was thought that once I slimmed down that I could take a lighter prescription dose and then eliminate taking it. I am currently not getting medical benifits from work so I thought that this would be a good time to stop taking the drug.

Now I do not know what to do. Is this weight gain temporary? Will it go away on its own? Should I go back on my medication? A 5 pound gain is a serious back step. *sigh*

Heroine of the Week: The Bride aka Beatrix Kiddo aka The Black Mamba

I’m still kinda grumpy and unmotivated to talk about fitness so I thought I would write a “Heroine of the Week” entry. I mentioned Beatrix Kiddo (aka The Bride aka the Black Mamba) yesterday in my rant, she is one of the main heroine influences on my journey to lose weight because I admire how focused she is. She has one goal (to kill Bill and the rest of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad) and she lets nothing stop her in accomplishing that goal. I would love to be like this character. It does help that aesthetically Uma Thurman and myself have a few features in common and so it becomes easy to picture myself in the role. I have always admired her tall lean frame. You don’t see blondes being able to pull off tough without them sexualizing them, so I appreciate the fact that this yellow warrior wasn’t tarted up; in fact her ability to turn a yellow jump suit into something bad ass is impressive. To top it all off she has got some serious kung fu and sword skills. I can only home one day to be as indestructible as her. I read on IMDB that they are making a Kill Bill Vol. 3, am I am excited to see my favorite heroine on the big screen again, I just hope they don’t ruin it.

Inconceivable....

Weight Watchers Stats
Starting Weight: 303.2 lbs
Weigh in Weight: 191.2 lbs
Weight Variance: +3.0 lbs
Total Weight Loss: 112.0 lbs

That is right Wallace Shawn, Inconceivable!
I just do not get it.... I stepped on the scale today thinking it would go one way and it went the completely other way. Three fucking pounds?!?!?! I had to do a double take. I have NEVER had a weigh-in like this. And it wasn't just the scale at Weight Watchers I weighed in this morning and sure enough, BAM! three pounds in a day.

I just do not get it... We made a reasonable thanksgiving dinner (Chicken breast, a little stuffing, veggies and a light apple cobbler which I made) I worked out (Cardio class, running and walking) The only bad thing I ate this week was a poutine and ice cream cone at the fair. Nothing to warrant a 3 pound gain. Tuesday morning my weight was looking great on the scale 188.9, it looked like I was going to loose. (TMI) I had had a little digestive distress last night so I was nice and empty. I ate the same thing I always eat and drink on the Tuesday. Maybe I missed something this week, or maybe because I stopped taking my birth control, maybe someone slipped me a cup of salt while I was sleeping, or perhaps I didn't have enough veggies...

I have no fucking clue and I'm getting tired. Like that cry on your walk home from the bus and want to destroy stuff kind of tired. Like the why the fuck haven't I lost anything in 6 months kinda tired. The why am I working so hard for nothing kinda tired. I was all pumped this week. I started this loose 10 pounds for Christmas/Winter Solstice challenge and I thought I would make a dent in that. I was SOOOOO close to my lowest point loss, just one pound shy and now I'm right back up there again. It is frustrating and really testing my resolve.

Is this going to stop me? No
Am I fucking pissed? Yes
Am I going to let it get me down? Well maybe for a bit, can't help it... but I will get right back at it..... still sucks though.

Don't worry, I'm not going to give up, but its going to be hard to pick myself up from this one. I'm just bummed. I am going to try to take inspiration my all time Heroine role model from Kill Bill, Ms. Beatrix Kiddo, she didn't let a bullet to the head stop her, she woke up from that coma, killed a man and wiggled her god damn toe. If it was going to be easy then everybody would be thin.

Rule #1 Cardio

The gods were smiling on us this long weekend, what beautiful weather! I was able to go for many nice walks this weekend and enjoy the trees full with autumn leaves. I was also able to get together with my friend Christine yesterday morning for a run around the local high school track (DMCI represent). Normally we run at night and we were hoping for a cool morning breeze; however it was almost uncomfortably hot at 10:30 am with not wind whatsoever. (#firstworldproblems) However half of the track was covered in shade so we got relief on the home stretch. We make the commitment to run for 30 minutes and we only have to make a pit stop half way for water. The thing I am very proud of is that I kept up with her the entire time. *happy dance* Granted she wasn’t running her fastest because she was getting over a cold, but it was faster then I normally run. That last lap was a killer, I just kept yelling at myself in my head. "Come on!!!" "You can do it!!!" "Just one more lap!!!" "Do NOT give up now!!!". I think we ran around the track a total of 9 times which is around 3.5 kilometers. I would like to be able to run 5 kilometers eventually. It seems like a good goal, I am not sure if I want to do a race, but just get my body used to that amount of cardio… you know for when the zombie apocalypse occurs, I need to make sure I can out run them.

Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Speech 2005

Leave you with something inspiring for the weekend.

Gym Peacocks AKA "Meathead"

Went to the McCaul Goodlife gym yesterday, it is become my favorite. I love the fact that they play Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Food network and Criminal Minds on the televisions in the cardio bays. I went for a nice 20 minutes run on the treadmill while watching a season 6 episode of Buffy. I am inspired by my friend Melissa, she runs for 30 minutes and I want to get back into that again. My friend Christine and I haven’t had a lot of opportunity to run at the school track for a long time due to inclement weather. After the treadmill I went to the free weight section and worked my upper body. I am always entertained by the “Meat Heads” who are really bulked up, who are grunting and flaunting their bodies like peacocks. I mean I have been to a gym in the village and I understood why those men were flaunting their bodies, but here it is more to prove their masculinity or their power. I can also tell who are the true Meat heads (the guys who work out every day) and the newbie’s who pick a random set of heavy free weights and sit on the bench trying to look really cool. Is this a guy thing? They all like to make this grunting sound which to me always makes me think of what they would sound like in bed. It would be nice if they were cute, but they are not. I look a little out of place when I work out in that section but I do not care. The weight machines upstairs take too long to cycle through and I can do my work out faster (at least the upper body workout) with a pair of 7.5 lbs and 10 lbs weights at my side. At the end of my workout I went to the pull up assist machine. I can currently do 7 chin ups/ pull ups at 110. I would like to be able to do 15 at 110 before I move over to 100. If you are unaware of how it works basically I have set it so that it carries 110 of my 188 pounds of my total weight. So really I am only carrying 78 lbs. If I move it to 100 lbs setting then I would be carrying 88 pounds. Understand? So eventually I would like to be able to do a pull up without any assistance. By doing this I will build my upper body strength and be working on the “hanging from the edge of a cliff” fitness goal.

Thanksgiving is coming!!!

Weight Watchers Stats
Starting Weight: 303.2 lbs
Weigh in Weight: 188.2 lbs
Weight Variance: -2.8 lbs
Total Weight Loss: 115.0 lbs

This is a holiday which makes many people who are trying to lose weight very nervous, but really it is great practice for the Christmas season. My sub leader Tracy went through a typical meal and it was in the mid 30 point range (Turkey, stuffing, gravy, potatoes, yams, cranberry sauce, beans, pumpkin pie etc…). So what are our options? Well do I really need all those carbs? I would be perfectly happy with just Turkey/Chicken, stuffing and green beans. I'm going to be making sutffing balls this year. Basically you take prepared stuffing, smoosh them into balls, cover them in a little low calorie margarine and then plop them into the oven to crisp up. It is a great way to preportion the stuffing. Also lets say I wanted pie, perhaps I could make my own low calorie version instead of store bought. Also in anticipation I could watch my food consumption earlier in the day and bank a couple activity points in anticipation for the large meal. The important thing is to track everything you eat and know that enjoying yourself doesn’t mean eating until you have to unbutton your pants.

Baby it's cold outside

Don’t get me wrong I love autumn; it is my favorite time of year. I love the leaves changing color, I love the slightly cooler temperature and I love the smell in the air. However this weekend was miserable, it was really cold and rainy. All I wanted to stay at home curl up under the blankets and watch a movie… which is what I did. I had ever ambition to work out at home or go for a walk around the block but it didn’t happen. Why? The weather really affects my mood and I have to fight to stay active in the winter time. Does this happen to you? In the spring and summer you get this joint of energy and then when the cold weather arrives all you want to hibernate? This is where setting a schedule is really important for me. I am going to have to pen it in as a non negotiable like my weight watcher meetings.

Heroine of the Week: Xena

I have decided to feature a few ladies who represent a strong fitness goal for me. She would be someone who is both psychically fit and sexy to boot. Today I think I will focus on Lucy Lawless as Xena, warrior princess. I used to love watching this show, partly I was drawn to the show for the pagan gods running amuck, and the other is because I loved the strong role model of Xena. She was a physically powerful lady in leather who got to kick ass every week and had both men and Gods knocking on her door. She fought with her body, a sword; a neat weapon called a Chakram, and could do flips in the air. I always liked that she was curvy too (strong legs and pronounced hips) and not rail thin. Also liked that she was kind a bitch at times too, or perhaps the word is tough. She sort of balanced the tough, sexy, nice thing perfectly. Aesthetically I can’t pull off the look (being a fair blonde and her having darker features) but with my body type I might be able to pull off the strong leg like her. Perhaps I will put the theme song on my playlist to help motivate me run that extra few minutes.