'Smokin Hot"

July's Results

True to form, when my month has been ho-hum, I post later than the 1st.  I did manage to keep all but one pound off after my competition, so not too bad considering it could have been 14 or more too. 

"Running"

Before I got pregnant with my now 9 year old, I was "running" a few times a week.  By running, I mean moving at a speed between 4.5 and 5mph.  I am not quick by any stretch, but I was going about 4 miles (walk/run though) at a time back then.  I didn't mind it either. 

July

I am attempting to maintain my almost 15 pound loss for the month of July.  I am a little worried however as I go on vacation soon and gone will be my structured, planned days of eating and exercising.  I'm not really doing anything for vacation either, which while relaxing, scares me because I eat when I'm bored, reading, alone, watching TV, awake....  You get the idea.

It's over

The weight loss challenge is over.  After 39 days of competition, everyone weighed in today.  The top three were close, very close. 

Gluten-Free Challenge

This week's challenge is to go gluten-free.  It's not a celiac issue, so it's not as strict as that would be.  I can't imagine having to do that!  Gluten is in almost everything it seems.  Still, staying away from grains that contain gluten is hard as well. 

Nailed it!

Well, it's official!  I am a lifeguard!  Me!?  After months of practicing two days a week and the last two weekends including Friday nights, I passed the course. 

I do not think of myself as an athlete by any stretch.  However, if you compare my years before children to now, there is quite a difference.  BC (before children), the most activity I ever did was go for a walk and they were quite sporadic at best.  Immediately after I had my daughter 12 or so years ago, I got a little better and walked more often.  Then I joined the Y when we moved here and as I've mentioned before, took the fitness instructor's course so I wouldn't stop going to the Y.  My theory was: if a class was depending on me, I had to be there.  That worked, so I volunteered there for over 12 years, teaching anywhere from 1-5 classes a week.  Last year, when I became full time, I started teaching even more and being a little more adventurous (trapeze anyone?).  Now, I am swimming weekly (I even like it!).  I am going to play hockey (the jury is still out on that one).  I have a bike (and have even used it).  I give cyclefit classes for fun to coworkers (the ones in the challenge with me).  I went downhill skiing for the first time in over 20 years (and will go again, so $$$ though).  I golf weekly (and am really bad at it).

All in all, I am much more active than I used to be.  I have a picture in my car on my visor of my family when we went to Florida in 2008 and seeing it tonight reminded me of how far I have come already.  My weight isn't much less than that picture, but I am quite a bit smaller, (I think).  I just looked for a picture to post and apparently (luckily), I am always the one behind the camera.  Even if I'm not smaller, I'm way healthier and fitter and I'm also setting a better example for my children.  The rest WILL come.

Gotta go plan my next 12 days.  The competition is over on the 28th....

Some Day Close to the Middle of the Challenge

Humph!  Apparently I was incorrect about the grumpiness being gone.  All week, I have been hungry and grumpy/angry.  Hangry, the girls I used to work with called it.  As in: "gotta make sure Tracey eats soon or she will get hangry!" 

Day 14, 25 to go

It's the beginning of the month, but I do not have weight or inches lost to post.  Only because I do not want my competition to hear how much I have lost so far.  June 28 is our weigh day and I will let you know the results after that.  I can say that the scale has not gone up over the past month or even over the past weekend.

Day 6

As part of my plan for losing weight (healthy), I wanted to add some activities with my family on the weekends.   This weekend we had two planned.   Trail riding on a bicycle on Saturday and swimming on Sunday.

Day 5

I went to a training session Thursday in Toronto and it was excellent.  There was however a mishap:

Week One

So far so good!  Almost two days into our challenge and I'm still on track.  If you have been following my blog, you know that's par for the course.  I'm OK for a few days and then it's all downhill. 

Game On Girls!!!

Starting on Tuesday this week, some of the girls I work with and myself are having a little weight loss challenge for six weeks. Each week has a challenge and everyone who can complete it gets one pound less for their final weigh in.  So challenges can have you “losing” an extra six pounds.  I’ve gotta go get ready!  I’ll keep you posted. 

 

May Flowers

You can always tell when I haven’t lost any weight or inches in a month: I’m always late in posting.

The Story of my Life

Well, at least the second picture.....

What was I thinking?

One of our members was thinking about trying a cyclefit class.  She has done fantastic since about November of last year, losing over 40 pounds so far by exercising most days of the week and eating healthy (hmmm, sounds like something I should try….). 

Don't Wish Your Life Away

Another month down.  I can’t believe how fast time flies.  Remember when you were a kid?  It seemed to take forever for summer to come, birthday’s to arrive and anything fun to happen.   I used to wish time flew faster and couldn’t wait for exciting events.  My Dad has always said “don’t wish your life away” and it took until I was an adult to understand what he meant.

The End of a Week

It takes me a few days to organize my menu for the week.  I go grocery shopping once a week, generally Friday, Sunday at the latest.  I (or my kids) wash and cut the fruits and vegetables on the weekends, because I know myself: If they aren’t ready to eat, they rot and get thrown out.  That actually never happens anymore, because I hate wasting money and food and I know better now.  

February

A quick post to sum up February:  blah

I started out great but part way through lost momentum.  I was fighting a cold for the last few weeks and ended up losing that fight.  I did manage to lose 1 pound making this year's loss a whopping 6 pounds so far.  I haven't adjusted the monthly goals I had yet, so in order to catch up, I need to get my act together for March.  I AM wearing coats that only used to fit when I was 15-20 pounds lighter (bought the last time I lost weight).  So that's a bonus!  On the flip side, I float and I mean I can't stay on or near the bottom for my training and we all know fat floats.  I am not going up this time.  I know what works for me and I'm getting closer every month (lately).  That's all for today.

A Snitch in my Midst

There is a snitch in my midst, so I better come clean….  She threatened to tell what I ate yesterday.  I will, instead, and offer my explanation (excuses) at the same time.  It all started last Tuesday.  I was the epitome of perfection for my diet that day.  I had packed a lunch knowing full well that pancakes were going to be served (free food!!) at lunchtime.  I continued being a model of good health by joining my fellow pancake eaters (all of regular weight btw) and eating my packed lunch not feeling left out because seriously?  For me, white flour and white sugar at lunchtime is a recipe for binging for a week.  I was ok.

Control?!

I’m wondering if the last month of eating well was because I wasn’t feeling 100%?  It’s either that or my weekend of shame caused me to start my usual binging again.  Granted, it’s nowhere near as bad as it used to be, but I’m back to feeling blah and eating everything in sight.  Luckily my self-imposed budget isn’t allowing for much to be in sight to eat, but there is still damage to be done at my house.  I can over eat healthy food almost as easy as I can gorge on garbage.

Mmmm cookies!

Up until today, I was doing fantastic.  I’ve kept on losing at a decent rate, enough to meet my goal, but not too many to cause issues like today.  It’s not that I have been losing too fast and now I’m binging.  I’m blaming it on the fact that I bought the cookies and didn’t leave them in the store…

Skiing AND swimming this month!

A few tweaks this month and I'm down.  It's mainly because of working in the afternoons now.  If I snack, it's from my healthy stash at work.  Another big reason is that I'm not bringing the junk food home from the grocery store.  If it’s not in the house, I can't eat it.  I am also thinking before I just shove food aimlessly into my mouth (sometimes, not always, I'm far from perfect).  Making some of my portions smaller hasn't hurt either.  

Are you ready?

Are you ready for the New Year?  I am.  I have my goals all figured out: short-term and long-term.  I am doing weekly and monthly goals and even have some six month goals figured out. More on those later…