A Good Week

This has been a good week!

To start with, this is my second blog post this year already! That's a good way to start!

Secondly, I went to work every day last week. Due to my illness and pain levels recently it's been rare when I could say that.

Thirdly, I actually went to the gym this week (today in fact) and did a full 60-minute step class!

Let's check out the weekly goals list and review:

Week Ending January 7, 2018

• get a gym membership - COMPLETED
• get a ROM membership for lunchtime walking - COMPLETED
• visit the gym at least twice
• participate in at least one group class at the gym - COMPLETED
• visit the ROM at least once
• work out at least three times
• get steps goals at least three times - COMPLETED
• weave in ends on Andrea's cowl - COMPLETED
• soak Andrea's cowl - COMPLETED
• block Andrea's cowl - COMPLETED
• go to work all four days - COMPLETED
• complete SBK up to June 2016
• complete HSKBK May 2017
• frog at least one project - COMPLETED
• put 5% of December and January received pays into my savings account (gross) - COMPLETED
• finish at least one WIP
• practice Spanish every day - COMPLETED
• complete clue #1 of the CK New Year's MKAL - COMPLETED

A few notes:

I only visited the gym once, but I am OK with that because I had to start somewhere. I almost didn't go today either, but I forced myself. This is where it needs to start!

This week getting back to work and staying at work all week was my main goal. Due to that being my main focus, and the severe cold this week, I didn't push myself to go out and visit the ROM on my lunch breaks. Hopefully this week!

I didn't work out three times this week, but I did work out twice! I am OK with that as well. One time at the gym, and one time on my elliptical in the basement.

For the steps goal I realize I didn't actually set a goal, so can't really say I met it. But! This week I hit over 2K twice, over 3K twice, and over 4K the other three days, so I am calling that a win! Today, thanks in a large part to the step class, I hit over 8K steps! They gave me a nice little badge for completing over 5K steps in a day. Working towards the 10K one!

That step class was a super awesome workout. I love how my Fitbit tracks everything and rewards me with cute little badges like the ones above. Below is the impact image from my class. Love it!

The bookkeeping goals have been a complete wash because I have been too exhausted and working on getting the right amounts of sleep. Fitbit helps me track that too!

I also didn't finish and WIPs, but that's because I have had to put them aside for a timed brioche test knit. I will go back to the WIPs after the test knit is completed and submitted.

Goals for this week!

Week Ending January 14, 2018

• visit the gym at least twice
• participate in at least one group class at the gym
• visit the ROM at least once
• work out at least three times
• get steps goals at least three times (5K or more)
• go to work all five days
• complete SBK up to June 2016
• complete HSKBK May 2017
• put 5% of received pays into my savings account (gross)
• practice Spanish every day
• pick up a new phone
• cut out gluten
• make a smoothie for breakfast at least two times this week

That's about it for this week! I hope to see everyone again next week for a new update.

Summer15 Update

I am sooooo close to being the lightest I have been in a long time. I am .2 pounds off my previous lightest weight of 158.5. I know I can do this!

So this puts me 9.3 pounds since January 1st, 3.9 pounds down since the start of Summer15 and 0.9 pounds down form last week. Rocking!

Some of the food choice changes I have been making are obviously working very well, as much as I grumble about them. I haven't done much exercise, and I have made some poor food choices this week, but overall I think I did really really good, and I guess it shows!

I have really started enjoying preparing some healthier meals ahead of time for work. My favourites are the breakfast grains from The Biggest Loser Simple Swaps: 100 Easy Changes to Start Living a Healthier Lifestyle and the Tabbouleh from The Low GI Handbook: The New Glucose Revolution Guide to the Long-Term Health Benefits of Low GI Eating (New Glucose Revolutions).

After having a week off from exercise due to illness I went super hardcore when I went back to the gym Tuesday (after having a long holiday weekend). I went a little too hard...not only did I raise my heart rate over the point where the treadmill could read it (it screamed at me 199%+) but I also damaged my knee. I should have known better. I really wrecked it back when I was 16 and doing parades with my Drum Corps. I was told since I refused surgery that it would always be sensitive and I would have to take care of it. And here I go jogging out super hard on a treadmill with about 50-60 extra pounds on me from when I originally hurt it (I was maybe a good 90 pounds soaking wet back when I was that age).

So yeah...duh...and hence the no further workouts for that week. I was in agony just walking up some stairs to get to work. Ugh.

I also sucked out at my goals. I had only 3 goals this weekend, and I didn't complete even one. But on the other side I did spend quite a few hours shopping with the other half to help him put together some nice new ensembles for work (more updates on that soon, just waiting for the official news). I'm telling you, men complain about shopping with women...but shopping with a picky man is no picnic either!

I also had a nice conversation with the other half about my education and am pleased he agreed to let me go back to taking two courses at once since I really only raid once a night now. There were of course some specifications:

1) No more costly extensions.

2) Course must be staggered so as not to have their finals close to one another.

3) Only one of the course may have both a final and a midtem, the complimentary course must be all assignments or assignments with a final only (so as to avoid overlapping of exams).

I am quite happy with this. I will be signing up for my next course (Computers and Management Information Systems) on Wednesday. It is an assignment only course. I can't wait! This will give me some brain breaks from the hideous Taxation course (which has to be completed my November - ugh).

Summer15 Week Six

Well that sort of worked out better. Odd considering the week I have had, but I'll take it as it comes.

Last week if you remember I posted I weighed in at 162.4. I am down 2.8 pounds!

I didn't go to the gym at all this week! This is so weird. I always seem to lose weight when I DON'T go to the gym? Is it just a coincidence?

My food choices were not always the greatest either. My son was out of town for the week and this left me the option of eating crappy dinners (which I did most nights). But I was really really good with my lunches, following the food list as best as possible. So maybe that is what helped.

Hopefully this week I can add in better dinners too. The other half wants to start improving his diet as well, so hopefully with us both feeling the urge to be better we can encourage one another.

I have started reading The Low GI Handbook: The New Glucose Revolution Guide to the Long-Term Health Benefits of Low GI Eating (New Glucose Revolutions) and it has some really great low GI recipes included, together with full weekly diet plans. This week alone I have already tried 2 of the recipes. I especially enjoyed the tabbouleh (pics to follow soon).

I am still interested to learn what everyone else does to stay on track with eating and avoid all the yummy temptations out there. So don't be shy! Leave a comment and let me know, because I am still having way too many weak craving moments.

Food Issues

I haven't blogged for a while. No duh right? I've been having issues. I have been frustrated by my weight gain (even with the addition of all the time I have been spending at the gym) and I have had some low feeling days where I barely wanted to get out of bed (both health and depression wise).

But I think I have finally realized what my main problem is. It has taken me a while to figure it out, but now I know.

I went to see my Naturopath who specializes in PCOS on Friday. She provided me with some supplements to help me out. First off she prescribed me something called Healthy Hormones (which hopefully will not give me the same nasty side effects the one from my Doctor gave me) and a Glucose Regulation supplement. She also created a food list for me outlining the things I should, and should not eat. There is a whole lot of should nots, let me tell you! I am really upset about a lot of the foods on the should not list, but I understand the reasoning behind them. I just don't know how I'm going to survive not eating the foods I am used to.

For example:

bananas
mangoes
wheat
balsamic vinegar
potatoes (of any kind)
rice (of any kind)
oats
caffeine
pork
scallops
fruit juices
butter (or any dairy really)
pumpkin seeds
etc...

I mean seriously? That was pretty much my diet right there! What the heck am I going to do for breakfast? I love my hot oatmeal! Man I feel like crying!

So that of course is issue number one. Obviously I have been eating all the wrong foods for my disorder. The second issue is that I can't seem to make myself NOT eat the not list even knowing now that I am not supposed to eat it! I seriously argue with myself at every meal time about what I want to eat, what I'm supposed to eat, and what I'm actually going to eat. And I am failing miserably here!

I have still had my oatmeal every day since the appointment. I can't seem to break myself of that habit. I don't know what to do. At dinner I have the best of intentions and then on the way home I tell myself "screw it" and I grab chili from Tim Horton's or something. I feel like a great big failure.

Oh and here is how the weight loss issue has been going:

Week 1: 159.9
Week 2: 162.0
Week 3: 160.8
Week 4: 161.8
Week 5: 162.4

I wouldn't feel so bad if at least my body fat percentage was going down...but it's not...it just stays at 30.5% mocking me. I am so close to just being done. Resigning myself to the fact that I have PCOS and eating what I want, when I want and coming to grips with the fact I will get larger.

But then I remember the pain that I had both before and after the surgery to remove one of the cysts. It was excruciating. I don't want to go through that again, not if I know I can do something to stop it from happening, and I can. I just have to stop being so damn lazy.

So my question is what do you do to help yourself stay on track with food? I have heard not to treat it as a diet, but as new eating for life...but honestly that makes me feel worse. I have started journaling because I was told that would help, and I can see how in a way because I feel very guilty every time I have to write something down I know shouldn't be in there. I bought this wonderful diet and fitness journal that is just perfect for what I need. I found it at Chapters.

I also heard some people take pictures of every meal and post them to their blog because it makes them more accountable to the people who read their blog. That might work...if I remembered to take a picture of everything I ate. Oh well, here's lunch:

Half a tuna sandwich on brown with a sweet orange pepper, 8 cocktail tomatoes, 6 green beans and Gardennay Asparagus soup (but I didn't eat the soup because it was nasty). The only thin in this picture on my NOT list would be the bread, so not too terrible.

Please share with me your techniques for staying on track with food. I am very interested in hearing them because if I can't find something that works soon I fear I might cave in...and that's not a good thing...

Summer15 Week Two

So I am slightly heartbroken. I have gained 2.1 pounds from last week's 2.7 pound loss. On a positive note that means I am still 0.6 pounds into my 15 pound goal, but it still stinks.

I'm not exactly sure what happened. I have been doing great with my working out. I have gone to the gym every workday since receiving the free membership. I have done both the upper and lower training sessions and now know how to mix my weight training with cardio. I mean I know I ate badly here and there...but I always do...and I don't usually exercise...so I should have lost! The only thing I can hope for is that it's fat turning into muscle. Nothing else really makes sense to me.

This week I managed to do the following:

Thursday - Treadmill for a total of 32 minutes (5 min warm-up followed by 25 mins of 60 sec run and 90 sec walk ending with a 2 min cool-down)

Friday, Saturday, Sunday - Long weekend. Since the gym is located near my work (which is very far from my home) I do not have access to it on non-work days. Did some housework.

Monday - Elliptical Beginner Level 2 workout session for 30 mins, 2 min cool-down

Tuesday - Upper and abs followed by 15 mins on the treadmill

Wednesday - Lower and abs with trainer followed by 5 mins on the treadmill (before almost passing out)

Today the gym is closed for Canada day (/pouts) and tomorrow I am off so I won't see the gym until Monday again. Hopefully I can fit something in at home. It's one of my goals since I failed so miserably at doing so last weekend...

Goals for Week #3

- eat no more than ONE fast food take out dinner

- eat no more than ONE eat in restaurant dinner (NOT FAST FOOD)

- work out at least 4 days at the gym

- fit in at least one fitness program or 30 minute elliptical circuit at home over the weekend

- finish assignment #1 for Taxation course (not everything has to be about weight loss!)

- make at least one new meal from The Biggest Loser Simple Swaps: 100 Easy Changes to Start Living a Healthier Lifestyle (I'm eying trying out the spaghetti squash)

- cut down (or cut out) the coffee (no more than large on weekends and no more than medium on weekdays)

- drink more water or herbal tea (this should be easier with my newfound obsession with David's Tea

There...that should be a good start!  Here's to a new week!

Summer15 Week One

There we go, right out in the open to start with. That was my weight this morning before I got dressed to go to the  gym. That's a loss of 2.7 pounds from last week. Colour me impressed!

It's been a great week. My doctor recommended reading The G.I. Diet to help with controlling my nutrition and eating habits to match my diagnosis of PCOS. I am really enjoying it. It's really not that complicated. I have been pretty good with it (minus the McDonald's melt down last night). I have pre-packed my lunch every night, usually with chicken leftovers and carefully counted out servings of things like carrots and nuts that are good for snacks, but only in smaller amounts.

My boyfriend decided it would be great fun to wake us up early Saturday and Sunday to take the dogs for a nice walk around the block and a run in the park. I thought weekends were for sleeping in? I guess he missed the memo...

I also got extremely lucky when a local women's club (like four doors away from my office) came around and offered free, no strings attached, 3 month memberships to try their club. It was like a glowing sign from weight-loss Heaven and I off course jumped on that offer quick.

Friday was my fit test, and the results were...well...not too fit at all...lol...but that was expected.

Yesterday I spent some time doing cardio, 22 minutes on the elliptical followed by 10 minutes on the treadmill (doing 2 walk / 1 run - hoping for another crack at a 5K one day soon).

Today I met with a trainer for one of two sessions to set me up with a program. Today was upper. Can I just say I hurt now? Oh...and I could use a nap please...

The good thing is at least I now know WHAT to do when I go to the gym. That's the one thing I have always hated about gyms...sure you can ride the cardio machines until you are red in the face (literally) but that's not enough to lose all the weight. There has to be at least SOME weight training....and until now I had no clue where to begin.

Tomorrow I will do cardio again. I was supposed to go for lower training Friday, but thanks to the G20 circus we have been given the day off so we won't have to tackle protesters and tear gas. I hope to be able to keep up this momentum at home...and get back on the ball (or treadmill) Monday.